THE GARDENING WORLD 
/ 
119 
October 22, 1892. 
generally done in gardens. In the spring the old 
plants are shaken out of their pots, and the largest 
roots selected, they are cut into lengths an inch long 
and put thickly into a box, using light soil, which is 
placed in a temperature of about 75 0 and kept moist. 
In a short time they will begin to grow, and when 
the young shoots are about an inch high they are 
placed in a rather cooler and drier quarter to keep 
them sturdy. A little latter on when the new 
growths have attained a height of 2 in , they are 
potted into small sixties in a rather light sandy 
compost, and kept growing in a temperature of about 
55 0 until the end of May, when they are transferred 
to a cold frame, or planted out as the case may be, 
attention being paid to the repotting and stopping of 
the strongest shoots as required. By this method of 
culture Mr. Westcott always gets a good supply of 
this much sought after flower, and which his 
employer, H. Cheetham, Esq., much appreciates.— 
S. C. 
BIRMINGHAM BOTANIC GARDEN. 
When paying a visit to the Birmingham Botanic 
Garden the other day I found Mr. Latham, the 
curator, busy getting his Chrysanthemums housed 
for the winter. He has a large and fine block of 
them grown in moderate-sized pots with something 
like four to six stems or so to a plant. The plants 
being strong and healthy they are sure to produce a 
fine display of bloom. In the stoves jand other plant 
houses there is a varied assortment of moderate 
sized plants, such as is usually met with in a 
botanical garden, all nice and clean. Some nice 
plants of Callicarpa purpurea were very ornamental, 
their stems being covered with clusters of its small 
purple berries. A nice plant of the Belladona Lily 
was in flower, which is very pretty at this time of 
year, either as a pot plant or when the flowers, being 
of a pretty pink, are arranged in a bouquet. In one 
house there is a nice display of tuberous Begonias in 
flower, and they look at their gayest when there is a 
nice batch of them in good flower together. On the 
roof was blooming a plant of Aristolochia elegans, 
a quaint and pretty flower though small, and unlike 
some of the “ monsters ” in this family. In the 
fernery were a number of handsome and beautiful 
specimens, various forms of Dicksonias, Alsophilas, 
and Cyatheas. On the roof here were two handsome 
specimen Lapagerias in good flower, and we have got 
no finer climbers than good forms of the red and 
white of this plant. These gardens are beautifully 
situated, and a visit at any time must prove very 
interesting to their numerous patrons.— R.M. 
-- 
THE FRUITERERS’ COMPANY. 
On the 12th inst., the Fruiterers’ Company made 
the customary annual presentation of fruit—all home 
grown on this occasion—to the Lord and Lady 
Mayoress at the Mansion House. In the evening 
the Lord Mayor entertained the Master, Wardens 
and Court of the Company at dinner in the Egyptian 
Hall. 
In giving the toast of the evening, “The 
Fruiterers' Company, root and branch; may it 
continue and flourish for ever,’’ the Lord Mayor 
bore testimony to the success which had 
attended the efforts of the Company in 
promoting the cultivation of fruit in this country, 
and said their activity in this direction was an 
example to the richer Guilds, who he hoped would 
centre their attention, sympathy, and support in 
aiding and abetting the Fruiterers to further extend 
their work. The people of London were deeply 
indebted to the Fruiterers’ Company for what 
they had done. The Master of the Fruiterers’ Com¬ 
pany, in acknowledging the toast, thanked the Lord 
Mayor for the hospitality he had extended to the 
Company, and said they must all recognise that the 
cultivation of fruit in our homesteads and cottage 
gardens was of the greatest value, not only to the 
grower, but to the nation at large. 
Sir James Whitehead, Bart., M.P., in replying to 
the toast of “ the Court of Alderman and Sheriffs,’’ 
said his hearers would scarcely credit the vast 
amount of correspondence that had resulted from his 
efforts to promote the cultivation of fruit in this 
country, to say nothing of the labour it had involved. 
Only that morning he had received a letter from a 
boot and shoe maker in the country, who wrote :— 
“ I am desirous of planting some fruit trees—Apples 
and Plums—and I understand that you advise on the 
subject. I want to know the best sorts to grow, and 
also if you supply the trees and at what price." 
