100 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 15, 1887. 
agement fund may, after all, be too moderately 
handled, and a more liberal expenditure, with 
bolder action, be productive of the best results. 
The management is now in first-rate hands ; 
but still country members may demur to the 
arrangement which practically cuts them off 
from any active participation in that manage¬ 
ment, as they cannot attend the meetings. In 
that respect country members have none of 
that personal interest in a central institution 
which the great national benefit societies, by 
their numerous branches, enable such members 
to evince. On the other hand, there is much 
in the assertion, that as the gardening vocation 
is a peculiarly healthy one, allied also to good 
general conduct and high morality on the part 
of gardeners, it is unfair to associate them with 
other trades or vocations which are somewhat 
unhealthy, or the followers of which are none 
too careful of health or reputation. Therefore, 
a gardeners’ benefit society shows little sickness, 
a substantial balance, and a large sum for dis¬ 
tribution to their representatives at the death 
o: members. Whilst we think the privilege of 
admission, in the matter of age, should 
be extended from forty-five to fifty years, 
that change should be accompanied by some 
re-arrangement of the payments, so that young- 
members should have a greater advantage than 
they now have over those joining late in life. 
We are certain that the existing plan checks 
the desire of many young men to join the ranks 
of the society. Still, there is so much that is 
valuable in its rules and methods—if capable 
of improvement, yet so worthy of confidence 
and support—that tve can conscientiously 
commend the society to all gardeners, and 
urgently press upon them the desirability of 
obtaining a copy of the rules and other needful 
information. It is a real case of gardeners 
helping themselves, and therefore we Avish great 
and growing prosperity and success to the 
“ Gardeners’ Provident ” Society. 
-- 
Me. Babeon has just issued a revised, enlarged, and 
cheaper edition of his Tines and Vine Cultuke, to 
which we shall allude more fully in a future issue. 
Geowees and exhibitors of the Chrysanthemum will 
learn with regret of the death, on the 5th inst., of Me. 
Habding, gardener to J. D. Galpin, Esq., Putney 
Heath, and who in 1879 and again in 1882 won the 
Kingston Challenge Cup. 
We regret to record the death of Me. William 
Heale, at Hereford, early in the present week. Mr. 
Heale, who was the first secretary of the United Horti¬ 
cultural Benefit and Provident Society, was widely 
known in the trade as a traveller, and latterly as 
manager of the King’s Acre Nursery, at Hereford. 
We have received a schedule of the Faatirsham and 
Distbict Chbysanthemuji Society', announcing their 
first exhibition for the 16th and 17th November ; the 
schedule, which includes fruit and vegetables, has been 
carefully prepared, and we understand an excellent 
show is anticipated. 
The following papers have been promised by members 
to be read before the Chisavick Gaedenees’ Mutual 
I mpkovemext ASSOCIATION. The opening address, 
“The Practical Utility of Mutual Improvement As¬ 
sociations,” is to be given by Mr. J. Fraser on the 19th 
Oct.; Mr. A. Parsons is to read a paper on “Wild 
Plants” on Oct. 26 th.; “Herbaceous Plants ” will be 
treated by Mr. McFarlane on Nov. 2nd ; Mr. S. Sum¬ 
mers will read a paper on “Tomatos and their Cultiva¬ 
tion ” on the 9th Nov.; and will be followed by Mr. 
Barry on Nov. 16th, when the latter will discuss the 
“ Education of Gardeners ”; a paper on “The Chrysan¬ 
themum ” will be given by Mr. W. Stanton on the 
23rd Nov. 
We regret to hear of the death of Lady Beasset, 
who died of malarial fever, and was buried in mid-ocean 
on September 14th, while on a voyage in her husband’s 
yacht, the Sunbeam, from Australia to the Cape. She 
was known to a wide circle of readersfrom her description 
of foreign lands in the Voyage in the Sunbeam, in which 
there is much pleasant reading of horticultural interest, 
besides that which took the public fancy by storm, when 
her account of the numerous voyages she had made was 
published. At home she was known by the reminis¬ 
cences of foreign countries which she brought with her, 
in the shape of curious forms of plant life. At Norman- 
hurst, Sussex, may be seen, or could be till recently, a 
specimen of Euphorbia splenden, trained like a Chinese 
junk. More interesting, perhaps, is a plant of an 
unknown species of Fig, supposed to be about 100 years 
old, Avith the upper part of its roots trained on a balloon¬ 
shaped trellis so as to form a bird’s cage. 
