THE GARDENING WORLD 
183 
November 19, 1898. 
been obtained from Mr. Box, Croydon ; and it is 
hardly necessary to say Mr. Snell is highly pleased 
with the number of fine single forms that have 
appeared. As for the doubles he considers he has 
had even more than the average share of specially 
good ones. Certainly those we saw were of grand 
form, outline, substance and compactness. 
The idea of leaving Chrysanthemum blooms in a 
where I have frequently had the pleasure of meeting 
him on the occasion of the Waverley Market shows. 
He entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1870, and 
and graduated in 1S74, taking his M A. degree, 
together with the degree of Bachelor of Engineering. 
Since leaving college Mr. Ross has practised as a 
Civil Engineer in Dublin. He, I know, has always 
had a leaning towards horticulture ; and in the early 
days of Chrysanthemum culture in these Islands 
he made the regal emblem his hobby. 
Ten years ago he was elected to the Council of the 
Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland, and on the 
resignation through ill-health of Mr. North, the late 
secretary, four years ago, Mr. Ross was selected and 
elected to fill that position and he has un¬ 
questionably succeeded in doing so to the satisfaction 
of everyone. Not alone has he been associated with 
the Royal, for it is a fact, I believe, that Mr. Ross 
had a big interest in the welfare of the Chrysanth¬ 
emum Society at Dalkey, a place close to the city. 
Turning up an old schedule of that Society I find 
that he acted as hon. secretary up to the time of his 
election to this present post. Prior to his association 
with Dalkey Mr. Ross was one of the founders and a 
pretty frequent exhibitor at the Kathmines Chrysan¬ 
themum Shows ; and his many friends will, we know, 
wish him many years to his life, and good health to 
continue the excellent work, which he carries on in 
that quiet and unostentatious manner which is bound 
to bring success, 
Mr. James MacBride. 
Mr. Paul is ably seconded by a courteous, energetic, 
and willing secretary, Mr. James MacBride, whose 
portrait I have also the pleasure to add to The Gar¬ 
dening World gallery of hard-working celebrities. 
I have for a long lime been a silent admirer of Mr. 
MacBride’s methods and determination; and, like 
many another Irishman, he considers that there is 
nothing about his personal life which is very eventful 
or likely to be of interest to the public. Those whose 
a great deal of truth in the statement. The book is 
well printed on good paper, and contains a great 
amouDt of useful and interesting information con¬ 
cerning birds as the friends or enemies of farmers 
and gardeners. 
-- a — - 
MESSRS. R. & G. CUTHBERTS’ NUR¬ 
SERIES, SOUTHGATE, MIDDLESEX. 
These old-established nurseries have been in 
existence over 100 years. During that period many 
features of horticultural interest have been accom¬ 
plished. It is interesting to state that at the present 
time there are four generations living, all enjoying 
the name of George. The business is conducted 
upon a good, all-round, sound, commercial basis. 
Every branch of the trade is represented. 
Upon a recent visit I was very much surprised and 
astonished at the enormous quantities of forcing 
plants that the houses and grounds contained. 
Great activity was most noticeable in the packing 
department. These forcing plants consist of all the 
best named and seedling Azalea mollis and hybrid 
hardy plants of the former. There is great variety 
both among the seedlings and the named sorts. The 
splendid collections exhibited at the Temple Show 
during the last few years, and likewise at the Drill 
Hall, are sufficient in themselves to show how valu¬ 
able these plants are for early and late forcing. The 
following I noticed in big batches:—Kalmias, 
Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, Deutzias, Vibur¬ 
nums, Lilacs, all the leading sorts, Spiraeas, 
Weigelas, Rhododendrons, &c. The stuff, this 
season, is in splendid condition, the wood is well 
ripened, and flower buds are more numerous than 
usual. Tons of good clumps of Lily of the Valley 
and Spiraea japonica are stored ready for sending 
out, the quality being Ai. 
The many greenhouses contain a grand lot of 
winter-flowering and other useful plants, including 
many hundreds of Azalea indica, of all the best and 
popular sorts. I do not recollect ever seeing such 
well-shaped, well-grown plants and profusely set with 
buds before. There are houses devoted to Camellia 
culture, principally for cut bloom, the plants being 
planted out, and giving a grand supply at the present 
time. Other houses contain Pelargoniums, Primu¬ 
las, Ferns and Palms. A good batch of Coelogyne 
cristata is in strong evidence. The stock of stove 
and greenhouse plants consists of those best adapted 
for cut flower and decoration work. In the show 
house Primulas, Cyclamen, various Ericas, Bou- 
vardias, Carnations and Solanums are in full bloom, 
making a very attractive show. 
