June 2, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
627 
ORCHID 
EXHIBITION. 
One of the Most Beautiful Sights in London. 
O RCHIDS.—The Orchid Exhibition at Mr. 
WILLIAM BULL'S Establishment for New and Rare 
Plants, 536, King's Road, Chelsea, London, S.W., is now open 
daily from io to 6 o’clock. Admission 2s. 6d. 
RCHIDS—A vision of loveliness unpa¬ 
ralleled in Europe. 
RCHIDS.— “A scene of the greatest 
Orchidic beauty, baffling description and defying ex¬ 
aggeration." 
RCHIDS.-—The Exhibition is worth going 
any distance to see at Mr. WILLIAM BULL’S Establish¬ 
ment for New and Rare Plants, 536, King’s Road, Chelsea, 
London, S.W. 
NEW PLANTS FOR 1888. 
Is now ready. Price, Is. 
Contains names, description and prices of many beau¬ 
tiful Hew Plants offered for the first time. 
WILLIAM BULL, f.l.s., 
Establishment for New and Rare Plants, 
536, KING’S ROAD, C HELSEA, S.W. 
SPECIAL CULTURE OF 
FRUIT TREE S AND ROSES, 
A Large and Select Stock is now offered for Sale. 
The Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of Fruits 
Post Free. 
The Descriptive Catalogue of Roses Post Free. 
THOMAS RIYERS & SON, 
NURSERIES, SAWBRIDGEWORTH, HERTS. 
SPECIAL OFFER. 
BEGONIAS.— Tuberous rooted, last year’s seedlings, finest 
strains, 4s. per dozen. 
DAHLIAS.—Best Show, Cactus, and Single varieties, in small 
pots, 3s. 6 d. per dozen. 
GERANIUMS.—The best Zonal, single and double, 4s. per dozen. 
PELARGONIUMS.—The best Show and Decorative varieties, 
in 5-inch pots ; will flower well in May and June. 10s. per 
dozen. 
PHLOX.—Herbaceous varieties; one of the best plants for 
cutting from. 4s. per dozen. 
ROSES.— Tea, Gloire de Dijon, Marechal Niel, Niphetos, and 
other best varieties. Our selection, in 4S-pots, 10s. per doz. 
PACKED UPRIGHT IN OPEN BOXES. CASH WITH ORDER. 
CARAWAY & Co., 
DURDHAM DOWN, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. 
ORCHIDS A SPECIALTY. 
The Stock at the Clapton Nursery is of such magnitude that 
without seeing it it is not easy to form an adequate conception 
of its unprecedented extent. General Nursery Stock of line 
quality and immense extent. Inspection invited. The Glass 
Structures cover an area of 297,300 ft. 
ITCi I0W & CO., 
CLAPTON NURSERY, LONDON, E. 
ROSES in POTS. 
All the best New and Old English and Foreign sorts, 
from 18s. to 36s. per dozen. 
Descriptive List free on application. 
RICHARD SMITH & Co., 
Nurserymen and Seed Merchants, 
WORCESTER. 
THE GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT 
INSTITUTION. 
T HF FORTY-FIETH anniversary 
DINNER in aid of the Funds of this Institution, will 
take place at the Albion, Aldersgate Street, on Wednesday, 
the 4th July, when 
The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., will preside. 
Tickets 21s. each. In order to provide for the comfort and 
convenience of the Guests, no Tickets will be issued after 
Friday, the 29th June. 
By order, EDWARD R. CUTLER, Secretary, 
50, Parliament Street, S.W, 
30th May, 1S8S. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Tuesday, June 5th.—Sale of the first portion of Dr. Duke’s 
collection of Orchids, at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Wednesday, June 6th.—Floral Fete in the Wholesale Flower 
Market, Covent Garden, at 9 p.m. Flower Show of the Ancient 
Society of York Florists. Bath and West of England Society's 
Show at Newport (Mon.). Sale of a further portion of the late 
Mr. Day’s Orchids at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Thursday, June 7th.—Sale of Imported Orchids at Stevens 
Rooms. 
Friday, June 8th.—Sale of Imported Orchids at Protheroe 
& Morris’s Rooms. 
Saturday, June 9th.—Royal National Tulip Society’s Show at 
Old Trafford, Manchester. 
FOR INDEX TO CONTENTS, SEE P. 638. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1888. 
Market Flowers. —Those who grow herba¬ 
ceous and Alpine plants or hardy plants in 
general, and cater for the lovers of those 
things, are obliged to collect and grow an 
immense number of things, good, bad, and 
indifferent, in order to please the tastes of the 
fastidious public) hut when one grows for 
market alone, the flowers are unsaleable and 
practically useless unless they have size and 
brilliant colours to recommend them. One 
is soon convinced of this fact by taking a 
walk through the grounds of some market 
grower, such as those of Mr. Walker, at 
Whitton. Having done so the other day, 
we noted such as were in flower, and conse¬ 
quently, the subjects of immediate attention 
for market purposes. The horticulturist in 
this line of business must be a man of large 
experience, knowing when and how to reap 
his harvest of flowers to the best advantage, 
so that the many perishable treasures with 
which he deals may carry safely, and be in 
presentable condition when they reach the 
market. 
