784 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August IS, 1892- 
past few weeks, to which the more recent 
warmth has added strength and maturity. 
f AMPTON Court Park.— Visitors to the 
beautiful gardens at Hampton Court 
Palace have often looked with a deep long¬ 
ing upon the magnificent glades formed by 
the noble avenue of Lime trees in the 
adjoining close Park. Few, however, have 
been privileged to enter that reserved 
enclosure or enjoy the sight which its grand 
expanse affords. It is very finely placed, 
for its south side forms the Middlesex 
bank of the silvery and winding Thames 
from Kingston Bridge to Hampton Court 
Gardens, a distance of some two and a 
half miles, the entire distance on to 
Hampton Court Bridge, inclusive of the 
Gardens, being about three miles. 
From Kingston Bridge also there runs 
on the northern side a broad road almost 
as straight as the string of a bow, and 
within these two thoroughfares, the river 
and the road, is a truly magnificent Park 
of some 1,000 acres, most superbly wooded, 
but from which the public are excluded, 
because this grand area is held sacred to 
the breeding of racehorses ! It was not at 
all a matter of surprise that the people of 
the adjoining district, did not long since, 
agitate strongly for the opening of this Park 
to them, as it is, like its adjoining neighbour 
Bushey Park, public property. We hope 
lhat ere long that agitation will be renewed, 
for a nobler, grander, public park than this 
enclosure would form could hardly be 
found in Europe. 
It is not a mere local matter. The Park 
is almost next door to London and with its 
suburbs giving a population of some six 
millions, to whom these noble open spaces 
constitute the essence of existence. There 
are in this enclosed area some of the finest 
avenues of Lime trees to be found in the 
Kingdom, a splendid sheet of ornamental 
water, and features that would soon in 
competent hands tranform it into a magnifi¬ 
cent public park. 
¥ he Public and the Parks. —What a 
very interesting return would be that 
obtained from the heads of all our public 
parks and gardens which have become 
places of common resort for the masses, 
and especially on the occasion of popular 
holidays, as to their demeanour, general 
conduct and regard for plants, trees, or 
other objects in these gardens. The last 
Bank Holiday seems to have thrown in 
almost every direction vast numbers of 
people into these places of resort, and we 
should much like to learn whether harm of 
any appreciable kind was done, whether 
there was nothing of the sort, and how far 
the general conduct of the people justifies 
the excellent action of authorities every¬ 
where in at once rendering these open 
spaces beautiful and then placing them 
unreservedly at the disposal of the masses 
for recreation and enjoyment. 
We may naturally look for less con¬ 
sideration for garden features in towns, 
from town people than from country people, 
because to the former the getting out into 
the open is a much greater treat, indeed to 
myriads it is the one chance for getting a 
few hours in fresh air, of enjoyment on the 
green grass and beneath the shade of trees 
or surrounded by flowers. So far as our 
limited range of enquiry has gone, reports 
are very favourable and gratifying. 
In the case of private gardens of exten¬ 
sive areas, the same good results seem to 
follow. Naturally with these there is some 
timidity and excess of caution, but in how 
few cases has that timidity been justified ? 
Whilst it is a delightful feature in our social 
life that so many owners of beautiful parks 
and gardens should throw them open to 
the public at times for their enjoyment, it 
is none the less pleasing to find that the 
masses know how to appreciate that good 
nature, and by their excellent conduct 
exhibit the highest reciprocity. . 
Whe Hollyhock.— Whilst the Dahlia has 
fully held to its ancient high position 
as an exhibition flower, its old compeer 
the Hollyhock has sadly come to grief. 
Perhaps it was the misfortune of the 
Hollyhock that it ever became the spoilt 
child of florists, who made from out of its 
somewhat rugged, uneven, semi - double 
flowers, such very dense rounded, full 
double ones as to make them anxious to 
exhibit their productions at flower shows. 
Then came somewhat enervating cross¬ 
breeding, somewhat weakening hard pro¬ 
pagating, some unfortunate cultural codd¬ 
ling, all of which the plant indifferently 
appreciated, and then, when eventually a 
destructive visitation, in the form of a 
fungus, came upon the flower it fell like 
grass before the mower, and all the fine 
double varieties of twenty years since have 
disappeared. 
Unhappily it does not seem as if in any 
way there was much prospect of again 
resuscitating Hollyhocks, even of the 
roughest class, to any appreciable extent. 
It is true that in some localities seedling 
plants for a time are not materially affected 
by the fungus. In other districts not a 
plant can be induced to exist anyhow. 
We have in this Hollyhock pest a capital 
opportunity to test the value of the much 
lauded Bouillie Bordelaise as a fungoid 
destructive agent. It would be a boon 
could we through its agency get rid of 
the Hollyhock fungus, and thus enable 
us once more to raise in full confidence a 
new strain that should serve to beautify 
and adorn our gardens with a favourite 
flower. 
Should the Hollyhock not again be seen 
on show tables, it may be no material 
loss to horticulture. So attractive, so fine 
are some half-a-dozen spikes of Hollyhock 
flowers, when growing in a garden border, 
if seen from a distance, that we are not 
over concerned as to the extreme double¬ 
ness of the flowers, our real concern is 
to be able to have them there at all, and 
that end is yet worth striving and hoping 
for. 