(Loud laughter.) Another gentleman wrote as 
follows “ Having heard that you are interested in 
the promotion of cottage orchards, I take the liberty of 
asking you whether you could help me, financially 
or otherwise, to manure and cultivate an orchard of 
about one hundred Apple trees besides other fruit 
trees." These were specimens of the numerous 
letters hehad received on the subject. The secretary 
to the Board of Agriculture had informed him that 
during the past two years, during which this move¬ 
ment had been in force, there had been an increased 
growth of fruit in this country to the extent of 27,000 
acres. There were two things necessary to improve 
the existing state of things, one was a higher educa¬ 
tion with regard to fruit culture, and the other was 
the reduction of railway charges, so that there might 
be a distribution of fruit to the people of this country 
at a much lower rate than they could receive it at the 
present time. In Germany, France, and Austria 
there were special schools for the teaching of horti¬ 
culture, in addition to which itinerant lecturers went 
round the rural districts in order that cottage farmers 
might be instructed in the cultivation of fruit. In 
conclusion, Sir James appealed to the Lord Mayor to 
suggest to his fellow countrymen that they should 
grow fruit more than they did in the many beautiful 
valleys and sunny slopes in Wales, for the sale of 
which an excellent market would be found in Liver¬ 
pool and elsewhere. 
-- 
DULWICH PARK. 
The inhabitants in the south-eastern district of 
London are fortunate in possessing two such large 
and open spaces as Brockwell Park and Dulwich 
Park. The latter was opened to the public two 
years ago last June, and cannot but be of lasting 
benefit to the inhabitants of the ancient but quiet 
village of Dulwich and the surrounding district, 
which is year after year being more completely occu¬ 
pied by dwelling-houses. The trees, shrubs, and herba¬ 
ceous plants have made remarkable progress since we 
saw them last year—indeed, so much so that it looks 
more like an old-established place than a new park. 
It consists of 72 acres, and before being laid out was 
meadow land, practically almost waste ground, 
belonging to Dulwich College, the ancient and 
modern buildings of which stand on the outskirts 
at the Old College entrance. 
Entering by the latter gate, the visitor who might 
have previously known the grounds, could not fail 
to be struck by the transformation scene which meets 
his view. At some distance from the walk are mas¬ 
sive banks of shrubbery, with broad expanses of 
well-kept turf in front, and in which smaller beds 
are cut out and planted with various flowering sub¬ 
jects. On the grass are clumps of Acacia lophantha, 
Eucalyptus globulus, Aralia Sieboldi, and other 
subjects. Here also is a bed of a light-coloured 
Fuchsia, named Lye’s Own, mixed with Petunias 
and Lilium speciosum, edged with Iresine Lindeni 
and Fuchsia Golden Fleece. 
Herbaceous Plants. 
The rapid transformation has been brought about 
by the shrubs and herbaceous plants, more particu¬ 
larly the latter, by reason of the wonderful progress 
which they have made. This is likely to continue, 
as Mr. J. W. Moorman, the superintendent, has a 
pincliant for herbaceous and alpine plants, so that it 
is not improbable that this feature of embellishment 
may become a characteristic feature of Dulwich 
Park. Autumn-flowering subjects were most con¬ 
spicuous when we took a walk through the park the 
other week. Amongst the shrubbery were masses, 
clumps, and isolated plants of decorative, Cactus, 
and Pompon Dahlias, in full bloom, not having been 
injured in the least by the frost on the 18th of last 
month. The Cape Hyacinth (Galtonia candicans) 
has been flowering for many weeks past, and is not 
yet quite out of bloom. The stems are 4 ft. to 5 ft. 
high. The Sunflowers are also very bold, including 
clumps of Helianthus annuus and H. multiflorus 
plenus. Chrysanthemum uliginosumjis indeed past 
its best, but the bold clumps 4 ft. to 6 ft. high still 
make themselves conspicuous from a distance. 
Pompon Chrysanthemums are used in places with 
fine effect owing to the profusion of bloom they pro¬ 
duce. Specially noticeable are Flora, golden yellow; 
Blushing Bride, rosy blush; Troubadour, violet- 
rose ; Madame Piccoul, an early-flowering rose 
variety ; Toreador, a beautiful bronzy-red ; Madame 
Desgranges, and Anastasio, a dwarf, branched, and 
floriferous violet-purple variety. Clumps of Sedum 
spectabile have not yet finished flowering. Golden 
and crimson Helichrysums were notable for the 
great size of their blooms. Gaillardias, intermediate 
Stocks, and Phloxes are still flowering. Rudbeckia 
laciniata makes bold masses, but the finest of all is 
R. speciosa, with its golden rays and black disc. 
Large masses of Pinks on the margins of the shrub¬ 
bery make themselves conspicuous in spring. 
