October 30, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
131 
H.CRNNELL AMD SONS 9 
HOME OF FLOWERS : 
S-A.R.GEST.BEST.CHEAPEST ANOMOST COMPLETE 1 
U4 EUROPE - SE.ND FOR ft CfiTPiLO^Ue j 
. SWAM LgY- KENT 
B. S. WILLIAMS’ 
CHEAP BULBS 
FOR 
BEDS & BORDERS. 
As supplied to the whole of the Loudon 
Parks this season. 
Special quotations and further par¬ 
ticulars will be supplied on application. 
Vi tforia <fc J?nrnbi$o 
UPPER HOLLOWAY,LONDON,N. 
TRY GOWm RQSR3, 
“QUALITY IS THE TEST OF CHEAPNESS.” 
SPLENDID CLIMBING ROSES in 7-in. pots, with two or 
three shoots, S ft. to 10 ft. long, 3s. 6 <L each: Gloire dc Dijon, 
Heine Marie Henriette, Celine Forestier, Cheslmnt Hybrid, and 
Belle Lyonnaise. 
SPLENDID CLISIBiNG SOSES in 7-in. pots, with one 
and two shoots, 6 ft. to S ft. long, 2s. 6 d. each : Climbing De- 
voniensis, Marechal Niel, Gloire de Dijon, IV. A. Richardson, 
Reine Marie Henriette, and Cheshunt Hybrid. 
WALTHAM CLIMBERS-- Nos. 1, 2 and 3, fine plants in 
7-in. pots, with one and two shoots, 6 ft. to 7 ft. long, 3s. Gd. 
each. These are splendid red Roses in three shades, No. 1 being 
the lightest and No. 3 the darkest. 
FINE CLIMBING ROSES in 5-in. pots, with one shoot, 
3 ft. to 5 ft. long, Is. each ; Marechal Niel and Gloire de Dijon. 
SPLENDID DWARF TEA R.-OSES in 7-in. pots, specially 
prepared for winter flowering, in about 100 varieties, including 
Niphetos, Perle des Jardins, Sunset, Madame Falcot, Isabella 
Sprunt, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Homer, Etoile de Lyon, Perle 
de Lyon, Mrs. Bosanquet, and Madame Lambard, 2s. Gd. and 
3s. each, according to size. List on application. 
Cash or reference with order from unknown correspondents. Plants 
may he returned at once if unsatisfuxtory. 
The Liverpool Horticultural Co. (J. Cowan) Lmtd., 
THE VINEYARD, GARSTON, LIVERPOOL. 
SODDY’S BULBS. 
Prime in Quality and first in Size. Warranted tine in Name 
and colour. Fair in Price. CARRIAGE FREE. 
FINEST NAMED HYACINTHS, for Glass or Pot Culture, 
3/fi 4/6 S/fi firt 7/ft Tier rloz. : 9.RI- 34/. 4-7'. 50/. A- SR/. n»r 100 
BEDDING HYACINTHS— Perdoz. Per 100. 
Pale Blue, Dark Blue. Lilac, Violet, &c. 2 0 13 0 
BEDDING HYACINTHS-- 
Red, Pink, Carmine, Flesh Colour, Ac. 2 3 15 6 
BEDDING HYACINTHS— 
Pure White, Tinted, Cream, Yellow, &c. 2 9 19 6 
BEDDING HYACINTHS— 
All Shades and Colours mixed . 2 0 13 0 
Per 100. Per 1000. 
CROCUS—Blue, Purple, White, or Striped_ 15 12 0 
CROCUS—Golden Yellow . 1 3 10 0 
CROCUS—All Colours mixed . 1 3 11 0 
TULIPS—Finest Named, double or single, 
-/9 -/ll 1/1 & 1/3 per doz ; 3/6 5/0 7/6 & SI - per 100 
Perdoz. Per 100. 
TULIPS—Finest mixed single. 0 9 5 0 
TULIPS—Finest mixed double. 0 9 5 0 
NARCISSUS—Pheasant Eye . 0 6 4 6 
NARCISSUS—Paper White, Early . 1 0 S 0 
Per 100. Per 1000. 
SNOWDROPS—Extra large, double. 2 3 20 0 
SNOWDROPS— Single . 2 3 19 0 
Per doz. Per 100. 
ROMAN HYACINTH—Early, White. 1 9 12 0 
LILIUM CANDIDUM—White Garden Lily .... 2 3 10 0 
For LILIES, GLADIOLI, &c., see Catalogue, Post Free. 
BENJAMIN SODDY, Seedsman, Bulb Importer, &c. 
243, WALWORTH ROAD, London, S.E. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
S TRONG roots, 4s. per 100 j plants in small 
pots, 16s. per 100; ditto, in large pots, 25s. per 100. 
