December 1, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
•213 
Smokers will be pleased to learn that a law on 
their behalf was recently passed. Any retailer or 
manufacturer who has in his possession tobacco con¬ 
taining mere than 4 per cent, of oil shall be liable to 
a penalty of £50, and the tobacco shall be forfeited. 
Crataegus Pyracantha Lelandi, as a shrubbery 
plant, we would say, has a future before it. In the 
sheltered belts of shrubbery in high-lying Finsbury 
Park, London, N., we \yere delighted to see sturdy 
bushes of this beautiful shrub, densely laden with 
the crimson-scarlet berries. At the edge of a belt 
such plants are very ornamental. Those who are 
planting might include some bush plants of this 
Crataegus. 
Shiplake Cottage Garden Society.—The annual 
meeting of the committee of the Shiplake, Dunsden 
and Harpenden Cottage Garden Society took place, 
by kind invitation of Rev. and Mrs. Hart-Davis, at 
the Vicarage, Dunsden, on November 7th. After 
dining with the hosts, the committee passed the 
balance sheets for the preceding year, and re-elected 
the able secretary and treasurer, Mr. C. Lovejoy. 
Votes of thanks to the Rev. and Mrs. Hart-Davis 
brought a very pleasant evening to a close. 
Chertsey Concert in Aid of the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution.—The concert pro¬ 
moted by Mr. A. H. Brown, superintendent of the 
garden department of the School of Handicrafts, 
Chertsey, in aid of the R.G.B I , and referred to by 
us recently, was held in the Constitutional Hall, on 
the evening of Thursday, November 15th It proved 
an unqualified success, realising a sum of £12, which 
goes to the Institution. Harry J. Veitch, Esq., 
occupied the chair. Mr. Brown had been fortunate 
enough to secure the services of several talented 
artistes—notably, Misses Edith Welling and Edith 
Hants, of Brighton, whose vocal performances are 
always much appreciated by the Chertsey folks. 
Mr. Argyle Galloway (Brighton), Mr. Walter Lewis 
and Mr. Abel Starkey were also well received. 
Instrumental music was added by Misses Belbin, M. 
Belbin, N. Lynn, C. Wade and Mr. H. Hamilton, 
pupils of Mr. F. Monk, who himself acted as accom¬ 
panist during the evening. Mr. Veitch detailed the 
objects of the institution in a speech made during 
the interval. 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual 
Improvement Society.—A meeting was held on 
Tuesday evening, November 20th, at the society’s 
room, " The Sunflower " Temperance Hotel. The 
chair was occupied by Mr. W. J. Simpson, Mr. M. 
E. Mills occupying the vice-chair, over fifty mem¬ 
bers being present and five new ones elected. F. W• 
Burbidge, Esq, M A., Trinity College Botanic 
Gardens, Dublin, presented to the society copies of 
his “ Gardens of the Sun ” and " Horticulture,” and 
a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Burbidge. 
To Mr. P. Buuyard was also given a vote of thanks 
for his present of six dozen exhibition vases. The 
chairman next introduced Mr. W. E. Humphreys, 
The Grange Gardens, Hackbridge, who gave a most 
concise, clear and practical paper on " Cattleyas,” 
embracing Laelias and Laeliocattleyas. Having 
noted some of the principal species and varieties, 
Mr. Humphreys at once dealt with their practical 
culture. First, the most suitable houses, heating 
and ventilation ; soils, pots and potting. The selec¬ 
tion and treatment of imported plants, hybridisation, 
sowing and management of seedlings were skilfully 
treated on. Insect pests and diseases were also ably 
dealt with. Throughout the paper Mr. Humphreys 
showed himself to have a thorough knowledge of the 
subject, and a mutual pleasure in imparting his 
experience to others. At the conclusion, the lec¬ 
turer received a unanimous vote of thanks. An 
interesting discussion followed. Mr. Kromer, Ban- 
don Hill, exhibited a fine collection of Cattleyas :— 
C. labiata, C. gigas, C. aurea, C. schilleriana, andC. 
Harrisoniae; also a very fine dark type of Miltonia 
moreliana. Messrs. Peed & Son also exhibited a 
nice collection of Cattleyas, with Begonia Gloire de 
Lorraine; Mr. M. E. Mills, an excellent dish of 
Pear Double de Guerre ; Mr. J. R. Box, a collection 
of vegetables. A vote of thanks was given the 
exhibitors. The secretary announced that the next 
meeting would be on December 4th ; subject : 
" Yews, Historical Trees, Clipped, and Hedges,” 
by Dr. Brook Ridley, M.D.— J. Gregory, Hon. Sec., 
60, Canterbury Road, Croydon. 
