November 12, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
425 
1 lb. 2 ozs. They are sound and finely formed. In my opinion there is 
no foundation for calling Rousham Park Hero a “ new variety of the 
White Spanish.” A selected White Spanish would be more appropriate. 
I could place it with some others and defy the raiser to distinguish it. It 
is a fine Onion under extra good cultivation. I do not think we pay 
enough attention to the culture of small Onions. If anyone would 
advertise an Onion that would readily become 1 foot or so in diameter, 
the demand for it would be unlimited, but one from 2 to 3 inches in 
diameter would pass unnoticed, and yet when usefulness, and above all, 
keeping qualities are considered, the small ones are the best. In this 
respect Carters’ new Golden Queen merits general culture. It is one of 
the miniature varieties, just what good cooks ask for very frequently, and 
is a first-rate one to keep for six or eight months. 
Lettuce. —Veitch’s Perfect Gem is the most compact growing of the 
Lettuces, and of good quality. Webb’s Summerhill is another Cabbage 
variety greatly liked in the house here. Last July we had it 7 lbs. in 
weight. 
Laxton’s Girteord Giant Kidney Bean. —I have, grown this 
exclusively this season, and I do not think we ever had finer crops. It is 
early, prolific, and bears very large tender pods, but many of our pods 
were gathered when 4 and 5 inches in length, and only those for seed 
remained to attain a length of 10 inches and 1 foot. Although I have 
only possessed it two season-’, it has been so uncommonly good throughout 
that it is now, and will be, our main crop sort. 
Tomatoes. —Reading Perfection and Hackwood Prolific are two of 
the finest of recent introductions. Both are large in size, even in form, 
and highly productive, but I know of some good judges who do not look 
upon great size and fine symmetry as the main points of a Tomato, and 
for this reason they prefer Carters’ Green Gage to all others on account of 
its exquisite flavour.—A Kitchen Gardener. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
The Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Riviera and Ncighbovring 
Mountains; drawn and described bg C. Bicknell. London : 
Triibner and Co. 
This elegant work has appeared at an opportune season. The time 
has arrived when invalids seeking health, workers seeking rest, and the 
luxurious long for the comforts that the charming climate of the Riviera 
and its neighbourhood afford, are directing their faces toward the Medi¬ 
terranean coast. The only drawback to a winter spent in these regions is the 
want of occupation—something to amuse, and at the same time to instruct. 
All feel the general monotony that sets in after the visits to Monte Carlo, 
Nice, and Bordighera have been made and the few mountain ascents have 
been accomplished. The flowers with which these mountains are clothed 
have a never-failing attraction, and the very absence of occupation that 
visitors suffer from tends to strengthen the love which the never-failing 
flowers engender. What has always been a desideratum among the 
visitors of the Riviera was a book that would assist them in discovering 
the names of the wild flowers. There are several local floras, such as 
Ardoino’s, but jthey are regarded as too scientific, and, being written in 
French, even those who are familiar with the language are not also 
familiar with its technical terms, and hence all the works we have seen 
on the subject are really sealed books to the great majority of sojourners 
on the Riviera. Mr. Moggridge’s “ Contributions to the Flora of Men¬ 
tone,” is an expensive boob, and has become rare, and was really out of 
the reach of the many. We therefore hail the appearance of “ The 
Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Riviera” as a much-needed requisite 
to the full enjoymeat of a visit to this region, and, being written in 
English, it is equally valuable to English and Americans, both of whom 
are to be found there in ever-increasing numbers. 
The work consists of eighty-two plates, with the requisite letterpress 
arranged according to the Natural System, and each plate contains two or 
more figures of allied species, embracing 221 species altogether of the 
most beautiful objects of the Alpine Flora. The author deserves great 
praise for the care that has been taken in the preparation of the work, 
and for the fidelity and artistic skill which has been shown in the drawing 
of the plants. 
We observe there are a few errors which have escaped the author’s 
notice. Ranunculus monspeliacus is said to be 2 to 3 diameters high, for 
decimetres. In plate xiii., and also in the text, Cytisus sesailifolius is 
spelt sessifolius. In plate xvii., and also in the text, Lotus tetragonolobus 
is spelt tetragonc5uZw,<. 
TWO EOCK GAEDENS IN THE NOETH. 
During my visit to Manchester and Darlington in July I had 
the pleasure of visiting two gardens wide as the poles asunder in 
their character, but both evidencing how widely spreading is the 
taste for alpine and herbaceous plants, and how one comes upon 
them in the most unlikely places. One was that very largely 
known one of Mr. Harvey’s at Aigburth, near Liverpool, and the 
other in an allotment ground at Newcastle-on-Tyne ; and knowing 
how very general is the taste for these things, I imagine that a few 
notes will not be uninteresting to the readers of the Journal. 
