244 THE GARDENING WORLD. December 17, 1892. 
FHORICUliTORE. 
The London Pansy Society. 
We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. George 
McLeod, the honorary secretary of this new society, 
concerning which we offered a few comments in our 
last issue, for an opportunity of looking over the 
rules of the society and the list of prizes which will 
be offered for competition at its first exhibition, 
which is fixed to take place at the Drill Hall, West¬ 
minster, on June 6th next. 
The special object of the society is stated to be 
“ encouraging the cultivation and exhibition of the 
Pansy and Viola,” and the annual subscription of 
members is fixed at the small sum of 5s. Donors of 
2s. 6d. and upwards will have the privilege of at¬ 
tending the society's exhibitions, but competitors 
must be members of the society, and membership is 
open to all residents in the United Kingdom. The 
society is to be governed by a committee of twelve 
members, with a president, vice-presidents, a trea¬ 
surer, and honorary secretary. All members will be 
at liberty to compete in the open classes, but in 
competitions restricted to amateurs, no member will 
be considered eligible who disposes of plants, flowers, 
or seeds, or trades in garden produce for profit, oris 
employed as a gardener. Gentlemen who engage 
professional aid are also debarred from competing as 
an amateur, but occasional help from a labourer in 
doing the rough work of a garden is allowed to all 
amateurs. 
Brief but workable rules are also provided for 
managing the exhibitions, and amongst them we 
note that all Pansy blooms must be shown on trays 
painted green, and the use of paper collars will 
involve disqualification. Vioia blooms must be 
shown in sprays with Viola foliage, according to the 
classes in the schedule, the form and colour of the 
stand being left to the option of the exhibitor. All 
blooms must be correctly and legibly named, and 
any neglect of this rule may be punished by the judges 
with disqualification. Certificates of Merit will be 
awarded for seedling Pansies if deemed worthy, and 
not less than three blooms must be shown together. 
Violas for Certificates must be shown in pots, 
whether grown in pots or lifted from the open 
ground. All seedlings must be named or they will 
be passed over ; and those submitted for the opinion 
of the judges must be shown by themselves. 
With one exception all the classes at the show to 
be held on June 6th are open to members residing 
in the United Kingdom, the exception being an 
amateurs' class for twelve sprays of Violas, six 
blooms of one variety in each, open only to residents 
in England, the prizes in which case are Gold and 
Silver Medals, and two money awards. The 
amateurs' classes altogether number twenty-eight, 
and are diversified enough to meet all capacities and 
tastes. The open classes are thirteen'in number, 
and Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals are offered for 
the best trade exhibits of Pansies and Violas. 
We are informed that the membership role is 
growing apace, and many amateurs who have been 
growers in the north have sent in their names, 
including Mr. John Allison, late of Darlington, a 
most successful exhibitor, who has come south on 
account of his health. As some of our readers may 
be disposed to help in the movement, we may add 
that the secretary’s address is g, Buxton Road, 
Chingford, Essex. 
Violas in Pots for Winter Decoration 
I have a decided opinion that with very little trouble 
blooms from these plants may be obtained through¬ 
out the winter. In October last, noticing clumps of 
Lady Dundonald, Bullion, and Abercorn Beauty 
showing several buds, I lifted them carefully from 
the border, and potted them in sufficiently large 
pots to do so without disturbing the roots. These 
were placed in a cold frame, exposed to plenty of air 
by day, and protected with a mat on frosty nights ; 
and as a proof of the success of this trial, on Dec. 
6th, I exhibited blooms of each kind at the monthly 
meeting of the National Amateur Gardeners’ Asso¬ 
ciation, and an award of fourteen points was made 
them (sixteen being the maximum, which carries 
with it the association’s diploma). One plant of 
Lady Dundonald had over a dozen blooms, quite a 
picture in itself. A note has been made to give this 
a more extensive trial next year. No doubt there 
are other kinds that would be equally suitable for 
the purpose, and by cutting back and a little judi¬ 
cious husbanding of their resources a most useful 
addition to our winter bloom should be obtained.— 
A. J. R. 
With reference to Mr. W. Dean's note in your 
last issue on Violas in pots for winter decoration, I 
may say that seed of Dr. Stuart’s hybrid Viola, 
Violetta, sown in June or July, and the plants 
potted up in October, would in heated frames, or in 
a greenhouse if • kept near the glass, bloom all 
through the winter months. This is the finest type 
of Viola I have yet seen, and it is just a matter of 
time until it becomes as popular as our winter¬ 
flowering Violets.— Geo. McLeod, Clxinsford. 
