August 28, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
819 
BARR’S 
SELECTED BULBS 
For Early Forcing. 
HYACINTHS, Dwarf Whit© 
Roman. 
Per ioo, io/6 and 15/-; per doz., 1/6 and 2/3. 
POLYANTHUS NARCISSUS, 
Paper White Early Snow¬ 
flake. 
Per too, 8/6; per doz., 1/6. 
POLYANTHUS NARCISSUS, 
Double Roman. 
Per 100, 6/6 ; per doz., 1/3. 
BARR’S BAFFODILS 
For Early Forcing. 
PRINCEPS, perianth sulphur- 
white, trumpet yellow. 
Per 1,000, 30/-; per 100, 3/6. 
GOLDEN SPUR,large full yellow 
perianth and trumpet. 
Per 100, ii/-; per doz., 3/-. 
HORSFIELDII, white perianth, 
large yellow trumpet. 
Per 100, 15/; per doz., 2/3. 
For other forcing Daffodils 
see BARR’S DAFFODIL CATA- 
WEBBS' 
EARLY BULBS. 
THE FINEST ROOTS OF THE SEASON. 
ROMAN HYACINTHS. 
EARLY WHITE, extra large bulbs . 2'0 per dor. 
Ditto ditto .. ... 17 1 - per too. 
Ditto selected bulbs . 2 /- per doz. 
Ditto ditto . 1*/- per 100. 
Ditto good bulbs ... ... 1/0 per doz, 
Ditto ditto . 10/6 per ioo. 
POLYANTHUS NARCISSUS. 
DOUBLE ROMAN. 1 /- per doz.; 7 /- per ioo. 
PAPER WHITE . 1 ,'- per doz. ; 7 /- per ioo. 
DUC VAN THOL TULIPS. 
Single, Scarlet . 6d. per doz,; 3 /- per too. 
Double, Scarlet and Yellow ... 6d. per doz.; 3 /- per ioo. 
WEBBS’ BULB CATALOGUE. 
Beautifully Illustrated, Gratis and Post Free. 
Seedsmen by Royal Warrant, to H.M. the Queen and 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 
WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE, 
" Gardening Is the pnrest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon. 
LOGUE 
FREE ON APPLICATION. 
BARR & SONS, 
12 and 13 King St., Covent Carden, London. 
NEXT WEEK, 
SEPTEMBER 4th. 
Edited by J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , AUGUST 28 th, 1897. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, August 30th.—Sale of Dutch bulbs by Messrs. 
Protheroe d: Morris. 
Tuesday, August 31st.— Sale of Dutch bulbs by Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris. 
Wednesday, September 1st,—Glasgow and West of Scotland 
Show (2 days). 
Bath Show (a days). 
Sale of Dutch bulbs by Messrs. Prot heroe & Morris, 
Thursday, September 2nd.—Stirling Show (2 days). 
Sale of Dutch bulbs by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris. 
Friday, September 3rd.—National Dahlia Society’s Show at 
the Crystal Palace. 
Sale of Dutch bulbs and imported and established Orchids 
by Messrs. Protheroe & Morris. 
SPECIAL . . 
. . NUMBER 
OF 
The Gardening World 
TO COMMENCE THE 
14th annual volume. 
w w w w m, w m w-w ■ 
Illustrations and Special 
Articles 
. ON . 
DUTCH 
AND OTHER 
HARDY BULBS. 
- 
Issued Thursday, 2nd. 
/pyOTACAMUND BOTANIC GARDENS. —The 
\ti report of the Government Botanical 
i Gardens and Parks, Nilgiris, for the year 
1896-97 has just been issued somewhat 
behind time owing to local matters which 
had to be settled. The report has been 
drawn up by Mr. Robert L. Proudlock, 
Curator of Gardens and Parks at Ootaca- 
mund, an Englishman and an old Kewite. 
In the endorsement of the report we are 
pleased to see that “ the Government notes 
with satisfaction that considerable improve¬ 
ments have been effected in the gardens 
and parks under the Curator’s management 
during the year under review.” The 
Nilgiri Hills are situated in the Madras 
Presidency towards the south of India. 
