762 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 1, 1891, 
It has sown itself about very freely, so leaves plenty 
of young plants behind it. V. salicifolia is dead ; 
V. Haastii hard hit in most places. V. Traversii, of 
which we have many plants, some very large ones, 
is a complete puzzle to all to whom I have show'n it. 
It has been suggested that difference of constitution 
of individual plants might account for some being 
killed and some untouched. No doubt, to a certain 
limited extent, seedling plants do differ in hardiness, 
but in the present case the difference is much too 
decided to be thus accounted for. 
We have a hedge of this Veronica in fine flower, 
which had hardly any twigs hurt; it stands on a hill 
in a fully-exposed situation. V. epacridia, hard hit in 
most situations, was untouched in a few favoured 
ones. Eurybia Gunni is killed; Olearia Haastii 
touched, but recovering. Of Azara microphylla, large 
plants have the top branches and tips killed; a large 
number of small plants are most of them killed ; 
some are shooting up from the bottom, and a few in 
sheltered, cool situations are untouched. A.elliptica 
is hit very hard ; Raphiolepis ovata killed. 
Among rather unexpected survivals are the different 
Agapanthus. A. umbellatus albiflorus has a spike ; 
A. Mooreanus many spikes of flower. A. umbellatus 
is growing well. They are all in beds without pro¬ 
tection. Seedling Sikkim Rhododendrons were 
unhurt in several sheltered situations. 
Bulbs have not suffered. Iris Ktempferi have 
bloomed especially well. Lilium Krameri, L. 
giganteum, L. Brownii, and L. pardalinum varieties 
are fine, and L. auratum, just coming out, promises 
to be finer than ever. Taking the garden as a whole 
we have lost much less than I expected. I may add 
that the Lilies were planted in casks with the 
bottoms out; some of them now in their third year 
show conclusively the advantage of keeping them 
free from the roots of shrubs and trees .—George F. 
Wilson, Heatherbanh , Weybridge Heath, July 24 th. 
GARDENERS’ HOURS. 
I read with much interest the remarks in your issue 
of June 6th, on the eight hours’ question, and have 
carefully read each succeeding number in the hope 
of finding some discussion on the subject. I am 
myself no believer in the wisdom of getting Parlia¬ 
ment to pass an Act binding all alike to an eight 
hours’ day, but I do think there ought to be a 
reasonable limitation of the hours of labour put upon 
those, such as miners and iron workers, whose 
calling entails such a loss of life- and limb. In the 
case of gardeners I certainly think that were there 
more unity of action among them a shortening of 
their hours too would not be impossible. 
Whilst there are many places where the hours of 
toil are reasonable—from 7 to 5 — the great majority 
have to work from 6 to 6, and often till a later hour 
in order to keep the work in hand. I yield to none in 
the desire to render unto my employer that which is 
right and just, at the same time I do not consider I am 
at all unreasonable in expecting the same consider¬ 
ation from him. A gardener in charge of a place— 
not one of the favoured ones who enjoy the shorter 
hours, but he who cannot do so, yet is all the same 
expected to keep himself posted up to date in the 
minutiae of his profession—is naturally anxious to 
meet his brother gardeners, because, as all will 
admit, I suppose, of the great benefits which accrue 
from mutual discussion, and the comparison of 
ideas. 
It is only reasonable too that our young men should 
have some leisure time to. devote to their own 
improvement during the light evenings of the summer 
months. Most of us know something of the long 
hours that have to be spent of a winter’s evening, 
while others are at rest, in attending to fires, which 
often entails early rising also. It has always been 
my good fortune to have young men under me who 
have been most willing to work a few hours extra on 
special occasions, and I believe that is the rule in 
most cases. I have been told that a short time ago 
the hours on the Queen’s estate in the Isle of Wight 
were reduced to 7 to 5, and that the alteration has 
given great satisfaction to all concerned. 
If gardeners were to leave their work at 5 o’clock 
it would be a great gain, and no place would be 
neglected where the gardener, in the exercise of his 
discretion, arranged for the men to take their turns of 
duty, winter and summer. It is not the length of 
time that a man is on the ground that should be the 
first consideration, because in most cases the greater 
amount of work would be done in the shorter hours. 
