April 23, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
541 
Savoys, Cauliflowers and Broccoli ; singular to say, 
Couve Tronchuda, one of the most useful of all the 
Cabbage tribe, and generally considered tender, sown 
amongst the others, stood the best. I strongly advise 
all who have not hitherto grown this vegetable to give 
it a trial. 
Asparagus. —So far it is only here and there that a 
head of Asparagus appears in the beds during the day, 
only to be nipped up at night for its temerity ; luckily 
we put in a late batch of roots for forcing, and have an 
abundant supply. Our early Peas having been sticked 
in good time, look remarkably well ; American Wonder, 
grown in pots, will in a few days give us a good picking. 
-—Walter Child, Croome Court. 
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FLO RICULT URE. 
Cinerarias at Farnham Royal. —But recently, 
when mentioning the Primulas Mr. James was then 
growing so well, now big heads of seed-pods, we also 
referred to the promise of a fine display of Cinerarias 
later. That promise has for the past few weeks been 
grandly fulfilled, for a finer display of this favoured 
greenhouse flower could hardly be found anywhere 
than the 2,500 plants at Woodside affords. If any 
are dubious as to the general quality of the strain, 
they should see for themselves what is the real nature 
of the seed stock, and doubts will soon be removed. 
Mr. James is not located at such a comparatively 
remote place as Farnham Royal because he objects to 
visitors ; on the contrary, he is always pleased to see 
them, and to welcome them. Other circumstances 
controlled the settlement at that place, and specially 
are situation, air and soil found favourable. On the 
other hand, Woodside closely adjoins such famous 
sights as the ever beautiful Burnham Beeches and 
Dropmore, and is not far from Cliveden, so that there 
is ample inducements for visitors to betake themselves 
to Farnham Royal, as well as to see what is just now 
one of the finest shows of Cinerarias in the kingdom. 
Whilst raising an immense number of seedlings 
yearly, Mr. James does not neglect his named or 
selected kinds. Many of these have been certificated 
from time to time, but have not been put into 
commerce, for the sufficient reason that growing for 
seed it is found preferable and more fair to retain all 
the best of the older ones from year to year to assist in 
promoting quality in them. It has been tempting to 
put these certificated named kinds into commerce, but 
has also been consistently resisted. In past years the 
strain has been marked for its abundance of rich self 
hues. These have been combined with superb form, 
substance, and exceeding richness of colouring. Even 
the ringed or edged flowers have shown a heavy pro¬ 
portion of colour, so that complaint as to want of life 
and lightness was not altogether undeserved. That 
defect, however, has recently been remedied, for there 
has been introduced into the strain, with capital results, 
some of the large light-flowered forms which the Con¬ 
tinent has given to us ; and without in any way 
detracting from the habit or general merits of the 
strain, has added innumerable light flowers of great 
size and capital form. Generally, size in the flowers is 
a marked feature, ranging from 2 ins. to 3J ins., and 
produced in big heads, even, and of medium height. 
A great peculiarity in many of the best is the 
tendency of the flowers to come perfectly rayed. It 
was once said of the flowers which Mr. James has ex¬ 
hibited from time to time that they had been carefully 
dressed or rayed for the purpose. Nothing could be 
more incorrect. On hundreds of plants flowers came 
with the petals thus perfectly rayed, and it should be 
evident that such dressing, if attempted, could not 
be performed without grave risk to the flowers, as the 
petals are tender and fragile. Raying, if the term may 
be fitly used in this case, where the petals lie round 
upon each other in the most perfect form, is a natural 
characteristic of the Woodside strain, and is in no 
sense an artificial one. It is very pleasant to observe 
that the new blood has given many fine blue-edged 
flowers. The demands of the decorative furnisher and 
market grower have so much favoured bright reds and 
similar hues, which are effective under artificial light, 
that blues and purples—most beautiful in Nature’s 
light—have been somewhat sat upon. That they are 
being revived is a matter for satisfaction, as in green¬ 
houses and conservatories they are specially beautiful. 
Self-blues and purples, too, are very full and striking. 
Then there are found numerous variations in the red 
and crimson-edged flowers ; some with broad edgings, 
some medium, some narrow, and in one or two cases 
very noticeable and striking were pure white flowers 
having a narrow Picotee edge, which promises to pro¬ 
duce in time a distinct strain. The most striking 
novelty, however, is found in a flaked or striped 
selection of several plants, the best flowers of which, 
having white grounds, have clearly defined broad 
edgings or stripes of bright red colour on the petals. 
