612 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 30th, 1885. 
Until the only next step, if it ever be taken— 
that of manhood suffrage—is accomplished, we 
fear many intelligent and well educated under¬ 
gardeners who are deeply interested in political 
matters will have to he patient, though most of 
those now resident in bothies will doubtless ere 
then have become occupiers of dwellings and 
heads of families. We are not of that class who 
would reply to anxious inquirers after their 
assumed rights and privileges byflinging to them a 
sort of non-possumus—a slap in the face, by telling 
them to mind their own business. The State has 
now recognized that gardeners have been long 
unfairly excluded from the full enjoyment of 
political privileges, and has redressed their 
wrongs. That is a recognition of the fact that 
gardeners, with other bodies of workers, have 
political intelligence and political duties to dis¬ 
charge. It is therefore but right that young 
men should look forward to the due discharge of 
their future obligations and duties with present 
interest and earnestness. 
The Chinese Yah (Dioscobea batatas). —It 
is worthy of notice that this plant, which some 
years ago aroused considerable attention, is again 
being brought into notice as a “valuable and 
novel esculent.” Some years ago the Chinese 
Yam was introduced to this country as a substi¬ 
tute for the Potato, but it altogether failed to 
realize the expectations formed of it. There 
is no doubt that one serious objection to the 
culture of this plant arose from the fact that 
it has club roots, which required a deep soil 
to grow in, and then there was some difficulty 
in getting them out of the ground without in¬ 
juring them. But it is a plant that some will 
be sure to take an interest in and cultivate it. 
To do this successfully, the roots should be 
planted in April or May, though the earlier they 
are planted the better, doing it in deeply-dug 
soil, in ridges just as one would Potatos, and 
the tubers should be placed about 1 ft. apart. 
Then, if grown, how is it to be cooked? Mr. 
Shirley Hibberd has supplied this information. 
He states—“ The way to cook it is to boil it but 
a few minutes, according to size; if boiled as 
long as a Potato it is waxy and insipid ; but 
when the proper mode of cooking is once hit 
upon, the A am is deliciously white, mealy, and 
of a most agreeable flavour.” After that who 
will not grow the Chinese Yam ? 
Columbines and Canteebuet Bells in Pots. 
—M hen at Luton Hoo, Beds, a few days ago, we 
saw in one of the plant-houses a number of plants 
of the above that had been lifted from the open 
in early spring, potted, and taken into a house 
to flower. Mr. Butters says that he found them 
very useful for cutting from, and that he grew a 
quantity in this way every year. Good strains of 
each are grown, and there is then an additional 
value attaching to them. As a matter of course, 
the plants are lifted with balls of earth attaching 
to them, and the roots soon lay hold of the soil 
that is placed about them. 
Bulbous Plants. —What a wonderful growth 
these are making this season after the heavy 
rains : Narcissus, Tulips, Crocus, Hyacinths of all 
kinds, Scillas, &c. It must be of great service 
in strengthening the bulbs for another season’s 
flowering when they are able to grow in this way, 
and what a sin it is to pull up the foliage of 
Crocuses, as we have seen some people do when 
they are desirous of putting out their bedding- 
plants. This does the bulbs material harm. It 
is much better to endure the foliage a little 
longer, for it will soon begin to turn yellow, and 
then it can be removed without injury to the 
plants. 
iscdkttiL 
Me. A. H. Smee’s delightful garden at The Grange, 
Hackbridge, near Carshalton, will be opened to the 
public to-day, Saturday, and two following days. 
The annual meeting of the Linnean Society was 
adjourned on Monday to Thursday, June 11th. 
The Royal National Tulip Show will be held this 
day, Saturday, in the Botanical Gardens at Old 
Trafl'ord, Manchester. 
At the last meeting of the Scottish Horticultural 
Association, papers were read by Mr. G. Maelure, 
Trinity, on Alpine Auriculas, and Mr. A. N. McAlpine, 
Minto House, on the functions of the root. 
