148 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 7, 1885. 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Exhibitions for next week, — Monday, Stoke Newing¬ 
ton, Chrysanthemum Show (two days). Tuesday, 
Royal Horticultural Society 7 , South Kensington, Meet¬ 
ing of Committees ; Chrysanthemum Shows at Kingston, 
Putney, and Brighton. Wednesday, National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society’s Show at the Westminster Aquarium 
(two days) ; Exhibitions at Basingstoke, Croydon, 
Ascot, and Bath. Thursday, Chrysanthemum Shows 
at Bury, Lindfield (two days), and Portsmouth (two 
days). Friday, Chrysanthemum Shows at Huddersfield 
(two days), Exeter, and Sheffield. Saturday, Rams- 
bottom Chrysanthemum Show. 
A White Gros Colmar Grape.—We have received from 
an anonymous correspondent some berries of a seedling 
Grape raised from Gros'Colmar, and which, except that 
the berries are white, is an exact counterpart of its 
parent in shape, size, growth, foliage, and lateness, and 
has a flavour of its own, not rich, but certainly very 
pleasant. It is undoubtedly an acquisition, and we 
should be glad of further particulars. 
Proposed Testimonial to Mr. W. Ingram, —A Com¬ 
mittee has been formed, with the Rev. Canon Hole at 
the head, to collect funds for a testimonial to be pre¬ 
sented to Mr. William Ingram, of Belvoir Castle 
Gardens, in consideration of the services he has 
rendered during 30 years, in promoting the improve¬ 
ment of Flower Gardening. 
Death of Dr. Bull, —We regret to hear of the death, 
on Saturday last, 6f internal cancer, after a very short 
illness, of Dr. Bull, of Hereford, aged sixty-seven. 
For about twenty years Dr. Bull’s name has been a 
household word among Fungologists, he being the 
originator of Fungus forays, which were first estab¬ 
lished in connection with the Woolhope Naturalists’ 
Field Club, but now annually recurring events in 
several other places. He also took great interest in 
pomology, and was the main promoter of that mag¬ 
nificent work. The Herefordshire Pomona, of which he 
was co-editor with Dr. Hogg, and which was only com¬ 
pleted a few weeks ago. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —It may 
interest many of the subscribers to know that as a 
result of the increase of the amount of the pensions, the 
number of applicants seeking to be placed on the list 
in January next is greater than in any former year. 
The secretary has, we hear, received the legacy of £100 
left by the late J. S. Law, Esq., and he would be glad 
to hear at once from those who have not yet sent in 
their coUecting cards, in order that the committee may 
he enabled to put on the list as many applicants as 
possible. 
Microloma or Wax Climber, —The beautiful glossy 
crimson twining plant illustrated by us at p. 85, 
and described in a note from Mr. Jas. Hall, of Port 
Elizabeth, proves to be the rare Microloma lineare, 
R. Br., figured in Harvey’s Thesaures Capensis. 
Messrs. Jas. Carter & Co., of 237 & 238, High Holborn, 
have, we hear, a small stock of it, and are looking 
forward to its flowering next spring and summer. 
Guernsey Lilies. —The fine scarlet forms of these 
lovely bulbous plants have bloomed grandly this year 
with Baron Schroder, the Rothschilds, and other good 
growers of them. When properly treated as cool pit 
or greenhouse plants, no plants are easier to manage, 
or more showy or durable when in flower. J. Maxwell, 
Esq., of Guernsey, has also bloomed a fine collection 
of them this year, among the very best of them being 
the bright blood-red N. atrosanguinea, raised by Mr. 
O'Brien between N. flexuosa and N. Plantii; and the 
handsome blue-tinted N. O’Brieni, raised between N. 
pudica and N. Plantii. 
New Holland Plants at Kingston. —It is with 
pleasure that we note that the old firm of T. Jackson & 
Son, of Kingston, still hold to these fine plants with 
which their names have been so intimately connected 
in the past. The demand for these lovely plants, 
which used formerly to have to supply the greater part 
of the greenhouse flowers at all seasons of the year, 
has been very low, but unmistakable signs of an in¬ 
creased demand for them is to be observed. No class 
of plants gives a greater or more continued reward to 
the grower for his care, and we would advise any of our 
readers who appreciate good things to give a house to 
the different species usually placed under the general 
denomination of “hard-wooded plants.” Messrs. 
