S6 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 7 , 1893. 
have Loaad, however, that Harrisii balbs like plenty 
of fertilizer. There is a fertilizer sold by some New 
York seedsmen chat suits it admirably.” 
“ Do you fear any competition from the growing 
of Harrisii bulbs in California ? ” 
” None ; it will take California three years to get 
up a stock ; and when that is done what will the 
Eastern growers do about the flowers chat will then 
swamp New York market ; for I am of opinion were 
this industry started in California, the growers of 
bulbs there would not scruple to cut the flowers for 
market any more than American growers of 
Gladiolus cut flowers of these. It is only natural 
to suppose that the practice will be carried on 
wherever balbs are grown and blooms can be pro¬ 
fitably marketed: and, as I said before, unless all 
growers of balbs will co-operate in the direction of 
abolishing the habit, by agreeing to send no flowers 
to New York market, it will go on while Harrisii 
forms one of the most magnificent Easter plants 
grown." 
•' What is your opinion of the future of other 
bulbs now being raised in Bermuda, such as Chinese 
Narcissus. Roman Hyacinths, Freesias, etc. ? ” 
■' The trade in Narcissus and Hyacinths may be 
said to be yet in its infancy ; although we have 
grown both for five years we only commenced to ex¬ 
port two years ago. Next year we will have sale¬ 
able Hyacinth bulbs from pure Bermuda stock, and 
a better opinion can be then formed of their 
capabilities. 3 o far as appearances go. we consider 
the bulbs equal in every respect to the French 
grown : and some American growers tell us the 
Bermuda bulbs, under glass, have given as satis¬ 
factory results. 
“ Freesias we can grow elegantly. Our saleable 
goods are all grown from bulblets. We plant oar 
seed for the second year's stock. We do this be¬ 
cause dealers prefer balbs grown from bnlblecs to 
those grown from seed. 
" We can have Chinese Narcissus in the New 
York market thoroughly matured in July and 
August. 
'■ There is one advantage we have in Bermuda, 
and chat is on account of the earliness of the season 
bulbs of every sort get thoroughly matured and 
ripened, which considerably aids their vitality.” 
-- 5 *-- 
NOTABLE PRODUCTS AT 
VILLAGE SHOWS. 
In these days of increasing hordcultural enterprise 
and enthusiasm— ^when fiower shows have become 
permanent institudons, not only in the more thriving 
commercial centres, bnt also in many comparatively 
isolated villages — ^it is seldom but that some of the 
exhibits, even at the latter class of shows, attract 
more tha n crdinary nodce. Inclnded among such 
prcducdons in the vegetable department at one of 
these ccmpedrions. which is held annuallv in a 
classic Ayrshire village—near the " Banks and braes 
and streams aronnd," rendered famous by Bums— I 
was no: .a hctle astonished at the progress mace of 
Late in Onion culture whUe adjudicating on a recent 
occaston. 
The almost entire absence cf spring frosts this 
season of course placed many amateur cultivators in 
an excepdcnally advantageous posidon, especially 
those whose accommodadon for raising seedlings 
under glass was not of the best descripdon. The 
genial temperature which prevailed during the latter 
part of the spring, together with the fine summer 
that follawed, further enabled such growers who 
were in the possession of crcinarilv strong plants to 
pnsh them on without check, which accounts to a 
great extent for the extra large bulbs which they 
presented on the show maming. One of the leading 
enthnsiasts, a well-known coal miner, who hag come 
to the front in Onion fame at this rural exhibition, 
simged twelve specimens which wanted only a frac¬ 
tion in the aggregate of weighing i6i- lbs. One 
cf the heaviest I had weighed gave 23 ozs., while the 
lightest turned the scales at 15 ozs,, the variety 
being Cranston's ExceLsior. 
A few weeks afterwards, when omciating at 
antthen cf these local shows, our friend's bulbs 
again mmed np, and the premier ticket was p'taced 
with them. On mis occasion the leading victor at a 
recent and. more imncrtan: exhibition was one of the 
ccmbamnts, bnt ha.n to be contented with a sn'o- 
crninate nositian, bnt whose specimens were of no 
—ean order, which nmy 'oe said cf most of the lorn 
staged in the open class. The latter exhibitor here 
also took the first place as a Leek grower for the 
best six specimens of which the Mauchline Horti¬ 
cultural Society annually offer the handsome sum of 
£1. We have seen the produce of some professional 
growers a trifle longer in the blanched portion, but 
the 14 in. of the same in the half-dozen examples in 
question gave evidence of masterly skill, being 
uniform in every specimen, well defined, pare in 
colour, firm in texture, ana proportionate in girth. 
