754 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 25, 1896. 
Perchance the tumbling weir 
Its murmers sweet and giving, 
Oh ! then, one seems to feel 
That life is worth the living 
Only a dream — a golden dream ! 
Semi-aquatic Plants. 
Here, then, are some large plants of the Hemp 
Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabium) on the borders of 
the stream. It is a strong growing subject with large 
thrice-divided leaves and terminal heads of reddish- 
purple flowers. It is just coming into bloom. The 
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum Salicaria) is hardly so 
far advanced, it will be a glory by-and-bye. It is, 
however, very conspicuous ; and, in conjunction with 
the Willow Herb (Epilobium hirsutum), must be 
noticed. But while the former has, or will have, 
splendid spikes of purplish-red flowers, the latter will 
be rather rosy-purple, in point of colour, and more 
pubescent in general character. But, whatever the 
colours are in nature, they seem to blend, a pro¬ 
position which does not obtain in cultivated plants. 
The Comfreys, too (Symphytum officinale), are 
rough, hairy-looking plants with drooping, bell¬ 
shaped flowers, which vary much in colour. The ' 
bees, however, disregard colour, although they 
apparently confine themselves to plants of the same 
species, when they are out on their sunny rambles. 
Anyhow the bees were busy on the Comfreys. The 
great All-heal or Cat’s Valerian (Valeriana officin¬ 
alis) could Dot be overlooked on account of its pin¬ 
nate leaves and pale pink corymbose flowers. Cats 
are said to be powerfully affected by the odour of its 
roo ts—but cats seem to be " powerfully affected,” 
or attracted, by every known species of plant in sub¬ 
urban gardens. The Meadow Sweet (Spiraea 
Ulmaria) is here in large quantities, and brushing 
up against this is the Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), 
which gives off such a pungent aromatic perfume, 
that one's mind immediately recurs to duck and 
green peas. The curious, repellant-looking blossoms 
of the Figwort (Scrophularia aquatica) demand 
attention ; these are reddish-brown in colour, and 
are produced in panicles on tall square stems, like 
miniature Chinese pagodas. There are several other 
square stemmed plants, notably the St. John’s-wort 
(Hypericum quadrangulum), and the Gipsy-wort 
(Lycopus europaeus), an ally of the Water Mint just 
alludedio. Of Nasturtiums (or nose-twisters) thereare 
two species, the common Water Cress (N. officinale), 
now in flower— and hence no good with bread and 
butter i and the yellow Water Cress (N. amphibium) 
with small bright yellow flowers on stems about 2 ft. 
high. Quite a different plant, although belonging to 
the same order, is the Lady’s-smock (Cardamine 
pratensis); different, that is, in having larger and more 
showy individual flowers. This is another Cuckoo¬ 
flower, and reminds me of the persistency with 
which the bird of that name was calling " cuckoo 1 
all the afternoon. The Lady’s-smock varies in 
colour from deep lilac to " silver- white." The 
smooth-stemmed Horse-tail (Equisetum limosum) 
has few branches, slender stems and yellow cones. 
The Brooklime (Veronica Beccabunga) must have 
hs feet in water,as it requires a copious supply of that 
fluid to feed its tiny bright blue flowers. The finest, 
however, of all the bright blue flowers, is, 
undoubtedly, theForget-me-Not (Myosotis palustrris). 
A nicely balanced plant of this in full bloom is not 
likely to be forgotten—it is a bit of cerulean blue 
come down from the vault above. 
Another very pretty flower—if not a very pretty 
name— bordering on sky-blue is the common Skull¬ 
cap (Scutellaria galericulata). It is a plant of the 
order Labiatae, hence it must be placed in the same 
category as the Dead Nettle and the Mint. These 
self-same floral characteristics in the Skull-cap are 
purplish-blue and freely produced in axillary spikes 
on long slender stems. 
The technical names of plants are sometimes as 
interesting — from an etymological point of view — as 
the things they are applied to ; in fact they often go 
a long way to render those things worthy of minute 
examination. Here we have the generic term 
adopted because scutclla is Latin for dish or saucer ; 
and, as such, is supposed to represent the dish or 
saucer-like development on one side of the calyces of 
this genus. The specific term, on the other hand, 
refers to the shape of the flowers, and is derived from 
Latin v alei-iculum , a little bonnet or cap, and which 
a close inspection of the flowers will show is very 
near the truth, This by the-way. If "a little 
learning is a dangerous thing," a little Latin is not 
in fact, it is a necessary thing, if we would under¬ 
stand the full value of the "London Catalogue of 
British Plants." 
