October 3, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
293 
of Albany, the leaves of which were riddled, and to make sure that ear¬ 
wigs were responsible for the depredation he had taken steps to care¬ 
fully examine the plant in question at various times during the night. 
The other plants looked well, being stout, yet not gros3, but hard and 
well matured, the leaves of good size, thick, and leathery, and of a good 
colour, not a yellow or pale coloured plant to be seen, which was a new 
experience to me. The buds also in most cases had shown at good times 
to develope fine blooms. The plants were not tall on the whole except, of 
course, a few of the Japanese that must “go up” to produce satisfactory 
blooms. Violet Tomlin, Miss M. A. Haggas, both promised as well as 
their parents Princess of Wales and Mrs. Heales, having good foliage, 
stout flower stems, and well formed buds, almost certain indications of 
blooms to follow. These had reached a height of 7 feet. Queens 
average 6 feet 6 inches, and were amply clothed with good leaves, 
neither too large nor too small. The buds in this section were coming 
well to time to perfect shapely blooms. Avalanche was growing well, 
the flower stems and buds reminding us of miniature drumsticks. The 
Wolseleys, Alfreds, Tecks, and Heros, as they are familiarly called, 
looked well, the latter quite dwarf and carrying large leaves. The 
former two were dwarf compared to their growth sometimes. Early 
varieties, such as W. Holmes, a brightly coloured useful sort; Duke of 
Berwick, Fernand Feral, Hiver Fleuri, and many others too nume¬ 
rous to mention were giving early promise of useful blooms. A 
variety always welcome evidently meets with much favour, Elaine, 
judging by the numbers and appearance of the plants. Mr. Wood- 
gate has good reason to be satisfied with his plants, which nuniber 
nearly 500. 
MORDEN PARK. 
Morden Park was our next call, where our old friend Mr. Gibson 
received us with his usual heartiness. The locality there being low 
lying is in favour of a season like the one we are now having, encourag¬ 
ing the production of large and good blooms. I should say having 
much more moisture in the air during dry weather than where the 
position is higher, drier, and more exposed. The plants were arranged 
in one block in a sheltered yet sunny position. Mr. Gibson knows the 
necessity of allowing plenty of space between the rows, both for the 
welfare of the plants and convenience of attention to their wants, and 
as the whole stock is arranged close to Mr. Gibson’s cottage it would not 
be a difficult matter to find him any evening, so engrossed is he with 
their growth. Judging by the appearance of the stock generally, and 
they will also bear examination individually, opponents of this “ old 
hand ” must not “ play light ” if they mean to win. The plants are 
strong right from the base, showing they have had early attention as 
well as during the summer ; different from some one sees sometimes, 
being no thicker at the base than cedar pencils, then at about 3 feet 
from the ground a spasmodic kind of help has been given them, and they 
bulge out in thickness, not at all in accordance with their base. None 
of this is seen in the Morden Park plants ; steady progressive growth, 
producing good leaves, some would say rather pale in colour, but of that 
healthy tone and feel which men of experience know must result from 
the water used. The wood is matured, not too much to cause contrac¬ 
tion of the sap vessels. The buds are formed mainly about the time 
required ; of course, in a number there must be some too early for the 
shows, but they are by their present appearances indicators of what are 
to follow. On the whole Mr. Gibson thinks they are rather taller than 
usual, but quite as good as he has had them. The Queens promise 
remarkably well, averaging about 7 feet high, with buds in all stages. 
Jardin des Plantes, John Salter, Prince Alfred, Nil Desperandum is 
here always good, this year being no exception. Mabel Ward is always 
looked for in the stands from Morden, and this year I fancy not in vain. 
Refulgens will be this year, I fear, very early, which will be annoying, 
as the promise is so great. Edwin Molyneux, Avalanche, and M. A. 
Delaux promise by their extra fine foliage to develope good blooms. The 
finest plants that I have ever seen of one variety are here ; I allude to 
Grandiflorum. Many who happen to read this, and who are conversant 
with the blooms shown by Mr. Gibson, will say, “ Of course they are 
always good.” Such stems and leaves ! No wonder they turn out good 
flowers. Pompons and Anemone Pompons are more largely grown here 
than hitherto. Taken all in all a busy season, as well as we trust a 
successful one, will be experienced. 
HEGKFIELD. 
The number of plants here cultivated for large blooms is some¬ 
what reduced owing to diminished requirements, but the number of 
■“ bush ” grown plants has been increased, of which the single varieties, 
as well as Anemone Pompon and Pompon sorts, are conspicuous, and 
capitally grown they are, being clothed with foliage down to the pots, 
and giving promise of a splendid display later on. The large flowered 
varieties are perhaps not so strongly grown as in the past, yet they 
present a remarkably healthy appearance, being clothed with stout 
leaves and furnished with promising buds. Some varieties have grown 
extremely tall, owing to the early formation of crown buds which were 
•discarded, while the bulk of sorts average 4 feet to 7 feet high. 
Avalanche here shows its extremely useful habit of growth, carrying 
stout foliage, thickly set on almost self-supporting stems, and with most 
promising flower buds. 
SWALLOWFIELD PARK, 
The seat of Sir George Russell, near Reading, has become somewhat 
famous in the Chrysanthemum world through the success achieved at 
the exhibitions during the last season, especially by Mr. Allen, ably 
assisted by his two sons, the eldest of whom acts as foreman and grower. 