The many friends of Mr. Herbst, of Richmond, will 
regret to hear of the loss he has sustained in the 
sudden death of Mrs. Herbst on Saturday last. A 
violent clap of thunder passed over Richmond on 
Saturday morning as Mrs. Herbst was leaving a 
shop, when she was stricken down, and died uncon¬ 
scious the same evening. 
The number of visitors to the Inventories Exhibi¬ 
tion on Whit-Monday was 73,634. On the same day, 
Kew Gardens were visited by 33,000 persons, or 7,000 
less than half of the number who passed through the 
gates last year, when the weather was more favour¬ 
able. At Old Trafford, Manchester, 18,000 persons 
visited the Great Horticultural Exhibition in the 
Botanical Gardens. 
Me. W. J. Epps, the well-known peat merchant of 
Ringwood Station, Hants, died somewhat suddenly at 
the Holborn Viaduct Hotel, on the evening of the 
17th inst. Mr. Epps attended the Orchid Conference 
on the 12th and 13th inst., was taken ill after 
partaking dinner on the 14th, went to bed, and never 
rallied. 
Me. Hugh Hughes, for thirty years gardener to 
Sir G. Greenali, Bart., Walton Hall, Warrington, 
died on the 9th inst. Mr. James Lockhart has been 
engaged as his successor. 
Those who wish to see the Rhododendrons in bloom 
at Knap Hill and Bagshot should pay those places 
a visit during the next fortnight. At the Botanic 
Gardens, Regent’s Park, in Rotten Row and in 
Cadogan Square, the plants will be in bloom during 
the same period. 
Me. James Dbewitt, well-known in the craft a 
few years ago as gardener at The Denbies, near 
Dorking, died on the 14th inst., aged eighty-five years, 
at Kingston-on-Thames, where he had lived in retire¬ 
ment for the last seven years. 
Among the obituary announcements of the week we 
note the death of Mr. G. Baker, of Holmfells, Reigate, 
the well-known amateur Rosarian, and a vice-president 
of the National Rose Society. 
M. Max Singer, of Tournai, Belgium, has a 
Dictionary of Boses, in two volumes, in preparation 
for the Press. 
The managers of the American Exhibition to be 
held in London next year, have secured an excellent 
site at Earl’s Court, near South Kensington. 
The dates of the exhibitions of the National Rose 
Society, and of societies affiliated with it, are as 
under: Brockham and Canterbury, June 27th; 
Maidstone, June 29th ; Bagshot, June 30th; Cardiff, 
Croydon, Earnham, and Earningham, July 1st; Bath, 
Hitchin, and Reigate, July 2nd; Tunbridge Wells, 
July 3rd; Eltham, July 4th; National Rose Society, 
at South Kensington, July 7th ; Sutton, July 8th; 
Hereford and Norwich, July 9th; National Rose 
Society, at Manchester and Sidcup, July 11th; New 
Brighton, July loth ; Helensburgh, July 16th ; Wirral, 
July 18th ; and Darlington, July 25th. 
There is a fine show of flowers in the Orchid- 
houses at Sudbury House, Hammersmith, just now, 
and we are requested to state that their owner, J. T. 
Peacock, Esq., will be glad to make an appointment 
to show the collection to any gentleman sending his 
card beforehand. 
The Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen, Steward of the 
Horticultural Department of the Bath and West of 
England Agricultural Society’s Show to be opened at 
Brighton on June 8th, is desirous of obtaining as 
large a display of Orchids as possible, and will be 
happy to offer special inducements and every possible 
facility to exhibitors of these plants. Mr. Boscawen 
would be glad- to hear from any one desirous of 
exhibiting on this occasion. His address is the 
Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mall, S.W. 
FAIR MAIDS OF FRANCE. 
