March 31, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WOR1D. 
491 
the choicest members of the palmate group. A. 
colchicum rubrum, may also be referred to as a 
worthy variety. Acer platanoides lacinatus is a 
variety of the Plane-leaved section, which is likewise 
a capital subject under pot culture. When good 
plants are secured, that is, standards or bush plants, 
the former preferably, they do not require more than 
an occasional shift-on, and after being used either in 
the couservatory, the dwelling-house-lobby, or the 
drawing-room, in early spring they may be plunged 
out of doors to complete their growth, whilst adding 
to summer and autumn effect. Truly they furnish 
a wise investment. 
Space will not permit of any lengthened details, 
otherwise one would like to point out the dozen and 
one different ways for using to right good purpose 
the various species of Euonymus, Veronicas, and 
Vincas which are to be seen, some in pots, besides 
many in the nursery rows both at Richmond and 
Isleworth. Stock for planting at any time can 
always be had from the fact of much of it being 
in pots. This is the case with the bulk of the tree 
and other Ivies, another class of ornamental shrubby 
plants, in which the firm is strong. The practice of 
planting the common Ivy (Hedera Helix) beneath 
trees, and as a covering to very dry ground is be¬ 
coming yearly more and more extensive. It is a 
phase of outdoor ornamental gardening still in need 
of more encouragement and inspiration, but of its 
success wherever pains are taken there can be no 
two opinions. Then for tree Stumps for banks in 
rockeries, for twiniDg along chains and fences, for 
all such purposes a choice and judicious selection of 
Ivies is strongly recommendable, and wise from 
every point of view. The culture of such forms as 
H. H. madeiriensis variegata in pots for cool house 
purposes is not absolutely a new idea, but is a prac¬ 
tice in need of further imitation. H. H. elegan- 
tissima, H. H. algeriensis, H. H. arborea, H. H. a. 
aurea, H. H. chrysophylia, H. H. canariensis with 
its varieties, H. H. c. latifolia maculata, and H. H. 
c. grandifolia are all good Ivies. The selection, of 
course, might well be quadrupled. 
Among soft-wooded plants seen in some quantity 
at the Richmond nursery hardy border Carnations 
are conspicuous. 
The Milford Branch. 
A pleasant walk under the guidance of Mr. T. Bun- 
yard to the Milford Nursery, which lies south-east 
of Richmond, showed us the “ Kail ground,” where 
the Seakale for trade supply and other vegetables 
are grown. Further to the westward a nursery is 
devoted to evergreens, Conifers, Ligustrums, and 
Aucubas, these being represented in full selection. 
The whole stock is of the very best quality and 
ready at any time to plant. The utmost attention to 
lifting and rearranging or thinning the rows of young 
plants is constantly given, the result being stout and 
stocky plants. 
Isleworth Nursery. 
As before stated, this nursery is given up to the 
propagating and rearing of nursery stock, both tender 
and hardy, tender exotics finding space. Palms, 
Cocos, greenhouse, and hardy Rhododendrons, 
Cobaea scandens variegata, Eurya latifolia, Aralias, 
Ixoras, Acalyphas, and various indoor ornamental 
Grasses are grown in quantity. Codiaeums (Crotons) 
and Dracaenas are likewise in some force. But 
again, the greater range of space is occupied with 
the hardy evergreens. This nursery is under the 
superintendence of Mr. H. Marslen, who was, for 
over 20 years, with Messrs. Lee and Son. He is an 
able man, anxious to impart knowledge, and quite as 
open to receive new impressions. He gave the secret 
of some experiments in the grafting of such shrubs 
as the Viburnums, Hamamelis arborea, &c., but we 
will allow him to gain from the fruits of his re¬ 
searches, as is in justice due to him. 
Various operations were busily being performed. 