Jackson devote many houses to Ericas, GenetyUis, 
Dracophyllums, Boronias, &c., and they have a large 
stock of all sizes, from the healthy little bush in a 48 pot 
to the grand specimen fit to take its place on the exhi¬ 
bition stand. They have also a fine lot of Allamandas, 
Clerodendrons, Stephanotis, and other stove things. 
The Horticultural Directory for 1886.—We have 
received a copy of this useful Directory, for 1886. It 
is published at 171, Fleet Street, and having been 
issued regularly for 27 years requires no recommenda¬ 
tion now. 
--*«£<-- 
NEW ROSES. 
Me. George Paul, of Cheshunt, states in his new 
autumn catalogue, that “ there is much need of a good 
lot of first-class new 7 Roses,” and yet it is not for lack 
of new 7 varieties, for Mr. Paul himself gives a list of 
something like thirty-three new varieties of 1884-85, 
which appear to be quite enough for one season, but they 
do not, I suppose, include many real acquisitions. Mr. 
Paul well remarks that “ the English raisers are again 
to the front.” There is no doubt that among the best 
Roses of the year are the three sent out from Cheshunt, 
the new 7 striped Pride of Reigate, and Comtesse d’Oxford, ■ 
charmingly striped with w 7 hite, which I have seen 
finely showm on several occasions this season ; Madame 
Norman Neruda, pale cherry carmine, perfect form, 
and an excellent autumnal bloomer ; Longfellow 7 , 
rich violet-crimson, of the Charles Lefebvre shape, and 
a vigorous grower, and so making a good garden Rose ; 
Mrs. George Dickson, delicate soft pink, and beautiful 
in colour, and certain to be a favourite ; Ella Gordon, 
bright cherry, is a full fine R ose in the way of Madame 
Victor A r erdier; Mrs. C. Swailes is of a pleasing 
salmon-flesh hue, w*ith the build of Mdlle. Eugenie 
Verdier, and greatly resembling Marie Finger, but, yet 
sufficiently distinct. All the foregoing are Hybrid 
Perpetuals of English origin. 
Of the new French Roses, Gloire Lyonnaise may be 
regarded as a lemon-coloured H. P., but as it flow 7 ered 
thinly during the past summer, it has not yet been in 
its best form, and on well established plants it is said 
to come full and double. This was raised by Mons. 
Guillot, who sent us La France, and many other good 
Roses. Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschild is one of 
Pernets’ raising, and promises to make a fine light 
Rose. General Appert is a promising addition to the 
darker Roses. Madame Massicalt is a beautifully 
shaped light pink-rose, distinct in every way if it 
proves large enough. Princess Amelie d'Orleans pro¬ 
mises to be a useful bright satin-pink Rose ; and Yictor 
Hugo is a bright crimson-red, shaded with purple, in 
the way of Xavier Olibo, but a much more vigorous 
grower. These are also Hybrid Perpetuals. The new 7 
Tea Roses are Alexandrine Bruel, pure white, of the 
Gloire de Dijon race ; Annette Murat, citron-yellow 7 , 
and of the same race ; Charles Le Grady, carmine-red, 
changing to rosy crimson ; Grace Darling, white, the 
petals tipped and shaded with pink ; Souvenir de 
Gabriel Drevet, salmon-w 7 hite, with bright rose centre 
and coppery base ; and Sunset, a rich tawny saffron- 
coloured sport from Perle des Jardins, and in every 
respect an excellent Rose.— Ino. 
-—- 
GERMAN LILIES OF THE 
VALLEY. 
For some time past these have had a great 
reputation in this country, and the increasing demand 
for them demonstrates to some extent the advantage 
gained by the grower of the German single crowns or 
of the clumps imported from Holland, by reason of 
their vigorous growth and the easy way in w 7 hich they 
can be forced. The method adopted by the German 
growers to force these fragrant plants into fiow 7 er, is to 
plant them in a well-closed heated bed, in pure silver 
sand or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, in a house easily heated, 
and by giving the bed a constant bottom heat of 90°. 
The roots of the crowns are trimmed down to the length 
of 3 in., and they are placed in rows as thickly as 
possible, or if there is sufficient space, it is best to place 
them 1 in. or l|in. apart. Water is given plentifully, 
and it is applied when warmed to 85°. The bed is kept 
covered and dark until the crowns have fairly started, 
when light is gradually admitted, and after two-thirds 
of the crowns are in flower they are hardened off by 
admitting air by degrees till the cover over the bed can 
be entirely removed. The time necessary for forcing is 
estimated as from twenty-one to twenty-four days 
before Christmas, ajuj from fourteen, to twenty days 
afterwards, so that the time*when the_ crowns begin to 
flower can be correctly judged. 
