442 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March IB, 1897. 
EARLY FLOWERS AT TOTTENHAM. 
Hardy flowers are well cared for at Mr. T. S. 
Ware's establishment at Hale Farm Nurseries, 
Tottenham, and no matter at what time a visit is 
paid there is always something to be seen in flower 
amongst the extensive collection of bulbous and 
other Alpine and herbaceous plants. The inclemency 
of the weather with which March, true to ancient 
traditions, has been ushered in this season has sorely 
knocked about those subjects which had been 
invited by a genial February to make their ap¬ 
pearance above ground. The Hellebores, as may be 
expected, hold their own. The dark plum colour of 
H. colchieus is very distinct and pretty. H. 
abchasicus exhibits a dull purple suffused with 
green. 
The Chionodoxas, as may well be supposed, were 
much in evidence, and their bright flowers were 
peeping out from numerous nooks and crannies in 
the rockery, as well as from other parts of the 
grounds, where they prove most charming weeds. 
Once they are planted it becomes a matter of diffi¬ 
culty to get rid of them, so quickly do they increase. 
Several clumps ofC.Luciliae.for instance,were pointed 
out to us as having proceeded from a single bulb 
last season, which had seeded freely. The seedlings 
were coming still up all round for a radius of fully 
eight inches from the parent bulb. One fine form of 
C. Luciliae was bearing flowers fully as large as 
those of C. gigantea, commonly, but erroneously, 
known as C. Alleni. The segments, however, are 
narrower, and the whole flower is of a lighter blue, 
whilst the plant is more vigorous in habit. C. 
sardensis was likewise looking very gay, 
and the two albinos, C. L. alba, and C. s. 
alba, must not pass without due mention, 
for with the pearly white of their flowers they 
specially merit the popular name of the members of 
the genus, viz., “ Glory of the Snow.’’ 
Of the Snowdrops Galanthu Ikariae caught our 
gaze. This is certainly distinct from anything else. 
There is no mistaking the massive recurving leaves, 
which are fully three quarters of an inch in diameter. 
The flowers are large and pure white, except for a 
slight tinging of green on the inner sides of 
the inner segments. Anemone blanda pallida, as 
the varietal name denotes, is a light-coloured form of 
A. blanda. Of the Scillas S. bifolia was nearly over, 
though S. b. grandiflora and S. b. Whitalli were 
still in bloom. The latter has flowers of a deeper 
blue than the type. S. sibirica alba was likewise 
very noticeable. Leucoium carpaticum was nearly 
over, only a few of the later bulbs being in flower. 
Iris reticulata in the open had succumbed, but I. r. 
Krelagei was still fully sustaining its credit in a 
sheltered nook. 
Passing to the glass department, where various 
subjects were cultivated in pots, and protected from 
stress of weather, a fine display of flowers greeted us. 
First and foremost was a batch of various Narcissi, 
in seven and eight in. pots,that for vigour of growth, 
abundance of flower, and general excellence would 
be hard to beat. N. princeps, N. Sir Watkin, N. 
telamonius plenus, N. moschatus, N. tortuosus, N. 
incomparabilis plenus, and N. sulphureus plenus 
were all a picture. Special mention should be made 
of N. maximus, one of the largest of the Narcissi, 
and one of the most useful for cutting from. It has 
very large, rich yellow flowers, and forces well. N. 
incomparabilis Leedsi, with narrow bright lemon 
yellow perianth segments, and orange hued cup or 
corona, is very chaste. N. i. Cynosure, or as it is 
sometimes called N. albidus Leedsi, has primrose 
yellow segments, and a deeper yellow cup, margined 
with an irregular band of rich orange. N. poeticus 
ornatus was in grand form, and it has never fallen tu 
our lot to see a better batch of forced material. 
Passing to N. minimus and N. cyclamineus, which 
looked smaller than ever by the side of their giant 
relatives, the contrast was very striking. Both these 
charming miniatures are worthy of all the praise 
lavished upon them at various times. 
Primula denticulata alba, as grown at Tottenham, 
is more vigorous than the type, especially in the size 
and substance of the flower scape, and the size of the 
umbels. After a great deal of trouble the lilac 
exhibited by the blooms of the type has been 
eliminated and a pure white obtained. In the same 
house a variety of Iris stylosa, named Elizabethiae was 
flowering. This appears to be identical with I. s. 
speciosa. It has the same narrow foliage, and the 
same build of flower, the segments being much 
narrower and of less substance than those of the 
species. 
