August 14, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
787 
EARLY WHITE ROMAN HYACINTHS. 
Early Snowflake and Paper-white Narcissus. 
JAMES VEITGH & SONS, LTD., 
Beg to announce the arrival of, in exceptionally fine condition , 
THE ABOYE VALUABLE BULBS FOR EARLY FORCING, 
And will he pleased to receive Orders for immediate delivery. 
BULB CATALOGUE for 1897 
Has now been posted to all their Customers; any one not having received the same, a Duplicate Copy will 
immediately be forwarded Post-free on application. 
Royal Exolic Norsery, KING'S ROAD, CHELSEA, S.W. 
WEBBS’ 
EMPEROR CABBAGE. 
The Earliest and Best 
6d and Is. per packet; Is. 6d. per oz. 
From Mr. G. H. BALL, Comer Gardens. 
“ I herewith forward you a photograph of your valuable 
Cabbage—the Emperor. I find it is the earliest, largest, 
and most compact variety I ever grew." 
WEBBS’, WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
ORCHIDS. 
Clean Healthy Plants at Low Prices. 
Always worth a visit of inspection. Kindly send for Catalogue. 
JAMES CYPHER, 
Exotic Nurseries, CHELTENHAM. 
DANIELS’ GOLDEN ROGCA ONION. 
Splendid variety of fme globular form, pale golden 
yellow skin, and mild delicate flavour. When well 
grown will produce bulbs 2 lbs to 3 lbs. in weight. 
A superb exhibition variety, and the best for Autumn 
sowing. We offer /25 in prizes in 1898 for bulbs 
grown from seed sown this season. All purchasers 
of not less than one ounce of seed will be eligible to 
compete. Seed, with full cultural directions, per oz., 
is. 6d.; per packet, 6d. Post free. 
DANIELS BROS., Seed Growers, NORWICH. 
THE FINEST CABBAGE IN THE WORLD. 
DANIELS’ DEFIANCE. 
A very fine, short-legged, compact, and early 
variety; growing quickly to the weight of 8 lb. or 
10 lb each; exceedingly tender and of the most 
delicate marrow flavour. A grand Cabbage alike for 
the market or private grower. Our own splendid 
stock, specially selected, per oz., is. 6d.; per packet, 
6d. Post free. 
DANIELS BROS., Seed Growers, NORWICH. 
H. CANNELL & SONS’ 
Carinas, Begonias, Pelargoniums, 
Carnations, Gloxinias, &c., &c- 
FINEST DISPLAY & COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD. 
Our Nurseries will be found now and all the 
season the most interesting and edifying probably 
of any similar establishment in England. All ad¬ 
mirers of good gardening will save and derive con¬ 
siderable benefit by sending for Catalogues and 
making themselves thoroughly acquainted with 
cur firm. All kinds of Bedding Plants are ready 
and sent off at an hour’s notice. 
SWANLEY, KENT. 
$hltjttyl(ilfj} lj$(tt|lll, 
Edited by J, FRASER, F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , AUGUST 14th, 1897. 
NEXT WEEK'S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, August 16th.—Felling Show (2 days). 
Tuesday, August 17th.—Boscombe Show (2 days). 
Wednesday, August iSih. — Shrewsbury Fete (2 days) and 
Presentation to the Hon. Secretaries. 
Thursday, August 19th.—Horsham Show. 
Fruit and Flower Show at Belfast under the auspices of the 
R.H S. of Ireland. 
Friday, August 20th.—Devon and Exeter Show. 
Perthshire Show (2 days). 
National Co-operative Society's Flower Show at the Crystal 
Palace. 
Sale of imported and established Orchids by Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris. 
M ater Lilies at Gunnersbury House. 
—Till within comparatively recent 
years we had to be contented with what few 
hardy Water Lilies we had. With the ex¬ 
ception of Nymphaea alba rosea, all the 
hardy sorts were white. Notwithstanding 
its beauty the latter has never become very 
common ; and although known to the great 
Swedish botanist, Linnaeus, it does not 
seem to have been introduced to this 
country till 1878. Since then, however, it 
has practically remained the monopoly of a 
few gardens. For centuries probably our 
native white Nymphaea alba has been 
admired and planted by those having ponds 
and lakes. In some of those lakes it has 
monopolised considerable areas of the water 
surface where left undisturbed. All this has 
been changed since M. Marliac commenced 
the hybridisation of Water Lilies. Even 
then, however, it took several years to 
convince the people in this country that 
these hybrid Nymphaeas were really hardy. 
