602 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Hay 21, 1887. 
demand; tlie favourites appear to be Jackmanni, 
Lanuginosa, Lanuginosa nivea (tire best white), Star 
of India, Otto Frcebel, &c. Young plants grafted early 
in the year have grown into good blooming specimens, 
just ready for planting out. 
Chrysanthemums are found to be in great demand 
also, and a good general collection is grown. There is 
difficulty iu keeping pace with the influx of new 
varieties, for they are very numerous. One thing is 
quite certain, that all over the country the Chrysan¬ 
themum has become a very favourite flower with all 
classes of gardeners. Dahlias are here also, the Cactus 
forms being in brisk demand ; and Mr. Cooling has a 
large batch of seedlings of this section to flower this 
season. Pansies—show, fancy and bedding, including 
the Violas—are grown in quantities ; and all the best 
varieties being planted out, a good opportunity is 
afforded for comparison and selection. Here, too, are 
hardy plants of all kinds, forest and fruit trees, &c. 
The Swainswick Nursery is almost entirely devoted 
to the outdoor growth of Roses, standards and dwarfs ; 
and the strong loam appears well adapted for their 
culture. Cut-backs are coming up with wonderful 
vigour, promising well for exhibition blooms by-and- 
bye. One quarter is devoted to a collection of Moss 
Roses, which Mr. Cooling has been gathering together 
from all parts, and it is thoroughly representative. It 
will afford an interesting study when they are in bloom. 
The old-fashioned Rose§ are well represented, for they 
are being sought after by lovers of this popular flower. 
Here is a piece of the best standard Tea Roses I ever 
saw. A piece of ground is sown with seed of Rosa 
rugosa as an experiment. 
A portion of this ground is devoted to the growth of 
such new and selected vegetable seeds as Mr. Cooling 
has sent out from time to time. Here is a piece of 
Cooling’s Matchless Late 'White Broccoli, a fine form 
that is very hardy, well protected, and valuable as a 
late spring variety ; also Cooling’s Leviathan Cos Let¬ 
tuce, a fine selection from the Bath Cos Black Seed, 
also Cooling’s Omega, a good-keeping, rich-coloured 
variety ; and a piece of a fine selected Carrot of the 
James’s type planted out in April for seed. 
In Northgate Street Messrs. Cooling & Sons have 
very fine seed warehouses and show rooms, together 
with other offices. A large seed trade is done, and a 
cut-flower trade also ; for, as might natural^ enough 
be supposed in a fashionable city like Bath, floral 
decorations of all kinds are in brisk demand.— R. D. 
-- 
THE LATE PHILLIP FROST. 
And so Phillip Frost has gone at last. Dropmore, 
of course, still remains, but one of its great attractions 
in the eyes of many persons has passed away. Frost, 
nearly all through his later years, enjoyed the appel¬ 
lation of “Original”—not a desirable one, perhaps, for 
any man to possess, because originality in the estima¬ 
tion of the masses too often means the reverse of in¬ 
telligence or gentleness. Frost was far from being 
unintelligent; indeed, he was peculiarly shrewd and 
observant; but he rather delighted in roughness or 
crudeness of demeanour than those elements of character 
which help to form a gentleman. His real tastes were 
well exemplified in a fancy to dwell in a mere garden 
shanty, that he might be at hand when visitors called, 
rather than in a good house, which he might have had 
years ago had he so cared. 
Without doubt, there were many associations about 
Dropmore which were not of an elevating character. 
