September 16, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
39 
Poignant Hints—A conterrporary says that 
"keeping the paths wet, the plants watered, weeds 
down and yourself cool are the chief occupations for 
the present." The same paper ciies a case of " How 
not to hoe." Having engaged a man (one who had 
worked for years in public parks and gardens) his 
progress was observed. " He handled the hoe as a 
country school madame handles a hay rake—body 
perpendicular and sideways, and the left or lower 
hand guiding the band betwixt the index finger and 
the thumb, precisely as an expert billiardist poises 
his cue. This is all right for sun-bcnnet and petti¬ 
coats, but a poor apology for hoeing by a gardener." 
What is wanted is to clear off weeds and to loosen 
the soil. 
Ontario Fruit Exhibit at Paris.—Canada wants to 
have a creditable display of fruits at the Paris 
Exposition next year. With the aim of carrying out 
this desire Mr. McD’Allan, Superintendent of Horti¬ 
culture for Canada, is now doing his utmost to get 
at least i.ooo bottles of tender fruits, from the 
province of Ontario, secured this summer. During 
this autumn many fruits, such as Apples, Pears, 
Grapes, are to be sent to Paris and kept there in 
cold storage. All the great fruit growers and mem¬ 
bers of horticultural societies are to be invited to 
contribute, and it is expected that a good representa¬ 
tion will be collected. 
American Plant Notes—Allen’s Defiance Mignonette 
is shown in grand form in a recent number of The 
Florists’ Exchange. The plants are grown by Mr. 
Charles Allen, Floral Park, N Y. The flower spikes 
measured io in. to 14 in. in lengih on stems of 3 ft. 
Great care has been bestowed in working up what is 
now a grand strain. 
--- 
TRIALS AT CHISWICK. 
The undernoted awards have been made by the 
Floral committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
at the society’s gardens, Chiswick, where the plants 
(Dahlias) have been grown for trial. Two meetings 
were held, one on August 25th, and the other on 
September 8th, when XXX (Highly Commended) 
was voted to the following pompon varieties :— 
i Admiration —A variety some 4 ft. high, vigorous 
and free flowering, the flowers being large, crimson, 
tipped with white, and well borne above the foliage. 
From M essrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanley ; J. Veitch 
& Sons, Ltd., Chelsea; and J. Forbes, Hawick, N.B. 
Bacchus.— Over 3 ft. in height; a moderate 
bloomer, with bright crimson flowers which, however, 
are not well thrown up. From Messrs. Dobbie & 
Co., Rothesay, N.B. 
Annie Holton.— About a yard high, with a com¬ 
pact habit and vigorous growth ; a very free flower¬ 
ing variety, having crimson-scarlet blooms tipped 
with white. From Messrs Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
George Brickman. —This reaches to 4 ft., and 
has a splendid branching habit; bears freely, and 
has well formed white flowers, borne well above the 
foliage. From Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., 
Chelsea, and C. Turner, Slough. 
Irene (as a border flower).—Less than 3 ft. high, 
with a bushy habit and free flowering qualities, this 
rosy-purple, white tipped variety, is one of a very 
showy list. From Messrs. Dobbie & Co., Rothesay, 
N.B. ; Cannell & Sens, Svarley ; ard Charles Tur¬ 
ner, Slough. 
Hilda (as a border flower).—This variety reaches 
3 ft. but makes rather slender growth. It is moder¬ 
ately free flowering, the flowers being rosy-purple, 
heavily tipped with white. It is, however, variable, 
From Messrs. Dobbie & Co., Rothesay, N.B.; and 
Cannell & Sod, Swanley. 
Iseult —Another variety of slender growth, but 
flowers abundantly and bears them well above the 
foliage. Its deep j ellow blooms are very showy. 
From Messrs. J. Forbes, Hawick, N.B.; J. Veitch 
& Sons, Chelsea; and Cannell & Sons, Swanley. 
Grace. —This goes to 2J ft. in height, has 
a compact bushy habit, is free flowering and 
bears the peculiar red hued blooms well up. From 
Messrs. Cannell & Sons ; and Dobbie & Co. 
