398 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  10  ll'OO. 
fall  in  clouds  upon  the  unfortunate  plants  below.  Then  the 
Underground  Kailway  has  a  ventilation  shaft  in  the  eastern  garden,  and 
everyone  who  has  ridden  in  these  trains  can  form  some  idea  of  the 
noxious  fumes  that  are  belched  therefrom.  Then  there  are  thousands 
of  surrounding  chimneys,  which  do  their  share  towards  making  the 
work  of  satisfactory  bedding  more  and  more  difficult  of  attainment. 
However,  the  superintendent,  Mr.  D.  Carson,  goes  quietly  onward,  and 
by  persistent  effort  secures  excellent  flowers. 
A  few  days  ago  I  made  an  opportunity  of  visiting  the  gardens  to 
see  the  Tulips,  in  whose  praise  I  had  heard  so  much.  The  brilliant 
display  of  flowers  came  as  a  most  agreeable  surprise,  even  after  the 
verbal  reports  that  had  reached  me.  There  were,  for  the  size  of  the 
gardens,  considerable  numbers  of  beds,  in  the  major  portion  of  which 
was  one  variety  only.  In  the  remaining  beds  and  here  and  there  in  the 
shrubbery  borders  were  mixed  single  Tulips,  and  these  produced  a  bright 
and  striking  effect ;  they  were  a  change  from  the  others,  and  as  such 
meet  with  general  approbation.  Amongst  these  mixtures  were 
observed  Tournesol  double.  Van  der  Neer,  and  Gold  Standard,  which, 
with  Vermilion  Brilliant,  are  represented  in  the  engraving  (fig.  107). 
There  were  also,  of  course,  all  those  about  to  be  enumerated.  Of  the 
numerous  one  variety  beds  only  one  was  a  failure.  It  was  represented 
by  four  beds  in  widely  divergent  portions  of  the  garden,  and  of  the 
several  hundreds  of  bulbs  not  a  solitary  one  produced  a  flower.  Every 
one  had  grown  strongly  and  produced  fine  substantial  leaves,  but  when 
the  bud  was  about  a  quarter  developed  there  had  come  a  complete 
cessation  of  growth,  and  the  buds  gradually  shrivelled.  The  variety 
was  supplied  as  Couleur  Cardinal,  which  has  in  previous  seasons  been 
quite  satiefactory. 
This  break  in  the  otherwise  beautiful  series  of  beds  was  most 
regrettable,  but  was  amply  compensated  for  in  the  brilliance  of  many 
of  the  others.  There  were  hundreds  of  flowers  of  such  varieties  as 
Proserpine,  Chrysolora,  Keizer’s  Kroon,  Cottage  Maid,  Vermilion 
Brilliant,  L’Innocence,  Pabiola,  Joost  Van  Vondel,  and  others  that  in 
respect  of  size  and  form  were  beyond  criticism,  but  the  colours  were 
scarcely  so  clear  as  one  is  accustomed  to  And  in  the  same  varieties 
when  they  are  grown  in  the  pure  air  of  rural  districts. 
While  Tulips  formed  the  brighter  portion  of  the  display  when  this 
visit  was  paid,  there  had  been  also  beds  of  Crocuses  and  Scillas. 
Hyacinths  were  just  passing  their  best,  but  a  splendid  bed  of  King  of 
the  Blues  still  remained.  Later  we  shall  have  the  summer  bedding, 
and  if  this  prove  equal  in  its  own  way  to  the  feast  of  Tulips,  then  will 
jt  be  satisfactory  to  everyone  concerned  in  its  management,  as  well 
as  to  the  public. — Wandeeek. 
Tulips  at  Long  Dittoij. 
I  LOOKED  in  at  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons’  bulb  nursery  at  Long  Ditton 
the  other  day  to  see  the  early  Tulips.  One  peculiarity  of  these  at  this 
place  is  that  they  constitute  blocks  of  colour  here  and  there  set  into 
a  vast  ground  of  yellow  formed  by  the  huge  masses  of  Daffodils. 
But  that  very  fact  served  to  bring  out  with  marked  emphasis  the 
exceeding  beauty  and  richness,  as  well  as  welcomeness  of  these  diverse 
and  generally  glorious  hues.  In  ordinary  garden  decoration  I  much 
prefer  to  see  Tulips  mixed  up  in  several  colours  in  beds  as  being  so 
much  more  pleasing,  but  in  such  grounds  as  those  of  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons  big  blocks  of  one  variety  tell  with  diverse  and  brilliant  effect 
because  of  the  great  range  of  other  flowers  all  around. 
