April 27 , 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
545 
But in planting out to grow exhibition flowers, there 
is no reason why the cultivator should not study floral 
effect, and he can do this by placing, as far as he can, 
the tallest-growing varieties in the centre of his bed or 
quarter, and arrange the colours so as to harmonise the 
one with the other as much as possible. 
It is best to grow the young plants in pots during 
the autumn and winter, keeping them in a cold frame, 
and then plant them out in March and April, putting 
in about the roots some manure mingled with soil. 
What is wanted is a good start, so as to ensure a 
vigorous growth. When they have reached 1 ft. in 
height, the shoots should be thinned out, allowing the 
plants to carry one, two, or three flowering shoots, as 
the case may be, according to the strength of the plants ; 
when they are tall enough, each should be supported 
by a stake some 4 ft. in height, and driven firmly into 
the ground. Growers invariably recommend that the 
stakes be placed to the plants early in the season, and 
the young shoots be carefully tied to them, so as to 
induce erect growth. When intended for exhibition, 
the flower-buds will need to be judiciously thinned, 
whether single blooms or spikes are required, so as to 
give the flowers ample space to expand. 
When the Hollyhock was at its greatest height of 
popularity, it was shown in spikes as well as cut blooms. 
Spikes made a grand display, shown in twelves and 
sixes, when they were well grown, and symmetrically 
furnished with well-developed flowers. In the days 
when Chater, Turner, Paul, Bragg, Hawke and others 
used to exhibit, the spikes were 4 ft. in length, and the 
buds were previously so thinned, that the spike was 
quite covered with blooms, without being crowded. 
Huge frames covered with tiffany were required to 
convey the spikes to the place of exhibition. The last 
thoroughly good competition I saw with Hollyhock 
spikes was at Bishop Auckland, when the exhibition 
there was maintained at the very height of its prosperity. 
But a few words are necessary in reference to the 
summer treatment. The surface soil round each plant 
should be well mulched with manure during the 
summer, and in the event of drought prevailing, there 
must be no stint of water. Some means of shading 
will be necessary, and if the grower would have finely- 
finished flowers, they must be protected alike from 
sunshine and rain, for splashed and otherwise disfigured 
flowers are a great eyesore, and when placed on the 
exhibition table in this condition, cannot be expected 
to win a prize. And just a word about seedlings. It 
is not difficult to make an annual of the Hollyhock by 
sowing the seeds in heat about the month of January, 
pushing them on into growth, planting out early and 
giving good culture ; and then some of the plants will 
bloom late the same year. But it is perhaps best to 
make a biennial of it, and sow the seeds in May or 
June, and then plant out in the open in September or 
October. If the soil be at all wet during winter, it 
might be best to grow on the seedlings in pots through 
the winter, and not plant out until early in March ; 
but it is hardly worth troubling with seedlings unless 
the seed be of a good strain.— R. D. 
--- 
ALBERT NURSERY, PECKHAM 
RYE. 
Messrs. Boulton & Shuttlewop.th, having leased 
Albert Lodge, with the piece of meadow land attached 
to it, have there established a nursery business. The 
nursery is situated at the extreme, that is, the southern 
end of Peckham Eye, and is in fact nearer to Honor Oak 
railway station than the former. 
Two houses, each 100 ft. in length, have been 
constructed and filled with Palms, Ferns, Dracienas, 
and other decorative stuff. As the number of houses 
is increased, various subjects and classes of plants, will 
no doubt be added, but Palms will constitute one of 
the leading features of the nursery. 
There are large quantities of such popular and useful 
subjects as Cocos Weddelliana, Geonoma gracilis, and 
Areca lutescens, ranging from 10 ins. to 2 ft. or 3 ft. 
high, all in excellent condition, clean, and healthy. 
