July 14, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
723 
JOHN LAING & SONS’ 
Begonia Exhibition 
THE GRANDEST FLORAL DISPLAY 
IN LONDON. 
Open to the Public Every Day (Sundays excepted) 
from June to September, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. 
ADMISSION FREE. 
OUR EXHIBITIONS OF BEGONIAS 
Have been celebratedjfor their varied beauty 
and extent for the past few years, but the 
COLLECTION - now on view is superior to any 
of the kind ever yet seen, both in single and 
double varieties, the shades of colour being quite 
indescribable, and must be seen to be appreciated. 
All lovers of flowers are cordially invited. 
Nearest Railway Stations are Catford Bridge, 
Mid Kent Line (S.E.R.), from Charing Cross, TVaterloo, 
Cannon Street, and London Bridge; and Forest Hill 
(L.B. & S.C.R.), from Victoria, Kensington and West 
End, Croydon, dec. ; also from Liverpool Street. 
Registered Telegraphic Address: Caladium, London. 
JOHN LAING & SONS, 
Seed, Plant and Bulb Merchants, 
FOREST HILL, LONDON, S.E. 
NEW PELARGONIUM, 
«* DiyCSBSS OF TECK,” 
Awarded a First Class Certificate at the Manchester Royal 
Botanical and Horticultural Society’s Summer Exhibition of 1SS7. 
It is a white Regal decorative variety, semi-double, immense 
trusses. The flowers are erect, petals undulated, distinguishing 
it from the ordinary Pelargoniums. It is novel and conspicuous, 
has a strong compact habit, and is one of the best Pelargoniums 
in cultivation. 
It is invaluable for cut flowers where white is in demand. 
3s. 6 d. each, 30s. for 12 plants, 50s. for 25 plants. Cut 
flowers sent on application. 
Sent out by 
FISHER, S02T, & SIBRAY, 
HANDSWORTH NURSERIES, SHEFFIELD. 
SUTTON’S FLORISTS’FLOWER SEEDS 
Sutton's Begonia 
Sutton's Calceolaria 
Sutton’s Cineraria 
Sutton's Cyclamen 
Sutton’s Gloxinia 
Sutton’s Primula, &c. 
THE FINEST STRAINS IN EXISTENCE. 
PRICE LIST POST FREE. 
Sutton’s Seeds Genuine Only Direct from 
SUTTON & SONS, Reading. 
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. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
A dvertisements win be inserted in the 
New Catalogue (now ready for printer) at 30s. per page. 
Special positions by agreement. Early application to WILLIAM 
HOLMES, Hon. Sec., Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney. 
Liverpool Horticultural Association. 
T he ninth annual summer show 
of PLANTS, FLOWERS, and VEGETABLES will be held 
in Sefton Park on Saturday and Monday, August 4th and Oth, 1888. 
Entries close July 2Sth. 
For Schedules of Prizes apply to 
EDMUND BRIDGE, Secretary. 
3, Cedar Terrace, Tarbock Road, Huyton, Liverpool. 
Clay Cross Horticultural Society. 
T HE ANNUAL SHOW of the above will 
be held on Tuesday, August 14th. Entries close July 31st. 
For Schedules apply to 
J. STOLLARD, 
Clay Cross, Chesterfield. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Monday, July 16th.—Newcastle-under-Lyme Rose Show. 
Tuesday, July 17tli.- Leek and Ulverston Rose Shows. Sale of 
Imported Orchids, &c., at Protheroe & Morris's Rooms. 
Wednesday, July 18th.—Wirral Rose Show at Birkenhead. 
Strabane (Ireland) Flower Show. Sale of remaining portion 
of the late Mr. John Day’s Orchids at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Thursday, July 19th.—Helensburgh Rose Show. Highgate 
Horticultural Society’s Show. Special Sale of Orchids in 
Flower and Established Plants at Stevens’ Rooms. 
Friday, July 20th.—National Rose Society's Show at Darlington. 
Sale of Orchids from the collection of the late H. Littleton, 
Esq., at Protheroe and Morris's Rooms. 
FOR INDEX TO CONTENTS, SEE P. 735. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
Ip§arWingli(ttr&, 
SATURDAY, JULY U , 1888. 