Several other stands were also very flue. The Lyon 
Leek, Renton's Monarch, and Bobbie's Cnampion 
and Conqueror are favourite varieties among com¬ 
petitors in this district ; all are excellent sorts, the 
latter especially being duficult to surpass for length 
of blanch. — M. 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The following subjects were exhibited at the meet¬ 
ing of the Royal Horticultural Society on the zdth 
ult.. and were awarded certificates according to merit. 
Aglaoxem-x RoruxDUM. — The stems of this plant 
grow erect, at least in their earlier stages, and for 
that reason are very suitable for stove decoration 
either in pots cr pans. The leaves are oblong-ovate, 
acuminate, leathery and shining ; on the upper sur¬ 
face they are of a silvery-grey, irregularly blotched 
or splashed with rich olive-green, which deepens 
with the_ age of the leaf. The under-surface is of a 
uniform pale green. First-class Certificate. 
Nepenthes mext.x. — This magnificent hybrid has 
been obtained by crossing N. Curtisii with N. 
Northiana, the latter being the poUen parent. The 
leaves are oblong-elliptic, with a short-winged stalk 
clasping the stem. The stalk of the pitcher is ex- 
current below the apex of the leafy portion. The 
pitcher is cylindrical, of great size, heavily blotched 
or irregularly striped with crimson on a pale reddish 
ground. Its wings are deeply fringed, and the 
annulus or coUar is broad, recurved, undulated, 
transversely and finely ridged, and wholly of a dark 
shining crimson. The lid is lightly spotted with 
purple on the lower surface, amd marked with nearly 
black spots above. In every respect it is a hand¬ 
some and ornamental plant. First-class Certificate. 
Veronica hyerida Purple Queen. — The habit 
of this plant is dwarf, 'oranching, bushy and erect. 
The leaves are elliptic, leathery, and of moderate 
size compared with those of the weU-known V. 
Andersoni. The flowers axe produced in great abun¬ 
dance in short racemes on the upper part of the 
shoots, and are of a rich violet-purple. The plant 
would make a handsome subject for conservatory or 
greenhouse decoration in the autumn months. Award 
of Merit. Both this plant, the Aglaonema, and the 
Nepenthes were exhibited by Messrs. J. "^'ettch & 
Sons, Chelsea. 
Datura Cornucoplx. —^Judging from the appear¬ 
ance of this handsome plant, it can be grown and 
flowered in a much smaller state than in the case of 
the 'petter known D. suaveolens, D. sanguinea, and 
D. Knighti. T'te stems and branches are short and 
stiff, while the flowers also ascend, which is not the 
case with either cf the above, for they 'nave pendulons 
flowers. The leaves are broadly-oblong, cordate 
at the base, with a few large, coarse teeth, and dark 
green. The flowers are fragrant, 6 in. to 7 in. long, 
funnel-shaped, and consist of three coroUas, one 
within the other, hose-in-hose fashion, and it is to 
roTs circumstance that the name refers. Each 
corolla has a widely-spreading, nine or ten-lo'Ped 
month, and all are coloured alike, white iuside, and 
heavily marbled and mottled externally with porple, 
including the tube. D. Knighti has only two 
coroUas, one within the other, and is whoUy white, 
ff^frst-class Certificate. A bushy plaut about iS in. 
to 2 ft. high, bearing numerous flowers, was ex¬ 
hibited by Messrs. Pitcher and Manda, Hextable, 
Swanley, Kent. 
Hsliopsis SC.ABRA NtAjOR. —. 4 s the generic name 
indicates, this bears a close resem'olance to a peren¬ 
nial Sunflower. The leaves are lanceolate, three- 
nerved and sca'orous. The golden yellow flower 
heads are 2 in. to 2J in. across, with lanceolate- 
elliptic rays, and a slightly conical disc. Award of 
Merit. Some large and showy bunches of it were 
exhibited by Mr. B. Ladhams, High Street, S'nirley, 
near Southampton. 
