November 26, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
195 
desired, and the show was a thoroughly representa¬ 
tive one. The show at 
Plymouth, 
on Tuesday, was, of course, on a much more exten¬ 
sive scale, and the announcement that the exhibition 
would be patronised by the Duke of Edinburgh's 
family had the effect of drawing together a large 
company. The prizes offered were of the value of 
upwards of /ioo. The entries in all classes were 
large. There were, indeed, over 1,200 cut blooms, 
the entries in other classes being proportionately 
large. The competition for the special prize of /30 
was very largely contested, and the entries included 
specimens from six or more of the adjoining counties. 
The show at the 
Lizard 
by the local society, which is affiliated with the 
National Chrysanthemum Society, was a good one, 
many of the rarest specimens being exhibited ; and 
it is a remark worth the making that the amateurs 
competed fairly well with the professionals, although 
the N.C.S. Silver Medal was taken by Mr. Nicholls. 
The show of fruits was also good, the leading prize 
being taken by the Rev. C. S. Vyvyan. The table 
decorations were considered above the average.—S. 
-- 
HARDY BULBOUS AND 
ALLIED PLANTS. 
The first of these to appear above ground is the 
winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis; its yellow but¬ 
tercup-like flowers sitting close to the earth seem to 
enjoy the rigours of the winter season. Snowdrops, 
double and single (Galanthus nivalis), follow the 
Aconites closely, and are among the most lovely har¬ 
bingers of spring; and Crocuses succeed Snowdrops 
without a break or interval. ' They are of many and 
varied colours and are capable of some beautiful 
combinations in the hands of skilful and tasteful 
planters. When first planted these little bulbs have 
two inveterate enemies in pheasants and mice, which 
seem to never tire of digging them up and eating 
them. Van Thol Tulips are in before the Crocuses 
are over, and bright sturdy little things they are, well 
known and well liked by most people. 
Some of the Wind Flowers, Anemones, also bloom 
quite early in the year, especially the brilliant and 
dazzling varieties of hortensis, fulgens, and pal- 
mata, and of the species we claim several as mem¬ 
bers of our native flora. Of these latter the Pasque 
Flower, A. Pulsatilla, the Wood Anemone, A. neme- 
rosa, and the mountain Anemone, A. appennina, may 
be named. All of them make fine border plants, and 
are fit companions for A. rivularis, A. sulphurea, etc. 
The Dog’s-tooth Violets,Erythronium Dens-Canis 
are pretty little spring border plants. They cnnve 
well in open gravelly soil, and they too throw up their 
white and purplish flowers and spotted leaves in the 
early spring months. The Squills (Scilla) must be 
classed among the most charming of early spring 
flowers, and sibirica, bifolia and its varieties, 
amaena, praecox, and verna, are all conspicuous for 
the depth and purity of their colours, and our 
common Blue Bell or Wood Hyacinth, Scilla non- 
scripta, also belongs to this family and it also has 
its clear pink and pure white varieties, which are fine 
plants for the front of a mixed herbaceous border or 
for shrubbery belts. Chionodoxa Lucilliae, Glory of 
the Snow, is another charming hardy plant, and no 
gardener, large or small, should be without it. In 
appearance it very much resembles a Scilla, and it 
puts up its lovely porcelain blue and white flowers 
about the same time. 
The Musk Hyacinth (Muscari moschatum) and 
the Fox-brush Hyacinths (M. comosum and race- 
mosum), as well as the Grape Hyacinth (M. botry- 
oides), are all distinct-looking plants, and worthy of 
more extended cultivation. The Crown Imperial 
(Fritillaria imperialis) is an other fine plant, and may 
be had in several colours. It never fails to please 
when in good order, but it is liable to go wrong in 
some places after being planted a few years. It 
likes good friable loam, and an open but sheltered 
situation. The Snake's Head (Fritillaria Meleagris) 
is worthy of notice on account of its quaint appear¬ 
ance and peculiar colours. 
