December 11, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
233 
most prolific bulb we have met with or heard about 
had nine flower scapes. Of course this “Lily” is 
not really a Lily at all, but a form of the Polyan¬ 
thus Narcissus. 
Mahonia Aquifolium — J. R. G. : If you want so 
much of the foliage for decorative work the best 
thing would be to select some of the most scraggy 
looking of the plants, and cut them right down to the 
ground. You will thus obtain all the decorative 
material that you require without spoiling the best 
plants. The cut-backs will break away from the 
bottom in the spring, and by next autumn will have 
made dwarf bushy specimens. This plan is followed 
by several of the growers who supply Mahonia 
foliage. 
« < «- 
THE “HURST & SON” CC. 
It may seem late in the season to advocate the 
claims of cricket; but the feverish rush and hurry 
of the brief but lively Chrysanthemum season has 
kept other matters pertaining to gardening in the 
background for the past month. 
MESSRS. DOBBIE & CO., ROTHESAY. 
On the nth of September last we paid a visit to the 
far-famed establishment of Messrs. Dobbie & Co., 
Rothesay. Pressure on our space prevented us from 
recording our notes at the time, and later on the 
Chrysanthemum in all its varied phases monopolised 
our pages for weexs. What we noted then, if not in 
season now, will be even more full of interest 
presently when preparations are being made, not 
only at Rothesay, but all over the country, for next 
year's display in the garden. Florists’ flowers, 
hardy herbaceous plants, and vegetables are the 
specialities at Rothesay, as most of our readers well 
know. Messrs. Dobbie & Co. have sixty acres of 
land at Rothesay, occupied with their various 
specialities, and a seed farm at Orpington, Kent, of 
equal extent, for the growing of seeds to meet the 
demands of their thousands of customers. 
Springfield Nursery. 
This is situated in Rothesay itself, and is the oldest 
branch of the establishment, where Mr. James 
Dobbie carried on business for many years. The 
area is almost completely occupied with glass-houses, 
many of which are comparatively new, and con- 
including Queen Charlotte, having yellow edged, 
scarlet flowers. 
The collection of Chrysanthemums here is very 
extensive and up-to-date, only new varieties being 
growD. They were in the open at that time, and 
included i,8oo in pots for exhibition blooms, and 
i.ooo plants of decorative varieties in pots for big 
blooms. The former included Lady Hanham, that 
handsome salmon-pink sport from Viviand Morel, so 
much in evidence at rhows for some weeks past. 
Lady Isabel is one of the largest incurved varieties 
in cultivation, if not the largest; its flowers are 
lilac-pink. Others were Australian Gold and Albert 
Histout, the latter being a new white sport from 
Win. Tricker and full of promise. 
Early or summer-flowering Chrysanthemums were 
represented by 8oo plants in pots of the best varieties 
in cultivation. This was proved at Chiswick during 
September and October last, when a large number 
of them received XXX from the Floral Committee, 
as recorded in our pages at the time, including 
Mychet White, Bronze Blushing Bride, &c. 
All the leading varieties of greenhouse Fuchsias 
are kept in stock, including a rose sport from 
Thake. Main. Swinfen. Jerry. Dortch. Blyth. Hudson (Umpire). 
Day. Delacourt. Samp.-on (C?pt.) Squire. Locke. 
Spencer (Scorer). 
With regard to cricket or any other wholesome 
recreation, we do not sympathise with those who 
would banish amusement of every form from the 
arena of the legitimate occupation of the hours of 
leisure, whether of half-holidays or the evenings 
after the labours of the working-day have been com¬ 
pleted. The laws of health are now beginning to 
receive that recognition which the past has ignored. 
Gardeners, who are confined all day to hothouses 
saturated with moisture that is injurious to the 
human frame, or seedsmen who are tied to their 
posts in populous and smoky cities and towns require 
some means of counteracting these devitalising influ¬ 
ences. Furthermore, it cannot be denied that healthy 
and happy men are of more service to their employers 
than the unhealthy and dissatisfied. In this respect, 
therefore, wholesome open air recreation is of advan¬ 
tage to employers and employed. 
Many of our readers will still rememb.r the 
cricket matches we recorded during the past summer, 
including those in which the team of the Hurst & Son 
Cricket Club played a prominent part. The accom¬ 
panying photograph represents the men forming the 
team of this well known cricket club, whose season 
was a very successful one. The men are all in 
the employment of Messrs. Hurst & Son, of 152. 
Houndsditch, London, and we may here state that 
they won nine matches, drew four, and lost five dur¬ 
ing the season of 1897. 
structed on the most approved modern principles for 
plant growing. 
The first house we entered was the propagating 
pit for Dahlias in spring, but at the time of our visit 
was filled with Tomato Frogmore Selected, bearing 
a heavy crop of large fruits. We witnessed a finer 
sight in other houses occupied with Tomato Dobbie’s 
Champion, a very deep fruit of medium size, round, 
smooth, and rich scarlet in colour. The flesh is 
solid and flavour excellent, as we had ample means 
of proving. The Tomatos were planted out in the 
floor of the house and trained up to the roof The 
earliest had long been gathered, but later ones were 
fruited from the ground and bearing enormous 
bunches all up the stems. 
In another house we noted a stock ol all the best 
varieties of zonal Pelargoniums. Cuttings of them 
in all stages of rooting filled another house. From 
thence we passed into the Begonia house, where the 
single tuberous varieties potted up in May were still 
flowering. They are of erect habit, very floriferous, 
and of all colours. The rosy-pink flowers of B. 
odorata are pleasantly fragrant. Here also was a 
collection of the new, large-flowering Cannas of the 
Crozy strain, represented by all the varieties. 
Phenomenal, which is white; the pure white 
Countess of Aberdeen ; and Lady Dorothy Neville, 
with a spreading blue Corolla, and very handsome. 
Fuchsia trypbylla and P. microphylla are both 
interesting and ornamental. Show and fancy Pelar¬ 
goniums are also cared fo*; and here also is a 
collection of species of Pelargonium which we did 
not expect to find in a floral establishment. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., are also well up-to-date in 
the matter of Heliotropes, of which many grand 
varieties are grown, and prove serviceable either for 
potwork or bedding purposes. President Garfield, 
Numa, Lady Amherst, Mme. de Burry, Miss Night¬ 
ingale, A. Delaux, The Queen, and Swanley Giant 
are some we noted in bloom. A large quantity of 
frames occupy sloping ground at one end of this 
nursery, and are all required in spring Another set 
of frames was filled with a stock of thousands of 
Dahlias in small pots, grown for what is known in 
the trade as pot roots. The potting shed and 
packing house are very extensive and admirably 
fitted up for the purpose. During winter and in wet 
weather, thousands of labels have the names of 
Dahlias written upon them, and are all classified in 
pigeon holes ready for use when wanted in spring. 