-- 
GUILD OF KEW GARDENERS. 
We are asked to publish the following with reference 
to the paragraph which appeared in our last issue : — 
The gardeners of Kew, past and present, are desirous 
of forming themselves into a Guild, and propose to 
publish annually a journal in which will be recorded 
—(t) the present Kew staff from the director to the 
gardeners; (2) a list of all old Kewites, with the 
date of their leaving Kew, and their positions and 
addresses ; (3) brief notices of distinguished past 
Kewites ; (4) Kew notes; (5) interesting correspon¬ 
dence from old Kewites; (6) the proceedings of the 
Mutual Improvement Society and the prize essays 
of the year ; (7) the proceedings of the Kew British 
Botany Club; (8) the report of the Cricket Club. 
Frontispiece, portrait of a distinguished Kewite. 
The journal will consist of about fifty pages, royal 
8vo, to cover the cost of which, with postage, an 
annual subscription of one shilling will be necessary. 
It will be published on May 1st. Will all old 
Kewites, i e., men who have at any time worked as 
gardeners at Kew, kindly send their names, date of 
leaving Kew, with present position and address to 
the secretary for publication in the journal ? It is 
anticipated that every Kewite will gladly become a 
subscribing member of the Guild, and also com¬ 
municate any interesting professional information 
for publication in the journal. It will be seen that 
the aim and object of the Guild is the very laudable 
one of uniting all Kew men in a bond of fellowship 
by means of a journal which will convey to them 
news of interest, and enable them to communicate 
with each other. There are probably 500 Kewites 
distributed all over the world, but of the where¬ 
abouts of all except a small proportion there is at 
present no record. The committee to carry out this 
scheme is composed of Messrs. W. Watson, W. J. 
Bean, G. H. Krumbiegel, J Browne, H. Pettigrew, 
and T. Aikman. All communications should be 
addressed to the Secretary, J. Aikman, Whitestile 
Road, Brentford. It would save correspondence if 
members would enclose their subscriptions when 
they write to the secretary. 
-- 
NEW CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
New Chrysanthemums were not so plentiful at the 
Floral Committee meeting of the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society on the 7th inst. as at previous 
meetings ; but as the season for all practical purposes 
may now be considered over, a large display could 
not have been expected. Enterprise is an Anemone- 
flowered variety of large size and pleasingly distinct. 
The numerous ray florets are quilled, of a deep rosy 
pink, and more or less reflexed. The disc is very 
prominent, or raised in a hemispherical manner, and 
of a pale yellow. It is likely to make its appear¬ 
ance in future years upon the show-boards. New 
varieties of this class have not been very plentiful 
this year. Enterprise was shown by Mr. Robert 
Owen, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, and was awarded a 
First-claSs Certificate. 
Some varieties were commended, namely, Rose 
Wynne and W. H. Lincoln Improved. The former 
is an incurved Japanese variety, with broad, grooved, 
incurved florets of a pure white or slightly flushed, 
and is very promising. The other is perhaps better 
known in collections under the name of Thomas 
Selwood. It differs from W. H. Lincoln in the 
florets being incurved, making the whole flower 
neater in form. Both were shown by Mr. R. Owen. 
Several varieties the committee wished to see again, 
including another Japanese incurved named Mrs. 
Lay, shaded with white and rose Something in the 
way of Shasta is Mademoiselle Marie Recoura, with 
long, quilled white florets. Mrs. A. Rogers is also a 
Japanese variety, with somewhat fringed, pale yellow 
florets. An incurved variety named C. B. Withnall 
had purple florets. 
BLENHEIM. 
