894 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
February^!?, 1900. 
plants are repotted before May, an operation which 
requires great care; and when established in their 
permanent quarters they increase in size very 
rapidly— C. P. Cretchley, The Honeys, Twyford, 
Berks. 
-ofrr-—■ 
LACHENALIAS. 
The varieties of Lachenalia are not so widely dis¬ 
tributed as they deserve to be. The best known of 
them, however, is Lachenalia tricolor, and the easiest 
of cultivation. They were introduced in the early 
part of the eighteenth century from the Cape, whence 
so many beautiful plants come, and which furnish 
our greenhouses with beautiful flowers. The pen¬ 
dulous flowers are borne on stout stems, thickly set 
with beautiful tubular-shaped blossoms, and from 
8 in. to i2 in. high. The leaves are lanceolate, and 
from ij in. to 2$ in. broad. Many have purple- 
brown spots, and hang gracefully over the pots or 
baskets, thereby adding considerably to the grace 
and elegance of the flowers. They may be grown 
successfully by the amateur in a sn all greenhouse, 
if the necessary preparations are taken as to soil, 
which should consist of two parts loam, two parts 
leaf mould, and one part of coarse sand, and well 
decayed cow manure well mixed. The greater 
success is from bulbs planted in 5 in. pots with well 
placed potsherds to afford quick drainage, and a 
little rough loam placed on this. Plant from four to 
six bulbs, and just cover the same. Do not water 
until growth appears, unless very dry; then more 
freely as leaves develop. Keep as near the glass as 
possible, without being injured by frosts, so as to 
ensure a stout and sturdy growth. If for forcing, 
give a temperature not exceeding 55 0 to 65°. When 
spikes appear, add weak manurial waterings. 
PUBLIC PARKS AND GARDENS. 
(1 Continued from f. 379 ) 
The Commons and large open spaces should be 
utilised more for games. This would give better 
facilities for gardening in the parks, of a few of 
which we will take a bird’s-eye view. 
We will begin with Hyde Park. The most pleasing 
part of this park is a small space known as The 
Dell. The overflow of water from The Serpentine, 
instead of running straight into a sewer, as is done 
in many cases, has here been formed into a small 
stream, the sides of which have been planted with 
moisture-loving plants such as Rushes, Iris, Bam- 
busas, &c. The banks have been planted with 
shrubs. Amongst these, during the summer months, 
are plunged large Dracaenas, Musas, Seaforthias, 
&c., the whole iorming a pleasing natural picture of 
quite an oriental appearance. This small space 
probably gives more real pleasure to the general 
public than all the masses of flower beds which are 
concentrated close to the boundary fence of Park 
Lane. A very large quantity of bedding plants is 
used there each season, which is grown in the 
frame ground of Kensington Palace. The supply 
for various other places is also grown there, as Ken¬ 
sington Gardens, Hyde Park, St. James’ Park and 
the Green Paik, are all under one superinten¬ 
dent, 11 Mr. Browne.” Some idea of the amount of 
work he has in connection with his charge may be 
gathered from the fact that he has over fifty miles 
of roads and paths to keep in order. 
Kensington Gardens are practically part of Hyde 
Park, as the two are only divided by a road. 
There are some fine old trees and bits of 
natural scenery in Kensington Gardens. There 
is usually something interesting to be found in what 
is termed the flower walk, where there are clumps of 
herbaceous and other flowering plants. Now that 
Kensington Palace has been thrown open to the 
public it will become more popular, being the birth¬ 
place of our gracious Queen. 
St. James’ Park, from an artistic point of view, is 
almost perfect. If one stands on the bridge which 
spans the ornamental water and looks towards the 
Foreign Office, the view is one of the prettiest in 
London. It is even attractive in the winter season 
to see the hundreds of sea gulls, which are so tame 
that they come right on to the bridge amongst the 
crowd who go there to feed them. There are some 
good trees and charming bits of scenery in this park. 
The flower beds are few in number but well placed, 
and not crowded together. The margins of the lake 
have been well planted with Polygonum, Ccrnus, 
Salix, &c., which take off the hard cement outline, 
which in many cases has such a formal appearance. 