It had become a great show place, and visitors of all 
kinds flocked thither, and these, in too many cases, 
found pleasure in flattering an old man’s feelings and 
encouraging his foibles. It is very probable that Phillip 
Frost was the last of his peculiar species. He had out¬ 
lived the world which gave him birth, and a long life in 
the seclusion of Dropmore had not helped him towards 
that higher development of mind and conduct which 
was going on all round him. The gardener of Frost’s 
school is now as great a rara avis as is the three-bottle 
squire ; for the gardener of to-day has kept pace with 
his employer in progressiveness of demeanour and 
morality. The originality found in Frost was of a nature 
that was tolerated because of his age, but would have 
been intolerable in any younger man ; and gardeners of 
to-day will do well to avoid all attempts at copying, in 
the hope that originality in their case will meet with 
the same recognition. When Frost repeated over and 
over again, as he would often do in an hour’s stroll, 
or rather trot, round the extensive arboretum at 
Dropmore, some of his choicest morceaux of Drop- 
moriana, it became painfully evident that iu spite 
of the old man’s native shrewdness, his mind had no 
great range of ideas. He was an excellent botanist, 
and a devoted lover of his trees, but beyond these 
things his mind seemed to be almost a blank. How he 
would roar with delight as he told some story of a 
battle with his lady employer of former days, or retail 
with gusto the late Mr. Fleming’s application to him 
of the cognomen “Chalky,” because he once utilised 
chalk to such good purpose at Dropmore. Probably even 
Fleming found reiterated doses of Dropmore chalk to be 
wearisome, and hence the appellation.— A. 
-- 
Hardening Miscf.llanv. 
Notes on Cabbages. —Of that little gem, 
Ellam’s Early, we have for the last month been cut¬ 
ting capital compact heads. It is the first to come 
into use, and, better still, scarcely a single plant of it 
has bolted, which means much after the long and 
severe winter we have experienced. Early Eversham 
is our next earliest and best. Of this variety we have 
comparatively few bolters, but nearly all of them are 
turning in sharp after Ellam’s Early. It grows some¬ 
what larger, and is altogether an excellent, early and 
reliable sort. I have grown it for three seasons, and 
it has always served us well. Early Enfield is also 
turning in well, and not'one plant in fifty will run 
to seed. Among those which have proved a failure 
are my old favourites, Cattell’s Reliance, Wheeler’s 
Imperial and Nonpareil. Out of several score plants 
of the last-named three very few will do any good, 
nearly every plant having bolted. They were all sown 
twice, our first sowing being made on July 24th, 
and the second about a fortnight later; but from 
the two sowings and different plantings all have served 
us alike. I may add that our best and most promising 
plants were planted on rich firm ground previously 
occupied by Onions, no special preparation having been 
made for their reception, except that the surface was 
broken up a little with the Canterbury hoe. I may 
here further mention that our ground is not of a heavy 
clayey texture, or possibly this system would not 
answer ; but I do believe in a rich firm soil for the 
growing of Cabbages for spring use, as it helps to check 
rank growth, consequently they turn into use quicker.— 
IT. Markham, Mcreworth Castle. 
Anthurium Veitcliii. —This is one of the finest 
of the Anthuriums, the leaves of which grow from 4 ft. 
to 5 ft. in length. They are deep green, with a 
shining metallic surface, becoming paler by age. The 
principal nerves are arched or curved and deeply sunk, 
giving the surface a striking appearance. The spathe 
is creamy white to green, and the spadix about 3 ins. in 
length. It requires stove treatment, and will succeed 
well in peat and sphagnum moss. Abundance of 
moisture is essential to the successful culture of this 
Aroid. It should be shaded from the hot rays of the 
sun.— F. R. S. 
A Seasonable Hint. —I sometimes see in cottage 
gardens clumps of Lilies, Tulips, Crown Imperials, 
Narcissus, Michaelmas Daisies, and many other good 
things that were planted years ago, and left alone, 
have gone to riot, grown into each other, and instead 
of an appearance of order the garden has a very con¬ 
fused appearance. Now this can be remedied, and it 
should be done in late autumn and early spring, and 
in this way. Let the clumps be lifted and laid by in 
a spare piece of ground, let the soil in which they are 
to be replanted be deeply dug and manured with some¬ 
thing from the pigstye, or the best that can be obtained, 
and then replanted in something like order, keeping the 
tallest at the back, and putting dwarf things in front. 
Failing manure, some road - scrapings, and decaying 
leaves mixed together will be fouud of great service. 
I pass some cottage gardens that are a picture to look 
upon, because order and regularity prevails ; in others 
there is the confusion and disorder I have alluded to 
above. In some localities the bestowal of prizes for 
the best-kept flower garden seems to answer well, 
but the time should be extended so that it might 
embrace the whole year. Some cottagers neglect their 
gardens in the autumn, winter and early spring, and 
only tidy it up fit for inspection during the summer 
months.— R. D. 
