90 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 10, 1885. 
and the handsome blue seeds which follow them at 
this season. 
The greater part of the small-leaved creeper shown in 
our illustration is Tropseolum speciosum with its long 
sprays of flowers, the highest point over the entrance 
being densely crowned with the reddish violet flowers 
of Clematis rubella, which, together with the other 
climbers, form an. admirable setting to the beautiful 
plant, the subject of our notice. 
-—>i£<-- 
THE NEWTOWNARDS NUR¬ 
SERY. 
Probably a greater number of English and Scotch 
gentlemen, owing to the Cholera scare on the continent, 
visited Ireland this year than on any former occasion. 
I am glad to see that Mr. Alfred Outram not only 
came, but noted in your columns some of the many 
attractions of gardening interest around Dublin. As I 
am personally aware that your journal has many 
devoted admirers also in the North of Ireland, especially 
around the progressive town of Belfast, I transcribe the 
following notes for you- that I am persuaded have more 
than a local interestOne of the places I had the 
pleasure of visiting during a recent trip to the North of 
Ireland, was Messrs. Alexander Dickson & Son’s Nur¬ 
series at Newtownards. This seems a prosperous and 
thriving town, at the northern extremity of Strangford 
Lough, and with direct railway communication to 
Belfast. Tire Nurseries, though having the benefit of 
an open and exposed position, enjoy a fine climate and 
the maximum of sunshine. This last is an important 
consideration, when estimating the chances of Tea 
Boses, half-hardy shrubs and trees, and many plants 
outdoors, during our, at times, very severe winters. 
The fact that I saw here, trained against a south wall, 
about five hundred of the healthiest and most vigorous 
Marechal Niel Boses I ever noticed, in ten inch pots, 
that had been undisturbed for two winters, is a good 
illustration of the above, as well as of the system of 
ripening and hardening of the wood adopted here. 
But I shall come to this immediately. This firm has 
been established just fifty years, and seems to possess 
unusual facilities for attaining the maximum of com¬ 
mercial prosperity. Besides its proximity to thenortliern 
Athens, and their extensive seed warehouse there, 
opposite the new Post Office in the Royal Avenue—to 
which I shall subsequently allude—the head of the 
firm has the immense advantage of having his own 
sons and relatives as superintendents of the various 
departments, both in Belfast and Newtownards ; under 
such favourable circumstances, one cannot therefore be 
surprised to find that Alexander Dickson’s Boses, 
Dahlias, Fruit and Forest Trees have an established re¬ 
putation in the North of Ireland, but that they are 
elbowing their way to the sunnier south. 
Arriving near the Nurseries, I was at first struck 
with a large, commodious, and handsome range of 
buildings, which includes besides the private residences 
and appurtenances thereto recently erected, new offices 
furnished with all modern appliances, and attached, a 
parcels department for the rapid execution and trans¬ 
mission of orders, besides the packing sheds at the 
Nurseries. Unfortunately I had but a limited time 
here, and can do little more than give your readers an 
idea of what they may expect to see. There are strictly 
several nurseries, but all are conveniently situated; 
and each is stocked with Boses, Conifene, Fruit Trees, 
Shrubs and Forest Trees, American Plants, with special 
space set apart for Dahlias, Gladioli, Azaleas, Camellias, 
Spirseas, Hydrangeas, Yuccas, &c., and large squares of 
Chrysanthemums, Pelargoniums, and the customary 
bedding stuff getting ripened and hardened for winter 
and spring decoration. I was glad to hear that Messrs. 
Dickson are making, and every year extending, a large 
trade in winter and spring floweriug plants. Besides 
its commercial importance, it indicates a superior 
culture and civilisation to see artisans and factory 
operatives, walk into Messrs. Dickson’s Seed Warehouse 
in Belfast, buy then- handsome flowering bulb, or 
such things- as winter-flowering Pelargoniums, Hy¬ 
drangeas, Spirseas, Lily of the Yalley, Nile Lily— 
always a favourite house plant—Dielytra, Solomon’s 
Seal, Helleborus, &e., and so on ; while the better classes 
walk away in triumph with Dwarf Azaleas, Camellias, 
Cyclamens, Chrysanthemums in variety, Sweet-scented 
Yerbenas, Begonias of the “ Semperflorens ” type, or 
the earlier flowering Tea and Bourbon Boses, &c. Now 
I specially notice this as a “new departure,” that 
other nurserymen would do well to copy. It will 
afford a most commendable, showy, and cheap species 
of decoration for those living in towns, and it will give 
additional employment to nursery hands, besides des- 
seminating a more general love of plants and plant- 
culture among the masses, while making the rooms of 
the manufacturing and working classes gay at the time 
of year when all is black and gloomy outside. 
