504 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 18. 1904. 
Round the Nurseries. 
Coombc Wood. 
There is such a wealth, of flowering trees and shrubs and 
climbers in the C'oomhe Wood Nurseries of Messrs. J. Veitch 
and Sons, Limited, King’s Road, Chelsea, that a visit of in¬ 
spection! is always well repaid. No better time could be 
selected for a visit than May and June, but something will be 
found in bloom throughout the summer. Our visit was made 
late in May, so that 'any reference to plants in flower would 
mostly apply to the end of that month and the beginning of 
June. 
The splendid Acer palmatum, 25 ft. by “25 ft., is ini grand 
form a.s to foliage this year, being a- living mass of delicate 
greenery. This is probably the original plant introduced. 
A. p. involutum has more finely divided leaves and white edge®. 
Magnolia stellate rosea, 8 ft. high, was. a mass of pink, just ai 
little previously. Another grand specimen was Corpus macro- 
phylla, 30 ft. high, and covered with trusses of white flowers 
during the present month. This is also the original plant. 
Interesting also' is an evergreen. Japanese Oak, named Quercus 
acuta., 25 ft. high, an.d having leaves 4 in. to 6 in. long. The 
Lilacs were also, in splendid form, including Syringa. Marshal 
de- Bassompierrei, with large trusses of double, lilac-purple 
flowers. The pure white Marie Legraye is a well-known, standard 
variety. Two of the Persian Lilacs flowered splendidly 
namely, Syringa persica and S. p,. alba,. We never fail to 
admire the original plant of Euoryphia pinnatifolia, which has 
now attained the height of 15 ft. We always wonder, however, 
that this splendid shrub should remain a stranger in most 
gardens. The flowers, may be compared to a large single white 
Rose, with longer stamens than, usual and evergreen foliage. 
Another specimen worthy of special mention, is Cornu® braohy- 
poda,, 25 ft,, high, and laden with flowers on; the point of expan¬ 
sion. Little-known shrubs are Hamamelis mollis, the original 
plant, with leaves 4 in. to 5 in. long, and in that respect, differ- 
ing from the better-known, specie®. Close by was H. zuccarin- 
iana, with dark green foliage. A rare plant is Abelia triflora,, 
12 ft. high fully exposed, and flowering for a long period from 
June onwards. The balloon-shaped deep rose flowers of Mag¬ 
nolia Lenne are very handsome. The Hawthorn-scented Eseal- 
lonia philippiana flowers very freely here. The 1 same may be 
said of E. langleyensis, a hybrid with pink flowers. Another 
practically unknown plant to the fraternity is A de® carpus 
decorticans, 3 ft,, to 4 ft. high-, with racemes of goldenr-yellow 
pea-shaped flower's. The leave® arei so densely arranged that 
the branches resemble long bottle brushes. Stuartia Pseudo- 
Camellia is going to flower well this year. Very handsome 
Deutzias were D. discolor grandiflora, with purple buds and 
white inside; D. gracilis rosea, with rosebuds and pink 
flowers; D. campanula,ta, very floriferous and white ; D. kal- 
miae-flora, with pink flowers ; and D. discolor purpurescens, 
with purple buds and white inside. All of these are practically 
new plants of great beauty. 
In passing through the nursery we came upon another very 
choice variety of Lilac—namely, Michael Buchner, with dense 
erect thyrses of flowers, purple in bud and lilac afterwards. 
Acer palmatum palmatifidum is a very finely cut form of 
Japanese Maple of a light green, and very graceful. A plant 
of Daphniphyllum glaucesoens, 8 ft. high and full of flowers, is 
one of the finest in the country, and has leaves 3 in. to 6 in,, 
in length. An uncommon, species of Abelia, is 1 A. serrata, about 
5 ft. to 6 ft. high,, with funnel-shaped white flowers spotted 
with orange inside. One of the choicest of the Guelder Roses 
i« Viburnum macrooephalum. One of the darkest and richest 
coloured varieties of the Japanese Quince is Cydooia japoniea 
Simoni, with brilliant crimson-red flowers. Another beautiful 
Maple worth mention is Acer vitifolium, with nine-lobed leaves 
of beautiful outline. 
