40 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 17, 1887. 
A SOMERSETSHIRE DAHLIA 
GROWER. 
I recently paid a visit to Mr. Joseph. Nation, of 
Staplegrove, near Taunton, for the purpose of having a 
look at his Dahlias. I had seen his grand prize blooms 
at various shows for nearly a score of years past, and 
again this season at Taunton, Exeter, and Sherborne, 
while his name has figured very prominently amongst 
the winners at Weston-Super-Mare, Bath, Ilmiuster, 
Hatch, and other places. So I was anxious to see his 
plants, note his mode of culture, and get all the 
information I could for the future guidance of others 
as well as myself. One may pick up many wrinkles 
by reading the horticultural journals and visiting 
shows ; but for a really enjoyable chat on one’s hobby, 
commend me to some friend who has a similar fancy, 
and let me see him at his own home. 
Well, Mr. Nation is a hard-working man, occupying 
an old-fashioned cottage close to a little country lane, 
in an out-of-the-way portion of fair Somerset, where 
garden land is plentiful, and rents are tolerably cheap. 
The garden attached to his cottage is larger than the 
owner of many a noble mansion can boast of, and the 
flowers therein would make hundreds of famous 
gardeners terribly envious. Dahlias are Mr. Nation’s 
special pets, and he can talk by the hour about the 
cream of the collections introduced to the public for 
the last quarter of a century by such famous growers as 
Mr. Keynes, of Salisbury : Mr. Turner, of Slough ; 
Messrs. Rawlings Brothers, of Romford, &c. He is 
growing about 200 of the show and fancy varieties this 
year, including some of the best of the new kinds ; for 
the money he wins is freely spent in adding to his 
collection. His great aim seems to be to let nothing 
good slip, and he has such faith in certain firms with 
whom he deals, that he does not hesitate to order 
complete sets of their novelties year after year. 
At first sight it might appear to be rather a rash 
proceeding for a cottager to buy half-guinea plants 
by the dozen, but that he reaps his reward will be 
readily understood, when it is mentioned that he has 
won about fifty prizes this year, at various shows in 
Somerset, Dorset and Devon, more than two-thirds of 
the number being firsts. A total of 600 prizes in 
twenty years is not a bad record for an amateur of 
unlimited means, to say nothing of a man who has to 
earn his bread by his daily labour. It should be 
mentioned, too, that our friend has even ventured to 
put in an appearance at the Crystal Palace, where he 
was able to take several prizes, notwithstanding all the 
difficulties of having to cut so long in advance of the 
show, tedious and expensive railway journeys, and the 
many terrors which a visit to the centre of civilisation 
has for the unsophisticated minds of those who are born 
and bred amidst rural sights and sounds—far from the 
din and bustle of city life. 
Mr. Nation is fortunate in having good deep soil to 
deal with, and believes most sincerely in letting Dame 
Nature have her full share in its preparation. The 
ground in which his plants are to grow is thoroughly 
dug during the previous autumn, and left rough all the 
winter, being simply whipped over once during the 
early spring. It thus.receives the full benefit of the 
winter frosts, and other mollifying and recuperative 
influences. He does not manure to such an extent 
as some Dahlia-growers do, but works in a fair dressing 
of good mellow stuff, giving a heavy mulching when 
the plants become settled. He usually places his 
stock-roots in frames on the last day of February, and 
pots the shoots as soon as they are ready. If the season 
be favourable, the plants are put out during the last 
week of May; but if it be rough and cold, they are 
kept in pots a few days longer. When once planted, 
they are,kept growing and guarded from enemies, no 
matter at what cost of labour and time. What that 
has meant during the recent summer practical men 
will readily understand. The care of two hundred 
Dahlias in an ordinary season is no small matter ; but 
when a scorching sun and absence of rain have con¬ 
verted the grass into hay as it stands in the fields, the 
labour and anxiety are doubled. Fortunately, however, 
Mr. Nation has not been short of water, for a little 
mill-stream runs close by his garden, and, with the 
help of his boys, his plants have had an ample supply. 
This was evident at a glance, for a more healthy, clean 
and vigorous lot could scarcely be found in England. 
