144 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
February 13, 1904. 
Messrs. H. Cannel] and Sons, Swanley, Kent, had a group 
of the Blue Coleus thyrsoideus, in the form of flowers cut with 
long stems. They also Had a very extensive group of Primulas 
of the Stellata type, showing that they have been greatly in¬ 
creasing the size of the flowers by crossing with the named', 
varieties of the modern strain of Chinese Primula. The result 
is to get flowers as large as the last-named race, but flat in¬ 
stead of being crisped and imbricated, and having tall stems, 
thus making them useful for conservatory and greenhouse de¬ 
coration. A white variety was that named Lady Emily Dyke. 
Other fine forms were Queen Alexandra, with pale pink flowers } 
Firefly, with dark red flowers ; Fairest of the Fair, pure white ; 
and Fashion, blush lilac. The plants were of large size, and) 
well flowered. (Silver Flora Sledal.) 
Mr. G. Reutlie, Hardy Plant Nursery, Keston, Kent, had] 
a very interesting group of hardy plants in bloom, including 
a large number of bulbous subjects. Very fine indeed wai 
the tall variety Iris liistrioides major, with dark blue flowers, 
spotted with violet. He had also good pots of I. Tauri, I.\ 
alat-a, I. Danfordiae, a well-coloured Colchicum libanoticum, 
and C. hololophum, with darker lilac-purple flowers. Very ( 
pretty was the golden-yellow Crocus ancyrensis, and the new 
Saxifraga Grisebachii, already commencing to bloom. 
Messrs. T. S. Ware, Limited, Hale Farm Nurseries, FeltlTam, 
Middlesex, exhibited a large group of hardy herbaceous plants, 
including numerous Lenten Roses, Adonis amurensis, Cycla¬ 
men Coum, Lithospermum rosmarinifolium, Saxifraga burser- 
iana, Iris stylosa spec'iosa, and numerous Crocuses and Colchi- 
cums. They also had a plant of the interesting Tanakaea 
radicans, belonging to the Saxifraga family. (Silver Banksiau 
Medal.) 
Messrs. Hugh Low and Co. exhibited a group of Cyclamen) 
showing a great variation in colour from pure white to pink, 
rose, purple, and crimson. They also had plants of the Papifio 
strain. These were grown in 48 size pots, and were interesting 
on account of the beautiful shades of colour. 
Messrs. R. Wallace and Co., Kilnfield Gardens, Colchester, 
staged an interesting lot of early-flowering hardy plants, in¬ 
cluding many Irises, such as I. Heldreichi, I. stylosa, and I. s. 
speciosa. Very well flowered was Primula niegaseaefolia.] 
Amongst the Crocuses, C. Sieberi was - very tine. Colchicum 
crociflorum has white flowers striped with purple and closely] 
resembling the Crocus. The yellow Stembergia fischeriana was 
also in good condition. 
Messrs. Barr and Sons, King Street, Covent Garden, had 
a large exhibit of early floweriifg herbaceous plants of a very 
varied character. Amongst the Lenten. Roses were well-flowerel 
pieces of Helleborns: guttatus subpunctatus and H. eaueasicus 
lutescens. Bulbous plants in fine form were Iris reticulata, 
I. Heldreichi, Fritillaria oranensis, Crocus susianus, Narcissus 
cyclamineus, and various other species. Interesting Saxifrag'as 
were S. burseriana and S. Grisebachii. They also had a very 
fine variety of Primula dbconiica kermesina, with very rich car¬ 
mine flowers, the darkest we have seen in this species. (Silver 
Flora Medal.) 
Mr. John Russell, Richmond, Surrey, had the finest group 
of forced flowering shrubs. The most of them consisted of 
Hybrids of Azalea mollis and A. sinensis, including some of the 
finest varieties in cultivation, such as the beautiful Anthony 
Koster, with rich yellow flowers, and Emile Leibig, with rich 
orange flowers. They also had forced Lilacs in various colours, 
and carrying a great profusion of bloom. In the group Daphne 
indica was delightfully scented. Well-grown plants of Eurya 
latifolia variegatai served to set off the flowering forced subjects. 
(Silver Flora Medal.) 
Messrs. J. Hill and Son, Barrowfleld Nursery, Lower Edmon¬ 
ton, set up a very extensive group of Ferns. They had well- 
grown and clean plants of Gleiehenia flaibellata, and a very 
uncommon one, G. rupestris, with glaucous fronds. They also 
had large and well-grown pieces of Gymnogranmme schizophylla 
gloriosa and Asplenium caudatum, the latter having a spread 
of 6ft. or 8ft. Asplenium Velangeri, Davalla Veitchi tenui- 
folia, and Polypodium glaucum were other noteworthy plants 
(Slver Gilt Banksian Medal.) 
