the hardening world. 
June 25, 1904. 
our day that same word has been cut down to Narciss, so that 
if we are dissatisfied with the improper use of names in our 
day, we can take comfort from the fact that the old Adam was 
no better. , 
Nevertheless, good John Parkinson himself speaks of tiie 
Fritillaria or Checkered Daffodil, and probably would have 
excused himself on the score that it was a well-known English 
name. The flowers that delighted Londoners in those days 
were practically the same to a great extent which are grown, 
in the out-door garden to-day. For instance, there were Cro¬ 
cuses, Colchioums, and Crown Imperial, which he classed as a 
“ Lily,” describing and figuring it under Lilium. Several of 
the true Lilies were grown in those days as Martagons,^ the 
name being yet retained for a section, of the genus Lilium. 
Tulips, according to Parkinson, were “ beyond the wit of man 
to decipher them.” He had sixty of them, but for each of 
those sixty there might be ten others, and all different. By 
means of Tulips alone he contrived to- keep up a display for 
three momths in the open air. 
In Chapter V. he deals with English flowers proper, but lie 
is careful to explain that they may not have originated in 
England in all oases, but had so thriven ini gardens and become 
such favourites with thei masses that they weie generally ie- 
o-arded as English flowers. This, will be seen by reference to 
such as Primroses, Cowslips, Wallflowers,, Campions and Stock 
Gillyflowers. These, we may remark, might properly be re¬ 
garded as English flowers, seeing that the originals grow wild 
in greater or less quantity in some part of this country. What 
Parkinson meant by their being as much outlandish as the 
others was that the cultivated forms were, in many cases, im¬ 
provements on, the original, the improvement having been 
effected in some of the Continental countries. _ ? 
Another name which has been lost in our day is Queen s 
Gillyflowers, which are represented by single and double 
varieties of the Dame’s Violet (Hesperis matronalis.) Violets 
they had in plenty in those days, both single and double 
varieties being grown. They also had Snapdragon®, Colum¬ 
bines, Larkspurs, or Lark’s heelsi, single and double, double 
Poppies and Daisies • even the hen-and-ohicken Daisy was 
familiar to Parkinson, who called it'' Jacke an. Ape® on. Horse- 
backe.” All these go to show that eveiybody’s flowers of the 
present day had taken a firm hold on the people in those far- 
off times, and that they have been merely a legacy handed 
down to us. 
We can merely take a peep into liisi garden, of pleasant 
flowers to indicate the method adopted by him of trying to 
popularise his, favourites amongst the masses generally. His 
object was to lay before the people the, name and description of 
those things which they ought to grow. He addressed him¬ 
self to ladies as well as gentlemen, for even then lady gardeners 
were evidently numerous. The Lilies are first taken in hand, 
and amongst them lie included the Crown, Imperial and the 
Persian Lily, both of which are really Fritillaries. We may 
not be in any mood to criticise him for this, however, seeing 
that botanists more recently have had a difficulty with Fritil¬ 
laria camtsehatcensis, some of them making it out to be a 
Fritillary and others a Lily. We can recognise most of the 
Lilies which he illustrates and describe®. 
The Tulip® he called the Turke’s-cap, which in those days, 
was perfectly correct as coming from a Persian, word signifying 
a turban. He classified the various kinds of Tulips into eaily, 
medium, and late, describing the different varieties coming 
under these separate headings. Collectors had been busy even 
in his day judging from his language, “ our age being more 
delighted in the search, curiosity, and rarities of these pleasing 
delights .than any age I think before.” 
In looking through these Tulips we can discern that our 
early-flowering Tulips and May-flowering Tulips would corre¬ 
spond to his first-class and his second and third respectively. 
The early Tulips with large flowers were undoubtedly those 
which we know unoer the name of Due van Thol (Tu 1 1 pa suaveo- 
lens). Some of hi® varieties, indeed, he calls Dukes, but he 
also had a Duchess, a Baron, several Princes, and The Queen. 