The nurseries here are beautifully situated, with a, great 
hollow surrounded by high ground, on one side sheltered by 
wood's,, so that the visitor in, looking down' upon, the hollow 
when the Rhododendrons are in bloom witnesses a very hand¬ 
some display indeed, and affording a picture that might well 
be copied in similar situations in private grounds. We need 
not here describe any large number of the Rhododendrons, 
which are always well grown, but we could not fail to admire 
Pink Pearl, having huge trusses of bloom 9J in. ini diameter, 
and rivalling or even outdoing many of the most magnificent 
,of the Himalayan Rhododendrons under glass. The flowers of 
Cynthia are brilliant red and highly conspicuous 1 at a, distance. 
They are also, large by comparison with their relations, the 
hybrid forms of R. pontioum. Prometheus is also brilliant red, 
spotted with crimson on the upper side. 
Attention is given here to the modern custom of growing 
many plants in the form of standards, which often come in 
handy for a variety of purposes, especially in pots and tubs. 
A large number, however, are planted out, including Cytisus 
fiore albo, with white flowers. C. purpureus pendulus may be 
described as a, weeper*, with drooping branches and pale purple 
flowers. C. supinus is less common, and has yellow flowers, 
with a, brown, blotch on the standard. Those of C. elongatus 
are white, tinted with yellow and purple. The brown-winged 
Broom (C. scoparius andreanus) is n,ow well known, and one 
of the best. A new variety is C. purpureus incarnatus, with 
larger flowers than the type, opening pink and becoming deep 
purple. A much smaller-growing plant, is Genista prostrata, 
having a profusion of small golden,-yellow flowers. 
In passing through the new plant grounds we' noted many 
splendid specimens,, the originals of many introductions, made 
by Messrs. Veitch. A very handsome Magnolia is M. Watsoni, 
with eight, ohovate creamy-white sepals, red filaments, and 
paler anthers. The flowers are also very fragrant, making 
this one of the choicest of the Magnolias. A very curious' plant 
is Meliosma myriantha, having white panicles of sweetly 
scented flowers and oblong leaves 6 in. to 8 in,, in length and 
closely resembling those of a Sweet, Chestnut. Corn,us brachy- 
poda variegata forms a silvery-white tree 30 ft. in height, and 
highly conspicuous,, even, from a. distance, owing to 1 the amount 
of variegation. A fine form of Hop Hornbeam (Carpi n us 
caudatus) is notable for the size of its leaves and pendulous 
catkins. Here we must mention two very ornamental Japanese 
trees much neglected, considering their beauty. Styr'ax 
Obas'sia, 25 ft. high, with very large leave®, may he considered 
somewhat stiff, but, the large snow-white flowers are very hand¬ 
some. Altogether more graceful, with numerous twiggy 
branched and myriads of smaller white flowers is Styrax 
japoniea.. Clerodemdrons are usually regarded a® greenhouse 
plants, hut. C. trichotomum stands 20 ft. high, thus giving a 
clear conception, of its hardiness. It also, flowers well in autumn. 
The Fringe tree of China (Qhionanthus retusu®) forms a, bushy 
tree 20 ft. high, and bears sweet-scented white flowers. 
Besides the species of Dogwoods already mentioned, Cornus 
flo-rida peodula is worthy of note on, accoimt of its drooping 
branches and large white bracts. It stands 10 ft. high and 
flowered early in May. The, Maples are usually very character¬ 
istic in having palmately lobed leaves, but there are a few 
striking exceptions, including Acer distylum, a Japanese tree 
with leave® closely resembling the common. Lime. The pale 
yellow flowers 1 are produced in 1 erect racemes, thus differing 
from the common Sycamore. Although having little or no re¬ 
semblance to the Pea family, nevertheless Caesalpinia, japoniea 
belongs to that order, and has bipinnate leaves, with large 
trusses of yellow flowers, here produced in great abundance. 
Those few gardener®' who already possess it usually grow it 
upon a wall, hut here it forms a, sort of trellis fully exposed. A 
distinct variety of the Japanese Guelder Rose is Viburnum 
tomentosum Maries-ii, having the flowers of the ray white, and 
forming a little tree 8 ft. L> 10 ft. high. The hardy‘Orange, 
Citrus trifolia,ta, forms, a, large bush and ha-s flowered freely 
this year. Compared with the common, Orange, the petals 
have remarkably long claws. 
In other parts 1 of the grounds, the Hawthorns, including 
Paul’s Scarlet, rendered the air fragrant, and that indeed was 
the case in, many situations where sweet-scented shrubs were 
flowering, as the atmosphere was close and moist, and as if 
