628 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 7, 1890. 
passed over. "We refer to it specially for two 
reasons. The first—and on this occasion, to 
us, the foremost—is. that the visit presented 
one of the chief rewards which were offered to 
those members of the horticultural trade who 
so nobly aided to make the show the brilliant 
success it was. It may be a poor pecuniary 
reward, but, at least, it was not despised by 
anyone, and everybody was pleased to see the 
Prince of Wales once more under the Society’s 
canvas. The second reason for expressing 
satisfaction at the Royal visit is a full know¬ 
ledge of the fact that hero in London fashion 
and wealth follow the Court so much, and 
wealthy patrons are ever welcome to horti¬ 
culture. That a brilliant company did attend 
the Temple Show this year is not to be 
denied, and the Royal visit, doubtless, was 
largely the cause. Had the show been fixed 
before the Whitsun holiday, the attendance 
would probably have been doubled. 
Whilst full}'' recognising the kindness shown 
by the Prince of Wales in attending the show, 
we cannot attach much importance to the formal 
promise made with respect to the society’s 
future. Perhaps, were the head of the society 
a greater persona grata at Court, more pleasant 
results might follow, but we should be credulous 
indeed were we to assume that kindly expres¬ 
sions were other than formal ones, and so far 
meant nothing. What we would so much 
desire to see, and what we may see, are very 
different things ; and gladly - as we recognise 
the recent Royal visit, we should yet be foolish 
to erect upon it any very sanguine construction 
he Gloxinia.— There can be little doubt 
but that in the Gloxinia we have, for the 
size of the plant, perhaps the most beautiful of 
all summer-blooming warm greenhouse flowers. 
Since the erect forms began so generally to 
take the place of the drooping varieties there 
has been quite a revolution worked in the race, 
and now there is hardly a stove or warm 
greenhouse of any pretensions which is not 
beautified in the proper season with Gloxinias. 
One reason for this prolificness is the freedom 
with which they are raised from seed. 
Literally it is as easy to raise a batch of a 
hundred Gloxinias, as of Cinerarias or Primulas. 
The plants, too, are not specifically liable to 
disease or insects ; they do not want a long- 
season of growth ; indeed, it is now surpris¬ 
ing, compared with our method of growing 
Gloxinias some ten years ago, how rapidly it is 
possible to produce from seed a batch of plants 
full of fine leafage, ; and literally grand masses 
of bloom, and rich blooms too ! How perfect 
in form, what substance, what wonderful 
colouring, and what endless Variety ! There is 
really no telling what may be the outcome of 
the present development in colour and marking 
in this flower. 
Eegonias have grown into most beautiful 
colours, but they certainly lack the grace, 
elegant outlines, and light characters found in 
the Gloxinia. The superb groups of these 
flowers shown at the Temple Gardens by 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, and Messrs. A r eitch & 
Sons only served to whet our appetites for a 
really large display of these for once. ‘Would 
that the Royal Horticultural Society would 
offer prizes for the finest and most tastefully 
arranged collection, of a prescribed area, at one 
of the summer Drill Hall meetings ! What a 
feast of beauty might then be furnished by this 
one gorgeous flower alone ! 
ardeners’Royal Benevolent Institution.— 
We may remind those of our readers who 
are supporters of this excellent and flourishing 
institution, that the fifty-first anniversary 
festival will take place at the Albion, Alclers- 
gate Street’ on Thursday evening next, June 
12th, when Mr. Harry J. Veitch, the treasurer, 
will preside. We are pleased to hear from Mr. 
Cutler, that of one thing the worthy chairman 
of the day is already certain—he will have “a 
full house ” ; and we sincerely hope that, when 
reporting the event, we may be able to say he 
also beat the record in that all-important 
matter—the subscription list. It would be 
greatly in accordance with the fitness of things 
that Mr. Yeitch’s occupancy of the chair should 
be a memorable one—as regards the attendance 
and the amount collected—fqr, strange as it 
may appear to some, it is a fact, and a very 
remarkable one, that he is the first nurseryman 
who has ever presided at the annual festival. 