The medium and late varieties consisted chiefly of forms of 
T. gesueriana, but Parkinson had many others corresponding 
in form to various European Tulips cultivated to-day. He was 
such a close observer that he describes the essential differences 
of many of the forms which we grow to-day as species. Amongst 
the large Tulips were all sorts of variation, including flamed, - 
■striped, and feathered Tulips. Instead of one or two green 
Tulips, Parkinson had several. That named The Parrot was 
green, striped with yellow. That his classes represented dif¬ 
ferent species we have no doubt., for the author, in speaking 
of raising new varieties from seeds', expressly tells us that early 
varieties do not give rise to late ones, nor vice-versa. He even 
advises the use of certain colours, which were more prolific in 
variety from seeds than the others'. The purple early variety 
was the best for giving variation 'amongst the seedlings. 
Amongst medium or mid-season Tulips, he said that light 
varieties inclining to white were better parents than yellow 
ones, and in like manner the purple sorts were more profuse 
in giving variety than the reds. He regarded it as waste of 
time and space to sow red or yellow varieties. 
About the end of October was the best time to sow the seeds, 
because the seedlings arising from them were not likely to 
appear above ground too early, thereby rendering themselves 
liable to' be destroyed by late frosts. Fresh seed he con¬ 
sidered best., but two-year-old seed, if properly ripened, dried 
and kept, would give perfectly satisfactory results. The print¬ 
ing i® excellent, and the paper made of linen rag. All the 
illustrations are also, reproduced exactly as they were in the 
original. 
A Handsome Conservatory. 
(See Supplement .) 
In former numbers we have given pictures of new conserva¬ 
tories, together with a description of the structure of them. 
In referring to the subject, we present our readers with a 
supplement, showing a conservatory built by Mr. W. Duncan 
Tucker, Lawrence Hoad, South Tottenham, London, for G. H. 
Burrows', Esq., Ladywood, Orpington, Kent. 
The conservatory has a curved roof, on the top of which is 
a lantern with dome. This conservatory is 28 ft. long by 
16 ft. 9 in. wide, and lias a projecting entrance porch, the 
projection being 2 ft. 7 in>. The height of this at the eaves 
is 12 ft. 6 in., 2 ft. at the base being brickwork. The site is 
that on which an old conservatoiy stood, and this was taken 
down to make way for the new structure, Portland cement 
concrete foundation® 2 ft. by 1 ft. thick ‘ were made to' support 
the super structure. A tank for rain-water was also constructed 
below the conservatory, being made water-tight by cement with 
proper overflow. In, the foundation of walls, ventilators of 
the “ hit and miss” pattern are put in, 15 in. by 9 in. in size. 
The whole of the woodwork in the conseivatory consists of 
well-seasoned yellow deal, excepting the sills, which are all 
oak, and the curved rafters, which consist of ash bent. The 
preparation of the woodwork has been carried out with great 
care, the sections being moulded, weathered, and throated. 
The frame-work was also made as strong as possible, being 
morticed and tenoned at the joint®, which were coated with 
white lead and painted before being put together. The sashes 
below the transome are 2j- in. thick and are in the form of 
ovals moulded, and the upper portion framed with small 
squares. The sashes above the transome are 2 in,, thick, and 
formed with the same circular arch. The cornice at the eaves 
is formed to detail with bold moulding in front. 
The mullions' are so constructed a® to present a square face 
on the outside with a sinking on the inside. The outer face is 
covered with a turned wood column. Above the transome a 
pilaster is formed into trussed bracket® with incised flutes on 
the face, and fixed to the cornice. The framing and sashes 
■at the two corners are made to' curve. The entrance is gained 
by means of two folded doors to the porch, these being hung 
on brass butt-hinges; and excellently fitted in the matter of 
lock and key. Pro-vision is also' made in the side of the build¬ 
ing below the transome for six sashes to' be hung by the centre 
and opened with brass casement stay-bolts. 