Perhaps no tribe of plants has grown more in 
public favour of late years than the Daffodils, and 
some fine varieties have been added to the family, 
but they and other Narcissi, with garden Tulips, 
Hyacinths, Ranunculi, and Gladioli, etc., must be 
passed over in this paper as forming much too large 
subjects for being briefly dealt with. 
Of Tulip species there are several that are fit to 
rank with the best garden varieties. I will only 
name gesneriana and sylvestris, the first-named 
being a brilliant red and the latter a clear yellow 
colour. They both grow rather tall, and are the 
better for some light support when in flower. When 
planted in a well-drained warm border of good soil, 
few things are more satisfactory than St. Bruno’s 
Lily (Anthericum Liliastrum), its purejwhite flowers 
being freely borne on strong plants if not over¬ 
crowded by other things. Robust-growing plants 
of this class are represented by the yellow Asphodel 
(Asphodelus luteus), the yellow Day Lily (Hemero- 
callis flava), the Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum 
umbellatum), the Spring Snowflake (Leucojum ver- 
num), the Summer Snowflake (Leucojum mstivum), 
the Galtonia candicans, etc. These are all suitable 
for what may be termed the centre and back rows in 
a border, and they are easily kept in order. 
Lilies proper—that is such plants as belong to the 
genus Lilium—are most of them hardy, only a few 
requiring protection in the winter-time. Nothing 
need be said in praise of their stately beauty and 
loveliness, as that is universally conceded, and the 
absurdity of painting the Lily is supposed to equal 
that of gilding refined gold, so I will merely name a 
few of such as are most commonly met with in 
gardens. These are the white Lily (Lilium candidum), 
the Martagon in several colours, Lilium testaceum, 
which bears flowers of a creamy-sulphur colour, quite 
distinct from any other Lily that I know ; Lilium 
pardalinum, one of the finest border plants we have, 
the different forms of Chalcedonicum, tigrinum, 
bulbiferum, and umbellatum. Some of these are in 
great evidence in this locality on a certain day in 
July, both in gardens and elsewhere. Lilium 
giganteum is indeed a giant as its name implies, and 
one of the most magnificent of plants. It winters 
well in a cold frame, and if only one strong bulb is 
planted in good loam in the middle of a No. 2 pot, 
and duly sheltered, but not forced during growth, 
the flower stems will be 6 or 8 ft. high by the month 
of August, and will bear about seven to twelve 
splendid flowers each, which are of a whitish colour 
with dark markings inside. In shape they are some¬ 
thing like a long horn, and they are deliciously sweet 
scented. 
All the speciosum (lancifolium) section do well 
planted out in beds of deep free soil elevated a little 
above the surrounding level, provided they are not 
too much pressed upon by other things during 
growth and have a little coal ashes placed over the 
bulbs in the winter time. These and most, if not all, 
hardy bulbous plants are benefited by an occasional 
lifting and removal to a fresh site, the bulbs being 
assorted into sizes then replanted and each clump 
marked with stout peg or in some other way to pre¬ 
vent their being disturbed when in a dormant state. 
The Liliums are barely over when we have the 
Meadow Saffron, or Autumn Crocus as it is sometimes 
called, in flower.- It is Colchicum autumnale, and it 
is closely followed by our old friend the Belladonna 
Lily (Amaryllis Belladonna), planted at the foot of a 
warm wall, its spikes of lovely pinkish flowers being 
thrown up quite late in the autumn when the foliage 
has disappeared. And so our hardy bulbous plants 
almost if not quite encircle the year with their fresh 
and bright flowers, some of them taking their rest in 
the winter and others in the summer time. As a 
class of plants they charm us in many ways, and in 
their various phases and conditions they seem to 
symbolise the changes in our own life.— F. Harrison, 
Knowsley. 
--I-- 
CHICAGO EXHIBITION. 
Horticultural Department. 
A night-blooming Cereus, more than twenty years 
old, has been attracting much attention at Jackson 
Park of late It had forty blossoms, and arrange¬ 
ments were made to photograph it by flash-light 
when in full beauty. 
Chief Thorpe is anxious to procure from florists 
and private collectors throughout the country as 
many specimens as possible, in order to create an 
exceptionally fine display next year during July and 
August in the horticultural building. 
