November 23,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
475 
most valuable to the gardener. Most of them are well known, the 
handsome rosy-flowered B. Martiana, the coral-scarlet B. fuchsioides, 
and the pink B. weltoniensis being especially popular ; but one or 
two of the others are not so frequently seen in gardens. B. Knows- 
leyana, however, with B. Dregei, B. Richardsiana, and B. Sutherlandi, 
though having no pretence to novelty, are comparatively rare, but 
where well grown they are greatly appreciated. The first has been 
repeatedly noticed in these pages, and was figured in this Journal 
December 22nd, 1881, when some account was given of its origin and 
usefulness. B. Dregei and B. Richardsiana are of neat habit, with 
small bright green leaves and small but abundant white flowers. 
B. Sutherlandi is of similar habit, but has orange-coloured flowers, a 
very distinct shade. B. semperflorens and its variety rosea are indis¬ 
pensable, the latter being a fine companion for the former, which it 
precisely resembles in habit, but the blooms are deeply tinged with 
rose instead of being pure white. B. Martiana gracilis, it should be 
observed, is a variety of continental origin, rather more slender in 
habit than its parent, but otherwise similar to it. All these are useful 
for winter flowering, and add greatly to the beauty of a conservatory 
when flowering plants are not too plentiful. 
There is yet another section of Begonias largely grown at Swanley 
—namely, the fine-foliage type, which are represented by dozens of 
handsome varieties, many being comparatively new from the conti¬ 
nent, where more attention has been paid to these plants for some 
time than in England. The diversity in colouring and markings of 
the foliage almost defy description. Some have a metallic silvery 
gloss, others are of the deepest velvety green with various dots and 
splashes of different colours, and some are deep red with green zones. 
Without attempting to describe them, the following may be noted as 
some of the best—Marguerite Bruant, G. O’Gorman, Jules Duplessis, 
Madame Champion, Madame de Bichat, Jules Bourchett, Eire King, 
Berthe Rautiere, Madame Baumelin, and Adrien Robine.— VISITOR. 
In reference to the intended Congress of Horticulturists to be 
held at Ghent in March and April, 1883, the Syndical Chamber of 
Belgian Horticulturists have passed the following resolution :— 
“ In order to give to the representatives of horticultural industry of 
all countries the occasion to extend mutually their commercial 
relations and discuss their common interests, an international 
meeting of horticulturists will take place at Ghent in April, 1883. 
The programme will be published in due time. As this meeting 
will coincide with the great quinquennial international Flower 
Show organised by the Royal Agricultural and Botanical Society, 
interesting entertainments will be offered to the Congress mem¬ 
bers, and excursions organised to the different horticultural centres 
of Belgium.” 
- In consequence of the Assizes not being concluded, in 
St. George’s Hall, the Liverpool Horticultural Associ¬ 
ation’s Autumn Show has been postponed till Friday, 
November 24th. 
-- We are desired to state that an addition of eighteen 
pensioners on the funds of the Gardeners’ Boyal Benevolent 
Institution will take place on January 11th, making the number 
up to 100, the largest number at one time on the books. Mr. 
E. R. Cutler also informs us that “The collection in aid of the 
Pension Augmentation Fund for 1882 will finally close on Novem¬ 
ber 30th. The amount received up to this day is £478 85. 7(1., 
being £83 4s. 9 d. behind the amount collected last year. The 
Committee earnestly trust that among the many horticulturists 
in England that this sum will be made up before the day of 
closing the fund, and that in a very few years it will be their 
unspeakable gratification to be able to announce their ability to 
raise the pensions by £4 each. The voting papers for the coming 
election of pensioners will be in the hands of the subscribers on 
or about December 16th.” 
- A correspondent writes as follows “ On the 14th inst., 
at his residence in College Street, Bury St. Edmunds, in the 
seventy-second year of his age, died Mr. James Clarke. He was 
one of the oldest members of the Bury and West Suffolk Horti¬ 
cultural Society, and was an ardent and successful amateur hor¬ 
ticulturist until failing health compelled him to in a great measure 
relinquish his favourite pursuit. He was eminently successful in 
tie cultivation of plants, but the Pink was his favourite flower, 
and he succeeded in raising many valuable varieties, including 
Lord Lyons, Derby Day, Duchess, and others. He was a genial 
and kind-hearted man, beloved and respected in his native town ; 
never so happy as when in the company of horticulturists ; an 
appreciative reader of the Journal of Horticulture since its com¬ 
mencement, and he knew, spoke of, and regarded its various 
writers as friends, although it is possible that he never had an 
opportunity of seeing or speaking to any of them.” 
- The conservatory at Norris Green is, writes a 
correspondent, now a brilliant mass of flowers. Apparently there 
are about a thousand Zonal Pelargoniums in full beauty ; Vesu¬ 
vius and its white variety, with a salmon sport that originated 
in Mrs. Heywood’s gardens, and increased by Mr. Bardney, 
being amongst the most effective. Very fine also is Prince of 
Wales, a free grower, and fine winter bloomer ; colour soft scarlet. 
John Gibbons is one of the finest of the bright scarlets, and will 
be more largely employed in future. Arthur and Mary Pearson 
are amongst the best pink varieties. Perhaps the finest double 
scarlet variety now flowering is M. Raspail. Guillon Mangilli is 
also flowering, but this variety evidently requires more heat for 
developing its full beauty in winter as seen in the stoves at 
Longleat and Marston. Besides Pelargoniums Mr. Bardney grows 
seven hundred Primulas, six thousand bulbs in pots, three hundred 
pots of Lily of the Valley, still more Spiraeas, six hundred Roses 
in pots, five hundred hardy Azaleas and Rhododendrons for the 
embellishment of the structure during winter and spring. Nor is 
the colour produced by such a number of plants overpowering ; 
as abundant foil is afforded by the splendid specimen Camellias 
that occupy the central beds, the flowers being chiefly arranged 
on a stage round the house. 
- Of Chrysanthemums for decoration grown by Mr. 
Bardney by far the most useful is one called Souvenir de Malange, 
a small white reflexed paper white variety, a little larger than a 
Pompon. It is of dwarf habit, branches freely, produces thousands 
of flowers, retains its dark green foliage, and is never affected 
with mildew. This valuable variety has quite supplanted Cedo 
Nulli, and closely resembles, if it is not identical with, Soeur 
Melanie that was recently alluded to as the most useful Chrys¬ 
anthemum in the Chiswick collection. Elaine and James Salter 
are the most useful tall light varieties at Norris Green ; and by 
far the most serviceable among the richer colours is Early Red 
Dragon, as the plants branch freely and produce their brilliant 
flowers in abundance. 
-Worthy of special note is Luculia gratissima. A 
plant or tree of it in the above-named conservatory is about 
15 feet high, and is bearing at least a hundred trusses, some 
being 9 inches in diameter, and the fragrance of the delicate 
peach-coloured flowers pervade the entire building. This is 
perhaps the finest specimen of this plant in the country, and it 
will continue yielding trusses for several months. Unfortunately 
it is difficult to propagate this plant from cuttings, but the diffi¬ 
culty will be surmounted, as a few plants a foot high in 5-inch 
pots are bearing heads of flowers like Hydrangeas, and after a 
little more experience Mr. Bardney will be able to tell us how 
such plants can be produced. Luculias will then be grown in 
thousands, and will find their way into most or all greenhouses 
and conservatories. 
- Price’s Patent Candle Company, in sending us a further 
sample of Gishurstine, remind us of the importance of keeping 