These, indeed, exactly resemble the markings found on 
striped Asters, and there is good reason to hope that 
in a few years we shall have a well-defined and true 
striped strain of flowers. Some of the blues 
show the same feature, though, yet, in a less 
clearly marked degree. For the convenience of saving 
seed, the great body of the plants have been flocked 
into distinct colours—white, light blue, dark blue, 
carmine, rosy lake, red, crimson, purple ; seifs and 
blues; and red-edged flowers in their respective 
colours also. In this way opportunities for comparison 
are specially offered ; whilst the annual improvements 
effected in the strains are chiefly found through careful 
selection from a few of the best flowers. Pollen setting 
has to be done by hand in dull weather ; but on sunny 
days the houses are full of bees, all active in collecting 
from the ample stock of pollen at hand, and at the 
same time fertilising the flowers. 
It has never yet been determined how far, in col¬ 
lecting pollen from flowers, bees may, on the one hand, 
promote fertilisation, or check it by robbing the seed- 
organs of their needful fertilising property ; but it 
would seem here as if there was ample food for the 
insects, and plenty left to perform nature’s requirements 
in the matter of fertilisation. Mr. James is a great 
believer in the usefulness of bees to that end, and he 
may be right ; still, we have seen so many traditions 
exploded, and humbugs unmasked from time to time, 
that it may be some day our industrious little friend 
will be shown to be a robber and a plunderer of nature’s 
products only, and not, florally speaking, a natural 
benefactor. However, if bees are all that is said of 
them, then ought Mr. Janies to secure presently from 
his Cinerarias a fine crop of well-fertilised seed, for 
houses, atmosphere, and culture all tend to the same 
end.— A. D. _ o: ^ <l _ 
HORTICUL TURAL S OCIETIES. 
Royal Botanic.— April 20th. —The second of 
the spring exhibitions was held on the above date in 
the conservatory and corridor, when a very interesting 
and creditable lot of stuff was brought together. Nar¬ 
cissi, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Roses, hardy herbaceous 
and Alpine and spring-flowering stove or greenhouse 
plants were the main features of the exhibition. 
Numerous new plants received Botanical or Flori- 
cultural Certificates, which are described in another 
column. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, The Old Nurseries, Cheshunt, 
were awarded the first prize for a collection of Alpines 
in flower, consisting of Primulas, Anemones, Saxifragas, 
Epigeea repens and numerous other Alpine flowers, while 
Mr. T. S. Ware, the Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, 
came in second for a similar group. Messrs. Lane & 
Son, The Nurseries, Berkhamstead, received the prize 
for a well-flowered group of Rhododendrons in baskets 
and pots, and the same for Azalea mollis. 
The first prize for Roses in pots in the nurserymen’s 
class went to Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, and the 
second to Mr. William Rumsey, Joyning’s Nurseries, 
Waltham Cross ; while Mr. P. Perry, gardener to W. 
G. Rowlett, Esq., The Woodlands, Cheshunt, was the 
only competitor in the amateurs’ class. Messrs. Paul 
& Son were the only competitors in the group for 
herbaceous plants. Mr. H. Eason, gardener to B. 
Noakes, Esq., Hope Cottage, Highgate, received the 
first award in the amateurs’ class for greenhouse 
Azaleas ; and Mr. G. Wheeler, gardener to Lady 
Goldsmid, St. John’s Lodge, Regent’s Park, was 
second. Mr. C. Turner, The Royal Nurseries, 
Slough, was first in the nurserymen’s class with a well- 
flowered group ; while Mr. Henry James, Castle 
Nursery, Norwood, was second. The first prize for 
Amaryllis was again carried off by Mr. J. Douglas, 
gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., Great Gearies, 
Ilford, while his opponents, Messrs. Paul & Son, 
Cheshunt, were a pretty close second. 
Mr.. J. James, Woodside, Slough, was easily first 
for Cinerarias, with mostly dark-coloured seifs and 
dwarf plants ; but Mr. J. Douglas’s group well deserved 
the second, with an attractive display, having few seifs, 
however. Mr. D. Phillips, Langley Broom, Slough, 
was the only competitor with Pelargoniums, well- 
flowered medium-sized plants. Mr. J. Douglas de¬ 
servedly won the first prize for Auriculas with a fine 
lot, many of which were seedlings ; while Mr. C. 
Turner, Slough, was second. In the competition with 
Alpines these conditions were reversed ; and Mr. J. 
Douglas was the only competitor in the class for 
Polyanthus. 
Amongst the entries for miscellaneous exhibits, Mr. 
