2:32 
THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. makch 29,1913. 
note that some of our British rais^ hare 
made vaet improvement in the habit over 
that of our Continental raisers. We have 
varieties which make handsome bedders; they 
have wonderful long, rigid stems, which ^1 
always make them beloved for any bea<nng 
or decorative purpose. At the same time, 
I do not think that the future will see this 
section anything like so universal as the 
poony-flowered class, as I believe we prefer 
flowers of a decided form and colour to 
the bizarre forms which we get in this class. 
In the show and fancy section, such varie¬ 
ties as Arthur Rawlings, Prince of Denmark, 
Merton, and Mrs. Ormerod will always be 
useful as bedders or for decoration. TOe 
charm of these dahlias will never be reali^ 
until we get a more ideal way of exhibiting 
them, say half a dozen blooms in a vase in 
distinct colours, shown in a similar manner 
to that in which we see large blooms staged 
at our chrysanthemum shows. Have we ad¬ 
vanced in this da&a? I cannot say that 
we have, particularly when we see sruch a 
fine old variety as Mr. Gladstone still one of 
the best, and most beautiful. There is 
no reason why the future should not give us 
a type with more rigid stems, and of more 
decided colour, particularly a good white. 
Will the future give us more supporters 
for our favourite flower? Yes, it wul; par¬ 
ticularly 80 if growers, when selecting their 
favourites at exhibitions, would state 
whetlier the flowers are wanted for exhibi¬ 
tion or for bedding. The majority, in select¬ 
ing varieties, believe that they will obtain 
a plant of good habit, and which will pro¬ 
duce a flower like that which they have in 
their mind’s eye at the time of purchase. 
Disappointment more than often follows, 
with the result that the plant does not get 
such a good name as we would desire. In¬ 
formation by practical men is freely given, 
but is not acted upon, except on rare occa- 
Can we influence those in public gardens to 
give the dahlia greater prominence than 
heretofore? There is no flower which gives us 
such a remarkable change in the tints of 
its flowers from the earlv blooms to that of 
late autumn; in fact, tne shades of colour 
during the months of October and Novem¬ 
ber are quite distinctive to those of August 
and September. 
For house decoration in any form we 
shall see the dahlia more frequently used 
in the future; owing to the varied range in 
the shades of colour, it is possible to please 
the most fastidious. How much longer the 
flowers would last (foliage also if cut sepa¬ 
rately), if a little more thot^ht were given 
^ to the time of cutting, viz., early morn¬ 
ing ! When cut, stand them in water 
in any cool place until wanted. The 
dahlia, when associated with autumn foliage, 
is very effective. In no flower can we find 
such a range of deTicate shades of colour as 
that which will be found in the dahlia. 
It would be as well if we had annual tests 
of the various sections; we should then have 
varieties impartially judged, and the public 
would get first-hand information, and would 
be more inclinel to go in for dahlia culture. 
The future of the dahlia no one can fore¬ 
tell. If we take into account the great 
number of seedlings which have been staged 
each year, there seems no reaison why we 
should not obtain types which will at all 
times find favour in someone’s sight, and 
^1 always be found suitable either as bed¬ 
ders or for exhibition or floral art. 
Annusils. —Many annual^ can now be 
sown in the open ground, but where the soil 
is heavy and lays cold it is advisable to defer 
this operation for a week or so still. In pre¬ 
paring the ground care should be taken to 
work it into a fine condition, so that the 
seeds can be covered by lightly raking over 
the surface; should the ground be retentive, 
use fine light soil when preparing for sowing* 
and also for covering the seeds. Watering 
will be necessary should the ground become 
dry while the seed is germinating.—T. B. 
Field, Wych Cross Place Gardens. 
NEW BOOKS. 
CULTURE OF VEGETABLES AND 
FLOWERS. 
By Sutton and Sons. (Simpkin, .Marshall, 
Hamilton, Kent, and Co., Lim., London.) 
Several times during the past twenty years 
it has been a pleasure as well as a duty to 
refer in appreciative terms to the excellent 
work by Messrs. Sutton and Sons on the 
cultivation of vegetables and’flowers, but on 
no occasion has the warmest expression of 
praise been more highly deserved than now. 
The book has reached its fifteenth edition, 
and this should be a sufficient proof that its 
merits are recognised, and that practical 
expression has been given to this re<^gni- 
tion, by those who are in need of the infor¬ 
mation it contains adding it to their library. 
Brightly written and thoroughly sound, the 
book at once became popular, and this popu¬ 
larity has been increased by the several edi¬ 
tions that have been issued. This increase is 
explained by the fact that the authors have 
been careful to subject each edition to so 
thorough a revision that it has been practi¬ 
cally a new work, but more perfect than any 
new work well could be. The book is so well 
known that there is no occasion to refer to its 
contents in detail, but special reference may 
well be made to the chapters on the rotation 
of crops in the kitchen garden, the chemistry 
of garden crops, and the making of lawns 
and tennis grounds from seeds, for they are 
not less remarkable for their interest than 
for the information they contain on these 
practical details of garden management. 
THE WELSH DAFFODIL. 
By W. Davis. (W. Davis, Donerail^i, Ex¬ 
mouth.) Price 2s. 
