486 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 2, 1887. 
niation communicated is meagre, but in other 
instances several correspondents write from 
different parts of the same county. This is, 
perhaps, unavoidable, owing to the greater or less 
interest taken in the subject by different people, 
and their enthusiasm for work of this nature. 
Meteorological observations for the year are 
given at the commencement of the report for 
each, division; and these consist of statements 
with regard to the general aspects of the 
season, the sunshine, rainfall, maximum and 
minimum temperatures, and the altitudes of 
the stations or localities at which the obser¬ 
vations were made. The special reports com¬ 
mence by describing the general character of 
the soil in the respective localities, and then 
give the altitude and exposure of the latter, 
the rainfall, the minimum temperature and 
dates, together with a list of the plants injured. 
The fulness of the latter is noteworthy in some 
instances, while in other cases a list of the 
uninjured plants, which we might expect to 
find damaged, is notified. Altogether we are 
highly satisfied that the report has at last 
made its appearance, and hope it will form a 
prelude to more extended observation. 
-—- 
The Botanical Collections of the late Me. 
Thomas Moore, of Chelsea, including his valuable 
herbarium of British and Exotic Ferns, have been ac¬ 
quired for the Royal Herbarium, Kew. 
Mr. H. Humphrys, late foreman at Wildemesse 
Park, Sevenoaks, has been engaged as gardener to A. 
Spicer, Esq., The Rookery, St. Mary Cray, Kent. 
The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society’s 
exhibitions for the present year are fixed to be held on 
April 6th and 7th, July 13th, and September 7th and 
8th. 
At a meeting of the Liverpool Horticultural 
Association held last week, Mr. R. Wilson Ker read 
a paper on the Rhododendron of an extremely interest¬ 
ing character, and which provoked a good discussion. 
The Havant Chrysanthemum Society’s fourth 
annual exhibition will be held on November 3rd and 
4th. 
The Lewisham and District Floral Society’s 
grand summer exhibition and floral fete is announced 
to be held on July 20th and 21st. 
The death is recorded of General Greig, Presi¬ 
dent of the Imperial Horticultural Society of St. 
Petersburgh. 
Mr. Charles Louis de Smet, the well-known nur¬ 
seryman of Ghent, died on March 16th at the age of 
seventy-five years. Mr. de Smet took an active interest 
for many years in all matters affecting the interests of 
the Belgian nursery trade, and was much respected by 
all who knew him. 
The death of another eminent Belgian horticulturist 
is also announced in the person of M. Kickx, director 
of the Ghent Botanic Garden and State School of 
Horticulture, and president of the Royal Botanic 
Society of Belgium. M. Kickx was an amiable and 
much respected gentleman, and we regret to say died 
on March 27th. 
Messrs. James Carter & Co. have just published the 
fourth edition of their “Lawns, Lawn Tennis and 
Cricket Grounds,” which contains, beyond matter of 
a purely trade character, much useful information on 
the making and maintenance of lawns, a subject of 
some interest at this particular time. 
We are requested to state that Fellows of the Royal 
Horticultural Society can obtain Volume VIII. of 
the Journal of the Society, entitled, “ The Frost 
Report," and dealing with the effects of the severe frosts 
on vegetation during the winters of 1879-80 and 1880- 
81, free of charge, on application to the Secretary, 
Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, S.W. 
The provisional committee appointed to consider the 
best means of carrying out a scheme for the benefit of 
the Orphan Children of Gardeners, met on the 
25th of March, when Mr. G. Deal again presided. 
Mr. Deal placed before the members for discussion an 
admirable set of rules for working the Orphan Fund, 
the main lines of which will be decided upon at a 
meeting to be held at South Kensington on April 12th, 
and shortly afterwards made public. 
According to our contemporary, the Academy, Mr. 
