Jiovemlber 7, 1$85. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
149 
having taken their place ; and those who have seen 
Mr. Bent’s stand in Victoria Market, Manchester, will 
well understand why it is so. 
On leaving Mr. Bent’s nursery, our way lay through 
fields for about a mile and a half, and on the extreme 
boundary of the village, we came to a place where we 
received a somewhat discourteous reception from the 
person in charge, who “knew all he wanted to know,” 
and would not be bothered with visitors. We were, 
of course, not shown the wonderful secrets in this 
abode of wisdom and intelligence, so shaking the dust 
from our unworthy feet at the gate, we proceeded on 
our way, and presently came to the old-established 
floral nursery of 
Mr. William Taylor, at Davyhulme. — This is 
another village of ancient renown, lying between 
Flixton and Barton. This place is the home of the 
three Brothers Taylor, who have always resided in the 
locality. There is an appearance of old age about the 
place which is very interesting. The gardens lay 
behind the dwelling-house, and contain many old- 
fashioned glass structures, one or two of the age when 
rough plate was advised as the acme of perfection for 
a house for plant growing ; and as we entered some 
of these lofty old structures, we confess to a feeling of 
surprise and pleasure, though we must admit that 
neatness was not there. We will describe one house; in 
the centre, opposite the door, were large old plants of 
Azalea indica alba and Camellias, which must give 
many thousands of blooms during the year. On the 
side stages were Poinsettias and jEchmea fulgens in 
quantity, while up the side lights are bushes of Niphetos 
and Gloire de Dijon Boses, and flowering up to the apex 
are monster plants of Acacia pubescens and affinis, the 
stem of the latter having a girth of 2 ft. 51 ins. ; 
while monster Abutilons are throwing their branches 
over the tye rods and hanging in racemes of red and 
yellow flowers. In another house are other Acacias, 
and another stem of A. affinis 18 ins. in circumference ; 
masses of Dendrobium nobile, Epiphyllums worked as 
standards on the Pereskia stock, Rose bushes and 
climbers, more white Azaleas, Crassula coccinea, Chry¬ 
santhemums, many hundreds, some just coming into 
bloom, others, well-grown plants not yet showing their 
blooms ; while in other houses are Ferns for cutting and 
bouquet work. In one was a Lapageria rosea hanging 
over a long rail with hundreds of blooms on it, and from 
which they had been cutting for months past. In 
another house Bougainvilleas were the chief inhabitants, 
with Tomatos on the roof ; some pits were full of well- 
grown Solanums, and here hardy heaths are also 
pressed into service; while in another are immense 
Heliotropes and Abutilons, Gloire de Dijon and 
Marechal Niel Roses. 
The whole place is a busy flower manufactory, 
and very interesting to one who wishes to understand 
the state of market gardening in this district ; we 
were much struck with what we saw. About a mile 
and a half from here, going towards Manchester, we 
come to another florist’s garden, this belongs to Mr. J. 
G. Taylor, brother to the Mr. Taylor before mentioned ; 
this is a new venture, and will doubtless prove a most 
successful one. Here are some new glass-houses, one 
about 22 yds. long is filled with Tea Roses and Zonal 
Pelargoniums, all double kindssuch as double Wonderful 
Candidissima and others. These latter are large bushes 
either planted out or plunged in large pots, and they were 
full of large clear bright blooms, and likely to continue 
so. We were told that they had been cut form for 
months, until they were tired of cutting; while Niphetos 
and Marechal Niel Roses were showing by their clear large 
bloom buds that they were enjoying their quarters. 
Another house is 70 yds. long with a rafter of 15 ft., 
this was being filled with Tea Roses also, and another, 
75 yds. long was being erected ; while out-door beds of 
Phloxes, Carnations, and Dahlias told what had been 
done here. The road from this place along Croft’s bank 
is very pretty, the gardens seem to occupy a great deal 
of then- owner’s time ; quantities of Daisies and spring 
flowers are plentiful, while Irish Junipers and Retinos- 
poras, Irish Yews, Hollies, and fine common Yews are 
plentiful and although the frosts had cut off Dahlias 
in some places, yet, such Roses as Souvenir de la 
Malmaison and Madame Laffey, &c., were very 
plentiful. We must confess we were very pleased with 
our ramble. —IV. J. D. 
