90 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 8, 1898.. 
passes the fancy Pelargoniums in that respect. The 
huge flowers of Coquelicot are salmon-scarlet, or 
Poppy red as the name would indicate. Those of 
Panama are pure white and produced in huge 
panicles; those of Cameron are large and silvery- 
blush with a purple centre. Leonardo da Vinci 
differs in having a bright carmine centre, while both 
are handsome indeed. Embarasment has dark 
salmon-scarlet flowers. The collection is extensive. 
The hedges of Sweet Pea Emily Henderson looked 
like banks of snow traversing the grounds in places. 
Early flowering Chrysanthemums were also making 
their presence felt in the open. St. Mary was the 
earliest and freest white. Well known and useful varie¬ 
ties, also in bloom, were M. G. Grunerwald, and its 
bronze variety, Golden Shah, Mdlle. Marie Masse, 
and various dwarf sorts of the same type is Little 
Bob. A large, rayed, yellow Viola named Aber¬ 
donian is a free and useful bedding sort. 
Roses. 
Getting into a Rose field we found that 50,000 had 
been budded and the scion at rest or in various 
stages of advancement. The cutting Brier was 
budded with Tea and H.P. Roses; the seedling 
Brier and the Manettii with H.P. varieties. Bud¬ 
ding was commenced in July, and already some of 
the more forward maidens amongst the Teas were 
showing flower buds ; while not a few had already 
developed in branching plants of considerable size. 
Devoniensis, from buds in July, was in full bloom. 
Two-year-old Teas cut back were in many cases 
flowering profusely and furnishing an abundance of 
blooms for cutting as if it had been July instead of 
September. Beautiful and fragrant were Comtesse 
de Nadaillac, Gloire de Dijon, and W. A. Richard¬ 
son. Many of the finest hybrid Teas were flowering 
profusely,including Kaiserin Augusta Victoria, Mrs. 
W. J. Grant, La Fraicheur, Marquis Lita and Caro¬ 
line Testout, the latter being simply grand. 
Ayrshire Roses also receive good attention here. 
Polyantha Roses in great variety were also flowering. 
A handsome, newH. P. Rose is Mrs. Cocker, a cross 
between Mrs. J. Laing and Baroness Rothschild. 
The flowers are a deeper shade of pink than those of 
the first-named. It grows strongly and is a hand¬ 
some Rose, to which the Gold Medal was awarded 
at the Halifax Rose show. 
We ran across several other plantations of Tea 
Roses, amongst which Francisca Kruger was flower¬ 
ing profusely. It is one of the best pale apricot 
varieties for cutting. Others were Madame Hoste, 
soft yellow; Maman Cochet, a strong grower with 
magnificent silver-pink flowers; and Madame de 
Watteville, creamy-pink with darker centre. Maiden 
Teas in another square, and flowering freely, looked 
as if they would afford cut bloom for weeks to 
come. Elsewhere we came across more of them in 
the same interesting condition. Beaute Inconstante 
was remarkable for the way in which its flowers were 
made up of pink and dark salmon-red petals in 
singular mixture. The colour of Madame Lambard 
was splendid and attractive. Fine also were Paul 
Ducher and Princesse de Sagan, a garden Rose of 
the Tea race, having semi-double brilliant scarlet 
flowers in the form of a China Rose. 
In another part of the nursery we came upon an 
extensive plantation of H. P. Roses, the bulk of the 
fine collection being situated at this part of the 
divided nursery. Altogether 80,000 Roses have been 
budded this season, a fact which will give some idea 
of the business in Roses conducted by this northern 
firm. The climate of Aberdeen is well suited to their 
requirements. Amongst those in flower we noted 
Mrs. J. Laing, Duchess of Bedford, Duke of Edin¬ 
burgh, Dr. Audry, Charles Lefebvre, Baroness 
Rothschild, and Alfred Colomb, the flowers of the 
latter being of enormous size. The above are but a 
few of the H.P. varieties, noted at random. Of 
H.T. Roses, Viscountess Folkstone and La France, 
in dwarf plants, were in full bloom. The firm has 
again been very successful with their Roses at 
various exhibitions this year. 
Bolbous Plants. 
