56 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 21, 1881. 
colour produced can scarcely be imagined by those who have not 
witnessed such a display. It is, indeed, an exhibition in itself, and 
one that represents the outcome of intelligent persevering appli¬ 
cation by many individuals to the crossing and rearing of improved 
forms in this large and beautiful section of a great genus. 
Taking the double varieties first, a few of the best were the 
following :—F. V. Itaspail, a handsome variety, with deep rich 
scarlet flowers of excellent form, and borne in compact trusses. 
Mr. H. Cannell, an American variety of great promise, very bright 
scarlet; truss large. Jewel, a fine old scarlet-flowered variety, 
is very useful, as the individual pips being of good form, bright in 
colour and furnished with long stalks, are admirably suited for 
wiring singly for buttonholes or bouquets, but especially for the 
first-named purpose. Emile de Girardin is one of the best rose-pink- 
flowered doubles in commerce, raised by M. Lemoine of Nancy. 
The flowers are of fine even form in full compaot trusses. M. Le- 
landais, also pink and from the same raiser, is a considerable 
improvement upon an older variety known as Madame Boutard. 
Roi des Violets, very distinct, especially remarkable for the bright 
purplish violet tint of the flowers, the shade distinguishing it 
amongst hundreds of other plants of the same type. Victor Hugo, 
a variety with salmon-coloured flowers, scarcely surpassed in the 
tint; the truss, too, is of considerable size and very full. Mr. A. 
Dupuis is a lighter-tinted form of the same colour, but not less 
Fig. 11. —Aquilegia siberica fl.-pl. (See page 53). 
beautiful; the petalshaving a faint margin of white, which imparts 
a peculiar appearance to the plant. Heroine and Candidissima 
plena were the two finest double whites in flower at the time of 
my visit. The former is noteworthy for the great size yet neat 
form of the flowers, while the latter has the pips unusually full. 
The single Zonal varieties were even more brilliant than the 
doubles, for, like many other plants, the shades of colour never seem 
so dazzling in the latter as in the former. When large numbers of 
plants are together this is particularly noteworthy, and I have 
never seen a more striking instance of the fact than the one now 
recorded. The difficulty of selection, too, is much greater among 
the singles, for there are so many of first-rate quality both in 
colour and form of flowers, that for every one named below there 
are half a dozen equally good. Two remarkably beautiful forms 
are Dr. Orton and Henry Jacoby, both somewhat in the style of 
the Nosegay section with enormous trusses of daik crimson flowers. 
These are, indeed, the two darkest forms at present grown, and 
latterly Henry Jacoby having received so many favourable com¬ 
ments in the Journal, the demand has increased to such an extent 
that the supply can only be maintained with considerable diffi¬ 
culty. It is most effective in pots, and in some gardens it has 
been employed for bedding-out w’ith such satisfactory results that 
still further attention is being given to it for this purpose. Future 
Fame is a remarkable variety with very large bright scarlet 
flowers of excellent form and substance. Some of the single pips 
exceeded 2 inches in diameter, and a good truss of such flowers, 
as can be readily imagined, is very effective. Sybil Holden is a 
beautiful pink-flowered variety, especially useful in winter, when 
its large handsome trusses are freely produced, and the soft tint 
of the flowers is very pleasing. Lizzie Brooks is a thoroughly 
useful scarlet form of dazzling colour, and very free. Guinea is 
well known as probably the nearest approach to a yellow yet ob¬ 
tained amongst Zonal Pelargoniums ; the flowers, too, are of neat 
form, and the truss is full and compact. Miss Hamilton, with 
delicate pink-tinted flowers, is very attractive, and deserves to be 
included in all collections. Fanny Gatlin is one of the best sal¬ 
mon-coloured varieties, the pips being of considerable size, sym¬ 
metrical form, and rich colour. Many more were worth noting, 
but especially the white variety Eureka, which has been several 
times exhibited at Kensington, and was early in the present year 
honoured with a certificate. It well maintains its character as 
one of the best in its class ; it is very compact in habit, the 
flowers being large and pure white. 
Houses of similar dimensions to those above mentioned are 
devoted to the Ivy-leaved forms, the Show, Fancy, Decorative, Tri¬ 
color, and Bronze varieties, all in similarly beautiful condition, 
and to enumerate the best of which would alone fill several pages. 
