August 1 1 , 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
811 
the second to Mr. Oliver McRae, Beddington 
Corner, and the third to Mr. Wm. Miles, Car- 
shalton-on-Hill. 
Amongst the non-competiiive exhibits, Messrs. 
John Peed & Sons, Roupell Park Nurseries, Nor¬ 
wood Road, had a showy collection of cut flowers of 
Phloxes, Pentstemons, Sunflowers, Gladioli and 
other herbaceous plants. A pretty and interesting 
group of Saintpaulia ionantha, Caladiums, and 
Maidenhair Fern, was set up by A. H. Smee, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. G. W. Cummins), "My Garden,” 
The Grange, Wallington. A large group of plants 
was exhibited by Messrs. J. W. Silver & Co., 
Norbury Nurseries, London. Mr. J. R. King, 
Wallington Station, showed a harp done up with 
white flowers of China Asters and Sweet Peas. 
-- 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
Hooper’s Gardening Guide.* 
* Hooper’s Gardening Guide. Flower gardening, 
Kitchen Gardening, and C-a’endar of Garden 
Operations. London: Printed and Published 
by H. M. Pollett & Co., Fann Street, Aldersgate 
Street, E.C. 
This useful work is evidently accomplishing the 
purpose for which it was intended, judging only by 
the fact that it now enters upon its fourth edition 
and twentieth thousand copies. It was originally 
written for those whose time permits them to indulge 
in gardening for the pleasure and recreation it 
affords, but is too limited to enable such amateurs 
to digest a more bulky and technical volume such as 
would meet the requirements of members of the 
profession. 
As it is, the book runs to 300 pages, and contains 
a great variety of information on the subjects 
alluded to on its title page. As is frequently the 
case with books intended for amateurs, a large pro¬ 
portion of its pages are devoted to the various 
phases of plant culture for ornamental purposes, 
such as bulbous plants, flowering and ornamental 
plants, ornamental grasses, Ferns, Orchids, Cacti, 
rockwork, fernery, alpinery, &c. Several chapters 
on seed sowing and the management of seedlings 
under glass and in the open air, sowing annuals in 
the autumn, and on kindred subjects will supply 
many a useful hint to those interested, and such 
people are getting more numerous every year. All 
the plant descriptions are written in alphabetical 
order, so that stcve, greenhouse, and hardy plants 
are mixed together, but in the text all are properly 
located. The descriptions consist of general infor¬ 
mation, simply worded, and tersely written, so as to 
supply such particulars as the novice and beginner 
would require in embarking in gardening operations 
on his own account, simply for pleasure, instruction, 
and recreation. Cultural matters receive the fullest 
consideration, particularly with regard to the 
methods of propagation, whether by seeds or other¬ 
wise, and the soils or compost needed by the different 
kinds. 
The portion of the book devoted to vegetables 
goes into the matter with commendable fulness, 
dealing with the best kinds to grow, the time or 
times of sowing, the cultural treatment necessary to 
secure a given result, including digging, manuring, 
feeding with special manures, protection for certain 
kinds, and other details which the inexperienced 
may require. Independently of all the better known 
and generally useful vegetables, other kinds are 
included with which the amateur can hardly expect 
to be so familiar. Among these latter, Celeriac, 
Chervil, Chicory, Lamb's Lettuce, American and 
Australian Cress, Ice Plant, Borage, Indian Corn, 
Salsafy, Sccrzonera, Sorrel, Rape, Rampion, and 
Potato Onions may be mentioned. A useful 
calendar of garden operations for every month of 
the year is given at the end of the book. 
Seldom do we see books on gardening intended for 
amateurs so well illustrated ; in fact, the illustra¬ 
tions constitute a leading feature of the book, all 
the sections of gardening being well represented. 
At the beginning are two pages of designs for flower 
beds, such as amateurs frequently desire to copy and 
transfer to their lawns and grass plots, particularly 
in front of villas or cottages, as the case may be. 
