June 8, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
B45 
twelve years it has already accomplished much use¬ 
ful work, of which the services so lately rendered by 
it to the people of Woolwich are but an example. 
A Popu'ar Opening of Private Gardens.—The Royal 
Botanic Society of London was incorporated by 
charter in 1839 and during the fifty-six years that 
have elapsed since then, the gardens have never been 
open to the general public at a popular charge for 
admission till the 3rd inst., when for a charge of 6d. 
anyone that liked could gain admission. It had been 
extensively announced that the gardens would be 
open to the public at the above charge on the date 
named, but with exception of the cheapening and re¬ 
arrangement of the refreshment tariff no special 
amusement was provided for the public. Something 
like 5,000 had passed the turnstiles before 5 p.m. 
Whether the experiment will be repeated remains to 
be seen ; but had a good band been provided a much 
larger number of people would have taken advantage 
of this popular concession by the executive of the 
Society. 
Preserving the colours of dried plants.—Ammonia in 
the air is the main cause of flowers, when cut and 
dried, losing their colour. This may be prevented, 
according to one Herr Nienhaus, by pressing 
specimens between paper which has been previously 
saturated with a solution of one per cent, of oxalic 
acid in water. In this way the true tints of even the 
most delicate Poppies may be preserved. 
Cricket Match at St. Albans.—The annual cricket 
match played between teams representing the firms 
of Messrs. F. Sander & Co. and Messrs Protheroe & 
Morris, took place as usual on Derby day and on a 
single innings the game resulted in a win for the 
Orchid growers, their first victory since 1891—the 
scores being Messrs F. Sander & Co., 102 and Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris 71. The top scorers were Mr. 
Faulkner, 20 for the winners ; and Mr. S. A. Morris, 
a similar number for the auctioneers. 
Flower Show at Old Trafford. —The Whitsuntide 
Flower Show at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Old 
Trafford, was opened on Friday, the 31st ult. The 
Munch ester City News of Saturday last says that there 
was a great variety of plants, including Orchids, all 
of which were staged by a master hand. Messrs. 
Dickson, Chester, contributed a fine collection of 
flowers. The centre of the avenue was devoted to a 
group of Caladiums and many other plants from 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, London. 
Another remarkable exhibit in the avenue was a 
splendid collection of Calceolarias, Gloxinias, and 
other plants sent by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, 
who also exhibited Peas and Tomatos in pots. 
Amongst the exhibitors of Orchids were Messrs. F. 
Sander & Co., St. Albans ; Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., 
Upper Clapton, London ; Messrs. Charlesworth & 
Co., Heaton, Bradford; Messrs. B. S. Williams & 
Son, Upper Holloway, London; Messrs. John 
Cowan & Co., Liverpool ; and Messrs. W. L. Lewis 
& Co., Southgate, London. Gold Medals were 
awarded to Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Messrs. F. 
Sander & Co., Messrs. Sutton & Sons, to Messrs. T. 
Rivers & Son, Sawbridgeworth, for Nectarines in 
pots, and to Messrs. Jones & Son, Shrewsbury, for 
floral decorations. 
--j-- 
AQUILEGIAS IN A SURREY GARDEN. 
The beauty of the Columbines is undeniable what¬ 
ever the size or pretensions of the garden in which 
they are grown. A considerable number of species 
and varieties is now flowering finely in the garden of 
W. Stopher, Esq., Bellaggio, Surrey, and he brought 
four of them to our office the other day. In our 
opinion the most novel and interesting of all was a 
double variety of peculiar form, and which appeared 
in a batch of seedlings. The flower was small for an 
Aquilegia (measuring only an inch in diameter), and 
entirely without spurs. There was no distinction, 
therefore, between sepals and petals except in posi¬ 
tion ; the parts were exceedingly numerous, and 
arranged with the greatest regularity in ten rows 
from the circumference to the centre. Five rows 
were opposite the sepals and five opposite the 
original petals. This peculiar form of arrangement 
may be seen in Queen Anne’s Daffodil, except that 
the latter has only six instead of ten rows of petals. 
