May 18, 1901. 
TI-IE GARDENING WORLD, 
599 
FISHER, SON & SIBRAY, Ltd., 
call the attention of all interested in 
HARDY PLANTS 
to their exhibit at the 
TEMPLE SHOW on. May 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. 
Roy at Nurseries, 
HANDSWORTH, SHEFFIELD . 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S 
Great Flower Show 
By the kind permission of the Treasurer and Benchers of 
the Incer Temple), 
— WILL BE HELD IN THE — 
Inner Temple Gardens (Thames Embankment), 
ON 
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22—12.30 to 7 p.m., 7s. 6d. 
THURSDAY, MAY 23-9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 2s. Gd. 
FRIDAY, MAY 24-9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Is. Od. 
Tiokets may be obtained (before Wednesday, May 22nd) at 
the R.H.S. Offices, 117, Victoria Street, Westminster, or 
during the Show at the Embankment Gate which is midway 
between Temple and Blackfriars Stations (District Railway). 
N URSERY FOR SALE.—Exceptional 
opportunity of obtaining an extensive nursery at a low 
price. 10 miles north of London. About ij acres nearly all 
covered with houses, well heated and ventilated. Good five- 
roomed residence. Valuable frontage. Price /1.800. Free¬ 
hold.—Apply S. M. LAMPARD, 69, Ship Street, Brighton. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man "— Bacon. 
©I )t ©arfomnj 
Edited by J. FRASER, F.L.S., F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY, MAY 18 th, iqoi. 
The Editorial and Publishing Offices are 
now removed to 4, Dorset Buildings, 
Salisbury Square, Fleet St., London. 
Editorial matters are to be addressed to 
the Editor. 
All other communications and Remit¬ 
tances must be addressed direct to the 
Proprietors— 
HICKS, WILKINSON & SEARS. 
NEXT WEEK’S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Tuesday, May 21st.—Kew Guild Dinner at the Hoiborn 
Restaurant. 
Wednesday, May 22nd.—R.H.S. Great Temple Show (3 days); 
Annual Dinner of the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent In¬ 
stitution at the Hotel M-tropiie; Bath and West and 
South Counties Society and Somerset County Agricultural 
Association, at Croydon (5 days). 
Saturday, May 25th.—Royal Botanical and Horticultural 
Society of Manchester Whitsuntide Exhibition (25th to 
30th). 
“ |he British Gardener.”*— If books 
on any art, craft, or profession, are a 
criterion that the subject under notice is in 
a flourishing condition, then we may take 
it for granted that gardening is- advancing 
by leaps and bounds, for the books dealing 
with it have been numerous lately. There 
has certainly been a demand for gardening 
books and writers, and publishers are evi¬ 
dently determined to meet the demand. 
The book under notice, like several others,-* 
takes in the whole field of gardening, but 
though it is a solid volume of 410 pages, 
including the index, it is evident that all of. 
the topics cannot be dealt with exhaustively, 
for the literature of gardening is certainly 
very extensive, the additions to it within 
*The British Gardener : A Manual of Practical 
Instruction in Gardening. By William Williamson, 
Author cf “The Horticultural Handbook and Ex¬ 
hibitors' Guide,” and Gardener to J. Home Rigg, 
Esq., Tavvir, Fifishire. Methuen & Co., 36, Essex 
Street, W.C. LondoD, 1901. Price 10/6. 
the last decade or two having been con¬ 
siderable. No one can now take up all the 
branches of gardening, sc that the material 
here furnished may supply the wants of a 
considerable number in the matter of gar¬ 
dening. The author is not unknown in the 
horticultural world, having hitherto written 
at least one other book on his favourite 
theme. In the preface he says that “ prac¬ 
tical information on every phase or aspect 
of gardening is its aim and object,” and 
also states that he has treated the subject 
in a way which will be “ easily understood 
by the inexperienced amateur as by the 
practical gardener.” He does not seem to 
have taken the water garden into considera¬ 
tion, however, which we think is a mistake, 
seeing that this style of gardening is much 
in vogue at present, and Scotland, at least, 
offers many advantages for the water cul¬ 
ture of a very interesting lot of plants, the 
“ land of the mountain and flood ” being 
traversed by perennial streams of running 
and crystal clear water in every direction. 
The book is divided into six parts, and the 
general headings will give a fair estimate of 
the contents of the book. These are : a 
calendar of gardening operations, landscape 
gardening, plants, fruit, flowers, and vege¬ 
tables, the two latter phases being dealt 
with rather exhaustively. A chapter on 
garden implements, and others on soils, 
manures, hotbeds, glass structures, fungi¬ 
cides, and insecticides come into that por¬ 
tion of the book devoted to landscape gar¬ 
dening. 
