580 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 14, 1887. 
usually interesting character, insomuch as the 
main idea which has been carried out in the 
planting has been to introduce only the native 
trees and shrubs, and hardy herbaceous plants 
of North America, with the view, as far as 
possible, of giving an idea of the beauty and 
variety of North American vegetation. What 
is called the West Garden is the most natural 
in contour, and the one which will afford most 
pleasure to the visitors; and in justice to that 
able young landscape gardener, Mr. William 
Goldring, who designed the whole, and has 
superintended the formation and planting of 
the gardens, we must say that he has admirably 
succeeded in creating a pleasant place of resort 
out of about as ungainly a bit of ground as any 
man could have to deal Avith. In a feAv Aveeks’ 
time, when the earlier plants come into bloom, 
all Avill be serene and gay; and the grouping 
has been so happily carried out that a constant 
succession of bold masses of brilliant colours 
will be provided to the end of the season. It 
AA r as a happy idea in this forcible manner to 
demonstrate the extent of our indebtedness to 
North America for the beautiful hardy plants 
that add so much grace and beauty to our 
borders. 
-- 
We are informed that the council of the Koval 
Horticultural Societv have resolved not to hold the 
proposed Chrysanthemum Show and Conference Avhich 
had been fixed for November 8th and 9th next. 
Mr. Philip Frost, of Dropmore, died on Tuesday 
morning last, aged 83 years. 
At the meeting of the Ltnnjlan Society at Bur¬ 
lington House on the 5th inst., Mr. A. H. Kent, of the 
Royal Exotic Nursery (Messrs. James Veitch & Sons), 
Chelsea, Avas elected an Associate of the Society. 
The twentieth annual exhibition of the Cheadle 
Horticultural Society will be held on August 19th 
and 20th. 
At the Dresden Horticultural Exhibition, 
Avhich was opened on the 7th inst., Mr. B. S. Williams, 
of the Yictoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, 
London, was awarded two Gold Medals and the Prize 
of Honour for his collection of new and rare plants, 
comprising Orchids, Amaryllis, Himantophyllums, &c. 
Mr. Fred. Horsman, of Colchester, being in Ghent 
on Monday last, was invited to act on the Jury at the 
meeting of the Belgian Chambers of Horticulture held 
in the Casino. The best Orchid exhibited on the 
occasion was a pale yelloAv variety of Odontoglossum 
sceptrum, which received a Certificate. 
The following subscriptions have been promised to 
the Gardeners’ Royal Benea t olent Institution, 
since the 6th inst. The Baron Ferdinand de Roths¬ 
child, M.P., £52 10s.; Messrs. Railton & Co., Mel¬ 
bourne, New South Wales, per N. N. Sherwood, Esq., 
£5 ; G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge, £5 5s.; Richard 
Chimes, Esq., Rotherham, £5 ; J. McRonald, Esq., 
Chichester, £1 Is.; Miss Jones, Brynstedford, Conway, 
£3 ; Mrs. Wilder, Sulham, Reading, £2 2s.; Mrs. A. C. 
Bishop, Brandean, Alresford, 10s.; Sir C. H. Strick¬ 
land, Bart., £1 Is.; Messrs. F. & A. Dickson & Sons, 
Chester, £1 Is.; W. Godwin, Esq., Chester, £1 Is.; 
J. Bentley, Esq., Barrow-on-Humber, £1 Is. 
At a meeting of the Linniean Society held on May 
5th, Mr. J. G. Baker, of Kew, exhibited some photo¬ 
graphs of Narcissus calathinus or N. triandrus sent by 
Mr. Wm. Brockbank. The numerous recent importa¬ 
tions of this species exhibit a great range of variability 
in respect to the length, colour and fission of the corona 
normally entire. Mr. Frederick J. Hanbury exhibited 
fresh specimens of Primula veris, P. vulgaris and P. 
elatior, with intermediate or hybrid forms ; Mr. Baker 
said that the paucity of these latter in England is purely 
accidental, as on the Continent they are plentiful where 
the typical forms grow together in the same locality. 
Mr. R. A. Rolfe, of Kew, exhibited a number of hybrid 
Cypripediums and read a paper on bigeneric hybrids, 
describing a number (about four) that have already 
been produced by the hybridist. This was chiefly to 
illustrate one that he exhibited and discussed, a Sedenian 
production Avhich he proposed to name Zygo-colax, 
compounded from the generic name of the parents, 
Zygopetalum crinitum and Colax jugosus. 