Stamens proper were entirely wanting, having been 
transformed to petals, so that sepals, petals, stamens, 
and carpels must all be arranged on the same 
principle, namely, in alternating cycles of five. All 
were dark rosy purple, except the central ones, which 
were tipped with yellow and looked like imperfect 
carpels, but the latter appeared to be perfect, so that 
seed may be obtained by crossing the variety with 
pollen from some other sort. 
There are spurless double varieties already in 
cultivation, but, as far as we have seen, the petals 
are much broader, less numerous, and differently 
arranged, though interesting enough from the 
botanist's or naturalist’s standpoint. Double Aqui- 
legias with spurs to all the petals are plentiful 
enough, and belong chiefly to A. vulgaris. A semi¬ 
double form of the latter was brought us by Mr. 
Stopher, and had dark blue sepals with more 
numerous petals than usual; the latter were pale 
yellow with blue spurs. A pale coloured, almost 
white, variety of the new Mexican A. chrysantha 
was amongst the rest, and had nine instead of five 
petals, but all were spurred alike. It was certainly 
distinct and pretty, with the long sepals spreading 
almost horizontally, forming a guard to the petals, 
whose spurs were forced to assume diverse directions. 
Semi-double forms like this are more graceful than 
the more compact and massive double forms of 
A. vulgaris and A. sibirica. It may be a hybrid 
form either naturally or artificially effected, judging 
from the spurs, which were slightly shorter than is 
usually the case in A. chrysantha. A graceful and 
pretty flower is A. canadensis, with nodding scarlet 
flowers, except the interior of the petals, which is 
golden yellow. The five straight spurs are furnished 
with prominent knobs at the end, constituting a 
peculiar feature of the flower. The Aquilegias inter¬ 
cross with one another very readily, and if Mr. 
Stopher could get the colour of A. canadensis into 
the strange double form above mentioned, we should 
think the operation would give rise to something 
interesting and beautiful. 
-. | . 
ONLY A FEW WILD 
FLOWERS. 
(<Concluded from page 632.) 
We come now to a broad coppice where the timber 
is comparatively thin, and where a little stream, a 
tributary of the Colne, does something to change the 
nature of the scene. Here we discover the Meadow 
Sweet (Spiraea Ulmaria), with its large pinnate leaves; 
the Water Cress (Nasturtium officinale) ; the blue 
Forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris). Wherever 
there is water the vegetation grows stronger and 
coarser, so that one has to wade through a sea of 
rank herbage to obtain a sight of those plants which 
commend themselves to you for some inherent 
quality or floriferous trait. The water is especially 
grateful just now, as the heat is very oppressive, and 
reminds one of the dog-days it is so phenomenal, for 
we found out subsequently that the thermometer had 
risen to 8o° in the shade. But we must continue 
our ramble. A turn to the left and we are in quite a 
typical Devonshire lane, with high banks on either 
side, and a belt of vegetation fringing the summit. 
Here we noted many things floral, and, although the 
road was new to me, the wild flowers were well known. 
No matter how often one goes a-flowering there 
is always something fresh to find—always something 
to verify. The contour or the fragrance of the 
flowers themselves may never fade from the memory, 
yet there is always something about them to re¬ 
enlist one’s interest and sympathy. There is nothing 
new, it is true ; but there is a quiet satisfaction that 
the same old flowers are still before you, and their 
presence brings delight. 
The Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea), with 
its grassy leaves and star-like flowers, is fairly 
representative of its botanical terms. It is not often 
that both the specific and generic names are so 
clearly definable, but here the description is quite 
apropos and does credit to the nomenclator. The 
blossoms shine like stars among the grass, while the 
delicate stems appear to have grown so fast that 
they, like struggling geniuses, have the greatest diffi¬ 
culty in preserving their dignity amidst such vulgar 
surroundings. The Violet, too, displays its pale blue 
flowers ; but it is not the Violet of the poets ; oh, no I 
it is quite scentless. Its rough heart-shaped leaves 
and nodding flowers somewhat resemble the sweet 
one, but an application of the nasal organ to the 
pretty blossoms will soon dispel the illusion. It is 
the Viola hirta of the botanists. Here was the tall 
Red Campion (Lychnis diurna), with bright rosy 
flowers, which may be said, with reference to its 
name, to be a veritable lamp to our feet; and the 
Silverweed (Potentilla anserina). Here we have, 
then, blue, red, and silver-white, the latter plant 
being covered with a soft silky down which perhaps 
suggested the adjective of anserinus (goose), to the 
noun potens (powerful), on account of certain 
medicinal properties. 
