September 29, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
lowing important particulars of it:—This season the supply has reached 
30,000,000 Cucumbers, those engaged in their production furnishing from 
200,000 to 1,000,000 each. An acre will produce 100,000, and they sell 
at Fredericksburg at 50 cents per 1000. The object is to get them 
} t° lj inch long, and this requires active picking before they 
increase this size. A boy can pick 3000 in a day. Picking them 
thus early increases the productiveness of the plants, and while the 
season lasts others are appearing in place of those taken from the 
plants. 
“ Those who have not grown Belladonna Lilies well or 
seen them flowering abundantly cannot imagine,” writes “ E. M.,’S 
“ wliat charming hardy bulbs they are. The colour is beautiful, the 
veins and markings are distinct—a soft peach colour on a white ground 
—and the delicate fragrance is exceedingly refreshing. The plants 
carry as many as ten blooms on each spike ; the flowers also last a long 
time in perfection eithpr upon the plant or in a cut state. The great 
point in its successful cultivation is choosing a suitable position, pre¬ 
paring it, and planting the bulbs, draining the soil carefully that no 
stagnant moisture lies about the bulbs during the winter months. No 
position suits them better than at the foot of a hothouse wall facing 
south. Take out the ordinary soil 1 foot 6 inches deep, place at the 
bottom C inches thick of clinkers or broken bricks, over this some rough 
turf to keep the drainage intact, filling with a compost of turfy loam 
peat, leaf soil, and some charcoal, about two parts of the former to one 
of the latter. Cover the bulbs about 2 inches deep with the compost. 
During the growing season apply water freely, afterwards withhold the 
supply. The beginning of February is good time to plant.” 
LONDON’S LESSER OPEN SPACES—THEIR TREES 
AND PLANTS. 
NEW SERIES.—No. 4. 
Chelsea, like courtly Kensington, is a spot that might boast itself 
of its many associations in the past with Royal and distinguished 
personages, and even more than Kensington it merits a high place in 
the annals of floriculture. This pleasant village, for such Chelsea was 
no longer ago than some of its old inhabitants can remember, displayed 
in the grounds of several of its ancient mansions not a few of those 
early exotics which noblemen received from travelling friends, long 
before the culture of plants became a profession, and when nurserymen 
appeared upon the scene a cluster of them settled in this western 
suburb, so much visited by Londoners of all grades. Hence, along the 
King’s Road, and nearly within view of Ranelagh House, once famous 
for its gardens, greenhouses, and greeneries, there was something like a 
dozen nursery gardens at the commencement of this century. Behind 
several of these were orchards, relics of which we find in scattered Pear 
and Plum trees, generally lyiDg behind houses, and often leafless, as 
well as barren of fruit. It must be owned that the locality was not 
unsuited for the exercise of the gardener’s skill, since it has a mild air, 
and abundance of soft water was obtainable from the Thames and other 
sources. But Chelsea became too attractive as a place of residence, and 
nursery after nursery had to vanish to give the builder free scope for 
his operations. 
Comparing Chelsea with some other London localities, I judge that 
its soil and atmosphere are not favourable for the growth of trees to any 
remarkable size, excepting certain species to which moisture and 
warmth are congenial; still, it had at one time many goodly trees 
shading its parks and meadows which have now been felled. Yet, 
looking around its public roads and its byeways, we perceive that even 
yet Chelsea retains somewhat of its rural aspect ; from the narks 
adjacent thereto various birds beside the cockney sparrow come into its 
gardens, and butterflies are common about its streets, usually the 
familiar whites, with an occasional tortoiseshell. Vines are numerous 
in Chelsea ; we may see them not only trained on the walls of dwelling 
houses, as was formerly a favourite fashion in these suburbs, but also on 
walls ; but I suspect now they seldom ripen the Grapes they produce. 
Pretty gardens yet remain, having arbours adorned with Clematis and 
Jessamine, and the perfume of their flowers is perceptible even on the 
smoke-laden air. Still, through accident or carelessness, or worse, 
Chelsea has not fared well in the matter of open spaces; these have 
been taken nearly all away, though some might surely have been pre¬ 
served for the benefit of the inhabitants. First, Chelsea lost its com¬ 
mon, a fine stretch of land, hill, and dale, well covered with vegetation, 
and almost joining the open ground on its north, which was once called 
Brompton Heath. Its “ Five Fields ” on the east, where choice 
vegetables were cultivated during Georgian days, are now the site of 
Belgravia, and other fields or meads near the Thames afterwards 
occupied by wharves and factories. 
Then the Pavilion, with its grounds laid out by Capability Brown, 
after undergoing encroachments, disappeared entirely, but a few of its 
younger trees, chiefly Planes, are in the garden of Cadogan Square. 
