240 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 4. 1908. 
at the Royal Horticultural Hall, Vincent 
Square, Westminster, on 1st April, from 
1 p.m. to 5.30 (p.m. We shall try and assist 
in this respeot when we can get the notifi¬ 
cations in good time. 
NAMES OF PLANTS. 
(X.L. All) 1, Cyipripedium insigne; 2, 
Epiphyllum truncatum; 1, Lastrea Filix-mas 
paleacea cristata; 4, Polystichum angulare, 
(C. D.) 1, Scilla sibirica; 2, Scilla bifolia; 
3, Chionodoxa Luciliae sardensis; 4, Cory- 
ualis bulbosa; 5, Erica carnea. 
(W. M. Leach) 1, Ccxnus Mas; 2, Garrya 
elliptica; 3, Daphre oleoides; 4, Daphne 
Laureola; 5, Spiraea Thunibergii; 6, Vibur¬ 
num Tirius. 
(F. A. L.) 1, Acacia riceana; 2, Acacia 
Drummondi; 3, Choisya ternata; 4, Jacob- 
inia pauciflora (often named Libona flari- 
bunda in gardens) ; 5, Sparmannia africana. 
(B. C. W.) 1, Narcissus minor minimus; 
2, Saxifraga oppositifolia ; 3, Crocus vermis 
var. ; 4, Adonis amurensis; 5, Iris reticu¬ 
lata; 6, lonopsidium acaule; 7, Saxifraga 
apiculata. 
TR6PE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Frantz de Laet, Contich, Village-lez-An-. 
vers, Belgique (Belgium). — General Cata¬ 
logue, Cacti a Speciality. 
Barr and Sons, ii, 12 and 13, King 
Street, Covent Garden, London. — Barr’s 
Hardy Perennials Alpines, Aquatics, etc., 
Hardy Terrestrial Orchids, Irises, Paeonies, 
etc. 
Oldest Trade in the World. 
The old-fashioned idea of the gardener 
— the bent old man whose whole life work 
is protecting his favourite Roses from the 
children’s mischievous hands—was dis¬ 
pelled at the meeting of the British Gar¬ 
deners’ Association, held at Carr’s Res¬ 
taurant, Strand. “The popular idea of 
gardening,” said Mr. Weathers, the secre¬ 
tary, “is a man with corduroy breeches, 
hobnail boots, and strings under the 
knees—a man who is only a labourer, and 
not of the very best type. You get a 
clerk who is earning 21s. a week. He 
has some poor broken-down old man in to 
look after his garden, and talks about his 
gardener. I look upon that as a distinct 
insult to the professional gardener. As 
a body of men, there are few in other 
ranks of life who can compare with them 
in intelligence, carefulness, studiousness, 
and general conduct as citizens.” “The 
gardener,” said another member of the 
Association, “is expected to be everything 
— land surveyor, architect, builder, land 
steward, cook, geologist.” Commenting 
on these remarks, the London “Globe” 
says:—“Men who can do all the things 
the modern gardener can. do, men who are 
the Admirable Crichtons of the present 
age, have a claim to proper treatment. 
Exactly what wages are demanded we do 
not know, but it is certain that a sub¬ 
stantial advance on the present tariff will 
be required.” 
Sweet Sultan 
(Centaurea moschata). 
Every garden, however small, should 
cultivate some of the best annuals. No¬ 
thing pays for good treatment more than 
these, amongst them the new strain of 
Sweet Sultan. Messrs. Jarman and Co., 
of Chard, Somerset, have developed and 
exhibited them well at Taunton, Shrews¬ 
bury, and most of the principal shows, 
the last three or four years. 