Being a hill station the gardens are liable 
to visitations of frost at certain periods of 
the year, when the more tender subjects 
have to be lifted and taken to the nurseries 
for protection. The rainfall may also 
interest our readers, some of whom find 
their way to India from time to time in 
connection with botanic gardens and tea 
planting. The average annual rainfall at 
Ootacamund is 47 in., but during the past 
year 76’07 in. fell, being 29-07 in. more than 
the average. During twenty-four days of 
June last, as much as 26-91 in. fell, being 
more than an inch each day. The monsoon 
burst with unusual violence, but owing to 
the gardens being in a valley, but little 
damage was done. 
A garden hasj been established here for 
fifty years and has a boundary of nearly 
three miles, yet curiously enough only 
about 300 yards of this is fenced, from 
which we must conclude that the district 
still maintains a rural aspect. Evidently 
plants grow here with great rapidity during 
the wet season, for a considerable amount 
of labour is necessary to keep down weeds, 
to root up those of a more rampant nature 
that, if left alone, would soon take posses 
sion of the land. The British Oak (Quercus 
robur) is fairly extensively planted here, 
but a considerable amount of pruning has 
to be effected to get rid of the parasitic 
Loranthus, a plant allied to Mistleto, 
which seriously hampers the growth of the 
trees. The nature of the climate may be 
gleaned from the fact that one-fourth ot an 
acre of ground in two small valleys has 
been planted with red-hot Poker (Kniphofia 
aloides) and Arum Lily (Richardia afri- 
cana). A vegetable garden is also main¬ 
tained here. Standard Roses are grown in 
some quantity, in trenched and manured 
ground. In some cases the soil has to be 
deeply trenched in order to get rid of very 
bad weeds. This applies to lawns as much 
as to cultivated ground. Fresh sward is 
secured not by laying turf nor sowing grass 
seed, but by cutting up a grass named 
“ Hurriali," and elsewhere as “ Doab ” 
or “ Doob, and planting the cuttings.” 
It is the Cynodon Dactylon of the 
botanist and recorded as a British 
plant, being found in South-West England 
and in the Channel Islands. A grass that 
is merely of botanical interest in this 
country becomes of the first importance for 
the making of lawns in tropical climates. 
It is interesting to note that imported 
plants often prove a nuisance. Stone 
House Park had become so over-run with 
weeds that a gang of coolies had to be sent 
to dig them up. The principal of these 
were the common Dock (Rumex nepalensis), 
the Broom (Cytisus scoparius), Acacia deal- 
bata, A. melanoxylon and Oenothera rosea, 
all of which have been imported to the 
Nilgiris, except the Dock. To Orchid 
growers it may be interesting to note that 
of 268 specimens of plants collected by the 
Curator for the herbarium, 128 were 
Orchids. Many plants of medicinal value 
are grown on trial here to test their suit¬ 
ability for this part of India. Part of the 
Botanic Garden is utilised as a nursery for 
the raising of various things for sale or 
distribution. A recently acquired collection 
of trees includes Apples, Pears, Peaches, 
Plums, Apricots, Walnuts, Sweet Chestnut, 
Persimmon, Blackberry and Dewberry. 
Some jelly made from the Nilgiri Hill 
Gooseberry (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa) has 
been sent to Kew for report, and this 
appeared in the Kew Bulletin for May and 
June last. Seedlings of Cinchona officinalis 
are being raised by thousands and then 
handed over to the Director of the Cinchona 
department. Seeds for soldiers’ gardens 
are also distributed from here. The above 
will serve to give a slight idea of the work 
carried on in our botanic gardens abroad. 
■ « »- 
Foxgloves with a regular Top Flower.—A garden 
race of the Foxglove produces a large and regular 
flower at the apex of the stem, and very much re¬ 
sembling a Canterbury Bell. Many people are 
under the impression that the phenomenon is the 
result of a natural cross between the Foxglove and 
the Canterbury Bell ; nor do they hesitate in affirm¬ 
ing that such is the case. Such people are only 
deceived by outward form and colour ; for the 
structure of the top flower of this race of the Fox¬ 
glove does not conform to the other supposed parent. 
The large terminal flower has simply reverted to a 
regular form such as may have existed ages ago; and 
its great size may often be due to the union of two 
individuals. It is also favourably situated to receive 
a more ample supply of nourishment than the rest. 