At the time of our visit the white flowers 
requiring immediate attention were Lily of 
the Valley, and two varieties of Narcissus 
poeticus. Several varieties of the former are 
grown by Mr. Walker, but that in the shed, 
standing in jars of water ready to he bunched 
for market, was the large-flowered and beau¬ 
tiful sort named Victoria. The distinguishing 
features of this form are the broad, short 
perianths, with six small purple spots at the 
base of the stamens, but perfectly hidden, 
leaving the flowers of spotless purity, and large 
oval glaucous leaves. The last character is 
quite constant, and evident even to the 
unpractised eye, when two beds are grown in 
proximity to one another. A great quantity 
being preserved in a dark shed for a Monday 
morning’s market was a charming sight. Nar¬ 
cissus poeticus reeurvus was treated in a similar 
way, and rapidly being tied up in one-sided 
nosegays or hunches for market. This we 
consider one of the finest and boldest varieties 
of the Pheasant’s-eye, and one of the latest. The 
corona is wide, saucer-shaped, and pale yellowy 
•with a scarlet brim. The segments are some¬ 
what recurved, but the leaves more decidedly 
so, giving rise, no doubt, to the varietal name. 
The double-flowered form N. p. flore pleno, 
the other variety now flowering, is the latest 
form of all, and a large quantity cut and 
placed in a greenhouse to hasten it a little, 
and so improve its purity, was a charming 
sight. The double flowers resemble a Gardenia, 
and the house containing them not being ven¬ 
tilated, the odour, though delicious, w r as 
simply overpowering. The earlier batches of 
this variety are hastened by the method stated, 
while the later ones are cut and kept in a cool 
dark house to retard them. 
Of less importance, although grown in 
considerable quantity, is Seilla hispaniea alba, 
the Seilla campanulata alba of gardens. The 
flowers are pure white, pretty, and produced 
in great abundance. For market purposes 
this white Squill is superior to the white 
variety of Seilla nutans, as it carries better 
than the latter, and does not get soft and 
flabby so soon. The Florentine Iris is a 
grand flower, and although generally 
described as white, is really pale mauve, 
at least when the flowers first expand. 
The plants grow very vigorously in the 
fertile soil here, and have only commenced 
flowering, but in the course of a week 
they will look grand. Those who desire a 
pure white form of the German Iris will 
find no better than Princess of Wales, for 
although part of the heard on the falls is 
pale yellow, and there are a few greenish 
yellow lines at the base of the flower, 
externally it is a beautiful pure white. At 
one end of a field is a mass of Lupinus 
polyphyllus albus, whose long racemes of 
white flowers stand, sentinel-like, overlapping 
the other subjects grown there. Amongst 
Tulips, Tulipa narbonensis is a charming 
variety, of medium size, slightly tinted with 
yellow along the back when it first expands, 
Avith a lively red margin. Pyrethrums Avill 
soon be abundant, and already a few lead 
the van on large plants bristling Avith 
flower heads. Mont Blanc is a double 
white, slightly tinted -with a creamy shade 
in the centre, Avhich wears off as the head 
expands. A purer and finer AA T hite, however, 
is that named Princess Metternich, Avhicli 
is also of good substance and carries well, 
as the doubles generally do when compared 
Avith the single varieties, which are at best 
but had market plants, because the ray gets 
crushed, and so loses its rigidity. 
Tulips were fast going out of season, so 
that Ave could see but a feAV remnants of the 
Parrot Tulips that produced such a magni¬ 
ficent display at the Temple shoAV. Lutea, 
Rubra major, and Variabilis speak of a few 
of the colours already existing in this section 
of Tulips, which botanically is classed under 
Tulipa Gesneriana Dracontia. The interblend¬ 
ing of yellow, orange, red, scarlet and green 
is simply exquisite, and in no other class of 
plants perhaps do we get such a curious yet 
beautiful mixture of colours. Golden Eagle, 
received here from the growers under the 
name of Yellow Narbonensis, is a showy and 
striking Tulip even at a distance. During 
expansion it is yellow with a red margin, 
hut afterwards it becomes orange and red all 
over; being of good substance it lasts a long 
time in perfection and is of good size. 
Some red and orange Turban Ranunculus 
(varieties of R. asiaticus) are now bearing 
grand floAvers, perfectly double, almost glo¬ 
bular in outline and rich in tint. They 
seemed to enjoy a greater popularity at one 
time than they do at present. 
The Iris season is continuous throughout 
the greater part of the year by the numerous 
species hoav in cultivation; hut the varieties 
of the German Flag Iris are most conspicuous 
' at present. Iris Germaniea is certainly a fine 
thing, with blue and purple fragrant flowers, 