Descriptive List on application.—RICHARD SMITH & Co., 
Nurserymen and Seed Merchants, Worcester. 
Just Published. 
fYUR SPECIAL IRIS LIST, No. 85, con- 
taining all that is best and most beautiful, offering great 
advantages to the purchasers. — NEW PL A XT & BULB COM- 
PANY, Lion Walk, Colchester. 
New Picotee. 
TVTRS. SHARP (Sharp). — Heavy-edged 
XvJL rosy scarlet, a grand addition to the class. First Class 
Certificate at Oxford, August 4th, 1SS5 ; and at Manchester, 
August 14th, 1SS6. Send for Catalogue, with full description 
and price.—ROBT. LORD, Florist, Todmorden. _ 
L ARGE ROSE TREES, about 3 ft. high.— 
Gloire de Dijon, favourite Tea Rose; La France, lilac 
Rose; Madame G. Paid, deep red; Marechal Niel. brilliant 
yellow; Crimson Bedder, a splendid variety; Anna Diesbach, 
rosy pink. Strong selected trees, three for 3s. 6 d. ; six, 6 s. 6 d., 
carriage paid. — H. ENGLISH, Fairlie, Clevedon, near Bristol. 
G 
National Chrysanthemum Society, Royal 
Aquarium. Westminster. 
RAND CHRYSANTHEMUM, FRUIT 
and VEGETABLE EXHIBITION, Wednesday and 
Thursday, November 10 th and 11 th. 
Schedules free on application to 
Mr. WILLIAM HOLMES, Hon. Sec., 
Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney. 
The Floral Committee will meet on November 10th and 24th, 
and December 8 th at 1.30 p.in. 
/CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW. YORK, 
VO 1SS6. Held in the FINE ART EXHIBITION BUILDING, 
on November 17th, ISth, and 19th. 
Liberal Prizes for PLANTS, FLOWERS, FRUITS, and 
1 EGETABLES. Schedules, &c., to be obtained of 
_ J. LAZEXBY, SPURRIERGATE, YORK. 
Lewisham and District Floral Society. 
/CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW on November 
12th and 13th, 1SS6, at the Ladywell Public Baths, 
Lewisham. £5 offered for 48 Cut Blooms, 24 Japanese, and 
24 Incurved ; also various other open prizes. Schedules of the 
Hon. Sec., Mr. HENRY DRAK E, 64, Limes Grove, Lewisham. 
/CRYSTAL PALACE ANNUAL CHRY- 
VO SANTHEMUM SHOW, Friday and Saturday, November 
5th and 6 th. For Schedules, &c., &c., apply to W. G. HEAD, 
Garden Superintendent, Crystal Palace, S.E. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Monday, Nov. 1st.—Meeting of the General Committee of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society at 7 p.m.—Sale of Dutch 
Bulbs and Lilium auratum at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms.— 
Sale of Fruit Trees at Osborn's Nursery, Hampton, by 
Protheroe & Morris. 
Tuesday, Nov. 2 nd.—Ealing Chrysanthemum Show.—Mark 
Lane Chrysanthemum Show (two days).—Important Sale of 
Nursery Stock at Hallamby’s Nursery, Groombridge, by 
Protheroe & Morris (two days).—Great Annual Sale of Nursery 
Stock and Herbaceous Plants at Ware’s Nursery, Tottenham, 
by Protheroe & Morris.—Sale of Roses, &c., at the City Auction 
Rooms by Protheroe & Morris. 
Wednesday, Nov. 3rd.—Higligate, Finchley and Hornsey Chry¬ 
santhemum Show—(two days). Havant Chrysanthemum 
Show—(two days).—Sale of Plants at Stevens’ Rooms.—Sale of 
Plants and Lilies at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms.—Clearance 
Sale of Greenhouse Plants at the Melbourne Nursery, Anerley, 
by Protheroe & Morris. 
Thursday, Nov. 4th. — Stoke Newington Chrysanthemum Show 
(two days).—Brixton Chrysanthemum Show.—Sale of Lilium 
auratum bulbs, from Japan, at Stevens’ Rooms.—Sale of 
Dutch Bulbs at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms.—Sale of Nursery 
. Stock, at Maidstone, by Protheroe & Morris. 
Friday, Nov. 5th. — Crystal Palace Chrysanthemum Show (two 
days).—Sale of Plants at Stevens’ Rooms.—Sale of Established 
Orchids at Protheroe & Morris's Rooms.—Trade Sale at Lee’s 
Nursery, Hounslow, by Protheroe & Morris. 
Saturday, Nov. Cth.-Sale of Dutch Bulbs at Protheroe & 
Morris’s Rooms. 
