DcC’mber 12. 1889.1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
511 
at 6 feet from the body, bnt several large branches have been cut years 
ago to give room for those remaining. 
Romney Marsh land has long been noted for its rich herbage. The 
soil is very dark, and in some places a good depth, being probably at 
one time a sea bottom, consequently leaving a deposit of a very rich 
and fertile nature. The tree3 above mentioned are growing in some of 
the best of soil, which is resting on a mixture of beach or shingle and 
sea sand, under which lies a thick bed of dark clayey soil though not 
of a poor nature. But not only do Evergreen Oaks thrive here, and 
also large trees of Acacias 40 feet in height, as well as Variegated 
Hollies, while against the house are fine plants of Roses 20 feet up the 
wall, while the windows are encircled by fine plants of the large-leaved 
Myrtle all in full health.— Thomas Record. 
SOME USEFUL PLANTS. 
The following is a list of plants that I have found serviceable 
during the present and recent seasons :— 
Gladiolus. 
Dr. Bailly, a glowing soft scarlet, is going to prove one of the best 
Also very fine is Panama, another of the 1888 varieties. Snowdon, an 
English raised variety, was exhibited in fine form. I have not yet 
secured this sort, but evidently it is one of the very finest. Enchanteresse 
has again been fine. Amitiei, one of the soft shaded sorts, is one of 
the hardiest and also one of the grandest kinds. Indispensable also 
are Dalila, M. A. Brongniart, Sultan, Penelope. Shakespeare, Ondine, 
white, with soft violet markings, a lovely sort; Matador, Grand Rouge, 
Bicolore, Panorama, Flamboyant, very bright, Horace Vernet, extra 
bright ; Diamant, very pretty ; Baroness Burdett Coutts, Crepuscule, 
Eugene Souchet, rose, beautiful sort ; Opale, soft, fine ; Pasteur, extra 
fine soft rose ; Pyramide, Sceptre de Flore, Fra Diavolo, very fine ; Lady 
Bridport, are all sorts which are of free healthy growth, and should be 
grown by all who admire these highly decorative flowers. I was ab'e to 
flower Duchess of Edinburgh this year ; a single corm I procured from 
Dicksons, Chester, was cut in four, and gave three spikes. For northern 
gardens I should not recommend it, being rather late to be useful. I 
wonder -why brenchleyensis is not cultivated more generally. It is cer¬ 
tainly one of the best hardy flowers, cheap to buy, and the best of 
decorative flowers. Bossuet, crimson ; W. E. Gumbleton, Lafayette, 
Lamartine. Lemoinei, Alsace, Sceptre d’Or, bright yellow ; Etendard, 
A. Chenier, soft ; Etoile, very beautiful, belong to Lemoine’s hardy 
hybrid section, and all worth growing. Cultivators of hardy flowers 
must be on the outlook for the new hybrids originated by M. Lemoine, 
and which he has christened G. Nanceianus. Nine varieties are offered, 
two of which have already received first class certificates from the 
Royal Horticultural Society. The best appear to be President Carnot, 
P. Duchaitre, Comte H. de Choiseul. and Maurice de Vilmorin. 
Carnation Mrs. Reynolds Hole. 
In the Journal some months ago this variety had a rather bad 
character given it. I had a bed of it, and with me it proved one of the 
strongest and freest flowering sorts, and such as these are worth getting 
hold of when so many varieties without a constitution are to be had. 
I find it strikes quite easily from cuttings, though, of course, the 
strongest plants are from layers. Germania also did very well, though 
much of the bloom was damaged by damp and rain. In a good season 
this will prove one of the best of Carnations. It also strikes at any 
time from cuttings, and a stock of plants can be quickly run up. I am 
growing several dozens for spring flowering. For the latter purpose one 
of the very best sorts is Comtesse de Paris. The flowers are very large, 
and of a silvery glistening tone of white. A very beautiful sort, a sort 
I had last year, named Mdme. John Benary, and which is also good for 
spring flowering, can be highly recommended. It belongs to the fancy 
yellow ground section, and is beautifully flaked with rose. Good blooms 
are nearly 4 inches across. 