I take it Messrs. Dickson, at least in Belfast, can 
thus defy competition, so I have the less hesitation in 
alluding to the matter ; but could not our Dublin, 
Cork, and other nurserymen more generally “follow 
suit, ” and more largely open up this, to a great extent, 
new enterprise ? Could not the number of ladies, not 
to mention gentlemen, who in the ordinary every-day 
shopping avocations, passing a show window of hand¬ 
some plants, labelled- Is., 2s., or 3s., as the case may be, 
especially during winter and spring, be counted by the 
thousand in all our large towus ? I say “ Yes,” and if 
once catered for the number would be steadily in¬ 
creasing. This point is more important than it seems 
at first sight; but I must not digress further. As in¬ 
dicative of the enterprise of this firm, I may mention 
that a portion of their nurseries was liable to be flooded 
periodically. To prevent this, and utilise almost 
worthless land, they arched it over and raised it so as 
to render this impossible. This is now the best land, 
and can be always relied on. 
I have touched in a general way on their immense 
stock of the Marshal Niel Rose, grown outdoors in pots, 
and principally sold for early blooming in England and 
Scotland to the proprietors of small greenhouses ; but 
all other Boses are here, too, in proportion. At present 
the} 7 expect to have 50,000 fit for sale next year, not 
including the large quantity grown indoors for forcing 
to supply cut flowers for the thousand and one demands 
of a large town, Tea Boses alone for this purpose having 
a house devoted to them 100 ft. long. 
After Boses, perhaps Dahlias are the next speciality ; 
but before coming to these there are two Bose notes I 
find I made. The stock used here is a specially-raised 
seedling from the Wild Briar, but quite distinct. The 
Manetti and othersj are used, but in a minor degree. 
The other point is the new seedling Boses raised by 
young Mr. Dickson. At present he has, out of some 
thousand seedlings, secured about six worth naming, 
and seemingly distinct advances on anything that has 
hitherto come under my notice. In raising seedling 
Roses, he has proceeded on the same principles that Mr. 
Bennett has found so successful in raising his “pedigree 
Boses.” Every Irishman will be proud to think while 
an Englishman makes a fortune and a name in this way, 
a countryman may hope to do the same. These Boses 
are undergoing further testing and increase, and cannot 
be sent out for some time, but a few of them have al¬ 
ready been certificated. Forinstanee, “ Earl Dufferin” 
(splendid dark rose), Lady Helen Stuart, and Marquis 
of Londonderry (hybrid perpetuals). Three of the best 
Teas would be Miss Ethel Brownlow, Lady Castlereagh, 
and Miss Hamilton Sell. Another Mr. Dickson has 
taken Dahlias (principally double show and fancy) in 
hand, and has succeeded beyond expectation so far—- 
indeed the firm has at several keen competitions with 
their own seedlings chiefly, I understand, beaten the 
finest blooms sent out by Keynes, Rawlings, & Co., and 
others, a fact that will be remembered by those who have 
seen their exhibits at the Dublin shows. These, too, will 
be sent out and named in clue course. The size of the 
blooms that came under my notice, though the season 
was passed, surprised me. Single, “Cactus,” semi- 
double, and all the newer novelties were largely grown 
too. 
I cannot pass from this department without referring 
to the grand spikes of Gladioli, hybrids of Gandavensis. 
I certainly never saw finer, though I grow all the best 
of Kelway’s, Souchet’s, and Campbell’s. One of the 
explanations seemed to be that, like the foregoing, these 
enterprising young gentlemen raise their own seedlings 
chiefly, and know nothing of the dreaded “Gladioli 
disease.” We now reach the houses, which are all 
splendidly stocked and number a dozen, each 100 ft., 
without counting pits or frames ; but I was unable to 
make any notes here, as the railway whistle often dis¬ 
turbs the best intentions. I had previously looked 
into the American ground, and found fine specimens of 
Epacris and Ericas, Andromedas, Daphne, Kalmias, 
Pernettyas, Gaultherias, Daboecia, Eseallonias, Olea- 
rias, Acacias, Ligustrums, hardy Azaleas, &c.— TV. J. 
