October 25, 18 90. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
119 
winter storms begin,” and the result is, I venture to 
say, as delightsome a winter border as English eyes 
could expect to look upon. In the middle or end of 
April, according to the season, the borders are again 
all cleared, the plants being carried straight to the 
potting-shed to be re-potted. In the matter of com¬ 
post, I again, as in all else, study economy most 
strictly. I grow a great many Chrysanthemums and 
fruit trees in pots. These, as everyone knows, are 
obliged to be re-potted every year in rich soil full of 
crushed bones, &c., and are kept during their growing¬ 
time constantly saturated with liquid manure of various 
kinds. The soil, -when they are re-potted, is very far 
from being entirely exhausted, and is at once made up 
into a heap, to be saved for the shrub-potting in the 
spring. In this way the compost for the shrubs costs 
nothing. It is like the outgrown clothes of the elder 
children being made up again for the younger, and I 
can answer for it that the shrubs do excellently in this 
soil. The plants are taken out of their pots, the pots 
washed and dried, and clean drainage given. The 
roots are shaken out entirely, as much old soil as 
possible removed, any long, coarse roots shortened back, 
and then they are re-potted, ramming the soil in 
firmly as you do for fruit trees or Chrysanthemums ; 
and very seldom does a plant, when once of a fair size, 
require a larger pot than that out of which it came. 
When the potting is over we go carefully through all 
the plants and prune them. This, of course, must be 
done with judgment; but, as a general rule, I remove 
all long, coarse growth entirely, shorten down the thin 
shoots, and head back the leaders, encouraging side and 
bottom growth as against running up in the head. 
The pots are then stood back in rows according to size, 
in some convenient spot not too shady, but not exposed 
to baking, scorching sun ; the chief point, however, 
is that the place where they are stood shall be within 
reach of the water-hose, and there they stand and go on 
quietly until October comes again, and then —da capo. 
I ought perhaps to have said that the Ericas, Kalmias, 
Andromedas, and such-like have some of the old waste 
peat from greenhouse Azaleas, Camellias, &c., mixed 
in with their compost. And note, that where the 
Holly maggot abounds (and where does it not ?), there 
you must look your Hollies over most carefully once a 
week in May and June, or you will soon have no 
Hollies left. The slight check which the late potting 
"gives them seems to make them less able to resist the 
maggot, or perhaps makes them sweeter, tenderer, and 
more juicy to its taste. 
-~>X<-- 
GARDENERS’ IMPROVEMENT 
SOCIETIES. 
I have read with much interest Mr. A. Wright’s paper 
on the above subject, as it appeared in your columns 
last week, and sincerely hope that its publication will 
have the effect of stirring up horticulturists in the 
different town centres throughout the country where 
these societies do not already exist, to combine together 
for mutual improvement, thus supplying what is really 
a great want amongst gardeners—that is, if it is really 
possible to stir them up. In some places I know of 
they are very slow in coming forward, but I hope such 
is not generally the case for the credit of the craft, 
although I am afraid it often is so. 
In some of these instances I speak of there may be 
exceptional advantages in the way of funds, &c., but 
they do not seem to care to accept them, but persis¬ 
tently, as it were, seem to turn the cold shoulder upon 
the efforts made by the few in the spirit of good fellow¬ 
ship in this direction. Although we have more of these 
societies than formerly, still there are very few indeed 
actually in existence and in good working order, and 
as some spring into existence others keep dying out. 
At one time I was very sanguine that it would be 
possible to increase these societies, and to amalgamate 
them into one common centre, but to-day I have quite 
a different opinion. There seems to be a great want of 
public spirit amongst the majority of gardeners, a 
hanging back as it were, seemingly having no desire to 
unite, and why 1 Perhaps Mr. Wright inadvertently 
gave the reason when he suggested that in too many 
cases at the present time so-called gardeners knew very 
little about gardening. If this is the case, unionism 
and amalgamation is almost impossible, as this class 
would not possibly like to show themselves up, and 
would naturally resist every effort to combine directly 
or indirectly, more especially if there were any likelihood 
of the suggestion of horticultural examinations with 
certificates being carried out. 