A villa garden is not the place where one (knowing what villa 
gardens generally are) would look for a picturesque and well- 
furnished rock garden ; but Mr. Harvey’s is not an ordinary villa 
garden, and I wish I could adequately convey an idea of the excel¬ 
lent taste with which it is arranged, and the richness of the collec] 
tion it contains. 
The garden is situated about five miles from Liverpool, and 
stretches down to the banks of the Mersey, while in full view of 
the house (but, alas ! hidden by mist the day that I was there) are 
the mountains of North Wales. From its open situation it is a 
place where rude Boreas, sweeping down from the Welsh mountains 
and coming across the rivers, causes his presence to be felt, and 
compels the owner to put up various defences against his attacks. 
The soil, too, is not in Mr. Harvey’s favour (how often one finds 
this in rock gardens), as it is a stiff clayey loam not by any means 
suitable for the growth of alpine plants. In front, the lawn (for 
the inevitable tennis) stretches down towards the river, and 
from this there is a wall of separation in the form of a Beech 
hedge about 15 feet high. Some Lilies in the herbaceous garden 
were grand in their development—pardalinum in great masses, 
auratum 4 to 5 feet high with clusters of blooms, Washingtonianum 
purpureum, &c., all very much at home, and returning much for 
the loving care bestowed on them. 
I was, however, mostly interested in the rock garden. I have 
seen some grand gardens, and Floore especially was fresh in my 
memory, and I thought had satisfied myself for one season. The 
collection at Aigburth is neither so extensive nor does it exhibit 
such triumphs as Mr. Loder’s does ; but it is without doubt an 
exceedingly rich and valuable one. We used to be told that nothing 
could be done without pockets, the said pockets destroying the 
naturalness of the rockery. But there are no pockets here, and as 
a consequence the rockery is much more natural, while the plants 
seem to do equally well, different kinds of stone having been used 
to suit the requirements of the plants ; for although some have 
doubted whether it is so absolutely necessary to provide lime for 
what are called limestone-loving plants, there can be little doubt 
that they are happier when their natural wants are provided for. 
To enumerate the plants in this very rich collection would be 
to simply copy out a very select catalogue, and a better idea may 
be given of the success which has attended Mr. Harvey’s effort if I 
give some of the most striking results. Here is a patch of the very 
beautiful Androsace sarmentosa, which covers a space of several 
feet, and which so strangely alters the character of its foliage ; A. 
lanuginosa was also fine. This was arranged so that the crown 
could be easily protected by a pane of glass, for it is one of those 
plants which suffer from the excessive moisture of the winter. 
Lithospermum prostratum was flourishing, while there was a fine 
collection of Primulas of various sorts—Munroi, latifolia, rosea, 
viscosa, nivalis, cashmeriana, &c. That beautiful but somewhat 
capricious plant Ourisia coccinea was also doing well, and so also 
Onosma taurica. There was a grand clump of Mazus pumilio, 
Nierembergia rivularis, Convolvulus mauritanicus, and Campanula 
pulla. Campanula Allioni is also doing well. There was a grand 
clump of Hypericum reptans, and I was very much surprised to 
find Lilium auratum treated almost as a bog plant. It was in a 
portion of the garden sunk below the level, and the stems were 
from 4 to 5 feet, covered with blooms. Phyteuma comosum was 
at home, although hardly so much so as at Floore , but then it had 
mot been planted so long, and probably when it has had time will 
do as well. The garden is rich in Campanulas, and I met there 
some varieties I have not seen before, although perhaps common 
enough. Campanula pelviformis struck me as very beautiful, and 
also another variety raised at Aigburth ; Campanula garganica 
flowing over some pieces of rockwork was in fine condition. 
There is also a very pretty little bog garden where many things 
are flourishing in better condition than one often sees in artificial 
bogs. Here some of the Spiraeas are at home, as well as some of 
those Primulas, such as rosea and luteola, and Munroi, which like 
such a place. Here, too, our pretty native plant Pyrola rotundi- 
folia is flourishing. Here, too, some of the Ferns, such as Osmunda 
regalis and Woodsia ilvensis are doing well; and in fact so carefully 
are things looked after that there are few failures, and most things 
are doing as well as can be. Mr. Harvey is also affected with the 
Orchid mania, and has a very good collection 
The other rock garden was of a totally different and, I venture 
to say, a perfectly unique character, for great was my astonishment 
after the Newcastle Show to be asked, “As I know you are inter¬ 
ested in rock gardens would you like to see one in an allotment ?” 
“ By all means,” was my reply. “ It is not far off,” was the state¬ 
ment, and so in truth I found it—almost in that peculiarly grimy 
city. I went—of course expecting to see some cockneyfied pro¬ 
duction of heaps of stones or old bricks, with plants dotted about 
in pockets amongst them, for what could there be in an allot¬ 
ment garden ? I was most agreeably undeceived. It appears that 
there is some property about which there is a difficulty. It cannot 
be sold, and so has been let out in allotments. These are quite 
secluded one from the other, and this when we entered it might 
