380 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 12, 1898. 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
Gardening Abroad. 
Garden Notes for the Colonies and Abroad. 
Second Edition, 1898. James Carter & Co., 
Royal Seedsmen by Special Warrants to H.M. 
the Queen and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales: 
High Holborn, London, England. 
This is a small book of some fifty pages, the latter 
being large, however, so that a considerable amount 
of information is given relating to various parts of 
the globe, wherever there is a British possession, 
colony, island or inhabited rock. Other countries 
are also mentioned, where British settlers, or those 
in an official capacity may find themselves. In any 
case a Briton is almost certain to grow or try to 
grow the flowers and vegetables with which he has 
been familiar in the old country ; and will struggle 
under the most adverse conditions to obtain fresh 
vegetable food from the soil of his new home, or find 
delight in the flowers he can raise. 
The book aims at stating the facts pertaining to 
the physical and climatic conditions of the countries 
or stations mentioned ; and furnishes hints as to 
some of the means adopted to assure success to the 
cultivator. In tropical and sub-tropical countries 
advantage is taken of high altitudes where possible, 
and of the winter season. Many countries or 
portions of them are sandy, sun-burnt deserts, but 
that is no indication that they are barren. Irriga¬ 
tion, even by artificial means often enables them to 
blossom as the Rose. 
In spite of the disparaging statements that have 
been made regarding Rhodesia, it is evidently not 
all barren. In the neighbourhood of Salisbury the 
soil is black, rich, and grows vegetables luxuriantly. 
We have no doubt that many of the flowers grown 
here would succeed in Rhodesia under those condi¬ 
tions ; and where water is plentiful almost anything 
could be brought to perfection that requires the 
shelter of glasshouses in Britain. India covers a 
vast range of latitude, longitude, and altitude, and 
its gardening capabilities being well known, a con¬ 
siderable amount of space is devoted to it. A 
calendar outlines the work that may be done during 
every month of the year. In Bengal, the plants 
that grow here will only succeed there during the 
four months from November to February. We have 
on former occasions given lists of plants that succeed 
admirably at Calcutta during the winter months. 
Very interesting information is given regarding Chile 
owing to the great diversity of its climate. This is 
due to the length of the country from north to south, 
and the proximity of the Andes to the whole length 
and breadth of the country, from whence innumer¬ 
able streams descend and water the fertile soil. 
Three successive crops can be raised off the same 
patches of land during the year on the rocky island 
of St. Helena. 
Short chapters towards the end of the book 
describe the vegetables and flowers that may be 
grown in foreiga parts. The Rose, grass lawns, 
bulbous plants, fruits, seed Potatos, and other sub¬ 
jects are dealt with in a general way. The book 
cannot fail to be of service to those contemplating 
going abroad, as well as to those already there. We 
congratulate the Messrs. Carter for their enterprise 
and service to the community in thus directing 
attention to gardening beyond the narrow confines of 
this island. 
The Chrysanthemum. 
Modern Chrysanthemum Culture for the 
Million. A Handbook for the Amateur and 
Cottage Gardener. By George Garner, Silver 
Medallist, &c., Liverpool: Blake & Mackenzie, 
Printers and Publishers, 1897. Price 6d. 
Some sixty-four pages are devoted to elucidating the 
various details connected with the cultivation of the 
golden flower by amateurs, and the general body of 
cultivators who grow their own flowers. The sub¬ 
ject is dealt with by a gardener who is also a prize 
winner at competitions. The author, Mr. G. Garner, 
gardener to A. C. Drummond, Esq., Cadland Park, 
Southampton, commences with propagation, and 
from thence proceeds through the various stages of 
growth till the flowers are fit for exhibition. He 
also gives directions for preserving the flowers if they 
have reached their full development bffore they are 
wanted. The vexed questions of timing and taking 
the various buds are fully but simply described; and 
the would-be cultivator is assisted by photographic 
illustrations, so that he should have no difficulty in 
following the directions given, if he is sufficiently 
enthusiastic as to observe closely. Short chapters 
are devoted to the various pottings required, the 
composts employed, and other cultural items. 