Some half-a-dozen good plants of Rhapis humilis 
represent an extremely graceful Palm that is yet far 
from being common. Young specimens of Phoenix 
rupicola, with leaves from 12 ins. to 15 ins. in length, 
are just showing their natural form. Seaforthia elegans, 
with leaves from 18 ins. to 24 ins. long, resembles some 
of the Arecas at this stage. The fan-leaved Palms 
Corypha australis and Chamserops excelsa are grown 
in considerable quantity, while some thousands of 
seedlings of Latania borbonica are coming on. 
Large numbers of Dracaenas in various stages may be 
seen, from the old stems in the propagating case to 
highly coloured specimens of D. terminalis, while the 
best form of D. rubra, with leathery leaves, is also 
grown. Amongst variegated subjects, Pandanus 
Veitchii, Aspidistra lurida variegata and Ficus elastica 
variegata are some of the most popular at the present 
time. Asparagus tenuissimus seems to meet with some 
favour in the market, and finds a place here. Flowering 
plants are represented by batches of old and young 
plants of Gardenia florida, all grown in pots. There is 
also a fine batch of Primula sinensis alba plena in full 
flower ; it is one of the best for cut-flower purposes, 
being neither too large nor lumpy. Lily of the Valley 
has also proved a great success. Both large and 
small plants of Souvenir de la Malmaison Carnation 
are being brought forward under glass, as well as 
Lilium candidum. Orchids are as yet by no means 
plentiful in kinds, although several of them are grown 
in quantity, such as Odontoglossum grande, Lycaste 
Skinneri, and Cattleya Mendelii. Some good pieces of 
the newly-imported Lrelia Goldieana are just starting 
into growth. 
Ferns and Selaginellas—the former especially—will 
in time be extensively cultivated. At present the 
latter genus is represented by S. Martensii variegata, 
S. Kraussiana and its golden variety. Amongst Ferns, 
Pteris serrulata magnifica, P. s. cristata, and P. 
tremula are most largely grown. The silvery 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei Thomsonianum. 
variegated P. argyrea is also very conspicuous amongst 
the green kinds, and the beautiful Onychium japoni- 
cum is also plentiful. Very useful for edgings and 
other purposes are Ficus repens aud Panicum varie- 
gatum. The Cornish Moneywort (Sibthorpia europcea 
variegata) is a gem not soon forgotten by those who 
have seen it in good condition. 
-- 
SAXIFRAGA CAMPOSII. 
Undoubtedly this is the finest of all the white mossy- 
leaved Saxifrages, which, although it was introduced 
from Spain so recently as 1882, growers of all classes 
are beginning to recognise its true value. On the 
rockwork it is at home, and increases at a moderate 
rate compared with our British species in the same class. 
Its greatest value from a decorative point of view is as 
a pot plant. Cuttings rooted in summer, potted off 
singly into large 60’s, or even small 48’s, will make 
beautiful plants by the following spring, if kept in a 
cold frame. Heat is not essential at all, and plants so 
grown will flower later on. If brought into a little 
heat, however, they can be forced, so to speak, and had 
in flower even in March. Market growers have already 
made this discovery, as may have been seen by the 
handsome flowering specimens in Covent Garden 
Market for some time past. The plant is known in 
many gardens under the name of S. Wallacei, that 
name having been given to it about Edinburgh, out of 
a mistaken idea as to its origin. The accepted specific 
name was given in commemoration of Don Pedro del 
Campo. The flowers are large, pure white, and raised 
on stems about 6 ins. or 8 ins. high. 
ODONTOGLOSSUM PESOATOREI. 
The range of variation in this popular Orchid, while 
not so great as in 0. crispum, is, nevertheless, very 
considerable in extent. There are, however, very few 
real gems, if we take the glorious variety Veitchianum as 
the finest known type. Next to this in point of merit 
is the very beautiful variety shown at the Orchid 
Conference by Messrs W. Thomson & Sons, Clovenfords, 
and of which a form was exhibited by H. M. Pollett, 
Esq., Fernside, Bickley, at the Drill Hall, on Tuesday 
last, when a First Class Certificate was awarded to it 
hv the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. Ithad round andimbricating flowers of good size. 
