820 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 1889. 
s^ofJidUXWf^. 
The Growl from Oxford. 
A “Disappointed but Inquiring Novice” has written 
you a very able, temperate and well-reasoned letter. 
He has also adduced certain facts of much interest, not 
alone to exhibitors, but to cultivators like myself, who 
look to these exhibitions as the fountain-head of 
authority on the best types of the flowers we cultivate 
in common. Your correspondent says, with the 
authority of an eye-witness, that in two instances— 
viz., in that of the premier Picotee and in that of the 
premier yellow ground—the referee’s decisions were 
overborne by some pertinacious elder brother, who 
must be indeed strangely unacquainted with the very 
element of arbitration, which is that the referee’s 
decision is final. If the facts are as the writer de¬ 
scribes them, then the premier awards, both of Picotee 
and yellow grounds, have been wrongly made, and were 
it worth while to do so could be upset. These are 
matters of fact of general interest, but your correspon¬ 
dent, Mr. Sydenham, thinks it is a reply to them to 
tell us how many years he has grown Picotees and 
Carnations, and that he has been a prize-winner at 
London, Oxford, and elsewhere ! I should be glad 
to see an argument on the other side which touched the 
questions of fact raised by “A Disappointed but 
Inquiring Novice.”— B. 
Your correspondent, the “Disappointed Exhibitor,” 
being behind the scenes of course knows more than I 
can profess to do, but I, too, came away from the Oxford 
show without a prize. Still, I was not disappointed, 
simply for the reason that I expected nothing. I 
certainly took a number of what I thought were pretty 
good blooms, and when I looked on some of those of 
my neighbours, there did not appear such a great 
superiority in theirs at first sight, but when I came to 
see them on the show table, there was such a metamor¬ 
phosis in those of my neighbours that I cast mine into 
the box, and spent my time in the admiration of the 
plants in pots. The fact is, that although an old 
decorator, I am not an expert in what is called dressing 
for the stage. I admire the Carnation in its natural 
beauty of form and colour, and I could not possibly set 
to work to slit the calyx, pick out each single or 
defective petal, stretch out the guard petals to nearly 
double their original length, then turn and twist the 
remainder of the bloom until the form and size were out 
of all proportion to the natural blooms, adding a stiff card 
at the back to keep the parts from falling to pieces. I 
love the beautiful in almost every shape, but I could 
not distort it to such set forms. 
A split calyx is disallowed ! Is it 1 Could these 
blooms be made to cover such an extent of surface 
unless every section of the calyx was torn down, and 
the natural support of the bloom withdrawn ? Take 
away the card from any of those grand show flowers 
and what pretty things they would be ! I have had 
and now have hundreds of beautiful blooms—Germania, 
to wit, is magnificent—but unless I almost tear them 
to pieces I cannot possibly make them cover above half 
the surface of card. 
My yellow-ground Carnations and Picotees, of which 
I have about fifty named varieties, are magnificent to my 
eye, and excellence of form and colour is to me a great 
part fof their beauty ; the variety of form, colour, and 
marking is so charming that nothing could induce me 
to interfere with the diversified forms ; still, tastes 
differ, and I will not find fault with my neighbour 
because his taste differs from mine. Let us each follow 
our own course, but I do think that if an exhibitor is 
to win with blooms so moulded and dressed, he should 
be expected to dress his own flowers ; if the flower is to 
be judged by its dressing, or what I should call 
distortion, then let the dresser have the prize awarded 
to him. If the disappointed one could have secured 
an expert to form and shape his flowers, it is quite 
possible that he might have taken both prizes and 
honours. I speak not of the “ Oxford ” alone, but of 
the National and every other Carnation exhibition 
where the same course is followed. Still, if the Carna¬ 
tion is to extend its influence, I think that in all 
fairness there should be a class or classes provided for 
those who prefer the natural to the artificial, and, as a 
distinction, let it be termed the loyal and natural 
section, let the blooms be exhibited on tolerable 
stems, accompanied by a portion of the natural foliage 
or grass, and instead of a card of white let it be 
cushioned in a bed of green moss, as is the case in 
staging a good box of Roses. 