Pentstemons. 
During the past few years some remarkable varieties have been 
introduced. The spikes are long, the individual flowers very large, and 
the coloration most attractive. A dozen of the best are Serenade, 
Vesuvius, Gyp, A. Daudet, Mdme. Dieulafoy, Melinite, Derviche, 
Director Braumuller, Orph^e, Turban, Olivier Pain, and Paul Bert. 
A Good Bedding Calceolaria. 
This I had last year without a name. It is dwarf habited, the 
dwarfest yellow sort I am acquainted with, and about 3 inches less tall 
than Golden Gem ; the flowers three times the size of that variety, and 
of a peculiarly soft shade of lemon yellow. I consider it one of the 
greatest acquisitions among flowering bedding plants. It certainly was 
the finest throughout the season here, and I have seen it elsewhere 
•equally noteworthy. It has, I believe, been named Lemon Queen.—B. 
MR. RICHARD PARKER. 
“ Parker of Impney ” is an association of names which have been 
familiar to most visitors to Fruit and Chrysanthemum shows of late 
years, and to all readers of garden literature. When Mr. Parker first 
came to the front as an exhibitor of Chrysanthemums and the winner of 
chief prizes in good competition, his success created a feeling of wonder 
as to whether he would be able to maintain the position he won. He 
has done so, one of his latest achievements being the winning of the 
greatest prize ever offered for Chrysanthemums, and this in one of the 
closest and keenest contests of the year —namely, the forty-eight bloom 
class at Birmingham. The achievement is the more noteworthy since it 
was the fourth consecutive year in which he won the chief prize in the 
great midland city, and always against first-class competitors. Also in 
three consecutive years he has won three cups at Sheffield, including the 
“ National ” for seventy-two blooms. 
Perhaps that record of success alone entitles him to the distinction 
of being presented to our readers as in the annexed engraving from a 
photograph, though it is not the only claim, and he is not the less 
satisfied nor the less to be commended for receiving the chief prizes for 
collections of fruit in 1886 at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Pro¬ 
vincial Show at Liverpool, in 1887 at Regent’s Park, in 1888 at the 
Crystal Palace, and in 1889 at both the last named Exhibitions, the 
former in June the latter in November. 
Having been trainel under Mr. J. Smith at Mentmore and Mr. 
FIG. 06.— MR. R. PARKER. 
J. Mclndoe at Hutton Hill, where he was foreman for eight years, Mr. 
Parkerls competency as a fruit grower is not surprising, but he certainly 
took the world by surprise in taking such a distinct lead with Chrys¬ 
anthemums, and it is perhaps not generally known that the first portion 
of his gardening experience was gained under Mr. Adam Forsyth, the 
famous Chrysanthemum grower in the Brunswick Nurseries, Stoke 
Newington, and it will be conceded he has done credit to the teaching 
of his oid master. 
Born in 1856, Mr. Parker is still a comparatively young man, with, 
it is hoped, a long and successful career before him. Only a man of 
distinct ability in the different branches of gardening could have 
followed with credit such skilful men as Mr. M. Temple and Mr. 0. 
Thomas at Impney. It is true-he has advantages there that fall not to 
the lot of all able men, for the owner of Impney, J. Corbett, Esq., M.P., 
is both wealthy and generous, and provides the requisite means for the 
high maintenance of his beautiful home surroundings. 
Mr. Parker is now engaged in carrying out a considerable extent of 
landscape gardening—terrace extension at Impney—from plans of Mr. 
W. Goldring, so that Chrysanthemum growing has only a share of 
attention amongst various other claims on his time. He values highly 
the assistance of his foreman, Mr. Charles Crooks, and speaks of him as 
a first-class man, waiting for a position in which he can display his skill 
