July 20, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
737 
any trouble that is beyond the power of the English 
Post Office, and would, if introduced, no doubt prove 
not only a source of revenue to that department, but 
also afford facilities for trading such as the public 
would not be slow to take advantage of.” 
Aldenham Street Children’s Flower Show—The 
thirteenth annual flower show of the Aldenham Street 
Sunday School, in connection with Regent Square 
Presbyterian Church (Rev. John McNeill), took place 
in the Aldenham Institute, Goldington Crescent, on 
Saturday last. This school, which is one of the largest 
in the metropolis, having 1,400 children on its roll, 
was the first to introduce flower shows in connection 
with Sunday Schools in England. Saturday’s show 
was one of the best and most successful ever held. 
There were 752 exhibits, consisting of window boxes of 
annuals, pots of annuals, plants in pots, and home¬ 
made work, as against 585 last year, by 129 boys, 108 
girls, and 17 teachers, in all 314 exhibitors, as compared 
with 150 in 1888. The Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Medal for the best collection of four plants was won by 
Harry Briers. Other special prizes were awarded for 
collections of plants in addition to the ordinary prizes, 
about 100 in number, for the different varieties. The 
Rev. John McNeill addressed the children in charac¬ 
teristically happy terms, and congratulated the children 
and those friends in charge of the show upon the 
success that had attended their efforts, as he believed 
these shows were doing a good work in developing 
a love for all that was beautiful in nature. Mr. 
McNeill then presented the special prizes. 
-- 
and is extremely fioriferous. Spotted King differs 
from the last in having deep golden yellow flowers, 
with large crimson blotches. Pearl has soft luteus- 
yellow, unspotted flowers, and is both dwarf and 
fioriferous. A variety named Coeruleum roseum has 
deep red flowers resembling Ruby, and produced in 
great profusion. The most singular of all the varie¬ 
ties grown is that named Terra Cotta. The plant forms 
a spreading mass, with light green foliage surmounted 
by a profusion of bronzy flowers, which on close 
inspection have a silky gloss. They are singularly 
curious, but not attractive. 
Crucifers. 
A large collection of Stocks is being grown on trial, 
but they were not sufficiently advanced for inspection 
ANNUALS SUITABLE FOR 
LONDON GARDENS.—I. 
A large number of annuals belonging to widely diverse 
natural orders are being grown on trial in the gardens 
of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick, and 
they were recently inspected by the Floral Committee, 
as mentioned by us at p. 728. All those exhibiting 
showy flowers, a fioriferous character, good habit, 
general distinctness, and suitability for culture in 
London and suburban gardens were honoured with 
three marks, a distinction equivalent to a First Class 
Certificate. The object of this article is to give a little 
more detail concerning those that were so honoured. 
Cloveworts. 
Comparatively few of this large family are popular 
annuals ; but Silene pendula is much used, especially 
for spring bedding. The double form, S. p. compacta 
flore pleno, grows into compact, free-flowering masses 
about 4 ins. to 6 ins. in height. The supernumerary 
petals are sometimes in bundles, as if they originated as 
out-growths from the primary ones, while the stamens 
and pistil are perfect, so that there is no difficulty 
in obtaining seeds, provided the season is moderately 
dry so as not to rot the flowers. Viscaria cardinalis is 
a showy annual with brilliant red flowers produced on 
slender branching stems about 1 ft. or more in height. 
A bed of it is very effective. The greater number of 
the species of Gypsophila grown in gardens are per¬ 
ennials, but G. elegans grown here is similar, having 
a very much branched and graceful inflorescence, and a 
profusion of tiny flowers that might be utilised for the 
purpose of bouquet making. 
Geranium Family. 
Neither of the undermentioned are as a rule classed by 
gardeners with Geraniums, yet to that large family they 
belong. One of the earliest of annuals is Limnanthes 
Douglasii, which in the months of May and June 
renders the borders quite gay—autumn and self-sown 
seedlings being, of course, the earliest. The lobed 
leaves resemble those of a Nemophila, but the golden 
yellow flowers with white edges have often been 
mistaken for a kind of Buttercup. 
All the dwarf Tropieolums (T. minus) were 
considered suitable for town culture. They are com¬ 
monly known under the ridiculous and confusing 
names of Small Indian Cress or Nasturtium, although 
they are neither Cresses nor Nasturtiums, nor do they 
come from India. Both T. majus and T. minus are 
natives of Peru. Empress of India is generally con¬ 
sidered the best of the dark-coloured kinds, being very 
fioriferous, with flowers of an intense scarlet, and 
beautiful foliage of an intense green. King of Tom 
Thumb is similar but is a shade lighter in the colours 
of the flowers and leaves, while it is considerably 
dwarfer. Golden King of Tom Thumb has golden 
yellow unspotted flowers and dark foliage. King 
Theodore is characterised by the intense crimson of its 
flowers and dark foliage. Crystal Palace Gem has 
pale yellow flowers, with a crimson spot on'each petal, 
Bartonia aurea. 
when the others were examined. Erysimum Peroff- 
skianum, with its small but bright orange flowers, and 
E. arkansanum, with large clear yellow blossoms, we 
described in our last issue. 
The annual species of Candytuft, varieties of Iberis 
amara and I. umbellata, are all very fioriferous, easily 
grown, showy, and otherwise suitable for the purpose 
above mentioned. Those coming under I. amara are 
Rocket-flowered, Dobbie’s New White Rocket, and Tom 
Thumb. These have white flowers, produced in rather 
elongated racemes, and differing more or less in size, 
while the leaves are deeply and rather coarsely toothed. 