An interesting feature of the herbaceous department 
was a large collection of Montbretias in many varie¬ 
ties, all perfectly hardy at Aberdeen. M. crocos- 
miaeflora, the original cross between M. Pottsii and 
Crocosmia aurea, is still one of the best, wiih its 
large, expanded orange, and scarlet flowers. The 
panicled stems stand ft. high. Another grand 
sort is M. c. aurea with golden-yellow flowers. M. 
c. Golden Sheaf produces golden-yellow flowers in 
abundance. The golden flowers of M. Rayon d’Or 
have a curved crimson blotch at the base of each 
segment. The orange-scarlet and yellow flowers of 
Phare, mark this out as a choice thing. M. pyra- 
midalis has soft orange, nearly uniform flowers. 
Very floriferous is M. elegans, having yellow 
flowers, and an orange tube ; and the same may be 
said of M. Soleil Couchant, which has uniformly 
soft yellow flowers. The richest and most highly 
coloured of all the varieties we noted was M. Etoile 
de Feu, with orange-crimson flowers externally and 
internally. The small orange-scarlet flowers of the 
original M. Pottsii are well-known ; a great improve¬ 
ment upon it is M. P. grandiflora, the name indica¬ 
ting the particular phase of improvement. Distinct 
from all of the above is M. rosea, a pretty species 
with rosy flowers. 
A stock is being worked up of early-flowering 
Gladioli, amongst which we noted a considerable 
quantity of The Bride and Blushing Bride, both of 
which are hardy here. During the past summer 
there were something like 70,000 spikes of Spanish 
Iris in all the best varieties, the beauty of which, 
when in full bloom, is magnificent. Two R.H.S. 
Gold Medals have been awarded the firm for exhibits 
of Spanish Iris. Colchicum autumnale had already 
made its autumnal appearance. The Tiger Lily was 
in full bloom, but the double variety was only in bud, 
showing how useful it is for a succession. A bed of Par d- 
anthus chinensis, with orange-red flowers, striped 
with crimson, was flowering more profusely than ever 
we have seen it in the sunny south. A plantation of 
seedlings of Gladiolus nancieanus, G. Lemoinei, and 
G. gandavensis was a beautiful sight in the aggre¬ 
gate. The flowers were being cut for market work. 
Hardy Herbaceous Flowers. 
The climate of this part of Britain is particularly 
suitable for hardy herbaceous subjects of all kinds, 
the collections of cut flowers we have seen from 
year to year turned out of this establishment bear¬ 
ing ample, testimony to the fact. Heuchera sanguinea 
is a grand thing, but it is greatly excelled by H. s. 
grandiflora,blooming for a second time, by the greater 
size and rich colour of the flowers. Very fine were 
Eryngium alpinum, E. oliverianum and E. planum. 
Coreopsis grandiflora produces an immense quantity 
of flowers for cutting. The same may be said of 
Alstroemeria aurea, A. brasiliensis, the latest to 
flower, Veronica corymbosa with fasciated stems, 
V. c. variegata, V. austriaca, V. a. alba, and the 
pretty V. longifolia rosea. The pinkish flowers of 
Astilbe Gerbe d’Argent are very chaste, as are those 
of the dwarf A. Silver Sheath. Pyrethrums are 
grown in great quantity and variety, and many of 
the plants of Trollius were in bloom for the second 
time. All the best varieties in cultivation are grown 
here. Named and seedling Gaillardias are grown in 
great quantity and variety, beiDg useful for cut 
flowers and garden decoration. 
Very pretty are the dwarf, shrubby New Zealand 
Veronicas, of which we noticed the glaucous V. 
carnosula and V. pinquifolia, the green V. buxifolia, 
and the yellowish-green V. salicornoides, so like a 
Glasswort. 
Sunflowers are grown in great quantity, including 
H. rigidus, H. multiflorus plenus, H. m. grandi- 
florus, with large, full heads ; H. m. major, H. m. 
Bouquet d’Or, with half-quilled flowers; and the 
magnificent H. rigidus Miss Mellish, only then in 
bud and 5 ft. high. Very distinct are Chrysanth¬ 
emum maximum grandiflorum, with stiff rays, and 
C. m. Mrs. Head, with graceful drooping rays. 
Galtonia candicans was doing grandly, as were 
Potentilla hopwoodiana, pink and cream ; P. atro- 
sanguinea, crimson ; and P. colorata, rosy. Rud- 
beckia purpurea was certainly magnificent; while 
R. californica and Helenium grandicephalum stria¬ 
tum do equally well. Some of the seedling Gaillar¬ 
dias had rays crimson almost to the tips, while 
others were pale yellow with a deep red zone, and 
light yellow, with a reddish-brown disc. 