Flinders Petrie is at present at Thebes taking casts of 
what may be called The Oldest Botanical Work in 
the World, namely, the representations of foreign trees 
and plants brought to Egypt by Thotmas III., in the 
course of one of his Arabian campaigns, all of which are 
sculptured, with the minutest attention to botanical 
details, on the walls of a chamber in the great temple of 
Karnak. The plant or tree is in most instances given 
on a small scale, complete, with accompanying sculptures 
on a larger scale, showing the leaves, fruits and seed- 
pods precisely as in botanical works of the present day. 
The Board of Inland Revenue have just issued revised 
regulations governing the permission given by the Lords 
of the Treasury in 1886 for the Experimental Culti¬ 
vation of Tobacco in the United Kingdom. Any 
occupier of land intending to plant Tobacco must, on or 
before the 5th prox., give notice to the Secretary of 
Inland Revenue, setting forth the extent of land to be 
planted, and the place, parish, and county where it is 
situated. After permission is granted a declaration 
must be signed by the grower to the effect that the 
revenue officers will at all times have access to the 
planted land, and to the rooms where the Tobacco will 
be dried. All Tobacco grown and gathered must be re¬ 
moved to a drying room, kept there until properly cured, 
and then packed in bags, bales or casks of an approved 
size. After the packages are weighed by a revenue 
officer the duty must be paid, or the Tobacco deposited 
in a Customs or Excise warehouse. The penalty for 
growing. Tobacco without permission, except in small 
quantities for scientific or ornamental purposes, still 
remains in force. 
-->X<-- 
SCILLAS. 
A correspondent, “ M., Bournemouth,” p. 442, 
seeks to know why these Scillas—and particularly S. 
siberica—are not more grown. It is of frequent 
occurrence that this or that writer laments so seldom 
meeting with “ such and such a plant nowadays,” and 
“cannot understand why it is not more largely grown,” 
and “that it is deserving of more extended cultivation.” 
Here, however, your correspondent goes a step farther, 
and actually asks “why” this is sol This, however, 
is a question very difficult to answer. It is certainly 
very hardy, and most lovely among spring-flowering 
bulbs ; and it is gratifying to know that your corre¬ 
spondent in favoured Bournemouth has them “ one 
mass of bloom by the end of February.” Things are 
very different “round about town,” and away north 
they may not see their flowers for a month to come 
yet. The lovely Chionodoxa Lucilise—the greatest 
rival the Siberian Squill ever had, or, perhaps, will 
have—is only now (March 22nd) fairly through the 
ground ; and not a very good time for it either, with 
14 or 16 degrees of frost, and several inches of snow 
over their lovely blossoms. 
The Chionodoxa has, no doubt, taken the place of 
the Scilla to a great extent, and that deservedly ; for, 
without exception, it is the most glorious hardy early 
bulbous plant that has ever reached this country, and 
the lovely blue and white of its flowers have found 
hundreds of admirers and cultivators too. It is more 
popular than the Scilla in question, because earlier. 
The blooms are much larger, and expand to their 
fullest extent; while in the Squill they are inclined to 
campanulate. Lastly, the Chionodoxa is such a free 
seeder, the seedlings coming up more like spring 
Onions than the choice plant it really is. Truly has it 
been called the “ Glory of the Snow!” 
The experience of cultivators of hardy plants differ 
considerably, and certainly mine has been very adverse 
to that of your correspondent respecting this Scilla. 
In heavy and clayey soils I have knowm it to dwindle 
to nothing, and also to be nearly or quite demolished 
by slugs, which bore away at the bulbs while under¬ 
ground, but, of course, unobserved. Climatic changes 
and atmospheric conditions have much to do with 
these plants, and the best method to adopt is to grow 
in quantity that plant which seems most happy and at 
home under any given condition. 
I am not in favour of growing this plant under glass, 
for no plant of my acquaintance more quickly re¬ 
linquishes its lovely colouring—that intense Gentian 
blue—than this Scilla. While writing I have before 
me a few of its flowers, which have been cut several 
days, mingling with the pure white starry flowers of 
Allium Neapolitanum. It is a charming combination, 
and might well be added to the list of colours which 
“M” regards as suitable for harmonising with this 
Scilla. The latter, by the way, is destroyed by 
artificial light.— E. Jenkins. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS AT 
SWANLEY. 