For some few years past Mr. James 
Hudson, gardener to Leopold de Roth¬ 
schild, Esq., Gunnersbury House, Acton, has 
been getting together a collection of these 
choice water plants, including the best of the 
older and the most recent introductions. 
Naturally Nymphaea alba has longest been 
planted in the pond and there are now two 
large masses of it so crowded in the centre 
that the leaves stand clear out of the water, 
with any quantity of large flowers nestiuig 
amongst them. Round the margins of 
these clumps both leaves and flowers still 
remain floating. Another white species is 
the North American N. tuberosa now well 
established. Another plant, but of more 
recent introduction is the hybrid N. 
Laydeckeri lilacea, with deep lilac-rose 
flowers. It was only planted in April last. 
Seigneur Eti is a deep rose-red hybrid with 
blotched or mottled leaves, and bronzy in 
the young state. Thfe rosy-pink flowers of 
N. Laydeckeri rosea are very bright and 
pleasing. N. Aurora is a soft yellow variety 
with golden stamens and much mottled 
foliage. N. Chromatella has green foliage, 
but flowers very much like those of Aurora. 
Both are beautiful and striking Lilies. The 
large and deep red flowers of N. rubra 
punctata are bold and handsome as they lie 
upon the water. The rosy flowers ofN. 
odorata exquisita are not yet very large, but 
in association with the bronzy young foliage 
are very pretty. 
One of the largest-flowered forms (gin. 
across) in the pond is N. marliacea albida, 
which received a First-class Certificate 
from the Royal Horticultural Society on the 
13th ult. It is also one of the most floriferous 
in the pond, and is white, with a pink tint 
on the base of the outer petals and sepals. 
While the largest is sought for and admired, 
the smallest is equally cherished. We refer 
to the tiny N. pymaea helvola with primrose- 
yellow flowers, only 2in. across, and golden 
filaments with paler anthers. It flowers 
most profusely all the summer, being one of 
the earliest as well as latest to bloom, de¬ 
veloping hundreds of its tiny (for a Water 
Lily) flowers. The blooms may be cut, and 
their petalscarefully folded back, then placed 
in a basin of water with some of their own 
leaves, and kept in a dwelling room, where 
they will remain open for some days. It 
would make an admirable subject for tanks 
in the vicinity of dwelling houses, and for 
small villa gardens. 
White, yellow and red varieties are now 
well represented, and it would be difficult to 
say which is the best, as Water Lilies of all 
the three colours are desirable and indis¬ 
pensable. As far as form is concerned the 
yellows are most highly evolved. Those 
already mentioned have broad, blunt petals. 
N. odorata itself has fragrant white flowers 
and golden stamens ; but N.o. sulphurea 
has very large flowers, consisting of long, 
narrow,sharply-pointed,clear sulphur-yellow 
petals and golden stamens, and very much 
resembles a Cactus Dahlia at a short distance 
off. To the broad-petalled forms it certainly 
holds the same relation as the Cactus Dahlias 
do to the other types. N. sulphurea 
grandiflora has larger and scentless but 
otherwise similar flowers. The two forms 
are certainly amongst the most handsome of 
Water Lilies, the narrow, pointed petals 
giving the flowers an informal and charming 
appearance. N. odorata minor and N.o. 
rosacea have also been added to 1 he collection, 
the latter having darker flowers than N.o. 
exquisita. There are likewise small plants 
of N. sanguinea, N. marliacea carnea, N.m. 
rosea, N. carolinea and N.c. perfecta in the 
collection. 
We have already mentioned some of the 
red-flowered hybrids, but the best are yet 
in store. About two years ago N. robin- 
soniana was the best or only crimson Water 
Lily. The inner petals are the darkest. 
Good as it is, this form is superseded by 
N. ellisiana, which appeared to us of a rich 
glowing carmine in the sunshine, and was 
highly conspicuous even at a considerable 
distance off. This was certainly the finest 
of the red types with open flowers. The 
variety was only planted in April, being then 
a very small piece,and each successive flower 
that opens is getting larger than its prede- 