A few additional notes will, however, be reserved for transcription 
at some future convenient opportunity : and in the meantime all 
those who wish to obtain an adequate idea of what has been 
effected in improving the Pelargonium should endeavour to visit 
the “Home for Flowers” at least once in the season.—A n 
Amateur Florist. 
THE CHISWICK, TURNHAM GREEN, and DISTRICT 
HORTICULTORAL SOCIETY. 
Last April an Exhibition of spring flowers was held in the Vestry 
Hall at Turnham Green on behalf of the funds of the West London 
Hospital, and the results were so encouraging that it was determined 
to form a Society in the district. A Committee was formed, the 
patronage of the Royal Horticultural Society W’as secured, and per¬ 
mission to hold the Shows in the Chiswick Gardens was granted. 
The Society was thus established under favourable auspices, and 
with a practical executive and such industrious officials as J. T. Smith, 
Esq., as Honorary Treasurer ; J. T. Musgrave, Esq., as Honorary Secre¬ 
tary ; and Mr. A F. Barron as Honorary General Manager, an ex¬ 
cellent schedule was prepared, w’hich resulted in a good and well- 
arranged Exhibition on Thursday last. 
The Show was in one respect novel, as it w’as the first that has pro¬ 
bably ever been held in a vinery. The day was one of the hottest of 
the year. “ Why not, then, have held it under canvas in tents on the 
law’n ?” some may ask. The answ’er is simple, “ Because such tents are 
too hot.” As practical gardeneis know, a large and well-ventilated 
vinery, with the roof covered wdth foliage, is really cool and refresh¬ 
ing during a brilliant tropical day. But besides the shaded roof in 
this case a canvas awning was provided, and the result was that, ex¬ 
cept in the shade of the few large trees, the vinery w r as the coolest 
place in the garden, a tent in which the table decorations w'ere placed 
being oppressively hot in comparison. 
But the vinery in question is an exceptional one. It is nearly 
200 feet long, about SO feet wide, and so lofty that an arch-like ladder 
on a railway is provided for the convenience of the Vine-dressers. It 
was, then, in this great curvilinear structure that the Show was held, 
and the exhibits occupied every available foot of space. Down the 
centre were arranged the groups of plants for effect and large speci¬ 
mens in the classes, the side tables being devoted to smaller plants, 
fruits, vegetables, Roses, and other cut flowers. 
Only a sketch of the Show can be given and the prominent exhibits 
noticed. Undoubtedly the great feature of the Show' w r as the com¬ 
petition in the open class for the effect groups, the space not exceed¬ 
ing 100 square feet. The groups were semicircular, and the plants 
arranged on the ground. As examples of picturesque arrangement 
the winning groups have never been surpassed ; indeed, the third- 
prize collection of Messrs. Hooper would have had a first position in 
any other show that w'e have seen where there has been competition 
for groups of this size and form. 
It is not easy to describe the groups, but an idea may be afforded 
of their charming appearance. The first-prize arrangement of Mr. 
Brown, St. Mary’s Grove Nursery, Richmond, was light, free, cool, 
yet bright. The groundwork was of Maidenhair Ferns, rising from 
which here and there were Gloxinias, and towards the front small 
plants of Caladium argyrites. The central large plant was a well- 
coloured example of Croton undulatus, flanked with rather tall 
Cocoses. At the back were taller Palms and an untrained Allamanda. 
All these plants were thinly disposed, so that there was abundant 
space between and under them for small Ixoras, Kalosanthuses, and 
Pandanus Veitchii, which appeared as if growing from a groundwork 
of Ferns. There was a little too much packing of the smaller plants 
near the front—a fault that is apparent in nine out of every ten 
groups of this nature ; but taking it altogether the arrangement was 
very beautiful. The second-prize group of Mr. Hudson, gardener to 
H. J. Atkinson, Esq., Gunnersbury House, was a marvel of elegance 
and grace. The groundwork W'as generally the same as the other, 
but with more and better Gloxinias, but no touches of bright colours. 
The pretty base was canopied with the most slender of Palms, through 
which the groundwork was seen as if through a gauze-like network 
of foliage. The back plants were heavier Palms, a Croton flanked 
with Pandanus Veitchii and Liliums. If there was a fault in this 
