§20 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 28, 1898. 
Pelycyphora pectinata, and P. aselliformis. There 
was a fine specimen of the crested Mamillaria, M. 
nivea cristata, which was shown in the same pot 
with the type. Other Mamillarias were M. longi- 
namma, M. crassispina, and M. Nicholsonii. Cereus 
peruvianus mostrosus was another notable plant, 
its gnarled and contorted presence being apparently 
very interesting. A grand sample of Melocactus 
biformis was shown in robust health. The same might 
indeed be said of the whole collection. 
ROSES. 
A group, occupying one end of the large tent inter¬ 
mixed with Palms and edged with Ferns, was put up 
by Mr. C. Turner, of Slough, Crimson Rambler 
both as standards and trained up the pillars forming 
a background. This was also trained as a bush, 
lighting up the whole group with admirable effect. 
Francisca Kruger with its delicate yellow flowers 
was much admired, the scent being very delicate. 
The old La France was well shown, as was Juno, 
Marie Baumann, Comtesse de Serenzi, Mme. Victor 
Verdier, The Bride, and Souvenir de Madame 
Verdier. 
Messrs. W. Paul & Son made a magnificent 
display with Ramblers as standards as well as 
trained plants. Teas were well to the fore in this 
group, comprising such varieties as Corinna, Medea, 
Sylph, and Souvenir de Madame Verdier. This group 
was edged with cut Roses in boxes, which in our 
opinion somewhat marred the effect. 
Messrs, Paul & Son, of Cheshunt, occupied one 
corner of the large tent, and made a magnificent 
display. Diana, a very pretty rose of the Rambler 
type, with white flowers, attracted much atten¬ 
tion. The Roses in this group were clean and 
well grown, Ulrich Brunner standing out well 
amongst such varieties as Souvenir dejS. A. Prince, 
Captain Hayward, and Caroline Testout. 
Messrs. F. Cant & Co., of Colchester, had a neat, 
small group in the centre of the adjoining tent, com¬ 
prising such well-known varieties as Mme. Falcot, 
Niphetos, and La France. A peculiar small-flow¬ 
ered Polyantha form named Thalia was very striking. 
At the end of this tent a group, put up by Mr. W. 
Rumsey, Waltham Cross, consisting of standards, 
trained plants, and cut blooms edged with Ferns, 
made a nice arrangement, Mme. Hoste, aiad The 
Queen being amongst the best. 
There was also a group of a single variety named 
Carmine Pillar, exhibited by Mr. J. Russell, of Rich¬ 
mond, which was very showy. The flowers are 
fairly large, of a bright red with a light centre. This 
will doubtless make a companion to Rambler. 
FERNS. 
The collection of Ferns shown by Mr. H. B. May, 
of Dyson's Lane Nurseries, Upper Edmonton, was a 
remarkably fine display of choice material. There 
were none of the so-called market Ferns, whose very 
easiness of culture, combined with their beauty, has 
caused them to be grown in their thousands each 
year, but instead, the rarer and choicer forms were 
shown, and these, by their evident health and fitness, 
not less than by their elegance and variety, gave to 
visitors a good representation of the wide range of 
type that is to be found amongst Ferns as a class of 
plants. The exhibit in question occupied about 
250 square ft., and in this space were congregated 
a large number of magnificent specimens, although 
there was no duplication. For rarity the special 
feature was a single plant of Polypodium Mayii, a 
new form that cannot fail to do credit to Mr. May. 
This was covered and shielded from profane touch 
by a large bell-glass, and the delicacy of its tints 
were well shown up by a setting of the golden Sel- 
aginella kraussiana aurea. This Polypodium has 
the same glaucous hue as P. aureum and P. glaucum, 
but in a much greater degree. The lobes of the 
leaves are broader, whilst the whole leaf has a grace¬ 
ful droop that goes well with the much crisped and 
charmingly undulated margins. The venation 
stands out clearly by reason of the almost translucid 
character of the leaf, and the fact that the veins are 
of a lighter blue than the surrounding tissues. The 
Gymnogrammes were strongly represented by some 
superb samples. There were, in all, about a dozen 
forms, of which we may mention G. flavescens, G. 
chrysophylla grandiceps and its strong-growing form 
G. c. g. supdrba, G. Mayii, and G. schizophylla 
elegantissima, with very finely cut and elegant 
fronds. A fine specimen of Davallia fijiensis 
robusta was most conspicuous by reason of its size 
and vigour, and the same may be said of Platycerium 
grande. P. aethiopicum and P. Willinckii were sus¬ 
pended above the other plants on the stage, and 
thus had every chance to display their charms. 