“Come and see” is the invitation, open to all, ad¬ 
vertised by Messrs. H. Cannell & Son, of Swanley. 
Thither I wended my way ankle deep in snow in the 
inclement weather of Tuesday, March 15th, one of the 
most winterly days we have had this season. However, 
a great treat was in store for me, and I was fully com¬ 
pensated for my venture. What a striking contrast to 
the winterly weather was the glorious display of brilliant 
winter flowers which the various houses contained! 
Florist flowers find a home at this world-renowned es¬ 
tablishment, and are a special feature. The houses are 
built expressly for their culture, and there are many of 
them, most of them being 100 ft. long, span-roofed, with 
walks in the centre, and stages at the side. They are well 
adapted for the purpose for which they were constructed, 
and ample proof of this is furnished by the grand 
examples of cultivation which they contain. Many a 
novelty of sterling merit has been distributed from 
these nurseries, and I believe there are many more to 
come. 
The Begonia House. 
Winter-flowering Begonias, of which there are many 
distinct sorts, are here grown very extensively, and 
when seen as they are here just now, are objects of great 
beauty. They flower freely and last a long time, 
throwing a fine succession of flowers, from the purest 
white to the brightest red ; and for decorative purposes 
and cut flowers are invaluable. Conspicuous amongst 
the many were nitida alba, gigantea carnea, gigantea 
rosea, semperflorens, and a foliage variety with good 
pink flowers named Gloire de Sceaux, the dark foliage 
being mottled, and very attractive. This house was 
very gay indeed. 
Cinerarias. 
Two houses are just coming into perfection, one 
devoted to doubles of all the best named varieties ; 
some fine seedlings also appear here. Although double 
Cinerarias are no favourites of mine, as seen here they 
are really grand ; but give me the house of singles. 
Here are to be seen well-grown finely-flowered plants, 
beautifully arranged in all the glorious colour to be 
found in this class, well represented in fine, bold, rich, 
well-shaped blooms, many of which are over 2£ ins. in 
diameter—not the ragged flowers so often seen, but 
having good broad petals overlapping each other, and 
showing a very fine strain. Amongst the named 
varieties the following took my attention:—March 
Past, Miss Cooper (a good blue), and Yictory, all of 
which are good distinct sorts. 
Cyclamen. 
These are well done here—splendidly grown and 
profusely flowered—ahd represented by all the well- 
known strains and varieties, including the Gigantea 
section, of which there are many fine varieties occupy¬ 
ing another house, and constituting another most 
charming sight just now. That improvements have 
been made in the culture of the Cyclamen during the 
last few years is very evident by the splendid examples 
to be seen here. 
Primulas. 
These are a grand feature, and many fine novelties 
have originated at Swanley. House after house is 
devoted to the culture of this world-renowned winter- 
flowering plant. What struck me was the evenness of 
their growth, and the freedom with which they were 
flowering. The Queen, a good white, is here to be seen 
in perfection. White Perfection is another grand 
variety, with Fern-like leaves and red petioles ; very 
attractive, and a most profuse bloomer. Swanley Red, 
Swanley Blue, Emperor, and Queen of Stripes are all 
well represented in large quantities of well-grown 
plants, which show that great care is taken in saving 
the seed from none but the very best. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. 
A glorious sight ! Fine trusses of good bold flowers 
of all the conceivable colours now to be found are here 
to be seen in perfection. Nothing can be more showy 
than a house of these at this season of the year. What 
struck me as being worthy of attention were Mr. 
Cannell, crimson, white eye ; Swanley Gem, good 
salmon ; Meteor, reddish purple ; Queen of the Belgians, 
a good pure white ; Edith George, a bright pink ; and 
Lady Chesterfield, a deep salmon. There are hundreds 
of trusses open, and the sight is charming. 
