586 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 14, 1887. 
Our back garden is simple enough—a round bed in the 
centre, an oval at either end, and the outside borders 
describing a form in harmony with them and edged 
■with flint stones throughout; all of which I have had 
up and relaid before planting the edgings. The ovals, 
one yellow and the other brown Calceolarias, are bordered 
with London Pride and Dactylis glomerata. For the 
centre we are trying as a substitute for the Dactylis, 
the white immortelles—a double row round, close 
together, which we intend to keep dwarf by pinch¬ 
ing out the flowers. It is only a make-shift ; but 
whether successful or not, remains to be seen. Forget- 
me-nots, Silene pendula and Pinks are contained in 
this bed at present, but it will wear a different aspect 
when furnished with Pelargoniums. One side fence is 
devoted to Tomatos ; the other, Chrysanthemums ; 
and the bottom, Scarlet Runners. In the borders, 
Sweet Peas, Sweet Williams, Roses, Lilium auratum, 
Deutzias, Auriculas, Pansies and Nicotianas. Our seeds 
are in boxes in a small frame—Canariensis, Phlox 
Drummondii, Godetia, Asters, Corn Flowers and Con¬ 
volvulus, which will soon be transplanted into the 
borders, when we shall turn our attention to Cucumbers. 
Last, but not least, our Rhubarb and Herb beds—Mint, 
Thyme, Sage, &c.—are very acceptable. With such a 
collection, I think we utilise our small patch of ground 
to the greatest advantage, and this epitome may serve 
as a guide to others in the same predicament with 
regard to space. They are not costly, easily managed, 
and must satisfy the nfost fastidious.— Albert George 
Hull, Forest Gate, Essex, May 9th, 1887. 
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BOILERS. 
I was glad to see, in your last issue (p. 566), Mr. J. 
Roberts’ reply to my comment on his remarks respecting 
the “ Gunnersbury ” boiler, at p. 553. But I must 
own that I am disappointed with the absence of proof 
that his boiler possesses the qualities that he claims for 
it, viz., much greater durability than can be claimed 
for any other class of welded boiler. For, in regard to 
getting rid of the sediment, my contention is, that 
with a plug in each leg of the saddle form of boiler, it 
can be successfully dealt with if the trouble be taken 
to draw off the water and remove the plugs, say twice 
a year, because in that short time so solid a mass does 
not form that will prevent its removal by the means I 
stated. And, moreover, from the position and size of 
the plate on front of the “ Gunnersbury ” boiler—as 
shown in the illustration—it would appear that similar 
means must be resorted to in order to relieve that boiler 
of the sediment. 
I am afraid that Mr. Roberts’ proposal to “deal 
effectually ” with the incrustation, viz , by having a 
plate 8 ins. in diameter fixed each side of the saddle 
form of boiler, only requires to be mentioned to meet 
with condemnation. These plates, as I understand, 
would be fixed as near to the bottom of the legs as 
possible, towards the centre of the boiler, but in that 
case, “uncovering the crown” would not be of much 
service, and it would really be necessary to strip the 
boiler of brickwork down to the level of the furnace bars 
to enable the plates to be removed and the incrustation 
to be dealt with, and in a cramped stoke-hole the boiler 
would require to be disconnected from the mains and 
turned on its side. And who, I ask, would think of 
going to that expense and trouble twice in the year ? 
I quite agree with Mr. Roberts that the Trentham 
Cornish boiler requires a suitable chimney, so do all 
boilers, hut whether it he a tall or short one, the length 
of boiler and the number of flues must determine that. 
And the same rule would also regulate the height of 
chimney required for the “Gunnersbury.” I have not 
tried one of the latter, hut from the description given 
of it, and the illustration, I am enabled to form some¬ 
thing like a comparison between that and the Trentham 
Cornish, and am decidedly of opinion that the latter is 
much the better boiler of the two. I would also point 
out to Mr. Roberts that I consider the sockets on his 
boiler to be in the wrong position, which must tend 
somewhat to interfere with that efficiency he speaks so 
highly of. 
The subject of cast-iron versus welded boilers is not 
new I am aware, but the proper value of the former 
over the latter is only now becoming more understood 
and appreciated ; for the fact that a cast-iron boiler will 
last three times as long as one of the welded class, ought 
to be a sufficient inducement for a more general use. 