If 1,000 spikes of flower of Lily of the Valley are 
wanted at Christmas, 1,100 or 1,200 single crowns 
ought to be planted towards the end of November as 
set forth above ; these crowns would be fully in bloom about 
the 18th or 20th day of December, so that they can be 
well hardened off, and be fit for use by Christmas, or if 
the crowns are potted and placed in a warm greenhouse, 
they will keep in fine condition for two or three weeks. 
To have a constant supply of flowers a lot of crowns 
should be planted once a fortnight. 
Some of the German growers adopt the practice of 
burying the crowns in garden soil at a depth of 6 in. or 
12 in., quite away from any danger from frosts, taking 
them up as they are required for forcing. It is said that 
they force easier and better when the ground around 
them has been frozen. It is not advisable to begin 
forcing Lilies of the Valley before the end of November, 
before this time they would not bring more than 50 or 
80 per cent, of flowers. If treated properly the crowns 
will produce from 85 to 90 per cent, of flowers before, 
and 100 per cent, after Christmas; such is the testimony 
of one of the leading German growers. — P. D. 
-->:£<-- 
LANCASHIRE MARKET GAR¬ 
DENS. 
Mr. G. P. Bent’s Nursery, Flixton.— This place 
was formerly called “Flyxton,” and then “Fleece- 
town,” but has been spelled as above for many genera¬ 
tions. It is a pleasant and most interesting suburb of 
Manchester, seven miles distant. On its southern side 
is the Mersey river, dividing it from Cheshire, and to 
the visitor it has all the characteristics of a Cheshire 
village. On its eastern boundary it has the river 
Irwell, which having in its course absorbed the Rock, 
Spodden, Irk, and Medlock, itself falls into the Mersey 
here, and loses its own individuality. It was once a 
grand fishing river, with trout, salmon, eels, and other 
fish, but is now a foul putrid stream of sewage and 
dye. The village of Flixton is of a remote age, and 
was part of the land Roger de Poictou gave to the 
ancient barons of Manchester. In the 35th year of 
Henry III. ’s reign, William de Ferras, Earl of Derby, 
gave to one David de Hultone his land in Flyxton, 
with the manor of Herdeshall, for his homage and 
service of two marks of silver at the four terms of the 
year. Since then it has passed through many hands, 
until it ultimately was sold to various persons as free¬ 
hold of inheritance, during the last century. Among 
the purchasers of the lands and freeholds during the 
last century, were the ancestors of Mr. G. P. Bent, 
the present freeholder, and who has a nursery, perhaps 
the oldest round Manchester. This was commenced 
in the early part of the present century by the grand¬ 
father of Mr. Bent. 
The dwelling-house is a well-built roomy structure in 
the midst of the grounds, surrounded by various shrubs 
of divers kinds, such as a landscape gardener of the old 
school loved to find and rescue from the fire or rubbish 
pile, and now so seldom to be found. They are grow¬ 
ing in what an old writer called ‘ 1 a rich black sandy 
vegetable loam, producing corn, fruit, and potatos in 
abundance.” The various evergreen aud deciduous 
shrubs, forest trees, and fruit trees attest this, and in 
one quarter we found a large quantity of Riehardia 
aethiopica, bedded out, and about to be lifted for pot¬ 
ting. Zonal Pelargoniums, grown in the same wav, 
had just been potted, and put into frames, and would 
shortly be productive of bloom. 
There are several houses here, most of which contain 
grand bushes of Roses, with stout trunks and branches, 
and Gloire de Dijon and the Marshal Niel growing up 
the roof, with such kinds as Madame Falcot, Isabella 
Sprunt, Niplietos, &c. These were just coming for 
the third time into general bloom, and were full of 
buds in all stages. In one house we found a lot of the 
old double white Primula ; another structure is an old 
vinery, with vines over half a century old, which have 
outlived one glass roof, and were carrying some well- 
coloured bunches of fair market size. Williams’ strain 
of Solanum hybridum compactum is grown well here 
in pits, the plants were quite loaded with berries. A 
large quantity of plants for the cut-flower trade are 
grown, as well as a house-full of Adiantums and other 
Ferns for the same purpose. Camellias were formerly a 
speciality, but are at present at a discount, Roses 