SCILLAS. 
I think the Scillas make a beautiful class of spring 
flowers, and, as such, they are deserving of widely ex¬ 
tended cultivation. Who does not know and admire the 
beautiful blue Siberian Squill; such a charming plant 
as it is for spring gardening ; so bright and rich in 
colour ? It is called the Siberian Squill, but there 
appears to be some doubt as to whether the plant is 
really a native of Siberia ; but it is known to be widely 
distributed in Asia Minor and Persia. It is said to 
have been found growing among the Snowdrops in the 
Caucasus. It is perfectly hardy in this country, and 
like most other bulbs thrives best in good sandy soil. 
S. bifolia, the early Squill, is of a paler, but very 
pleasing shade of blue, dwarf and very free when well 
established, producing in the very dawn of spring— 
indeed, often in winter—rich masses of blue flowers. 
It blooms earlier than S. siberica, but it does not with¬ 
stand cold wintry and spring rains so well; and, 
therefore, it should be planted in warm sunny spots, 
either on rockwork or sheltered borders. There are 
many varieties of it, among them a white one. 
S. eampanulata (see illustration) and its varieties— 
white, rose, and light red—are all very beautiful late 
spring flowers, blooming at the end of April and the 
beginning of May, and greatly resembling the Wood 
Hyacinths, but with larger flowers, and of stronger 
growth. They are all perfectly hardy and easily grown ; 
and they are admirably adapted for naturalisation in 
woods, wild gardens, and shrubbery borders, where 
they should be freely planted. They increase in 
quantity and effect every year, and always bloom with 
wonderful freedom. 
The Blue Bell of our woods is S. nutans, a well- 
known and much admired native plant, abounding in 
almost any wood and copse, the flowers always ar¬ 
ranged in a gracefully drooping fashion on one side of 
the stem. Of this there is a white, a rose-coloured, 
and a pale blue variety, all very pleasing and effective. 
But why called Squill ? It is from the Latin, Scilla 
or Squilla. The same word, the Italian Squilla, is now 
used to mean the small evening bell sounded from the 
campanili, in Italy, for vesper service. 
S. siberica is much grown in pots for early flowering. 
It is a gem for this purpose, and as the bulbs are cheap, 
it is within the reach of all. But after the bulbs have 
done flowering they need not be wasted. It is best to 
place them in a shady place to mature their foliage, 
then turn them out of the pots and place them in the 
open border, putting some refuse potting soil about the 
roots. — Pi. I>. 
SELECT HARDY PERENNIALS. 
( Continued from p. 68 .) 
Lithospermum prostratum. —Here we have a per¬ 
fectly hardy little gem among evergreen creeping plants 
of a shrubby character, and one I had almost overlooked. 
Its flowers are blue—a blue scarcely less beautiful than 
any Gentian I know. The flowers are about a 4 in- 
across, and have a faint stripe of reddish violet in the 
centre of the petals. While charming and delightful 
everywhere when in good condition, it may be seen to 
its best advantage when grown on an even surface on the 
rockery, or overhanging a rugged stone in some sunny 
position. In such a place, with plenty of good soil to 
supply it with food, it is a most pleasing plant, and the 
continuance of its flowers also render it a valuable rock 
plant ; nor is it less suited to the border, which, if the 
soil be generous and rather sandy, will be found to suit 
it well. Here it will form compact spreading tufts, 
and may be used with good effect for the margins of 
beds containing choice dwarf shrubs. It prefers at all 
times a well-drained soil, and either very sandy loam or 
peat will be found agreeable to it. It is a short-lived 
plant in cold or heavy soils, and where such exist mix 
well with burnt earth or river sand to drain it well. It 
is rather impatient of being removed when it has become 
established. It is very hardy and best propagated from 
cuttings, which may be taken any time when about 
2 ins. long from April to October. Strip them off the 
heel from the woody shoots—there will be plenty near 
thejeentre of large plants—and insert under hand-lights, 
keeping them close till rooted. These will require little 
shade now. Allow them to remain till spring, when 
they may be transplanted. Plants in pots, if intro¬ 
duced into slight warmth early in March, will soon 
produce new growth, which will root freely if inserted 
in sandy soil in pots, in which case do not use too much 
Scilla campanulata. 
