THE GARDENING WORLD. 
747 
July 21, 1900.' 
HARDY PLANTS AT LONG DITTON. 
Anything relating to hardy herbaceous flowers at 
the present moment should be of general interest, 
for in some way or other nearly every garden lover 
has ^within years taken a special interest in these 
plants which require so little care or special cultural 
knowledge, yet which are as handsome as the best 
of the flowers produced by Nature. “ Orchids " is 
a word usually taken to typify the noblest and 
loveliest of aught in the floral world, but surely 
some of the splendid English Irises now in bloom 
are worthy to compare even with a beautifully 
refined Cattleya or Sobralia. However, we need 
not be nicely discriminative. Messrs. Barr & Sons, 
King Street, Covent Garden, and Long Ditton, 
Surrey, as growers of bulbs and hardy plants in 
general have a magnificent show of fine herbaceous 
flowers in their nurseries at present, and the follow¬ 
ing notes refer to plants which are worthy of atten¬ 
tion, and which are grown at Long Ditton. Armeria 
plantaginea is a plant worth the looking after, but 
we may ask which of the Armerias is not worthy of 
notice ? This special species of Thrift grows in close 
short-leaved green tufts after the usual style of the 
others, but it sends up long stalked flowers, these 
latter being white, or nearly white. It forms a good 
companion to Armeria cephalotes, which, instead of 
being white, is rosy red. 
The little Geranium-like plant, Erodium macra- 
denium has pretty, greyish, dissected leaves, and 
bears a profusion of red and dark purple coloured 
flowers. It is even more suitable for a rockery 
pocket than for the border, being small and com¬ 
pact. E. Manescavii is a bright magenta coloured 
flower, having a darker coloured centre. The 
flowers, which are spread out in liberal trusses, are 
as large as a florin, and the foliage is also large and 
handsome like those of the smaller Potentillas. 
Another capital little plant, and one that grows with 
all freedom, is Ononis rotundifolia splendens. It 
spreads out well, and attains also a height of i ft., 
having Pea-shaped bright rosy-pink flowers. Both 
foliage and flowers are particularly good. Origanum 
vulgare aureum is a dwrrf bright yellow leaved 
variety of the common Marjoiam. The foliage is 
deliciously scented, and certainly no dwarf plant 
excels the cheery glow of this little procumbent 
grower. It is a plant to be recommended Orobus 
lathyroides attains a height of 15 in. to ft. It has 
plenty of deep blue racemes, held conspicuously 
outward from its wiry looking stems. Linaria 
dalmatica shoots straight up 4 ft. high. The 
glaucous leaves are arranged all round the stems, 
which throw out numerous side branches, bearing the 
sweet pale yellow flowers with deep orange lips. It 
is a well known and very handsome plant. 
That old-fashioned favourite, Nepeta Mussini, used 
for edging low shrubberies with, or for forming big 
spreading beds of blue flowers to provide beauty for 
human eyes, and food for the bees, was seen in great 
perfection. It is a distinct plant and grows freely. 
Buphthalmum salicifolium, when it has space to 
grow well, forms an erect bushy plant with dark 
stems, bright lanceolate leaves and deep orange- 
yellow composite flowers. For a collection of hand¬ 
some leaved plants, and plants of massive propor¬ 
tions, this Buphthalmum, sometimes known in gar¬ 
dens as Telekia, is worthy of consideration. Pent- 
stemon acuminatus is a fairly showy plant, grows in 
bushy form and produces any amount of pale blue 
flowers. Hieracium aurantiacum is one of the finest 
of its genus. The plants do well when socially 
massed together in a bed, for when the sun is bright 
the flowers expand and simply glow in their colours 
of brilliant orange and yellow. The plant grows 
2 ft. high, likes a somewhat sandy soil, and is slightly 
hairy. The very showy but ephemeral Papaver 
pilosum with pale salmon coloured blossoms grows 
freely in all well-drained sunny soils. Scabiosa 
lutea grows about 6 ft. high, has pinnate leaves and 
bears numerous large creamy flowers. It is not at 
all frequently met with. S. caucasica is a handsome 
blue flowered species more to be recommended as an 
ornamental plant. 