ARTIFICIAL FERTILISATION OF 
CUCUMBERS AND MELONS. 
Is this necessary ? or is it only a kind of old-world 
tradition that has fallen away before the test of time? 
The notion that this process is requisite certainly did 
once, and perhaps does so now, constitute an important 
article of faith among practical horticulturists. I 
turned up an old copy of the Gardeners’ Magazine the 
other day, and therein I read that “ it is now so much 
the custom to question and sift the points of orthodoxy, 
that we make no apology for obtruding on the culti¬ 
vator of these plants our opinion that artificial 
impregnation entails a Avaste of time, and the fruit Avill 
set as freely without such, as with it. Wisdom in such 
a case as this may be looked for in a multitude of 
counsellors ; and Ave should hear from cultivators, and 
especially those who groAV Cucumbers during Avinter, 
and have Melons ripe in spring, Avhat is their opinion 
on the subject. The ‘setting’ of the crop by hand is 
insisted on in all garden calendars, in all treatises, large 
and small, and in all verbal instructions. If it is not 
necessary, the immense amount of time consumed 
thereby is wasted. In raising seed, and in the practice 
of cross-breeding, it is granted, of course, that artificial 
impregnation may be practised more or less, Avhether 
to preserve the purity of a certain stock, or to originate 
new varieties. But in the thousands of gardens where 
handsome and Avell-flavoured fruit is everything, and 
seed of no consequence at all, we believe the operation 
to be altogether unnecessary. At all events, we have 
managed to secure for our OAvn use, for many years past, 
Cucumbers and Melons in sufficient plenty, Avithout 
putting ourselves to the trouble of applying the pollen, 
and have long since been satisfied that, except for the 
production of seed, it is labour AA r asted.” 
This is another instance of the Avay in Avhich “old 
opinions ” on matters horticultural are being sifted 
and modified, if not altogether abandoned. Almost 
daily there are occurring instances in Avhich there has 
been a change in some of the details of the cultural 
process, as neAV experience comes to cultivators. That 
fertilisation assists the production of seed there can be 
no doubt. But impregnation can scarcely have the 
effect of producing fruit of the most approved sym¬ 
metrical dimensions if the process be resorted to. It 
is one of the old ideas that Ave may safely assume has 
become obsolete.— E. B. 
-- 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED 
By the Floral Committee of the R. H. S. 
May 10 th, 1887. 
Narcissus Captain Nelson. 
This is a very free-growing variety of the Ajax 
section, with large and bold flowers. The segments 
are oblong and blunt as in the common Daffodil, in 
contradistinction to the broad segments of N. bicolor. 
They are also about equal to the corona in length, 
someAvhat tAvisted and of a pale yellow colour. The 
cylindrical corona is deep yelloiv, with a wide-spreading 
lobulate and crisped orifice. Exhibited by Messrs. 
Barr & Son, 12 & 13, King Street, Covent Garden ; also 
by Mr. T. S. Ware, The Hale Farm Nurseries, Totten¬ 
ham. 
Narcissus incomparabilis Gloria Mundi. 
Although the specific name of this Daffodil recalls 
long, narrow, starry segments, that in no Avay overlap 
one another, this neAV variety shoivs broadly oblong, or 
oval, very much imbricated segments, of a soft yellow, 
very much as in the type in the latter respect. The 
corona is of a medium length, shallow-lobed and 
crisped, and of a fine orange colour, fading toAA'ards 
the base. On the Avhole, the floAver shoAvs a marked 
improvement upon the type. Exhibited by Messrs. 
Barr & Son, 12 k 13, King Street, Covent Garden. 
Narcissus Madame de Graaff. 
The flowers of this variety exhibit a parentage 
betiveen the large Trumpet Daffodil, Emperor, and N. 
moschatus. The long tubular corona is very fine, Avith 
a closely revolute rim, a rather distinct feature in a 
natural floAver. As might be expected, a little of the 
yelloAv of Emperor is infused into it, so that the Avliite 
of N. moschatus gives place to lemon. The segments 
of the perianth are broadly oblong obtuse, Avhite, and 
someAvhat shorter than the long croAvn. Exhibited by 
Messrs. Barr & Son for Messrs. S. A. de Graaff Bros., 
Leyden, Holland. 
NARCISSUS“GlOEY OF LEYDEN. 
