July 27, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
753 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Spiraea gigantea. 
Amongst herbaceous plants this would certainly be 
pronounced a giant, for the stem, as it stood in a tub, 
where it was shown at the Drill Hall, Westminster, 
on Tuesday last, was about 8 ft. high. The flowers are 
small and white, resembling those of our Meadow Sweet 
(S. ulmaria), but they are produced in large cymose 
panicles at the apex of the stem and in the axils of the 
upper leaves. The latter may be compared to those of 
S. venusta on a gigantic scale, for they consist of a 
large five to seven palmately divided terminal leaflet, 
with a few small ovate but irregular-sized lateral ones. 
The terminal one is so large as to appear like the whole 
leaf. The plant would be an acquisition for the margin 
of a lake or stream in the pleasure ground. It was 
shown by Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, and received 
a First Class Certificate. 
CORNUS SIBIRICA SPATHII. 
None of the variegated species of Cornus are more 
effective at a distance than the plant under notice. 
The opposite leaves are broadly ovate, closely arranged 
on the stem, and have a broad yellow margin with an 
irregular-shaped green central blotch. The yellow is, 
however, by far the more predominant colour, whether 
viewed from a distance or examined close at hand. It 
is perfectly hardy, and would be an acquisition to any 
collection of ornamental shrubs. A basket of plants of 
it was shown by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, at the last 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, when a 
First Class Certificate was awarded it. 
Pteris serrulata plumosa. 
P. serrulata has given rise to many beautiful crested 
varieties under cultivation, but none as yet have 
appeared more distinct than the present. The young 
leaves are, to all appearance, quite normal when first 
developed, but they soon begin to show small fissures 
at the apex of the pinnie, more especially at the apex of 
the terminal one, which forms a large pendent tassel. 
The leaves are erect at first, but as they become crested 
by a kind of proliferation, they droop almost straight 
down the sides of the pot, so that the latter has to be 
elevated to accommodate them. The variety will be 
invaluable for table decoration. It originated as a 
seedling about four years ago, and having been grown 
since then will no doubt prove constant. The plant, a 
large specimen, was exhibited at the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, on Tuesday last, by Mr. 
William Coleman, Swiss Cottage, Tunbridge Wells, 
when a First Class Certificate was deservedly awarded 
it. 
--»*<-- 
LAVATERA TRIMESTRIS. 
The flowers of this old-fashioned annual are well known 
almost to every gardener, for the plant has been culti¬ 
vated in Britain more or less since it was introduced 
from South Europe or Asia Minor in 1633. Few of the 
species are in cultivation, and the present is the only 
annual species having large conspicuous flowers such 
as gardeners should appreciate in an annual. It is 
included in the trial of annuals at Chiswick, or rather 
a variety of it, with rose-coloured flowers striped with 
pink. There is also a pure white variety, which forms 
a beautiful companion to it. The Floral Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society consider them 
amongst free-flowering annuals suitable for cultivation 
in London gardens. As a matter of course, annuals 
that will grow and flower sufficiently well to be con¬ 
sidered ornamental in a town garden, and under the 
influence of a smoky atmosphere, will also grow in 
almost any other garden if the climate is at all 
suitable. Collections of annuals in private estab¬ 
lishments generally include Lavatera trimestris and 
Malope trifida, with their varieties for sake of contrast. 
-•***■- 
HORTICULTURE TO THE FRONT. 
Most people will have observed the growing demand 
for horticultural produce. A visit to any of the 
vegetable markets of our great towns will at once fill 
the mind of the most indifferent observer with the 
conviction that this demand is amazingly on the 
increase. To those who are of a thoughtful cast of 
mind, such a state of matters cannot fail to arouse 
speculative ideas on the influence this increasing demand 
will have on agriculture and forestry. Agriculture 
seems, pure and simple, to be at its wits’ end ; horti¬ 
culture, apparently, seems to be on a thriving footing. 
Utilitarianism is fast becoming the order of the day. 
As a natural consequence, therefore, the farmer will 
be shouldered out by the horticulturist. The future 
cannot well afford to allow land to lie half cultivated in 
the hands of the farmer, when the more energetic 
horticulturist is competent to turn it into food supplies 
for the nation. The farmer says he cannot make the 
land pay. This, I believe, is a truism, and did he 
attempt to say otherwise,I would certainly be astonished. 
What does he do in order to expect a remunerative 
crop ? The old adage is true here—“ he reaps what he 
sows ” ; he depends too much on some occult force and 
the vagaries of the weather to do for him what he 
ought to do himself. This easy-going, dreamy style 
might do well enough were our ports ruthlessly closed 
against foreign produce ; as it is, it will not do, and 
clearly the farmer is out of touch with the whirling 
celerity of the times. An occasional attempt is made 
by the farmer to imitate the horticulturist, but rarely 
with any better result; generally failure more dire than 
that of farming covers his efforts, though, universally 
speaking, he holds the land at least an eighth cheaper 
than the horticulturist. 
There is a great probability that land tillage in the 
future will be all done by the spade. The present and 
past systems of farming, in general, are inadequate to 
fully call into action the wealth of the soil. Nor can 
such a system, except under rare circumstances, be pro¬ 
fitable to compete with American produce. Gradually, 
Horticulture, who properly understands the cultivation 
of the soil, will roll before her her already one-legged 
sister to prepare a way for her in the woods and glens of 
the land, where in turn, Dame Forestry will be packed 
still farther hillward, to afforest and beautify the land¬ 
marks of our kingdom. Properly speaking, and from 
an economic point of view, this, indeed, is the sphere 
which nature assigned to forestry. As forestry at 
present stands, I fully believe, were it not for its 
Lavatera trimestris. 
economic purpose as shelter and harbour for the well¬ 
being of game, no landed proprietors would think of 
carrying on a practice that on the face of it cannot be 
profitable. 