In passing we may point out that the illustration 
intended to represent Couve Tronchuda or Sea Kale 
Cabbage would be more correctly written as Chilian 
Beet. The editing is well done generally, and the 
printing and paper leave nothing to be desired. The 
Joth binding is also substantial. 
ISCELLANY. 
CLEMATIS DAVIDIANA. 
A casual observer on first glancing at this plant 
would scarcely take it for a Clematis at all, for its 
flowers resemble nothing so much as a common 
Hyacinth with a very large perianth. The flowers 
are of a delicate blue colour and very pretty and 
attractive. The plant was introduced from China 
about the year 1865 and is very closely allied to C. 
tubulosa, also a Chinese species. According to the 
Index Kewensis it is also known as C. heracleaefolia. 
Messrs. Laing & Sons, of Forest Hill, S.E., exhibited 
it in fine condition in a collection of hardy cut 
flowers sent by them to the Catford and District 
Flower Show held in St. Dunstan’s College grounds 
on Wednesday, July 31st. 
TWO DWARF ASTERS. 
When speaking of perennial Asters most people run 
off with the idea that they are all tall rampant¬ 
growing subjects that call for a considerable amount 
of space in order to develop properly. This is, how¬ 
ever, a mistake ; for included in the genus are several 
very dwarf-growing plants that are well worthy 
attention. One of them, A. glaucus, a native of 
Northern America, reaches but little more than a 
foot in height, and is usually sturdy enough in habit 
to support itself without artificial aid. The flowers 
are deep lavender in colour, about three-quarters of 
an inch in diameter, and very freely produce!. 
Much like this species in point of habit is A. sibiricus, 
which, as the name denotes, hails from Siberia. 
The flowers, however, are somewhat deeper in hue, 
and, if anything, rather larger than those of the 
former species, whilst it is of slightly more vigorous 
growth. Both, however, should find a place in the 
herbaceous border. We recently noted them flower¬ 
ing in the herbaceous ground at Kew, and were very 
favourably impressed by their exceeding dwarfness 
and floriferousness. 
INDIGOFERA GERARDIANA. 
A circular bed, some eighteen feet in diameter, filled 
with healthy and vigorous examples of this hardy 
and useful plant is, at the time of writing, one of the 
most conspicuous features in the Leguminosae col¬ 
lection at Kew. The long racemes of pale rosy-red 
flowers, together with the by no means unornamental 
foliage, form a pleasing combination. Although 
I. Gerardiana does exceedingly well when planted 
in this way, and treated as a dwarf shrub, its long 
growths render it very suitable for growing against 
a wall, in which possibly it appears to the best 
advantage. The plant is a Dative of the Himalayan 
region, and is sometimes known in gardens as I. 
floribunda. It is dealt with in the Botanical Register 
under the name of I. Dosua. 
TOMATOS. 
These from their vigorous habit of growth, in some 
seasons when growing outside, grow too rank. There 
is little danger of this taking place this season up to 
the present time ; but care must be taken during an 
unusually dry time to keep them well watered, or 
the plants will cease to grow, and the fruit will not 
swell to the proper size. Neither should they be 
suffered to get crowded with superfluous growth, but 
kept well trained and exposed to the influences of 
sun and air.— IV. B. G. 
RASPBERRY VEITCH’S SUPERLATIVE. 
In spite of the fact that the drought of 1895 has been 
very unfavourable to the production of heavy crops 
of this much esteemed fruit, where the plants have 
been well looked after Superlative has done 
splendidly. Mr. McLeod, the gardener at Dover 
House, Roehampton, thinks very highly of this 
variety, which has with him borne exceedingly 
heavily. Much of the success of this year’s crops, 
however, is doubtless due to the liberal treatment 
the plants receive during late autumn. The canes 
are planted in rows and trained to wires. A trench 
is opened out on either side of the rows, a good dress¬ 
ing of cow manure given, and the soil returned to its 
place again. Needless to say the roots take to this 
with avidity and produce as a result strong stout 
growths, which are never allowed to flag for want of 
water during dry. weather. It is this kind of culture 
that pays ; for thoroughness in everything should be 
the gardener’s motto. The days for slip-shod garden¬ 
ing, as for slip-shod farming, have gone by, and it is 
scarcely probable that they will return. 