In Herb Robert (Geranium Robertianum) we 
have another common subject which does not seem 
to be at all particular as to site or situation. It is an 
annual, with Fern-like foliage and rosy-red flowers, 
which are constantly being developed throughout the 
spring and summer onwards, until the frosts 
determine its existence as a plant. But the seed is 
matured and shed, the plantlet is formed, and thus 
the cycle of events is begotten again and again. 
Those who have seen a crane ( geranos) will readily 
admit the resemblance of the bird's neck to the fruit 
of the plant. On the slopes of this very pleasant bit 
of road the Goldilocks (Ranunculus auricomus), is 
much in evidence, but why the pale yellow flowers 
should be called “ golden crowns ” when so many of 
its allies are larger, brighter, and more conspicuous, 
is one of those things which passeth understanding, 
and which even the fulness of time will never 
probably reveal. 
A sweet little plant is the Scented Woodruff 
(Asperula odorata), which grows in profusion and 
which cannot be omitted from this selective list. Its 
pure white cruciferous-looking flowers are produced 
in tiny panicles, and these are set in a whorl 
of bright green leaves—mostly eight in number and 
lance-shaped—which give the plant a finished and 
regular appearance. Moreover, when the plants are 
drying an odour of new-mown hay is given off; 
hence the term " odorata.” The fact of the foliage 
being rough at the edges is accountable for the 
generic name. 
The large bright blue flowers of the Germander 
Speedwell (Veronica Chamaedrys), demand attention 
ere we speed on. The dry banks here seem exactly 
suitable to show off its beauty and to bring it into 
juxtaposition with its admirer's eyes. All the 
Veronicas are beautiful, and this hairy and 
decumbent little wildling is no exception to the rule. 
This particular species, however, is said to be useful 
as a substitute for tea; so that in addition to its 
intrinsic merits it is also esadentus, i.e., fit for food. 
But, while we are pondering on the meanings of 
things and their offices in Nature and art, we come 
to the end of the lane, and the beginning of the wood, 
or so much of the wood as the lord of the manor 
has thought proper to spare for the public good. 
Doubtless, if some people could have it all their own 
way, pedestrians would receive no encouragement to 
deviate from the beaten track, so that the floral 
treasures of our native heaths and woods might waste 
their sweetness on the desert air. But, now we are 
in the " woods,” where at least we can enjoy what 
has been set apart for us and take note ol the multi¬ 
tudinous forms of Flora’s bairns. 
Primroses still linger, and scentless Violets grace the 
sylvan scene. Ground Ivy, too, and Pileworts, with a 
host of less conspicuous flowers, contribute to the 
general show ; but the glory of the woods just now 
is the English Bluebell. I say “ English ” to 
distinguish it from the Bluebells of Scotland, which 
are not Hyacinths at all, but Campanulas. The 
name Bluebell is not a particularly happy one in this 
case, and I doubt whether the term ” Bluebottle” is 
much better. Anyhow, the local names would seem 
to be less numerous than the technical ones, for the 
Wild Hyacinth is known to science as the 
Agraphis nutans of Link, as Hyacinthus non-scriptus 
of Linneus, and Scilla nutans of Smith. Whatever 
name we give it will not destroy its beauty, for its 
colour alone is of the highest order, and its long, 
graceful, arching spikes beget encomiums of a super¬ 
lative description every time its blue “ bells” give out 
their odour and display their hues. Certainly a 
mass of these produces a most charming effect, 
and once seen will never be forgotten. We also 
found some plants of the white variety, which, how¬ 
ever, does not appear to be so vigorous as the normal 
type. White Bluebells seem so paradoxical that a 
doubtful botanical name is far preferable to a bad 
English one. 
The Spotted or Purple Orchis found a place here ; 
in fact, my friend, who looks at Nature from a 
general and not a special point of view, designated 
this plant the “ Wild Hyacinth.” Certainly there is 
some similarity between them—to the casual observer. 
Moving along we come upon another “ Buttercup ” 
—the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris); and as 
Kalatlios means a cup or goblet, and the colour is 
golden, the name is not inappropriate. Moreover, it 