Much balderdash has been written on the other 
side, but common sense and reason are better teachers 
than the muddling syllogisms that would endeavour to 
convince us that 19s. llfd. are one and the same as 20s. 
No proprietor in our isles, possessed of a modicum of 
common sense, would for a moment entertain the idea 
that his forests are profitable. Such a practice can 
only be profitable where, as already said, it protects 
and encourages game, and above all, where the land is 
quite beyond the limits of agriculture. It is unnecessary 
to speak about the quantity, age, quality, &c., of 
timber grown in our kingdom, because every person 
knows how valueless it stands as a universal commodity. 
We can receive at every wood-dealer’s yard capital fire¬ 
wood from abroad, cheaper than we can receive oak, 
peeled wood or brushwood from the neighbouring 
forests. 
Assuming that horticulture will prevail against 
agriculture, and in turn, that agriculture will chase 
forestry to the steppes and mountain wastes, it is only 
in obedience to the laws of necessity that such will 
come about, and the probability that such will come 
about, is, indeed, very great. What foresters and 
farmers require meanwhile, however, is a thorough 
training in horticulture, not that they may in after life 
require its aid very much, but the training will 
establish a correct mode of observation, a system of 
work and management that is difficult to meet with in 
many other arts. They, too, require more extensive 
knowledge of subjects outside their own callings, to 
expand and develop the reasoning and judging powers. 
For instance, forestry is not able, I believe, to give 
any lucid explanation why the mountainous wastes of 
the three kingdoms, as well as some of the Western 
Hebrides and part of Caithness, cannot be again 
afforested. Science, no doubt, would assist here. 
The bare knowledge of farming and forestry is all 
very good, but this, no more than in horticulture, is not 
sufficient. I believe in the one certain rule—develop 
the mind as much as talent will admit, not only in 
our art, but in every possible phase of knowledge that 
bears directly or indirectly upon it. We occasionally 
notice much sophistry exhibited in arguing the 
contrary, but as such adverse logicians must necessarily 
be scions of an antediluvian age we do not begrudge 
them their natural indulgence. 
The forester is not on a firm footing in his profession 
without a sound knowledge of geology, botany, natural 
philosophy, chemistry, horticulture, agriculture, and 
several other sciences. This will be still more apparent 
when we observe that almost every science is in¬ 
separably linked with another, and that the knowledge 
of one is insufficient without part of another or more. 
The same is true of farming. No farmer to thoroughly 
appreciate his position and multiply his exchequer can 
successfully do so without having an intimate acquaint¬ 
ance with the several laws that bear upon his art. It 
would appear that agriculture, to a great extent, is yet 
trammelled with primitive prejudices, and unable to 
cast off the paralysing influences attending their train. 
Horticulture has so far overcome the sister art in this 
respect as to at least place reliance on self resources, 
and depend little or none at all on forces she does not 
yet comprehend. As for forestry, little improvement on 
or assistance to nature has been done to entitle the art 
to a very conspicuous position in the progressive or useful 
arts. It is certainly not developing, but there are 
grave indications that the opposite is indeed the case ; 
and this is not to be wondered at when we examine the 
mode of tuition that the young forester undergoes to 
further him in the important management of large 
forests ; and the most astounding part of the drama is 
that some of our foresters seem to think that such 
training and no other is just the thing for attaining 
success. A practical man, they say, is the one required 
to carry on the art. No doubt this is to some extent 
very true, but if they mean by it to represent only the 
experience they have acquired manually of the art, 
then they grievously err. They would do well to give 
some consideration to the system adopted by the Com¬ 
missioners of Woods and Forests if they would feign an 
approach to success. 
A fact that ought to make horticulturists proud is 
that from them emanated what literature and knowledge 
of any importance forestry can boast of; and to show 
how sterile forestry art and literature are each year 
becoming, a well-conducted journal in this town was 
unfortunately compelled to hang the pen “on the 
Willow tree,” for reservation to some future generation 
to take up. Again to indicate the value forestry puts 
on any matter whatever in this line, an essay on a 
certain subject by a clerk, who presumably could not be 
practical, received the first prize of a certain forestry 
association. This paper was afterwards published and 
circulated by the said association as a very acceptable 
treasure and ornament to their modern literature. 
Facts such as these but too truly demonstrate the 
necessity for some energy and attention on the behalf 
and training of our young “Robin Hoods.” Our 
young horticulturists fare better it would appear in this 
respect than the less fortunate young forester. They 
combine in forming mutual improvement associations, 
and in every way betray signs of an inherent tendency 
to separate themselves from grim ignorance as much 
as possible by duly adorning the inestimable gift which 
Nature has conferred upon them. In making this 
statement I must be understood as speaking generally, 
and not in the least to insinuate that our confreres are 
unrepresented in genius or science. 
As for the farmer (the young fanner of the period), 
he is either an ignoramus or a college dandy, absolutely 
unfitted for the arduous duties of the farm. Coursing, 
fox-hunting, and the edifying theory and practice of 
lawn tennis are more to his taste. In a word, neither 
of these are the right sort of men to be entrusted with 
the food production of a nation. While they witness 
the surging wave of foreign produce rolling in, threaten¬ 
ing their destruction, they obviously prefer to succumb 
to its power than to gird their loins with redoubled 
vigour. Perhaps it is not too much to say that the 
farmers are not specially guilty of exerting their 
physical or mental powers, and this, in a great 
measure, accounts for the wail of despair that is 
ascending to the clouds from Land’s End to John 
o’ Groats. The horticulturist is not slow to perceive 
this state of affairs, and where the farmer fails I have 
no doubt lie will turn up ducats of gold. Himself and 
time will conquer all.— Gamma, Edinburgh. 