Several Saxifragas in pots were just commencing 
to flowers; of these the deep yellow flowers produced 
in short dense spikes springing from the mossy tufts 
of S. sancta were very conspicuous. S. apiculata has 
flowers nearly twice the size of the latter, and much 
lighter yellow in hue. It is to be frequently met 
with under the name of S.Mayi. S. burseriana was 
over, for owing to the mild February this species 
was very early this year. S. Boydi, and S. b. alba 
were still in flower, and their yellow and white 
flowers, respectively, were very gay. S. oppositifolia 
was also just commencing to expand its blooms. 
We must not forget to make mention of Androsace 
carnea, with its tufts of pink flowers closely clinging 
to earth, and evidently too modest to look upwards. 
In a frame we came across a batch of a charming 
little plant that is but very little known, viz., 
Ranunculus anemonoides. When grown in pots and 
allowed to come along gradually, the flowers appear 
about the end of February, the leaves coming up 
later. The blooms vary from i in. to i£ in. in dia¬ 
meter, and are a delicate lilac in colour. They are 
borne singly on peduncles from 3 in. to 5 in. in 
height. The foliage closely resembles that of R. 
rutaefolius, which is of course a much later species 
in blooming. R. anemonoides was brought from the 
Styrian Alps in 1883, so that it is by no means a new 
thing with regard to age. 
The genus Scoliopus is a complete stranger to the 
majority of gardens, although it has the honour of 
containing only two species. S. Bigelovii is both a 
curious and a pretty plant, and would undoubtedly 
become a favourite but for the evil odour exhaled by 
the flower, and which is more like putrid fish than 
anything else. It is closely allied to the Trilliums 
and has lanceolate leaves spotted heavily and irregu¬ 
larly with dull purple. The outer perianth segments 
are of medium width, and reflexing ; the inner are very 
narrow and erect. Both are green in colour, and 
spotted and striped with purple maroon. The stigma 
is very distinct on account of the great development 
of the three spreading lobes, which are each as long 
as the style. The plant does well in pots, and when 
planted outdoors, loves a shady place. 
-.4.- 
URCEOLINA MINIATA. 
For many years past Urceolina pendula has been 
more or less grown in gardens, where it is forced like 
many other bulbs for winter flowering purposes. 
The |plant under notice was figured in the Botanical 
Register, in 1839 , tab. 68, and whatever popularity it 
may at first have enjoyed, it has for a long time past 
been neglected and, for the matter of that, may be 
considered as having “ been buried in the obscurity 
of a learned language." To all appearance, judging 
from a well executed, and full-page illustration of it 
in the Revue de L'Horticnlture Beige for March, it is 
worthy of a better fate than it has received, and even 
more deserving of attention thau U. pendula. The 
species in question was named Pentlandia miniata 
by the famous Dean Herbert of bulb fame in his day ; 
but it has basn placed under the name of U. miniata 
by the authors of the Genera Plantarum, where it is 
said to differ from the type chiefly in having 
narrower leaves, always petiolate, and in some other 
minor particulars. 
It is a native of Peru, whence it was sent to Dean 
Herbert in 1836. The rootstock is a bulb which 
throws up a solitary lanceolate leaf before the advent 
of the flowers. The scape varies from 12 in. to 16 in. 
in height, and bears an umbel of two to four pen¬ 
dulous flowers, as in the better known but fewer- 
flowered species. The flower is tubular, narrow at 
the base, swollen in the middle, and again slightly 
narrowed below the shortly six-lobed lamina. From 
base to apex they are of a beautiful and uniform 
orange scarlet. The yellow stamens are protruded 
beyond the mouth of the flower, The latter makes 
its appearance in August and September, when 
flowers are comparatively plentiful, but notwith¬ 
standing this, it seems well worth cultivation. The 
species is propagated by offsets from the bulbs; and 
in other respects the plant is cultivated much in 
the same way as the Eucharis. 
It is,moreover, as easy to cultivate as other Peruvian 
bulbs, and really hardier than the Eucharis. The 
idea on the continent is that the bulbs may be grown 
in the open air during the summer, lifted in autumn 
after the first frost, or as soon as growth has ceased, 
and planted in the soil under the benches of a green¬ 
house, or placed in pots. P^t culture is easy. 
Sometime during February or March, the bulbs may 
be potted In a good, rich, sandy soil. The pots at 
first should be kept in a frame, and afterwards placed 
in a cold or temperate greenhouse. When the 
flower stem has died down, water must be entirely 
withheld till the potting time arrives. For outdoor 
culture, the bulbs may be replanted during March or 
April in a good, friable and very sandy soil, to which 
is added a good proportion of well rotted manure and 
leaf soil. 