Chrysanthemums in bush form, as well as for the 
exhibition table, are taken into consideration. 
Select lists of suitable varieties belonging to the 
various sections are given towards the end of the 
book, which is well within reach of the amateur’s 
means. Printing and paper are both excellent, and 
quite equal the quality of more expensive books. 
-- 
VISIT TO A FAMOUS ROSE NURSERY. 
Having a few hours at my disposal I thought 
I could not do better than give the famous 
Rose nursery of the Messrs. A. Dickson & Sons, 
Newtonards, a visit. I had what a Scotchman 
would call “ a sicht for sair een.’ 1 
Entering the nursery by a side gate the first item 
to call attention is a splendid border of young 
Apple trees, all in the pink of condition. Mr. 
Dickson’s method is to grow his cordons upright for 
two years, then lay them diagonally. By this 
method he claims to have superior fruit to that 
grown in the ordinary way. 
Passing on to the Roses — the extent of ground under 
this noble flower is between thirty and forty acres. 
There were a good many varieties in flower during 
my visit (January 13th), which says a good deal for 
the climate of Ireland. After visiting this nursery 
one can quite understand how the fine plants with 
the mass of fibrous roots are grown. As Mr. 
Dickson is the owner of a large farm, his method is 
to take his oldest pasture and trench it about 2\ ft. 
deep, with the turfy part or 11 Scran ” just under the 
Rose roots, with a liberal allowance of manure from 
the cowshed. I may mention that the firm buys 
about 1,000 tons of manure annually. 
To visitors from England and Scotland, where the 
spade is universally used, it comes as a surprise to 
learn that a spade is never used in the preparation 
of the ground. It is all done with digging forks. 
Mr. Dickson says the spade does not pulverise the 
ground enough, and if good stock and healthy 
plants count for anything his theory is a sound one. 
There are about six acres under seedling Roses, all 
" standing their trials,” and I have no doubt many of 
them will come through them well. There is a fine lot 
of the famous " Ulster,” which has not been sent 
out yet. 
Leaving the Rose we come to the Coniferae depart¬ 
ment, and here the same skill is shown as among the 
Roses. The plants are grown in the open, there 
being no sheltering hedges to nurse them as seen in 
so many nurseries. This method makes the plants 
very hardy, and gives them a double chance when 
removed to sheltered positions. There was a fine 
batch of Pittosporum Mayii, which gave this de¬ 
partment a bright appearance. It is a wonder that 
this beautiful tree is not grown more generally than 
it is. 
Passing again into the fruit tree department the 
visitor is surprised to see the amount of room 
allowed to each tree. This insures a short, sturdy 
growth, which is a great consideration to the fruit¬ 
grower. By allowing the trees plenty of air and 
light, there is none ot the long sickly growths so 
often met with to be seen here. In the herbaceous 
department, Mr. Dickson is equally as successful 
as he is in other branches of the profession. There 
is a splendid specimen of the Cork tree (Quercus 
suber) which was planted by Mr. Dickson’s father. 
We next come to the glass department, which is 
kept in excellent order. The first house entered 
contained a magnificent collect ion of Palms, including 
a freak of nature in the shape of a variegated 
Latania borbonica, which has a very pleasing 
appearance. The next house was devoted to Pteris 
tremula; and I can safely say I never saw a 
healthier lot of plants. The next house is perhaps 
the most interesting in a Rose nursery, for here 
thousands of roses are being worked on to their 
stocks, chiefly the Brier and Polyaotha Rose. In 
another house the Chrysanthemums were being 
cleared out preparatory to their place being filled 
with young Vines. I may mention that all stages 
and plant cases in this nursery are so constructed 
that they can be removed and packed into small 
space when the class of stuff grown requires more 
headroom. Under the stages, Tulips, &c., were 
being forced by the thousand, all being wanted to 
supply Messrs. Dicksons’ florist establishment at 55, 
Royal Avenue, Belfast. After partaking of Mr. 
