772 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 4, 1900 
Pink was one mass of flowers. The sky 
blue Delphinium Belladonna is a 
continuous bloomer, and does not produce 
seed. The Winchmore Hill variety of 
Geum coccineum flore pleno is notable for 
the great size of its glowing scarlet flowers. 
Hardy plant lovers will also recognise 
value in Salvia argentea, Pentstemon 
barbatus, Hieracium villosum, Inula 
glandulosa, Linum perenne, Lychnis 
Viscaria fl. pi., Centaurea macrocephala. 
Aster Thompsoni (lilac-blue), the glorious 
blue Echium vulgare, collected in its wild 
habitats and reared from seed, and the 
pink flowered Heuchera brizoides, a 
hybrid between H. sanguinea and H. 
hispida, with the bronzy foliage. The 
giant Bellflower, Owstrowskya magnifica 
is generally considered a troublesome 
subject to grow, but it succeeds splendidly 
here. A plant we have seen before, 
reached, on this occasion, the height of 
6ft., carrying blooms 5 in. in diameter. 
Can any grower of it excel that record ? 
Incarvillea Delavayi had just passed out of 
bloom. One of the finest of late flowering 
Irises is I. ochroleuca, with the large 
yellow blotch on the white fall. Spiraea 
kamtschatica, otherwise known as S. 
gigantea, had not completed its growth at 
5 ft. Pinks, a fine strain of Gaillardia, 
seedling and other Phloxes, Petunias, 
Lilium umbellatum and others formed 
bright masses of colour. The last named 
is a great success at Southgate, forming 
massive heads of glowing red flowers. The 
stems were in many cases fasciated. The 
same plants have bloomed for years in the 
same border. 
The hybrid Penzance Sweet Briers grow 
and flower profusely, half under the shade 
of trees. Distinct and handsome are 
Spiraea lindleyana and S. canescens, the 
contrast between the foliage of the two 
being very great. Roses of various kinds 
are grown in different parts of the garden. 
Crimson Rambler was one mass of flowers 
upon an arch. The crimson-red Lord 
Salisbury is valuable for bedding, as it does 
not change colour in the sun. La France 
and Teas were grown in quantity, parts of 
the mansion being draped with climbing 
Roses. 
Vegetables are not neglected, and some 
fine sowings of Peas were shown us by Mr. 
H. Whiffen, the gardener, who had 
commenced picking May Queen on the 9th 
June. They had been sown in the open, 
and as well as other varieties had made 
excellent growth. Sutton’s Dwarf Defi¬ 
ance, 2 ft. high, formed a succession to May 
Queen. Sutton’s Conqueror was 2^ ft. 
high, yet far from being ready at that time; 
and Sutton’s Satisfaction was even later. 
A warm day did not prevent us from enjoy¬ 
ing a ramble through this interesting and 
well kept garden, so admirably stocked in 
every quarter with a great variety of 
subjects, that contribute immensely to 
their owner’s enjoyment. 
--*•—- 
Sweet Peas in the ranches of California are 
never staked. 
Chiswick Lectures.—The prize-winners in the 
botany examination following Prof. Henslow’s 
lectures were Mr. F. S. Sillitoe, 93: Mr. W. Good, 
84 ; Mr. J. Dick. 82, the maximum being 100. 
Weather in London.—The excessive heat wave, 
which lasted for a fortnight, culminated on Friday, 
the 27th ult., in a violent thunderstorm. Some 
amount of damage was done in districts around 
London by the lightning. Since then the air has 
been decidedly cooler and more healthy. Showers 
have also occasionally fallen, and the sky frequently 
becomes overcast. Though only about 1 in. of rain 
is recorded, everything looks fresher and brighter 
Irom the washing and watering. 
Big Strawberries.- This seems to have been the 
year of big Strawberries, in Scotland at all events. 
At Kelso we read of one weighing 2f oz., while at 
Liberton, Midlothian, a fruit was picked weighing no 
less than 3 oz. I myself picked one 2f oz., and have 
had many quite up to the 2 oz. Curiously enough 
•• Royal Sovereign ” has in every case produced the 
giants.—C. Blair, Binny. 