Of the magnificence of Blenheim Palace and Park 
—one of the most stately of ■■ the stately homes of 
England”—it would be considered rather late in the 
day to write now for the gardening community ; but 
of the gardens at Blenheim, so much improved by 
the late Duke of Marlborough, it may not be in¬ 
opportune just now, in view of the great sale of 
Orchids which is to take place there next week, if 
we jot down a few particulars gleaned on the spot 
when we recently visited the place for the purpose 
of seeing the magnificent collection of Orchids 
formed by the late Duke with so much care and 
judgment, before it is broken up and dispersed over 
the face of Europe under that hammer of Mr. 
Protheroe's, which has been associated with the fate 
of so many hundreds of thousands of plants. 
Well, the gardens at Blenheim cover an area of 
some twelve acres, ten within walls and two with¬ 
out, and the glass department, with which we are 
now more immediately concerned, is both extensive in 
quantity and of the very best quality, and, with the 
exception of one range of Vineries, may be said to 
be entirely new, having been built from designs by 
the late Duke since he entered into the enjoyment of 
the estate. The Orchid houses are eight in number, 
and all large, roomy, span-toofed structures but one, 
which is a north house and filled with Odonto- 
glossums. The Cattleya house, the largest of all. 
is 100 ft long and 24 ft. wide, with a lantern roof, 
side and centre stages, and side ventilation under 
the stages. Four of the others are 70 ft. long and 
24 ft. wide, and two are the same length, but only 
18 ft. wide. These are all built and designed in the 
very best style for the growth of Orchids, amply 
heated and fitted with screw ventilating gearing. 
They are also fitted with a damping down apparatus, 
similar to the system introduced by Mr. C. Winn, 
by means of which, by simply turning a tap, the 
paths and stages are sprayed in a very efficient 
manner, and in a short space of time. The side 
stages are covered with coke breeze to stand the 
plants upon, and the same material forms the beds 
under the raised central stages. 
That the houses answer the purpose for which 
they were intended, is amply testified to by the 
perfect health of the plants themselves, and here we 
may say as a word of praise, richly deserved by Mr. 
Whillans, the gardener, that a more healthy, 
vigorously grown, and perfectly cleanly collection 
of such large extent we have never before seen. 
The condition of the plants is indeed deserving of 
the highest praise, and it is but justice to Mr. 
Whillans and his assistants that so much should be 
said. The collection cannot be said to be rich in 
rarities, because scarce species and varieties were 
not specially favoured by their late owner. He may 
be said to have loved a good, showy, and attractive 
species, and plenty of it, and by constant weeding, 
retaining only the best forms, he secured the best 
types only for his personal delectation. Hence we 
were not surprised to find all the leading species 
represented by a large number of specimens of each. 
The popular species of Cattleyas, Cypripediums, 
and Dendrobes are represented by hundreds of 
plants, large and small, and of large ones especially 
in such order as is not often seen. Splendid pieces 
of C. Mendelii, Skinneri, Trianae, Mossiae, and 
Gaskelliana meet the eye at every turn, and hundreds 
of sheaths are visible in all directions. Here also 
may be seen in passing through the houses splendid 
masses of Ada aurantiaca, and grand pieces of such 
Cypripediums as Stonei, Lawrenceana, laevigata, 
Sanderiana, barbatum superbum grandiflorum, and 
cordatum, etc. ; Epidendrum prismatocarpum, and 
a splendid variety in flower of Epidendrum 
rhizophorum. The Phalaenopsis are a fine lot, 
thrifty, and well developed, and such species as 
Schilleriana and Sanderiana, etc., are represented 
in considerable numbers. Two low span-roofed pits 
contain some 8,000 Odontoglossums planted out, 
the principal species so treated being crispum, 
triumphans odoratum, blandum, Pescatorei, and 
Cirrhosum, and the north house before referred to 
contains some 6,000 more plants in pots, and in a 
thriving healthy condition. Space does not permit 
us to enumerate a tithe of the fine and interesting 
Orchids to be seen, nor is it necessary, as so many 
growers next week will doubtless see them for 
themselves. 
Besides, Orchids are not the only things which 
Mr. Whillans does well in these fine gardens. The 