The tall Campanula persicifolia alba, the well- 
known white flowering variety, was seen in capital 
style. Geum chiloense with brilliant large spread¬ 
ing flowers, having a yellow centre and crimson edge, 
is a very fine border or rockery plant. Crucianella 
stylosa Brilliant is like a plant of Woodruff, but has 
larger flower heads, and the colour of these is bright 
rosy-purple. Erigeron pulchellus reaches ft. and 
has bright lavender-blue flower heads. A companion 
plant for this latter may be had in Chrysanthemum 
Leucanthemum grandiflorum. This, of course, has 
the large “ Gowan " flowers, and attains nearly a 
yard in height. Centaurea dealbata with its orna¬ 
mental leaves, having silvery under surfaces which 
glint and glisten in the sun, has large lilac-mauve 
heads of bloom. It is a wiry-stemmed plant and 
decidedly picturesque. 
Lychnis Flos-jovis is an extraordinary fine plant 
for a slightly shaded lawn bed. Like many other 
things its finest effect and beauty is only apparent 
when the plants are massed. The flower trusses are 
strong and good, the colour of them being a cheery 
shade of red. Lychnis Viscaria is also a charming 
hardy plant. Linum sibiricum and L. s. album are 
slender growing things reaching 2\ ft. high Nothing 
is better for decorations. Pentstemon ovatus is a 
better thing than P. acuminatus. The flower 
racemes are also bright blue, but the habit of the 
plant is more graceful. Tire Helianthemums or Sun 
Roses were seen in many distinct varieties. In the 
months of June and July a collection of these on a 
sunny exposed border is very enlivening. Aauilegias 
are being strongly taken in hand, and the firm 
possesses a full collection of the best named sorts. 
Thalictrum flavum forms a conspicuous plant with 
its large glaucous foliage and yellowish inflorescence 
5 ft. high. It is in flower at the present time. Cen- 
tranthus ruber and its variety alba, are plants for 
everybody's garden. Astrantia major ought to be 
more freely used; for though the Astrantias are not 
brilliant bloomers, there is yet a sweetness about 
them, and they are distinct. Centaurea pulchra 
major sometimes known as C. raphonticum, is hand¬ 
some, having large heads of mauve coloured blooms 
surrounded by brown bracts. 
--—- 
EXAMINATION IN HORTICULTURE, 
1900. 
[Concludedfromp. 73r.) 
Second Class. 
1. Mr. George Astridge, Easton, Winchester 195 
r. Mr. F. Ball, Vine Cottage, Long Ditton, 
Surrey .. .. .. •• •• *95 
r. Mr. John Drew, Fantall Park, Broms- 
grove .. .. .. .. •• 195 
1. Mr. W. H. Gilbey, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge .. .. .. .. .. 495 
1. Mr. John T. Hargreaves, The Ruins, 
Harwood, nr. Bolton .. .. .. 495 
1. Mr. William Neish, Caldy Manor Gardens, 
West Kirby .. . • *95 
1. Mr. Arthur Painton, Winterbrook, 
Wallingford, Berks .. .. •• 495 
1. Mr. Edwin Scowcroft, 381, Church Lane, 
Harwood, Bolton . 495 
1. Mr. John Shrives, County Technical 
School, Stafford .. . •• •• 195 
10. Mr. George G. Buck, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge . • • 19° 
10. Mr. George A Hobbs, The Gardens, 
Hamble Cliff, Netley Abbey, Southamp¬ 
ton .. .. •• •• •• I 9 ° 
10. Mr. Maurice Housego, The Castle 
Gardens, Cardiff, S. Wales .. .. 190 
10. Miss Lilian Kelsall, The College, Reading 190 
10. Mr. William Marsden, Technical School, 
Accrington .. .. .. •• * 9 ° 
10. Mr. John James Parnell, County Techni¬ 
cal School, Stafford .. .. • • 19° 
10. Mr. J. W. Guttridge, Woodhatch Lodge 
Gardens, Reigate .. .. -. 490 
10. Mr. Ernest Smith, Horticultural College, 
Swanley .. .. .. •• •• I 9 ° 
10. Mr. Basal J. Spong, The Gardens, 
Lindisfarne, Bournemouth .. .. 190 