Sunny-Daybreak (cactus)—In height it varies 
from 3 to 4 ft. The habit is bushy and the flowers 
are of excellent form, in colour yellow or light 
apricot. From Messrs. J. Forbes, of Hawick ; and 
Dobbie & Co., Roihesay. 
Nancy. —In height 34 ft., bushy, very free 
flowering. The colour may be described as 
orange heavily edged with red and flushed scarlet. 
From Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
Vulcan. —A beautiful rich crimson variety of very 
free flowering qualities. The blooms are handsomely 
raised above the foliage on stout stalks. A very 
brilliant addition. Messrs. Dobbie & Co.; and C. 
Turner. 
Phoebe.— This is a very showy orange-scarlet 
form, of bushy and compact habit, running to 
3J ft in height. From Messrs. C. Turner, 
Slough ; and Dobbie & Co., Rothesay. 
Opal. -The height of the variety is somewhat 
dwarfer than others, being about 2J ft. It has all 
the qualities of vigour, compactness and erectness. 
The blooms are bright and clear yellow. From 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co.; and J. Veitch & Sons. 
Little Sweetheart.— In height only 2 ft. but is 
very free flowering, flowers light red tipped with 
white. From Messrs. Dobbie & Co. 
The following were certificated on September 
8th:— 
Mars (pompon).—Grows 3 ft. high, is sturdy, 
compact, exceptionally free flowering and with 
flowers of good form, borne on long stalks erectly. 
It is a very showy, bright scarlet variety from Mr. 
Charles Turner. 
Camellaeflora (as a bidding variety).—Attains 
to 3 ft., is of sturdy habit, exceptionally free, with 
large pure white blooms. From Messrs. Cannell & 
Sons, Swanley. 
LONDON PARKS AND GARDENS. 
II.— Hyde Park. 
There is little need to tell that Hyde Park covers so 
many hundreds of acres, and has a great lake, The 
Serpentine, within itself, or bandstands, avenues, 
memorial statues, its Rotton Row, and many 
ether attractions. Most people, even those 
from hundreds of miles off, have heard something 
about these. It is so conveniently placed at the 
back of Park Lane and Oxford Street, so to speak, 
and is bordered on all sides by the great atteries 
which flow out from London’s heart, that one cannot 
wonder at its very liberal share of attention. It is a 
real pleasure to anyone with a meditative mind, or 
rather let us say, sympathetic heart, to go along the 
southern boundary of the park almost any evening 
of the week. The ground here is higher than any 
other part of the park, and here there is a great 
plateau bordering Paik Lane, and screened from 
that pleasant thoroughfare, with its tall and elegant 
villas, by a continuous line of Plane trees and 
others, which are able to stand the fogs and smoke of 
the city. All along this part the choicest beddiDg is 
arranged, and, as already said, it furnishes typical 
sights. . The clean shaven priest rubs shoulders with 
the workman who also is enjoying the evening air. 
Or the invalid and the nurse, the soldiers and the 
little children, ladies and gentlemen, they all are 
there. 
There can be little value in enumerating how each 
bed is filled and what with ; but as some of th 
choicest combinations and some of the handsomest 
plants in any bedding are to be seen in the London 
public parks, it may be of use to our readers to have 
a few notes upon them. The beds are all laid in a 
setting of grass, and nearly all of them are large. 
For neatness and protection they are also hemmed in 
by low fences. In an oblong bed close by the Stan¬ 
hope Gate, the Coral tree (Er)tbrina crista galli) 
may be seen flourishing in a way that would make 
many with glass houses envious. For a neat, roun 
corner bed the salmon-pink zonal Pelargorium 
King of Denmark, and dot plants of Trachelium 
caeruleum, a graceful thing ; edged with Emperor 
William Lobelia, are very suitable. 
Then again, one may see great massive bedding in 
which breadth is given, and also much variety. Tall 
Nasturtiums are trained in among Pelargonium 
tomentosum, which rises in dense forms to 
3 ft. or so ; P. Radula, the major, and minor forms ; 
dwarf pompon Chrysanthemums, Iresines, and 
Heliotropes as standards; and below these is 
Pelargonium Eleanor, a bright scarlet variety, the 
whole edged with Lobelia Snowball. 
In another of the same form was noted the tall 
Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum-tree), Epilobium 
angustifolium, and Fuchsias, all being edged with 
Alternanthera magnifies. 
