682 
June 23, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
ants of the district are surprised at such a delightful 
change in the short space of twenty years. Neither 
time nor ability will allow us to enter into the 
merits of the many good things we have 
seen here, but let us enter the garden proper. 
The chief feature is the large raDge of hot¬ 
houses. First we are led to the late Peach house 
where a good crop is now swelling. Next we enter 
the Fig house where there is an amazing crop in 
several stages of growth, some ripe others just set. 
Then we are led into first one greenhouse and then 
another,which Mr.Park informs us are admirably got 
up for forcing winter flowering plants. Here we saw 
some of the newest varieties of Carnations in flower, 
which are very fine. Then we enter the Palm 
house where some handsome specimens are to be seen, 
as well as many other subjects such as Dracaenas, 
Ferns, &c., all in fine health and clean. We now 
pass to range No. 2, a spacious conservatory, stove 
and cool house, containing a general collection of 
plants, and all in the pink of condition. These 
houses are situated midway between the former range 
and the vineries, which are placed along the top of 
the garden facing due scuth. We now enter the 
Melon pit, detached from the main range here, where 
we find the plants growing very strong but not yet 
begun to set. Crossing the path to the early Peach 
house, we met a sight seldom seen and should think 
the same weight of fruit could not be taken every 
year. There is one tree especially, of only ordinary 
size, from which hundreds of fruits are now being 
gathered. Mr. Park says the soil is particularly well 
suited for stone fruits, and he feeds strongly with 
different manures alternately. 
Next comes the early vinery where Black Ham¬ 
burgh and Buckland Sweetwater are just finishing, 
and for size of bunch and berry would be ill to beat. 
In this house also we saw some very fine and large 
Adiantums, such as A. Veitchii, A. cuneatum, A c. 
grandiceps, <%c. We pass through the second and 
third vineries in succession, all looking well. Out¬ 
side this range, detached, as is the Melon pit, is a 
spacious propagating pit, which is now filled with 
Tomatos, and a quantity of seedling Begonias. 
In conclusion we must say it has not been our 
privilege even to inspect such a range of houses all 
in such perfect order, not an insect of any descrip¬ 
tion to be seen. Mildew is never seen about the 
place. Mr. Park does not attribute all the success¬ 
ful management of the place to himself, but gener¬ 
ously gives a due share to the able assistance of his 
young men, whom, by the way Mr. Park treats each of 
them, he makes take a special interest in their 
own department. Mr. Park very much regrets that 
his inside foreman is about to leave him, and would 
be very pleased to answer any enquiry regarding 
him to any one in want of his services. One of Mr. 
Park's greatest difficulties will be to get young men 
to stay long in the place, so far distant from railway 
communication—thirty miles, with only one other 
garden within about forty miles. 
Not being satisfied with the original bothy, on 
explaining matters to his employer, he has now got, 
almost finished, one of the most handsome and well- 
equipped cottages for his young men that could be 
wished for. The kindness of the people in the dis¬ 
trict is unsurpassed, and our special thanks are due 
to Mr. Gauld, Mr. Pirie's estate manager, who with 
his usual kindness, offered and drove us several 
miles to the other side of Ulapool, there to view the 
grandeur of the scenery,so magnificent. Last,but not 
least interesting, were the rows of crofters' huts, 
where in many cases the cattle and people enter by 
the same door. Altogether we never eojoyed a more 
pleasant holiday, the scenery was so fine through 
our long drive. Sometimes the gorges below were 
hundreds of feet deep, and the mountains as high 
above, almost perpendicular.— A. 
The Resistance of Seeds to Heat.—In a 
recent issue of the Revue Horticole, M. E. 
Shribaux records some surprising results obtained 
in experiments in killing insects among seed 
by the application of heat. Exposed for two minutes 
to a heat of 122 0 weevils were quite dead, and many 
other insects at a heat of 140°. The indications are 
that this treatment will destroy the eggs of insects 
and the spores of fungi, experiments being now in 
progress to determine these points. Seeds if dry 
resist the heat. 
VISITS TO NURSERIES. 
Mr. John Downie, Murrayfield, Edinburgh. 