---- 
UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT 
AND PROVIDENT SOCIETY. 
The annual general meeting of this society was held 
at the Caledonian Hotel, Adelphi, Strand, London, 
on the evening of Monday, the 8th inst., under the 
presidency of Mr. A. Dean. The chairman first 
called upon the secretary, Mr. W. Collins, to read 
the minutes of the last annual general meeting, which 
were passed. The report for 1896 was then read as 
follows :— 
The committee have great pleasure in presenting 
to the members the annual report and balance sheet 
for the year ending January nth, 1897. The society 
continues to prosper, the net increase of members 
being sixty-six. One benefit member and one lapsed 
member died in the early part of the year,the amount 
standing to their credit being paid to the widow in 
each case. Mr. James George (late trustee), having 
reached the age of seventy, withdrew the amount 
standing to his credit {£82 10s.) The amount of 
subscriptions paid by members to the benefit fund, 
including arrears for 1895, was £1,010 is. iod, The 
sick list has again been a heavy one, the sum of 
£196 15s. having been paid to fifty-one members. 
The deductions from members' deposit account to 
meet this amount is 7s. 7d., and 5s. in the two scales 
of contributions respectively. 
" Subscriptions to the benevolent fund from benefit 
and honorary members amount to £134 10s. 6d. 
Small sums amounting to £12 3s. 6d. have been 
granted to four members from this fund. The con¬ 
valescent fund is steadily increasing, the amount 
received beiDg £18 12s , including £3 3s. from W. J. 
Nutting, Esq., and £5 from N. N. Sherwood, Esq., 
at the annual dinner. Three members were bene¬ 
fited from this fund to the extent of £3 10s. The 
management shows a balance of £44 14s. 7d. The 
treasurer has again invested £1,100 during the year 
in corporation (3 per cent.) stock, and has a fair 
balance in hand. 
“ The annual dinner was held at the Holborn 
Restaurant under the presidency of W. J. Nutting, 
Esq., who fulfilled his office in an admirable manner, 
and kindly paid for the music. The accounts have 
again been carefully audited by Messrs. W. Gunner 
and Geo. Dixon, and found correct. The committee 
specially invite all young gardeners and seedsmen to 
join this excellent society, feeling sure they cannot 
do better than join the good ship * United.’ " 
The secretary then read the balance sheets for the 
various funds, of which we here give a condensed 
report. Benefit fund receipts: balance brought 
forward, £7,929 5s. 4d. ; interest to members, 
£227 14s. 3d.; subscriptions, £983 8s. id. ; arrears of 
subscriptions, £26 13s. gd. ; total, £9,167 is. 5d. 
Benefit fund expenditure; pay to sick members, 
£196 15s. ; deducted from members’ rest fund, 
£15 4s. ; paid to three members, £95 os. 7d. ; 
interest to lapsed members, £25 16s. 5d.; balance to 
date, £8,834 5 s - 5<k 1 total, £9,167 is. sd. 
Benevolent fund receipts: balance in hand, 
£2,396 19s. 2d. ; interest on do., £69 10s. 3d. ; sub¬ 
scriptions, £72 os. 6d. ; arrears of subs., £6 17s. ; 
subscriptions of honorary members, £55 13s. ; deduc¬ 
tions from rest fund, £15 4s. : total, £2,616 3s. nd. 
Benevolent fund expenditure : by amounts granted 
to four members, specified, £12 3s. 6d. ; balance at 
date, £2,604 os. 5<i- ; total, £2,616 3s. nd. 
Voluntary convalescent fund receipts : balance in 
hand, £281 is. 6d ; interest on do., £8 3s. ; subscrip¬ 
tions of honorary members, £10 9s. ; Messrs. Hurst 
& Son, £5 5s. ; W. J. Nutting, Esq., £3 3s.; total, 
£307 163. 6d. Voluntary convalescent fund expendi¬ 
ture : amounts paid to three members, specified, 
£3 10s. ; balance at date, £304 6s. 6d. ; total, 
£307 16s. 6d. 
Management fund receipts : balance in hand, 
£30 8s. 8d. ; subscriptions of members, £70 13s. 2d. ; 
arrears of subscriptions, £6 ns. 7d. ; revocation fees 
and rules, 10s. 6d. ; interest on £890 8s. 7d., 