Dickson’s hospitality I took my leave and like the 
"Twa Dougs” in Robbie’s poem, “Resolved tae 
meet some ither day.”— Diosma. 
■ 1 — ■ - 
EARLY FLOWERS AT KEW. 
On account of the large number of species and 
varieties of plants grown at Kew, that famous estab¬ 
lishment is, consequently, a faithful reflex of 
weather conditions, for no part of nature, I suppose, 
responds more freely to the stimulus of heat, or is 
retarded more surely by excessive cold, than the 
vegetation of our globe. 
As, therefore, indicating in some degree the former 
conditions, I herewith append a short list of plants 
in flower in the open-air at Kew on January 30th 
last, merely premising that the said list does not pre¬ 
tend to be complete, and that, moreover, many of the 
subjects named had been in bloom for some time. 
The Snowdrop, which Mr. Burbidge calls the " pearl 
of the opening year," was very much in evidence, 
while the genus Crocus gave the gardens quite a gay 
effect. Of the latter the following species, which are 
grown in circular beds in the grass, made a grand 
display: — 
Crocus vernus, C. tommasinianus, 
C. biflorus, C. etruscus, 
C. Sieberi, C. Imperati. 
On the walls:—Chimonanthus fragrans var grandi- 
florus, Umbellularia californica (flowers developing), 
Pyrus japonica, Lonicera Standishii, Sarcococca 
hookeriana (flowers developing), Eccremocarpus 
scaber (strong, new growth), Jasminum nudiflorum. 
Shrubs :—Daphne Mezereum.Berberis Aquifolium. 
Cornus mas, Viburnum Tinus. 
Rockery:—Galanthus nivalis, G. Elwesii, G. 
caucasicus, G. Ikariae, Crocus species, Saxifraga 
ligulata, S. apiculata and S. sancta (developing), 
Scilla bifolia, S. sibirica, Chionodoxa Luciliae, 
Anemone apennioa var. blanda, A. Hepatica, Arabia 
procurrens, Corydalis solida var. densiflora, Erica 
carnea and E. c. alba, Daphne Mezereum and D. M. 
alba, D. blagayana (fat buds), Helleborus in variety, 
Narcissus minor var. minimus, Eranthis hyemalis, 
Iberis gibraltarica, 1 . sempervirens var garrexiana, 
Leucojum vernum, Lonicera fragrantissima, Cycla¬ 
men Coum, Merendera caucasica (Colchicum like), 
Primula denticulata, P. vulgaris, and Wilson’s Blue 
Primrose in variety.—C. B. G., Acton, W. 
-- 
Gardening §[iscellany. 
THE GRAPE ROOM. 
This season is certainly by far the worst that I have 
had for keeping the fruit. Instead of only looking 
over the bunches once a week as formerly, I have 
been obliged to give them attention about every 
other day. There must be a cause for this, but 
whether I attribute the right one or not remains an 
open question. I think the mild, damp, and, I may 
say, almost sunless weather we have had for the past 
few weeks must have had some effect upon them. 
Not only do the berries decay, but the stem of the 
bunch sometimes in the centre has decayed or gone 
mouldy, if I may use that term. Perhaps some of 
your many readers can throw a light upon this sub¬ 
ject; at any rate it would be interesting to know how 
other gardeners, who may have some grapes bottled, 
are faring in this respect. — Perplexed. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM MRS. CHAS. CAREY. 
Amongst the many new kinds that are continually 
coming before the public ODe is apt to overlook some 
old favourites, and amongst them is this Chrysan¬ 
themum. It was put into commerce a long time 
ago. but I cannot give it up for late work. Up to 
the present I cannot find a white kind so good. I 
am aware it is not a full flower, but a semi-double. 
All the same, it is none the worse for decoration, 
seeing its lightness is a recommendation to it. It is a 
strong grower, and the buds do not go blind as in 
sime kinds. We have several plants, and these will 
give us material to cut for filling tall vases till 
February.— J. C. s Chard. 