Between the beds, are dot plants of Chamaerops 
humilis, Phoenix canariensis, P. rupicola, and 
Araucaria excelsa, which, when grouped as at Hyde 
Park in knots of balf-a-dozen on the face of the 
sloping grass banks, they give a most furnished and 
proper effect. A good effect was obtained from the 
union of Plumbago capensis with its pale caerulean 
trusses, and lower statured Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums. 
P. Abel Carriere a shade of rosy-mauve with other 
brighter forms of the same are used as a carpet. 
The green leaves and white flowers of Nicotiaoa 
affines contrasted well with the Iresine Herbstii, and 
the grounding of Begonia Carriere, with an edge of 
Alternanthera aurea. 
Carpet-bedding is greatly deprecated by a great 
many people. It will often be found, however, that 
a person’s views are swayed by oae powerful writer 
who, from his eminence urges his convictions. Those 
whom he schools, or very many o them, accept his 
arguments without giving them one digestive turn, 
and very soon they wean themselves from ideas they 
once enjoyed and acted upon. It is so with carpet¬ 
bedding and bedders. Very many will say it is 
worthless, or at least too expensive to remunerate the 
trouble, &c. Well, if we are to have gardens at all, 
let us have variety, and according to circumstances 
let the variation be as multiplex and valuable as pos¬ 
sible. The two carpet beds in Hyde Park are models 
of neatness, accuracy, and tasty colouring. They are 
obloDg with rounded ends. These beds are too in¬ 
tricate to be described fully within the space at com¬ 
mand. Scroll work and rounded lines are sharply 
joined to the angular prominences of both sides, the 
sides, or indeed any one part, being duplicated ex 
actly opposite. Depressions and mounted tracings 
are modelled in the inner area of the bed. Exactly 
in the centre o f the bed there is a suitable sized little 
Palm (Kentia), (and in the corresponding bed, a 
Latania ),with branches of a cross outwards from it. 
Then follow paneling of various Alternantheras, car¬ 
petings of Leucophyton Brownii, Antenca-ia tomen- 
tosa, Herniaria glabra, and glaucous lines or walls of 
Echiveras. E. metallica is used as a dot plant 
and so with Yucca aloeifolia, Cotyledons and 
Acorus gramineus. They command much attention. 
Exactly opposite these beds in a great sheltered 
hollow the Banana (Musas) stand out during 
summer, and with them many sorts of Palms, 
Eucalyptus globulus, Phormium tenax variegatum, 
Bamboos and the like. A strange and pleasing union 
was that of Celosia plumosa (red) and Lilium 
speciosum (lancifolium), rubrum with an edging. 
In many other corners of the park the free or 
ga:dene;que system of bedding has been becom¬ 
ingly adopted. 
The management, of course, rests with Mr. 
Browne the superintendent who, in so dry a season 
is yet able to give the public a great deal of real 
beauty. 
Hardening ||iscellany. 
CACTUS DAHLIA, STARFISH. 
If we are to have flowers let them be bright and 
cheery. The undecided trees or the murky, dull 
hued Dahlias so often seen are not to be tolerated 
beside such colour as the glorious rich crimson of 
Starfish. It is graceful, free, and of good habit, not 
apt to bury its flowers with its foliage. Colours like 
this are best not mixed or contrasted with those 
from blooms of-other varieties. Not to say that a 
lighter shade of the same colour would not be an 
agreeable hue, if intermingled; but too many and 
varied colours clash, and spoil the concentration of 
interest which ought to be given to each. It is one 
of the foremost cactus varieties. 
SAXIFRAGA SARMENTOSA TRICOLOR 
SUPERBA. 
Beautiful little plants of this Saxifraga were 
shown recently in London by Messrs. John Laing & 
Sons, of Forest Hill, S.E. The general type of the 
plant closely resembles the common S. sarmentosa, 
only that the foliage is softly tinted with pink, and 
cream, and sbad-;s of green. Indeed, the handsome 
little plants much resemble a silver tricolor Pelar¬ 
gonium with a cheering suffusion of warm pink hue. 
It is not difficult to cultivate, nor to keep in condi¬ 
tion, and propagates easily. It is suitable for a cool 
conservatory. 