Aspleniurn caudatum was employed in the same 
way. The distinct Aspleniurn Mayii, with its deeply 
lobed fronds, and the closely allied A. ornatum 
were much admired, whilst the noble fronds of A. 
Nidus musaefolia formed a great contrast to them. 
Of Pterises there were the handsome P. Reginaeaad 
P. R. variegatum, as well as the noble P. ludens and 
the equally distinct P. sagittifolia. Adiantums were 
represented by A. elegantissimum, the new A. 
herosleyanum, and A. fasciculatum, three very 
beautiful forms. The genus Pellaea, which contains 
several highly ornamental subjects was represented 
by P. cordifolia and P. ternata. 
A number of the smaller growing forms was 
accommodated upon diminutive tree stumps,in which 
situation they formed a pleasing feature of the group. 
Drymoglossum piloseloides, D. spatulatum, and D. 
Nephrolepis pectinata were all shown thus. We 
must not forget, moreover, to pay a tribute of praise 
to the way in which the staging was carried out, for 
the characteristic beauties of each plant were well 
brought out, and the smaller plants equally with the 
big ones were able to give the public the full benefit 
of their charms. 
A meritorious and tastefully set up group of exotic 
Ferns came from Messrs. J. Hill & Son, Lower 
Edmonton. It was composed of a great variety of 
material, amongst which were grand specimens of 
such things as Pteris tremula smithiana, Davallia 
fijiensis plumosa, D. mooreana, and Aspleniurn 
caudatum suspended above the stage. On the 
stage itself were such popular Ferns as Blechnum 
cccidentale, Adiantum scutum roseum, A. rnacro- 
phyllum, A. Farleyense, and Lygodium scandens, 
all of them in considerable numbers and in first- 
rate condition. 
As in former years Messrs. W. & J. Birkenhead, 
Sale, near Manchester, staged a capital exhibit of the 
kind of Ferns they grow at their nurseries, both exotic 
and hardy forms being on view. The familiar glass 
case with its " filmy " occupants was also present. On 
this occasion it was filled with pot plants of such 
choice things as Trichomanes maximum, T. radicans 
cambricum, T. r. dissectum cuneatum, Todea su- 
perba and other Trichomanes, and Hymenophyllums 
in variety. The rest of the exhibit outside of the 
glass case contained a large number of small and 
medium sized plants, amongst which we noted 
Davallia pentaphylla, D. fijiensis elegans, Adiantum 
trapeziforme, A. lawsonianum, Alsophila pinnata, 
and Onychium japonicum. There were some pretty 
crested forms among the hardy element, and the 
hardy Maidenhair, Adiantum pedatum was well 
shown in this section. 
HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
The hardy flowers contributed by Messrs. Barr & 
Sons, of Covent Garden, constituted a brilliant and 
very comprehensive display. The miniature rockery, 
which was last year such a successful departure, was 
repeated with even greater success this year. The 
creeping Arenaria balearica, and the larger flowered 
A. montana were tastefully employed to clothe the 
nakedness of the stones, whilst Ramondia pyrenaica, 
peeping out here and there from crevices and cran¬ 
nies,looked thoroughly at home. Masses of Gentiana 
verna, Primula rosea, P. farinosa, Saxifraga Phei, 
Cistus purpureus, and Androsaces added plenty of 
colour. We should also not forget to mention the 
pretty and distinct Viola pedata, and its variety V. p. 
bicolor. A background to the rockery was furnished 
by Cytisus scoparius andreanus, and C. albus 
durrens. Flanking the rockery on either hand were 
masses of cut flowers and plants in pots, the whole 
forming a capital representation of the wealth of 
material that the lover of hardy flowers has at com¬ 
mand. Amongst the cut flowers a collection of bed¬ 
ding Violas included such useful sorts as True Blue, 
Colleen Bawn, Nellie, Sulphur Gem, Duchess of 
Fife, J. B. Riding, and Floriel. Gladiolus Colvillei 
alba, G. C. Blushing Bride, Heuchera sanguinea 
splendens, Papaver Beauty of Livermere, Eremusus 
robustus, E. himalaicus, Geums, Irises, Pyrethrums, 
siogle and double, and Darwin Tulips were all in 
the best of trim. The double Poet’s Narcissus was 
also well shown. It is not unlike a Gardenia in form 
and smell, and should prove very useful for cutting. 
Amongst the plants, Cypripedium calceolus, Orchis 
italica, O. bombilifera, Spanish Iris, in variety,more 
especially the forms Golden King and Snowball, 
Trollius Orange Globe, T. napelliformis were very 
noteworthy. Fritillaria recurva, with its handsome 
red-orange flowers, was very conspicuous, and 
attracted a good deal of attention. F. Elwesii was 
likewise well shown. 
