660 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 17, 1898. 
THE HERBACEOUS BORDER, 
Choice plants in flower 
Lychnis Viscaria plena splendens. —The name is 
applied to the best, or darkest, double form of this 
old-fashioned plant. When seen at its best it is a 
grand plant, but in light and sandy soils it has be¬ 
haved rather indifferently on account of the drought, 
which has retarded growth, or even killed many of 
the crowns of leaves. The drought commenced at 
an unfavourable time, just as growth was com¬ 
mencing ; but in the average of years we need not 
fear such a long-continued drought occurring for 
many years. The flowers are of a deep and brilliant 
rose, perfectly double and abundantly produced in 
racemes terminating the stems. It makes an excel¬ 
lent bedding plant under ordinary circumstances. 
Rodgersia podophylla.— The flowers of this 
Japan plant are creamy-white, and small, but pro¬ 
duced in dense panicles on stems 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, 
according to the vigour of the plant. The leaves 
are in themselves very ornamental on account of 
their size and colouring. They consist of five 
wedge-shaped segments or leaflets arranged in a 
circular fashion, and have a rusty red appearance in 
the earlier stages, and later on deep green with 
bronzy edges. The plant thrives best in a moist 
position. 
Erigerox philadelphicus.— This elegant and 
freely-flowering species looks well, either in the her¬ 
baceous border or in the cut state. The flowers are 
borne in branching corymbs, and have pale or white 
rays tipped with rose. Many of the cultivated 
species have stems which terminate in a single head 
of bloom, with the appearance it may be of greater 
massiveness, but they lack the gracefulness of the 
present species. Cultivators are beginning to 
recognise the utility of a plant which is easy to 
grow. 
Geranium pratense.— There are several very 
distinct varieties of this species, and amongst those 
that approach the wild type most nearly is a form 
with flowers that are almost blue, in fact as nearly 
blue as can be found in the genus. Occasionally 
they are more or less tinted with purple; but if 
anyone were to take the trouble of raising seedlings 
with the view of improving this shade of blue, some 
very interesting varieties might turn up It is a 
most accommodating herbaceous plant. 
Dictamnus Fraxinella. — The rosy - purple, 
irregular flowers of the Fraxinella are in themselves 
very showy for border decoration, and in addition 
they emit a strong and agreeable odour like Lemon 
peel, but are more balsamic when bruised. There 
is also a white variety, and both are handsome for 
border decoration. They increase very slowly at 
the rootstock and dislike root disturbance. They 
are easily propagated by seeds, which are freely 
produced as a rule. 
Melittis melissophyllum.— There are few of 
the British Labiates which produce so large and 
showy flowers as that under notice. The stems grow 
about 12 in. to 16 in. in height, and bear a few' large, 
white flowers, with a prominent purple blotch on 
the lower lip. It is an old garden plant that might 
be more frequently grown than it is at present. 
Gilenia trifoliata.— This is closely allied to the 
herbaceous Spirseas, but the white flowers are much 
larger, and produced in more sparsely arranged 
cymes. The leaves consist of three leaflets, and the 
stems are red, thus giving the plant a graceful and 
attractive appearance. It increases very slowly, 
grows about 2 ft. high and never overruns its 
neighbours. 
Silene fimbriata.— The petals of the species of 
Silene are usually notched at the apex but in this 
case they are lacerated or fringed, very much like 
what occurs in the garden Pink. The stems grow 
about 2 ft. high and are furnished with broad ovate 
leaves. Propagation may be affected late in autumn 
or in March, by the division of the rootstock. 
Geum chilcense.— The flowers of this plant, 
whether single or double, are very ornamental on 
account of their rich scarlet hue In rich, friable 
soil the plants keep growing more or less freely all 
the summer, and likewise flower till late in the 
autumn. No doubt growth will be considerably 
checked this year unless we get a more plentiful 
supply of rain soon. The plant is best known in 
gardens under the name of G. coccineum, but it is a 
native of Chiloe whereas the true G. coccineum is a 
native of Greece and has purplish petals. 
Erigeron aurantiacus. —The leaves of this 
species are mostly radical and the stem one-flowered. 