Aloc.xsia Chantrteri.— The leaves of this 'cand- 
some stove plant are obiong, sagittate at the base. 
and scolloped along the edges, but not nearly so 
deeply so as in the case of A. Ssnderiana. and in this 
respect it differs considerably. The upper surface is 
of a rich, shining, dark green, with the edges and all 
the principal nerves of a silvery tint. The lower 
surface is of a dark purple, and likewise shining. 
The plant is therefore very easily kept in a clean and 
health}- condition. It is only about iS in. high, and 
the s:alks of the leaves are of a dull, brownish 
purple. Award of Merit. 
Begonia Duchess of York. —The petals of this 
variety are arranged round a single centre, and the 
perfectly double bloom is as regularly imbricated as 
a CamelUa. They are of a dark rosy-crimson, and the 
petals spreading and flat. At a certain stage of the 
flower there is a cup-shaped 'oud in the centre. 
Award of Merit. The Begonia and .Mocasia were 
exhibited by Messrs. J. Laing i Sons, Forest Hill. 
-- 
PEAS OF THE PAST SEASON. 
In Scottish gardens vegetables generally never 
were finer or more abundant than this season, and 
where the usual Scottish practice of deep trenching 
is followed, little trouble has been experienced on 
account of the drought, and those \lLke the writeri 
who do not employ labour for watering vegetables 
appear to have got along best. When roots can get 
down deeply into the well enriched soil they are 
safe from drought, and when the season (as last 
year) is wet, the roots ramify into the well-broken 
soil, and the open and weU-drained bottom allows 
superfluous moisture to escape: so that, under all 
conditions of weather, vegetables may be grown to 
the finest state of perfection. 
Last year I thought all the vegetable e.xhibitions 
were very near to perfection, but were still a step in 
advance this season. I notice the great difference to 
be seen in the Peas now being cleared off as between 
those which were sown on land untrenched and 
those on well-manured and deeply cultured ground. 
I am also cognizant of the profit which can be 
realised from crops on deeply worked soil as com¬ 
pared with ground which season after season is 
merely turned over one spade deep. Mulching, no 
doubt, is an admirable practice for supporting many 
crops, bnt on shallow soils (untrenchedj continuous 
watering must have attention. 
Were I to grow half-a-dozen sorts of Peas only 
(some do not cultivate even that number') I would- 
have Duke of Albany, Dickson's Favourite (if true) 
Dr. McLean, Autocrat, Veitch's Perfection, and Ne 
Plus Ultra. I saw and tasted the last-named sort in 
Rutlandshire last year, and never saw any Pea so fine 
in flavour and of such large size before. It was 
grown on soil of great depth and strong in substance. 
I know those who sow it in November and grow it 
in succession tiU the end of the season. It is a 
capital sort for Scottish gardens generally. Champion 
of England has been of much service daring the 
past dry season, and is now yielding pods.— Surling, 
Se£t. 26tr.. 
- - — 
•Iardening 'Miscellany. 
C>J 
EARLY LILY OF THE VALLEY. 
From Mr. T. Jannock, of Dersingham, Norfolk, the 
great English specialist in the culture of the Lily of 
the alley, comes a pleasant surprise in the form of 
a bunch of fragrant Lily blooms, which are certainly 
the first we have ever seen so early in the season. 
It is surprising how good they are too, considering 
the hard forcing to which they must have been sub¬ 
mitted. Mr. Jannock tells us that he has 'oeen able 
to cut Lily blooms every day since last November, 
and will only be without them for one fortnight in 
the year, thus decidedly establishing a record in LUy 
culture, which, as a feat of skill, does him honour. 
Of course the blooms are not of equal quality at all 
seasons, 'out they are Lilies none the less, and for 
that reason are always welcome. The Lily fields at 
Dersingham are now gladdening the eyes of their 
owner, so grandly are the crowns ripening off. The 
three-year-old beds do not seem, says Mr. Jannock, 
to have suffered much from the drought, bnt the 
newly-planted crowns (one year's) 'nave been nearly 
burnt up. 
APPLE WEALTHY, 
The fruit of this variety is large for a dessert Apple, 
bnt not equal perhaps to Cellini, which it somewhat 