WAYSIDE COTTAGE GARDENS. 
Aftek all that we sometimes hear said about the 
fickleness and_ gloominess of our climate there is 
this to be said, that it ofttimes gives some pleasant 
surprises to the pessimists who are too frequently 
croaking and groaning about it. If any earthly 
thing will lift these desponding souls out of the 
mental quagmire in which some appear to have 
hopelessly sunk, surely the splendid spell of sunny 
weather we have had, and hope heartily enjoyed, 
should do it. A country walk at this time of the 
year under the splendid climatic conditions which 
have recently prevailed is one of the best tonics for 
both liver and brain, and pity is it that more do not, 
or cannot, avail themselves of this remedy for brain 
fag. Half a day at blackberrying would often do 
far more good than any quantity of noxious drugs 
swallowed down in a fit of desperation. I have 
passed by many country cottages in whose gardens 
there are at this moment a wealth of flowers which 
the dwellers in our suburban districts may well 
envy. With the sun shining in unclouded bright¬ 
ness, with the soft, balmy air, it is difficult to realise 
how near we are to the dreary winter days. There 
are the porches of the wayside cottages, adorned it 
may be with festoons of Virginian Creeper in all its 
beauty of gold and crimson, interspersed with 
Canary Creeper, Traveller's Joy, and crimson 
Nasturtiums. 
Acoa I pass another draped with hardy Passion 
Flower still in full bloom, another with the Duke of 
Argyle’s Tea in berry. This, well berried, is one of 
the most handsome climbers I know, but for some 
reason I have rarely found it well berried. Now 
and again Crataegus Pyracantha is in evidence, 
densely laden wiih its coral-red berries. A few 
strong flowers of the white Jasmine are seen in 
places. What delightful adjuncts these porches are 
—a trysting place for young lovers. What welcome 
resting places they are for the tired stranger, and the 
man of toil, to whose home they belong ; and here 
too those whose days of toil are over find a sweet 
resting place where they can sit and dream over the 
past in restful enjoyment of the placid scenes around 
them, in some instances it may be in company of 
those whom they successfully wooed and won in the 
evenings of long past days under the same rustic 
covering with its leafy adornments which still shelter 
them. How enjoyable are these old country folks' 
gardens with their trim Box hedges, their Yews 
trimmed in all sorts of fantastic forms, with just 
now a profusion of flowers, reminding us of the 
height of summer. The Michaelmas Daisies, 
Anemone japonica, Pyrethrum uliginosum, Phlox 
decussata in variety, Periwinkle, Sunflowers, 
Rudbeckias, Cactus and other Dahlias, and Begonias, 
for these are becoming cottagers' flowers. 
Over some roofs and against their walls Roses 
Gloire de Dijon and W. A. Richardson are in fre¬ 
quent evidence where spared by mildew. Grapes 
are ripening and the fruit crops are abundant. The 
large autumn Stonecrop with the sun shining upon 
it, and the Cardinal Butterfly hovering about it, 
forms one of the most attractive sights of the 
season. Nor should the old-fashioned hardy 
Fuchsias be forgotten; a series of rather mild 
winters have allowed them to attain proportions 
seldom seen in some localities. Gaillardias and 
Mignonette, with some of the earlier flowering 
Chrysanthemums complete my list of the autumn 
flowers seen in cottage gardens in profusion during 
the advent of St. Luke's summer. It remains to be 
seen whether the advent has surpassed its glories. 
I hope not. At the same time the present state of 
the weather seems really too good to last out much 
longer. 
Of wild flowers there are not many lingering with 
us. The dwarf Furze is the brightest I know of just 
now. It often occurs to me that this would be a 
good substitute for yellow Calceolaria in a ribbon 
border, flowering as it does in profusion during the 
greater part of the summer till late in the autumn. 
