August 19, 1905. 
the gardening world 
65b 
OCCASIONAL 
;• I NTERVI EWS •: 
Mr. Councillor C. J. MEE, F.R.H.S. 
Hon. Secretary of the Nottinghamshire Horticultural and Botanical Society. 
The town of “ goose fair ” renown has been 
materially improved in appearance of late 
years, but the old open-air market still re¬ 
mains, and though some consider it quaint 
and picturesque, most people think it is a 
slur on the dignity of a great and wealthy 
community like that of Nottingham. The 
electric trams lend an air of go and move¬ 
ment to the place, and while decidedly un- 
sesthetio by reason of the overhead wires, they 
are an undoubted convenience, and mean 
economy of time and money to the inhabi¬ 
tants. Nottingham is not an ugly capital ; 
but while there is little beautiful and strik¬ 
ing in the business quarters of the town, 
most of the suburbs, and the environs more 
particularly, are distinctly charming. In¬ 
thousands on the ever-widening outskirts of 
the leviathan English metropolis. 
Judging- by the gardens, public and pri¬ 
vate, Nottingham people are fond of flowers, 
and both the well-to-do and poor residents 
display commendable ardour and taste in this 
direction. .Mr. W. L. P. Rowley, who is the 
Unionist candidate for the Western Division 
of Nottingham, was not long since reported 
to have said, in the course of a public speech, 
that Nottingham might very well claim to 
be a pioneer among garden cities, and 
though my limited experience does not 
enable me to endorse this statement, and 
though gentlemen when nursing a consti¬ 
tuency naturally say nice things about those 
whose suffrages they intend to seek, yet there 
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Mr. C. J. Mke, F.R.H.S. 
point, and after a little rest we crossed the 
river in a punt to one of the numerous islands 
which lie in the river hereabouts. This, some¬ 
where about two acres in extent, is used as a 
supplementary kitchen garden, and Potatos, 
Peas, Runner Beans, Onions, and such like 
crops were in first-class condition. The natural 
dampness of the land and the rich mulchings 
of peat moss litter from the stables which are 
put on it are very conducive to good and heavy 
crops. When one considers the amount of 
stable litter from more than sixty horses, it is 
not to be wondered at that the garden gets 
plenty of mulching material. The Potatos, 
especially those from last year’s Scotch-grown 
“ sets,” were very robust, and gave unmistakable , 
proof that a change of “ seed ” pays. 
A GARDEN OF_ 
ROSES. 
The beauty of a garden does not depend 
upon its size, whether that garden is devoted 
to Pansies, Paeonies, or Roses, provided the 
owner loves it and lays it out and plants it 
in a delightful way. On the banks of the 
Bourne, Bournemouth, is a small garden of 
Roses on the southern slope ; the front gate 
is festooned with Virginia Creeper, but as 
soon as the visitor is inside, he is confronted 
with Roses on every hand. The wall® of the 
house are covered with climbing varieties most 
suitable for the purpose, and they have been 
well selected. A blue Clematis overhangs 
the porch of the house, and above this the 
old Gloire de Dijon was a wealth of Roses a 
short time ago. To the right of this the 
saffron and yellow flowers of William Allan 
Richardson make a beautiful contrast with 
the larger blooms of that other old favourite. 
Aimee Vibert was also a wealth of white blos¬ 
som, and is indispensable to those who- love 
Roses of this class. Some of the Roses are 
grown in the form of bushes, and others are 
trained over graceful arches. Amongst the 
dwarder subjects, Grace Darling and the 
lovely Margaret Dickson come into prominent 
contrast with their respective delicate and 
charming hues. More gorgeous in their crim¬ 
son hues were Duke of Edinburgh and Captain 
Hayward. 
The garden is well sheltered, and not 
entirely devoted to Roses. Tall Pines on the 
northern aspect shelter it against the winds 
in that direction, and in front of these the 
beautiful foliage of the copper Beech and 
Japanese Maple give character and tone to the 
arboreal vegetation. In one direction a back¬ 
ground of golden Privet forms shelter to 
masses of Carnations, Pansies, Calceolarias, 
yellow and white Marguerites, and Pelar¬ 
goniums. On the centre of a piece of green 
sward an ancient Pine is clothed with Ivy, 
and supports the climbing branches of a small 
red Rose. Our correspondent, Mr. Tillett, 
sends us an account of this garden as iff ap¬ 
pears in the “ Bournemouth Graphic.” 
Insect Life. —Insects, generally, must lead 
a truly jovial life. Think what it must be to 
lodge in a Lily. Imagine a palace of ivory or 
pearl, with pillars of silver, and capitals of 
gold, all exhaling such a- perfume- as never 
arose from gum or censer. Fancy, again, the 
fun of tucking yourself up for a night in the 
fold of a Rose, rocked to sleep by the gentle 
sighs of the summer air, and nothing to do 
when you awake but to wash yourself in a 
clear dewdrop, and fall to- and eat your couch. 
deed, few manufacturing towns have such 
picturesque neighbouring scenery as Not¬ 
tingham. This would immediately be con¬ 
ceded by the stranger who should make ob¬ 
servations on a clear day from the com¬ 
manding, precipitous rock on which Not¬ 
tingham Castle stands. From this elevation 
he may cast his eye over an extensive track 
of country with the beautiful Yale of Trent 
and the fertile meadows watered by that river 
and the Leen. 
Building operations would appear to be 
pretty brisk hereabouts, and the style of 
architecture largely in vogue is a great ad¬ 
vance on the hideous, flimsy brick boxes 
which spring up annually in hundreds and 
can be no doubt that the large number of 
well-kept gardens is a noticeable feature in 
and around this important industrial centre. 
It is not, therefore, surprising that the 
town boasts of several large horticultural 
societies ; and on my last visit I determined 
rii see the secretary of one of these organisa¬ 
tions. 
My selection was the Nottinghamshire Hor¬ 
ticultural and Botanical Society, and accord¬ 
ingly I sought out Mr. C. J. Mee, the lion, 
secretary. He and his son, under the style 
of C. J. Mee and Son, own the principal 
florists’ business in Nottingham. So I went 
tc Long Row, where the establishment is 
situated, and saw Mr. Mee, jun. His father 