-->T<-- 
DOUBLE ZINNIAS. 
That these fine and showy tender annuals have been 
much improved of late years is quite certain, and in 
some parts of the country, AA'here Zinnias, both double 
and single, are particularly well grown for exhibition 
purposes, they are seen to the best advantage—so large, 
clean, so symmetrical and brilliantly coloured, and at 
the same time so striking! That they are much 
admired is certain, and they deserve it ; but fine 
Zinnias are the product of good cultivation. Let the 
strain be ever so good, if the plants are badly grown, 
or in poor soil, disappointment will be certain to result. 
The latest introduction in the way of improvement is 
Zinnia elegans robusta grandiflora plenissima. Phcebus, 
what a name ! This is said to be a selection of somewhat 
tall groAvth, the flowers 5 ins. and 6 ins. in diameter, 
and the petals double in size those found in the ordinary 
strains. I have seen Zinnias, long before this lengthy- 
named type was heard of, almost as large as Dahlias, 
because grown with great care. Therefore it is that I 
say fine Zinnias are pretty much a matter of culture. 
Give them a good soil, close attention, and thin-out 
the blossoms, when size follows as a matter of course. 
As to the time for sowing seed, the end of March or 
early in April will do. Sow the seed in pots or pans 
filled Avith a light compost, such as loam, leaf-soil 
and sand, and place them in a brisk bottom- 
heat to ensure a quick germination. Should the 
heat fail, try the sunny shelf of a greenhouse with a 
piece of glass over the pots, taking care it is not kept 
on long enough to cause the young seedlings to burn. 
"When the plants are big enough to be handled without 
harm, they Avill be greatly helped by being potted 
singly in small pots and grown on into size, so as to 
ensure early blooming, and then hardening them off in 
a cold frame previous to planting them out in the open 
ground at the end of May or the beginning of June, 
according to the Aveather. There is a great advantage 
in growing Zinnias singly in pots before they are 
planted out in the open ground, because it is shown, 
by experience, that they do not transplant well direct 
from the seedling-pots, and that they require some 
little time to establish themselves in the soil. In 
planting out, it is as well to take advantage of showery 
weather. If it be done during dry weather water will 
be necessary for a few days, but it should not be given 
until the plants show signs of flagging.— R. D. 
-- 
OOLTNESS, WISHAW, 
LANARKSHIRE. 
The general aspect of the country in this locality is 
that of flatness, although it is partly undulated, and 
sufficiently diversified with woods—the trees consti¬ 
tuting which are of no great height as a rule—to 
prevent or exclude the idea of bareness. Situated as 
Coltness is in the midst of the coal-fields and smelting 
furnaces of Coltness, Wishaw, and other places, the 
older trees, such as the Oak, Elm, Sycamore, Beech, 
Ash, and others, show but too plainly the injurious 
influences at work in the atmosphere, by the gradual 
decay of the upper and more exposed branches. This 
is likely to become more and more apparent as time 
goes on, and the more so if the smelting furnaces and 
coal burning increase. The Sycamore and common 
Lime are the more prevalent trees, the latter (Tilia 
vulgaris) appearing to withstand smoke better than 
any, and is most extensively planted in the immediate 
vicinity of the house, and by the side of a fine avenue 
of young trees about a mile in length, leading from the 
mansion-house of J. Houldsworth, Esq., Coltness, to 
Wishaw. This avenue was planted about ten or four¬ 
teen years ago, and besides Limes, contains fine rising 
trees of Populus nigra, P. alba, P. balsamifera, Spruces, 
Pyrus pinnatifida, P. intermedia, and others. In the 
vicinity of the gardens Thuja gigantea is found to resist 
the smoke best, but there are also good specimens of 
Cupressus Lawsoniana, Sequoia gigantea, 25 ft. to 
35 ft. high. Prunus Pissardi, Platanus orientalis 
acerifolia, Robinia Pseud-Acacia, Tilia petiolaris, and 
the variegated Sycamore (Acer pseudo-platanus 
Leopoldi), are also noteworthy and interesting for this 
part of the country, and succeed tolerably well. 
There is a considerable area of glass structures in 
which plants and fruit groiving is prosecuted with 
encouraging success, although the difficulties in respect 
to locality, soil, and atmospheric conditions are ex¬ 
tremely troublesome, and must tax the resources of 
Mr. G. Whitton, the gardener, in no small degree. As 
far as plant groAving is concerned, Ferns, Orchids, and 
stove plants are the chief features of the place. 