CONT 
PAGE 
Artistic Pottery. 136 
Autumn Flowers . 135 
Bulb Culture . 134 
Chrysanthemums, Judging 132 
Chrysanthemum Shows .. 140 
Dahlia Show, National.... 141 
Fruit Production, Colonial 132 
Gardens,old and new flowers 137 
Ginger-Beer Plant, the_ 140 
Lettuce, notes on . 136 
Madresfield Court Grape .. 139 
Marigolds, dwarf French.. 13S 
ENTS. 
PAGE 
Michaelmas Daisies . 139 
National Chrysanth. Soe... 142 
Pear, Beurre de 1'Assomp- 
tion. 133 
Planting Trees and Shrubs 136 
Polyanthuses, Gold-laced.. 140 
Potato Tercentenary. 13S 
Royal Horticultural Society 141 
Sportive nature . 131 
Stoke-hole, the . 133 
Veronicas, New Zealand .. 13S 
Zygopetalum rostratum .. 141 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.” —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1886. 
Sportive Nature.— The common appellation 
of “ silly season,” as applied to the dull period 
of the year when newspapers find news scarce, 
is always the more vigorously applied when 
some allusions are made to oddities on the part 
of nature, especially in the unnatural or rather 
unseasonable blooming of trees or production of 
fruits, or some other sportive development 
which invariably evolves-wonder and curiosity. 
The most recent outbreaks of this character has 
been found in the Laburnum, which here and 
there has burst into bloom (of course, hut very 
partially), and hence lias provoked considerable 
comment. That such blooming, which the 
French term fleuraison anticipee, is a sort of 
lusus nciturcc there can he no doubt, because the 
Laburnum, in common with all other deciduous 
trees, should he going to its winter rest rather 
than he exhibiting spring-like activity. But 
the cause of this unlooked-for floral develop¬ 
ment is not far to seek. Either it is in each 
case due to some special local action which 
does not influence vegetation generally, or to 
some special check received by the tree early in 
the summer, and which produced rest as un¬ 
seasonable as the blooming in the autumn lias 
been irregular; or, as is, perhaps, most likely, 
certain imperfectly developed flowering buds 
remained—for lack of the needful capacity to 
develope themselves—dormant in the spring, 
and were, through the peculiar effects of drought 
first and rainfalls later, aroused to action, and 
to the production of inflorescence in the 
autumn. 
Irregularity of action on the part of the 
weather not infrequently produces irregularity 
of action on the part of trees, and thus we are 
treated to these oddities at such unwonted 
period of the year. Noav it is very unfair to 
refer to these quaint outbreaks of nature as fit 
subjects for publicity in the “silly season.” 
Naturally reference to them in the columns of 
the press show that we have numerous intel¬ 
ligent observers of the action of nature in our 
midst, and that they think, as we think, that 
all such strange or unusual appearances should 
be duly recorded. Certainly, for a large portion 
of the readers of newspapers, the blooming of 
Laburnums or other trees in the autumn has 
quite as much interest as has the fortunes of 
some princelet or the rumblings of some eccentric 
politician. Topics of this kind are not to be 
confounded with mention of the biggest Goose¬ 
berry or of the heaviest Potato. We can afford 
to dispense with such references as these hence¬ 
forth and for ever; hut all singularities on the 
part of the vegetable kingdom merit the fullest 
publicity, because their recording may be pro¬ 
ductive of considerable advantage to science, 
botany, or the study of plant life. Such 
abnormal acts on the part of vegetation often 
reveal forces or operating causes not previously 
understood. 
It was the gossipping and yet quaint obser¬ 
vant way in which Gilbert White recorded his 
experiences of nature in her many forms, hut 
specially in reference to plant life, that gives 
such undying charm tq the Natural History of 
Selborne. Had that good man lived in these 
flippant days, no doubt his observations, 
published in the press, would have been com¬ 
mented upon by hypercritical scribes as fit 
products of the “ silly season.” Have we any 
Gilbert AVliites alive now, and recording for the 
benefit of posterity their experiences of the 
nineteenth century, in the same way that White 
recorded his a hundred years since 1 The 
columns of the gardening press alone might, 
perhaps, furnish ample food for contemplation 
and comment for our childrens’ children, but it 
has not so far been collated and edited. Still 
farther, the actual experiences of some earnest 
observer naturally has more value, and for that 
reason we hope, in spite of the scorners, there 
are Gilbert Whites yet amongst us, loving and 
reading students of nature. 
-- 
Messrs. George Bunyard & Co., of Maidstone, 
won ten first and five second prizes with Kentish- 
grown Apples and Pears at the recent Apple fair 
held at Exeter. 