Murphy, Clonmel. 
FRUITS, FLO WERS k V EGETABLES. 
Crocus speciosus.—What a lovely form this 
is. It is now throwing up its large, beautiful, and 
striking flowers in places where I permanently planted 
it a few years ago ; I think that is the way to treat it. 
Plant it 6 ins. deep at least, in good soil, where it can 
remain undisturbed, and every autumn about this time 
of the year it will flower gloriously. How shall I 
describe the flowers of this lovely species ? Say soft 
blue-lilac on the exterior, but, in the interior of the 
petals a warm lilac-blue, with a few purple lines and 
saffron-coloured stamens. I have tided to flower it in 
pots with indifferent success, but as soon as I planted 
the bulbs out of doors, under a west wall, they began 
to flower gloriously. And yet, grand as the species is, 
and so worthy of a place in gardens, it does not find a 
place in any of the bulb catalogues of the ordinary 
character. Like the Colchicums, and the pretty saffron 
Crocus (C. sativus), it blooms in autumn, as if it would 
alter the right to flower despite the advancing frosts of 
winter.— 11. D. 
A Prolific Apple Tree.—We have here a large 
tree of the Catshead variety—and a more beautiful 
kitchen Apple I do not know—from which we have 
gathered the best fruits, 82 stone in all, and there are 
still the thirds left to pick, which I estimate at 8 stone, 
making the yield from the one tree, 90 stone.— 11. Gil¬ 
bert, Burgliley. 
Veitch’s Perfect Gem Lettuce.—I saw this 
for the first time, three weeks ago, at Latham House, 
and if I may judge from the enthusiastic manner in 
which Mr. Hathaway praised it, it must be a real gem 
to him and others who have to maintain a constant 
supply during such seasons as the two past. There 
was a fine breadth of it ready for use at the time of my 
visit, with hearts like cricket balls. Ir has been so 
appreciated and highly praised in the house that Mr. 
Hathaway considers it will be useless to grow any other 
variety for summer and autumn use. — Visitor. 
Chrysanthemum La Vierge.—This is a very 
fine dwarf early flowering kind, and appears to be inter¬ 
mediate between the pompon and the reflexed class, 
having the habit of some of the former, and the flower 
of the latter. It is a most desirable variety, and my 
advice to all who are fond of early flowering sorts, and 
who have not already got this, is to include it in their 
collection. The flowers are of good size and shape, and 
of the purest white, whilst the habit of the plant and 
its freedom of flowering are all that can be desired, and 
coming into bloom at the latter end of September 
and during October, makes it a most welcome addition 
to our early autumn flowers.— B. L. 
Pteris tremula.—This is one of the best ferns 
in cultivation for all kinds of indoor decoration, 
especially where it has to be used in dark corners, where 
few other plants will keep fresh for any length of time, 
for even in such places it will grow and thrive almost 
as well as in an ordinary greenhouse. It has also other 
points to recommend it for decorative purposes in 
addition to the great merit it possesses in its enduring 
qualities. In habit of growth it is everything to be 
desired for such work, as its free branching fronds, 
when intermixed with other plants, can be made to 
produce that irregular yet neat appearance which is so 
generally admired. Y'e sometimes use various sized 
plants of this Pteris as a ground work, and dot 
Dracsenas, Crotons, or flowering plants among them ; 
and although tire plan is simplicity itself, the effect 
produced is novel and striking, and a great variety of 
arrangements can be worked out in this way by chang¬ 
ing the plants used to supply colour. Ye are always 
able to find plenty of seedling plants (to keep up our 
stock) springing up among Orchids in pots and baskets, 
and under the stages where old plants are grown. But 
if any difficulty is found in getting plants in this way, 
they can easily be had by preparing a few pans with 
the usual amount of drainage, and then getting them 
with rough peat, with a little sand and charcoal added, 
then lay on the soil an old frond which has plenty of 
brown spores on the under side, cover with a bell glass, 
and keep shaded till the young forms appear.— 
R. I) unkin. 
Judging Fruit at Exhibitions.—I think 
“A. D ” has mistaken my reason for writing, as he 
seems to think that it is my desire to give prizes to 
Melons for their appearance only, whereas I have no 
