December 2 , 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
219 
of which make a pretty contrast to the surrounding 
greenery. In the Coniferae department there are a 
great many fine specimens, particularly noteworthy 
being the beautiful Retinospora gracilis aurea. 
Another part of the grounds was taken up with 
herbaceousplants, many of which were in full flower, 
and attracted the attention of the passengers on the 
tramcars, especially the fair sex. 
The glass department now took our attention, the 
first house entered being filled with Chrysanthemums 
for cut flower work, a trade in which Mr. Dickson 
does a large business. Another house is devoted to 
the culture of Orchids, many fine specimens of the 
family being in flower ; and arranged through them 
in a very tasteful manner, were some very beautiful 
plants of Alocasia Lowi, &c. One house was filled 
with seedlings of the Fern family. One very pretty 
seedliDg oftheGymnogrammetype took my attention, 
the fronds of which turned over in a peculiar manner, 
just showing the golden tips. More of this seedling 
will be heard of later on if a " nod's as good as a 
wink.” The next house in this range is filled with 
Azalea indica all ready for the market; and if one 
can judge by their appearance they will give great 
satislaction to the purchaser. One house was filled 
with Begonias, certainly not in the state that the 
sightseer would care for, but in that condition that 
gives great pleasure to the seedsman. To judge from 
the appearance of the ripening growths and the well- 
filled seed pods they had been a grand lot. 
Another house contained Ferns, and on looking 
round I noticed some very fine plants of the beauti¬ 
ful Lygodium scandens or climbing Fern. Now that 
the shower bouquet is so much in vogue I often 
wonder why this plant is not grown more than it is, 
as its long graceful habit lends itself admirably for 
the purpose. Passing on to another range, the first 
house is occupied with Crotons, Dracaenas, &c., all 
in a perfect state of health and cleanliness. There 
were a great many houses that time could not permit 
me to visit, but before leaving this department I had 
a look into the Palm house, and among this class of 
plants Mr. Dickson does a large business, his stock 
being of the finest and all grown for house decoration. 
Among this class of plant were some very pretty 
specimens of Cocos plumosa. Last, but not least, we 
came to the fruit room, and a finer lot of Apples 
would be hard to find. Among this class of fruit I 
noticed some very fine specimens of Peasgood's 
Nonsuch, James Grieve, and Lord Suffield. As time 
and railway trains wait for no man I had t:> bid Mr. 
Dickson adieu, but not without a strict injunction to 
“call if ever I was in the neighbourhood again,” an 
invitation I will avail myself of on the first 
opportunity.— Diosma. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SPORTS. 
In several of the American horticultural journals a 
paragraph appeared which gave the intelligence that 
a white Chrysanthemum named Mrs. Jerome Jones 
was cultivated for half a dozen years before it sported, 
but when it did so its sports were recorded simul¬ 
taneously at many widely separated points. Garden¬ 
ing (American), published in its issue of November 
4, some notes which Prof. H. J. Webber, of Wash¬ 
ington, U.S.A. (who lectured on “ Plant Hybridis¬ 
ation in America," in June last, at the R H S. 
Conference, London), has made upon the subject of 
" sporting,” and which have been recalled by the 
said paragraph. He says : " Such changes or sports 
are very probably reversions to the original colour. 
“ Several cases of similar reversion have been 
recorded, as for instance, by Darwin in his " Animals 
and Plants under Domestication,” Vol. i, p.455. Dar¬ 
win’s observation’s lead him to say that the Chrys¬ 
anthemum sports both by its lateral branches and 
occasionally by suckers. A seedling raised by Mr. 
Salter produced by bud variation six distinct sorts, 
five different in colour and one in foliage, all of 
which were ultimately fixed. The varieties which 
were first introduced from China were so excessively 
variable that it was extremely difficult to tell 
which was the original colour of the variety 
and which was the sport. The same variety 
would produce one year only buff coloured 
and the next year only rose coloured flowers, and 
then would change again or produce at the same 
time flowers of both colours. Mr. Salter informed 
him (Mr. Darwin), that with all the varieties the 
commonest kind of bud variation is the production 
of yellow flowers, and as this is the primordial colour 
these cases may be attributed to reversion. With 
any change in the colour of the flower the foliage 
generally changes in lightness or darkness. (This is 
well seen in the foliage of blood-red and yellow 
flowered Wallflowers). 
