108 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 13, 1900. 
FORCING RHUBARB AND SEAKALE. 
As a rule these two products can be forced together. 
I think it is the most economical and expeditious 
method of forcing these vegetables, to set aside a 
heated cellar or shed for their sole occupancy. It 
may be well enough to cover Seakale crowns with 
tall forcing cans as they grow in the open air brakes, 
and enswathe these cans all around and over their 
tops with warm stable dung, where there is abund¬ 
ance of fresh manure at hand. If this can be had, 
and is not otherwise required, and if cans (or boxes) 
are in one’s possession, then this method of forcing 
gives good results, and need not be renounced. But 
I hold to the benefit derived from having a heated 
shed. Mr. Wm. Carmichael, who contributes to 
these pages, practised a capital plan when he 
managed the Prince of Wales' gardens at Sandring¬ 
ham. He used to throw up ridges over the Seakale 
lines, and filled-in the stable litter between these 
ridges, so that the heat acted on the roots. 
Where a shed is at command, and heated with 
pipes, the prepared Seakale crowns may be placed 
in straight lines, at distances of 4 in. apart, and 9 in. 
between the rows, among leaf mould alone, or a 
light mixture of leaf mould and soil. If a pipe is 
run below the bed (which must be kept moist), there 
will be plenty of heat. The Rhubarb crowns may 
shortly be lifted and placed, just as they are, into 
the forcing beds. After forcing, gradually harden 
them off, and replant again where they were lifted 
from. A mild heat alone is necessary, and light as a 
rule is not wished for in a forcing shed.— P. K. R. 
TASTY BEDS IN LONDON PARKS. 
Battersea Park. 
Our notes recently described some of the features 
to be found in the large Victoria Park, away in East 
London. The park under whose name we are now 
writing lies some miles distant, in the south-west of 
London. Being more sheltered than Victoria Park 
the Battersea grounds have long enjoyed a reputa¬ 
tion for the refined sub-tropical character of the 
bedding. Mr. F. J. Coppin is superintendent. 
Some exceedingly handsome stove Palms, embrac¬ 
ing quite a number of genera, are found in the open 
grounds during summer. Plantains and Bananas 
crown the eminences, making them higher still. 
Monsteras, with their huge, punctated leaves 
embrace the trunks of the trees ; here and there the 
upright, succulent leaves of Sanseviera javanica 
rise ; and the quaking, pendent, bright green and 
clean cut leaves ot the finer species of Bamboos 
quietly wave in the warm summer air. In what we 
would call good seasons Battersea Park is exceedingly 
beautiful, and unmistakably brightens the evenings 
of many thousands of men, women, and children 
who visit it when their various occupations are done 
for the day. 
From purely a bedding gardener’s point of view 
Battersea Park does not furnish many new features. 
We think more variety is yearly required. A hand¬ 
some bed of enormous Cannas beneath young single 
stemmed Ailantus trees, and edged with Cineraria 
maritima is a remarkably beautiful composition 
which might be patterned elsewhere. 
Beds of Hibiscus sinensis, having Fuchsia 
Meteor and Coleus of varieties throughout, edged 
with a buff-flowered annual, proved attractive. 
Some of the beds which occupy the north side of 
the sub-tropical garden are usually filled with a 
class of stuff not often found out of doors. These 
include Asplenium bulbiferum, Asplenium Nidus, 
Scirpus (Isolepis) gracilis, Selaginella kraussiana, 
Tradescantia tricolor, Coleuses, Dracaenas, Chloro- 
phytum elatum variegatum, Herniaria glabra, and 
Alternantheras. 
Beds of the Coral tree are very successful, the 
plants seeming to grow with more than ordinary 
robustness. Nicotiana gigantea around the margin 
of the shrubbery with its enormous leaves and 
clusters of reddish flowers formed a stately back¬ 
ground to Abutilon Thomson!, in front of which the 
ever popular zonal Pelargonium Henry Jacoby was 
placed. Foliage effects seemed chiefly to have been 
attempted. A large bed filled with Abutilon Thom¬ 
son! above a dwarf species of Amaranthus, and 
edged with Lobelias and Alternantheras showed up 
to much advantage. 
In a different part of the same border in which 
the giant Tobacco plants were noted, exceedingly 
tall specimen Hemps were arranged. These were 
nearly io ft. high. In front was a bright line of the 
scarlet Pelargonium Vesuvius! In some of the 
other large-sized beds Daturas were doing well. 
Iresines, Zea Mays, Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, 
Plumbago capensis, Eucalyptus, Abutilons, Lobelias, 
and Salvias, &c., were intermixedly placed for effect. 