Adiantums are well represented ; while although the 
first week of September was a dull time for Orchids, 
there were several Oncidiums, Odontoglossums, Mas- 
devallias, and Cypripediums in flower. The cool 
Odontoglossums exhibited some remarkable instances 
of strong growth, especially in the forms of 0. crispum 
(O. Alexandra), 0. triumphans, 0. Pescatorei, and 0. 
Rossii majus. The majority of growers seem adverse to 
the use of glazed pots for Orchids, but we can attest to 
the strong and vigorous growth made by various 
species, including 0. Rossii majus, which Mr. Whitten 
cultivates with great success in pots hung up near the 
light. We have noted the same fact elsewhere in 
Scotland, and the clean appearance of the pots, besides 
the immense labour in washing which they save, should 
tell strongly in their favour. Among stove plants we 
noticed the beautifully-lobed and silvery veined foliage 
of Alocasia (Sehizocasia) Sanderi. Crotons are well 
done, and a great number of kinds are groAvn of a use¬ 
ful size for decorative work ; the colouration of most 
kinds was very handsome. 
Two conservatories built against the mansion house 
were gay with evergreens, climbers and other flowering 
plants. Two fine specimens of Libocedrus Donniana, 
about 10 ft. high, and grown in large pots or tubs, 
Avere finely furnished throughout with their feathery 
branches and closely adpressed crisped-lcoking leaves. 
Thujopsis dolobrata, although not so tall, is equally 
well grown. The dome of one house was fully occupied 
with a large plant of Stauntonia latifolia, and other 
climbers such as Clematis lanuginosa, Akebia quinata, 
Cobaea scandens variegata, Swainsonia Osbomei 
splendens, and Plumbago capensis adorned and draped 
the roof in A'arious positions. A large plant of Abutilon 
venosum was gay Avith its orange-red flowers beautifully 
netted with a darker colour. Specimens of Hedychium 
Gardnerianum were also conspicuous for their size. 
Outside were fine specimens of Cotoneaster microphylla 
covering a considerable area of wall-space on the 
mansion house. The gardener’s cottage is also covered 
in the same way, and the vigorous growth of the plant, 
combined with its deep red berries and the close way 
in Avhich it applies itself to the wall, shows how 
admirably it is adapted for this purpose and suited to 
the climate of Scotland. 
Pine Apples are grown in a span-roofed stove, and 
include the leading Avith a feAv other sorts, of which 
several Avere in an advanced state at the time of our 
visit. The other kinds of fruit cultivated are Grapes, 
Peaches, and Nectarines. A goodly number of varieties 
of Grapes are grown, and it is interesting to note that 
the tAvo sorts which succeed best Avere raised in widely 
separated localities. These are Duchess of Buccleuch, 
raised at Dalkeith ; and Mrs. Pince’s Black Muscat, 
originating at Exeter ; both have been certificated by 
the Royal Horticultural Society, and Mr. Whitton 
succeeds with them admirably, although the experience 
of other cultivators has, in some cases, been anything 
but satisfactory. Gros Colmar comes next in point of 
production, followed by Muscat of Alexandria, Golden 
Queen, Lady Downe’s, and Black Hamburgh. A very 
vigorous-growing, free-fruiting Peach is Dr. Hogg, 
Avhich here sustains its character admirably and proves 
the most profitable of all the varieties cultivated. 
The quality is also good, the flesh being firm, rich, and 
sugary. Walburton Admirable is late, but a large 
handsome fruit, and in point of bearing is only second 
rate to that of Dr. Hogg. A considerable area of glass 
is devoted to Peaches and Nectarines, and among 
varieties of the former that find favour here are Lord 
Palmerston, Dymond, Goshawk, and Condor. The 
most prolific Nectarine is Hunt’s TaAvny, a useful early 
kind ; while Lord Napier, Pine Apple, and Yictoria 
give more or less satisfaction. 
In front of the vineries is a walk bounded on each 
side by ribbon borders occupied by various bedding 
plants, amongst which a line of Pentstemons was very 
conspicuous by their bright colours and floriferousness. 
Although the past has been characterised as a dry 
season, vegetation does not seem to have suffered here, 
and copious rains fell during our stay. Immediately 
beyond the flower borders were breaks of different 
kinds of vegetables, especially winter stuff, which was 
most vigorous and healthy. 
Some carpet bedding here was notable for the hardy 
nature of the subjects, and which, Avith a few exceptions, 
are calculated to stand the winter out of doors, so that 
