October 12 , 1882.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 343 
considered by many superior flowers to the 'double varieties. 
For use in vases and dinner-table decorations];they have the 
advantage over all other Dahlias, being more graceful. They 
ought to be grown in all gardens. The following sorts I find 
good—Paragon, lutea, coccinea, alba, Cervantesii, Stella Bianca, 
and Painted Lady.” 
- We are glad to hear that the freehold of the old 
Fulham Nursery of Messrs. Osborn k Son, which was offered for 
sale at the Mart, Tokenhouse Yard, by Messrs. Protheroe k Morris 
on Thursday last, has been bought by Messrs. James Yeitch k Sons 
of the Royal Exotic Nursery, King’s Road, Chelsea. This nursery is 
the oldest of the existing metropolitan nurseries, and was founded 
in the beginning of the last century. It has always had a high 
reputation for its fruit trees, its collection of ornamental trees and 
shrubs, and at one time it possessed the richest collection of 
herbaceous perennials which was to be found near London. It is 
well to know that this historic nursery, so closely associated as 
it is with the history of English gardening, is not to be handed 
07er to the tender mercies of the enterprising builder, but will 
become an adjunct to that equally notable firm of James Yeitch 
and Sons, who will in future carry on the Fulham business in 
conjunction with their own at King’s Road, Chelsea. 
- The Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Works have issued 
the customary autumn notification that they intend shortly to 
distribute surplus plants from the London parks among 
the working classes. If the clergy, school committees, and others 
interested will make application to the superintendent of the 
park nearest their respective parishes, or to the Director of the 
Royal Gardens, Kew, or to the Superintendent of Hampton 
Court Gardens, in the cases of persons residing in those neigh¬ 
bourhoods, they will receive early intimation of the number of 
plants that can be allotted to each applicant, and of the time 
and manner of their distribution. 
- Mr. George Rudd of Undercliffe, Bradford, is now send¬ 
ing out his new Picotees Mrs. Rudd and Sarah Elizabeth. 
The former is a heavy edge, described by the raiser as a seedling 
from Edith D’Ombrain, with deeper colour and smoother edge 
than that fine variety. It has a large broad petal, free from spots 
or bars, and the nearest approach to a self-dressed flower he has 
yet seen. The latter is a light red-edged seedling from Thomas 
William ; a large full flower with a true wire edge, and is a 
strong grower. The new white Clove Virgo, which has been re¬ 
cently described, is also now being distributed by Mr. Rudd. 
- A Scottish correspondent asks a question relative to 
early Roses which we shall be glad if any of our readers 
can answer:—“ Please name a Rose or two having all the good 
qualities of Gloire de Dijon, but a month or two earlier in bloom¬ 
ing.” We should like a few Roses of the nature indicated, but 
almost despair of finding any flowering a “month or two ” sooner 
than the old favourite. 
- When any kind of tropical fruits become plentiful upon 
the London hawkers’ barrows it may be safely concluded that 
the culture of that kind has been largely extended in some suitable 
part of the world. This would appear to be the case with Pome¬ 
granates, which every year seem to become more abundant in 
the metropolis, and it is quite common at this time of year to see 
large barrowloads in the streets. The fruits, too, are offered at a 
merely nominal price, some fine ones being sold at two for a 
penny, such as a few years ago could not have been purchased for 
less than 3 d . or id . each. Like the Pine Apples and Bananas, 
these are now evidently imported in large quantities, some of 
which must be sold in the first instance at exceedingly low prices. 
- The peculiar but brilliantly coloured Anthurium Andre- 
Anum appears to be advancing in favour, judging by the fact that 
in one of the florists’ shops at the Covent Garden Market we re¬ 
cently observed about a dozen handsome spathes. We have pre¬ 
viously noticed a few small samples on several occasions, but these 
were unusually fine, of great size, and the glossy scarlet hue most 
striking, the white base of the spadix seeming by contrast to 
render the richly tinted spathe even more prominent. That this 
species will ever become as popular or as generally useful as 
A. Schertzerianum can scarcely be expected, yet the strangely 
puckered appearance of the spathes and the unrivalled colour will 
doubtless cause it to be largely grown. 
-A Bristol correspondent writes “However deserving 
of commendation Lord Napier Nectarine may be for cultiva¬ 
tion under glass or in a warm soil, it has proved a great dis¬ 
appointment to me here on a coldish clay soil even so far south as 
the neighbourhood of Bristol. I obtained a tree from Messrs. 
Rivers four years ago, which now covers about 100 feet of brick 
wall with a good aspect, where Peaches and Nectarines in 
general are of excellent quality but it has so entirely failed to 
ripen its fruit the two years it has borne, that am about to 
destroy it and plant a second tree of Hale’s Early Peach, which 
I find a first-rate variety.” 
- Relative to the value of manures Mr. A. Boyle 
writes:—“In answer to Mr. Peter Ferguson, page 298, he appears 
to be unaware that the richer the food of animals the more 
valuable the manure, even though the diet of both may be classed 
under the same head. For instance, that from animals who get 
oilcake is much more valuable than what comes from those 
which do not.” This is no doubt correct; hence in some counties 
it is customary for the incoming tenant of a farm to pay a large 
6hare of his predecessor’s cake bill of the previous year on proof 
being submitted that the cake has been consumed on the farm. 
- The October issue of the “Botanical Magazine” gives a 
very good plate of Lilium Parryi, a charming South Californian 
species now well known to most lovers of such plants, as it was 
discovered about six years ago, but it is as yet very scarce in cul¬ 
tivation. The beauty of the plant has been admirably shown at 
Kew this summer, where a specimen on the new rockery has 
flowered grandly and attracted the attention of many who had 
not previously seen it. The flowers are of moderate size, the 
petals narrow and slightly recurved, of a bright yellow colour, the 
anthers being brownish. The stem is about 3 feet high, with lan¬ 
ceolate leaves in whorls. The raceme is a foot or more in length, 
also having the flowers in whorls of three to six. Sir Joseph 
Hooker states that “ L. Parryi is a native of the San Barnardino 
mountains, Southern California, on the borders of the Arizona 
desert, at an elevation of 4000 feet. It was found in the Potato 
patch of a settler in a boggy soil.” 
-The schedule of the Kingston Chrysanthemum So¬ 
ciety announces that the sixth annual Exhibition will be held in 
the Drill Hall, Kingston, on Thursday and Friday, November 16th 
and 17th of the present year, the usual liberal prizes being offered 
in numerous classes. There are, however, two classes of special 
interest—namely, those in which the champion challenge vases 
are offered, and the competition in these alone will undoubtedly 
render the Show one of the most important of the season. It will 
be remembered that the first vase has been won in the three years 
—first by Mr. G. Harding, gardener to T. Galpin, Esq., Putney 
Heath ; second by Mr. W. Tunnington, gardener to Chas. Maclver, 
Esq., Liverpool; and third by Mr. F. Faulkner, gardener to F. R. 
Ley land, Esq., Liverpool, the competition this year being confined 
to those exhibitors. That all will try their best for the final suc¬ 
cess this year there can be no doubt, and it appears extremely 
probable that the contest will be exceedingly close and keen. A 
second vase of equal value to the first— i.e., twenty-five guineas, 