Mr. W. H. Lees, late gardener to the Duchess of 
Montrose, Sefton Lodge, Newmarket, has been 
engaged as gardener to F. A. Bevan, Esq., Trent 
Park, New Barnet. 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution —Wehave 
much pleasure in making the announcement that 
Lord Brassey has kindly consented to preside at the 
annual festival of this Institution, which was 
unavoidably postponed owing to the death of Lady 
Goldsmid. The date of the festival will shortly be 
announced. We understand also that Mr. Arthur J. 
Veitch has recently been elected to a seat on the 
committee of management in the place of Mr. John 
Fraser, of Lea Bridge, who has resigned after many 
years of devoted service to the Institution. 
Presentation to Mr. W. Swan. — On Saturday, 
August 6th, a handsome timepiece was presented to 
Mr. W. Swan, gardener at Castle Hill, Englefield 
Green, by the men employed under him, as a token of 
respect and esteem on his retiring from the charge of 
the gardens. The kindly feeling always existing 
between Mr. Swan and his staff prompted them 
quite spontaneously to make this presentation. Mr. 
Swan has been engaged as gardener to J. B. Bryce, 
Esq., Bystock, Exmouth, Devon, to which place he 
proceeds direct. 
United Horticultural Provident and Benefit Society — 
At the usual monthly meeting of this Society, held on 
the 8th inst., at the Caledonian Hotel, Mr. W. 
Woods presiding, two new members were added to 
the roll, and the secretary reported that there were 
three members on the sick list. The treasurer an¬ 
nounced with pleasure and gratitude that Mr. and 
Mrs. H. J. Veitch had presented the Society with the 
sum of y ioo on the occasion of their silver wedding; 
and it was subsequently decided to invest the amount 
and apply the interest to the augmentation of the 
Convalescent Fund. 
Lord Coleridge on the Allotment Gardens at Not¬ 
tingham. —Lord Chief Justice Coleridge writes to the 
Sheriff of Nottingham, in relation to a visit he paid 
to the allotments in that town : “ I don’t know when 
I have been more interested. It is a sight to give 
satisfaction to every Nottingham man, and to create 
a feeling of just pride in a result which, though per¬ 
haps originating in the wise liberality of the Cor¬ 
poration and of Lord Carnavon, must have come to 
nothing without the independent energy and sturdy 
self-sacrifice of the men themselves. I wish the 
municipal bodies and the great landowners of Eng¬ 
land could see what has been done here, and estimate 
for themselves the value to the country of such men 
as I was fortunate enough to become acquainted with 
last night.” 
Scottish Horticultural Association. —At a meeting 
of the Scottish Horticultural Association, held on 
the 2nd inst. at 5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh — 
Mr. Robert Morrison, vice-president, in the chair—- 
Mr. George Goodfellow, Kinfauns Castle, Perth, read 
a paper on “The Cultivation of the Apricot,” which 
lead to an interesting discussion. Mr. Goodfellow 
afterwards received a vote of thanks. The exhibits 
on the table included a collection of Strawberries 
grown by Mr W. Carmichael; a white seedling 
Begonia from Mr. Henderson, Clermiston ; and a 
very fine stand of Chrysanthemum blooms from Mr. 
McMillan, Trinity Cottage, some being from 6 in. to 
9 in. in diameter, and one measuring a foot from tip 
to tip of the outer row of petals. 
The Fuchsia was the title of the paper read at the 
afternoon meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, its author being Mr. George Fry-, of 
Lewisham, one of our oldest and most successful 
raisers. The Society offered prizes in two classes 
for plants grown in pots, but for some reason or 
other, mainly perhaps want of publicity, not a single 
plant was forthcoming. It is a curious fact, how¬ 
ever, that while in many districts admirable 
specimens of Fuchsias are favourite subjects at the 
local exhibitions, no decent specimens have been 
exhibited at any of the Royal Horticultural Society's 
shows or meetings in London since Mr. Cannell gave 
up exhibiting them some twenty years ago. 
The Frozen Chrysanthemums from New Zealand.— 
The frozen blooms of seedling Chrysanthemums, 
recently reported in our columns as being on the 
road from New Zealand, have arrived in the Thames 
in good condition, and arrangements have been made 
for keeping them in a refrigerating chamber until the 
7th of September, when they will be exhibited at the 
early autumn exhibition of the National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society at the Royal Aquarium. There are 
eight flowers and each has been frozen in a separate 
tin. Considerable interest attaches to the experi¬ 
ment, and we are glad to announce their arrival in 
sound condition. 
Fruit Culture in the Bahamas —The Bahamas, savs 
the Society of Avts Journal, offer very great facilities 
for fruit growing. Pineapples are at present (he 
principal crop, but the particular description of land 
required for their culture is very limited. Of late 
years the growth has been much improved by the 
use of fertilisers, with a considerable increase of 
quantity. The crop yields large profits. At two¬ 
pence each, an acre of Pineapples returns £40 to 
/qy ; and although precarious from its perishable 
nature, while such results are possible, it is likely 
that Pineapple-growing will continue to be an attrac¬ 
tive pursuit. In Oranges a good business, it is said, 
might be done, if the accounts of Florida enterprise 
in this fruit are a fair criterion. At present the 
Oranges of the Bahamas are roughly handled, being 
generally shipped in bulk in the holds of vessels, 
often without compartments. The fruit is held to be 
equal to any in the world, and as at present it 
receives little or no attention, the result of careful 
cultivation could not fail to be remunerative. 1 he 
facilities for production are fully equal to those in 
Florida, and the Bahamas are entirely free from all 
risk of frost, which so often blights the Florida crop. 
Tomatos are grown to a moderate extent, but the 
production, it is said, might be largely increased. 