The seed trade has been twice so honoured, 
but never before the nursery trade. For the 
honour of the profession, then, we hope to 
report a grand success. 
-»X-o- 
The Orchids at Arddarroeh. — We understand 
that Mr. White, whose rich Orchid collection was 
noticed in our last issue, has this week thrown his 
houses open to visitors for three days : Thursday, Fri¬ 
day, and Saturday. 
Viola, Mrs. Smith.—This is one of Mr. William 
Dean’s seedlings, and as a white bedding variety has 
proved to be a decided acquisition in Mr. Barlow’s 
garden at Stakehill. It has the habit of the old Cloth 
of Gold, and is decidedly one of the best of its section. 
The Early Swarming of Bees.—Writing from Ber¬ 
wick Gardens, Shrewsbury, on the 3rd inst., Mr. 
Alfred Gaut says :—The early swarming of bees this 
year, noted by Mr. J. Charlton at p. 612, appears to be 
general. I had a good strong swarm on May the 7th, 
and the bees are working well. We hope to have a 
successful honey harvest. 
Professor Oliver, who has resigned the appointment 
of keeper of the National Herbarium at the Royal 
Gardens, Kew, with which he has been associated for 
about thirty years, was on Saturday last presented with 
a beautifully-executed testimonial on vellum from the 
Kew authorities, bearing testimony to the valuable 
services he has rendered to botany, and their regret at 
losing his services. 
Vauxhall Park.— The ceremony of opening this 
new park in the South Lambeth Road, which has been 
formed on the sites of two properties known as Carron 
House and The Lawn, which was to have taken place on 
Monday last, has been indefinitely postponed. Mr. 
William Holmes, Frampton Park Nursery, Hackney, 
had the contract, and, we understand, has carried out 
the alterations very successfully. 
The Frost on June 1st.—Mr. W. Davis, The Old 
House, Shalford, near Guildford, writes :—The frost 
which was experienced here on Sunday morning will 
long be remembered for its severity. Potatos and 
French Beans were cut down to the ground, and such a 
sharp frost has not been known here for many years ; 
this being considered a warm and early district. 
Herbaceous Pseonies.—Those of our amateur readers 
who may-be growers of these singularly showy border 
flowers, and who may be desirous also of increasing the 
weight of the family plate-chest, may be usefully 
reminded that the Royal Horticultural Society offers a 
Silver Cup for competition at the Drill Hall on Tues¬ 
day next. It will be awarded to the best collection, 
and entries should be made to Mr. Barron at once. 
Carnations.—Growers of these have had a bad time 
of it in May, and June opens with weather of a char¬ 
acter that is calculated to fill the “ Carnationist ” with 
apprehension for the future. Mr. Dodwell states that 
May proved a very bairen month for the grower. 
“ Hot sun and blighting winds, with extreme changes 
of temperature. June comes in with 5° of frost ; young 
Potatos and kidney Beans cut down all around us. 
Green-fly very troublesome on Carnations. My people 
are brushing and cleaning all day, and washing, using 
a fine spray with the hose every evening, but cannot 
subdue the pest, and shall not until we get warm rain 
and warm nights. Vegetation sorely needs these 
around us, and though forecasted none comes.” 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the monthly meeting 
of the committee, held on the 30th ult., Mr. John 
Laing presiding in the absence of Mr. Deal, who we 
much regret to hear still remains in a critical condition, 
Mr. Barron announced the receipt of a considerable 
amount in subscriptions during the month, and miscel¬ 
laneous contributions, amounting to £44 6s. "id ., 
which brought the bank balance up to nearly £725 ; 
and it was unanimously agreed to invest auother sum 
of £500 in “ Gosehens.” The amount received from the 
treasurers of the Wildsmith Memorial Fund was 
£138 14s. 9 d., and the nomination of Walter Hyde, 
as the recipient of the Wildsmith Memorial allowance, 
was accepted. The proceeds of a concert organised by 
Mrs. Gandy, and which took place at Milnthorpe, 
Westmoreland, amounting to £14 5s. Id., was received 
from Mr. H. H. Robinson, gardener, Heversham, Miln¬ 
thorpe, and the usual vote of thanks was most heartily 
accorded to him. 
