September 19, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
241 
■under glass is a variety regarded with extraordinary solicitude—a real 
genuine white form of C. Jackmanni, exactly similar to the type in 
-character, and equal to it in freedom of growth and floriferousness—a 
true and good companion long sought for of the old favourite, and not 
■hitherto found as possessing the coveted characteristics. Plants in small 
■48-size pots were bearing from fifteen to seventeen blooms, and budding 
■at every joint produced. The new variety is not yet named, and it is 
hopeless for anyone to expect plants at present. Many thousands will 
■doubtless be raised before one is sold, for offering it until the stock is 
very large could only end in disappointment. There are plenty of others, 
however, of all the best varieties in commerce, the stock amounting to 
100,000 plants. 
Now we pass quickly down the nursery, and find something of 
interest on every hand. Here are Tea Roses in pots flowering freely 
and in great variety, and there are twenty acres of all sorts planted out. 
Now we come to bright rows of golden Lilac, and next to bluish silvery 
masses of Pinus nobilis glauca ; then acres of the sombre Austrian 
Pine, of which they “ cannot get too many,” relieved with Cedrus 
atlantica glauca, a particularly fine form, for they vary, and thrifty 
young trees of C. Deodara alba spica, distinct in hue from all other 
varieties of this elegant Conifer. Next we came to large “ breaks ” of 
Laurels, the colchica variety being in great demand, since “rabbits eat 
all others but leave this alone ”—a hint for persons who are planting 
-evergreens where these voracious animals abound. And so we may 
go on picking up hints and admiring scores of things till the 
memory becomes overladen ; but a golden mass of Hypericums 
-cannot be forgotten, including the densely flowered H. prolificum, and 
■the free flowering and red fruiting H. caprifolium and H. elatum, which 
are so effective for mounds and rockeries. 
The nursery is particularly rich in ornamental trees, some remarkable 
Lor their enormous green leaves, such as the Balsam Poplars, others for 
their striking colours—the purple Prunus Pissardi, and the bright 
golden heads of Ulmus Dampieri aurea, the dark bold leaved Acer 
Schwedleri, one of the finest of trees, with the upright growing Populus 
Bolleni, nearly as close as a Lombardy, and the under sides of the 
leaves silvery white ; while gold and silver Sycamores are not excelled 
fin clearness and marking by any tropical plants that are grown in 
■stoves. Judiciously arranged, such trees as those mentioned, and many 
more, are capable of imparting beauty to, that is now absent from, many 
.■pleasure grounds and home plantations. 
There yet remain the fruit trees, 74 acres of them, that will bear 
inspection, and are worthy of it. The popular varieties have to be pro¬ 
vided in great numbers to meet the yearly demand, and nowhere can 
we better learn which are the most popular than in a nursery like this. 
'Taking Apples, we find on inquiry that Ecklinville Seedling has come 
quite to the front, now equalling Lord Suffield with a sale of 6000, 
while Worcestershire Pearmain, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Stirling Castle, 
'■Golden Winter Pearmain (the correct name of the variety known as 
King of the Pippins), Warner’s King, and Blenheim Orange are only 
•each 1000 less; Keswick Codlin, Irish Peach, and Dumelow’s Seedling 
next following with 2000 to 3000 each. Victoria heads the poll 
^amongst Plums with between 4000 and 5000, the next most in demand 
being the Early Prolific, Czar, Kirke’s, Pond’s Seedling, Cox’s Emperor, 
-Jefferson’s, Prince Englebert, and White Magnum Bonum with 2000 to 
-■3000 each. The same number of the following Pears are required— 
namely, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Souvenir du Congres, Jargonelle, 
Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, Pitmaston Duchess, and Winter 
Nelis. There is an equal demand for May Duke, Morello, Bigarreau, 
Black Heart, and Governor Wood Cherries. Amongst bush fruits it is 
’remarkable the distinct lead Whinham’s Industry has taken amongst 
■'Gooseberries, the annual sale being 50,000; Crown Bob, Lancashire 
Lad, Whitesmith, and Ashton Red not exceeding 4000 each, the same 
numbers being required of the Champion, Naples, and Lee’s Prolific 
Black Currants; also of Red Grape and Victoria, the White Grape also 
being in great demand. It is satisfactory to find the fruit-growing 
■public judging so well in the selection of varieties, and it can only be 
a question of time, and not a very long time either, when the supply 
•of home-grown fruit must be greatly improved. 
A feature of interest to many must be noted amongst the fruit trees. 
In a quarter of young Apples seeds of Mistletoe had been attached to 
the base of the branches ; how and when I cannot say, and my guide 
■“ could not tell me,” and I did not expect he would if he could, as 
perhaps he might if he had tried. It was his business not to try, and it 
is mine to reoord that Mistletoe trees will soon be plentiful, for hundreds 
•of seeds were germinating freely, and healthy growths were extending, 
*some of them with a pair or two of leaves, others more. Last year a 
■standard Mistletoe bush was figured in the Journal as grown by Mr. Van 
•Geert at Antwerp on the Thorn. Similar trees, but on taller stems of 
Apples, are in fair progress at Worcester, and when ready for removal 
there is not the least doubt there will be plenty of people ready and 
-even anxious to possess them. The culture of the interesting parasite 
.in the nursery bids fair to be very successful. 
Time flies and space vanishes, and it can only be said that 5 acres of 
ground are devoted to herbaceous plants, and apparently about the 
same to Dahlias. They were in splendid bloom and great variety, 
brightening as no other flowers can gardens and pleasure grounds in the 
autumn months. Yes, a little more can be said, has been said, and may 
be said again in better terms than I could choose. A ci-devant corre¬ 
spondent of the Journal once visited Worcester—the learned and genial 
Wiltshire Rector,” who after saying what he had to say on gardening, 
devoted his attention to pigeons and birds. May they long afford him 
pleasure and be delight to others. His concluding words in describing 
his visit shall be the concluding words here, for they are good and true— 
St. John’s Nursery is an indirect proof of the prosperity and refinement 
of the English people of this day. In war and in rude times men had 
no leisure or care, or even thought, for ornamenting their parks, 
shrubberies, and gardens. There might be an exception here and there, 
as in John Evelyn, but there are hundreds of John Evelyns now—men, 
aye 1 and women in abundance, who delight in the beautiful in tree and 
shrub, and who lovingly regard the form and colour of leaf and flower. 
Gardening best prospers in quiet times, as now in England. Long may 
they last. I can only say that St. John’s nursery is, as I had been in¬ 
formed, ‘ a marvellous place,’ and as seeing is believing, now I believe, 
and must add, far from being over-praised, it was the opposite.” There 
is the justification for my foregoing remarks, and my last words are 
words of acknowledgment, justly due to principal and officials for 
making the short time a pleasant time as spent in the famous 
establishment.—W. 
ATHANASIA ANNUA. 
Several shrubby evergreen species of the genus Athanasia, natives 
of South Africa, are known, and occasionally but rarely they are seen 
in greenhouses where collections of scarce or interesting plants are 
grown. One Athanasia, however—that named above—is of annual 
duration only, and was at one time a rather familiar occupant of English 
gardens. It is a native of North Africa, chiefly in Barbary, and suc¬ 
ceeds out of doors in this climate during the spring and summer months. 
The whole plant is rather fleshy in structure, like many other members 
of the Compositae. The leaves are pinnatifid, and the florets tubular in 
close fleshy heads, these again being clustered in dense corymbs sugges¬ 
tive of some of Achilleas, especially A. mgyptiaca, but the individual 
heads are more prominent, and the corymbs are consequently not so flat. 
When cut the flower heads last for a great time in water, and even when 
