520 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
June 13, 1895. 
- Trinidad Botanic Gardens.—T he annual report of the 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Trinidad, for the year 1894, compiled by the 
Superintendent, Mr. J. H, Hart, furnishes evidence of the practical 
value of these colonial botanic gardens, and of their relation with the 
central institution at Kew. Under the Economic Section, information 
is given of the growth in the island of the Sugar-cane, Cacao, Coffee, 
Yam, Gambier, Vanilla, the Brazil Nut, and Cola, and of the principal 
enemies of these crops, and the best mode of combating them. 
- R.H.S. Examination. —As one who sat at the above examina¬ 
tion on May Ist, I fully agree with “ W. D.” (page 500), that the time 
allowed was much too short. One question alone (No. 13), on the 
culture of Grape Vines, would take from three-quarters of an hour to 
an hour to answer fully and well. 1 think “ E. D. S.” has given very 
fair answers, but it is a different thing sitting down quietly at home and 
writing at leisure, from sitting in an examination room, with only so 
much time to do the work in. In the “ Science” Exam., 1895, subject 
“ Geology,” the time allowed is three hours, with only five questions to 
attempt to answer in the first or second stage, and only four in the 
honours stage. I sat for the first stage, and although the questions 
were not nearly so stiff as those of the E.H.S., the time allowed was 
not too much.—J. E. 
JOTTINGS IN HYDE PARK. 
Many of the flower beds in Hyde Park are now specially attractive. 
Some of them have been a blaze of bloom for a considerable time. The 
beds of Pansies, for instance, are exceptionally good, and merit the close 
attention of any visitor who delights in seeing these flowers at their 
best. The beds containing the plants are large, and accommodate some 
hundreds, all of which are in a healthy vigorous condition, and flowering 
profusely. Numbers of them bear blooms of remarkable size and 
substance, which, intermixed with those of lesser sized flowers, form a 
very pleasing combination. 
One of these beds was edged with London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosa), 
another had a band of Lord Beaconsfield Pansy, and a third of Aubrietia 
Leitchlini. At Whitsuntide the latter was nearly out of bloom, but the 
London Pride was peculiarly attractive in its simple array of tall pretty 
spikes fringing the Pansies of varied hues. One bed of Pansies had 
clumps of Solomon’s Seal rising from among them, and very pretty the 
drooping flowers looked on the graceful arching stems. 
Dark Pansies intermixed with Aquilegias of bronzy hues formed a 
good combination. Pansies and Violas were largely employed as edgings. 
Brown and dark Pansies of various shades provided an attractive band 
round one bed filled with dwarf white Stocks, extraordinarily floriferous 
and regular in size. The plants were not only furnished with a fine 
central spike but with side shoots correspondingly good. A bed of red 
Stocks was equally effective. This was edged with white Arabis alpina, 
of course long since out of bloom ; but the effect can be imagined if 
the Stocks were in bloom, too, when the Arabis was at its best. Violas 
Blue Bell and Lilacina respectively edged beds of dark-foliaged Sweet 
Williams, throwing up bloom spikes which will shortly prove to be 
en masse a gorgeous spectacle. The pale yellow Viola Ardwell Gem 
was employed as an edging to beds of herbaceous Phlox, which had every 
appearance of .being the white variety. 
Owing to the variety of plants employed, every week throughout the 
summer will bring forward something prominent. Beds of Carnations 
and Pinks are advancing fast. An edging of Lysimachia nummularia 
aurea is used for circular beds of Carnations Raby Castle and Germania, 
both varieties having remarkably sturdy flower spikes. Similar beds of 
Queen of Bedders and Danger Carnations are edged with Antennaria, 
always an attractive, compact edging, and quite hardy. Another bed of 
Carnations, oblong in shape, is filled with Alice Ayres, and bordered with 
the succulent Sempervivum californicum. 
Antennaria is also employed as an edging to a large oblong bed 
planted thinly with Campanula Meadium, the spaces between being filled 
with Pansies, Herniaria glabra forms an edging to a bed of Mimulus. 
Numerous other beds were prepared ready for planting, while 
Auriculas, bulbs. Primroses, Dielytras, and other things had still to be 
removed at the beginning of the month to be filled attractively for summer 
and autumn. Mention ought to be made of the single red Pyrethrums, 
which surpassed the double forms in attractiveness. Then there were 
beds completely occupied with Fuchsias, which will eventually prove most 
interesting. One had a groundwork of Ten-week Stock just planted. 
Beds which promise to be most attractive are those with scented-leaved 
Pelargoniums, interspersed with fine plants of Anthericum variegatum, 
having a groundwork of Mimulus and edged with blue Lobelia. 