The white inner bracts of Carlina aucalis are 
always very striking. The Prophet Plant, Arnebia 
echioides is grown in quantity. Distinct and useful 
subjects are Monarda didyma, and M. kalmiana, the 
latter having purple flowers. There is a grand collec¬ 
tion of perennial Asters named as they were by the 
committee of inspection at Chiswick. Delphiniums 
are grown in quantity ; and a fine sight was presented 
by a hedge of white and purple Everlasting Peas, 
grown against a low wall. The great purple flowers 
of Senecio pulcher are produced very late in the season 
here. Polemonium Richardsoni was flowering for the 
second time. Striking flowers also were Liatris 
squarrosa, L. picnostachys, Anemone Lord Ardi- 
laun, Statice incana nana, with white flowers; 
Statice tatarica, with blue flowers, Polygonum 
Bistorta, P. amplexicaulis, and the rare P. sphaero- 
stachyum, with dark carmine heads. A very im¬ 
posing subject is Lobelia Tupa, about 3 ft. high and 
carrying bold spikes of scarlet, tubular, flowers and a 
purple calyx. Aialia californica is a herbaceous 
species with large digitate leaves. About forty of 
the old and new varieties of Trollius are collected 
here, including that fine thing Orange Globe. 
In another part of the city is the Sunny Park 
Nursery, where the grandfather of Messrs. William 
and Alexander Cocker, the present partners of the 
firm, first commenced business as a nurseryman. 
The glasshouses are situated there, as well as forest 
trees and two acres of Daffodils, but time did not 
permit of our paying a visit there. We turned our 
footsteps southwards and were again witness to the 
success of Messrs. James Cocker & Sons, at the 
Edinburgh show. 
- »l. - 
NOTICE OF BOOK. 
The Culture of Flowers from Seeds and Bulbs. 
By E. Kemp Toogood, F.R.H.S. Printed and 
published in autumn of 1898 by Toogood & 
Sons, Southampton. Price is. by post. 
This may be described as a pocket manual or hand¬ 
book of some 180 pages, printed on good paper and 
in clear type, for the use of amateurs and those 
having little spare time for an exhaustive study of 
the subject. As it embraces most of the popular 
flowers, both annuals, biennials, perennials and 
bulbous plants generally, that can be grown in the 
garden or greenhouse, it necessarily follows that 
details must be brief, and in this respect the book 
acts up to the principle with which it set out. 
The main points of culture only are given, so that 
the cultivator must constantly be thinking out these 
things for himself or herself, but as details are often 
mere repetition, the author seems to hold it sufficient 
to put the reader into the proper track to commence 
with, after which he must take care to proceed from 
point to point in the culture of his favourites with¬ 
out swerving from the main line of procedure. In 
the case of such things as watering it is exceedingly 
difficult to give instructions that can be followed 
with any degree of safety and success. This is the 
part of gardening that must be learnt by practice 
and observation; for until an amateur can learn to 
recognise the difference between a pot of soil that 
is dry, and one that is sufficietly wet, or too wet, but 
little real progress can be made. 
In reading over the instructions given concerning 
the rearing and growing of Cyclamen, we find that 
they give in the fewest words all that it is necessary 
for a thinking and intelligent amateur to know. 
Provided he has a real love for his plants and 
follows the instructions without fail, he is almost 
certain to reap that measure of success which he 
deserves. Similarly reliable instructions are given 
concerning the Cineraria, except, perhaps, on one 
point, and that is, that the plant should be taken 
into the greenhouse from a cool frame before the be¬ 
ginning of December. In many parts of the Mid¬ 
lands and North it would be unsafe to leave them 
exposed so late in the year. In the southern coun¬ 
ties the danger or otherwise would depend upon the 
nature of the weather for the time being. 
Numerous small woodcuts are scattered all through 
the text, and illustrate the matter so that those who 
fail to recognise any particular plant by its botanical 
name may grasp the situation from the picture. All 
the more popular subjects are dealt with, such as 
Cannas, Carnations, Campanulas, Cinerarias, Chry¬ 
santhemums, Cyclamen, Coleus, Cockscombs, Cal¬ 
ceolarias, &c. To finish up with, a very detailed 
calendar is given for each month, with instructions 
for the time of sowing a vast number of plants. 
This should always prove useful to beginners. 
Green fly has now a " local habitation and a 
name.” Although it may be the " baseless fabric of 
a vision,” I am about to invent a handy pop-gun to 
shell the fly. It may safely be used by a child. 
Patent applied for.— Snaggs. [Hope you may get it. 
—Ed.] 