The outside nurseries contain a grand collection of 
fruit trges and hardy trees and shrubs of every 
description in the best of health and condition for 
planting. These are a few notes, taken when upon 
a hurried visit on one of the brightest days ever 
seen in November — Rusticus. 
--a«~-- 
BEGONIAS AT NEWLANDS, DEVON. 
It certainly seemed somewhat strange, a few days 
ago, when passing from the exhibition of the Daw- 
lish Chrysanthemum Society to find oneself in a 
garden where tuberous Begonias, in most lovely 
array, were still enriching and beautifying the scene. 
This, however, was the case; and as the judges 
accompanied Mr. S. Snell, gardener to Mrs. 
Nosworthy, Newlands, the hour spent, was by no 
means considered lost time. 
In the flower garden there were ten circular beds, 
full of tuberous Begonias in flower; and in other 
parts of the garden were long borders and clumps of 
both Single and double forms. The blooms were 
remarkable for the vividness of their colours, and if 
some were a little smaller than had been the case 
some six weeks or two months ago, there were, 
nevertheless, many of fine size and good substance. 
Nothing else in the flower garden had retained their 
flowers so freely ; and whilst other beds were mostly 
foliage with but a few flowers on the plants, these 
Begonia beds were, as I have said, still very gay. 
We were also shown a quantity now in frames, that 
had been taken from the borders and potted. On 
these were many flowers measuring 5 in. or 6 in. 
across, and almost circular in outline. These will 
doubtless continue in flower for some weeks longer. 
We were anxious to know something of the strain, 
for the blooms were so uniformly good that we could 
not but notice it. We were informed the seed had 
show to ramble among the flower beds in a garden 
and inspect, and measure Begonia flowers in Novem¬ 
ber, was really a novel experience, for so often have 
shows of this class been held when rain, hail, snow 
and frost have been much in evidence, that one 
almost imagined it should have been so on this 
occasion. But then, the sunny South is exception¬ 
ally favoured, and not only in Devonshire, but from 
reports, one may gather that a very similar experi¬ 
ence during the past week has fallen to the lot of 
many. Dahlias, for instance, have been shown re¬ 
markably late, and in this neighbourhood are still 
flowering most abundantly. Doubtless in many 
a flower garden, where the plants still remain, 
bright and showy combinations cheer and gladden 
the eye. In passing along to go to the show I 
noticed in cottage gardens capital displays, among 
them being Fuchsias, Petunias, Pelargoniums, Chrys¬ 
anthemums, Gaillardias, Antirrhinums, Stocks, 
Lobelias, Nicotiana affinis, &c. 
At Newlands we observed a nice clump of Oeno¬ 
thera missouriensis, on which was a quantity of 
flowers of a clear canary-yellow. In the glasshouses 
were many interesting things, but time would not 
allow for many notes. The vineries contained 
splendid bunches of Black Alicante and Lady 
Downes Grapes. The berries were large; the 
bunch and bloom on the berries were just superb. 
In another house was a fine collection of Chrysanth¬ 
emums in flower. Many blooms were of exceptional 
size and substance, fit companions to those at the 
show, where Mr. Snell had been awarded first prize 
and the N.C.S. Certificate for twenty-four cut 
blooms, Japanese. He had also been successful 
with eighteen blooms, again securing first prize; 
whilst in his stand was the bloom adjudged to be 
the best in the show, namely, Madame Carnot. 
This was a magnificent flower.— W. S. 
- 
PEOPLE I HAVE MET. 
Mr. George M. Ross. 
Mr. George M. Ross, M.A., is a guiding genius and is 
loyally enthusiastic in the welfare of the Dublin 
horticultural shows, in his capacity of secretary to 
the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. 
Mr. Ross was born in Dublin some forty years 
back, and was educated at Merchiston School, 
Edinburgh, a city which he still loves to visit, and 
Mr. James MacBride. 
privilege it is to look on sometimes,however,know that 
such a declaration does not always do justice to the 
subject, and I think that that exactly indicates the 
facts in the present case. Mr. MacBride has been 
the secretary of the society for five years, during 
which time the extent of the show has increased con¬ 
siderably. In business life Mr. MacBride conducts 
the affairs of Messrs. A. MacBride & Sons, and has 
been identified with secretarial work since he was a 
lad. Although I know that he would be the last 
man in the world to suggest, for a moment, that the 
succees or progress of the Ulster Society has been 
due to any efforts of his, it must give Mr. MacBride 
and thecommitteeof officers, whom he so successfully 
serves, an unqualified satisfaction to know that the 
Ulster Society has reached the very highest water¬ 
mark of successful development.— Gyp. 