Another bed has white, yellow, and lilac Violas with clumps of 
Zonal Pelargonium Titiens and Anthericum variegatum. A very pretty 
bed is composed of red Stocks, Mignonette in bloom, and Earl of 
Beaconsfield^ P^^nsy. Good bushy plants of Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums 
are also emp %d, one bed having a groundwork of Violas, lilac and 
blue, edged with white Lobelia. 
Other effective and tasteful combinations will be found by the 
visitor to this attractive metropolitan park, which is frequented by all 
classes, few of whom do not admire the banquet of floral beauty 
constantly displayed before them through the efforts of the Superin¬ 
tendent and bis as istan"-,—E. D, S. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
We are requested to state that the annual outing of the members 
of the above Society will take place on Monday, July 22ad, and will 
take the form of a visit to the gardens and grounds of Burford Lodge, 
Boxhill, the residence of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart,, one of the Vice- 
Presidents of the Society. 
Distribution op New Chrysanthemums. 
Early in February I wrote to a grower of new seedlings for a set 
of his novelties for 1895 in the hope of getting them for a friend who 
wanted to grow them and show them in the coming season. The 
first week in June has now passed and the plants have not arrived, and 
when they do they will probably be merely rooted cuttings 2 or 3 inches 
long. By that time the whole of my friend’s collection will be estab¬ 
lished in their flowering pots, and under our method of culture well 
advanced for the purposes required, I merely draw attention to the 
matter to show how little cause of complaint such people have at their 
novelties not receiving due recognition at our hands. It is perhaps 
unnecessary to add that the grower in question is not an English one. 
New Chrysanthemums from Japan, 
I have just returned from the interesting little exhibition of water¬ 
colour drawings by Miss Hill Burton at the Clifford Galleries, Haymarket. 
Pleasing as it is as a whole, I was disappointed to find that, although she 
deals with the Pmony, Iris, Water Lily, Cherry blossom. Wistaria, 
and Azalea, as they are grown in Japan, the claims of the Queen of 
Autumn have been entirely overlooked, for there is not a single picture 
of the Chrysanthemum in the whole collection. 
By way of compensation, however, I find on my table an illustrated 
nursery catalogue from Japan, which contains a list of new and old 
varieties, with a large folded sheet of new seedling Chrysanthemums for 
1895 that are positively gaudy and painful to the eye after gazing at 
the soft and delicate tones of colour employed by Miss Burton in her 
drawings. 
These native Japanese illustrations seem to have been produced by a 
mechanical method of chromo-lithograp’ny, such as would be found in 
any of our trade catalogues, and are not to be compared with some of 
the work I have seen on rice paper and on silk. The flowers are not 
remarkable for their size, but there are one or two forms that appear to 
be of a striking character if reliance can be placed upon the pictures. 
One variety called Diamond is a Japanese with outer florets tubulated, 
the inner ones cupped and slightly incurving, notched at the tips, the 
colour deep chrome yellow, the centre suffused with green after the 
manner of Florence Davis. Royal Banner is a loosely incurved Japanese 
of the Mrs, Wheeler type, with inside of florets bright crimson lake, 
and reverse golden buff. Torchlight, a Japanese, a rich shade of 
crimson orange and golden reverse. Frost of Battlefield, a white 
incurved Japanese, curiously tipped with pink, reminding one of the old 
variety Aimde Ferriere. 
It is a sign of the times that the Japanese nurserymen are naming 
thair newest acquisitions in Euglish instead of in their own tongue, 
although the older varieties retain their native names. From a cultural 
point of view, it may be interesting to give the measurements of some 
of those quoted in this catalogue. The majority are from 7 to 8 inches 
in diameter, but the gems of the collection from the big bloom stand¬ 
point are Tora-asobi, 8 to 9 inches across ; Usu-sakura, the same ; Ku- 
dsu-rio, also 8 to 9 inches ; Coten-sakura is 8 to 10 inches in diameter 
Kano-ko-jima, 8 to 9 inches ; but the palm seems to be given to one 
named Hotei-maru, 10 to 12 inches. We should, of course, have been 
grateful to our Japanese friends if they bad favoured us with trans¬ 
lations of these curious looking names.—C. H. P. 
BEGONIA SAMUEL POPE. 
Of late years there has been a really extraordinary improvement in 
the tuberous-rooted Begonias, both amongst the single and double 
varieties. This was readily perceptible at the Temple show, where some 
superb forms were staged. In Mr. T. S. Ware’s arrangement one of the 
most conspicuous was a double variety named Samuel Pope (see 
illustration, fig. 94), to which the Floral Committee rightly adjudged 
an award of merit. As will be seen, the shape of the flower is perfect, 
and it is also quite double ; in colour it is distinct, being cream edged 
in Picotee fashion with bright rose. 
APPLES AND STOCKS. 
Time was when I read much, swallowed much, and probably digested 
little of the varied literature connected with horticulture, but as time 
goes on one is apt to form conclusions of one’s own, and to say to one’s 
self, “I do not agree with this or that,” It is quite safe to do so in 
