240 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 11, 1884. 
Hydrangeas are very fine at Margam Park, South Wales, this season 
The largest of the bushes are bearing as many as 700 massive heads 
of bloom. In the lower part of the grounds they are a beautiful pink 
colour, while further up they are a bright blue. Nothing could be more 
showy. They are equally as attractive as Ehododendrons in spring, 
and in situations where Hydrangeas succeed they might be introduced 
extensively with splendid effect in the autumn. 
- Lilium AtJRATUM. —“ H. S.” writes :—“ At The Cottage, Sand- 
gate, the residence of J. J. Lonsdale, Esq., we recently saw an example 
of Lilium auratum worth recording. This grand specimen, growing in 
a pot 2 feet in diameter, had twenty-five stems, many measuring 8 feet 
from the pot’s edge, and carrying 210 fine expanded flowers. It has a 
local reputation. Mr. Lilly (happy name), the gardener, informed us 
that seventeen years ago a single bulb was potted, and each year or two 
since has been shifted into a pot a trifle larger, but the soil has never 
been shaken out nor the bulbs disturbed—a hint to be followed by all 
who would be successful with the golden-rayed Lily of Japan.” 
- Mb. B. Cowan sends us the following notes from the 
NORTH :—“ At Rokeby Park, the seat of R. A. Morritt, Esq., where Mr. 
William Bowzer is gardener, one of the stoves is just now very effective. 
The pillars that support the structure are beautiful with the following 
climbers and foliage plants, which form very pleasing and agreeable con¬ 
trasts. Bougainvillea glabra (profusely flowered) Allamanda Wardleana, 
Nephrolepis tuberosa, Cissus discolor, Adiantum farleyense, and Acalypha 
Mackeana. In the same place we noticed a fine lot of Poinsettias grown 
in a cool frame, and Mr. Bowzer informs us it is no uncommon occur¬ 
rence to have the bracts 18 to 21 inches across, 
- “Chesters.—A t this fine old place archaeologists have recently 
discovered another ‘new’ village. The crevices of the walls are 
studded with Erinus alpinus and the lovely Corydalis lutea. No one 
can give any clue as to how these lovely plants so predominate amongst 
these old ruins. The venerable owner, H. Claxton, Esq., many years 
Town Clerk of Newcastle, is now in his ninetieth year, and has been a 
thorough devotee to archaeology. In one of the greenhouses, 21 feet by 15, 
is a fine Fuchsia Riccartoni, which fills the house ; the stem is 14 inches 
in circumference. The gardens are under the charge of Mr. Charlton. 
- “Armstrong Park, Newcastle.—T he tree planted in this 
park by the Princess of Wales, which has been recently presented to 
Newcastle by the generous and philanthropic owner, S ir W. Armstrong, 
was likely to be destroyed by the curious taking leaves and twigs off as 
mementoes; it is now protected. It is an Italian Oak, supplied by 
Messrs. Fell & Co., Hexham.” 
- Presentation. —After the luncheon held in connection with 
the Bath Floral Fete, reported on another page, a presentation was 
made to Mr. Hooper Taylor. This gentleman has long been one of 
the most active workers on the Bath Floral Fetes Committee, and in the 
course of his duties has gained the respect of all with whom he has 
come into contact. At the Rose Show it was decided among a few of 
the visitors, including several exhibitors and judge®, that some kind 
of recognition of his courtesy and kindness was desirable, and as a 
consequence a subscription list was opened, with the result that sufficient 
funds were forthcoming to enable the promoters to present a handsome 
silver goblet to Mr. Taylor, and that, too, without the assistance or 
cognisance of any members of the Bath Committee. The presentation 
was made by Mr. Webley, Hon. Sec. Bristol Horticultural Society, who 
did full justice to the merits of Mr. Taylor, to whom the compliment 
was apparently a great surprise, and he expressed the great pleasure he 
felt at the honour done him. Such marks of respect are worthy of 
record, and may serve to encourage many zealous workers on various 
horticultural committees. 
- Gladiolus brenchleyensis.—“ A. M. B.” writes : — “ The 
brilliant spikes are with me j ust over. In a small bed by themselves 
the corms remained undisturbed all the winter in the ground, and the 
flower spikes were very fine.” 
