October 27, H00. 
131 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
SALES BY AUCTION. 
Great Sales every day (Saturdays excepted). 
M essrs, protheroe & morris 
will sell by AUCTION at their Central Sale Rooms, 
67 and 63 , Cheapside, London, E.C., EVERY DAY (Satur¬ 
days excepted), HYACINTHS, TULIPS, CROCUS, NAR¬ 
CISSUS, and other BULBS direct from Holland, lotted to 
suit large and small buyers ; 5,000 lots sold weekly. 
Commissions executed for those unable to attend the 
Auctions. Lots packed and forwarded to all pans. 
Catalogues sent on application. Aucti;n Rooms and Estate 
Offices, 67 and 68, Cheapside, London, E.C. 
GREAT ANNUAL SALE OF NURSERY STOCK. 
D AVID W. THOMSON will hold his 
ANNUAL SALE of the above at WINDLESTRAW- 
LEE NURSERIES. GRANTON ROAD, EDINBURGH, on 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 st, at it o’clock. 
The SALE this year will include an Immense Quantity of 
FOREST TREES In GREAT VARIETY. ORNA¬ 
MENTAL TREES and SHRUBS, RHODODfcNDRONS 
in Finest Named Sorts, PONT 1 CUMS and HYBRIDS, 
ROSES. IVY. &c. FRUIT TREES of Sorts ; HOLLIES, 
LAURELS, YEWS, PRIVET (Common and Oval- 
Leaved). 
The Stock is this year in exceptionally Fine Condition for 
removal, having heen all recently Transplanted, and can be 
seen any Day pievious to the Sale. 
Full Particulars in Catalogues, which will be fo, warded Free 
on Application to DAVID W. THOMSON, 34, Frederick 
Street; or to the Auctioneer, DAVID P. LAIRD, Pmkhill, 
Edinburgh. 
Purchases will be lifted and put on rail free of charge, and 
can remain on the ground till end of March. 
EIGHTH ANNUAL SALE. 
MILFORD NURSERIES, MILFORD, near Gcdalming, 
Surrey, three-quar.ers of a mile from Milford Station, and 
one mile irom GodalmingStation. Highly Important Th.ee 
Days’ Sale of First-Class Nurseiy Stock. 
M essrs, mellersh 
have received instructions from Mersrs. Manrice 
Young and Son, to Sell by Auction, on the premists, the Mil¬ 
ford Nurserie’, Mil ord, on 
MONDAY. TUESDAY, and WEDNESDAY, 
OCTOBER 29th, 30th, and 31st, 1900, 
at r2 o'clock each day, a large quantity ot exceptionally well- 
grown 
NURSERY STOCK, 
lotted to suit all classes of buyeis, comprising 2,oco specimen 
evergreens and conifers in borders irom 2 10 12feet,consisting 
of Piceas, Aoies, Pinus, Cupressus, LawsoniaLa, Fraserii, 
Erec.as, Coerulea, e.c , Tbvjas, Cedrus deodara, Aucubas, 
Laurels, Holl es, Gold n Juniptrs, Golden Yews, etc., several 
thousand well gc< wn ornamental foliage trees, etc., from 8 
to 10 feet, compr.sing Acer colcbicum rubrum, Young’s Purple 
Norway Maple, Laburnums, Prunus Pissardii, Ailanthus, 
Beech, Horse Chestnut, Elms, etc., a quantity of Rnododen- 
drons, A2alea Mollis and Pontica, etc., large quantity ot trans¬ 
planted fo. est trees from ) J to 4 feet, ccmpiising Ash, Larch, 
Scotch Hr, Austrian Pine, Withy, Beech, Birch, etc., etc. ; a 
quantity ot standard and pyramid fiuit trees, Gooseberries, 
Currants, etc., standard and pjramid flowering crabs, orna¬ 
mental decicuous trees, etc., r,000 standard and dwarf H.P. 
Roses of the leading Linds, Saeet Brier, Tea Rcses in pots, 
Clematis, Ivies, Ampelopsis, Honeysuekle, Passionflower, etc.; 
10,000 extra strong transplanted quicksets, r,ooo fine bushy 
laurels, 1 j to 2J feet, green holly 1J to 2 ft., Portugal Laurels 2 
to 4 feet, ova’.-leaf Privet ij to 2J feet, and a quantity of general 
nursery stock. 