Those needing cut flowers should culti¬ 
vate them. I know of nothing so beauti¬ 
ful as a table decorated with one or more 
colours (if these are well chosen, so that 
the colours blend) and some nice light 
foliage. Their long, stiff stems are one of 
their greatest merits, seeing they keep 
them in position. Their enduring nature 
places them in the front rank. This alone 
should recommend them to ladies and 
those that have no glass, seeing they are 
quite hardy. I have known them remain 
fresh and good for more than a week in 
rooms when the water is changed. It is 
wise to cut them in the morning just be¬ 
fore they open fully, and if placed in 
water at once they open more pure in 
colour than when left in the open, especi¬ 
ally if the weather is stormy. 
Their culture is of the most simple 
nature; being quite hardy, they need no 
coddling, nor is it necessary to sow either 
under glass or in pots. In fact, they are 
the most vigorous when sowm where they 
are to bloom. Although if it is -advai- 
tageous to have them to take the place 
of eaily blooming things that are gone 
over, then the seed should be sown in 
pots, allowing the number of plants to 
remain, according to the size of the pots, 
but no crowding should be allowed. 
Before these are pot-bound they should 
be planted where they are needed, and 
will make fine groups of colour in the 
mixed border, and be useful in autumn 
to cut. The best effect is obtained by 
one colour in a group; the same holds 
good with most things. 
Should they be needed for early work, 
then it is wise to sow them early in 
spring under a garden frame. When they 
attain size the frame may be removed al¬ 
together. But if the blooms are needed 
to be cut from the open, protection from 
rain is necessary. 
I have seen them growing in this and 
many other ways in Messrs. Jarmans 
nursery, and have watched with interest 
how select and pure the colours are. Some 
two years since I saw one .so deep in 
colour that I am expecting to see a deep 
blue. 
I may say the nearest to this is Bride¬ 
groom, which is a heliotrope colour; 
Bride is pure white ; Bridesmaid, lemon 
yellow; Honeymoon, golden yellow. This 
latter and the white are my favourite 
colours. 
Regarding soil and culture, I may say 
the soil best suited to them is a sandy 
loam, which need not be rich, seeing 
when they are coming into bloom they 
can be assisted with a sprinkling of some 
quickly soluble .artificial manure, water¬ 
ing it to the roots, or liquid manure 
water. This will promote size of bloom 
and length of stem, also continual 
blooming. 
Slugs are by far their worst enemy, 
and I know many lose their crop in- the 
early stages and blame the seed. They 
can easily be kept under in many ways. 
Tb«ir price places them within reach of 
all, and they should find a place in every 
garden, 
Pro. 
Eckfcrd’s 
All Eckford’s Pedigree Culi¬ 
nary Peas are carefully hand¬ 
picked, and none but healthy, 
fertile samples are ever sold 
to customers. 
The following collections of 
Culinary Peas for complete 
succession will give Five 
Month's continuous supply if 
sown in the order marked on 
each packet. 
COLLECTION A. 
4 pints in sealed packets 
for complete succession 3,6 
COLLECTION B. 
6 pints ditto . 5 /- 
COLLECTION C. 
12 pints ditto . 10 /- 
All sent carriage free 
for Cash with order. 
“CULINARY PEAS AND 
HOW TO GROW THEM.” 
A booklet by Henry Eckford, sent free 
with all orders for Culinary Peas. 
Giant 
Sweet Peas. 
When growing Sweet Peas, grow only 
the best. The best that can be ob¬ 
tained are Eckford’s. 
1908 COLLECTIONS. 
Villa (0) Collection. 
Twelve splendid varieties, separate 
and named, suitable for exhibition, 
fifty seeds of each, 2s. 9d. 
Villa (t) collection. 
Twelve splendid varieties, separate 
and named, suitable for exhibition, 
twenty-five seeds of each, Is. 6d. 
A booklet giving full particulars on the cul¬ 
ture of Sweet Peas given with every order, 
rrre Write for complete catalogue of ALL 
rntt. FLOWER & VEGETABLE'SEEDS. 
It is sent free. 
HENRY ECKFORD, f.r.h.s., 
Sweet Pea Specialist. Wem, Shrop. 