How  difficult  is  it  to  pick  out  from  these  early  flowering  Tulips 
one  as  being  more  beautiful  than  another.  Sometimes  the  seifs  seem 
best,  sometimes  the  particoloured  ones,  and  of  these  certainly 
Joost  Van  Vondel  is  a  delightful  variety.  Bat  all  singles  are  lovely 
All  doubles  on  the  other  hand  seem  ungainly,  indeed  if  there  be  any 
flower  grown  in  gardens  that  seems  to  have  been  spoiled  by  doubling  it 
is  the  Tulip.  About  the  middle  of  the  month,  though  necessarily 
much  depends  on  the  intervening  weather,  the  splendid  collection  of 
late,  and  especially  the  so-called  Darwin  or  self-coloured  Tulips,  will 
be  at  their  best.  These  seem  to  me  to  be  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
Tulips,  and  those  who  may  not  have  seen  them  should  try  and  do  so 
this  year,  for  they  will  be  found  in. a  huge  block,  and  be  wonderfully 
attractive.  Whatever  may  be  the  peculiar  properties  of  the  Dutch  soil, 
at  least  it  seems  difficult  to  believe  that  it  can  grow  either  Narcissi 
or  late  Tulips  better  than  these  bulbs  are  grown  at  Long  Ditton  in 
particular,  and  throughout  Great  Britain  in  general. — A.  Kingston. 
l(oyal  Gardeners’  Orplian  Fund. 
Annual  Dinner. 
It  has  become  customary  during  the  past  few  years  to  hold  tho 
occasional  dinners  of  the  gardening  charities  in  the  Hotel  Metropole, 
but  on  this  occasion  a  move  was  made  to  the  Cafe  Monico,  Piccadilly 
Circus.  This  dinner  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  social  events  of  the 
horticultural  world,  and  the  muster  on  Tuesday  evening  was  decidedly 
strong,  about  130  gentlemen  being  present.  The  committee  had  been 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  the  presence  of  Lord  Battersea  as  chairman, 
and  the  company  received  his  lordship  with  enthusiasm.  Among  the 
scores  of  well-known  people  observed  were  Messrs.  W.  Marshall,. 
W.  Cobb,  W.  A.  Bilney,  N.  N.  Sherwood,  Leonard  G.  Sutton,  M.  Hubert 
Foquett  Sutton,  Jas.  H.  Veitch,  J.  Gould  Veitch,  Arnold  Moss, 
H.  Balderson,  F.  Q.  Lane,  D.  Pell-Smith,  G.  Assbee,  G.  Monro,  Peter 
Kay,  J.  O’Brien,  H.  B.  May,  J.  F.  McLeod,  G.  Gordon,  R.  Dean,  J.  H. 
Laing,  J.  Douglas,  W.  Cutbush,  R.  Cuthbert,  S.T.  Wright,  G.  J.  Ingram, 
J.  W.  Moorman,  and  T.  Bevan.  ^ 
The  dinner  was  despatched  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  the 
Royal  toasts  were  received  with  the  most  intense  enthusiasm.  But 
everyone  was  looking  forward  to  the  chairman’s  speech,  as  he  had  come 
amongst  them  with  the  reputation  of  an  orator — a  reputation  that  was 
certainly  maintained,  for  he  had  an  abundant  flow  of  beautiful  language,, 
and  here  and  there  a  flash  of  wit.  His  lordship  did  not  speak  at^  great 
length,  a  fact  that  was  evidently  deplored  by  many  of  those  in  the 
International  Hall.  He  expressed  the  gratiflcation  he  had  felt  in  being 
invited  to  preside,  and  at  the  pleasure  it  gave  him  to  be  present,  to 
bring  forward  and  to  urge  upon  them  the  necessity  for  doing  their 
utmost  for  a  most  admirable  institution.  He  was  sure  the  man  of 
to-day  found  more  pleasures  in  his  garden  than  had  been  possible  in 
years  gone  by,  and  he  thought  all  would  recognise  in  town  and  country 
that  there  was  a  rising  intelligence  perceptible  about  all  connected  with 
horticulture.  There  was,  continued  the  speaker,  another  society — 
namely,  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution — which  all  ought 
to  support ;  but  he  considered  that  more  should  be  done  for  the  benefit 
of  the  orphans.  His  lordship  referred  to  the  interest  Sir  Francis  Bacon 
found  in  his  garden  in  the  days  of  the  great  Elizabeth,  and  further 
assured  his  hearers  that  in  his  garden  and  amongst  his  plants  he  found 
a  greater  peace  and  a  deeper  interest  than  in  politics.  Everyone,  he 
said,  could  grow  flowers,  though  Orchids  were  beyond  the  means  of 
many.  These  might,  however.  And  equal  enjoyment  in  the  humbler 
flowers  of  the  garden.  He  thought  those  who  could  afford  to  give 
£400  or  £500  for  a  single  Orchid,  as  he  had  that  day  heard  of,  should 
give  generously  of  their  wealth  to  the  institution.  He  considered  this 
an  age  of  progress,  and  brought  forward  examples  to  illustrate  his 
points.  He  was  thankful,  as  a  sign  of  the  times,  to  find  formal 
bedding  going  out  of  fashion,  due,  of  course,  to  the  broader  and  more 
intelligent  views  with  which  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  looking  at  their 
gardens. 