The whole of the plants are arranged along the sides of a path in the 
kitchen garden, and cannot number much less than 600, forming much 
the longest avenue I have yet seen. That the position and the treat¬ 
ment the plants have received agree with them no one can deny who 
inspects them, and with such grand houses as are here to flower them 
in, opponents of Mr. Allen must not reckon too lightly wherever he is 
met. On the whole the plants are not so tall as in some seasons, but 
they are strongly grown without being gross, the leaves of good texture 
and colour, and good results may be expected. All the leading varieties 
are found, and some which are useful only in point of numbers or strong 
personal taste. The Queens were most promising, Lord Alcester 
especially so, Mr. Allen being no doubt desirous of repeating his success 
of last year with that variety, with which he secured honours at King¬ 
ston for premier incurved. Jeanne d’Arc, Lord Wolseley, Barbara, 
Princess of Wales and its sports, Jardin des Plantes, and numerous 
others, the mention of which would serve no useful purpose, but which 
will. I have no doubt, have to be chronicled later on. Here was growing 
a fine stock of Mrs. Falconer Jameson, which showed by its dwarf 
habit and robust leaves that in that respect it is a worthy addition to 
our short list of low growing varieties.—E. Molyneux. 
A VISIT TO THE BULB FARMS OF HOLLAND. 
fA paper read before the Nottinghamshire Horticultural Society by Mr. Alfred 
H. Pearson.] 
( Continued, from page 273.) 
As a rule we have to wait about a week after the Hyacinths are 
fully out to see the early Tulips, and a few days longer for the double 
and later ones. This year they bloomed very closely together, and we 
could see them on the same day ; so we will run round a typical 
Hyacinth farm in the morning and a Tulip farm in the afternoon. 
We are staying at Haarlem, the centre of the Hyacinth district, and 
so well known that all Dutch bulb-growers put “ Near Haarlem ” on their 
English catalogues, even though their places are situated about as near 
to Haarlem as Southwell or Edwinstowe are to Nottingham. Leaving 
our hotel at 8 A.H., we can take a steam tram to our destination, about 
twelve miles distant. Our host meets us at the village, and we at once 
start on a tour of inspection. The land is all divided, by low shelter 
hedges, into squares of about one-third of an acre each. First we come 
to some land occupied with Potatoes last year, now a nursery for young 
stock yearling Hyacinths. There are three rows of beds in each division 
between the hedges, and about 20,000 “ babies ” in each row of beds ; 
next we come to several pieces that were Scilla sibirica last year, and 
here are millions of seedlings on the ground, but the last have been 
taken up; these will be dug in along with the manure for Potatoes. 
This nursery is famous for Scillas. We can see acres of them ; they 
were out of bloom, but last year they were lovely when I visited them. 
Walking on, we come to several enclosures which were last year filled 
with Hyacinths, and which are now planted with Lily of the Valley ; 
then to a number of pieces where the ground seems empty, but is neatly 
levelled down ; there are Gladioli and Ranunculuses here. But what is that 
man doing with the barrow and scoop ? He has a mixture of cowdung 
and water in the barrow, and is artistically spreading it over the surface 
of the land, where it makes a thin crust something like the inside of a 
thrush’s nest, and prevents the sand blowing away. Next we cross a 
wide ditch, and enter some new land that was levelled last year ; here 
we find the beds filled with common Narcisuses and Tulips. We meet 
an old man who touches his hat and politely gives us “ Good day.” 
Our host says, “That is our oldest workman ; he is eighty-three, and is 
always busy ; we never tell him what to do, he can always find plenty 
of work.” We inquire about wages, and are told that the men are still 
on short hours—from 6 A.m. to 7 P.M., so their wages are about 2s. per 
day ; shortly they will work long days, from 5 a.m. to 8 P.M., and then 
they have 2s. Gd. The old man keeps these hours, and grows some bulbs 
of his own, and for years has rose at 3 a.m. to work a couple of extra 
hours in the morning, and often puts in an hour at night. 
We must walk on, for the sun is getting hot and time flies. We come 
back to the old ground and reach a piece devoted to “ mothers ”—hollowed 
bulbs and crossed, and again beds of one-year bulbs. You will notice 
that each sort is in duplicate, some in triplicate, half a bed or a whole 
bed of each; that is to prove the stock and to see if it is free from 
disease. Here we come to bed with blanks in the lines ; disease has 
shown itself here, and that bed, although carefully rid of every tainted 
bulb, will not be propagated from ; the next, which is quite healthy, 
will be used. As we pass out of each section we notice a large stock 
of reed; this has been used for covering the bulbs in the winter, and 
the Dutch growers say that we in England, as a rule, do not take half 
enough care of our bedding bulbs during the winter to ensure a good 
display in the spring. Most of us know how disastrous a severe winter 
is to unprotected bulbs in beds, and I remember some few years ago that 
a number of small circular beds at Chilwell, which were filled with 
Tulips for trial, presented at the time of blooming a most curious ap¬ 
pearance, having perfect blooms all round the outsides, whilst the 
centres were spoilt. This was owing to their being raised in the centre 
so that the snow was there, rapidly melted, whilst around the outer 
circumference it remained and protected the bulbs from frost. Ab ! 
here is the fell disease again, as we see a blank at the end of the bed ; 
no, that is where the rats have been at work ; they often play sad havoc 