io. Mr. S. H. Stanbridge, Anyards Road, 
Cobham, Surrey . . .. • • • • 190 
10. Mr. Alfred E. Turk, Ashurst Park 
Gardens, Tunbridge Wells .. .. 190 
10. Mr. James Walker, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge .. .. •• •• 49 ° 
10. Mr. George Willan, Eooth's Hill, Lymm, 
Cheshire .. .. .. • • • • 49 ° 
23. Miss E. B. Pitman, Basford Vicarage, 
Nottingham .. .. • *85 
23. Mr. Ernest E. Scowcroft, 381, Church 
Lane, Harwood, Bolton . . • • 185 
23. Mr. William T. Taylor, Municipal Tech¬ 
nical School, Leicester .. .. .. 185 
26. Mr. Samuel Mayoh, Technical Schools, 
Bolton .. .. .. .. .. 180 
26. Miss Marguerite Potter, The College, 
Reading . ». .• 180 
26. Mr. T. W. Roife, County Technical 
Laboratory, Chelmsford .. .. .. 180 
26. Mr. G. Stedman, Anyards Road, Cobham, 
Surrey .. .. .. •• •• 180 
26. Mr. W. H. Tuff, 1, Richmond Road, Isle- 
worth .. .. .. •• •• 180 
31. Miss G. M. Franklin, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge. 473 
31. Mr. Thomas Hunter, Coombe Cottage, 
Kingston-upon-Thames .. .. .. 175 
31. Mr. John Jeffery, Royal Gardens, Kew .. 175 
31. Mr. Thomas M. Parry, County Technical 
School, Stafford. 175 
31. Mr. F. F. Paul, County Technical Labora¬ 
tory, Chelmsford. 475 
31. Mr. Herbert H. Readett, Cheeryhane, 
Lymm, Cheshire.175 
31. Mr. James G. Richards, County Technical 
School, Stafford .. .. .. •• 475 
31. Mr. Frank Smith, 3, Harestone Lane, 
Caterham .. .. .. •• 475 
31. Mr. W. A. Whitehurst, County Technical 
School, Stafford .. .. .. •• 175 
40. Mr. Spencer Boon, County Technical 
School, Stafford .. .. •• •• 17° 
40 Mr. Herbert W. Brown, ** Salmons," 
Whyteleaf, Surrey.170 
40. Mr. G. F. Greenhalgh, Carr Bank, Hawk- 
shaw, Bury.. .. . •• •• 470 
40. Mr. Ernest H. Scott, 3, Gladstone Villas, 
Wallingford, Berks .. .. .. 470 
40. Mr. William- Yeomans, The Gardens, 
Pinehurst, Farnborough, Hants .. 170 
45. Miss E. Ecclestone, County Technical 
School, Stafford .. .. •• •• 165 
45. Mr. George E. Hutt, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge.165 
45. Miss Norah C. Pascoe, Technical Insti¬ 
tute, Cambridge .. ..465 
45. Mr. Henry J. S. Stobart, Church House, 
Bilbroughton, Stourbridge .. .. 165 
45. Mr. James W. Watson, Upper Sleigh 
Lea, Fulwood, Preston .. .. .. 165 
50. Mr. G. Curry, Wiseton Gardens, Bawtry, 
Notts .160 
50. Mr. William S. Edwards, Whitecross, 
Wallingford .. .. •• 16c 
50. Miss A. E. Clarke, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge .. .160 
50. Mr. F. W. Fortune, The Gardens, Rown- 
hams House, Southampton .. .. 160 
50. Mr. Henry Smith, 3, Harestone Lane, 
Caterham .. .. .. •• •• 160 
55. Mr. William J. Nash, Belvedere Nursery, 
Wimbledon.. .. .. .. •• 155 
55. Mr. John Shaw, 19, Fern Dale, Totting- 
ton, Bury, Lancs. .. .. .. 155 
55. Mr. James F. Wood, Technical Schools, 
Bolton .. .. . • •• •• 155 
55 Mr. William Worsley, Technical Schools, 
Bolton .. .. ■. •• •• 155 
59. Miss Hannah Haworth, County Technical 
School, Stafford.f 5 ° 
59. Mr. Robert W. Routley, Clent, nr. Stour¬ 
bridge . 45 ° 
59. Mr. Thomas F. Tilbrook, Technical Insti¬ 
tute, Cambridge.150 
Third Class. 
1. Mr. E. Brown, The Gardens, Copped 
Hall, Epping .445 
1. Mr. Arthur S. Poole, Technical Institute, 
Cambridge.445 
1. Mr. J. R. Wright, Chalk Pits, Caterham 
Valley . • • 145 
4. Mr. William Bradburn, Rush GreeD, 
Lymm, Cheshire.140 
4. Rev. F. R. Lawson, Clent Vicarage, 
Stourbridge ..140 
4. Mr. William Tucker, 3, Harestone Lane, 
Caterham .. .. .. .. .. 140 
7. Mr. Thomas Caless, Technical Schools, 
Bolton .. .. .. •* •• 135 
7. Mr. John J. Hall, Springdale Cottages, 
Wallingford .. .. . • .. 135 
7. Mr. B. Hygate, The Briary, Cowes, Isle of 
Wight «• so •• •• •• 435. 