N.  N.  Sherwood,  Esq.,  the  treasurer  of  the  Fund,  rose  to  thank 
Lord  Battersea  for  his  presence  and  for  his  eloquence,  and  to  bring 
to  the  particular  notice  of  those  present  a  few  facts  about  a  society  in 
whose  welfare  all  were  interested.  He  briefly  reviewed  the  work  that 
had  been  done  during  the  past  thirteen  years,  and  characterised  it  as 
most  satisfactory,  but  still,  he  considered,  the  support  of  gardeners 
generally  in  the  form  of  annual  subscriptions  ought  to  be  greatly 
increased.  Though  he  believed  them  to  be  underpaid  he  thought  a 
subscription  of  5s.  a  year  could  not  hurt  anyone.  He  thought  head 
gardeners  might  have  a  fund  amongst  the  foremen,  journeymen,  and 
labourers;  that  they  might  seek  permission  from  their  employers  to  place 
boxes  in  the  mansion  when  it  was  full  of  guests  ;  and  that  children 
might  be  given  boxes  for  collecting,  all  of  which  would  tend  to  increase 
the  funds  and  therefore  the  utility  of  the  society.  The  committee  was 
spending  £1000  a  year  and  had  an  income  of  £390,  and  he  hoped 
within  the  next  two  or  three  years  to  find  these  figures  more  in  a  line. 
Mr.  Jas.  H.  Yeitch  was  entrusted  with  the  toast  for  “  Gardeners  and 
Gardening,”  and  he  spoke  briefly  but  forcibly.  He  thought  the  society 
largely  existed  to  assist  the  smaller  man,  and  asserted  that  he  weekly 
saw  several  letters  offering  such  men  as  this  less  than  the  local  vestries 
pay  for  street  cleaners.  This,  said  Mr.  Veitch,  was  not  encouraging 
to  men  either  to  join  or  remain  in  the  ranks  of  the  profession.  He 
considered  that  nothing  more  striking  than  the  marked  revival  in 
gardening  could  be  found,  and  trusted  that  some  of  the  present  wave 
of  prosperity  would  fall  upon  the  gardeners.  Mr.  Richard  Dean 
responded  at  considerable  length.  The  toast  of  the  chairman  was 
proposed  by  Mr.  H.  B.  May,  and  that  of  “  the  Press  ”  by  Mr.W.  Marshall, 
the  latter  being  responded  to  by  Mr.  G.  Gordon. 
The  subscription  list  must  be  characterised  as  exceedingly  satis¬ 
factory,  and  proves  the  deep  interest  that  is  taken  in  the  Fund.  The 
total  amount  was,  in  round  figures,  £590,  which  is  only  about  £30 
below  last  year’s  total.  Towards  this  sum  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Batter¬ 
sea  contributed  £25,  Messrs,  de  Rothschild  &  Son  50  guineas,  Mr. 
N.  N.  Sherwood  £50,  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons  £28  Ifis.  6d.,  Mr.  G.  Assbee’s 
Covent  Garden  table  £77  ISs.,  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton  £25,  Mr.  Martin  H. 
Sutton  £25,  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  10  guineas,  Baron  Schroder 
10  guineas,  Mr.  J.  T.  Gabriel  10  guineas,  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons 
10  guineas,  Mr.  H.  Richards  10  guineas,  Mr.  W.  Poupart’s  table  £37  6s.,. 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Walters,  the  Orchid  expert,  £30  3s.  6d. 
