June 12,1897. 
GARDENING WORLD 
THE 
Cecile Brunner. It is especially in favour for gentle¬ 
men's buttonholes, and grows to perfection. 
Dahlias of all varieties grow magnificently every¬ 
where, and are universal. The pretty Cactus section 
seems to have become a general favourite, though 
only comparatively recently introduced. Sunflowers 
raise their tall heads, and the smaller Miniature is a 
prolific bloomer, and makes a garden look gay in 
the hottest days when other things are hanging out 
distress signals from the heat. With the autumn, 
gardens are just beginning to lose their beauty, and 
many of the plants are in seed, or taken out. 
Hydrangeas are growing in most gardens, and bear¬ 
ing immense heads of blossom, blue, lilac, white 
and pink ; but now we are again saved by a wealth 
of Chrysanthemums. These are grown to great 
perfection, and are immense favourites; and of 
hundreds of varieties blooming well on into winter 
Pompons, incurved, and outcurved Japanese are to 
be found. Everyone grows them, and one gets 
rather a sickening of the word, for everyone wears 
them, almost everyone talks Chrysanthemums, and 
shows are the order of the day. Some grown in 
Wentworth, N.S.W., by a Mr. Higgins always create 
a sensation. Arriving too late for the big shows in 
Melbourne these blooms are sent over 300 miles, and 
exhibited in the florists’, and seem to dwarf the first 
prize ones in the shows. I would like to see some 
sent to London if it could be done, because they 
would then speak for themselves. Chrysanthemum 
growing is a mania in Australia. 
During the winter months or season, which is 
generally well on us by the middle of May, gardens 
are seen at their worst, the bare deciduous trees 
helping in a large measure in this respect. Cold 
winds, rain, hail, frosts, and occasionally, in some 
districts, snow, all make the ground soppy and cold. 
Camellias are now in full flower, and the trees grow 
into immense size, even up to 10 ft. high. Siogle 
and double, and of all colours, the blooms grow to 
great size and perfection. Pyrus japonica does 
remarkably well late in the winter, while Bouvardias 
are now making a splendid sight; but, as remarked, 
gardens are looking bare just now. 
The end of July sees the days lengthening, and the 
sun's rays warming up the cold sodden grounds, 
plants begin to put on some growth, and, by the time 
August is well in, Nature seems trying her utmost to 
make up for past misdemeanour, and is transforming 
everything. The fruit trees are one mass of blossom, 
and the bees are busy in swarms over the heavily 
scented blossoms. Later the green leaves and rapid 
growth of all spring plants can be detected. Violets 
are in great variety, and almost every small garden 
has its border or plat of them. Daffodils, Primulas, 
Cowslips, Oxlips, Primroses, Auriculas, Ixias, Tulips, 
and Crocuses, all are giving signs of great promise, 
and many of them flower early. 
With September spring is in full tide, and the Nar¬ 
cissus family reigns everywhere. Daffodil shows 
are the order of the day, and competition is the 
means of bringing out beautiful displays of bulbs in 
full and excellent flower. Hyacinths are good, but 
except in the mountainous or higher grounds seem 
to lack something, and are not as fine as in England. 
Camellias (early),Bouvardias (crimson and white),and 
Salvias of three or four sorts are all helping to adorn 
the gardens. Wallflowers bloom luxuriantly, and 
these flowers and Mignonette can be smelt on every 
humid breath that blows. Wallflowers will grow 
anywhere with us, and well, provided the place be 
not absolutely cold and wet. Daisies, Marguerites, 
early Calliopsis, Cinerarias, Myosotis (notably a 
large variety whose name Ido not know) now remain 
flowering right on into midsummer. Asters, Lupines, 
Larkspurs, and Anemones, one especially fine scarlet 
variety doing splendidly, attract much notice. 
The Cosmos are all coming into bloom. Melbourne, 
and indeed Australia, wherever a garden can be 
obtained, has lately had a craze for the lovely 
Cosmos, and I have seen them often 5 ft. high and 
covered with their beautiful delicate blooms of white, 
purple, and pink. They require plentiful watering 
to grow to the above height. Gaillardias are ex¬ 
tremely hardy, and one can chop them back, and yet 
with a little watering they bloom persistently 
throughout the long summer, and sometimes the 
flowers reach really giant proportions. Nemophilas, 
Godetias, Candytuft, Sweet William, and Lobelia are 
now either in full flower or nearly so, and bloom for 
a long time. 