I understand that this boiler, in saddle form with 
waterway end, as mentioned by me previously (p. 553), 
is now being largely used by nurserymen, and I am 
quite certain, if that is the case, that no one is better 
qualified than a nurseryman to form an opinion of a 
boiler, as to whether it is a durable one or not ; hut 
there is no doubt that for stoking this, as well as for 
one of the welded class, you do not want a “ thought¬ 
less ” man, but one with ordinary intelligence will do. 
— J. B. Sidney, Tunbridge. 
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THE FOREST HILL NURSERIES. 
In visiting the Stanstead Park Nurseries of Messrs. 
John Laing & Co., Forest Hill, we can hardly refrain 
from admiring the world-famed and extensive collec¬ 
tion of Begonias, which one can already see in all 
stages, from the germinating seedlings to some that are 
already well in flower—and such flowers ! They are 
bursting into fresh beauty daily—one might almost 
say hourly—in all shades of colour, from the purest 
white to the deepest crimson, including all tints of 
yellow, pink, magenta, and delicate Picotee-edged. A 
houseful of the Jubilee doubles show flowers of great 
size and perfection, both as to colour, shape, and 
fullness ; but we must refrain from saying anything 
further till they are in the height of their grandeur. 
Another feature that has come into prominence 
comparatively recently is the collection of Orchids, 
consisting of the most popular, useful, and marketable 
stuff, suitable either as cut flowers or for house decora¬ 
tion. Conspicuous among these we noticed several 
lots of Dendrobium Wardianum, all flowering or just 
expanding. These, together with D. Devonianum, 
D. Pierardi and Cattleyas, figured conspicuously at 
recent exhibitions at the Crystal Palace and Regent’s 
Park, in groups displayed to the best effect amongst 
Ferns, Palms, and Aralias. Fine pieces of D. aggre- 
gatum majus, D. chrysotoxum, D. Jamesianum, D. 
primulinum giganteum, with dark sepals and petals ; D. 
macrophyllum giganteum, D. crassiuode, and the 
handsome golden-flowered evergreen D. Cambridge- 
anum, are all flowering freely. We noticed other fine 
kinds, whose season is now over. The curious and 
very distinct Coelogyne pandurata, with its greenish 
sepals and petals, and warted labellum heavily stained 
with black, we seldom have the opportunity of seeing ; 
and a gem amongst Orchids is the pretty Leptotes 
bicolor, with a large purple blotch on the otherwise 
white labellum. 
Cattleyas are now represented by C. Lawrcnciana, 
C. Skinneri, C. Mossise and C. intermedia. The first 
mentioned is notable for its broad undulated petals and 
dark curiously curved labellum, with dark purple- 
stained pseudo-bulbs. The cool Odontoglossums are 
not neglected, but include the rose-scented 0. Roezli 
and its variety alba, together with 0. Oerstedi majus, 
O. citrosmum, 0. vexillarium and 0. Phalamopsis. 
Here, as elsewhere, 0. triumphans exhibits a different 
shade of colour in almost every plant that expands a 
bloom, and we noted some of great substance, breadth 
of sepals and petals as well as depth of colour. O. 
Cervantesi exhibits a similar variability, and was ac¬ 
companied by the prettily spotted 0. C. decorum. 
Masdevallias were not wanting with their curiously 
tailed flowers of scarlet, crimson, flame, and magenta 
or violet colours. Some of the varieties of M. Harryana 
exhibited an intense shade of colour, and the same 
might be said of M. ignea, Dr. Paterson’s variety, and 
M. Veitchi grandiflora measuring ins. from tip to 
tip of the sepals. Lrelia harpophylla and Ada 
aurantiaca vied with each other in their scarlet garbs, 
offering a rich contrast to the more sober yet elegant 
Oncidium cucullatum with its spotted lip, and the 
quaint yet uncommon shades of Cypripedium Boxalli. 
In a cool airy house, Poeonies—both of the herbaceous 
and shrubby Moutan section—are coming into flower. 
Amongst the latter we noted P. M. rigida violacea and 
P. M. Imperatrice Josephine, with immense fully 
double flowers. Madame Stuart was not in full bloom, 
but in the half-burst bud the petals appeared of a 
peculiar metallic bronzy colour, similar to Chrysan¬ 
themum Comte de Germiny. 