- Fine Varieties op Gladioli.—-T he splendid collection of 
Gladioli staged last week at the Crystal Palace by Mr. Campbell, and 
referred to in our report of the Show, contained, amongst others, the 
following superior varieties :—Amalthee, pure white, tinted violet, large 
violet-red blotch ; Ambroise Yerschaffelt, white ground, carmine flamed, 
large rose blotch; Anna, cherry, tinted bright orange, carmine stripe 
on white ground ; Archduchess Maria-Christina, white, tinted lilac, 
flamed rosy carmine ; Belladonna, white, shaded clear lilac, lower petals 
striped bright carmine ; Bicolore, large flowers of bright rosy salmon 
colour, lower petals ivory white, suffused with rose at the edges ; 
Camille, light lilac, flamed and feathered dark lilac ; Canova, white, 
mottled rosy-lilac ; Carnation, fleshy white, tinted carmine at edges; 
Celim^ne, orange red, flamed vermilion red ; Colbert, cherry red, tinted 
orange, white lines ; De Mirbel, fine rose, tinted lilac-violet, striped and 
flamed carmine ; Dumont d’Urville, very long spike, bright cherry, 
flaked and striped rich carmine, distinct pure white blotch ; Giganteus^ 
very tall spike, flowers of a fine rose colour, shading off to cherry, upper 
petals transparent rose, blotch dark carmine, veined white all over ; 
Hermione, white ground, striped lilac and carmine, white blotch streaked 
violet; Horace Vernet, brilliant parple-red, white centre feathered red ; 
Jupiter, light red, largely flamed dark crimson ; Lady Bridport, flesh 
colour, tinted pink, flamed and mottled carmine ; L’Unique Violet, 
dark lilac, tinted violet, flamed dark carmine ; Oodine, pure white, 
tinted lilac, deep violet blotches ; Opale, fine spike of large flowers of 
extremely delicate rose, a charming variety of the freshest colour ; 
Papillon, compact well-formed spike of flowers with a yellow ground, 
flaked and bordered carmine ; Penelope, blush white, lower petals tinted 
yellow ; Seduction, salmon, white blotches, carmine stripes ; Sir Wm. 
Hooker, cherry, carmine spots, white ground ; Sylphide, white, flamed 
carmine, purple-carmine blotch ; Sylvia, white, edged delicate cherry- 
rose, ivory throat; Tour-du-Mond, dark cherry-red, white blotch, edged 
lilac ; Velleda, rose, violet blotch, 
- “A Gleaner” sends -us the following series of acceptable 
notes :— Pomfon Dahlias. —Some growers are already alive to the fact 
that one-year-old pot plants of these produce a great quantity of flowers 
more uniform in size than those from spring-struck cuttings. This is an 
advantage, for it requires no cunning observer to discover the danger of 
this section so increasing in size as to presently render it difficult to 
distinguish these from small-flowered Show varieties, and when this is 
so where shall we draw the line ? Their intrinsic beauty and value as 
cut flowers must stand in their small well-formed flowers. 
- Double Tuberous Begonias with a circumference of 9 inches 
are something to remember, especially when the well-formed flowers of 
the Turban Ranunculus cannot vie with them ; and may it not safely be 
presumed that this is a very near approach to the ideal of perfection, at 
least so far as doubling and size are concerned ? 
- Clematis plammulA.—T his fine old climber can be placed in 
a variety of positions much better than “on wire arches over a path” 
(see page 192), for you want of necessity to be above it when thus placed 
to admire it. Just try it against a dead Larch or a Wellingtonia rendered 
unsightly by previous winters, allowing it to ramble and festoon amidst 
the branches, and see its effect—nay more, see it at home, for it is at 
home thus, and instead of removing such trees as these they might be 
made features in the garden or woodland. 
- Ferns for Baskets. —Among new departures in this direction 
may be mentioned Adiantum farleyense, which is being adopted by Mr. 
Lynch in the Botanic Gardens at Cambridge. It is doing well, too, and 
saying this the reader can easily imagine the rest, for the prince of 
Adiantums is well known. This circumstance also reminds of a Davallia 
Mooreana grown as a basket plant in the late Mr. Joad’s garden at 
Wimbledon, and which was some 6 feet through. Very effective it was, 
as may be imagined. This, like the preceding, is so well known for its 
general decorative qualities as to need no special description here. 
- Cetebach aubeum. —Touching on Ferns reminds one of the 
days when very small plants had to realise from a guinea to 305. or 
remain unsold, and at the former price I was the happy possessor of two 
plants, which were prized considerably. For a time these grew very 
satisfactorily, but as winter came and went they presented anything but 
a pleasing appearance, although they had been given all that had been 
prescribed for their requirements. Eventually one of them was repotted 
and placed in a cold frame with Diomeas, Cephalotus follicularis, and 
similar plants. The result was that in this humid frame it promised 
a speefy recovery, notwithstanding that it appeared altogether the 
wrong spot for the scaly Ferns. The circumstance was almost forgotten 
until a short time ago it was met with in a Cheshire garden growing in 
a close case with Todeas and Trichomanes, receiving similar treatment 
and in luxuriance, the fronds large and well developed. Those who 