A fine assortment of rare plants from Jamaica has 
been arranged for, and the first consignment has 
arrived. Fear is entertained lest the fascinating 
“ rum blossoms ” should have been included. 
Australia expects to make a very fine display, and 
the first instalment of tree Ferns, Palms, and other 
plants is on its way from New South Wales, accom¬ 
panied by an official from Sydney Botanical Gardens 
as far as San hrancisco. Should those arrive in 
good order, more will follow at once. 
Fine results around the Pennsylvania Building are 
hoped for from the appointment of Mr. William 
Hamilton, Superintendent of Parks, Alleghnay, Pa., 
as chief floral artist on the grounds allotted to that 
State. He is one of the best-known horticulturists 
in America. 
I think that a really representative collection of 
specimens from Great Britain would produce an un¬ 
precedented effect; so many flowers are grown there 
in so much more perfect a manner that the nur¬ 
serymen showing them here would carry all before 
them. I may be prejudiced, but with the exception 
of (forced) Roses and Chrysanthemums I have seen 
nothing approaching the home standard, and many 
old, inferior varieties are grown which were long 
since discarded in the “ old country.” I have no 
doubt that East this may not be equally true. Any¬ 
how, it is a grand opportunity for a fine display on 
the part of British nurserymen, which they should 
not be slow to avail themselves of. There is no firm 
of horticultural sundriesmen that I know of out West 
A fine display could be set up in that direction, at 
comparatively little cost.— C. Macquarie, Chicago. 
THE vegetable; garden. 
Chou de Burghley. 
This vegetable is not nearly so largely grown as it 
deserves to be, for I am sure, if its good qualities 
were more widely known, it would be much more 
esteemed than at present. One great point in its 
favour is its extreme hardiness, it being much 
hardier than all other Cabbages. It stood with me 
the winter of 1890-91, when all other greens, with 
the exception of some Kales, were killed, and the 
flavour is far superior to that of other Cabbages in. 
the winter. A great mistake made by many who 
have tried it, is sowing it too soon, as it then grows 
to a large size, and splits like a Savoy in the autumn. 
The best results will be obtained by sowing at the 
end of April. It will then be found to form small 
but very useful heads, of fine flavour and quite 
hardy, which will come in very handy when other 
vegetables are scarce.— G. H. S. 
Vegetables at Exhibitions. 
During the past three weeks we have seen large 
numbers of collections of vegetables at the different 
Chrysanthemum shows which contained very fine 
examples of cultural skill; but as one looks at them 
the thought naturally arises as to when we shall see 
the end of the mania for size in the case of some 
kinds. Of course it is quite understood that these 
large vegetables are only grown for exhibition, and 
so long as no limit is put upon size the judges can 
do no other than award the prizes to the largest, if 
of good quality. Still they are not the best for table 
use— indeed, many are in fact quite unfit for a good 
table; but so long as they are encouraged at exhibi¬ 
tions, so long will the raisers of new vegetables 
strive to produce those that will sell for this pur¬ 
pose. 
This is working in a wrong direction, as shows 
are understood to be held for the advancement of 
the useful in horticulture. Of course large fruit and 
flowers are as useful in their way as small ones, but 
I do not think the same can be said of large vege¬ 
tables. Even at the present time a great deal of 
contradiction exists in this matter, as no good judge 
would notice extra large Turnips, Tomatos, or 
Potatos, be the shape ever so good ; then why 
tolerate such enormous Carrots, Cauliflowers, and 
Onions, which are quite as useless ?— G. H. S. 
Daniels' Universal Potato. 
There can be no doubt that most varieties of Potato 
lose some of their initial vigour after a few years’ 
cultivation. With us this fact is markedly illustrated 
in the case of Schoolmaster, which now yields nothing 
like the crops that it gave a few years ago. This 
induced me last season to try the Universal, on the 
strong recommendation of a Jriend on whose judg¬ 
ment I can rely, and I planted a sack of them. The 
result has been highly satisfactory, and I can con¬ 
fidently recommend all who want a good, round, 
mealy Potato, to give Universal a trial.— Con. 