On the occasion of the installation of Prince 
Edward as Prince of Wales at Carnarvon 
Castle in July of last year, the daffodil was 
adopted, as the floral emblem of Wales. As 
a consequence of the high position thus given 
the flower, Mr. Davis undertook the task of 
explaining how the Tenby daffodil (Narcissus 
obvallaris) first came to Wales, and for this 
purpose the book, which consists of ten pages, 
has been published. 
PLANT DISEASES. 
By Dr. Werner F. Bruck. (Blackie and Son, 
50, Old. Bailey, London.) Price 2s. net. 
During the past quarter of a century much 
attention has been devoted to the investiga¬ 
tion of plant diseases, and as the result some 
new forms of diseases have been brought to 
light, and an immense amount of information 
relating thereto has been published. In the 
study of the various forms of disease to 
which plant life is subject, they have been 
regarded from quite different points of view, 
some investigators chiefly concerning them¬ 
selves with systematic descriptions, while 
others have directed their attention specially 
to devising remedies that may be readily 
applied by cultivators. Each set of investi- 
ptors have rendered good service. It is, 
however, necessary to take a greater breadth 
of view in the study of plant diseases, and to 
carefully consider atmospheric influences, and 
the chemical composition and the physical 
condition of the soil, for, as the author states, 
they are of the greatest significance in the 
development of diseases. Since the beginning 
of the present century much attention has 
been given to the investigation o»f the con¬ 
ditions which predispose plants to disease, and 
the inclusion of the results that have been 
obtained greatly enhances the value of the 
book to the cultivator. 
The diseases to which the chief cultivated 
plants grown in the garden and on the farm 
are liable are passed under review, and the 
progress of development of the numerous 
forms, and the results that follow attacks 
are concisely and clearly stated. The infor¬ 
mation that is given in the reference to the 
several diseases is indeed such that the cul¬ 
tivator who has carefully read the book will 
not have much difficulty in recognisiiur tZ 
enemy which he has to combat or 
having a clear idea as to the best ieaiu 
warding off an attack. While scientiBc bott 
in plan and execution, the book is w’rit^ 
in a clear and pleasant style, and will 
found oi much value as an introduction to 
the study of the all-important question 0 / 
diseases of plant life. On the other hand 
those who may not desire to do more than 
obtain an elementary knowledge of the snb. 
ject will find it most useful. 
OBITUARY. 
LADY DOROTHY NEVILL. 
Within a few days of her eighty-seventh 
birthday. Lady Dorothy NeviH pasW away 
on Easter Monday, full of years and of 
honour. A foremost figure in society for 
half a century, she made friends on erery 
side, and to her house in Charles Street, 
Berkeley Square, there came all who occu¬ 
pied high positions in social life politio, 
art, finance, science, and letters. Her thi 
volumes of “ Reminiscences,” published 
few years ag^, show how intimate she n 
with all the notable people of the Victoriu 
era, and prove beyond all else what t 
cions and witty lady she herself was. 
took a lively interest in horticulture, and 
until lately she was a frequent visiter it 
the fortnightly meetings of the Royal Hot 
ticultural Society. Indeed, horticultni^l 
botany, and the fine arts were her hobbicf. 
At Dangstein, near Midhurst, in West 
Sussex, she created a beautiful garden, and. 
among other things, grew orchids and 
pical plants successfully. The latter in* 
eluded nepenthes, crotons, economic plant^ 
and the former contained anrectochilus, and 
a fine range of species. Even as far back 
as 1874 the Dangstein collection of raw 
plants was regarded as one of the finest la 
cultivation. In 1879 Dangstein estate 
broken up, and the orchids were so.^ “ 
it is of interest to notioe that at tw 
Cattleya labiata vera realised from £10 » 
^30; Ma^evallia tovarensis, <£13; Sobrw 
macrantha, from £11 to £13; An^*c 
caudatum, £15; Masdevallia Estrada, ^ 
10s.; and Dendrobiiim Griffithianum, 
MR. F. G. HEATH. 
We record with regret the death 0 • 
Francis George Heath,* who^ work^ ^ 
ferns and sylviculture are wdl a 
occurred at We 3 rmouth on the 21st 1 •» 
his seventieth year. - Tntnes. 
Mr. Heath, who was a native of lot 
entered the Civil ^rvioe in 
tained to the position of a 
Customs Outdoor Department, . j 
he retired in 1904. Many 
began to take a kein interest 
and the countryside and ^ 
_ ‘j rtf Ilia active liie 
period and the close of his active me 
ITI f»nimection Wltll 
ment for securing open 
dwellers, and wrote many ooo Liniseu 
trees, etc. He special^ EpP*®i 
in securing Burnham Beeches c 
Forest as open spaces, and m 
VinWia Park. Chief 
raag Victona" Park. Fortj 
books were Tlie Fern 
World,” “Onr Woodland pees, and ^,7^ ^ 
Spring.” He also edited a, ne 
Gilpin’s " Forest Scenery. 
^ A This by*' 
Hyacinth Starlight. 
cinth, shown at a recent ineeti g 
Horticultural Society, rrhe 
son of its distinct app^axan^- ^ 
spike is long, and colour 
many other varieties, while ^ coi* 
blossoms are of a deep rich 
epicuous star-like centre of pu a gr^ 
mtle distance, the flower spike 1^^ ^ 
resemblance to a in 
Rev. E. Lascelles. The hyacinth 
is certainly a decided *tepart it a 
forms generally grown, ^ ^ 
once attracts attention.-'’'* 