Under this name, or the no less popular one of 
Bachelors’ Buttons, in hundreds of gardens where old- 
fashioned herbaceous plants are cherished, may now 
be found in flower the beautiful subject of the 
annexed eng.axing—Ranunculus aconitifolius flore- 
plenus. In cottage gardens it is one of the best 
known of hardy plants, and no border, even in the 
gardens of the most opulent, seems to be complete 
without it. The plant grows to the height of about 
18 ins., and has a graceful -habit, with dark green 
handsomely lobed and toothed leaves, and during the 
present and next month produces a profusion of 
double, pure white blossoms, generally considered 
suggestive of buttons—Bachelors’ Buttons, but why 
bachelors only is one of the things which, as Lord 
Dundreary would say, no fellow can understand. 
Anyhow, Bachelors’ Buttons or Fair Maids of France, 
the plant is one which will grow anywhere, and 
deserves to be well treated. 
- - - 
ROSES AT SHIRECLIFFE HALL. 
It is seldom at any time of the year that one can 
pay a visit without finding some Roses to admire 
in the gardens at this fine old Sheffield residence; 
just now there is a special feast of pot Roses for the 
lover of the Queen of flowers. The owner, H. E. 
Watson, Esq., who is a generous patron of horticulture, 
may justly be proud of his display, which at j the 
time of my visit was well arranged along the back 
of a lean-to greenhouse in two rows, the back row 
being Standards, and in the front dwarf-trained 
specimens, amongst them being several plants of the 
little China Rose, which had a very nice effect. 
Am ong the Standards I noted Celine Forestier, with 
thirty flowers; Edouard Morren, fine; Madame 
Lacharme, with twenty-eight flowers; La France, with 
eighteen flowers; Marquise de Castellane, Madame 
Victor Vferdier, Marie Beaumann, and others. Of the 
dwarfs, John Hopper, Madame Rivers, 3 ft. through, with 
forty-eight flowers; Victor Verdier, fine; Jules Margottin, 
thirty-six flowers; Hippolyte Jamain, Magna Charta, 
a very fine plant, 4 ft. 6 ins. in diameter, with eighty 
splendid flowers, and Edouard Morren, very fine, were 
very conspicuous. In addition to the above were three 
good plants of the Persian Yellow, and all were in the 
best condition, every leaf clean and without blemish. 
In the same house on the front stage are fine plants 
of Pelargoniums, both large-flowering and fancy, which 
will make a grand display when the Roses are over. 
In the Camellia-house there is a Gloire de Dijon 
planted out in one corner, which is confined to a 
space of 7 ft. by 14 ft. on the roof, and from this plant 
Mr. Udale has cut upwards of 500 fine blooms, while 
there are still many on the tree. The plant would 
soon cover the roof if allowed, but as there is a fine 
collection of Camellias in the house, many of which 
would be hard to match in size and condition, it has 
to be restricted to the space mentioned. In the same 
house there are about three dozen pots of Lilium 
auratum and L. speciosum and its varieties, which 
give promise of a fine display at some future date. 
The Azalea-house is also not without the Queen of 
flowers, for atone end there is a fine plant of Niphetos, 
and at the other a fine vigorous plant in full beauty of 
Vicomtesse Riza du Pare. On each side of this house 
there is a fine lot of Strawberries in pots in various 
stages, some with large ripe fruit abundantly produced. 
The varieties are President, Viscomtesse Hericart de 
Thury, and James Veitch. 
In a small lean-to house a quantity of Tea Roses 
are planted out, which yield a perpetual supply of 
blooms. I noticed amongst them very fine plants of 
Marie van Houtte, Souvenir d’un Ami, Madame 
Y'illermoz, Ac. In the next compartment is a fine 
plant of Madame Berard covering a large space of 
the roof, while the back wall of the house is well 
covered with Zonal Pelargoniums of various colours 
in full bloom. Here, too, are the finest plants of 
Richardia rethiopica it has ever been my lot to see. 
some of them being as much as 6 ft. high and 5 ft. 
through. There are eleven plants, and the largest of 
them are confined to 12 in. pots. The white spathes 
are very large and of good substance ; I counted about 
forty expanded. The flower garden is now very neat 
and gay with the spring bedding, and every department 
alike affords proof that Mr. Udale is a gardner of no 
ordinary ability.— A Rambler. 