Transplanting of young shrubs into richly prepared 
land was one of the most extensive items, while 
root-grafting of Clematis and the various necessary 
duties of shifting and re-arranging cuttings, either 
rooted or in the process of rooting, was another 
business demanding the attention of a large number 
of men. Of the stock of plants grown, there seemed 
to be something of everything. The collections of 
Osmanthus, Hollies, Viburnums, Phillyreas, Acers, 
Yuccas, including the prettiest and perkiest of them 
all, Y. plicata, narrow leaved and erect; greenhouse 
and hardy Rhododendrons, Ivies, Skimmia Foremani, 
the best of all the Skimmias, Clematis, Ampelopsis 
or Vitis, Euonymus, Elaeagnus, Ligustrums, 
Aucubas, and many of the dwarfer and much used 
Conifers, were viewed. Each genus has a list of its 
various species and varieties included. It is not 
possible to deal with all the host of them. It may 
suffice simply once aga n to remark that the firm is 
anxious to give customers every advantage. Good 
stuff is grown, and ODly good stuff is sent out. New 
shrubs from other countries, or shrubs of hybrid 
origin, are always being sought for to be obtained 
and added to the Isleworth or other of the firm’s 
collections. The merits and other points of quality 
or usefulness of the flowering section may furnish 
matter for a later notice. Meanwhile, planting is 
still brisk, and it may be that some things have been 
mentioned which planters should desire to obtain. 
The writer’s thanks are tendered to Mr. T. Bunyard 
for his kindly courtesy. 
The accompanying portrait is that of Mr. Louis 
Russell, the member of the firm who manages the 
nurseries at Richmond, Surrey, and those in the 
vicinity, which are mentioned in the above notes. 
GIANT ONIONS. 
It was rather odd that whilst I have here splendid 
large Onion bulbs, which Mr. E. Beckett sent me 
from Aldenham Gardens on purpose to afford ocular 
demonstration of their keeping qualities,that I should 
have read but two days later in your " Kitchen Gar 
den Calendar ” the statement that "Large Onions, 
except for exhibition purposes, are useless. Cooks 
do not like them ; neither do the Onions keep as well 
as firm bulbs of medium size.” Could Mr. Beckett 
have had a presentiment that these words would be 
found in the succeeding issue of The Gardening 
World. Without doubt the writer is a little preju¬ 
diced in the matter, and probably does not grow 
large Onions even for show; but when he asserts 
that other than for exhibition they are useless, he 
ignores the fact that they are first-rate, baked or 
stewed, proving, so cooked, a delicious dish. 
Still further, these fine bulbs, planted for the pur¬ 
pose, produce fine seed stocks that again reproduce 
far finer bulbs even under ordinary conditions of 
culture than results when seed from small bulbs is 
sown. So many persons seem to think that large or 
indeed most other Onions have no other uses as 
edible food than to be converted into seasoning or 
flavouring. That is a mistaken notion. Onions 
liberally grown and intelligently cooked make first- 
rate food. Whether cooks like or dislike them 
seems to be a matter of little moment. The cook 
certainly is not the gardener s employer. 
Then with regard to the matter of keeping. I had 
some few weeks since a couple of bulbs of Ailsa 
Craig, which I had used as lecturing samples, but 
which, having no further use for them, I left with 
Mr. Wright, at Chiswick, to grow for seed. I am 
sure these bulbs would have kept without growing 
for two months longer were it desired. The bulbs I 
have from Elstree are just as hard as the hardest of 
small, ordinary grown Onions, and present every 
appearance of keeping quite sound, if desired, till the 
end of April. They range from if lb. to 2 lb. in 
weight. This fact shows that the old assumption 
that large Onions will not keep well is baseless. If 
they be well matured they possess remarkable keep¬ 
ing properties. Then it is not quite correct to 
assume that it is only globe or oval shaped Onions 
that keep well. It is quite a question ol maturation, 
and plenty of round or flattish bulbs have kept until 
June, for Crook’s Late Keeping Onion is of this 
type, and it is a remarkable long keeper. Whatever 
may have been the case with the old varieties, 
certainly now there is little difference in the endur¬ 
ance of flat, round, and ovals. But every gardener, 
all the same, likes to grow three or four varieties, 
both to produce giant bulbs, and for ordinary out¬ 
door sowing. 
The favourite varieties to produce large bulbs are 
Ailsa Craig, the very best; Ne Plus Ultra, Excelsior, 
Sutton's Globe, Lord Keeper, and the Wroxton, 
although there is really no variety that, treated as 
Ooion plants are to secure these fine bulbs, will not 
respond by producing large ones relatively. As to 
outdoor varieties they seem to be legion, for whilst 
including those named, it would not be difficult to 
add a score of others that seem to be good also; 
whilst with not a few roots, such as Potatos, Carrots, 
Parsnips, and Beets, for instance, there can be no 
question but that bigness does mean the production 
of coarseness of texture and excessive, watery flesh. 