The work is hard, and of necessity when the hours 
are long a man has to husband his strength to carry 
him through, and so speed is out of the question. 
Given shorter hours, however, and a little genuine 
encouragement, how much more work should we not 
get done ! What a valuable commodity is “ a little 
encouragement ” in the garden. I often think of the 
kindly words of commendation I received when a boy, 
and how proud I was to be trusted to do something 
by myself. It' was always encouragement to do one’s 
very best. But I am degressing, and will conclude 
with the hope that we may yet have a useful dis¬ 
cussion of this question in the columns of the 
fearless " World." — A. J. B. 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Pteris serrulata pendula. — The stipes and rachis 
of the fronds of this variety naturally assume an erect 
habit of growth, but the pinnae, which are long and 
narrow, are decidedly pendulous, assisted, no doubt, 
by the weight of the large multifid tassel or crest at 
the apex of each. This tassel consists of numerous 
slender, linear and serrulated pieces, which keep on 
growing and dividing long after the rest of the frond 
is mature, and consequently maintains a light green 
appearance, while the older pinnae bearing it is of a 
dark green. As spores are freely produced, it is 
probable that a large percentage of the seedlings 
would prove true to the type ; and, if so, the variety 
must prove a valuable acquisition for market 
purposes. An Award of Merit was accorded it when 
exhibited at the meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, on the 21st ult., by Mr. F. Lane, gardener 
to G. Standford, Esq., Horsham. 
SpiRiEA Bumalda. —The leaves of this beautiful 
Spiraea are lanceolate, dark green, and rather sharply 
serrated. The flowers are crimson in bud, deep rosy- 
red when fully expanded, and produced in flat 
corymbs at the end of the shoots. The plant is quite 
hardy, and a very ornamental subject for the shrub¬ 
bery. An Award of Merit was accorded it when 
shown by Mr. A. Waterer, Knap Hill, Woking, at the 
Drill Hall on the above-mentioned occasion. 
Allamanda Williamsii. — The leaves of this 
showy Allamanda are lanceolate-elliptic, hairy or 
pubescent beneath and of a rich dark green colour. 
As a rule there are four in a whorl, but occasionally 
they are alternate at the tips of the shoots. The 
flowers are of large size and, produced in symes at 
the apex of the shoots. They are notable for a long 
slender tube and a widely-expanded, clear, bright 
yellow five-lobed lamina. The throat is of a deeper 
hue, striated with faint orange lines. It flowers very 
freely, and will evidently make a useful exhibition 
plant. A First class Certificate was awarded it 
when shown on the same occasion as the above, by 
Meskrs. B. S. Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. 
Pelargonium Beauty of Castle Hill. —The 
variety under notice belongs to the Ivy-leaved 
section, and has large, semi-double flowers, with 
broad, rosy-carmine petals. The leaves are five to 
seven lobed and green, without evidence of the dark 
zone characteristic of some kinds. Judging from the 
plant shown by Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead, on the 
21st ult., the variety is very floriferous. An Award 
of Merit was accorded it. 
Rudbeckia californica. —The leaves of this 
species are lanceolate, three to five nerved and 
undivided. The flower heads are of large size with 
long yellow rays ; but the greatly elongated, cylin¬ 
drical disc must always be a noticeable feature of the 
plant. It is hardy and suitable for the herbaceous 
border. Cut flowers of it were shown by Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt, who received an Award of 
Merit for it. 
Sweet Peas. —A large number of selected and 
named varieties of Sweet Peas was shown by Mr. 
Henry Eckford, Wem, Salop, and three of them 
received Awards of Merit at the Drill Hall on the 
21st ult. These were—Mrs. Eckford, a creamy-yellow 
variety, Lady Penzance, rosy-scarlet and reticulated 
with darker veins, and Venus, a curious and rather 
novel variety, decidedly tinted with pink on a creamy- 
yellow ground. 