The only other plant I need mention here is the 
Water Hemlock or Cowbane (Cicuta virosa) which 
has large white umbelliferous heads of bloom 4 in. 
or 5 in. in diameter. It has large pinnate leaves and 
stout furrowed stems. It is said to be poisonous, 
hence its name. As these are practically all the 
semi-acquatic plants that I noted, we will now con¬ 
clude with a few bona fide water ones which tend to 
give this little isle and its surroundings, its particular 
and specific character. 
Aquatic Plants. 
The great yellow Water-flag, or Flower-de-luce 1 Iris 
Pseud-acorus), is, perhaps, the most striking, for in 
addition to its tall sword-shaped, deep green leaves, 
it possesses those curious, bright yellow, orchidaceous 
appendages, which, quivering in the breeze, have 
earned for it the title of "Flag.” It is certainly a 
jaunty plant, not at all particular in its requirements 
so long as water is present, and is moreover as useful 
as it is ornamental. While I was admiring this 
plant a brilliantly-coloured blue dragon fly alighted 
on the flower : the contrast was superb. 
The Water Lilies, too, both white and yellow, are 
veritable water nymphs, if floating placidly on the 
surface and exhibiting exquisite lines of beauty can 
make them so. Anyhow, water nymphs and water 
Lilies are intimately bound up with each other. 
The white or " fair’’ one (Nymphaea alba) is truly 
the more lovely, and in respect to beauty it has well 
been called the queen cf British flowers.” But the 
yellow or " alcoholic ’’ one (Nuphar luteum) is not to 
be despised, if indeed it be not the more useful—at 
least, by implication—than its fairer sister. It 
unfortunately has another name—suggested by its 
odour —" Brandy-bottle," a name bestowed upon it, 
perhaps, in a weak moment by some antipathetic 
person. However, it does possess a very peculiar 
aroma about which no two persons have ever been 
known to agree. Notwithstanding this defect it is a 
very fine subject for pools and quiet shallow rivers, 
although both leaves and flower stalks will attain 
great lengths to reach the surface. 
The water Persicaria (Polygonum amphibium) and . 
the water Buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis) are both 
here; the former has long stems, lance-shaped 
leaves, and dense spikes of rosy-red flowers, while 
the latter has also long floating stems, but submerged 
leaves as well as floating ones, and large white 
Buttercup flowers with yellow bases. 
There is the Water Plantain (Alisma Plantago) 
with panicles of pink flowers ; the Arrow-head 
(Sagittaria sagittifolia) — sufficiently descriptive— 
with whorls of white flowers; Sedges (Carex), of 
course, in plenty ; and just opposite the entrance to 
tent No. 1 a fine clump of water grass (Phalaris 
arundinacea), 6 ft. high, with fine plumes of a rosy- 
purple colour. — C. B. G., Acton, W. 
- oi l » — 
HORTICULTURAL SUNDRIES. 
Time was when both the art and science of garden 
culture were simple enough, aDd the wants of the 
garden easily supplied. Cultivation has become 
much more complex, and the duties of a gardener 
multifarious, with the march of time and the progress 
of the " art that does mend nature." Notwithstand¬ 
ing all these things, the wants of a gardener are just as 
easily supplied, or more so, than any at previous time. 
We were the more convinced of this the other day 
upon finding ourselves in the stores of Mr H G. 
Smyth, Horticultural Sundriesman, 21, Goldsmith 
street, Drury Lane, W.C. He caters for practically 
every want of the garden, and in that respect may be 
regarded as the gardener's friend. 
In the course of a hurried inspection we noted a 
great many things essential to gardening in all its 
phases, and amODgst them Haws's Patent Water 
Pots in six sizes, capable of holding from three to 
twelve gallons of water. They have a long spout 
that is made of brass at the point where the rose fits 
on, and a strong stay connects the spout to the top 
of the vessel, and which is used both in dipping the 
water from the tank and in watering An upright 
rim to the mouth of the pot prevents it from spilling 
when being used. These watering pots are very 
substantially made and wear out three ordinary 
ones. Each pot is furnished with an ordinary 
and a spreading rose according to requirements. 
