63G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 24, 1891. 
Grapes hanging I was told to take these to the table while the 
company was staying at the house ; and great was the praise, not 
only as to the appearance, but the flavour was pronounced to be 
first-rate.— One for Quality. 
HARDY GLADIOLI. 
I have seen, under this heading in two of the gardening papers, 
a description by Mr. W.E.Gumbleton of the new varieties introduced 
by M. Lemoine of Nancy, and as I think the designation “hardy” 
a misleading one, I think that my experience may serve as a 
warning to others who may have been under the same illusion as 
myself. 
These Gladioli are of two sections—what are called the 
Lemoinei group, and the Nancianus, the former being the result 
of a cross between hybrids of gandavensis and G. purpureo- 
auratus, and the latter a more recent introduction, a cross into 
which G. Sanderianus has been introduced. With regard to the 
latter, although I have grown a couple of them, I do not wish 
to say anything, my experience not being sufficient to add any 
weight to my words. It is with the former, the Lemoinei 
section, that I am best acquainted. I have grown some of them 
for the last ten years, and have from time to time added a few, 
my last bulbs being those of the lot sent out in 1889, including 
Dugeuslin, Lamarck, Etoile polaire, and Yenus de Milo ; for as 
further acquaintance with them did not enhance my opinion of 
this beauty, I declined getting any more, and am very glad as the 
result proved that I refrained. Now although Lemoine heads his 
list of the varieties of the Lemoinei type with the word “ rustique ” 
or hardy, yet in the description of them which follows he recom¬ 
mends that they should be afforded a little shelter in winter, 
while MM. Vilmorin, Andrieux & Cie. in their catalogue of Gladioli 
describe them simply as “Glaieuls a grandes macules,” without 
any reference to their hardiness. There was one of their recom¬ 
mendations that they could be left in the ground all the year, 
another was that they came into flower early in July before 
the hybrids of gandavensis, for in respect of beauty they, in 
my opinion, can never for one moment be compared with the 
gandavensis section. Take for example Yenus de Milo, the best 
white that has been raised, as far as I know, in that section, 
and compare it with Mont Blanc, Enchanteresse, or Burrell’s 
Snowdon, and I fancy that there would be little difficulty in an 
unprejudiced mind in deciding w r hich was the more beautiful in 
length and closeness of spike. In purity of colour and size the 
superiority I think lies with the gandavensis flowers. The matter 
of hardiness is of course a relative character, but knowing how cold 
it is at Nancy, I concluded that if these hybrids could stand that 
climate they ought to be hardy in most parts of our islands. A 
plant or bulb may be hardy in the south of Ireland, in the south¬ 
west of Scotland, and in the Isle of Wight, and Devonshire and 
Cornwall, which loses that character in other parts of the kingdom, 
their other quality of being in advance of gandavensis section in point 
of flowering, seems in the newer varieties to be very questionable ; 
in fact, I imagine that the more they are improved in the character 
of the flowers, the more, i.e. of the gandavensis blood they get into 
them, the more do they partake of the other characteristics of that 
section. 
It has been, perhaps, somewhat hastily assumed that G. pur- 
ipureo-auratus is itself hardy. I do not find it placed in any of the 
• lists of hardy perennials, and as it is a native of Natal it is 
likely to be one of those provoking plants which are nearly 
hardy, but which, l:ke many of the New Zealand plants, succumb 
to our winters. I should like to know whether anyone has found 
in the colder parts of our islands withstood last winter. 
My experience of the two sections of Lemoine’s hybrids has 
• been this. I have some of them six or seven years, and others 
were added from year to year. They were never taken up out of 
the ground, the soil of my garden being of a rich, light, alluvial 
character. They flourished well, increased rapidly, and although 
as I have already said, they did not appear to me so desirable for 
•the garden as the gandavensis hybrids, yet they formed a pleasing 
variety, and I had determined to go on with their cultivation, 
•but last winter completely altered my opinion. They, every one, 
succumbed to the severe frost, and although they had a good coat¬ 
ing of snow for the greater portion of the winter, not a trace 
was left of them, and their supposed hardiness was a “ mockery, 
.delusion, and a snare.” Some roots of the gandavensis section 
had also survived many previous winters, but they also fell a 
victim to last year s intense frost ; in fact, as Mr. Kelway said to 
me, it is all stuff about hardy Gladioli, none of them will stand 
being frozen. When you get 2 or 3 inches deep of frozen soil 
they will Dot mind it, but when frost goes down 5 or 6 inches, 
then you must give them up. Such is my experience, and I can 
only, in conclusion, advise all those who wish to grow these varie¬ 
ties that they must treat them in every respect as they do the 
hybrids of gandavensis.—D., Deal. 
