384 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 17, 1894, 
tlieir dwarf habit and large, showy flowers, 
either self-coloured or variously spotted, 
margined, or variegated. 
A double page illustration (coloured) is 
given in BnlUtwo della R. Societa Toscana di 
Orticultura for Januar}^ of a h)'brid Canna 
named Italia. It is a new type represented 
here for the first time, and characterised by 
the gigantic size of its flowers. Three of 
the segments are very large and scarlet with 
a broad yellow margin. Where the two 
colours join the scarlet is broken up into 
numerous spots of that hue overlying yellow. 
A smaller segment has a ver}^ narrow, 
3’ellow margin, while a fifth is scarlet or 
crimson red in the upper portion and 
spotted with that hue on a yellow ground 
on the lower half. The leaves are ovate- 
lanceolate, broad, somewhat leathery, 
shining green, and serve to show off the 
brilliancy of the flowers. The larger spikes 
ramify in a pyramidal manner, and bear 
seventeen to twenty enormous flowers, at 
the expense of fertility, for no seeds are 
produced. These dwarf Cannas prove very 
serviceable for pot culture, and we shall 
expect to see Italia before long in this 
countr}'. - 
INTER Flowering Begonias. —An 
esteemed correspondent writing a few 
days ago remarked that when recentl}'^ 
taking a hast)"- run through the numerous 
greenhouses at Swanle}'^ he was both 
greatly pleased with and interested in the 
winter Begonias of the Semperflorens type, 
which the Messrs. Cannell have there in 
such great abundance. A long span house 
has the sides of the stages draped with 
Panicum variegatum, and behind this 
edging stand the Begonias in remarkable 
profusion and beaut}^ Whilst some are 
tall and rather leggy, others are dwarf and 
bushy, and there is in them great variety of 
colour as well as form of flower, for whilst 
some are stiffl}' erect others are pendulous. 
Few plants that bloom in winter so freely 
as these Begonias do, will give so much 
beauty combined with so much of grace and 
elegance. As thej^ will do so well in a 
temperate warmth it is rather surprising 
that such charming plants are not more 
freely seen in gardens during the winter. 
Even for table decoration some are most 
pleasing, whilst for baskets, vases, side¬ 
boards, etc., set in Fern or with other 
foliage or flowering plants, they are delight¬ 
ful. These Begonias are not difficult to 
propagate. The plants should be cut back 
in the spring and induced to break groAvth, 
and the young shoots put in as cuttings 
soon strike in heat. 
Of the varieties seen in abundant bloom 
at Swanley there are B. nitida rosea and 
alba ; B. semperflorens gigantea rosea ; B. 
subpeltata rubra, having dark bronzy 
leafage and a very handsome plant; B. 
Dregei, white and very charming; B. Car- 
rierei, dwarf and bushy ; B. foliosa, white, 
drooping habit ; B. fuchsioides, coral-red ; 
B. John Macpherson; and many others. 
There can be no doubt but that if better 
known these winter blooming Begonias 
would be grown almost universally. 
uccEssiONAL CROPPING. —Keeping up a 
succession of vegetable crops, although 
to some a comparatively simple matter, 
because from long experience it seems to 
come natural to them, demands from others 
very earnest attention, or the probabilities 
are that some serious gaps in the supply 
will occur and trouble be brought upon those 
in charge of the garden. One most 
important thing is to sow and plant the 
right things in their proper seasons, and 
another point is to sow or plant the right 
quantities. There are Lettuces and Cauli¬ 
flowers which are apt to bolt prematurely 
during the summer months. Carrots in 
some gardens cannot be depended upon 
Irom a main sowing, owing to the ravages 
of the grubs. Onions, again, as regards 
the spring sowing, are often more or less a 
failure, owing to the maggot. Now in all 
these instances several small sowings will 
often secure better results than one or two 
larger ones. 
In the case of Onions, where the spring 
sown crop is often a failure the autumn 
one will generally escape the maggot, and 
enable the supply to be kept up. Carrots 
may be sown under glass in Januar3%and 
small successional sowings made during 
Februar3'- and March under glass, and then 
in the open till August. By these means 
a constant supply will be maintained of 
nice young roots ■ during the whole year, 
where, owing to prevalence of grub, it 
would be quite impossible to do it, and the 
produce, although often small in size, will 
be much nicer eating than many of those 
from a main crop sowing. As to sowing 
Peas and Beans for earl3'^ crops, on all 
medium and light soils, now is the very 
best possible time. On heavy tenacious 
land a fortnight or more later will be 
advisable, but no hard and fast line can be 
drawn to suit the requirements of all. 
-- 
Mr. Proctor, late gardener at Gogar Mount, has 
been engaged as gardener to J. J. Cowan, Esq., of 
Westerlea, Edinburgh. 
The London Parks.—At the meeting of the London 
County Council on Tuesday, the Parks Committee 
reported that the cost of maintaining the public 
parks under the control of the Council for the year 
ending Alarch, 1893, had amounted to /82,07i. 
Flowers from Scilly.—There has been a marked 
increase in the flowers supplied from Scilly the last 
few weeks, and, should the mild weather at present 
prevailing continue, the quantity ready for the 
market will be almost equal to last year, though the 
difflculties in bringing them to perfection have been 
very great. On one day last week about 15 tons 
were despatched to the London markets. INIr. 
Watts, the largest grower probably, despatched no 
fewer than 6,000 bunches, or 72,000 single blooms, 
of the Obvallaris, or Tenby Daftbdil, which is sup¬ 
posed to be tho largest consignment of any one kind 
at one time known from a single grower. The 
flowers have been sold for 6d. a bunch for 6,000 
bunches, but quotations are now at 5d. and even qd. 