T. S. Ware received a large Bronze Medal for an ex¬ 
tensive group of cut Narcissi, mixed with several other 
spring-flowering plants, including Ornithogalum arabi- 
cum. Messrs. Barr & Son, 12 & 13, King Street, 
Covent Garden, received a similar award for cut Nar¬ 
cissi, including the pretty N. cyclamineus grown in 
the open ground, and which was certificated. Messrs. 
Collins Bros. & Gabriel, 39, Waterloo Road, London, 
was awarded a Bronze Medal for a group of Narcissi. 
A similar award was made to Messrs. H. Lane & Son 
for a collection of Rhododendrons and Azaleas. A fine 
group of Tea and hybrid perpetual Roses in pots, grown 
as standards, exhibited by Messrs. Paul & Son, Ches¬ 
hunt, was awarded a Silver Medal; and a group of 
bushes and standards, exhibited by Mr. W. Rumsey, 
was awarded a small Silver Medal. The same award 
was made to Mr. Anthony Waterer, Knap Hill, 
Woking, Surrey, for an attractive collection of hardy 
Primulas. A large Bronze Medal was awarded Mr. H. 
B. May, Dyson’s Lane Nurseries, Upper Edmonton, 
for a very attractive group of Ferns, consisting of 
Adiantums, Davallias, Pteris and other decorative sorts. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Co., Forest Hill, London, 
exhibited a fine group (not for competition) containing 
Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums, Ferns, Palms, 
Aralias, and many others. Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., 
Clapton Nursery, London, also had a group containing 
Odontoglossum Roezli varieties, 0. crispum,Dendrobium 
Wardianum, D. Lowi, and others, not for competition; 
Mr. B. S. Williams, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, 
similarly exhibited a fine group of Orchids, Palms, 
Ferns, Crotons, Dracaenas, Ochna multiflora, Ericas, 
Boronias, and others. Narcissi and Amaryllis were 
exhibited by Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, but 
not for competition. Certificates were recommended to 
Mr. J. Chambers, Westlake Nursery, Isleworth, for a 
group of the double blue sweet-scented Violet, Victoria, 
and to Mr. Eason, for a group of Azalea mollis. A group 
of Tree Carnations was exhibited by Mr. C. Turner, 
Slough ; Rose, American Beauty, with large firm sweet- 
scented deep rose-coloured flowers, and The Puritan, a 
white variety, by Messrs. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross. 
A singular exhibit was made by H. Grove Smith, Esq., 
The Priory, St. Helens, Isle of Wight, in the shape of 
a flowering specimen of Amorphophallus virosus, with a 
pale green and purple-spotted spathe, and a huge blunt 
reddish brown spadix. 
--> 2 <-- 
We regret to record the death, on Wednesday, April 
13th, of Mr. Richard Carr, gardener to the Duke of 
Portland, at Welbeck Abbey, Worksop, Notts. Mr. 
Carr had been in London all day, and was returning by 
the train due at Retford at twelve minutes past eight; 
here he had to change for Worksop, and stepping from 
the train while it was in motion, unfortunately fell 
backwards and was dragged a distance of some forty- 
five yards. When the train stopped an effort was 
made to extricate him from his painful position, but, 
before this could be done, the footboard of the carriage 
had to be removed. He was at once taken to the 
Queen’s Hotel, where they found he was beyond human 
aid. He was conscious while he lived, and requested a 
telegram to be despatched to his wife, who arrived with 
a son about eleven o’clock, too late to see him alive, 
he having succumbed to his injuries, which were chiefly 
of an internal character. An inquest was held on 
the following Friday, when a verdict of “ Accidental 
Death ” was returned. 
Mr. Carr, who had had charge of the extensive 
grounds at Welbeck for the last eight years, was 
a good all-round gardener, and carried out many and 
great improvements in the establishment under his 
charge, in the -way of making new roads and 
walks, shrubbery and herbaceous borders, and planting 
avenues, &c. These operations were extended over 
some hundreds of acres, and the manner in which he 
carried them out so well pleased the present Duke of 
Portland that about three years ago he gave his gar¬ 
dener a valuable gold watch, in recognition of his 
faithful service. The demand for fruit, flowers, and 
vegetables enormously increased when the present 
owner of Welbeck came to the estate ; and during the 
last six years the ground under cultivation has been 
extended till it now amounts to thirty-six acres, and 
every department has been brought into a high state of 
efficiency. The deceased was buried on the 16th inst., 
in the churchyard of Cuekney, near Welbeck, in the 
presence of many personal friends, including Mr. R. 
Tait, Manchester; Mr. Owen Thomas, Chatsworth ; 