Cremorne Gardens, which might have been retained as a recreation 
ground, went through the same process, and lastly Chelsea Park, which 
had some of the finest Elms, Limes, and Poplars to be seen within or 
near the metropolis, once the deer park of Beaufort House, and an experi¬ 
mental silkworm nursery in Stuart times. But if Chelsea has lost-a 
great deal, it has gained something, at least, in its Embankment, and 
this plot of land, partly rescued from the Thames, is already one of the 
most promising public gardens laid out for Londoners. It is overlooked 
on the land side by the quaint and irregular mansions of Cheyne Walk, 
the presumed “ Dutch aspect ” of which has somewhat suffered by 
recent alterations. Of the original Elms so often depicted in pictures 
as skirting the river’s bank, and that were planted in the seventeenth 
century, or earlier, none remain, but yet there are descendants from 
these of a later generation, now become venerable, and some old Limes, 
also one conspicuously lofty Plane, which looks as if it was possessed of 
good vitality. Unfortunately, however, by the construction of this 
embankment several handsome Planes were destroyed. A very large 
but leafless Elm is carefully preserved in one of the gardens of Beaufort 
Row ; it is interesting also because a Virginian Creeper planted beside 
it has covered the trunk from base to top with its festoons. Along the 
embankment during the last twenty years a variety of trees and shrubs 
have been introduced, but no particular display of summer flowers is 
made. The trees are put at such intervals as not to impede each other’s 
growth, This point is not always attended to by the planters of public 
gardens. Here are Hawthorns scattered about, and this does well grown 
as a tree, only caterpillars infest it persistently, but they do little harm 
to the new varieties of Crataegus, which might be more freely planted 
about London spaces where there is plenty of air as on this embank¬ 
ment. It is observable that the Wych or Scotch Elm, of which there 
are some here, is well suited to a town atmosphere. The Birch, some¬ 
times neglected by gardeners, thrives too, seldom failing to produce 
catkins even in a smoky air, and from the lightness of the foliage Birches 
do little harm to plants growing beneath. 
About Chelsea Church, in the olden time, there grew some broad¬ 
leaved Vi- illows, which have long since succumbed to insects ; recently 
there have been planted more Willows, chiefly of the narrow-leaved 
varieties, which the soil suits well. Some of the old Poplars still sur¬ 
vive, and others have been set to keep them company, the White and 
the Lombardy varieties being general favourites and of quick growth. 
Upon these Poplars occurs the singularly mottled, shaggy caterpillar of 
the moth called the Poplar Grey (Acronycta megacephala), which, when 
it is not feeding, rests on the leaves in “ a doubled position.” Flitting 
about in the gleams of September sunshine, with its odd movement, is 
the vapourer moth, which has been also reared probably on the Poplar, 
or on some Hawthorn bush close by. A few Ash trees of the weeping 
kind remind us that this group of trees is less eligible for garden adorn¬ 
ment than many, since other plants will not grow well beneath. In¬ 
stead of this, as having a similarity of foliage, the Robinia may be 
planted. Chelsea has some finely spreading examples of this tree in its 
private gardens, but it rarely puts forth flowers. On the river embank¬ 
ments some evergreens do not succeed owing to the exposure ; here at 
Chelsea. Hollies flourish of several varieties, also Thujas, Cupressus 
Lawsoniana, and the large-leaved Privet, but Aucubas and Laurels seemed 
rather sickly. Of Ribes aureum and sanguineum some planted ten years 
since have made remarkable progress, and examples of the White Broom. 
Such hardy perennials as species of Dianthus, Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, 
and the inevitable Flag that must be in every London garden, with some 
ornamental grasses fill up the beds. Ferns have been left out, though a 
bank of them would be desirable. 
An open space made free to the public this year is the churchyard 
attached to Chelsea parish church, now to be styled St. Luke’s Gardens, 
and, singular to say, before it was a burial place this ground was a 
plantation belonging to one of the nurserymen of the King’s Road, so it 
is again in the hands of gardeners, but devoted to flowers and shrubs, 
not trees. It has trees, however, for the lines of Limes and Elms exist 
which were planted on the four sides of the enclosure many years ago ; 
some have died off, and the remainder have not improved under the 
treatment received from Chelsea urchins. The transformation was not 
an easy process, owing to the many tombstones, and rows of these have 
been arranged in a manner rather ludicrous, but it is intended to hide 
them partially from view by trelliswork covered with Ivy and more 
ornamental creepers. I observed the circumstance often noted, but not 
explained, that on some ground being turned over which had not been 
touched with the spade for years, several wild plants appeared which do 
not occur now about the locality. Wisely, the sickly shrubs that had 
struggled for life here and there in the churchyard have been removed, 
and a variety supplied by Messrs. Veitcli. The dry summer has been 
unfavourable in its effects on some, such as the Aucubas and Rhododen¬ 
drons. The Firs also seem to find the Chelsea air too relaxing. Annuals, 
which in London frequently prove failures, have done fairly well in St. 
Luke’s Gardens during the first season. There was a fine display of 
Stocks and Tropreolums, also of the favourite Mignonette. There have 
been planted some Sweet Briar Roses, but they probably will not bloom, 
though there are Roses that will produce buds in London.—J. R. S. C. 
INULA GLANDULOSA. 
This is a general favourite amongst the stronger growing herbaceous 
plants suitable for our trying seasons, and 3 et it is remarkable how seldom 
we see it as it ought to be. We have been told it was difficult to culti¬ 
vate, but this we believe to be more a question of position than any 
fastidiousness on the part of the plant itself. Where the soil is light, 