Mr. Nation does not believe in hard and fast lines as 
to cutting out or disbudding. Plants vary so much in 
strength, habit and floriferousness, that he advises a 
careful noting of such peculiarities and the use of 
individual discretion. He never tires of enforcing such 
lessons as this, and it would be worth a little fortune 
to worried nurserymen and other salesmen, if they 
could hear him descant in his own simple, earnest, 
forcible way, on the variations of plants and the un¬ 
certainties of propagation in connection with some lead¬ 
ing varieties. He points to plants growing side by side, 
taken from the same stock-root, the flowers of which 
few but experts would believe could possibly have come 
from the same tuber. Then he goes on to point out the 
family likeness, and smiles as he recalls sundry letters 
he had written to famous growers, complaining that 
plants were not true to name. It would take me far 
beyond the limits of a single article, if I attempted to 
follow Mr. Nation into all the details he so kindly gave 
as to the characteristic features of the principal Dahlias 
he is now growing ; while nothing but the object 
lessons which accompanied his remarks, would enable 
me to make clear all he was kind enough to tell me as 
to the selection of buds, the bringing up of centres, the 
protection of blooms intended for exhibition from sun, 
rain, &c. All the old umbrellas and sunshades of the 
neighbourhood appeared to have been brought into 
service for the latter purpose ; but Mr. Nation says, 
adies who love flowers keep him well supplied, and 
some of them find his garden a perfect floral Golconda, 
when they have churches to decorate for harvest 
festivals, &c. For the choicest blooms, however, such 
protection is not considered sufficient, and each has a 
small bottomless box provided for it. This is securely 
fastened to a strong stake, and is so placed that the 
flower can rest comfortably in a deep groove cut out of 
one side, so as to be clear of top and sides. The cover 
is simply hinged with leather, and can easily be left 
open when necessary ; indeed, it is an excellent 
arrangement—cheap, simple, useful and durable. 
While Mr. Nation so freely purchases the new 
varieties to be obtained from reliable sources, he still 
places his chief reliance upon old and well-tried sorts, 
many of which he considers absolutely indispensable 
for competition. Prominent amongst his show varieties 
were fine specimens of Annie Neville, Artiste, Criterion, 
Duke of Connaught, Emily Edwards, Flag of Truce, 
Georgina, Goldfinder, II. W. Ward, James Cocker, 
Janies Service, John Wyatt, Modesty, Mr. Glasscock, 
Mrs. Douglas, Mrs. Stanscombe, Mrs. W. Slack, Ovid, 
Pioneer, Rev. J. Goodday, Royal Queen, Shirley 
Hibberd, T. J. Saltmarsh, Thomas Goodwin, Thomas 
Hobbs, Yice President, William Rawlings, and Yellow 
Boy. The most noteworthy in the fancy lot were 
A. F. Barron, Barnaby Rudge, Duchess of Albany, 
Eccentric, Gaiety, General Grant, George Barnes, 
Grand Sultan, Hugh Austin, Jessie McIntosh, Madame 
Soubeyre, Mrs. Saunders, Peacock, Pelican, Professor 
Fawcett, Prospero, Salamander, W. G. Grace, and 
Wizard, all of which have done him good service at 
sundry shows this summer. 
Mr. Nation also grows single Dahlias, and has a 
good stock of the leading varieties, such as Ohilwell 
Beauty, Juno, Lutea graudiflora, Lilac Queen, Negress, 
Paragon, and Purple Prince. He has amused himself 
by raising a large number of seedlings—amongst which 
are several promising unnamed varieties. 
He also grows Asters with great success, and has two 
large beds covered with the lights of his frames, which 
are firmly fastened well above the flowers, from which 
he has furnished many winning stands recently. 
Gladioli also find some favour with him ; but the first 
love—the most ardent and lasting—is lavished freely 
on the Dahlias. It is a love that has given pleasure to 
hundreds of delighted spectators in the western shires 
for many years past, as Mr. Nation’s splendid collections 
of twelves, twenty-fours, and forty-eights are looked 
for summer after summer by the patrons of certain 
shows as a kind of standing institution. May the 
flowers he loves so dearly, and cultivates so successfully, 
continue to brighten his garden and cheer his life for 
many years to come !— C. T., Wellington. 
--*a=<-- 
NEPHROLEPIS DUFFII. 
All lovers of Ferns wall find this an admirable 
subject for suspending in small baskets. When planted 
in this way, and afterwards placed in a good moist 
heat, it will soon make itself at home, and commence 
to push out its small, thin, wiry-looking rhizomes 
from every part of the crown. As these rhizomes grow 
they form small plants, which will attach themselves 
to the sides of the basket, and in a very short time 
the outline of the subject and basket will assume a 
globular aspect. 