In dealing with greenhouse foliage and 
flowering plants, the author arranges the 
generic names alphabetically, and mentions 
the more important species and varieties 
under their respective names. In some 
respects the arrangement seems somewhat 
arbitrary, when one, for instance, desires to 
get information on the Auricula. The show 
or stage section is unsuited to open air cul¬ 
ture, so that to get it in perfection it must 
be grown in a cold frame or unheated house 
built on purpose for the accommodation of 
these dainty flowers. The fine distinctions 
brought about by the presence of paste on 
the flower are liable to be broken down or 
spoiled by rain, thus showing how artificial 
a creation this favourite of the florist has 
become, notwithstanding the fact that their 
wild prototypes or forbears were hardy 
mountaineers, defying the rigours of winter 
on the Alps. The alpine Auriculas, on the 
other hand, being devoid of paste, are not 
liable to have their finery spoiled, and can 
therefore be grown in the open air. The 
reader must pass from the second to the 
fourth division of the book in order to get 
the desired information about them. They 
are in fact relegated to that part of the book 
which deals with hardy border flowers. 
The show varieties are described at con¬ 
siderable length, as they are now the object 
of returning favour after many years of 
neglect. While giving guidance for the 
amateur’s enjoyment of these flowers at 
home, he also gives many useful hints for 
the enlightenment of the exhibitor. This 
applies to exhibition plants generally, as 
may be expected of the author of The Hor¬ 
ticultural Handbook and Exhibitor's Guide. 
On turning to the fourth division of the 
book, however, we fail to find that alpine 
Auriculas have received any special atten* 
tion, there being merely cultural directions 
for the hardy border Auriculas. While the 
alpines might be regarded as belonging to 
the latter section, they need not, and in fact 
do not include all border Auriculas either 
in England or Scotland. For the benefit 
of the would-be exhibitor of the clearly- 
defined alpine Auriculas, which alone of the 
hardy strains are fit for exhibition, a 
definition of this particularly handsome race 
might have been given. Border Auriculas 
also include varieties belonging to the show 
section though not in the wedding garment 
as defined by the florist proper. The Dusty 
Miller, grown on both sides of the Cheviots, 
is evidence of this fact. 
Chrysanthemums, in all their sections, 
enjoy more space in the book than most 
other subjects, though Ferns being more 
numerous in the matter of species, come in 
for a good few pages, under the headings 
of exotic and British or hardy Ferns. The 
two latter terms are not synonymous, 
though the author sails very close to the 
wind in that respect when dealing with 
them. For instance, under Osmunda we 
read of O. interrupta, O. regalis cristata, 
and O. spectabilis, and that “ these are 
amongst the best of British Ferns.” Only 
O. regalis cristata is British, and that, in 
all probability, is entirely confined to culti¬ 
vation. Orchids are grouped under the 
more important of the genera, such as the 
general cultivator might be supposed to 
take in hand. The specialist is not catered 
for in this section of gardening, and, indeed, 
it could hardly be expected, seeing that the 
subject, if adequately treated from this point 
of view, would fill the entire book, and 
then only touch on the fringe of the sub¬ 
ject. 
Hardy fruit culture comes in for a fair 
share of attention, and the author, like 
many modern writers on the subject, would 
feign raise the hue and cry “ let us grow our 
own Apples and be independent of the 
foreigner.” The large importation of fruit 
he attributes not to the inability of the 
British soil and climate for quality of pro¬ 
duce, but to the “ lethargy displayed by the 
British public.” The dessert varieties of 
Apples imported are sweeter and more 
melting than the British article, but devoid 
of its fine aroma and piquant flavour when 
properly ripened. The foreign culinary 
Apples in like manner lack the “ sprightly 
flavour and good cooking qualities.” In the 
matter of stocks for Apple trees we do not 
admit that the French Paradise is a suitable 
stock for trees planted in the open ground ; 
it is too dwarfing in its nature to be profit¬ 
able. The author’s cultural directions are, 
however, generally excellent, and, no doubt, 
is more applicable to the northern than the 
southern half of Britain. The paper and 
printing of the book are good, while a few 
illustrations are intercalated with the text. 
“One Touch of Nature,” &c.—M. Gaston Bon¬ 
nier, a French botanist, tells a story which illustrates 
the democratic simplicity of the KiDgof Sweden and 
Norway. M. Bonnier was botanising in the environs 
of Stockholm, when he met a stranger similarly 
occupied. The two fraternised, and M. Bonnier 
suggested that they should lunch together at an inn. 
“No; come home and lunch with me, instead,' 1 
said the stranger, and he led the way to a mansion 
and opened the gate. M. Bonnier’s new acquaint¬ 
ance was most apologetic. “ I’m sorry,” he said, 
“ but I happen to be king in this country, and this 
is the only place I've got to entertain anybcdy in.” 
So they went in and lunched and talked botany 
together all the afternoon. 
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