January 16. 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
53 
bright green leaves. The flowers, on the other hand, resemble 
G. Elwesii in having the inner segments square or truncate 
at the top, and more or less crisped, while there is only an 
apical blotch of green surrounding the notch of the inner 
segments, as in the common Snowdrop. 
G. grandiflorus is chiefly distinguished by the great size 
of the flowers and the robust habit of the plant. In other 
respects it resembles G. plieatus in the leaves, being folded 
near the edges. In colour the flowers resemble those of the 
common Snowdrop. 
G. oilioicus has strap-shaped leaves of a rich glaucous 
hue, not unlike those of G. caucasicus, while the flowers, on 
the other hand, seem to combine the features of the common 
Snowdrop and G. Elwesii. The inner segments are wavy at 
the edges as in the last named, while there is a green blotch 
on both surfaces just under the apes, as in the common Snow¬ 
drop, but larger. 
Another broad-leaved species is that named G. Fosteri, with 
bright 'green leave® about' an inch wide when fully developed. 
These leaves overtop the flower stalks. The flowers are white 
and the inner segments are wedge-shaped. This species also 
comes from Asia Minor, and, together with G. latifolius and 
G. Ikariae, forms a trio characterised by the bright green 
leaves more like those of a. Sternbergia than usually occurs 
amongst the Snowdrops. 
The above distinctions may not seem great to the uninitiated, 
but those who take up this class of plants to study and culti¬ 
vate will find them extremely beautiful, and full of interest 
for their varied markings and variations in size and robustness 
and period of flowering. Being hardy, all may be planted out 
of doors, but they should be grown in positions where the eye 
can take in their peculiarities and where the grower can con¬ 
veniently get at them for inspection. All of them may be 
cultivated and flower successfully in pots, either in frames or 
in a properly-constructed alpine house. 
The common one and its double variety are often potted up 
with Dutch bulbs in the autumn and brought along 
for conservatory decoration in spring. They do. not 
submit' to forcing. By applying more heat than is customary 
to plants grown in the open air, one soon finds them becoming 
drawn, and lacking both substance and beauty. The best way 
is to let them come along strongly, with plenty of light and 
ventilation at all times, not neglecting to keep them moist, 
although in a cool house they do not r equire much water. The 
immediate effect of the glass protection is to prevent the 
flowers from being splashed and soiled by rain, so that when 
brought along in. this manner one can scarcely imagine a more 
pretty or cheerful effect in the early days of spring than some 
pots of these various Snowdrops well grown. M. W. 
1903. 
1903 is dead— save as an atom of a vast history, a peculiar 
atom, a wet, sunless atom. The atom that has caused more 
trouble and hand-changing than, any year in living memory. 
The best skilled brothers of our ancient craft have been called 
useless and incapable, while their work has been double and 
treble with miserable results. Some employers have hit on 
the happy remedy of bringing again, into, their service that 
gardener who produced such superior and abundant stuff ten 
or twenty years ago. But at thus time of day every employer 
and employee should know that “ one man is as good as 
another and a great deal better.” Now that which concerns 
both is to find out the amount of better, since it is absolutely 
impossible to have a. fair yield in a year like 1903. Crops 
under glass were poor and lingered long in ripening, and the 
lack of sunshine prevented flavour. Fruit outdoors was a 
complete, failure. All the Sherlock Holmeses in London could 
not find a ton of home-grown Apples in the markets of the; 
United Kingdom. 
Sound Potatos are few even in Ireland, and shipping agentsi 
are making the few muchly fewer. A sound ear of Oats is not 
in the Isles of Britain. True, lamenting our past failure® 
makes coming sorrows no lighter. Our marine “ greyhounds ” 
are bringing us more than we can use, and Maize has yielded 
heavily abroad, so that our cattle and horses need not be 
hungry. We have much to be thankful for. Though our 
fruit-wood may be sappy and unripe and our fruit buds few or 
numerous' by summer pinching, we must, remember their past 
unfruitfulnesis means stored-up energy for another season, and 
nature will find a way to reward us with it if we continue to 
care for our outdoor fruits. 
We may bud and graft and hybridise, 
And work all changes we can, 
But Nature saysi: “ The secrets are mine, 
And you are only a man.” 
Since we cannot fight Nature let us court her, and we shall 
learn to. love her more and more. She is continually doing 
much more for us than we know how to thank her for. 
No one bends Nature so much as the gardener, and few 
blame her for more inoompetency. Now, this is corning to the 
point, for what I want to impress on my young brother gar¬ 
deners is the great importance of Nature study. All science 
is the A.B.C. card of Nature. And Nature offers enchanting 
instructions to those who Lave not learned their A.B.C.’s. 
None are too ignorant to study Nature; and none are learned 
enough to comprehend her conclusively ; yet she sends none 
away who seek her to learn. The greatest secret in growing 
the. rarest and the commonest plants is known when their 
natural requirements are understood and supplied. To place 
an alpine plant in water is equally absurd to. placing a water 
plant in dry sand, notwithstanding that some semi-aquatic and 
semi-alpine plants have ere now adapted themselves to 
evidently perverse; conditions. Still, the fact remains, and 
only a close study of Nature can teach us concerning these 
apparently contradictory realities. 
What are our stove houses for but growing plants which; 
come from the warm parts of the world? Thus a. study of 
Nature abroad is not only interesting but necessary. Some 
have allowed their elastic imaginations to carry their natural 
gardening into, the most unnatural actions. That man who 
planted dead trees amongst the living to perfect a natural 
effect, was one, and that second man who made a beautiful 
water-course through a stoneless, land and placed huge stones 
in its bed did nothing better than saddle a crime on the back 
of Nature. No. doubt a. long period of topiary and geometrical 
gardening demanded the above extremes, but Nature is nature;, 
and finds a. way to correct our blind actions to assist her. The 
soul of man yearns from the cradle to the grave for something 
higher and nobler than! materialism and passive enjoyment. 
He may try to satisfy it with the grand architecture of the 
world or the inert constructions of mechanical genius. The 
wealth of a nation may be at. his finger-tips, and luxuries may 
he bountiful to sickness, for “ The eye grows tired of beauty 
as the palate does, of sweets.” But the toiler with a soft side 
to Nature knows that variety of occupation is the best re¬ 
creation and the truest enjoyment, and feeds the fire of yearning 
with coals of contentment gathered from the surface or probed 
from the depths of Nature’s soul-satisfying treasures. The 
cleverest dramatic productions of combined humanity are. but 
simple shadows of nothingness when compared with the feeblest 
workings of sublime Nature. Almost everyone of us would 
change our business at times in spite of seeing those who do 
regretting it. Don’t you, my gardening brother. But let us 
study Nature, who will reward us and take the .sting from all 
narrow-mindedness. H. H. G. 
Violets. 
The above named 1 consider to rank as one of our most 
largely grown flowers a.t present, and can claim a host of 
admirers everywhere, especially among the ladies. Owing to i 
their sweet perfume they are very nice done up in small 
bunches with five or six of their own leaves round each bunch, 
and are excellent for the drawing-room and boudoir. Their 
odour is most refreshing in rooms, and lasts a. long time. 
Though they are so largely grown in private garden® there 