Polygonum sachalinense as a Forage Plant.—At 
the last meeting of the Council of the Royal Agri¬ 
cultural Society, Mr. Bowen-Jones reported that 
Lord Moreton had asked him to state with regard to 
a new forage plant called Polygonum sachalinense, 
which had been brought to the notice of the Seeds 
and Plants Committee, that he had already grown 
some in his grounds as an ornamental plant, and 
that he was willing to extend its cultivation with a 
view to see whether stock would eat it. Lord 
Moreton thought that it would be well for other 
members of the Council who had the plant in their 
grounds to do the same. There were two other 
kinds of the plant which were not of such large 
growth. This was the giant variety; the others 
were smaller. The plant was of the same family as 
Buckwheat, and it was thought desirable to see if it 
was of any value as a forage plant. 
Floral Decorations at Cirencester.—We regret to 
learn from a courteous note received from iMr. C.,H. 
Bingham, 12, Market Place, Cirencester, that the 
correspondent who sent us the communication 
respecting the floral decorations at the Vale of White 
Horse Hunt Ball, published in our number for the 
3rd inst., did him an injustice in stating that the 
decorations in question were carried out by IMr. 
Cypher. The facts of the case are that Mr Cypher 
supplied the flowers, which Mr, Bingham states were 
most beautiful, but the decorations were designed 
by Miss Phoebe A. Bingham, before Mr. Cypher 
came on the scene. We can only express our regret 
that our correspondent did not make fuller inquiry 
before writing, as we are sure Mr. Cypher would be 
the last man to desire a compliment that was not 
wholly his due. 
Kew and Kew Gardeners was the subject of a 
capital paper read by Mr. Alfred Tucker at the last 
meeting of the Devon and Exeter Gardeners’ Mutual 
Improvement Association. After describing the 
gardens, Mr. Tucker said : "Any young gardener 
who desired to become a candidate for admission to 
Kew Gardens must not be below twenty-one nor 
above twenty-five years of age, and it was necessary 
that he should have served for three or four years 
under glass in a nursery or in a good private 
garden. On first entering he was liable to be 
placed in any part of the grounds where a vacancy 
occurred, but, provided he had attended the 
lectures, he could obtain a change after three or four 
months. The first season was a busy one, and a 
good test of the stuff a j'oung gardener was made of. 
They were in the gardens for ten hours and a 
quarter each day, and they had to attend an hour’s 
lecture two evenings and two mornings a week, and 
write up the subjects from their notes and hand in 
their work every fortnight in order to obtain the 
marks required to obtain a Royal Gardeners’ cer¬ 
tificate. There were four certificates—for geo¬ 
graphic, economic, and systematic botany, and for 
physics and chemistry. In the winter the library, 
which contained a rich collection, had its full share 
of attention. There was also the Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society, at which papers were read and dis¬ 
cussed. During the summer they had cricket 
matches and other recreation. The rambling ex¬ 
cursions of the British Botanic Club were of great 
benefit, and were organised for the purpose of 
acquiring a knowledge of British plants and their 
habits. Life at Kew was altogether a busy one for 
those who really went in for improvement." 
Plants Certificated in Ghent.—At the last meeting 
of the Chamber of Horticulture in Ghent, Certifi¬ 
cates of Merit were aw’arded to Mr. Edward 
Pynaert for Canna Reine Charlotte; to Mr. Fr. 
Vervaene for Azalea indica Madame Francois 
Vervaene; and to Mr. Jules Hye for Cypripedium 
Abcrtianum rubrum ; C. triumphans, by acclama¬ 
tion, C. Madame Jules Hye, by aoclamation, C. 
excelsum (Druryi x Spicerianum), Odontoglossum 
species, and IMiltoniopsis Bleuana, by acclamation. 
The Royal Western Horticultural Society has, in 
the past, done some good educational work, and 
although there is a certain amount of jealousy in the 
neighbourhood of Plymouth that some of the best 
prizes have gone into Cornwall, there is no reason 
why additional efforts should not be made to further 
increase the Society’s operations and extent of area. 
It is said that the cause of the falling off of subscrip¬ 
tions during the year is largely owing to the cause 
we have stated, but if the" committee were a little 
more sanguine, and just a trifle more active, they 
would find that by admitting exhibits from the two 
counties of Devon and Cornwall freely, just as freely 
would their subscription list become enlarged. We 
are pleased to notice the decision of the committee 
to continue offering prizes to the industrial classes 
for the best collection of fruit grown for marketable 
purposes in the two counties, as well as prizes for 
window gardening, fruit, fiow’ers and vegetables for 
cottagers, and the like. Hitherto, the show has 
reached a very high standard of e.xcellence, and it is 
the keen competition from outside districts that has 
tended to this end. We are sorry to learn that Mr. 
Watling has resigned the secretaryship. He has 
done some good work, which deserved more, we 
think, than the mere complimentary vote of thanks 
accorded him last week by the subscribers at the 
annual meeting. Perhaps the new blood infused 
into the committee, together with the new secretary, 
will be more successful in extending the subscription 
list in the future than in the past. Let us, at least, 
hope so.—A'. 
NATIONAL AMATEUR 
GARDENERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The members of the National Amateur Gardeners’ 
Association held their third annual meeting at the 
Memorial Hall, ' Farringdon Street, London, on 
the 6th inst., Mr. T. W. Sanders, the president, in 
the chair. In the unavoidable absence of Mr. D. B. 
Crane, the honorary secretary, Mr. Rowberry kindly 
undertook the secretarial duties for the evening. 
According to the report, the committee are gratified 
to have to place on record that the work of the past 
year had been of a successful character. There has 
been a steady increase in membership, there being now 