It will not succeed very well during its growing 
period without a good heat ; but after this is over it 
may be removed to an intermediate temperature, where 
it will flourish and look well for some time, and have a 
very ornamental appearance when suspended from the 
roof. 
When grown in small pots, and elevated amongst 
other Ferns, it has a very pretty effect, the general 
appearance of this Nephrolepis being at no time 
straggling. 
The fronds of this variety scarcely ever exceed 12 ins. 
in length (often under than over), and are both furcate 
and bifurcate ; the pinnae is closely set on the mid-rib, 
short, irregular, roundish, sometimes linear oblong, the 
stipe being covered with brownish scales ; the fronds 
on even small plants are very freely produced, which 
gives them a very close appearance. 
I have found that it will not continue to thrive in a 
cooler atmosphere than a stove during the winter 
months, to wdiich place it should be removed when 
that inclement season approaches. 
When well grown in pots to about 4 ins. to 6 ins. in 
diameter it makes a very ornamental plant for table 
decoration, the fronds as they attain their length arch¬ 
ing over slightly in a very graceful manner, which 
makes it a good subject for the purpose named. — W. G. 
-- 
SWANMORE PARK. 
This, the Hampshire seat of W. H. Myers, Esq., is 
situated about two and a half miles from Bishop’s 
Waltham station, and one mile from the village of 
Swanmore. The mansion is approached by two drives, 
at the entrance to which stand very pretty struc¬ 
tures, called respectively the north and south lodges. 
At one of these resides the excellent gardener, Mr. 
E. Molyneux, to whom I am greatly indebted for 
showing me over these well-kept gardens. The object 
of my visit was to view the Chrysanthemums, for 
which Swanmore Park is so celebrated, and I must say 
that I have never seen a finer collection of plants before, 
all being in the best of health, with thick leathery 
foliage and well-ripened wood. One lot is placed in 
the frame-ground at the back of a fine range of houses, 
concerning which I shall have a word to say later on. 
From here we approach the Chrysanthemum avenue, so 
faithfully figured in Mr. Molyneux’s excellent work on 
these flowers, and reproduced in your journal for 
November 1.3th, 1886. The plants are placed on either 
side of the path, and vary in height from 6 ft. to 9 ft., 
with stems as thick as the joint of the thumb, and as 
hard as walking-sticks. 
The pleasure grounds at Swanmore include a well- 
kept lawn, and from the tennis ground a fine view is 
obtained of the Isle of Wight and the towers of Osborne 
House. Proceeding past the mansion, we came to the 
Rosery, and then to the flower-beds, which were looking 
grand, including a fine lot of Cannas, Pelargoniums, 
&c. There was also some excellent carpet-bedding, 
and last, but; not least, several groups of very fine 
Begonias. There is here also a small Alpine garden, 
with a piece of ornamental water running through the 
centre, and spanned by a rustic bridge. Adjoining 
this is the winter tennis-court. 
The glass structures consist of three vineries, Peach- 
house, two greenhouses, and a stove. In the first vinery 
were some excellent samples of Madresfield Court 
Grape showing no signs of cracking but finishing well. 
The other Vines in this house were Barbarossa, with 
very large bunches, and seldom seen so well coloured, 
also Black Alicante, Mrs. Pince’s Black Muscat, and 
Lady Downe’s Seedling, all finishing well. Next 
came the Muscat house, in which there is a splendid 
crop. The early vinery, in which are chiefly Black 
Hamburghs, still exhibits a few bunches—showing the 
excellence of the crop. Adjoining the early vinery is 
a greenhouse, in which were some fine Pelargoniums, 
Begonias, and a grand plant of Datura Knightii, flower¬ 
ing very freely. Then followed the stove, in which 
were some splendid specimens of Croton Johannis, C. 
angustifolia and C. variegatus (beautifully coloured), 
a fine batch of Calanthes, and some nice pieces of 
Dendrobium nobile. Then came the Peach and 
Nectarine house, out of which a fine crop of Royal 
George and Violette Hative Peaches had been gathered, 
and in which stood a large tree of the Pine Apple 
Nectarine, covering a space of 20 ft. by 13 ft., from 
which 700 fruits have been gathered this year. Another 
greenhouse follows with Roses trained on the back wall 
and a row of Tomatos in pots along the front, and 
some good double Begonias and Fuchsias. The Melon 
and Cucumber houses are situated at the back of this 
range, and in them were some good table plants in the 
best of health. 
The kitchen garden is about three-quarters of an 