Of all the varieties of the N. bicolor section of 
Daffodils, this deserves the title of king. Being a 
cross between Emperor and N. bicolor, it exhibits the 
broad perianth segments of the latter ; and are broadly 
oblong, pale yellow, and about equalling the corona in 
length. The latter is conspicuous to the most casual 
observer from the enormous Avidth, lobed at the mouth, 
deep yellow, and of great substance ; this was noticeable 
after they were partly faded. - The leaves are stated to 
grow as broad as those of the German Iris. Exhibited 
by Messrs. Barr & Son for Messrs. S. A. de Graaff 
Bros., Leyden, Holland. 
Fritillaeia pallidiflora. 
Amongst the dwarfer species of Fritillary, that under 
notice must be considered one of the best. The stems 
do not, as a rule, exceed 1 ft. in height, and bear 
several flowers each, according to their strength. 
These are drooping, large and pale or straw-yellow, 
Avith numerous small black dots on the inner face of 
the segments. The leaves are oblong, lance-shaped, 
and of a deep glaucous hue, which, together with the 
large conspicuous flowers, constitute this a useful 
plant for the herbaceous or bulb border. Exhibited 
by Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. 
Primula Sieboldi, Ware’s White. 
At first sight the floivers of this remind one of some 
of the Apocynaceae, on account of the length of the 
AA'edge-shaped segments of the corolla. They are, of 
course, white, as the varietal name implies ; but 
although not so large as those of P. Sieboldi grandi- 
flora, are much more conspicuous and ornamental, 
because the pedicels are short, firm, and bear up the 
flowers, whereas in the latter they droop, shoAving the 
back of the floAvers, and accordingly appear half closed. 
It adds another to the number of varieties of a most 
ornamental species. Exhibited by Mr. T. S. Ware, 
Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. 
-->:r<-- 
NEW PEDIGREE ROSES. 
It Avould appear that Mr. Henry Bennett, of Shep- 
perton, is by no means to have a monopoly in the 
Avay of raising pedigree seedling Roses. Messrs. 
Alexander Dickson & Sons, of Newtonards Nurseries, 
Co. Doavu, are just introducing three ; and while they 
bear testimony to the fact that such sterling varieties 
as Marechal Niel, Marie Baumann, Alfred C'olomb, 
La France, Charles LefebvTe, Horace Yernet, A. K. 
Williams, Catherine Mermet, Lady Mary FitzAvilliam, 
kc., have been introduced and made a position, yet, on 
the other hand, an enormous number of AA’orthless 
varieties are annually sent out, which have to be dis¬ 
carded as soon as they are tested. They think they 
are within the mark Avlien they state that five-sixths of 
the new Roses yearly introduced are worthless, and, in 
many instances, frauds. The explanation they offer 
is the feasible one that a haphazard method is generally 
adopted in the raising of neAV Roses, the great majority 
of which are the produce of seeds fertilised by insects 
or other natural agents. Therefore, they have essayed 
the raising of seedlings, anti in doing so proceeded 
upon Avell thought-out lines, using as parents the most 
perfect varieties only; and the results, in several 
instances, they declare to be most gratifying. 
These neAV varieties are as folloAvs :—H. P. Earl of 
Dufferin, of remarkably vigorous groAvtk and bushy 
habit, Avith thick handsome foliage; an early, con¬ 
tinuous and late bloomer, flowers of large size, full, 
symmetrical, and delightful fragrance ; colour rich 
velvety crimson, shaded Avith dark maroon. H. F. 
Lady Helen SteAvart is also of vigorous groAvth, flowers 
well carried above the foliage, large, full, of the most 
perfect form, and finely perfumed ; colour bright 
crimson scarlet, petals of great substance, large, round 
and beautifully smooth ; a very distinct variety, floAA-er- 
ing profusely throughout the entire season until late in 
the autumn. Tea-scented Miss Ethel Brownlong is 
the third ; of robust branching habit, foliage fine, and 
very free floAvering ; floAvers large, of great substance, 
petals thick and smooth ; colour bright salmon-pink, 
AA'ith yelloAv shading at the base of the petals ; 
thoroughly distinct and good. The first and third of 
these have received First Class Certificates of Merit, 
and so opportunity may be afforded of our seeing these 
nerv Roses in London and elseAvhere during the season. 
It is pleasant to find that enterprise in Irish horticulture 
is to be noted, and any attempt to develop it Avill have 
at all times our Avarmest sympathy. 