Caltha palustris flore pleno. —Amongst the 
hardiest of our native wildings, few surpass the double 
form of the Marsh Marigold, or King Cups, as it is 
sometimes and deservedly named. The rich golden 
flowers of the single form, as it grows in our marshes or 
on the banks of streams, is not to be despised in a 
garden where a moist position can be secured for it ; 
but the double form possesses even better qualities for 
garden purposes. A fine piece of it may be seen on 
the new rockery at Devonhutst, Chiswick, where it 
grows with a dwarfer habit than it generally does in a 
state of nature. This, however, would apply generally 
to plants grown with a more stinted supply of water 
than is the case with those on the margins of lakes or 
the banks of streams. 
Easbsr Beurre Pear. —It is gratifying to know 
that English-grown Pears can be had so late in the 
season. Although January to March is generally con¬ 
sidered the season during which this variety may be 
had in good condition, it can—like flowers of many 
kinds—be so treated that it will ripen several weeks 
later. Even now—the third week of May—Mr. Beaton, 
gardener at Style Hall, Gunnersbury, can boast of 
several varieties of Pear, including the excellent dessert 
kind under notice. The cool condition of the tem¬ 
perature of the underground fruit room at that place 
must account for the late ripening of the fruit. It is a 
beautiful Pear, of large size, green, and closely spotted 
with russet markings, which give it the appearance of 
a moor-fowl’s egg. The flesh is buttery, white and 
melting. As a late-ripening, free-fruiting Pear, this 
should find a place in every collection. 
Sslag'inella caulescens. — Considering the 
numerous forms at the command of the cultivator, the 
adaptability of this species to different kinds of treat¬ 
ment, and its ornamental character, we might expect 
to find it more frequently in collections of decorative 
plants than we do. The typical form is grown by Mr. 
Beaton at Style Hall, Gunnersbury. It enjoys a wide 
distribution iu its native habitats, which accordingly 
permits of being grown either in a stove or greenhouse. 
The upright stems generally attain a length of about 
10 ins. to 14 ins., and are finely branched in the upper 
part. The dwarf form, S. c. minor, seldom exceeds 
6 ins. in height, and is very suitable for cultivation in 
a greenhouse or cool conservatory. This is frequently 
grown under the name of S. involvens, which, however, 
is a very different plant, and in no way to be confused 
with the present species or its varieties when both 
are seen together. 
Strawberry-growing- at Bath.— Time has 
been when this was a highly remunerative enterprise 
at Bath ; but now that France, Jersey and other places 
have come into competition, prices do not rule so 
high, and the industry, is less circumscribed than it 
formerly was. On the warm slopes Alice Maude comes 
very fine, and well flavoured also ; it is said to be a 
great bearer. President and Sir Joseph Paxton are 
also in great demand ; the}*- are sorts that do well, and 
the former variety is this season promising flowers in 
great profusion. They are grown on warm slopes and 
valleys with a few standard fruit trees among them, 
and, as might be expected, the fruit ripens early.— 
R. D. 
Hildebrandia sandurckensis. — A very 
interesting member of the Begonia family is now 
flowering in the Begonia house at Kew. Gardeners, 
and those having a fair knowledge of plants in general, 
would readily pronounce the subject in question a 
Begonia. The rotundly cordate broad shallowly-lobcd 
leaves, which have over-lapping basal auricles, and the 
usual obliquity or unequal-sided form observable in the 
family all tend to confirm such a conclusion ; but two 
striking botanical characteristics serve to distinguish this 
(the only species) from all the other members of the 
family. The apex of the ovary is free inside the flowers and 
open at the top like that of the Mignonette ; while, in 
addition to the coloured sepals that form the conspicuous 
part of the flower of a Begonia, there are petals which 
the latter does not possess. This is an additional 
reason for including the order in the diohlamydeous 
division of flowering plants, because of possessing two 
envelopes or coverings to the flowers, which are 
produced in axillary peduncles, and are white. 
Pliotinia japonica. — Such is the transmu¬ 
tability of names that those not actually acquainted 
with the object receiving the appellation, whatever it 
may be, are liable to be misled, bewildered or deceived 
