July 23, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
63 
which stand like prim dark-robed sentinels 20 or more feet high. The 
trees are. roughly speaking, 3 feet wide at the base, and taper to a point 
like the slender spire of a church. In square “ bays ” in front of them 
stands many a stately Conifer, and the collection of specimens would 
have been more complete but for the requirements of the king to whom 
they were readily supplied by one of the most loyal of his subjects ; but 
they would have been yielded with great reluctance to anyone else, if 
supplied at all. Mr. Van Geert, sen., is a connoisseur and amateur-lover - 
of trees, and has planted large numbers for his own pleasure and for pur¬ 
poses of comparison and instruction, not for sale. His son, Mr. Charles 
Van Geert, may be regarded as the business representative, and in this 
respect enjoys, as he deserves, an European reputation. There is no 
catchpenny habits of business about the Van Geerts, for these they are 
too high-minded and well circumstanced, like many of our good people 
at home. 
To begin noticing what was noticeable in the great collection would 
of necessity lead to a difficulty—namely, where to stop. The contents 
of the nurseries require a catalogue of 130 pages, and descriptions of 
special trees, shrubs, and plants are given in concise footnotes, render¬ 
ing the work instructive. An example of two or three may be given. 
For instance, the reference to Acer Reitenbachi (4), is “ a Maple remark¬ 
able for its vigour and its beautiful purple foliage, which is darker in 
autumn.” Then we pass on a few pages to Robinia semperflorens (64), 
extremely floriferous notwithstanding its great vigour, producing from 
May to September without any break, beautiful clusters of white 
■flowers, deliciously perfumed.” Again, Rhamnus immeritina (129), 
The most beautiful of all the Rhamnus ; its dark green, honeycombed 
leaves are of very large size.” In the collection of Osiers Salix uralense 
■(134) is described as having very long growths, with clear green bark, 
;and of extreme tenacity ; it is perhaps the best species for Osier beds. 
Then going almost to the end of the work, to the fine collection of 
Hollies, the distinct hardy robust form that was so prominent, Ilex 
Aquifolium camellisffolia (469), is said to have large shining, almost 
spineless leaves, and is considered one of the most beautiful of the green 
Hollies. It excels the familiar varieties Hodginsi, Shepherdi, and all 
others with large green leaves, by its dark glossy smooth foliage. Those 
are samples merely of what may be found in the well arranged and 
carefully prepared pages. 
Leaving what was growing so well in the different sections, a pause 
may be made to notice the preparation of that which makes them grow. 
The natural soil is sandy, and could not therefore contain all that trees 
■and shrubs need for their perfect health and root production, and 
■especially are suitable additions to insure permanent fertility. For root 
production humus is the chief essential, and for sustaining growth 
phosphates and potash. All these are provided. Large, neatly made 
compost heaps, containing hundreds of loads, are seen in various stages 
•of decomposition. The bulk consists of vegetable matter, leaves from 
Fir and other trees, obtained from forests and collected at home. They 
.-are turned at suitable intervals, and enriched with liquid manure, in 
which is conveyed the required constituents in proportions calculated to 
complete the fertility of the soil for the purpose in view. So valuable is 
this prepared compost found to be that large quantities are required at 
Laeken by Mr. H. Knight, His Majesty’s highly skilled gardener, for 
general cultural work, and the various kinds of plants that are grown 
there show that they have what they need. At Calmpthout the 
compost is used when Conifers, shrubs, and trees are planted, but in the 
case of those intended for removal it is not dug into the land, but the 
excavations for the roots are lined with it 2 or 3 inches thick, more or 
less, according to circumstances. This causes a great multiplication of 
fibrous roots in a prescribed area, and when the specimens are taken up 
they have a wig-like mass of roots of the right kind for their quick re¬ 
establishment. During the bright hot days of early September truck- 
loads were taken up, the roots surrounded with moist packing material, 
closely matted, and there they were, unshaded and unsyringed, awaiting 
removal to Germany, yet not a Conifer shoot displayed the least signs of 
drooping, though many of the well-furnished specimens were from 12 to 
15 feet high. To the inquiry, “ Are you not afraid of the sun injuring 
them? ” the answer of Mr. Van Geert, jun., was smilingly but emphati¬ 
cally given, “ Not the slightest, and every one will grow after the 
exposure and long journey; it would not do, you know, to send trees 
sthat would die.” This is the great tree, shrub, and Conifer emporium of 
the Continent, and is highly worth a visit by arboriculturists who have 
a little time to spare when at Antwerp, and they would be certain to 
find much to admire, and probably come away a little wiser than they 
went. 
The chateau is the commodious and well-appointed country home of 
the family, the presiding genms at the time of our visit being Madame 
Boosas, a daughter of the esteemed head, whose graceful kindness to her 
visitors will not soon be forgotten. Of the city nursery only a small 
portion remains attached to the family home as a sample ground, fine 
streets of stately houses standing where trees were raised in thousands 
a very few years ago. But even the streets are memorials of famous 
men connected with gardening—Dodoens Street, Linnaeus Street, Horti¬ 
culture Street, Van Geert Street, if memory faileth not. Certainly the 
change has been great, and, it must be added, profitable. It is a case 
of the city eating up what was once cheap country land because outside 
the fortifications, but long since brought within the stupendous protect¬ 
ing lines. After an enjoyable rest with our friends, pleasant converse 
and good guidance, for which they are thanked, we passed to other 
good friends—the famous Belgian amateur gardeners, Mr. and Mrs. Jean 
Everaerts, who gave a hearty welcome to— Darby and Joan. 
GERBER A JAMESONI. 
At the recent meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 
Chiswick Garden Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons of Chelsea exhibited a plant 
of a little known member of the family Composite, Gerbera Jamesoni. 
Possibly -within the past year or two it may have attracted the attention 
of some visitors to the Royal Gardens, Kew, as plants have flowered several 
times in the Cape house, also in the cool house for Alpines, and very 
FIG. 10.—GERBERA JAMESONI. 
conspicuous they were. The flower heads are extremely bright orange 
scarlet, and have long narrow equally spreading florets, which give a 
distinct appearance to the plant, as the heads are borne on long slender 
stems, and have an erect pose that enables them to be seen to the 
best advantage. The leaves are clustered close to the base of the plant, 
irregularly undulated, and of a peculiar metallic green hue. 
It appears to succeed in ordinary moderately light soil, and thrives 
in a cool house, but it has also been recommended for a warm position 
on a rockery where it can be protected from frost. This Gerbera is a 
native of the Transvaal, whence it was introduced about four years ago. 