Beds of Dahlias, Sunflowers, Delphiniums, Coleus, 
and Gazanias were attractive. The succulent beds 
furnished variety, and the small carpet beds were 
neatly kept, and had been skilfully executed. 
Throughout the park other bright beds and borders 
are liberally disposed. 
- * 1 - 
SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL.— October gth. 
The leading features of the meeting on Tuesday last 
were large groups or collections of Michaelmas 
Daisies, Bouvardias, Salvia splendens grandiflora, 
hybrid Tea Roses, Chrysanthemums, autumn tinted 
and coloured foliage ; and some interesting collec¬ 
tions of fruit and vegetables. 
Orchid Committee. 
The Right Hon. J. Chamberlain, M.P. (gardener, 
Mr. Smith), Highbury, Birmingham, exhibited a 
small collection of Orchids, including Cattleya 
bowringiana, C. b. velutina Highbury var., C. 
Mantinii superba, C. M. nobilior, Laeliocattleya 
Duke of York, Cattleya Minucia, and Dendrobium 
Phalaenopsis schroderianum. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Chelsea, staged 
the hybrid Cattleya Chloe. The Right Hon. 
Walter Rothschild, M.P. (gardener, Mr. Hill), 
Tring Park, Tring, exhibited Cattleya Maroni Tring 
Park var., having rich old gold sepals and petals. 
F. W. Moore, Esq., Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Glasnevin, exhibited Gongora nigrita. Sir F. 
Wigan, Bart, (grower, Mr. W. H. Young), Clare 
Lawn, East Sheen, put Cattleya labiata The Puritan 
on the table. W. E. Brymer, Esq., M.P. (gardener, 
Mr. John Powell), Islington Gardens, Puddlestown, 
Dorchester, exhibited a Laeliocattleya. 
Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (grower, Mr. W. H. 
White), Burford, Dorking, staged a very interesting 
little group of rare or uncommon Orchids. Very 
pretty were Cirrhopetalum guttulatum, Maxillaria 
striata,^ Angraecum citratum, Habenaria carnea, 
Epidendrum sceptrum, Masdevallia ajax superba, 
Vanda sanderiana Burford var. The last named has 
its upper segments beautifully marbled with pink. 
H. Little, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Howard), Baronshalt, 
Twickenham, staged Cattleya dcwiana aurea 
superba, with grand flowers, as well as some flowers 
of C. bowringiana. 
Captain Holford (gardener, Mr. Chapman), 
Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucester, exhibited cut 
flowers of Dendrobium Phalaenopsis schroderianum 
and some Cattleyas. 
Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Bush Hill Park t 
Enfield, exhibited Cattleya Loddigesii gigantea, C. 
Maronii, C. bowringiana Low's var., Laelia pumila 
Bush Hill var., and Laeliocattleya Aurora. 
Floral Committee. 
Mr. H. B. May, Dyson’s Lane Nurseries, Upper 
Edmonton, exhibited a very extensive collection of 
Bouvardias in well grown specimens in 48-size pots. 
The varieties included such useful kinds as Brides¬ 
maid, Candidissima, Pride of Brooklyn, Elegans, 
Vreelandii, Bridal Wreath, Hogarth flore pleno, 
Alba odorata, Humboldtii grandiflora, President 
Cleveland, Paniculata, Dazzler, Purity, Delicata, 
Flavescens, Maiden’s Blush, Jasminoides, Reine des 
Roses, and Mrs. R. Green, the white, pink, scarlet, 
yellow, and other hues being judiciously blended. 
(Silver Banksian Medal.) 
Leopold de Rothschild, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Jas. 
Hudson, V.M.H.), Gunnersbury House, Acton, set 
up an extensive exhibit of Salvia splendens grandi¬ 
flora and S. s. nana on the floor of the hall, the 
plants being notable for their profusion of bloom. 
Three large conical bushes and some smaller ones of 
scented-leaved Pelargoniums were stood amongst 
the Salvias, and Eurya latifolia variegata and other 
plants were stood round the margins of this boldly 
undulated group. The first named Salvia is by far 
the finer, and seems to carry its flowers better than 
S. s. nana. (Silver Gilt Banksian Medal.) 
Messrs. 'Wm, Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, ex¬ 
hibited a group of hybrid Tea Roses in boxes and 
baskets. Several of them were notable for the rich 
salmon-rose or salmon-red hue of their flowers, in¬ 
cluding Morning Glow.Corallina, and some seedlings. 
(Bronze Flora Medal.) 