In Onions such is not the case; for owing to the 
abundant root-room aod feeding furnished, especially 
if the variety be a good one, the bulbs seem to have 
flesh as fine of texture and as firm in the large ones 
as in the smaller ones. The former are certainly 
milder, but that makes for gain rather than loss, as 
too much of hotness is often vile.— A. D. 
- •*— - 
RADISH VEITCH'S EARLY GEM. 
In private gardens, where early Radishes are in de¬ 
mand, a small,quick-growing kind is of the utmost im¬ 
portance. It is not a question of large growing kinds. 
Those with small, bright, quick-growing roots, about 
as large as the top of your little finger, are most 
appreciated. Added to this it is of the first import¬ 
ance that they should have but little leafage ; kinds 
that make a lot of top are bad in two ways, namely, 
they are a long time coming in, and they take up a 
lot of room. 
For years I have grown Veitch’s Exeter Early 
Turnip-rooted, as I could not find anything better. 
These come in marvellously quick when sown in 
frames 
This year I tried Early Gem, sowing it with the 
other named kinds. All three kinds were sown at 
the same time, early in January, in a vinery on a bed 
made of leaves for Asparagus. When the Asparagus 
was put on the bed and covered with soil, on the 
soil I sowed these three kinds of Radishes, just cover¬ 
ing the seed. In six weeks we had nice, young, tender 
Radishes fit for use. Early Gem is a gem. The 
roots are of a bright red colour, with scarcely any 
foliage, only four or five leaves, and these are very 
short and close to the ground, so that many roots 
can be grown in a small space. It is the best kind I 
ever saw for early work. Added to this the stock is 
very true. I am sending you a few roots for your 
opinion.— J.C , F., Chard. 
[The samples of this Radish sent by our corres¬ 
pondent were globular, varying towards a shortly 
oval outline, and were of a rich red colour. The 
flesh was crisp, tender, juicy, and very solid, as 
Radishes should be at this early date, and made ex¬ 
cellent eating. The leaves were remarkably short, 
and dark green, constituting, with the other qualities, 
a model Radish.— Ed.] 
MAIDENHEAD GARDENERS’ MUTUAL 
IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY. 
Leaf Embroidery. —The last meeting of the society 
for the winter session was held on Tuesday, the 2oth, 
when two papers were read and discussed, the first, 
“ Leaf Embroidery,” by Mr. J. W. Richardson, the 
assistant secretary, and gardener to G. Hewing,Esq , 
Bridge House, Maidenhead, the lawns of which place 
sloping as they do towards the Thames opposite the 
well known Skindles Hotel lend themselves partic¬ 
ularly to this style of embellishment. The features of 
this carpet bedding, the lecturer said, were the 
effectiveness of various designs of distinct colour 
masses; dwarfness of growth, and that the effect 
lasts from the time of planting out till autumn 
Against it, it is the most costly and requires plenty 
of labour. Having given his ideas on colour con¬ 
trasts, the lecturer then gave a list of plants suitable 
for working out designs in green leaved plants; 
plants with golden and variegated foliage; bedders 
with gray, white and dark coloured leaves. A list 
of the various bedders would be taking up more 
space than your paper can afford. Mr. Richardson 
placed on the table some dozen large photographs 
showing various designs carried out annually at 
Bridge House. 
Horticultural Shows. 
Mr. D. Ingamells, the chairman of the society, then 
followed with a paper entitled “ Horticultural 
Shows; their management and principles of Judg¬ 
ing.” Mr. Ingamells, who is always practical, 
treated his subject as one would have expected. He, 
amongst various preliminary remarks, stated that the 
two primary objects of horticultural exhibitions are 
stability and independence, with a great many 
exhibitors on committees. The great danger often is 
the cost being under-estimated and the income over- 
e : timated; and the chance then is dependent on 
weather. Therefore, one great and desirable feature 
in carrying out of shows is a properly instituted 
