197 
November 28, 1896. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
The Smoking Concert organised in support of the 
N. C. S. Jubilee resulted in a balance of £n 15s. in 
favour of the funds. 
Correction in Winchester Show Report.—In our 
report of the Winchester show last week, Mr. E. 
Molyneux was reported to have received a Certificate 
of Merit for two new Chrysanthemums Mary 
Molyneux and Princess Charles of Denmark. Our 
correspondent writes to point out that this is a 
printer's error, that the certificate was awarded to 
Mr. N. Molyneux, of Rookesbury Park, Wickham. 
Death of Mr. A. M. Byres— Just as we go to press 
we have been informed of the death of Mr. A. M. 
Byres the secretary of the Royal Horticultural 
Society of Aberdeen. We are especially sorry to 
hear of this sad event as arrangements were in 
progress for a deputation of which the late Mr. 
Bj res was to form one in a visit to the Temple Show 
in London next May. We are sure also that the 
many exhibitors who customarily visit the Aberdeen 
shows will join in expressing their regret at Mr. 
Byres’ death. 
Mr. William Falconer, the energetic superintendent 
of Schenley Park, U.S.A, has been obliged to 
resign the editorship of Gardening (American), on 
account of the great amount of work entailed upon 
him by the laying out of the new park, which con¬ 
sists of some 450 acres of stiff clay and rock. All 
the editorial work in connection with Gardening had 
to be done at night. Now the planning and arrange¬ 
ment of the park have to be done in his study at home 
during the evenings. 
Roots pierce Roots.—Mr. A. Pentney, Wortou Hall 
Gardens, Isleworth, always a keen observer, sends 
us a speimen of a root of La France Rose, which has 
been pierced right through by one of its neighbours, 
perhaps on the same plant. After the roots had 
partly dried up, the attacking root was loose in the 
hole it had made, but could not be removed because 
it had thickened on both sides of the other. The 
acid cell sap in one root had no doubt helped it to 
pierce the other. 
Curator for the Liverpool Botanic Gardens. — 
The Parks' Committee of the Corporation, at a 
special meeting held on the 20th inst., Mr Alderman 
Ball in the chair, appointed Mr. Herbert to be chief 
of all the public parks and gardens in the city ; and 
Mr. James Guttridge, of the Botanic Gardens, 
Glasgow, to be his deputy, and resident curator of 
the Botanic Gardens, Edge-lane. Five selected 
candidates attended before the committee. The 
vacancy at the Botanic Gardens arose through the 
retirement of Mr. J. Richardson on super-annuation. 
New species of Crassula.—At a meeting of the 
Linnean Society of London on the 5th inst. Dr. S. 
Schonland communicated a paper on some new 
species of Crassula from South Africa, which he had 
obtained from localities which had been very rarely 
visited by botanical collectors, and which were be¬ 
lieved to be undescribed. Mr. J. G. Baker, who 
criticised the paper, spoke in favourable terms of the 
care which had been taken by the author in its pre¬ 
paration, and thought there was sufficient justifica¬ 
tion for describing the species mentioned as new. 
Shirley Gardeners Mutual Improvement Association 
— There was the usual monthly meeting on Thurs¬ 
day, the 19th inst , at the Parish Room, Shirley, 
Southampton, Vice President, G. T. Harper, Esq 
J.P., presiding, and the members attended in good 
numbers. The lecture was given by Mr. E. T. 
Mellor, B. Sc., London, lecturer in biology, at the 
Hartley, Southampton ; and was a departure from the 
ordinary style, being illustrated by chemical experi¬ 
ments, and also diagrams. "Plants and air’’ was 
the subject, and the object of the lecturer was to 
show how plants obtained the 50 per cent of their 
substance (carbon) chiefly through their leaves, from 
the carbonic acid gas in the air. There was a brief 
discussion and at its close a very hearty vote of 
thanks was accorded to Mr Mellor for his entertain¬ 
ing, and instructive lecture. There was an exhibi¬ 
tion of cut blooms of Chrysanthemums and a few 
plants also, the two certificates for six blooms Japs, 
and six blooms incurved both being secured by Mrs. 
Keates, Rownhams House (gardener, Mr. W. G. 
Bushell) with good exhibits ; and a certificate was 
also accorded Col. W. S. Sinkins, Alderman House 
(gardener, Mr. E. G. Wilcox) for 24 cut blooms of 
single Chrysanthemums. Mr. B. Ladhams, F.R.H.S. 
showed a lot of cut blooms of the new decorative 
Chrysanthemum, " Golden Elsie ” a sport raised 
in the district. 
PEOPLE I HAVE MET. 
Mr. William Martin Welsh. 
A tower of strength amongst Scottish Horti¬ 
culturists is Mr. W. M. Welsh, and as senior 
partner in the firm of Messrs. Dicksons & Co., of 
Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, he is well known in 
connection with the several organisations and 
institutions relating to the profession of which he is 
so prominent a member. Born on June 21st, 1838, 
Mr. Welsh had to confess to fifty-eight years of a 
busy and energetic life. It was in 1862, on the 
death of Mr. Archibald Scott, a former partner in 
this century old firm that Mr. Welsh and his 
brother the late Mr. James Welsh joined Mr. James 
Alexander in the firm of Dicksons & Co., and it is 
that step which undoubtedly marked the advent of a 
new era of progress and prosperity to which the firm 
is able to point with just pride and satisfaction. 
Nevertheless, the last thirty years has seen changes 
in the personnell of the firm, and Mr. William Hall 
Massie and Mr. James Welsh, son of the senior 
partner are associated with Mr. W. M. Welsh in the 
management of the business Whilst the seed 
department is in the capable harids of Mr. Massie, 
both Mr. William Martin Welsh and his son con¬ 
duct the section of the business relating to the 
nurseries and landscape gardening in regard to 
which the firm have attained a national renown, and 
a reputation which will probably remain for many a 
decade. 