Tom Thumb differs from the other two in being dwarf, 
Clarkia pijlciiella. 
but varying according to circumstances from 6 ins. to 
12 ins. in height. Varieties belonging to I. umbellata 
have obsoletely-tootlied or almost entire leaves, and the 
flowers are arranged in a short flat corymb resembling 
an umbel. The best of this group is I. u. Dunnettii, 
which has very dark purple and showy flowers ; those 
of Normandy are lilac. New Carmine has rosy carmine 
flowers, while those of a strain named New Hybrid, 
mixed, are mostly lilac, with a few dark purple kinds. 
Grown in a mass these Candytufts are perceptibly and 
agreeably fragrant. 
Lupins. 
A number of different kinds of Lupins are grown, and 
they are almost the only representatives of the Pea 
family in this trial. Lupinus nanus, L. n. albus and 
L. luteus were the only kinds honoured with dis¬ 
tinguishing marks. The first named is probably the 
most widely-cultivated species in this country, and 
is a very old inhabitant of many gardens, including 
those of cottagers. It grows to a height of 12 ins. or 
18 ins., is very fioriferous, and has the flowers variously 
shaded with blue, purple and white. The variety 
L. n. albus is pure white and equally fioriferous. L. 
luteus, as the name implies, has yellow flowers, and is 
very distinct ; it does not flower very profusely, how¬ 
ever, but branches a good deal and looks as if it 
would keep up a succession of flowers for many weeks 
to come. Several other kinds are grown with equally 
pretty or even more showy flowers, hut they are strong 
growers, and produce only a moderate amount of bloom. 
Clakkias. 
Some half-a-dozen forms of varieties of Clarkia pulchella 
are just now a mass of bloom, and indicate indisputably 
their adaptability for suburban gardens. C. p. integri- 
petala flore pleno has rose-coloured flowers, but vary 
extremely in being single or semi-double, with entire 
or trifid petals. The last character is peculiar to the 
typical form of C. pulchella, and when the limb of the 
petal is entire it is elliptic or rhomboid in outline, that 
is, diamond-shaped. There is a white form of this 
variety, and both grow from 18 ins. to 24 ins. in 
height. C. p. rosea plena has single or semi-double, 
Carnation-coloured, and very pretty flowers. Mrs. 
Langtry is also exceedingly pretty, and has entire, 
lozenge-shaped, deep rosy purple petals, with a distinct 
white margin. It comes true from seed, seems pretty 
constant, and is only 12 ins. or 15 ins. in height. 
Tom Thumb is about the same height, and varies 
slightly with light or deep rose-coloured flowers. The 
petals are entire, and similar in shape to those of Mrs. 
Langtry. Another pretty variety is the new Dwarf 
Rose, with pale lilac-pink or rose-coloured flowers. 
Miscellaneous. 
Under this heading may be classed a varied assortment 
of beautiful hardy annuals belonging to different natural 
orders. Campanula macrostyla, a very singular yet 
striking species, is described on another page. The 
great golden yellow flowers of Bartonia aurea, with 
their masses of stamens, remind one of Hypericum 
calycinum, or some of the other large-flowered kinds. 
There is a scarlet blotch at the base of each petal, but 
it is toned down or almost hidden by the stamens. It 
is a strong-growing Californian species, with more or 
less deeply-cut or lobed leaves, and is certainly hand¬ 
some when allowed plenty of room to develop. Nolana 
atriplicifolia is a member of the Convolvulus family, 
with blue and white flowers, and a yellow eye. A 
pretty dwarf annual is Asperula orientalis, producing a 
profusion of small lilac-blue or sky-blue flowers in dense 
heads, which are fragrant and admirably adapted for 
bouquet making. It is a native of the Caucasus, and 
is perhaps better known in gardens under the name of 
A. azurea setosa. Linum grandiflorum rubrum, with its 
crimson-red flowers, is so well known in every garden 
that it hardly calls for comment. 
As a garden annual for border decoration, Eutoca 
viscida is certainly handsome, with its intense blue 
flowers spotted with purple in the centre. The viscid 
glands, however, with which the whole plant is beset, 
and the odour given off by them, would militate against 
it for cut-flower purposes. Covent Garden Favourite 
Mignonette is a very meritorious kind, with pyramidal 
racemes of flowers having conspicuous orange anthers. 
Gilia liniflora is well named, for the whole habit of the 
plant and the profusion of pure white flowers give the 
plant very much the aspect of a Linum. The leaves, 
however, are opposite, deeply and palmately divided 
into linear segments. No collection of annuals would 
be complete without some of the Linarias, and L. 
reticulata aureo-purpurea has deep crimson flowers, 
with a large and conspicuous orange palate. The lower 
lip is undivided, save for three distinct and minute 
teeth. 
-- 
SUMMER-PRUNING HARDY 
FRUIT TREES. 
In all the various branches in connection with horti¬ 
cultural pursuits, there is no portion more pleasing to 
the eye or more deeply interesting than a tastefully 
arianged, well-assorted, skilfully managed hardy fruit 
garden or orchard. There are many persons who take 
great interest in hardy fruit trees, and by a judicious 
selection of varieties, a constant and watchful super¬ 
vision, and due attention to pruning and training, they 
have been able to produce fruits of superior excellence, 
but if we may judge from the badly pruned specimens 
which are so frequently met with, it is quite evident 
that there is still room for a vast improvement in this 
respect—a much deeper, wider, and more scientific and 
practical knowledge of the art of pruning. In dealing 
with this question it is impossible to dissociate spring 
disbudding from summer pruning, because the latter is 
merely a continuation of the former, and one is a 