There is one very unattractive part in St. James' 
Park, where the loafers and scum of society lie about 
on the grass from morning till night. Surely the 
bye-laws are strong enough to deal with this 
nuisance, without interfering with the liberty of the 
citizens. It is a disgrace to our parks that these 
loafers should be allowed to abuse public places as 
they do. 
Adjoining St. James’ is the Green Park which is 
now nothing but grass and trees, and, therefore, does 
not call for comment. 
Regent’s Park forms one continuous open space in 
one direction with Primrose Hill. It is far the 
largest of the inner London parks, its area exceeding 
that of Hyde Park by 112 acres. On its south, east 
and west sides, this space has a wilderness of houses, 
with their smoke; but on the north it reaches a 
district where gardens abound with trees, giving it 
quite a country aspect right away to Hampstead 
Heath. There is a large piece of ornamental water. 
In addition to this the Regent’s Canal runs through 
about a mile, the sloping banks of which are clothed 
on one side with trees in a natural way, which gives 
it the appearance of a river in the country. The 
bedding in Regent’s Park is always good, the com¬ 
bination of colours and bold masses of Hollyhocks 
and various things being very effective. Celosias 
are extensively used ; the sheltered position evidently 
suits them welt. The Zoological and Botanic Gar¬ 
dens are both within Regent’s Park. Flower garden¬ 
ing is well done at the Zoo. Mr. Young also uses 
Celosias, and many other tender things, which 
require shelter and warmth when planted outside. 
The Botanic Gardens laid out by Marnock are 
well planted with a variety of trees; but owing to 
various causes these gardens have deteriorated. 
Instead of botany we have had fetes where flowers 
have been abused by tying them on to cart wheels, 
and such like absurdities; therefore it is not sur¬ 
prising that the Royal Botanic Society has lost 
favour in public estimation. 
Waterlow Park was presented by and named after 
Sir Sidney Waterlow about nine years ago. It is 
very pleasantly situated on the top of Highgate Hill, 
which is on a level with the cross of St. Paul’s 
Cathedral. At such a high altitude it escapes the 
worst of the impure London air. Waterlow Park, 
although small, is very interesting, and contains 
some well grown timber. The old house, Lauder¬ 
dale, was once the residence of the notorious Nell 
Gwynne, but is now converted into refreshment 
rooms. The park has a nice, undulating appear¬ 
ance ; but why this feature should be altered to 
make tennis courts is a problem difficult to solve. 
Finsbury Park was laid out by the Metropolitan 
Board of Works ; but why it was named Finsbury, 
which is several miles away, is a puzzle. Like 
Waterlow Park this enjoys a high altitude, but very 
little shelter as there are very few large trees; but a 
long avenue of Black Poplars was certainly not 
the right thing to plant. The highest point in the 
park seems a strange place to select for a lake. 
There was certainly not much landscape about that. 
Close to this lake is the flower garden, the beds of 
which are aptly described by Mr. Robinson, who 
compares them to so many tarts on a tray. The 
shape or want of shape in some of these beds would 
puzzle Mr Robinson’s confectioner. 
Some of the shrubberies in this park got ragged, 
so a lot of the old useless shrubs have been taken 
out, and specimens opened up, by turfing under 
them ; therefore, they now show to much better ad¬ 
vantage, and the formal outline of the shrubs is 
broken up by these recesses. To those who may 
have old shrubberies to renovate this way of deal¬ 
ing with them is worth considering. The new house 
built some time ago as a show house for Chrysanth¬ 
emums is unsuitable for the purpose, there not being 
sufficient ventilation, so the old house has still to be 
used for these exhibitions which are certainly very 
good. 
Clissold Park is situated about a mile from Fins¬ 
bury Park. From a gardening point of view 
Clissold is not much, but there are some fine old 
trees. The canal belonging to the New River Water¬ 
works Company runs through this park. In addi¬ 
tion to this there is a lake, so Clissold is well off for 
water ; and if this advantage were made use of, the 
park could be much improved. 