" The synchronism (simultaneousness) of the above 
noted reversions is somewhat remarkable but it may 
probably be analogised or, in other words compared 
to the reversions which occur late in the life of an 
individual plant, and in the case of a Chrysanth¬ 
emum propagated by cuttings all the plants grown 
from the cuttiogs are portions of the same indivi¬ 
dual.” 
--**—- 
BEECHHILL NURSERY. 
The Beechhill Nursery of Mr. John Downie, 144, 
Princes Street, Edinburgh, is situated within easy 
reach of the Scotch metroplis by omnibuses, which 
pass the gate of the nursery frequently, and a new 
railway is now in an advanced state. 
In September last we had a rapid run through the 
houses and grounds, noting a few of the more 
noticeable objects. One of the stoves was practi¬ 
cally a Croton house, accommodating a large collec¬ 
tion suitable for table decoration. Beautiful varieties 
were The Sirdar, with narrow, red, yellow, and 
green leaves ; Cronstadti, spiral and yellow ; Reedi, 
broad yellow and red ; Barron F. Selliere, green and 
yellow, often wholly of the latter colour; and Haw- 
keri, irregularly blotched like the caricature plant. 
The scolloped or jointed leaves of Evodia elegans 
are curious and pretty. Acalypha Sanderi, Gymno- 
gramme wettenhalliana, and Carex japonica gracilis 
variegata are other useful decorative subjects. 
Amongst new plants in this house we noted Ficus 
radieans variegata, with silvery variegated foliage; 
Leea amabilis superba, having the midrib and prin¬ 
cipal veins silvery; and Phillodendron imperiale 
laucheanum, silvery, with green blotches. 
In another house we noted a bright batch of 
Clerodendron fallax, and good strains of Gloxinias 
and Celosia pyramidalis. Caladiums were still 
holding out. Dracaena Doucetti stands a deal of 
bad usage for decorative purposes. Very choice 
Ferns were Actinopteris radiata, Adiantum Edg- 
worthii, Cheilanthes sinuata, Gymnogramme grandi- 
ceps superba, a golden variety; G. schizophylla 
gloriosa, suspended in pots; and Nephrolepis 
davallioides furcans in fine condition. The young 
foliage of Adiantum macrophyllum was beautifully 
coloured. A general collection of Ferns is grown. 
The true Selaginella Wildenovii is grown here, and 
is characterised by tall stems and bluish foliage. 
Dactylis glomerata argentea is whiter than D. g. 
elegantissima, and is utilised for pot work. A fine 
lot of Cocos weddeliana is grown in 60-size pots. 
Other popular subjects are Dracaena Bartettii, 
bronzy-green with red edge; Aralia Veitchi, A. 
elegantissima, and C. Chabrieri, all well known. 
Bright also was Begonia Gloire de Lorraine. 
A general collection of Palms of various sizes is 
grown, including all the more useful decorative 
species, so that enumeration is unnecessary. Some 
of the more hardy were housed in a cool structure 
in company with Bamboos. Large plants of 
Dracaena australis variegata had broad leaves, 
margined yellow. 
A cool greenhouse was gay with a great variety of 
flowering subjects, such as Cannas, Lilium specio- 
sum, L. s. album, L. s. Melpomene, L. auratum, L. 
a. rubro-vittatum, Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, 
and Montbretia imperiale, the largest flowering of 
all, with rich orange-scarlet flowers. A collection of 
herbaceous and alpine plants was grown in frames. 
Tuberous Begonias were gay in one of the span- 
roofed houses, and in all the leading colours. 
Amongst the doubles we noted a very pretty orange- 
salmon variety, named Marquis de Trevise. Mrs. 
Downie, raised here, is a very choice double white 
variety. Miss French is primrose and double. 
Beautiful was a rose-shaped, pure white variety. 
Many frames were also occupied with tuberous 
Begonias, planted out. 
The Open Nursery. 