Record of Water Consumption at Kew.—All the 
water used at Kew Gardens, both in the houses and 
outside, is taken from the river Thames to large 
reservoirs within the grounds and elsewhere. 
Usually during each day in summer 300,000 gallons 
are used. The record, however, was broken on one 
of the very hot days recently, when no less than 
384,000 gallons were utilised in one day. 
Tourist Guide to the Continent.—The twenty- 
first annual issue of the Tourists' Guide to the 
Continent published for the Great Eastern Railway 
Company, is to hand. Among its fresh ^tures are 
particulars of the new Ober-Ammergau tours, express 
services to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, via the 
Royal Mail Harwich, Hook of Holland, route ; new 
tours in the Luther country, and Thuringian and 
Hartz Mountains, &c. A series of Continental maps, 
and a chapter of " Dull Useful Information,” which 
gives particulars of the cost of Continental travel,&c., 
are, all of them, features worthy of notice. The 
•• Guide ” is suitable for a coat pocket, is interesting, 
clear and complete enough to keep any novice from 
going far wrong. The price is sixpence and is 
published at 30, Fleet Street, London, E.C., and may 
be had at bookstalls. 
Asplenium Clutei.— The Fern Bulletin for the July 
quarter describes two new Ferns from Jamaica. One 
is Asplenium Clutei which belongs to the same 
section as the better known Asplenium viride. It 
is an extremely tiny and delicate Fern, almost as 
thin and translucent as a filmy, and is as small as A. 
pygmaeum which Hooker described as being “ the 
smallest of the Ferns.” A figure of Asplenium Clutei, 
natural size, is reproduced in The Fern Bulletin, and 
shows the rachis to be very slender, having six to 
twelve pairs of pinnae, stalked on the lower two- 
thirds of the frond, above that they are slightly 
adnate-decurrent, wedge-shaped, three to four mm. 
long, and one to three mm. broad. The sori are 
generally on the exterior vein opening toward the in¬ 
ferior vein. It was discovered by Mr. Clute, the 
editor of The Fern Bulletin, in New Haven Gap, 
Jamaica, W. I., at an altitude of 5,600 ft., where it 
was growing on the moist soil at the base of an 
overhanging rock. Mr. Clute is to be congratulated 
on the discovery of this tiny species, inasmuch as it 
was on ground that has been frequently traversed by 
preceding botanists. 
The Composition of Soils —Mr. H. H. W. Pear¬ 
son, M.A , presents some interesting figures in his 
article on ” Plants and their Food,” continued in 
this month's issue of Knowledge. He says :—" Soils 
are divided into numerous classes according to the 
relative amounts of clay and sand which they con¬ 
tain. A ‘ sandy ’ soil, for instance contains over 70 
per cent, by weight of sand in addition to clay, lime 
and other mineral substances and humus. A * clay ’ 
soil is composed of the same constituents but in 
different proportions, half its weight at least consist¬ 
ing of mineral matter so finely divided as to be 
Included under the term • clay.' In a gramme-weight 
of a sandy soil which contains only 477 per cent, 
of clay, there are about two million particles. In 
another case, a subsoil containing as much as 32 45 
per cent, of clay, there are estimated to be fifteen 
million particles in a gramme weight. If the surface 
areas of all the particles in a given bulk of soil be 
added together, we should expect the total to be very 
large. We are therefore not altogether surprised to 
learn that the average total surface area of all the 
particles in a cubic foot of soil is no less than 50,000 
square feet. If the soil be sandy, containing only 
about 2,000,000 particles to the gramme, the total 
surface area in a given bulk will of course be less 
than in a clay soil in which are a much larger 
number of smaller particles. The importance of such 
calculations as these is seen in dealing with the re¬ 
lation between the soil and the water which pene¬ 
trates it.” 
Hampton Court Yine.—The famous Vine at 
Hampton Court Palace, which was planted in 1768, 
is now bearing 1,200 bunches of Grapes, the usual 
number it is allowed to bear. 