The smaller pots arc useful for the propagating house 
and for watering plants on shelves; in the latter case 
the spout may be lengthened by adding a piece to it 
Larger sizes are useful for greenhouses and conserva¬ 
tories, while the largest sizes are for the use of 
nurserymen. Gardeners do not care to be without 
them after once having used the same. The racks 
are furnished with Orchid baskets of various kinds, 
made of Teak. Teak pots are made in sizes from 
6 in. in diameter upwards. They are narrowed from 
the mouth downwards, just in the shape of a pot, and 
made of Teak laths that leave an open space between 
each. They are strong and durable ; and Cattleyas 
do twice as well in them on account of the freedom 
with which the roots can pass out at the openings 
and get supplied with air. Some years ago we gave 
an illustration of this style of pot. 
While surveying these things the manures were 
calling loudly for attention, and if smell is any 
criterion of quality, then there was no lack here. No 
one can excel in the cultivation of a large number of 
garden subjects, unless he feeds his plants wisely 
and well. Mr. Smyth keeps three specialities, 
namely, bones, guano, and blood and bones mixed. 
Here, then, we have phospbatic and nitrogenous 
manures—two of the leading requisites where the 
cultivator desires to grow two blades of grass where 
only one grew before. The Peruvian guano is ir. 
sealed bags, guaranteed by the Government of the 
country from whence it is brought. Large quantities 
of these manures are used in gardens. 
In another part of the building we noticed the 
patent brush for Orchid houses, where the floors are 
covered with tiles or cemented. The brushes are 
moderate in size, and very stroDg. Their special 
feature is that the fibre is put in with wire by means 
of hydraulic pressure, and is not liable to fall out as 
in the case of those where the fibre is fixed by means 
of pitch. A special article here is the Orchid house 
shading. It is made in meshes of three or four sizes 
according to the requirements of growers. The 
meshes are close or wide, and the material, as a 
whole, is of different textures so that it breaks the 
force of sunshine without excluding the light The 
heavier shading is for Orchid houses, and the lighter 
for Cucumbers. It is now some ten years since this 
particular kind of [shading was first made, and to 
give an idea of its increasing popularity we may say 
that ten women have been employed since Chrisimas 
in making the blinds in sizes according to 3 Ir. 
Smyth's order. By the making of them we mean 
that the women merely fit the blinds to sizes suitable 
for any given house ; they also bind them round the 
edges with webbiDg laid on flat so as to prevent 
them getting torn, especially where they are nailed 
on to the rollers. Mr. Smyth has supplied these 
blinds to dukes and earls, and for the shading of 
houses of all sizes, in all parts of the country. 
Insecticides are not overlooked. The XL All 
Vaporiser is kept in bottles of different sizes, and the 
sets include lamps and all complete. Lemon oil, 
tobacco powder, and other materials with bug-slay¬ 
ing propensities find a place here. Quassia chips 
have been supplied from this house for the last 
fifteen years. Garden hoses of three and four ply 
are kept in stock. Reid's Patent Syringes, wholly 
made of brass and fitted with two loose nozzles, are 
said to be the best in use. At all events they are very 
substantially made, and beautifully finished. Soft 
cocoanut fibre brushes are made for the purpose of 
scrubbing down the stages in Orchid houses. 
Sussex trug baskets are made in eight sizes that are 
light and handy for 101 purposes. Bamboo cases 
are stoodabout in lengths of from 3 ft. 10 in to 8 ft , 
and alongside of them are plain deal stakes 1 ft . to 
5 ft. long.' Plant labels are made in sizes from 4 in. 
to 12 in. long. 
The knight of the blue apron may be fitted with 
this useful article in the best serge and shalloon 
fabrics. Complements to the apron are gloves for 
pruning, knives, vine scissors, secateurs, hammers, 
forks, rakes, spades, and sieves for the garden and 
for gravel. Other indispensable articles are ther¬ 
mometers, powder distributors, mowing machines at 
makers’ prices, hair brooms, brushes, tarred string, 
raffia, and summer cloud used for shading plant 
houses. 
Passing down stairs we noted what Mr. Smyth 
terms coarse silver sand, otherwise described as 
clean, sharp silver sand Orchid peat in good 
fibrous material arrested our attention in another 
place close by. Sphagnum and leaf soil are equally 