[To be continued.) 
A RAMBLE UP THE CHESS. 
[Concluded from p. 631). 
The " sweet little village ” of Chenies, then, is worth 
more than a passing remark, although the adjective 
“little” is, in our opinion, scarcely applicable to a 
place containing, say about six or seven hundred 
inhabitants. But there is no doubt that the other 
term “sweet” is well merited, for Chenies is ad¬ 
mirably stationed and well wooded, and mostly 
occupies a high position overlooking the beautiful 
valley of the Chess. Moreover, it is situated in 
Buckinghamshire, a county noted for its hills and 
vales. The property generally belongs to the Duke 
of Bedford, whose agent resides in the village, and 
whose presence doubtless exercises a very wholesome 
effect on the villagers, for the cottages are picturesque 
and pretty, while the gardens reflect the greatest 
credit upon the occupiers. There is, however, 
perhaps necessarily, a want of originality about these 
vegetative appendages, for the bulk of the gardening 
done is of a simple and imitative character. 
For instance, everyone seems to “go in ” for a bed or 
border of Wallflowers, edged with Myosotis; 
although here and there Tulips have been substi¬ 
tuted for the former. A fine piece of Dicentra 
spectabilis, however, in one garden, took our fancy ; 
while the old-fashioned but still effective “ climber," 
Kerria japonica flore pleno, was golden with its 
fluffy balls. In reply to a question as to the name of 
the latter, a cottager stated that he did not know, 
but it was " something Japanese,” which shows how 
difficult it is for ordinary people to recollect generic 
or specific terms. There is about this village one 
striking feature which everybody observes—apart 
from its model character—and that is the con¬ 
spicuous numbers on all the cottage doors! But we 
must get on, and to enable us to do this we must 
take some slight refreshment at the " Bedford 
Arms,” where " mine host ’ is always ready with 
pabulum. Thence, after noting the huge Cherry 
trees in the garden, we visit the church and the 
Manor-house, both of which are bound up with the 
history of Chenies. 
As to the Manor-house, it is recorded that Queen 
Elizabeth and the famous Lord Burleigh passed two 
days and nights therein. In the churchyard, too, 
there is something which demands attention, for at 
the base of a tomb of a member of the Russell family 
that brilliantly coloured flower, Gentiana acaulis, 
exercises quite a potent spell. Near here, also, is an 
ancient pollard Oak of great size, although quite 
hollow, in which it is said ten or a dozen persons 
might take shelter, from the present attentions of 
keen-cutting Eurus. Suffice it to remark that it is 
still lively and measures 30 ft. in circumference about 
4 ft. from the ground. 
From this noble arbor we now speed on, enter a 
Beech-wood, through which we descend once more to 
the fast-running Chess. Here we ponder; again on 
another old bridge, note the finny tribe darting about 
in sportive freedom, get a glimpse of the old White 
Mill, or become enamoured of the beauties of Bucks 
—vegetative of course—and the general charms of 
the spring. 
Avoiding the main road we continue our journey, 
but find ourselves, after a bit, at the top of a stony 
field with no apparent outlet. Oh, those deceptive 
paths, they are for ever leading us astray! But, 
never mind, some compensation is almost sure to 
result, and so we come across the Yellow Dead Nettle, 
which we should not have seen had we been able to 
distinguish the common track. Moreover, the field 
itself presented an appearance which the farmer 
would be the first to deprecate, although from a 
botanical point of view it was highly interesting. 
The crop was nominally Clover, but the wild flowers, 
or “ weeds,” per the agriculturist, were so much in 
the ascendancy that the useful little Trefoil wanted 
looking for. The principal of these “ weeds” were 
the Bladder Campion (Silene inflata), Geranium 
pyrenaicum, which was particularly vigorous; the 
Field Scorpion-grass (Myosotis arvensis), and the 
little Heart’s-ease (Viola tricolor), which, of course, 
as far as the farmer is concerned, is a strict contra¬ 
diction of terms. The term "tricolor” likewise, in 
this case, was rather remote, as the form though 
rampant was exceedingly pale. 
