r P68 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 21, 1903. 
Round the Nurseries. 
Sutton and Sons, Reading. 
The extensive trial grounds of Messrs. Sutton, and Sons, as 
seen from the railway, do not look very inviting at this season, 
bub those who 1 are familiar with this establishment well know 
that they can always find something of special interest at all 
seasons. * When I visited the nursery the other week the out- 
door department was rather uninteresting, except for the 
splendid clumps of Pampas Grass that are now just in. their 
glory along the main walk. 
Just now the houses are ablaze with Begonias, both tuberous 
and winter flowering. The former type has been a great' suc¬ 
cess this year in all parts of the country, but never did I meet 
with a collection to surpass those now seeding in the houses in. 
these nurseries. The number of good varieties was so great, 
and there is so little to choose between them, that it was im¬ 
possible to make a. selection, of the best, but the one that did 
appeal specially to me was a very fine crimson-scarlet named 
Gladiator. In its class it is quite distinct both in habit and 
form, and it is veiy evident that for floriferousness it has no 
equal. It appears to grow rather taller than most tuberous 
Begonias, but it is none the worse for this, and, indeed, for 
indoor use this feature seems to me to be a decided advantage, 
as it gives grace to what is to most people a veiy stiff and 
formal flower. I learn that it not only does remarkably well 
in pots, but that it also makes an excellent bedder if pro¬ 
tected with a few light stakes. I am not a lover of crested 
Begonias as a rule, but the very fine specimens that I was 
shown here did much to break down my prejudice, for, instead 
of being cramped and contorted, the flowers were bold and 
gracefully crested. 
Amongst the singles that are being seeded, I was specially 
pleased to see the large percentage of crested and frilled 
varieties, and also the veiy effective fimbriated ones. From 
such parents as these the progeny should certainly be. such as 
will be able to support the high reputation which this firm have 
attained. 
Streptocarpus are grown in immense quantities, and no 
matter at what season one sees these plants., they .always -seem 
to he in bloom. The size and form of the strain grown here is 
well known to most gardeners, and, judging by the manner in 
which all “ washed out. ” colours have been weeded out from 
the parents, the progeny should be one of the brightest obtain^ 
able. I was too early for the display of Cyclamen, but the 
plants are well worth seeing, .and the practised eye at once 
sees the future display that, this promises. 
One house was full of Tydeas in great variety. I can never 
understand, why these plants are not more generally grown, 
for, for the brightening of the stove during the autumn, they 
have no eouals ; and no matter whether in or out of bloom, 
they are always verv ornamental when well grown. Gloxinias 
are still blooming freelv in some of the houses, but the greater 
bulk have gone to. seed. The rigid tubular flower of a few 
vea.rs ago is not. favoured here, if one may judge bv those still 
in bloom, for the waved and imbricated tvnes largely predomi¬ 
nate. Pink is not a, dolour that one would expect to meet in 
the Frees!a, but here, there is a good batch of a beautiful rose- 
pmk form. As vet. this is little known, in the country, but if 
will soon become popular when it is distributed. 
It is almost imnossible to improve on our old friend Lobelia 
ca.rdin.alis, but., if not actually improvement® on the tvpe, the 
new colours to. be seen here are veiy welcome, especially tho.se 
hybrids of a deer* "rose-pink .shade. In the same range as the 
hvbrid Lobelias I was much impressed by a, few new Gailla.rdias. 
What strides have been made with, this flower during the last 
few years! Begonia sempervirens is grown in. immense quan¬ 
tities and in great variety, many of them being more than 
semi-doubles, and greatly resembling semi-double Peach bloom. 
In. the large conservatory-like entrance to the ranges are several 
good climbers, amongst them being Hidalgoa Wercklei in 
bloom. It .seldom favours it® cultivators; with a. display, but 
here it has been pleased to make an exception, and not only 
blooms freely, but., I learn, continuously. As a climber for 
draping the roof it is extremely effective, even if it does not 
bloom. Kewite. 
The Horticultural Club. 
Birds Nesting in Russian Lapland. 
The usual monthly meetings of this club, at the Hotel Wind¬ 
sor, were resumed on Tuesday, the 13th ult., after the cus¬ 
tomary vacation interval, and subsequently to the house dinner, 
under the genial presidency of Mr. Harry Veitch, a most in¬ 
teresting lecture was given, by Mr. Charles E. Pearson, entitled 
“ Birds Nesting in Russian Lapland.” The lecture was illus¬ 
trated by a large number of beautiful lantern slides prepared 
from photographs of birds’ nests, of eggs of many kinds taken 
in situ, and views of the scenery within the Arctic circle, plus a 
number of native plants and flowers. 
Mr. Pearson began by apologising for choosing a subject 
somewhat out. of the horticultural line; .but in point of fact, 
apart from the intensely interesting pictures of eggs and nests, 
there were such charming examples of Arctic flowers and Arctic 
landscapes that an apology was utterly needless., especially in 
view of the lecturer’s treatment of his subject, at once 
humorous and instructive. Clutches of eggs of a great number 
of birds were shown exactly as they were found, the photo¬ 
graphs. being taken from .above, thus affording a full view, and 
it was really marvellous to note in many cases how the seem- 
ingly capricious blotching® 1 and markings of the eggs masked 
them from prying eye®, owing to their consequent close imita¬ 
tion of their surroundings. In some cases, too*, it was difficult 
to dispel the idea that the birds had not also selected a site 
amid rounded pebbles of similar outline and colour to the eggs 
in order to aid this masking, so exactly did they resemble each 
other. 
Eggs and nests, the latter in many cases being practically 
non-existent, the' eggs lying among bare stones, were shown of 
the buzzard, redwing, eagle, gull, eider-duck, wild swan, 
oyster-catcher, dotterel, and many others, each being accom¬ 
panied by a vivid description of the habits of the birds and the 
various adventures which attended the discovery of the care¬ 
fully hidden eggs. Hours of motionless waiting, accompanied 
by myriads of industrious mosquito® working their sweet will 
on every exposed portion of skin, were sometimes needed ere 
the disturbed mother bird would settle down on the otherwise 
undiscoverable nest. Long league® of difficult travel over 
several feet of treacherous snow preluded many of the dis¬ 
coveries, and in this latter connection a most laughable descrip¬ 
tion was given, of the difficulty of bargaining with a rapacious 
Jehu by the mediation first, of an interpreter, who translated 
the English into Norwegian, then another who did the Norsk 
into Finnish, and finally a Finn who knew some Russian, no 
little speculation resulting as to the form in which the original 
remarks reached their destination. 
Some of the photographs gave a clear idea of the marvellous 
rapidity of Arctic vegetation during the brief summer 4 
dense and robust mass of Caltha, palustris, the Marsh Marigold, 
was, for instance, shown in full flower on a spot, which three 
weeks previously was deep in snow, and onlv fifteen days before 
had been observed as just evidencing growth. Barley is stated 
to be ripe within thirteen weeks of sowing. This, the lecturer 
imputed to the long and continuous daylight, and a relative 
photograph showed the midnight sun fairly high in the sky. 
Some lovely specimens of Myosoti® alpestris, Silene acaulis, 
Bog Cotton Grass, and other flowering plants evidenced also 
the beauty of the Arctic flora, as well as it®, rapidity of develop¬ 
ment. J 1 
The lecture, indeed, was so replete with interesting facts and 
graphic description that we can do no more than briefly indi¬ 
cate the lines followed. A very hearty vote of thanks to Mr 
Pearson for the .great treat, afforded by him both pictoriallv 
and verbally concluded decidedly one of the pleasantest and 
most- instructive meetings in the annals of the club. 