The Horticultural College, Swanley, Kent.—We 
have to hand the syllabus of work for the above 
horticultural college, for midsummer, 1900. A 
glance through the contents of the pages prove that 
the subjects open to students, if thoroughly studied 
and practised, should, coupled with experience, fit 
those who undergo tuition at Swanley, for any posi¬ 
tion in gardens or gardening which could be opened 
to them. The college aims chiefly at giving a 
thorough fundamental training to those men and 
women who wish to become market growers, and 
gardeners in private places; but the course is also 
useful in fitting students to become land owners, 
lecturers, stewards, colonists, &c. The college also 
aims at meeting the demand for scientifically and 
business-trained persons for fruit growing. Bee and 
poultry keeping and dairy work are also Included. 
Communications about the college should be ad¬ 
dressed to either of the hon. secretaries, Miss 
Martineau or Miss Sieve King, The Horticultural 
College, Swanley, Kent. 
A Hybrid Calceolaria.—From Mr. D. Chisholm, 
gardener to Lady Belhaven, Udston House,Hamilton, 
we have received flowers and leaves of a very inter¬ 
esting hybrid between the old bedding Calceolaria 
Golden Gem and the old Dalkeith greenhouse strain. 
The flowers are three or four times as large as those 
of Golden Gem, and golden yellow, with a line of 
crimson spots round the mouth of the pouch. The 
leaves have the fascies and general appearance of 
those of Golden Gem, both as to colour, form and 
wrinkling of the surface ; but the size more nearly 
approaches that of the greenhouse type. The hybrid 
has the constitution of Golden Gem, and appears 
to stand the weather very much better. Mr. Chisholm 
has a few plants bedded out and they stood the fear¬ 
ful deluges of rain and hail that have fallen this 
summer in the wet district of Hamilton, without 
suffering the least damage, while Golden Gem was 
much cut up and bespattered with soil. Mr. Chisholm 
attributes this superiority to its strong stems and its 
more rigid character generally. It grows in the form 
of a close bush, spreading, with immense trusses of 
flowers. He had various colours ranging from very 
dark ones to the palest canary; but the one here 
mentioned has the largest bloom ; and while none are 
poor blooms, this he considers the best. It is cer¬ 
tainly handsome, and we think it would prove a very 
showy, distinct-looking and useful plant for bedding 
and pot culture. 
Reading & District Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Association, July 24 th.—The annual outing of 
the above association was held on the date named, 
and proved a great success, although the heat was 
exceedingly trying for sightseeing. The outing took 
the form of a river trip to Henley, when, by the kind 
permission of F. C. Crisp, Esq., and Mrs. Noble, 
visits were made to Friar Park and Park Place. 
The party included the president, C. B. Stevens, 
Esq.; Messrs. Fry, chairman; Hinton, vice-chair¬ 
man ; Neve, Sindlesham ; Barnes, Bearwood ; Pope, 
Wargrave; Baird, Henley Park; Townsend and 
RitchiDgs, Wellington College; Wise, Blackwater; 
Moyse and Pontin, Wokingham ; Pigg and Butler, 
Maidenhead ; Fisher, Brimpton; Cox and Bowie, 
Calcot; Martin, Sonning ; Lees, Earley; Alexander, 
Turner, Bailey, Smith, &c., &c., Reading. Arriving 
at Friar Park the party was conducted through the 
gardens and grounds by Mr. Knowles, and although 
everything was of the first order yet without doubt 
most interest was centred in the magnificent 
rockery and the wonderful caves. After a two hours' 
ramble the visitors proceeded to Park Place, where f 
under the shadow of the Old Archway built by 
material brought from the Reading Abbey some 
120 years ago, luncheon was partaken of. After¬ 
wards, under the guidance of Mr. Stanton, an in¬ 
spection of this place was attempted. The Sweet 
Peas, Carnations, and the enormous crops of fruit 
claimed great attention. A special privilege which 
was greatly appreciated was the opportunity of in¬ 
specting Mrs. Noble's wonderful collection of foreign 
birds. The ramble ended and tea partaken of, the 
boat started for Reading, which was reached about 
nine p.m. The arrangements made by the hon. sec. 
left nothing to be desired. 