Delphinium Zalil. —In this we have a pretty 
annual species of Larkspur with primrose-yellow 
flowers, tinted with pink on the back, and of medium 
size. The stem is branched, each branch terminating 
in a long raceme of flowers. The petals are small 
with an orange blotch on each of the upper two 
The species is a native of Afghanistan, from whence 
it was introduced as recently as 1887, and is 
also known under the name of D. hybridum sulphu- 
reum. Messrs. Kelway & Sons, Langport, Somerset, 
showed it and received a Botanical Certificate for it. 
Carnation Dr. Hogg. —In this we have a Bizarre 
variety of great merit, with large flowers and 
regularly arranged petals, but slightly incurved at the 
tips so that the lamina is somewhat concave. The 
ground colour is blush unequally striped with scarlet 
and crimson. The variety was shown at the Drill 
Hall, Westminster, on the 21st ult., by Mr. C. 
Turner, Slough, when a First-class Certificate was 
awarded it by the National Carnation and Picotee 
Society. 
Carnation Niphetos. — Both this and the following 
variety are border Carnations, which received First- 
class Certificates from the National Carnation and 
Picotee Society, when shown by Mr. C. Blick, The 
Warren, Hayes, Kent. The flowers of Niphetos are 
pure white, with broad, flat, and regularly-arranged 
petals slightly dentate at the apex. They are excellent 
in form and in no way lumpy. The stems are vigorous, 
about 2 ft. high, and the foliage good. For cut 
flower purposes the variety will prove an acquisition. 
Carnation Lady Gwendoline. —The flowers of 
this variety are of large size, regular in form, and 
scarlet-red, fading a little as they get old. The petals 
are broad, flat, rounded, and quite entire, 
Trop.eolum Mrs. Clibran. —From Messrs. Wil¬ 
liam Clibran & Son, Altrincham, we have received 
some cut blooms of a new bedding variety of Tropae- 
olum named Mrs. Clibran, which they state is a most 
profuse bloomer, and averages in height from four to 
six inches. The colour of the flowers is pale orange, 
and it should make a gay bedder. It is to be sent 
out next spring. 
Fruit. 
Strawberry, Gunton Park Seedling.- —The 
fruits of this variety are of large size, and wedge- 
shaped, but sometimes almost ovoid in the smaller 
specimens. They are of a uniform rich red when 
mature, and exceedingly sweet. 
Lord Suffield. —The fruit in this case is broadly 
ovoid, or sometimes slightly wedge-shaped in the 
bigger specimens, but is by no means large at any 
time. When mature, it is of an intense blackish-red, 
tender, delicate and richly flavoured. The skin is 
firm, however, when not over ripe, enabling the fruit 
to carry well by rail or post when properly packed. 
Both varieties of Strawberry were exhibited by Mr. 
W. Allen, gardener to Lord Suffield, Gunton Park, 
Norwich, on the occasion of the meeting of the Fruit 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
the 21st ult., and each received a First-class 
Certificate. 
WEDDING DECORATIONS. 
We associate everything that is bright and glad 
and beautiful with the wedding—or, better, with the 
bride ! She shall have flowers in plenty, banks and 
bowers, and her pathway must be strewn with them ! 
But first, let us see what we can do about using the 
flowers in the best way, and arranging them so they 
shall produce a delicate and dainty colour effect. 
White flowers we shall use in plenty, but even these 
have their colour effects, and a glance at The Bride 
Rose shows us at once the presence of some yellow ! 
Then we must be careful that this lovely Rose shall 
not be injured by any pure white flowers coming too 
near. And when we employ coloured flowers we 
must be particular in our choice, and use dainty and 
delicate colours. There are Roses whose petals are 
tipped with blushes, these were made for us to use ; 
for instance, the Madame de Watteville and Madame 
Cusin. Then we have blushing Pinks and rosy 
Pasonies, dainty Sweet Peas and rose-tipped Pond 
Lilies, delicate Mermet Roses and luxurious La 
France Roses, in fact, there are all the flowers we 
wish for ranging through the pink tones, right at our 
elbows. 
But we are running on too fast. First let us start 
with some single idea, which shall be at once simple 
and beautiful. We should choose between some 
delicate symphonies of colour. Let it be a symphony 
in white and rose, or cream and gold, or pink alone, 
or while and pale yellow. Here we have some good 
starting points, besides those flowers mentioned 
above; we have Daisies and Buttercups (I wish the 