I suppose there are gardeners "and gardeners ; some 
are born so, and these naturally ardently love their 
profession, doing their utmost to raise it to a higher 
level : others are pitched into it whether they will or 
no, and such as these are a constant drag upon the 
efforts of those who desire to unite and work together 
for the common welfare. Yet I suppose it is not 
altogether the fault of gardeners, for on looking down 
the advertisement columns one sees the ridiculously 
low wages often offered by some who seem to be in 
want of a gardener—wages no better than many a decent 
labouring man gets ; and often he is required to be a 
man of superior intelligence, and capable of performing 
other duties as well, and, what is more, these places 
get filled. I wonder if these would-be employers would 
have the conscience to apply for a certificated gardener 
if Mr. Wright’s plan could be adopted. I venture 
these few remarks, not with any desire to produce a 
feeling of depression, but simply to state fa6ts as they 
really are. It is always best to face obstacles and 
difficulties boldly, as that is the only possible way to 
overcome them. 
How, with regard to this question of education and 
the study of science, it may be possible as a body to do 
something this way in the near future ; but instead of 
waiting for this good time coming, and building castles 
in the air, it will be best to take advantage of what 
offers at the present time. Suppose I tell you what we 
are doing here ; that will be something more practical. 
A short time ago I thought it might be possible to 
establish a botany class in this neighbourhood, and 
began to make enquiries as to whether a qualified 
teacher could be found willing to undertake it. At 
last, after much effort, I was advised to see the secre¬ 
tary of the Evening Science Classes in Shrewsbury. I 
went, and was most cordially received by that gentle¬ 
man, who quite entered into the spirit of the thing, 
and without going into further particulars, I may say 
the result is that the class is actually established, 
and in good working order. Other science classes are 
also held, and now three of my young men are study¬ 
ing chemistry and botany in connection with the South 
Kensington Science and Art Department, and I hope 
shortly to see them holding certificates in both those 
sciences. 
This only takes them away two nights a-week, and 
I am only too glad to remain at home in charge on 
those nights to give them every facility for improving 
themselves. There are similar opportunities in many 
places for those who choose to take advantage of them, 
and where such is the case, it would be better, instead 
of waiting for probable possibilities, to pluck whatever 
Apples are ripe, and gather the rest as they come 
along.— Alfred Gaut, The Gardens, Be)wick, Shrews- 
bury. 
-- 
FANCY PANSIES. 
About the year 1858, the fancy Pansy was an unrecog¬ 
nised and almost unknown flower amongst florists, and 
when at that period I commenced growing some 
varieties from Lille, in France, which Mr. Andrew 
Henderson, formerly of the Wellington Road Nurseries, 
London, met with, my florist friends seemed strongly 
to suspect that I was going “daft” for taking in 
hand this new type of the Pansy. At that time, in 
writing of this new class, then called Belgian Pansies, 
in an article contributed by me to The Florist and 
Pomologist, for February, 1862, I remarked that “ The 
old familiar stereotyped form of Pansies, consisting of 
white ground, yellow ground, and self varieties, with 
which we have been familiar, are running a great 
risk of finding a powerful rival in public opinion in the 
new and pleasing forms of fancy or Belgian Pansies. 
These are now fast approaching the circular form, 
combined with the texture and substance, which the 
stern law of the florists demand before they can be 
admitted into their circle. Whether florists will ever 
recognise the fancy Pansy remains to be seen, so 
completely does it set at defiance all recognised rules 
with regard to colouring; but as all do not view 
flowers with a florist’s eye, and look more to a 
diversity of pleasing colours combined with form, I 
venture to predict for fancy Pansies a large amount of 
popularity, and their recognition as a florist’s flower 
on the exhibition table.” 
I wrote these words at a time when the feeling of my 
brother florists generally was dead against the fancy 
Pansy. Of the immense popularity of this flower, who 
now entertains the ghost of a doubt ? From that time, 
when I raised and introduced several very fine varieties, 
the fancy Pansy has progressed in popular favour, and 
the cooler climate and soil of Scotland has enabled 
growers there to cultivate the Pansy much more 
successfully than in the districts south of the Trent. 
Our Scotch florists have for a number of years been 
keen growers and raisers, but the first to take up the 
fancy Pansy in Scotland with vigour is our old friend, 
Mr. John Laing, and to Mr. John Downie very much 
credit is due also for making fancy Pansies popular 
many years ago. 