DEATH OF MR. W. ALFRED DICKSON, OF CHESTER. 
We regretfully have to record the death of Mr. William Alfred 
Dickson, which took place at his residence at Newton Villa, shortly after 
seven o’clock on Thursday, December 17th. Mr. Alfred Dickson was 
fifty-four years of age at the time of his death. He was brother of Mr. 
Geo. A. Dickson, J.P., Mr. James Dickson, and Mr. Johnson Dickson, 
solicitor, whose father, Mr. James Husband Dickson, was a prominent 
citizen in a previous generation, and one of the foremost men in the 
horticultural world of his day. The name of Dickson has been so long 
and so honourably associated with the city, and the business with which 
the title is identified is of such historic interest, that we feel called upon 
to make something more than a passing reference to Mr. Alfred Dick¬ 
son’s death, for he bore his full share of responsibility in the direction of 
the business, having had the entire management of the nurseries during 
the whole period of his active business life. In the prime of early man¬ 
hood few men showed more activity and indomitable energy. He never 
neglected the claims of his business ; up to within a few months of his 
death he met his partners to go through the day’s letters soon after six 
in the mornings, winter and summer. In the earlier years he travelled 
extensively, yet found time to pursue his favourite sport across country. 
Mr. Alfred Dickson was also well known in connection with the rifle 
volunteers. He was one of the oldest members of the corps, having 
joined in 1859 at the commencement of the movement. He passed 
through the various grades, and at the time of his death held the rank 
of Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel. He went into camp regularly each year, 
and in the earlier years he was regarded as an excellent marksman, 
having won the gold challenge medal for the year at a time when this 
was the chief prize of the yearly competition. The nature of his com¬ 
plaint—a phase of paraly.sis—was such that of late years his moving 
about became uncertain and difficult, and later he was compelled to 
assist locomotion by artificial methods, so that he did not take a promi¬ 
nent place beyond the range of his business, but in this he was actively 
engrossed to within a few weeks of his death. 
As a nurseryman, very few men had such knowledge of trees and 
plants in relation to their history, their treatment, cultivation, and com¬ 
mercial values. The acquirement of knowledge was aided by a memory of 
marvellous retentiveness, and a mental grasp in every way remarkable. 
He had that quick discernment which enabled him to pick up a point 
which gave a characteristic distinctiveness and a determining feature to 
a particular plant, and which once seen seemed never to be forgotten. 
The tender regard he had for plants and flowers was manifested often 
to those who might be brought into contact with him at his offices in 
the nursery grounds. At such times when his attention would be given to 
some new variety which was shortly to add to the riches of horticulture, 
and with the introduction of which he was closely identified, one would 
find on his table, in front of him and about him, now a Daffodil, now a 
Rose, now a Carnation, or something of bright beauty, depending upon 
the season of the year when the call might happen to be made. This 
was placed so that it seemed to be more of a companion than a specimen 
to be critically examined for comment, for nomenclature, or for 
description. 
As an employer he was firm without that sternness which seems 
inevitable to some men when brought into contact with the problems 
and trials involved in the employment of labour and in dealing with 
large masses of men. He was a strict observer of method and punctual 
discharge of duty. When he passed the word he expected the accom¬ 
plishment of duty, and he was not slow to discern how far those about 
him could be trusted to carry out his instructions. We venture to say 
there is but one opinion amongst the hundreds of employes who to-day 
mourn his loss, and that is that a strong man with the mind of a man 
and the tender heart of a true gentleman has passed away from them. 
For Mrs. Dickson and her young family of six children deepest 
sympathy is everywhere felt, and amongst the records of the deaths of 
this mournful year, of shadows and sadness now drawing to its close, 
few will touch the hearts of so many friends and acquaintances as that 
of Mr. Alfred Dickson. 
The funeral took place on Monday .—(Condensed from the “ Chester 
Chronicle ,” December 19th.') 
BENHAM PARK. 
This well appointed residence, now occupied by Mrs. Myers, is 
most pleasantly situated on a gentle slope about three miles from 
Newbury, from the top of which a capital view can be obtained of 
Highclere Castle and the surrounding hills — one, especially, the 
“ Beacon ” being at a considerable altitude, standing no less than 
900 feet above sea level. The house is a handsome squarely built 
structure, complete in every respect, the trim w'ell-kept lawns and 
drives in front making a contrast to the light stone of which the house 
is built. The flower garden at the rear is unique, the numerous flow r er 
beds of large size being laid out on a ste p slope in grass, and look re¬ 
markably well. The beds, at the time of my visit, were filled with the 
usual summer occupants, such as Pelargoniums; Coleuses especially 
being of capital colour. Sloping away from the beds are large 