The greenhouse is now very gay with Heaths, such 
as the large yellow-flowered Erica depressa, Pimelea 
spectabilis, Grevillea Thelemanniana, with its graceful 
dense clusters of curiously-shaped flowers dangling at 
the end of slender twigs ; Lapagerias, Metrosideros, 
various species of Eriostemon, with miniature flowers 
resembling Orange blossom ; and Acacia grandis, with 
graceful bipinnate leaves, and a profusion of golden 
balls of bloom. A double Azalea, named Souvenir de 
Prince Albert, was conspicuous for the number and 
fineness of its flowers, which were heavily flaked with 
rose on a white ground. The plant had been fed with 
fish-potash manure, and seemed to repay the attention. 
A great variety of finely-cut and beautifully-tinted 
Japanese Maples, distributed through the house, 
materially affected its general appearance. 
Stove plants are well represented in various sections, 
including a great variety of the most brilliantly 
coloured Crotons. Croton Laingi belongs to the long 
slender drooping-foliaged class, and rejoices in crimson, 
yellow, and green—the latter colour occupying the 
upper portion of the leaf. Medinilla magnifica, with 
its pendent panicles supported by large rose-coloured 
bracts, well sustains the propriety of its specific name, 
while the utility of Dracfena gracilis, D. Lindenii, and 
D. Massangeana no one can deny. The latter differs 
from D. Lindeni in the creamy yellow variegation being 
confined to the centre instead of the margins of the leaf. 
The pitchers of Nepenthes Mastersiana varied in the 
intensity of their brownish crimson or port-wine colour. 
The magnificent Impatiens Hawkeri has already found 
its way here, and commands respect with its huge 
flattened deep rich carmine flowers flushed with blue, 
alongside of the more unpretending yet popular I. 
Sultani, I. alba and I. flaccida. A large number of 
plants of Utricularia montana in baskets are now on the 
point of bursting into beauty. The enormous size of 
the thong-shaped leaves of Imantophyllum miniatum 
Mrs. Laing were very conspicuous amongst others. A 
gem amongst hardy plants, by the way, was Saxifraga 
sarmentosa tricolor, whose leaves of rosy red, white 
and green, and slender pendent tendrils, wore a lively 
aspect. 
The collection of Caladiums is a sight worth a long 
journey to see by anyone interested in that class of 
plants. Although thus early in the season, a houseful 
consisting of huge masses of foliage in all conceivable 
tints of red, pink, crimson, green, and, for want of a 
better term, porcelain colour, in innumerable streaks, 
spots, blotches, and reticulations, is enough to put 
exhibitors of those fine-foliaged plants into ecstasies. 
The collection is the largest and most complete in the 
country, including the newest and rarest varieties. 
The delicacy of the markings, and the small quantity 
of green in the porcelain-looking leaves of Elsa, are 
remarkable. It is also marked with red spots, and 
green veins and margin. Comte de Germiny is a 
brilliant red-leaved variety, with a golden under-side 
spotted with white. Candidum is also conspicuous for 
the size of its china-white leaves with green nerves. 
Raymond Lemoinier, Leopold Robert, Madame Le- 
rnonier, Madame Marjolin Scheffer, Anna de Condeixa, 
and Souvenir de Madame Bernard are all grand, 
distinct, and charming varieties, many of the colours 
of which are difficult to define. 
-->$<-.-- 
GAZANIA SPLENDENS AND ITS 
TYPES. 
I am afraid this old and at one time popular bedding 
plant is in danger of going out of cultivation. Perhaps 
the fact that it closes its flowers in dull weather during 
the summer had something to do with its banishment 
from the flower garden ; but singular to state, however 
dull the weather may be through the autumn months, 
its flowers are fully expanded, and are hold and showy 
up to the time frost comes to destroy their beauty. It 
is a plant that requires to he wintered in a greenhouse 
or warm frame, and it is easily propagated by means of 
cuttings in spring. 
At the Liverpool Exhibition last year, Messrs. 
Backhouse & Son, of York, exhibited some fine and 
distinct sorts of Gazania that attracted considerable at¬ 
tention. They were G. longiscapa, with narrow 
arching deep glossy leaves, aud large, clear, brilliant 
yellow flowers, inclining to orange in the centre ; a 
variety of this, called G. stellata, with the flowers more 
starry ; and another, G. spiralis, the leaves slightly 
spiral, and the growth a little'taller ; G. pavonia, a 
showy species with large golden yellow flowers ; its 
variety G. p. aurea, with perfectly circular, well-formed, 
rich yellow blossoms ; and a larger type named G. 
major, the flowers 3 ins. to 4 ins. in diameter, brilliant 
orange-yellow, with a dark ring in the centre ; this 
plant is of a dwarf compact habit, and very showy. 
There are also two varieties of G. splendens, one with 