Coming from an old and respected family, whose 
ancestors belonged to the Borders, Mr. W. M. 
Welsh's native place is Ericstane, near Moffat, in 
Dumfriesshire. He was educated at the Academy 
of his native town. Like many another eminent 
man in his profession, he began his business training 
in the ancient city of Carlisle, and subsequently 
attained experience at Liverpool and Manchester, to 
which part of his life may be atlributed the acquisi¬ 
tion of the masterly skill, which, as we all know, is 
the absolutely necessary qualification for the suc¬ 
cessful landscape gardener of to-day. 
It is interesting to|note that the tufted Pansy owes 
much of its present popularity to the interest taken 
in this biautiful flower during the last thirty years 
by Messrs. Dicksons & Co., who cultivated and 
hybridised the various forms of the wild mountain 
Viola, from which they succeeded in producing the 
many varieties with which we are now familiar, 
commanding as they do, such universal admiration. 
Fruit trees, Roses, and forest trees, all have their 
special department, whilst ornamental trees and 
shrubs, hot house plants and hardy florists’ flowers 
all receive their quota of attention at the hands of 
Mr.Welsh, and go to form individual items in the vast 
business controlled by his firm, who are nurserymen 
and seedsmen by special warrant to H.R.H. the 
Prince of Wales. 
Similarly Messrs. Dicksons & Co. enjoy the 
distinction of having been awarded the only gold 
medal granted to nurserymen at the Edinburgh 
International Exhibition, 1890. Mr. Welsh owns to 
a personal love of rural life and takes a keen interest 
in the many institutions which exist for the promo¬ 
tion of agriculture and its allied arts. Not only has 
he been a member of the council of the Royal 
Caledonian Horticultural Society, but he has been 
twice President of the Scottish Horticultural Associa¬ 
tion, which, last week, celebrated their Chrysanthe¬ 
mum festival. The Highland Agricultural Society 
also has a claim upon his time, whilst Mr. Welsh is 
also a director of the Scottish Trade Protection 
Society. As an exponent of golf, he has attained 
considerable note, and he also takes a warm personal 
interest in the outdoor sports, for which the nation is 
so famous, and the noteworthy popularity which he 
enjoys, and the high social regard in which he is 
held by all who know him, is, and must be a striking 
tribute to his professional abilities, and kindliness of 
manner.— G.Y.P. 
-- 
Hardening §|iscellany. 
PRIMROSES ON DEESIDE. 
Our correspondent, Mr. M. MLaren, writing on the 
12th inst. says : " As an instance of the mildness of 
the season, I have had, for weeks past, Primroses and 
Polyanthus in bloom. I have an edging of white 
Polyanthus, some seventy yards in length, and I 
note the double white variety in bloom. To-day I 
have just plucked a nice bloom of that grand 
climbing Rose Reine Olga de Wurtemburg from a 
trellis in front of my house, and although in summer 
it has very little fragrance, yet at this time the 
genuine Tea Rose scent is very grateful. This 
particular bloom was nestling amongst greenery 
formed by the Passion-flower and Clematis 
Flammula. The colour of the Rose is exceedingly 
vivid and the growth extraordinary, while the foliage 
is very handsome. Its defects are its want of 
fragrance and its semi-double character. If one 
could cross it so as to retain its good qualities and 
add fragrance, and perhaps doubleness, the result 
would be very fine. The long pointed bud is hand¬ 
some. 
-«*.- 
CHURCHTOWN WINTER GARDENS, 
SOUTHPORT. 
These gardens are easily reached from Southport 
by tramcar, and any gardening friend should not fail 
to pay a visit, if in this district. They will find 
twenty acres of land beautifully laid out and well 
planted. These grounds were opened in 1875, and it 
is really astonishing to see how well things grow ; 
both ornamental and evergreen trees and shrubs 
seem quite at home. There is a nice lake, rustic 
bridge, everything well done, all kinds of bedding 
out studied, and spring gardening most effective. 
The grand Winter Garden and its adjoining Fernery 
are now looking well. The gigantic foliage plants in 
the former make a splendid background for a magni¬ 
ficent collection of well-flowered Chrysanthemums, 
some grown for the production of large flowers, 
others as bush plants for cut flowers, and decorative 
purposes. About 3,000 plants are grown in all, 600 
for exhibition flowers. Many would be proud to 
have such a lot, they would do credit to any of our 
leading exhibitions. I noticed amongst the "incurves" 
Mrs. H. Cannell, Mr. Bunn, Lord Alcester, Golden 
Empress, White Empress, Baron Hirsch, Golden 
Beverley, Queen of England, Jardin des Plantes, 
Sir Garnet Wolseley. The following Japanese were 
grand :—C. Harman Payne, Sunflower, Mdlle. 
Therese Rey, W. H Lincoln, White Louis Boehmer, 
Chas. Davis, Mrs. C. H. Payne, Norman Davis, 
Stanstead White, Sarah Owen, Viviand Morel, Rose 
Wynne, &c. These are grown by the dozen and 
make a splendid display. Salvia splendens is used 
with them with telliDg effect. Mr. Bull also has in 
reserve a grand lot of all the leading late varieties, 
so a good display will be kept up till far in the new 
year. I notice in the houses a grand lot of zonal 
Pelargoniums, Cyclamen, Primulas, bulbs, &c. The 
vineries are carrying fine crops of well-coloured 
Grapes fit to adorn any exhibition table. The place 
is well kept and reflects great credit upon Mr. Bull, 
the able and courteous superintendent.— Urbantis. 