Having again discovered the right road, we pursue 
our course, and are much gratified by a beautiful 
view of Latimers, the charming residence of the 
Dowager Duchess of Bedford. The mansion 
651 
occupies an elevated site overlooking the Chess, and 
a large artificial waterfall which hisses and foams 
and tumbles about in remarkable style. The gardens, 
too, are said to be well kept, which we are fully pre¬ 
pared to believe, as we understand that they are 
presided over by Mr. Bone, a Scotchman. 
Between the river and the Chesham Road an ad¬ 
mirable specimen of an English homestead is very 
noticeable, for the garden is gay with Rhododen¬ 
drons, Doronicums, &c., with Roses galore for the 
sweet by-and-by. Just here, too, we discover— 
strange paradox—that we have been travelling along 
a road which " is closed ” ! Unfortunately there are 
too many of these " notice ” boards about warning 
the public of the legal consequences which are likely 
to ensue if a simple, innocent, con-destructive wish 
is harmlessly gratified. 
However, as we have emerged without attack, all's 
well. A little further on the waysides are bright 
with spring's wildings, and although— 
" As yet the trembling year is unconfirmed,” 
the denizens of the shady copse or windproof woods 
are safe against the biting blast or fateful frost. 
These woods, it is true, only contain common 
flowers such as—in addition to those already men¬ 
tioned—Woodruff, Wood Spurge, Jack-by-the- 
Hedge, &c.; but, then, these are all flowers of the 
prime, and therefore we love to renew their acquaint¬ 
ance. “I do not want change,” writes Richard 
Jeffries, "I want the same old and loved things, the 
same wild flowers, the same trees and soft Ash- 
green.and I want them in the same 
place.” Anyhow it must be admitted that the 
country has particular charms in the early days of 
the sunny year; that, in fact, every common rural 
road may present visions of beauty to those who 
have the eyes to see. And so we ponder and pass 
by the woods and the wild flowers, under the tender 
green, over the pale Primrose, and along by the 
Chess to Watersmeet, where we strike the dusty 
road and enter the old spoon-shaped town of our 
goal—quaint Chesham, which derives its name from 
the sparkling little river we have elected to explore. 
Here we must part, for although the old town is 
pleasantly situated in a fertile valley, and embraces 
much of interest, time and train wait for no man. 
The sun, too, is setting in the distant west, dark¬ 
ness grows apace, the beauty of the day is o’er, but 
the ten or twelve miles which we have so comfortably 
accomplished has had at least one physical effect—it 
has steeled our hearts for more.— C. B. G., Acton, W 
-- 
©leanings ftunn Hiq Pnrlb 
of Science 
Smut on Camellias.—The black appearance of 
Camellia leaves is due to the presence of a fungus 
known as Meloila Camelliae. It is not a parasite, 
however, but more the indirect result of true para¬ 
sites, namely, greenfly and brown scale, which 
deposit excrement upon them, popularly known as 
honey dew. When this is suggested, gardeners 
occasionally reply that there is neither greenfly cor 
scale upon the leaves affected with smut. With that 
we are in perfect agreement; but at the same time 
affirm that one or other or both of these pests are 
upon leaves (it may be on the under side of them) 
above those affected with the smut. The excrement 
when ejected falls upon the leaves or anything else 
beneath them. The fungus finds this excrement a 
suitable nidus in which to grow and soon makes the 
honey dew upon the leaves as black as soot. The 
remedy is to sponge every dirty leaf with soft soap 
and water or with Gishurst’s Compound, making sure 
that all scale and greenfly on the under side of the 
leaves are rubbed off. Once the leaves are clean they 
can easily be kept clean by means of kerosene or 
petroleum emulsion, with which the foliage may be 
syringed. 
Two years’ fruit on the Holly.—It may be 
some evidence of the mildness of the past winter that 
the berries of the Holly were not devoured by birds. 
Nevertheless it seems strange that this tree should 
carry its berries so long. Surely the latter can get 
sufficiently ripened during the first twelve months. 
The embryo takes a long time to germinate and it 
may be getting ready for that event. The circum¬ 
stance, however, seems to point to a different mean¬ 
ing and object. The aim of the tree, probably, is to 