Catalogues of Messrs. Mellersh, Auctioneers, Land Agents, 
and Surveyors, Godaiming. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
AUTUMN FETE, 
ROYAL AQUARIUM, WESTMINSTER, 
Nov. 6tta, 7th, 8611, 1900. 
THE GREAT VASE CLASS in St. Stephen’s Hall. 
Specimen plants and blooms of Chrysanthemums 
Groups Floral Decorations; Fruit. 
R. Sydenham's special prizes for vegetables. 
Schedules of Frizes on application to— 
RICHARD DEAN, Secretary 
Ealing, London W. 
M aidenhead chrysanth¬ 
emum, FRUIT & VEGETABLE SOCIETY.—The 
Third Exhibition will be held in the Town Hall, Maidenhead, 
Thursday and Friday, November 15th and 16th. Entr es close 
Saturday, rcth. For Schedules apply—J. W. STONE, Esq., 
Hon. Sec., Cookham Dene. 
The 17th Annual Chrysan hemum Shew ot the Hull and East 
Riding Chrjsmthemum Society will be held in the Artillery 
Barracks, Hull, on Wednesday and Thursday, 
November 14th & 15th. 
Entiles Close November 7th. 
Schedules free from the Hon. Secs., 
EDWARD HARLAND, Manor Street, Hu I. 
JAMES DIXON, F.R.H.S., 2, County Buildings, Hull. 
B romley & district chrys¬ 
anthemum SOCIETY.—The Nineteenth Annual 
Exnibiiion of Chrysanthemums, Fruit and Vegetalles, will ba 
hili on November yth and 8th, igqo, In the Grand Hall, 
Biomley, Kent. Entries close November 3rd. Scheduiesand 
parii ulara of the Hen. Sec., VV. WEEKS, 29, Widmore Ro_d, 
Bromley. 
GOLD 
MEDAL 
BARRS 
BULBS. 
Finest Selected Quality. 
BARR’S TULIPS. 
Awarded FOUR COLD MEDALS by the Royal National Tulip 
Society, 1896, 1897, 1898, and 1899, and a SILVER CUP at 
the Temple Cardens Creat Flower Show, London, 1900. 
Early Single and Double Tulips of 
finest quality, for early forcing or spring bedding out¬ 
doors. See full Descriptive List in Barr’s Bulb Cata¬ 
logue (free). 
MAY-FLOWERING “COTTAGE” TULIPS. 
MAY-FLOWERING DARWIN TULIPS. 
MAY-FLOWERING ENGLISH “FLORIST” 
TULIPS. 
MAY-FLOWERING PARROT or DRAGON TULIPS. 
For the finest collections In the world of the above 
beautiful decorative Tulips, see Barr's Bulb Catalogue 
(free). 
BARR’S HYACINTHS. 
THE FINEST OF THE SEASON S CROP. 
Choicest named varieties for pots or 
glasses. 
12 In 12 Exhibition varieties, 5/6, 7/6, and ro/6. 
25 in 25 Exhibition varieties, 18/6. 
Barr’s “ Rainbow Mixture ” of Bedding 
Hyacinths, a special mixture of great variety of 
colours. Per ioo, 16/6 ; per doz., 2/6. 
Ditto, extra large Bulbs, per ioo, 22/6; 
per doz., 3/-. 
Barr’s Bulb Catalogue, containing a de- 
sciiptive List of the finest Hyacinths, Tjlips, Cro¬ 
cuses, Gladioli, Lilies, and all the best Bulbs and 
Tubers for in or outdoor planting, sent free on applica- 
tion. 
BARR & SONS, 
11,12, & 13, KiDg St., Covent Garden, LOUDON. 
Nurseries : 
LONG DITTON, nr. Surbiton, SURREY. 
1 Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man "—Bacon. 
I’ltf drills 
Edited ty J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , OCTOBER 27 th, 1900. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Wednesday, October 31st.—Exmomh. Torquay, Stejning 
(two days), and Penarth Chrysanthemum shows. 
Thursday, November 1st.—Horsham (two days), Leyton 
(two days). Newton-Abbot Chrysanthemum shows. 
Friday, November 2nd.— Battersea (two days) Chrysanthe¬ 
mum show. 