Both rays and disc are of a deep orange hue, and 
render the plant most distinct amongst its fellows. It 
is a native of Turkestan, but proves perfectly hardy 
in this country. 
Achillea rupestris.— The deeply pinnatifid, 
hoary leaves of this species produce a dense cushion 
above which the short flower stems arise bearing 
corymbs of white heads similar to, but smaller than, 
those of A. rupestris. 
--*•- 
FLORICULTURE AT THE 
WORLD’S FAIR. 
A T o\v that the exhibits in the Horticultural display 
are all in place and the little rough spots have been 
smoothed over, its magnitude and beauty cannot fail 
to excite great admiration. The half of the Horti¬ 
cultural Building that is devoted to floriculture is a 
bewildering maze of flowers and foliage. The favor¬ 
able weather during the last two weeks has done 
wonders for the plants, and specimens that seemed 
slow have suddenly put on their best exhibition 
dress and are ready to receive the visitors of the 
world. The Australian tree ferns seem to lengthen 
their fronds while you look at them. These ferns 
have been arranged in a beautiful, naturally disposed 
group near the entrance to the north curtain, the 
earth banked up around the boxes in which they are 
planted, and the earth covered with quick-growing 
creepers. It is a charming exposition of the "Art that 
doth mend Nature." 
It was an inspiration on the part of the architect 
of the building to arrange a view from the balcony of 
the dome into both curtains. From the balcony a 
fine view is had of each curtain and from this 
position the scene is a charming one. Truly, 
floriculture has taken the position it was entitled to 
at the great Fair, and that this magnificent display 
will result in incalculable benefit to the trade, none 
can doubt. 
The plants that comprise the display of the 
French Government will be arranged in a group out 
of doors. The collection includes some very hand¬ 
some specimen palms and like decorative plants, and 
the display when arranged is bound to be a very 
attractive one. 
The calceolarias have been adjudicated upon, Mr. 
F. Kanst, superintendent of South Park, acting as 
judge. But the awards have not yet been made 
public. The American exhibitors were Messrs. 
John Gardiner & Co , H. A. Dreer, R. & J. Farquhar, 
Peter Henderson & Co., and J. M. Thorburn & Co. 
The English exhibitors were Messrs. John Laing & 
Sons, H. Canned & Sons, James Carter & Co., 
Ivelway & Son and John Forbes. Germany was 
represented by Messrs. Fred Roemer, E. Benary, 
Haage & Schmidt, Henry Mette and Deppe Bros. 
France was represented by but one exhibitor, Messrs. 
Vilmorin, Andrieux & Co., but the exhibit of this 
firm made up in quality what was lacking in quantity, 
and it will in all probability receive first prize. The 
big rhododendrons from Moser, the French nursery¬ 
man, are now in bloom and are a magnificent sight. 
The Island now begins to make a showing, though 
the foliage of the trees and shrubs is not yet fully 
unfolded. Some of the magnolias are beginning to 
bloom, but as yet nothing else is in flower. The 
Japanese village at the north end of the island is 
now being put into shape and quite a number of 
additional trees and shrubs are being planted. The 
miniature Japanese garden in the Horticultural 
Building is being remodelled, Mr. Izawa having 
received a fresh consignment of plants, with which 
he is replacing those in the garden that have missed 
or were not giving the best results. 
The extensive display of Messrs. Ellwanger & 
Barry, on the Island, came through the winter in 
good shape and will prove very interesting, The 
displays of the Dingee & Conard Co., and of Rea 
Bros, are also looking well. The rose garden shows 
occasional misses, but on the whole looks well 
considering the very hard winter. 
The Landscape Department has planted big beds 
of rhododendrons in front of several of the buildings 
and have also placed pots containing palms and 
Dracaenas on the posts of the massive railing that 
lines the lagoon in front of the Manufactures, 
Machinery, and some other buildings. The general 
effect of the latter is good and will be perfect when 
the pots are painted white, the red of the pots being 
rather too obtrusive against the white buildings. 
A merican Florist. 