In the midland and northern districts of England 
the Pansy does well, and grows in popularity day by 
day, and new varieties, some of great merit, others 
which need not have been sent out as improved 
varieties, are annually introduced. I have had oppor¬ 
tunities this season of seeing a very large number of 
first-class blooms, of newer kinds especially, at various 
shows as York and Shrewsbury, as well as private 
collections ; Mr. Lister, Rothesay, sent me, a few 
weeks since, a large number of blooms of leading newer 
kinds, and a few words about these will, no doubt, be 
useful to growers. I had taken notes of some from his 
grand lot at Shrewsbury, and I had ample opportunity 
for well examining the very fine lot of blooms he sent 
to me. Maggie A. Scott is a very fine gold ground 
flower, rich in colouring and marking. Robert Jamieson 
is a grand flower, so also is A. S. Glass, sent out last 
spring. Neil Leitch is another extra fine flower. 
Lord Bute and Julia Goodfellow are both very 
welcome acquisitions, and Lord Hamilton, a new 
flower of last year, the hero of twelve First Class 
Certificates, is a splendid flower in every way, 
but comes in its best character if shaded from hot 
sunshine. Miss French is another very first-class flower, 
distinct and beautiful. James Campbell, a new variety 
of 1890, is a very beautiful flower, and fine in form and 
substance, and in every way first-class. Blooming 
Heather is another gem, and Terra Cotta is paler in 
colour than Thomas Granger, a well-known old bronzy 
brownish variety, and is distinct. Mrs. Maxwell is a 
very lefined distinct flower, broad white margin with 
large-blue violet blotch in each petal, fine in form and 
substance. Harry Hamilton is a superb rich bright 
crimson self of the finest form, and great substance and 
size, standing in the very foremost ranks of crimson 
seifs. Daughter of the Morning and Bonnie Annie 
Laurie, should be in all collections. Bella Coutts is an 
improved My Lady ; Mrs. Lister is a superb flower, 
Mrs. G. P. France style, but distinct from it and very 
bright with grand blotch. Nora Phillips and Mrs. 
Lindsay, both new last spring, are two valuable 
acquisitions ; Miss Henderson, Maggie R. S. Cocker, are 
both Al. I do not think much of James Faulds, and 
Ida Mary is faulty in the lower petal. Mrs. Skinner 
is also a very pleasing variety with a fine blotch, and a 
good exhibition flower. Mrs. Aitkinson is a new 
variety of last spring of first class quality. 
The following are new varieties, chiefly to be sent 
out this autumn or in spring. Alexander Smith, 
Harry Eckford, Mrs. Mark, James Douglas, and Robert 
Stobbie are all very first rate, so also are Matthew 
Scott, John Walker, and John Taylor. Mrs. Kerr 
appeared to be a promising flower of good qualities, but 
the bloom was too much gone. Dusty I did not 
regard as an acquisition. Harry Eckford is a fine and 
distinct flower ; H. M. Stanley is a Donald Morrison 
style of flower and fine, and Matthew Caskey is a bright 
fine flower, with rich solid blotch. W. B. Stewart is a 
promising flower, but 1 should like to see it again. 
William Evitts is of the Neil McKay style, but distinct 
from it, with an immense solid blotch ; an extra fine 
variety. Mrs. Patrick has good qualities, but the 
flower was not in good condition to form an opinion of 
its merits. William Lindsay is very bright and 
promising, but the bloom was so much damaged. 
Mrs. W. Dean, a creamy white self, has a large blotch 
and good form. John Ashcroft and William Steel 
are two crimson seifs, the former good, the latter a very 
fine flower. Mrs. William Norris is an extra fine 
flower, bright and distinct. These all came from Mr. 
Lister, and Pansy growers will find the greater 
part of them decided acquisitions. In addition 
I can well recommend the following : — David 
Strachan, Parnell, Jessie Jamieson, John McKay, 
Neil Gillies, Alexander Borthwick, Charming Sweet 
Jessie, John Pope, J. G. Paul, Daughter of the 
Morning, Donald Morrison, Maggie A. Scott, Neil 
McKay, John Lamont, Mrs. John McConnell, Mrs. 
John Ellis, Mrs. Browell, Mrs. John Downie, Andrew 
Philp, Mrs. Philp, Tom Bell, and Pilrig are all first- 
rate kinds, and there are many others which are well 
known to Pansy growers. 
Mr. John Downie sends out six new varieties of great 
merit—viz., Dora, Emperor, Miss M. Lindsay, Ethel, 
Mrs. Craven, and a rich dark claret-coloured seedling, 
of the name of which I am not certain. These will all 
prove to be very acceptable additions I think.— 
IV. Dean, Sparkhill, Birmingham. 