These, with the cut flowers, were distributed over 
the available space in tents Nos. 1, 2, and 3. 
Mr. F. G. Foster, Brockhampton Nurseries, 
Havant, staged forty bunches of cut Sweet Peas in 
as many varieties. They were cut from pot plants 
grown in a cool house, and were prettily made up 
with the foliage of Carex variegata and Eulalia 
japonica with small Adiantums interspersed. Lady 
Mary Currie, Golden Gate, Aurora, Isa Eckford, 
Royal Rose, Sbahzada, and Queen Victoria were 
some of the best forms. 
From Mr. George Edom, Walton-on-Hill, Epsom, 
Surrey, came a collection of cut florists’ Tulips. 
The flowers were in grand condition considering the 
advanced season, both colour and size being above 
the average. Annie McGregor, Rose Hill, Mrs. 
Schofield, Mrs. Hardy, and Goldfinder were the finest 
of the breeder forms, and Lord Frederick Cavendish, 
Adonis, Samuel Barlow, Annie McGregor, and 
Duchess of Sutherland the premier rectified blooms. 
Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, of Crawley, Sussex, put 
up a charming miniature rockery, prettily furnished 
with various Alpines, including Phlox G. F. Wilson, 
P. violacea, Papaver miniatum, Lithospermum pro¬ 
stratum, all in bold masses. In the cut flowers 
shown by the same firm the chief feature was the 
collection of bedding Violas. Here there were 
many pretty varieties, some of the finest being 
Colleen Bawn, Iona, Florize', Archie Grant, Hamish, 
Bullion, A. J. Rowberry, and Border Witch. 
On the left-hand side of the entrance to No. 2 
tent, Messrs. Geo. Jackman & Son, of Woking, had 
a collection of choice herbaceous plants. There 
ware large clumps of Iris germanica Mme. Chereau, 
J. g. Bacchus, single and double Pyrethrums, in 
variety. Tree Paeonies, Haddesi, and Mme. Rattier. 
Centaurea montana rubra was very gay, and the 
bright yellow of Cheiranthus Marshalli was fully as 
conspicuous. We must also make mention of the 
choice Incarvillea Delavayi here just commencing 
to bloom. 
In the western end and in the centre of tent No. 2, 
the hardy flowers, sent by Messrs. R. Wallace & 
Co.. Kilnfield Gardens, Colchester, were staged. A 
special feature here was a quantity of Liliums in 
pots, all of the pots being full of flower, dwarf and 
sturdy. L. thunbergianum atrosanguineum, L. t. alu- 
taceum, L. t. brevefolium. L. t. marmoratum aureum 
were the most noteworthy. By the side of the Lilies 
appeared a collection of hardy Cypripediums, chief 
of which were C. calceolus, C. parviflorum, C. occi- 
dentale, and C. acaule. In another part of the group 
a batch of Lilium rubellum was well to the fore, as 
the beauty of the species would entitle it to be. 
Fritillarias, Calochortuses, Ixias, and the various 
Irises, shown by the Colchester firm, were all of 
them choice and well found. 
In the hardy flowers sent by Mr. Amos Perry, 
Winchmor« Hill, N., the majority were cut. A bold 
mass of Tulipa gesneriana occupied a central posi¬ 
tion, and around it were grouped Trollius, Ranun¬ 
culus aconitifolius flore pleno, Lupinus, Aquilegias, 
and Centaureas in variety. Camassia Leichtlinii 
was one of the notables. 
Messrs. A. W. Young & Co., of Stevenage, Herts, 
had a collection of cut hardy flowers and plants, in 
which Lilium Harrisii figured conspicuously. 
Messrs. Isaac House & Son, Coombe Nurseries, 
Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol, staged a splendid 
lot of sprays of Bedding Violas with their own 
foliage. Border Witch, A. J. Rowberry, Archie 
Grant, Amy Barr, Bullion, Wm. Haig, and Ira Fer- 
gusson were some of the best. Small plants in pots 
were on view, thus exhibiting the habit of some of 
the forms. Amongst the plants the variety White 
Empress gave a good account of itself. A couple of 
stands of single blooms of fancy Pansies appeared in 
the front rank. These were very good considering 
the somewhat unfavourable character of the season. 
The western end of No. 3 tent was devoted to a 
choice collection of hardy flowers sent by Mr. T. S. 
Ware. A huge spike of Eremurus elwesianus was 
the most conspicuous occupant of this group. Irises, 
Lilium, Saxifragas, Epimedium niveum, Trolliuses, 
Lupinus, Paeonies, Lilium, and Irises were present in 
considerable variety, and there were also such high- 
class things as Cypripedium calceolus, Iris Mariae, 