THE CHESTER NURSERIES OF 
DICKSONS’ LIMITED. 
Next week the ancient city of Chester, so dear to 
antiquarians, so attractive to tourists from all parts 
of the civilised world will be en fete on a more than 
usually extensive scale; for has not the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England pitched its annual 
camp within the city boundaries, and will not the 
great high festival of British agriculture be held 
from the 19th to the 23rd inst. ? Situated in the 
centre of an immense agricultural district, and 
within easy reach of all the great hives of manu¬ 
facturing industry in the North Midland counties, 
Chester offers well nigh unrivalled facilities for the 
successful holding of large exhibitions of this char¬ 
acter ; and given fine weather there can be no doubt 
the Chester show of the " Royal ” will prove one of 
the most successful of the long series which the 
Society has held, to the lasting benefit of the 
agricultural community. The show-yard is situated 
on a commanding site at Hoole, and within easy 
reach of the General Station, so that visitors, besides 
seeing the show can "do" the sights of the city as 
well, without, figuratively speaking, walking their 
legs off, and any one possessing a mind above fat 
cattle, cheese and buttermilk may spend a most 
agreeable hour or two in a perambulation along the 
ancient city walls, through the delightfully quaint 
" Rows," or in the beautiful Queen's Park. Chester 
is famous to different sections of the community in a 
different way. To the agricultural mind the city is 
symbolical of cheese; the sportsman associates it 
with " The Cup ” and the Roodee ; while to horticul¬ 
turists it is famous for Eaton Hall and Dicksons 
Nurseries; and taking these two famous establish¬ 
ments together—the one as typical of the stately 
home of an English nobleman and the other as 
representing high-class "up to date” commercial 
horticulture, what other city can show their equal : 
Dicksons’, Limited, is a union of the two great 
firms of that name, so long, so well, and so honour¬ 
ably known as engaged in the same sphere of business, 
now' united with the happiest and best results, and 
with such capable business men and courteous English 
gentlemen at the head of affairs as Mr. George A. 
Dickson and Mr. Edmund J Baillie, promising a 
future of rare prosperity and success. The business 
is one of great magnitude, combining, as it does, an 
extensive garden seed trade, still larger and more 
important operations in agricultural seeds, and a 
nursery business which involves the cropping of 
some four hundred and fifty acres of land and the 
employment of four to five hundred hands. The 
Company has five Nurseries in Chester, and three in 
North Wales, the home establishments being known 
as the New'ton, Upton, Hoole, Queen’s Park, and 
Piper’s Ash Nurseries. Newton and Upton now 
conjoined constitute the headquarters, which are 
within about ten minutes’ walk of the General 
Station in a bracing, healthy district, with a soil 
consisting for the most part of a good sound loam 
from 2 ft. to 2§ ft deep, in which all things make a 
clean, healthy growth. Here is to be seen a general 
nursery stock—something of everything, from the 
tenderest exotic to the hardiest of seedling forest 
trees. Several acres are covered with glass, and 
in this department there are practically no special¬ 
ties, seeing that good stocks of everything mav be 
found that should be included in a well-assorted 
plant catalogue, all well cultivated, clean and 
orderly arranged as becomes a well-managed 
plant establishment. Palms, we noticed, 
were a large stock, and the pot vines, some 
thousands in number, and mainly Hamburgh and 
Muscats, are an exceedingly good lot. Tuberous 
Begonias are a growing trade here as elsewhere, and 
about 20,000 will be planted out this season. Her¬ 
baceous plants and Daffodils are a strong order, as 
all know who have seen the grand collection staged 
by the Company at the Manchester, Shrewsbury, 
and other provincial exhibitions. The department 
is in capable hands, the stocks large, well selected, 
and admirably grown. At the present time the beds 
of Pasonies and Pyrethrums are a glorious sight, 
such a wealth of blooms do they give in response to 
genial treatment. 
But it is the immense collection of hardy orna¬ 
mental trees and shrubs to be seen here that claims 
the largest share of our admiration. Beautiful 
specimen trees meet one’s eye in every direction, 
their variety infinite, their numbers bewildering, and 