Messrs. W. Wells & Co., Ltd., Earlswood Nur¬ 
series, Redhill, Surrey, staged a showy group of 
Chrysanthemums, chiefly early flowering and market 
varieties for cut flower purposes. They also staged 
some large flowering kinds, including Mrs. Fripp, a 
yellow sport from C. B. Haywood, Jane Molyneux, 
Mrs. Coombes, Rayonnante, and several unnamed 
seedlings. A bold and showy yellow for cutting was 
Miss Ruth Williams, while Victor Mew was a good 
white cut from the open ground. The Orange Marie 
Masse is new. (Silver Banksian Medal.) 
Capt. Holford, Westonbirt, Tetbury (gardener, 
Mr. Chapman),exhibited a large collection of autumn 
tinted foliage, including richly coloured branches of 
Carya tomentosa, Carya glabra, Acer Ginnala, A. 
saccharinum, A. ampelopsifolium, Euonymus alatus, 
Quercus americana rubra, Parrotia persica, Cornus 
alba, Viburnum Opulus, Spiraea prunifolia, 
many species of Crataegus, &c. He also 
had berried plants of various kinds, including 
Physalis Franchetii. (Silver Gilt Flora Medal.) 
From Mr. John Russell, Richmond, came a collec¬ 
tion of hardy Ligustrums, suitable forjmmediate 
planting. The ornamental value of berried Privets 
was well shown. The best varieties here were L. 
lucidum aureum, L. Quintoni, L. japonicum coria- 
ceum, L. j. tricolor, L. ovalifolium aureum. (Silver 
Banksian Medal.) 
Messrs. J. Hill & Son, Barrowfield Nursery, Lower 
Edmonton, had a large and effective group of Ficus 
radicans variegata and Ferns. Adiantum farleyense, 
&c., were very well grown. (Silver Banksian 
Medal.) 
Mr. James Williams, College Park Nursery, 
Lewisham, S.E., showed such a group as he had at 
the Royal Aquarium the same day. 
Messrs. W. W. Johnson & Son, Ltd., Boston ( 
showed Sweet Peas in variety. 
Mr. Edwin Beckett, gardener to Lord Aldenham, 
Aldenham House, Elstree, showed a collection of cut 
perennial Asters. Some of these were new, and three, 
at least, obtained Awards of Merit. 
Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Ltd./Chelsea, also 
staged a perennial Aster collection, with which was 
interspersed a number of Tritomas. Physalis Fran¬ 
chetii was shown in good style. Chrysocoma Lino- 
syris was set around the edge. Aster ericoides, A. 
horizontalis, A. N. A. Mr. W. J. Raynor, A. Tom 
Sawyer, A. N. B. floribundus, and such others were 
conspicuously meritorious. (Silver Flora Medal.) 
Mr. William Taylor, Osborn Nursery, Hampton, 
Middlesex, obtained a Silver Banksian Medal for a 
collection of cut Roses, including H.P.’s, and the 
decorative varieties Reve d’Or, Laurette Messimy, 
Mdme. Hoste, W. A. Richardson. Cramoise superi- 
eure, and others. 
Messrs. Barr & Sons, King Street, Covent Garden, 
were exceedingly strong in Asters, Gladioli, Knipho 
fias, Chrysanthemums, Zauchneria mexicana, Mont- 
bretias, &c. The beautiful Aster N. A. Mr. F. J. 
Raynor, sent out by the Messrs. Barr two years ago, 
was here splendidly shown. Senecio pulcher, Poly¬ 
gonum amplexicaule oxyphyllum, and other distinct 
hardy plants were in marked prominence. (Silver 
Gilt Banksian Medal.) 
Messrs. T. S. Ware, Ltd., Hale Farm Nursery, 
Feltham London, here showed Dahlias, Gladioli, 
perennial Asters, Liliums, and other hardy flowers. 
Salvia splendens, Delphiniums, Belladonna, and 
various Nerines were well shown. (Silver Banksian 
Medal.) 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 
C. Bayer Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. Taylor), Tewkes¬ 
bury Lodge, Forest Hill, S.E., had a marvellously 
fine collection of fruit, including one of the largest 
assortments of Pears we have seen exhibited this 
season. His Grapes and Apples were likewise of 
merit. (Silver Gilt Knightian Medal.) 
Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, had a collection 
of ornamental Gourds, which prove how decorative 
these are where the garden is sheltered and suitable 
to their growth. They also showed Cannell’s Defiance 
Cabbage (F.C.C.); andagrand collection of Apples and 
Pears,comprising Peasgood Nonsuch, Lord Roberts, 
Wadhurst Pippin, Warner’s King, The Queen, Bis¬ 
marck, Hoary Morning, Cox’s Orange, Tom Putt, 
Emperor Alexander, and others. Their vegetable 
display was very fine. (Silver Knightian Medal). 
W. Else Drax, Esq. (gardener, Mr. J. Bond), 