The sepals and ovate petals are blush, tinted with a few 
deep purple blotches on the middle of each, while there 
is only one blotch as a rule about the middle of the lip. 
The basal part of the latter is furnished with a yellow 
disc, heavily stained with deep purple on the radiating 
fringes at the base. The plant was small, but the 
flowers were marvellously pretty and effective. 
-->X<-- 
ARE HERBACEOUS AND AL¬ 
PINE PLANTS DISTINCT ? 
Various responses could, and probably would be given 
to this question by different people ; and this fact is 
well demonstrated at various horticultural exhibitions 
where prizes are offered in distinct classes for herbaceous 
and Alpine plants. In such cases one would expect to 
see some attempt at a distinction between one and the 
other ; but actual evidence is all against it, and the 
rules, if there are any, are carried out in the loosest 
manner possible. Now this is neither creditable nor 
satisfactory, either to exhibitors or the public at large. 
A definition of an herbaceous plant is that it is 
a soft-wooded one, or that in which there is but a small 
development of woody tissue. One occasionally hears 
that herbaceous plants annually die down to the ground ; 
but such a view is very erroneous, because many 
strictly herbaceous plants are decidedly evergreen, 
such, for instance, as the Daisy, Thyme, Aubrietias, 
Helleborus niger, H. orientalis, many of the Veronicas, 
Sedums, Arabis, perennial Candytufts, Wallflowers, 
and many others. The lower parts of the stems of the 
last two mentioned may even be of a shrubby character. 
Even here the exact line of demarcation is very difficult 
to define. Herbaceous plants may range from the 
fraction of an inch in height to 12 ft. or 14 ft., or even 
more, and include subjects widely diverse in character. 
Woody plants, on the other hand, include shrubs and 
trees ranging from 3 ins. or 4 ins. in height to 100 ft., 
and upwards. 
The term Alpine would refer to plants growing at 
considerable elevations, and may include herbaceous 
and shrubby subjects peculiar to mountains, hilly 
districts, or Arctic regions. It may be acknowledged 
that even such a definition is not strictly binding to 
anything like accuracy. If the term Alpine should 
be strictly reserved to plants affecting or confined to 
particular elevations, it would limit the number 
referable to that class, and would mean something 
tolerably definite ; whereas at present the word Alpine 
may mean, practically, anything or nothing, according 
to individual views. Some may no doubt contend that 
such a view is too technical and impractical to be of 
any value, and that common sense can easily decide in 
such matters without the necessity of hair-splitting. 
But what common sense can, and may do, are two 
entirely different things on many occasions. 
Some genera, tribes, and even families are peculiarly 
Alpine or mountainous in their habitats ; but in such 
a genus as Primula, where a large proportion of the 
plants inhabit elevated regions, some of them, such as 
P. vulgaris, P. veris, P. elatior and others, are, strictly 
speaking, of the nature of meadow rather than Alpine 
plants, although the two former sometimes ascend to 
an elevation of 1,600 ft. They should nevertheless be 
strictly excluded from a collection of Alpines. Most 
of the Saxifrages, many of the Sedums, some of the 
Gentians only, as well as Anemones, Ranunculus, 
Campanulas, Potentillas, Dianthus, and many others 
would be admissible ; while such things as Corydalis, 
Cyclamen hederrefolium, Anemone nemorosa, Grape 
Hyacinths, and many other lowland pasture or hedge- 
bank plants should be excluded. 
As a matter of fact, however, according to the present 
custom, any dwarf plant may be exhibited as an 
Alpine,' and no distinction can be made in some cases 
between an exhibit of Alpine and another of herbaceous 
plants. Other exhibitors are evidently guided by the 
relative heights of the plants, making the tall ones do 
service as herbaceous plants, and the dwarf ones as 
Alpines. From a common sense point of view this 