More about the Begonia. —The improve¬ 
ments that have been effected in this 
flower, by means of skilful and persevering 
hybridisation, since it first attracted attention, 
are simply marvellous, and undeniably no 
other flowering plant in cultivation has. 
made sucli rapid and wonderful strides, or 
undergone such remarkable changes for the 
better in so short a time, as the tuberous 
Begonia. Indeed, anyone who has not 
watched the progress that has year by year 
and step by step been made, would scarcely 
credit that the huge circular and leathery 
blooms of to-day, with their glowing and 
dazzling colours, could by any possibility 
have been derived from the poor pale, flimsy, 
and long-petalled flowers that the Begonias 
of ten or twelve years ago could produce. It 
must, however, be admitted that some of 
the first seedlings raised in this country, 
sucli as “ Vesuvius,” “Acme,” “Emperor,” 
etc., were, and still are, remarkably floriferous 
in character—much more so than the 
majority of the large-flowering varieties that 
have been more recently produced—as well 
as being more busby in growth, and pos¬ 
sessed of great hardiness and very vigorous 
constitutions, when compared with some of 
the highly-bred productions of the present 
day. Indeed, the varieties above-named, 
with a few others of the same class, are 
still retained by first-class cultivators, who 
endeavour, by crossing them witli varieties 
possessing larger and better formed flowers 
and brighter colours, to obtain a race of 
hybrids, suitable for out-of-doors cultivation, 
which will combine the good qualities of 
both strains. 
As a matter of fact, this object lias 
already to a great extent been attained, 
and there are now a number of single 
varieties bearing fairly large and brightly- 
coloured flowers in almost, if not quite, 
as great profusion as the old-fashioned kinds 
to which we have referred, and also pos¬ 
sessing such vigorous constitutions as to 
enable them to be propagated from cuttings, 
perfectly true to type, on a large scale and 
with great success. This is saying a great 
deal, for nineteen out of twenty Begonias 
deteriorate so rapidly when increased in this 
manner as to become in a short time 
almost worthless. But even were this rule 
absolute, we can always fall hack upon 
seedlings, which have far more vigour than 
plants raised from cuttings; and it is now 
a noticeable and proved fact that seed 
saved from a distinct and strongly charac¬ 
terised class of plants, such as the above, 
will produce a large proportion possessing 
all the desirable qualities of the parents, 
combined in varying degree; while a judi¬ 
cious system of selection will eliminate any 
stragglers, and ensure the continuation, and 
probably the advancement, of the type. 
The value of Begonias as bedding-out 
plants, though beginning to be recognised by 
a few, is very far indeed from being appreci¬ 
ated to a tithe of its actual extent. The 
result of employing these elegant plants in 
this capacity is, when carried out in a toler¬ 
ably judicious and suitable manner, always 
so highly satisfactory in every respect, that 
their general adoption for the purposes of 
the decoration of the flower garden is only a 
matter of time. Seedlings raised in good 
time, and planted out early in June, though 
they do not come into full bloom until 
rather late, and attain no great size, make a 
fine display of bright and varied colours 
during August, September, and even October 
of the same year as well, when the latter 
month assumes the calm and genial character 
which in many seasons renders it almost the 
most enjoyable month of the year—at least 
in country places, and to the lover of “rural 
sights and sounds.” In support of this fact 
may be instanced tlie appearance of Messrs. 
John Laing' & Son’s nursery beds, where 
about 112,000 seedlings are this year planted 
out. Tubers one, two, or more years old are, 
however, naturally more satisfactory than 
seedlings, as they not only commence flower¬ 
ing much earlier in the season, but form 
much more floriferous and busby, as well as 
larger, plants. 
The single - flowering varieties are un¬ 
doubtedly much more suitable for out-of- 
door decoration than the doubles, the blooms 
of which, especially in the case of the more 
improved kinds, are not produced with suffi¬ 
cient rapidity, nor remain so long on the plant; 
so that they become to some extent disfigured 
by the weather before their natural span of 
life is nearly completed. Either in masses of 
harmoniously-arranged or contrasted colours, 
as single specimens (as a centre in small beds 
or in other similar positions), for which 
rather large plants are naturally best adapted, 
or dotted here and there with more or less 
regard to uniformity in mixed, or even her¬ 
baceous borders (in which position they afford 
an excellent contrast to plants of other 
character or habit), the tuberous Begonia is 
simply an invaluable subject, and invariably 
creates a fine effect. The more commonly 
cultivated varieties with drooping flowers are 
exceedingly graceful and admirable ; but a 
class lias recently been produced, by careful 
selection, of stiffer habit, bearing flowers held 
more or less erect, which of course present 
themselves more fully to the eye of a spec¬ 
tator above them than plants possessing only 
pendulous blooms can do. 
-- 
An Apple and Pear Conference at Chiswick —In 
consequence of the great success of the last Apple and 
Pear Conferences, and in order to correct and bring up 
the reports then published to present date, tlie council 
of the Royal Horticultural Society have decided to hold 
an Apple and Pear Conference in the gardens, at 
Chiswick, from the 11th to the IStli October. Anyone 
desiring information in reference thereto is requested to 
communicate with Mr. A. F. Barron, superintendent, 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, 