Formation of a Horticultural Association at 
Beauly.—At a meeting of representatives from Erch- 
less, Mould, Struy, and Crunaglach, all places on the 
estate of Mrs. Chisholm of Chisholm, recently held in 
Beauly, Inverness-shire, Mr. Campbell, Struy Bridge, 
presiding, it was unanimously resolved to establish a 
horticultural association in the district. The chairman, 
an ardent supporter of horticulture, explained the 
advantages which would accrue to horticulture in the 
district if such an association were firmly established, 
and the legitimate work of such a society vigorously 
carried on. Mrs. Chisholm of Chisholm was unani¬ 
mously elected patroness; J. B. Grant, Esq., 
president ; the Rev. — Fraser and J. Fraser, Esq., 
Mould, vice-presidents; Mr. R. Mackenzie, Courthill, 
Mr. Mackinnon, Mould, and Mr. A. Campbell, Struy 
Bridge, members of the committee, with Mr. A. 
MacKintosh, Erchless Gardens, Beauly, as secretary. 
Presentation to Mr. J. S. Johnson.—On Saturday, 
the 24th ult., Mr. J. S. Johnson, who for the long 
period of thirty-seven years has been connected with 
the firm of Messrs. Hurst & Son, and who has now 
retired into private life, was presented by the staff of 
the firm with a handsome centre-piece, bearing a 
suitable inscription, and two candlesticks, as a token 
of their regard and esteem. Mr. Hugh Aiton, in 
making the presentation in the absence of Mr. 
Sherwood, said he thought their meeting was an un¬ 
precedented one, as it did not fall to the lot of many 
men in the seed trade to reach the end of thirty-seven 
years arduous service with one firm, in fact there were 
not many seed firms which attained that length of 
existence. By the retirement of Mr. Johnson they 
were losing an old friend, and he had the pleasure to 
make him a little present from his old colleagues, with 
the sincere wish of one and all of them that he would 
enjoy the sweets of his well-earned rest for many years 
to come. Mr. Johnson, in acknowledging the gift, 
which only a true spirit of affection could have 
prompted, hoped his friends would not consider he had 
made a false step in saving the health that remained to 
him. The presentation was an unprecedented thing in 
the seed trade, but their kindly gift would be a lasting 
remembrance to him of his old friends, and he thanked 
them all most sincerely for the compliment they had 
paid him. 
-- 
THE BIG SPECIMENS. 
You mentioned in your report of the great Manchester 
exhibition last week, the considerable falling off in the 
big specimen plants. At the Temple show I noticed 
that with the exception of a few really fine Clematises 
from Worcester, and some fair-sized Pelargoniums from 
Slough, there was hardly half-a-dozen plants in the 
show worthy the designation of an exhibition specimen, 
as we understood that term in the days of Baines, Cole, 
Shuttleworth, Ward, Tudgey, and some other famous 
growers. It must, however, not be said of the training 
of these big specimens that it is a lost art; as if the 
necessity arose, plenty more as fine as those of the 
past could now be created. 
What is true in relation to 'the comparative dis¬ 
appearance of specimen plants, is that the old taste has 
changed, just as in shows the old style has changed. 
The introduction of the group arrangements was charged 
with the death of the specimen plant, and perhaps it 
was to some extent, but still, if so, indirectly. It was 
seen that these giant fellows, whilst occupying so much 
house room, after all gave but a minimum of beauty 
compared with what could be produced from many 
smaller plants of diverse characters occupying the same 
area. That was an effective home lesson, whilst at 
shows it became equally obvious that visitors were tired 
of these regular denizens of the stages, and sighed for 
something newer and more pleasing. 
But after all, the introduction of such a remarkable 
wealth of all sorts of foliage and flowering plants into 
horticulture has been a testing force in elbowing out 
the old “elephants.” Room must be made for twenty 
small plants of new and beautiful forms in place of the 
one monster, and the monster had to disappear. We 
may have some feeling of regret for the loss of old 
friends, but their disappearance was by the force of 
circumstances inevitable. Our shows are now mostly 