Conifers. —Every bit of ground in this compact and 
tidy nursery is closely occupied with trees or shrubs 
of some sort or other, Conifers being as well repre¬ 
sented as any, particularly the ornamental types in¬ 
cluded under Cupressus, Retinospora, Thuja, 
Cedars, Spruces, Silver Fir, &c. Of Cupressus law- 
soniana the varieties are exceedingly numerous, 
including (he usual run of white and yellow varie¬ 
gated sorts. For lawns, small gardens, and 
prominent places or private estates, where choice 
subjects of moderate dimensions are a desideratum, 
none are more choice than Cupressus lawsoniana 
Allumi, C. 1 . argentea, and C. 1 . Fraseri, all agreeing 
in their glaucous hues, imparting a bluish haze to 
the landscape, but differing from one another and 
from the type in form. To these might be added 
the beautiful Silver Queen, versicolor, lutea, elegan¬ 
tissima, and the well known erecta viridis, all choice 
forms of Lawson’s Cypress, that need only to be seen 
to be appreciated. Highly useful also are C. macro- 
carpa, C. nutkaensis, C. sempervirens, C. thuyoides, 
and various others, which, though not running into 
numerous varieties like C. lawsoniana, yet can 
hardly be omitted from any well kept establishment 
Retinosporas are also replete in variety, and all 
carefully labelled in well tended nursery lines 
R. filicoides, R. filifera, R. pisifera aurea, R. plumosa 
aurea, R. obtusa aurea and R. squarrosa Veitchi 
are some of the neatest and prettiest that could be 
added to a collection of Conifers. The Umbrella 
Pine (Sciadopkys), the . Tasmanian Cypress 
(Arthrotaxis) in several species; the Hemlock 
Spruces (Tsuga); and the Japanese Cedars 
(Cryptomeria japonica, C. elegans), are forms that 
always add to the beauty and interest of a place 
The Silver Firs are represented by a large number 
of species, including Abies amabilis, A. concolor, 
A. c. violacea, A. Pinsapo, A. P. glauca, A. Veitchi, 
A. Fraseri, A. webbianna, and many others too 
numerous to mention. Amongst Spruces important 
species are Picea ajanensis, P. Menziesii, P. 
Omorika, P. pungens, P. polita, P. smithiana, 
P. Englemanni, and many others which constitute 
conspicuous objects in the landscape, after they 
attain some size; while they are also beautiful 
objects although very small. 
Other trees and shrubs.— These are so numerous 
that it would be impossible in the space at command 
to mention a tithe of them. Flowering shrubs 
include Barberries, Azaleas, Sweet Briers, White 
Portugal Broom, Yellow Spanish Broom, Leycesteria 
formosa, Mahonias, Rhododendrons in quantity, 
Azara microphylla, Budleia globosa, Escallonia 
macrantha, E. montevidensis, E. rubra, Fabiana 
imbricata, Garrya elliptica, and others of that 
description. The choice character of Choisya 
ternata, the Rock Roses (Cistus), Desfontainea 
spinosa, and Embothrium coccineum, is indisputable. 
Hollies are represented by all the leading and best 
varieties, such as Silver Queen, Golden Queen, 
Hodginsii, ferox or Hedgehog, the yellow-berried 
fructu luteo, and many others. Ivies are also 
numerous, the variations of form and colour being 
great. The best form of the Golden Privet may be 
seen here, and somewhat novel in their way are 
those which are grown in the form of dwarf or 
miniature standards, which can be utilised for 
various decorative purposes. Highly ornamental 
when in berry are Skimmia Formani, S. japonica 
and S. oblata. Weeping trees are well cared for, 
being distributed in lines through the grourds or 
around the squares. Choice forms are the 
American Weeping Willow (Salix purpurea pendula), 
the Kilmarnock Willow (S. Caprea pendula), the 
Weeping Willow (S. babylonica), the Golden Qsier 
(S. alba vitellina), and S. incana, often named 
S. rosmarinifolia. Several Willows have had the 
latter name applied to them. The long, linear 
leaves cf S. incana are dark green above, and white 
beneath, and the tree grown as a small standard is 
exceedingly pretty. The above are but a mere 
fraction of the subjects to be seen, evergreen and 
deciduous. Tall-stemmed street trees are numerous. 
An addition has recently been made to the nursery, 
considerably increasing its area, and the new ground 
having been laid out was mostly planted with fruit 
trees, all clean, well-grown stuff of different ages. 
All the best and most popular varieties are kept in 
stock. The nursery is always worthy of inspection. 
-—s>S*=-— 
Plants living within plants.—It is not generally 
known that in the intercellular cavities of certain 
plants such as Lysimachia Nummularia, Lemna 
trisulca, and Ajuga reptens a certain group of the 
Protococcideae, unicellular Algae find a suitable 
home. They are not parasites, that is, they do not 
live upon the strength of their hosts but only in 
them. 