I think that if some one among the able superinten¬ 
dents of our London parks would give it a trial they 
would be pleased with the result. Turning away 
into a less frequented byway I came across old 
crumbling walls draped with Toadflax and sprinkled 
over with rosettes of Wall Rue. Here and there 
old walls and buildings were made beautiful with a 
covering of Ivy in bloom, from which bees were 
busily gathering their last stock of store for the 
coming winter. In these by-lanes we gather a few 
reminders of summer, some of the large Bindweed, 
a few Silenes, now and again a Buttercup and 
Daisy. 
The chief glory of the hedgerows now are the 
autumn tints of the foliage and the ripening berries 
of the Dog-rose, Sweet Brier, Pyrus Aria, and the 
Hawthorn. These are well aglow with their crimson 
berries. The wild Roses rambling over other bushes 
show off their brighter berries with the sun shining 
upon them more pleasingly. Then there is the dark 
purple berry of the Spindle wood. The foliage of 
some of these dies off a dark purple. The seed 
vessels of Clematis Vitalba festooning the hedge¬ 
rows are very interesting; the height this will climb 
to is something astonishing, and occasionally the 
foliage dies away, assuming most beautiful hues. I 
have been at times puzzled as to what it could be 
high up in the trees with colours reminding me of 
some of our most beautiful exotic climbers. A 
country walk in the autumn will afford a most 
enjoyable time to any lover of Nature, and afford 
lessons to the reflective mind not easily forgotten, 
and on a clear day the views from the Surrey hills 
are as beautiful now as at any time. I have a greater 
liking for the old and decaying than the younger 
ones can ever be expected to have.— W. B. G. 
BEDDING PLANTS DURING WINTBR. 
How often we hear complaints in spring about 
Calceolarias having kept badly, Pelargoniums 
damping off, and so forth. Accidents will some¬ 
times carry off many plants, but a little care and 
trouble obviates all risk. I put Calceolarias into 
cold frames in the usual way, and seldom or never 
lose a single cutting. After inserting the cuttings, I 
keep the frame close and shaded for a few days, then 
gradually inure to light and air, until even at night 
in mild weather the sashes are left partly open. 
Even during wet weather the sashes should be tilted 
at the back. This allows a free current of air, and 
yet sheds off the rain. Of course, during hard frosts 
double mats are used, but nothing more. These 
remarks apply equally to Violas, Pansies, Pent- 
stemons and all other subjects usually wintered in 
cold frames. With the less hardy plants, such as 
Pelargoniums, Ageratums, Nasturtiums and such 
like, pits or houses with fire heat are necessary. 
Get the plants as near the glass as possible and give 
air on every favourable occasion. Damp is the 
worst enemy of the gardener during the next three 
months, but with gentle firing and judicious airing 
this may be thoroughly overcome. Let me say that 
the saving of the coal bill Is not always the most 
economical course in the end. Of course, strong 
fire heat and no air is fatal to all bedding plants, as 
it draws them up soft and spindly.—C. Blair, Binny, 
Uphall. 
— *e» - 
FERNS IN BASKETS. 
A great many Ferns, if grown in wire baskets sus¬ 
pended from the roof of the fernery or stove, are 
not only seen to better advantage in that way but 
also thrive better than when grown in pots. In fact 
the best droopiDg varieties have a very poor 
appearance if placed down on the stages, as their 
superior look is hidden with other surrounding 
plants. The baskets must vary in size to suit 
varieties, one about 8 in. wide and 6 in. deep is the 
proper size for neat growing sorts such as Adiantum 
ciliatum, A. amabile, Davallia bullata, D. hemiptera, 
&c. Some of the strong sorts such as Goniophle- 
bium subauriculatu m, Davallia fijiensis, &c., require 
baskets 2 ft. in diameter, and 1 ft. deep is not too 
large. Put a good lining of sphagnum or slices of 
fibry peat all round on the inside of the baskets, 
then a mixture of leaf mould, good peat, fibrous 
loam, and sand, adding a little charcoal, and old 
brick broken into small pieces. This mixture 
suits the most of Ferns, unless the Adiantums which 
do with very little peat. They must all be kept 
moist in the growing season, and it is a good plan to 
take down each basket once a week or so and dip 
the whole into water. Platyceriums display their 
staghead ” fronds better if hung on the wall on 
rustic blocks of wood, although they too do well in 
round baskets .—John C. Dick, Champfteurie Gardens, 
Linlithgow, N.B. 
■ a -— 
Cypripedium chamberlainianum, with its twisted 
moustache-like petals, flowers continuously for a very 
long period. 