The blooms of most good varieties may be guided 
into a good form whilst growing, without distorting 
them with the tweezers after they are cut from the 
plant. I am told that this would never do, as the 
custom of tweezer dressing is so universal that the 
growers would continue to follow the old plan. Well, 
possibly so, but it is worth a trial, and if a few of the 
“naturals” will but combine, we may possibly see a 
few, or probably many, “natural” Carnations staged 
in 1890.— TV. TV. 
Carnation and Picotee Union. 
As supplementary to the recent exhibition by the 
Carnation and Picotee Union at Oxford, I may state 
that the annual business meeting of the members took 
place in Mr. Dodwell’s garden in the evening. Mr. 
Samuel Barlow, J. P., one of the vice-presidents, pre¬ 
siding, there being a good attendance of members. 
The minutes of the last annual meeting having been 
read and signed, it was unanimously resolved that the 
officers and committee be continued in office, the latter 
with power to add to their number. Eventually the 
name of Mr. Wynne Foulkes was added to the com¬ 
mittee. The expenditure of £15 12s. for clerks 
assistance, postage, and the despatch of plants to sub¬ 
scribers, was allowed. Some modification has been 
made in the method of distributing plants to subscribers, 
and offers of surplus stock for the purpose were made 
by Mr. R. Sydenham and other growers. —R. D. 
-—> X< -- 
GARDENING AS A RECREATION. 
Gardening as a recreation holds a unique position, for 
prince, peer and peasant can alike pursue one or more 
branches of the art, and may all derive pleasure in 
carrying out and watching the various processes of 
culture and growth that take place in their respective 
domains. Possibly, too, there is no other pursuit in 
which the peasant can beat the peer in square com¬ 
petition, and to this fact is due the slight put upon 
gardening and gardeners in some quarters. Of this I 
am certain, for there are those among us who, proud of 
their social position and wealth, do [not like to be out¬ 
done by their poorer brethren, and so give gardening 
as little encouragament as they decently can. Cottagers 
and amateurs generally derive more pleasure from the 
cultivation of their gardens than those who follow the 
calling as a means of obtaining a livelihood, because 
they have a greater control over their circumstances, 
and are not subject to so many of the annoyances that 
the professional man often has to contend with, and 
which do so much to mar the pleasure otherwise to be 
derived in pursuit of that which on all hands must be 
conceded to be in itself one of the most pleasurable 
avocations. 
There is no other hobby which a cottager can indulge 
in where he is less fettered by his circumstances, for 
provided he has the good fortune to have a few rods of 
ground attached to his dwelling, or an allotment within 
an easy distance, he can by energy and perseverance 
equal and even excel those far above him in the social 
scale in the quality of his productions, and at a very 
moderate outlay for seeds and plants. Of this there 
is ample evidence given at the numerous cottagers’ 
shows held in all parts of the country. The exhibits 
of cottagers on these occasions give at least some excuse 
for a feeling of envy that will sometimes arise in the 
breasts of professional men when seeing themselves 
outdone through no fault of their own, but from being 
placed at a disadvantage as regards labour. As for 
cottagers in country districts, I believe that many of 
them derive as much pleasure in the cultivation of 
their gardens as does the rich man when viewing his 
paintings or sculpture, or even his gold, for after toil¬ 
ing in the fields or factory, the cottager can turn with 
renewed zest to his pet subjects, and find in tending 
them a relaxation and pleasure which nothing else can 
rival ; and if all cottagers had gardens, as they should 
have, many a man might be led to devote his spare 
time to it, and be weaned from pursuits more or less 
questionable, in which his money is squandered, to the 
detriment of himself and family. 
Too many in the higher ranks of society do not, 
from a faulty early training, derive the pleasure from 
gardening which they might otherwise do if their 
minds had been instilled with a knowledge of botany 
and natural history, with a love of flowers for their 
own intrinsic beauty of colour and structure. Garden¬ 
ing would then be to them a source of purer and more 
elevating enjoyment than it often is. With far too 
many, the sole idea, as regards flowers, is their use for 
personal and room decoration, utterly regardless of 
how plants may be mutilated, provided their personal 
vanity is gratifie l.— TV. B. G. 
CATTLE YA WARSCEWICZII 
HARD YANA. 