When writing of the Messrs. Lairds' establishment 
at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, we referred to the fact 
that Mr. John Downie’s nursery was likewise in the 
same district. Beechwood lies east of Pinkhill aDd 
is an open, well exposed and sunny nursery. At an 
April visit, especially the April of this year, there is 
little to make note of out of doors, but inside where 
temperatures are made and controlled at the will of 
man. the case is different. 
Greenhouse and stove plants, including choice 
and rare Ferns are specialities of the firm " Downie." 
The Ferns are particularly fine, and if only those 
who are responsible for the keeping of gardens, 
would value Ferns more highly and induce their 
employers to foster a regard for them, we think they 
would be performing what is their duty. At pre¬ 
sent Ferns are merely adjuncts used in decorations ; 
they do not always occupy the prominence in gar¬ 
dens which they deserve. Exceedingly pretty is 
Pteris longifolia Morrisii, with the slender Cheil- 
anthus elegans, and the gracefully drooping 
Asplenium viviparum. The Gymnogrammes repre¬ 
sent possibly the most truly handsome and graceful 
genus of exotic Ferns found in our gardens. These 
were seen in many varieties—the splendid G. Alt- 
stonii, G. schizophylla, G. Pearcei robusta, G. 
argyrea and such like. Polypodium venosum with 
entire leaves like those of the Hart's-tongue Fern, 
makes a handsome intermediate or stove subject. 
P. aureum, which is better known as Phlebodium 
aureum, is of course found everywhere, which proves 
that it is a plant with merits. 
Nothochlaena chrysophylla is represented by an 
exceedingly fine batch of robust and well grown 
plants. In appearance it resembles some of the 
Adiantums; but its charms are quite distinct, and 
with the lovely yellow tint of the fronds it presents 
a subject which ought to be found in every plant 
lover’s collection. It is as easy to cultivate as many 
another commoner Fern of less decorative value. It 
has one or two synonyms, and the correct name is 
really N. flavens. Those who do not have it would 
do well to enquire for it. 
Crotons are found in variety at Beechwood. One 
of the most beautiful bears the name of Kronstadtii. 
But stove plants in general are well grown, and in¬ 
clude the kinds that are usually asked for. Hoya 
bella is somewhat of a feature in the nursery of the 
firm. It is a plant of wide repute, yet one whose 
merits ought still to be more widely known and 
appreciated. The plant lends itself to so wide a 
variety of uses—as a trained pot plant, as a wall 
furnisher, as a plant for yielding bloom for many 
decorative uses—for these, and other purposes it can 
be employed. 
A species of Anona named A. exifera, with pink 
flowers, was remarked as being not at all common. 
It is a warm house subject. 
In the cool houses, greenhouse shrubby plants, 
such as Boronias, Cytisus, Prunuses, Acacias, and 
the like, were very numerous. Liliums, for cut 
bloom supply, were being grown in quantity. The 
collection of stove Begonias embraces some of the 
best sorts, both flowering and foliage. To do justice 
to the Begonias would have entailed an amount of 
time greater than could be afforded. Yet though 
the subject will not be dealt with here, it may 
pertinently be remarked that, having a good selection 
of stove Begonias, in proper hands, a house of them 
ought to prove one of the outstanding features of any 
garden during winter and the darker days of early 
spring. Andromeda (Zenobia) speciosa is seen to 
perfection at Downie’s It is a lovely spring flower¬ 
ing shrub. Roses and Palms are extensively culti¬ 
vated. What there was to see in the outdoor 
nursery did not tempt us to enquire, but at a more 
favourable season it may be of profit to our readers 
for us to describe the features that are of interest. 
But this will not be for yet awhile. 
Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
During the summer months something of interest 
may be seen in the nurseries of Messrs. Barr & Sons, 
Long Ditton, Surrey; but from April to June there 
is a plethora of all sorts of hardy plants in bloom, 
for planting in beds, borders, rockeries, bog gardens, 
and other places. 