The Michaelmas Daisies or perennial Asters are 
undoubtably one of the most interesting features of 
the park at the present time. They make their 
appearance here and there in bold relief all over the 
place, including some bold and floriferous masses of 
A. Novse-Angliae pulchellus with its blue-purple 
flowers. The varieties of A. Novi-Belgii are 
numerous, but the finest only are grown including 
the large mauve-flowered Robert Parker, the bright 
blue A. N.-B. densus, A. N.-B. ccerulescens some¬ 
times called formosissimus, with blue-purple flowers 
produced in the greatest profusion on much 
branched stems, and several others. A. cordifolius 
is also as profuse, and A. Amellus bessarabicus is well 
known for the great size of its purplish blue flowers. 
Truly the Michaelmas Daisies might be laid under 
contribution for park embellishment to a much 
greater extent than they are. The masses of 
Helianthus rigidus are now over, but the Marvel of 
Peru is as floriferous as ever. 
Rockeries. 
Near the various entrances, rockeries or rockwork to 
a greater or less extent is constructed, and planted 
with a variety of subjects. Near the Rosebery en¬ 
trance is a fine bed of Dahlias edged with a bold 
mass of Cineraria maritima. A circular bed of Cannas 
and Acacia lophantha is very pretty. The rockwork 
in front of the gate is planted with bold masses of 
the mossy-leaved Saxifrages, Megasea, Campanula 
carpatica, C. c. alba, and others of that class. Funkia 
lanceolata seems to be flowering out of season, and 
so is the dwarf, trailing Veronica rupestris and 
Geranium sanguineum. Earlier in the season 
Alyssum saxatile is bold with its myriads of yellow 
flowers. Gaultheria procumbens is now in fruit. 
Near the Court Lane entrance the sides of the walk 
are lined with rockwork. On the top of this, various 
Gourds trained on poles interest the visitors. Erica 
vagans, E. v. carnea, Anemone japonica alba, and 
Hypericum calycinum are flowering freely. The 
rosettes of Saxifraga longifolia are very interesting, 
and earlier in the season the patches of Thymus 
Serpyllum, with its varieties albus, coccineus, mon- 
tanus, and lanuginosus, must be very attractive. 
Towards the Snakes Lane entrance, the rockwork 
is more extensive, and planted with Asters, ever¬ 
green Candytufts, Spiraea Filipendula, Sedums, 
Funkias, Arabis albida variegata, Erysimum ochro- 
leucum, Achillea tomentosa, Aubrietia graeca, A. 
Leichtlinii, A. Hendersoni, Phlox setacea, Veronicas, 
Chinese Pinks, Vincas in flower, and many fine 
species of Saxifraga, such as S. peltata, S. Guth- 
rieana, S. cuneifolia, S. c. Taygetea, S. muscoides 
atropurpurea, and many others. Polyanthus, Snow¬ 
drops, Scillas, and such things are planted where 
the Chinese Pinks have been pulled up. We noted 
a fine piece of Androsace sarmentosa, and on the 
top of the bank was Mina lobata, still flowering 
freely. On the opposite side of the walk is what is 
termed the rootery. Here are old roots set up and 
covered with Ivy, while in front the ground is 
covered with Primroses, Wallflowers, Canterbury 
Bells, Arabis, Saxifragas, Silenes, and other subjects, 
while beneath or amongst them are the bulbs of Daf¬ 
fodils, Tulips, Winter Aconite, Blue Bells, Lily of 
the Valley, and various others. Colchicums may 
also be seen on the grass not far off. 
Shrubs. 
In the laying out of the park, the ground has been 
thrown into numerous bold undulations, crowned in 
many cases by shrubbery planted in huge beds. 
Some of the latter are filled with Roses and edged 
with Pentstemons. Others are occupied by named 
varieties of Rhododendrons and Azaleas, edged with 
Monthly Roses which are still in bloom. Lilium 
tigrinum, L. t. splendens, and L. speciosum. are 
planted through them. A bed of the Rose Souvenir 
de la Malmaison planted on a dry bank is still gay 
with flowers as perfect in shape and as fresh, save 
for an outer petal or two, as in summer. Another 
bed is filled with the Roses Madame J. Laing and 
Ulrich Brunner, while a third is filled with La 