Gclder's Hill, a lovely spot, has only recently been 
acquired for public use, as an adjunct to Hampstead 
Heath, a road only dividing the two. If the natural 
surroundings of Golder’s Hill are treated properly, 
this could be made a very pretty place; but it would 
be a piece of vandalism to cut it up in a formal way. 
Flower beds would be superfluous here ; but groups 
of hardy and semi-hardy plants would find a natural 
home as it is well sheltered. 
We will now visit Victoria Park, which has rather 
a depressing appearance, as vegetation does not 
seem happy there. This is easily accounted for by 
the forests of chimneys which stretch away for miles 
round. But situated as Victoria Park is amongst 
the masses in the east end it must be a great boon 
to them, who would otherwise seldom see a bit of 
nature. Therefore, in the eyes of the east enders, 
Victoria Park must seem like a paradise with its 
wide green spaces, its groves and shrubberies, lakes 
and woodland islands. There is a very large bathing 
lake which, of a summer’s evening, is filled to its 
utmost capacity. The park is practically in three 
sections, roadways having been cut through for the 
convenience of the masses. Therefore, the park 
appears much smaller than it really is. Owing to 
the atmospheric conditions surrounding this place, 
it is surprising to find gardening carried out so well. 
Some of the beds are arranged in groups, which are 
relieved by Palms, Dracaenas, Yuccas, Agaves, 
Musas, &c., large beds of Erytbrina crista-galli, being 
very effective. Nearly a quarter of a million of 
bedding plants are grown here each season. In the 
shrubberies are some good specimen Hollies. This 
proves that these shrubs are well suited for planting 
in towns where the air is impure. 
(To he continued.) 
SAP FLOW. 
Is it quite correct to say, as is said at page 3S2, 
that the hard heart wood of tree stems is devoid of 
sap, and is absolutely dry ? If that be so how is it 
that when certain trees are felled, as they sometimes 
are out of season, that the wood they give long after 
felling is termed sappy and shows evidence of its 
condition by discolouration, softness, and early de¬ 
cay. That is a fact which seems to be quite out of 
harmony with the suggestion that hard wood is 
absolutely sapless. In relation to the most interest¬ 
ing subject of sap flow there is yet apparently not 
only much ignorance, but also much difference of 
opinion. Probably few plant physiologists care to 
be too assured in relation to the matter, yet there 
can be no doubt but that the term sap flow, which 
comes freely enough from many pens and tongues, is 
one which conveys many diverse ideas, and many 
very crude ones. 
The paragraph alluded to states that such sap 
current as there is flows in the external or newest 
wood near the bark. Does this mean the cellular 
tissue of really hard wood, or the soft cambium 
layer, which lies between the hard wood and the 
bark ? How soon after formation into a woody 
layer does the cambium become sapless ? How long 
does it continue to be capable of permitting sap 
flow ? 
Is it not generally admitted, as well as un¬ 
doubted theory, that sap descent, that is, aerated or 
oxygenised sap, such as has been through the leaves, 
descends in the cambium layer and thus builds up 
wood in that descent ? Certainly we know that 
there is such descent as we have but to cut a riDg of 
bark down to the hard wood out from a branch to 
find that downward sap cannot get beyond the line 
of severance. Yet, somehow, the branch above does 
not die, and that leads to the inference that there 
must be upward sap flow in the hard wood, or death 
would soon ensue. When limbs are cut from trees 
whilst in full leaf how often do we not see sap 
exuding apparently from all the woody tissue of the 
stem severed. We know in the case of Vines, 
although with these the wood does not attain that 
exceeding hardness that is found in ordinary trees, 
that from every portion that is severed, if done in 
the spring, saps flows away like water. 
But know what we may, still we seem unable to 
fully comprehend what sap flow really is, and how 
the liquid or life blood of trees passes through the 
cells of which soft or hard, woody, or vegetable 
matter is composed. We have not yet been able to 
lay bare the wood of a tree and watch sap flow as 
has been done with blood flow in animals, We have 
net, so far as I am aware, even brought into use 