Mr. Hardy’s Cattleya is certainly one of the finest in 
cultivation. It is generally considered to be a natural 
hybrid between C. labiata Dowiana aurea and C. 1. 
Warscewiczii, better known under the name of C. gigas. 
When first introduced it was supposed to be the latter, 
but the difference was discernible as soon as the first 
flowers expanded. The blooms are notable for their 
great size, often measuring 8 ins. across, and are very 
richly coloured. The general distribution of the 
colours may be seen by reference to our illustration. 
The sepals and broad wavy petals.are of a warm rose- 
purple, and paler at the base. The lip is of great size, 
especially the lamina, which is broadly oblong, bifid, 
much undulated and wavy at the margin, and of an 
intense magenta-purple. This colouring is continued 
down into the tube, where it is veined and reticulated 
with golden yellow. The bright lines lead up to a 
large yellow blotch on each side of the opening to the 
tube, and the two give the flower a very characteristic 
appearance. The side lobes and the tube externally 
are of the same rich colour as the upper part of the lip. 
The reticulations on the tube recall those of C. Dowiana, 
hence the supposition of that form being one of the 
parents. It originally flowered in the collection of 
Mr. George Hardy, Pickering Lodge, Timperley, and 
when shown at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society in August, 1885, deservedly received a First 
Class Certificate. It was again exhibited at the meeting 
of the society on the 13th inst. by Henry Tate, Junr., 
Ebq., Allington Beeches, Liverpool. 
-->$<-- 
BEGONIAS AT FOREST HILL. 
The Begonias planted in the open ground in the nur¬ 
sery of Messrs. John Laing & Sons, at Stanstead Park, 
Forest Hill, are now commencing to make a fine 
display, and during the course of the next six weeks 
they have time to make a great improvement, and show 
their real characters, by which the novel or more choice 
kinds may be selected. About an acre of ground laid 
out in twenty-four beds is planted with something like 
125,000 seedlings of this year’s raising. The effect 
would have been splendid early in the season if the 
same space had been occupied with old plants. As it 
is, the display can hardly commence before August, and 
continue up till frost destroys their foliage, when, of 
course, they are lifted. The different colours were 
assorted into about twelve different kinds before 
planting, and it is surprising how true many kinds 
come to colour. A few plants of Zea Mays variegata 
are planted at regular intervals throughout the beds, 
and are rendered all the more conspicious by the side 
shoots near the base being almost white. Tarbat 
Blue and Duchess of Sutherland Lobelias are planted 
alternately along one side of the ground. The latter is 
pure white, and both are dwarf, compact, and 
floriferous. 
Begonias Under Glass—Doubles. 
Under glass the single and double varieties are mostly 
confined to separate houses. There is a large number 
of unnamed varieties, both single and double, many of 
which have been lifted from the beds out of doors ; and 
it is needless to state that they have been selected for 
some novelty in colour, improvement upon old types, 
or advancement of one kind or other. The different 
shades of white, blush, pink, rose, cream, yellow, 
orange, bronze, scarlet, and crimson are really endless. 
Flowers consisting of a single rosette of petals are at 
present greatly in favour, and a large number of seed¬ 
lings now show that character. Several resemble the 
variety known as Octavie, but have larger flowers of 
broad flat petals, and one with dark green slightly- 
lobed leaves was very distinct in character. It is 
impossible in the space at our disposal to notice a tithe 
of the numerous distinct types, which must be seen to 
be fully comprehended and appreciated according to 
individual taste. 
Very bright orange-scarlet are the flowers of Hensliaw 
Russell, consisting of several rosettes. Mrs. French is 
a pale creamy yellow flower of one rosette ; Apricot is 
another of the same type, with erect flowers of a dark 
apricot colour, and very choice. An unnamed seedling 
had erect bright yellow flowers, and another was pure 
white. Others of the same class had white, deep 
salmon, rose, rose and white-centred flowers, but with¬ 
out names it is impossible to specify them. They 
differ, not only in colour, but size, habit, and foliage. 
Triomphe de Nancy has very large flowers, and broad 
petals of a creamy yellow ; while Duchess of Teck is 
a light yellow, of several rosettes, and the outer petals 