In one of the frames recently we noted a rare or 
little known plant named Shortia uniflora, though 
the force of the specific name is not very evident, as 
the flowers are arranged in a short raceme, deeply 
fringed, red, and therefore entirely distinct from 
S. galacifolia. The bronzy-black leaves were 
similar in form to those of the last named. Fine 
masses of the Spanish Broom (Genista hispanica) 
were golden with a dense mass of blossom. The 
species is worthy of more extended cultivation for 
its fine effect in May and early June. The orange- 
scarlet flowers of Fpitillaria recurva make it one of 
the prettiest plants for the spring garden. Though 
not particularly handsome, F. Elwesii is both rare 
and very distinct in its way. The three inner 
segments are broader than the outer ones, with a 
brown blotch on each at the base of the outer face; 
the revolute tips are of a shining brown, and the 
glands are similarly coloured, the rest being green. 
Adonis pyrenaica is the best of its genus, the large, 
golden-yellow flowers having paany petals. A gem 
of a Tulip is the small or medium sized T. Batalini, 
which has creamy-yellow flowers, flushed, as a rule, 
with pale orange at the base. The plant is oniy 
10 in. high. The sky-blue flowers of Mertensia 
virginica are pure and pretty when old enough to 
get rid of the pink which is exhibited by the buds 
and young flowers. No rockery should be without 
a patch of Anemone palmata and another of its 
white variety (A. p. alba), for they are very accom¬ 
modating, and grow slowly. 
Very similar to Cytisus albus is that named 
C. sessilifolius, but while the former was in full 
bloom by the end of May, the latter was only 
coming into bloom. On the other hand C. Ardoini 
reminds one of C. pilosa, being only about 6 in. high, 
and bearing golden-yellow flowers. 
Arabis albida flore pleno promises to be a fine 
thing with double white flowers, freely produced. 
Lithospermum purpureo-caeruleum expresses its 
colour in the specific name. It is a British plant of 
trailing habit and very suitable for rockwork in a 
dry soil. Muscari conicum, or Heavenly Blue, is 
probably the most attractive species in the genus, 
and should find its way into most gardens. The 
flowers are produced on a long, conical raceme, and 
are bright blue and fragrant. Quite an uncommon 
plant is Uvularia grandiflora, with large, drooping, 
light yellow flowers, on leafy stems about a foot 
high. The creamy-yellow and semi-globular flowers 
of Paeonia wittmanniana are very distinct and pretty 
amongst other single kinds. The plant is rather of 
peculiar behaviour, at Long Ditton at least, for a 
whole plant will sport into a lovely rose variety on 
occasion, as if it were a hybrid and reverting to the 
original type. The veins are darker, thus increasing 
the beauty of the plant. Cerastium arvense com- 
pactum is well named, for although the flowers are 
of the usual size, the stalks are only sufficiently long 
to raise them above the foliage. Very beautiful are 
the rich orange flowers of Trollius japonicus, which 
seem to flash as if charged with electricity when 
looked upon during the twilight hours when the 
light is giving place to the dusk. Linnaeus mentions 
a similar phenomenon in the flowers of Tropaeolum 
majus at that period of the day. It Is more than 
probably due to the waves of light which produce a 
scintillating or flashing effect, rather than to elec¬ 
tricity. A similar thing occurs amoDgst the orange, 
scarlet, and crimson flowers of zonal Pelargoniums. 
Another very fine thing is that named Orange Globe, 
a misnomer, inasmuch as the flowers are large and 
clear light yellow. In a field, quite apart from the 
rest of the nursery, is a collection of the English 
Florist's Tulips, which flowered grandly in their 
season, the great variety of colours, in mixture, 
producing a charming effect. 
•--*»- 
OLEARIA STELLATA. 
As a shrubby pot plant the above furnishes an ex¬ 
ceedingly pretty subject. It grows erect, bears small, 
alternate, slightly crenate, dark green leaves, on 
slender, shrubby branchlets. These branchlets give 
off from about the apex numbers of their pure white, 
Daisy-like flowers. The profusion, the full and ser¬ 
viceable size of the blooms, the purity of their white¬ 
ness, and their manner of arrangement all combine 
to compose a plant in all respects qualified for our 
finest greenhouses or conservatories. The plant Is 
now in full flower 