Mr. W. Palmer, Andover Nurseries, Andover, had a very 
attractive group of a new Primula named Queen Alexandra. 
The flowers 1 'are blush, semi-double, and produced in tiers above 
the light green fol.iagei (Bronze; Flora Medal.) 
Mr. George Mount, Canterbury, had an attractive exhibit of 
cut flowers of forced Roses. 
Fkvit and Vegetable Committee. 
A Cultural Commendation was awarded to Roger Leigh, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. G. Woodward), Teston, Maidstone, for a 
dish of Pear Passe Crassane in very fine form. 
Flowers from the South of France.— Enormous consign¬ 
ments of flowers continue to be landed daily at the harbour, 
Folkestone, from the South of France for the London market, 
* * * 
Blooh Manure for Trees.— Cedars, Walnuts, and other trees 
are said to be stimulated into fresh growth by applications of 
blood, and liquid or fresh blood is said to be more ef&cacious 
than when dried and used as is usually done in gardens. Is 
is very rich in nitrogen. 
* * *• 
France and St. Loins Exhibition.— A telegram from Paris 
on the 3rd inst. states that the French Government would 
next day officially promulgate a law whereby an extraordinary 
credit of 50,000 francs would be opened for the expenses of the 
French section of Agriculture and Horticulture at the St. Louis 
Exhibition. 
* * * 
The Surrey Seed Co. at Lagos.— This company was well 
represented at the recent agricultural show, Lagos, West Africa. 
On their stand were fine examples of Onions, Potatos, Carrots, 
Tomatos, Beetroot, Peas, Beans, Scarlet Runners, Dwarf Beans, 
and other garden and farm products. 
* * * 
Coloured Photos of Orchids. —At the meeting of the Scien¬ 
tific 'Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society on the 26th 
ult., Mr. Odell exhibited a colour photo of Cypripedium insigne 
Sanderae, executed by a new method. The yellow colour was 
very characteristic. It was received from Mr. A. S. Hickley, 
Kelso House, near Southampton. 
* * * 
Tidal Wave at the Scilly Isles. —Early in the morning of 
the 2nd inst. a tidal wave swept over the pier at St. Mary's, 
the chief of the isles, rising 8ft. above the pier, and everything 
not of a permanent character was swept away. Several hundred 
flower-boxes were washed away, as well as the gangways and 
the shoots which are used in shipping flowers. 
* * * 
Wild Flower Competition. —In a competition arranged by 
the local Alpine Club, Innerleithen, Peebles, for the best col¬ 
lection of pressed wild flowers among the children attending the 
schools in the district, the first prize was obtained by Maggie 
Watson, The Glen, while the following received book prizes: 
Isa Maul. Innerleithen, Fanny Turnbull, The Glen, equal; 
James Wilson, Kirkburn ; Aggie Mackay, The Glen, and 
Maggie Turnbull, The Glen, equal ; Marion Euman, Inner¬ 
leithen; Elizabeth Wilson, Kirkburn ; Jessie Scott, The Glen; 
and Janet Somerville, Kirkburn. 
* * * 
Plant Individuality. —At a meeting of the Natural History; 
Society, Reading, Mr. J. B. Austin, F.L.S., read a paper en¬ 
titled “ Plant Individuality,” and said that environment and 
selection tend to promote variation among plants, but this 
variation seems to be restrained within certain bounds. What, 
then, is this restraining influence? The lecturer suggested that 
it might he named plant individuality—that tendencies, 
originally impressed upon or acquired by cell life, work in oppo-' 
sition to the stimulants to variation. Mr. Austin’s paper, 
which was illustrated by several interesting diagrams, evidenced 
a vast amount of special knowledge and research upon the 
part of the author. 
* * * 
Rhododendrons on Kew Green. —The angles of the cross¬ 
roads abutting on Kew Green are now being filled up with 
soil, so as to make the bank slope gradually from the road 
to the grass. The. angle on the western side of the main road 
has apparently been completed, and planted with Rhododen¬ 
drons. Standard Thorns are planted at intervals among them. 
A line of Plane trees has been planted on the grass in front 
of the Rhododendrons. The slope here is such as to catch 
the direct rays of the sun from the middle of the day till sun¬ 
set. Rhododendrons delight in moist soil, and we think they 
will have a rather trying time of it during periods of drought,, 
when even the Limes on the level are sorely tried to retain 
their foliage. However, an experiment has been inaugurated, 
and the results will be apparent in tlie near future. 