HI Specialist and his Ferns at Acton.— 
Very rarely dots one find such an ex¬ 
haustive collection of the best and more 
modern forms of the British Ferns in one 
garden, as exists at xi, Shaa Road, Acton, 
London; and we feel constrained to con¬ 
tinue our notes from p. 116, in order to refer 
to three more genera to which belong soiiae 
of the noblest and finest forms in existence. 
While some of them are wild finds, others 
have been raised from spores by Chas. T. 
Druery, Esq., F.L.S., V.M.H. When one 
thinks of the scarcity of wild Ferns in the 
London district, it almost acts as a deterrent 
against attempting their cultivation in the 
neighbourhood of the metropolis. In actual 
experience it is found that certain of them 
may be grown with considerable success in 
the open air, provided they are planted in 
ccol and fairly moist situations. As a rule, 
however, they are of dwarf growth, with a 
relatively stunted appearance ; and towards 
the end of summer even most of the ever¬ 
green sorts assume more or less of a rusty 
aspect. We consider these facts are due 
chiefly to the effects of a dry atmosphere 
during the period of growth. Mr. Druery 
overcomes this difficulty by growing the 
most of his plants in a fernery situated on 
the north aspect of his house, with an over¬ 
flow of the hardier ones in the open garden. 
When we speak of hardiness in relation to 
British Ferns it must not be inferred that 
any of them, with the exceptions, perhaps, 
of Adiantum Capilius-Veneiis and Asple- 
nium marinum are in any way tender. 
The simple expedient of an unheated glass¬ 
house, moreover, has the effect of rendering 
a number of the British species perfectly 
evergreen that would otherwise lose their 
foliage entirely in the open air during win¬ 
ter, of preserving others in a fresh and 
green condition that would be liable to get 
rusty, and enabling the cultivator to grow 
all of them to perfection. When so cared 
for they constitute a hobby as fascinating 
as Orchids, Roses, Chrysanthemums, Car¬ 
nations, Auriculas, Tulips, or any other 
interesting class of plants. Furthermore, 
a very small garden would be sufficient to, 
accommodate a fernery or Fern conserva¬ 
tory large enough to hold a very exhaustive 
collection of all that is choicest and best 
amongst British Ferns. It is no small boon 
to be able to do this in a suburb of London, 
but given plenty of light, without direct 
sunshine, and we believe they could be 
grown to great perfection even in the heart 
of this mighty metropolis with the aid of 
glass. 
The Lady Fern in all its forms is truly 
deciduous and goes to rest in the autumn, 
whether grown in the open or under glass. 
The extreme beauty and variability of the 
species gives it an intense interest for culti¬ 
vators. Mr. Druery has been the means of 
bringing it into the greatest prominence 
within comparatively recent years. The 
original plumose form, the parent of his 
strain, Athyrium Filix-foemina plumosum, 
was found at Axminster, in Devon. It 
has finely divided fronds which bear 
bulbils; and from it was raised another, 
named A. F.-f. plumosum elegans, 
which also bears bulbils, by which the 
variety may be propagated. Spores from 
it gave rise to two plants of the type, a 
large percentage of crested forms, and 
one of the best varieties, named A. F.-f. 
plumosum superbum. In two years’ time 
this gave rise to a few spores, from which 
have arisen all Mr. Druery’s lovely forms 
of the plumose type. Altogether he got 
quite twenty distinct varieties, which 
diverged in two different directions, one 
with crests to the pinnae and the other 
without. Of the non-crested Lady Ferns, 
A. F.-f. plumosum Druery is undoubtedly 
the finest. The fronds are light green, very 
decompound, and the ultimate segments are 
relatively long and narrow. The raiser is 
justly proud of this grand form. Another 
very finely divided form was A. F.-f. plu¬ 
mosum dissectum, the broad and much dis¬ 
sected pinnae of which are densely arranged. 
As A. F.-f. plumosum Druery is the finest 
of the plumose forms without crests, so 
A. F.-f.’ ‘piumdsum percristatum is the 
queen of the crested forms. The fronds 
are cresfed in four directions, to wit, the 
apex of the frond, and apex each of the 
pinnae, pinnules, and pinnulets. The tips 
remain of a pale greenish-white for a long 
time owing to their long continued growth, 
and in this condition resemble flowers. The 
pinnae of this grand form are always per¬ 
fect. Another crested form of different 
origin is that named A. F.-f. percristatum 
Cous°ns, The fronds hers are 4 ft,.dong, 