GIANT PEACHES. 
Visiting Brougham Hall, Penrith, last week, I was 
conducted through the plant and fruit houses by 
Mr. Taylor, who is a young gardener of exceptional 
ability, and takes a great delight in his occupation. 
In a quiet modest manner Mr. Taylor asked me a 
question, namely, " What is the heaviest Peach you 
have ever seen ? ” I said from ten to twelve ounces, 
but that I bad often heard of them weighing fourteen 
ounces, although it had never been my lot to see 
them. He said, "Come along with me and I will 
show you a dozen.” Out of the dozen, five turned 
the scales at sixteen ounces, and one giant weighed 
over seventeen ounces. The variety grown is Sea 
Eagle; the tree was planted eighteen months ago, 
and it carried this season upwards oi two dozen 
Peaches.— J. RlcNab. 
A VARIEGATED CARNATION. 
If this heading applied to the flowers only, there 
would be nothing uncommon in such a Carnation, 
but the note refers to a plant with variegated foliage, 
and which was raised by Mr. Wm. Thomson, Prin¬ 
cess Helena College, Ealing, about four years ago. 
Only some of the shoots are variegated, so that the 
plant remains vigorous enough to flower well every 
year. The variegation is not confined to the foliage 
but runs up the flower stem and into the calyx. It 
may be described as a fancy Carnation, variously 
striped and lined with purple on a white ground, 
perfectly double, and useful for cut flower purposes, 
as for garden decoration. 
BOUGAINVILLEA GLABRA. 
This lovely plant has still many admirers, and it 
well deserves their admiration, for when well grown 
it makes a brilliant display. I saw it growing in a 
fernery recently at Blacklow House, Roby, Liverpool. 
A finer sight I have seldom seen. What with the differ¬ 
ent shades of green in the various Ferns, interspersed 
with beautiful Rex Begonias, and the Bougainvillea 
a sheet of bloom overhead, it was a sight not soon 
to be forgotten. Mrs. E. Banner is very proud of 
her garden, taking a thorough interest in all garden¬ 
ing pursuits. In this she is ably assisted by her 
intelligent gardener, Mr. Pennington.— J. McNab. 
DOUBLE ZINNIAS. 
There frequently is a scarcity of showy, gay flower¬ 
ing things for conservatory use late in autumn. 
Although these are rarely seen grown as pot plants, 
they are both valuable and amenable for the purpose, 
and will make a fine display long after the wet 
weather and damp nights of the autumn have 
destroyed the beauty of those planted outside. 
Plants left over from the planting out, may have the 
flower buds nipped out, and potted up at once 
keeping them in the shade for a few days, then 
placed out in an open situation— W. B. G. 
--K- 
SEVENOAKS FLOWER SHOW. 
The twenty-eighth exhibition of this flourishing 
Society was held in Knole Park and Gardens by kind 
permission of the Right Hon. Lord Sackville, on 
Wednesday, August 7th. The show was quite equal 
to any previously held in the park, except perhaps 
in the fruit classes. There was a scarcity of Apples, 
Pears, and Plums owing to the lateness of the 
season, and the fact that the show was a week earlier. 
Plants. —For six exotic flowering plants distinct, 
Mr. A. Gibson, gardener to T. F. Burnaby Atkins, 
Esq., Halstead Place, was first with medium-sized 
plants of Dipladenia brearleyana and D. amablis, 
Eucharis amazonica, and a good Anthurium 
Scherzerianum. Mr. A. Hatton, gardener to Mrs. 
Swanzy, The Quarry, was second, his best plants 
being Ixora Williamsii, and I. Pilgrimii, both of 
which were nicely flowered. Mr. J. Mason, gardener 
to H. J. Ward, Esq , Boundes Hall, Tunbridge Wells, 
was third with a nice even half-dozen, but small. 
For a specimen flowering plant, Mr. C. Sutton, 
gardener to Earl Stanhope, Chevening, was first with 
Dipladenia insignis, superbly flowered. Mr. G. 
