290 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  8,  1897; 
by  bedding  out  time  be  found  extremely  useful  for  employing  as 
“  dot  ”  plants. 
In  addition  to  the  number  required  for  planting  in  the  open 
air  others  should  always  be  grown  for  the  embellishment  of  the 
conservatory  during  the  summer  and  autumn  months.  It  is  also  a 
good  plan  to  keep  a  few  large  plants  in  readines*  for  planting 
against  walls  in  greenhouses,  conservatories,  or  vineries,  as  these 
often  supply  large  quantities  of  flowers  during  the  spring  months, 
when  they  are  especially  welcome  for  use  in  a  cut  state,  as  well  as 
for  the  scent  they  emit  in  the  houses  in  which  they  are  grown. 
The  following  are  all  excellent  varieties  ; — Amazon,  white,  large 
truss  ;  Bouquet  Perfume,  lilac  blue  ;  Colosse,  truss  very  large, 
Giganteum,  bluish  white  ;  Madame  Laforce,  violet  rose,  extra  good  ; 
Madame  Daurel,  violet  rose,  dwarf  habit ;  Madame  Emma  Brouillet, 
reddish  violet,  free  bloomer  ;  President  Garfield,  and  Swanley 
Giant,  rosy  purple. — H.  D. 
ROUND  PIETERMARITZBURG. 
I  have  briefly  remarked  in  a  previous  article  upon  the  attrac¬ 
tions  of  Nature  around  the  city  and  district  of  Pietermaritzburg, 
Natal,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  lofty  range  of  hills.  Maritzburg, 
as  it  is  usually  called  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  is  about  seventy  miles 
from  every  other  place  of  importance,  and  stands  2300  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  population  is  10,000.  As  a  rule  the  city  is  very 
quiet,  though  it  is  a  good  all-round  place  of  business.  There  are 
three  nurserymen  and  seedsmen  who  are  always  ready  to  supply 
customers  with  what  they  do  not  require,  and  there  is  room  for  a 
fourth  who  understands  the  trade  and  will  supply  the  public  with 
what  they  do  require.  At  present  if  one  send  an  order  of  a 
dozen  items,  two-thirds  of  them  are  sent,  and  the  remainder  are 
substitutes,  and  not  the  best  of  those. 
I  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  Horticultural  Society,  which 
is  decaying  from  the  malady  known  as  dry  rot.  The  Society  holds 
three  exhibitions  every  year.  I  was  recently  called  upon  to 
officiate  at  the  spring  show  as  a  judge,  and  found  the  plants  were 
very  poor.  Of  course  glass  is  not  very  extensively  used  for  plant 
cultivation,  as  the  cost  of  erection  is  high  ;  so  that  most  of  the 
plants  exhibited  were  grown  on  verandahs.  The  cut  flowers  on  the 
whole  were  good,  especially  the  Roses,  despite  the  fact  that  the 
weather  for  a  few  days  previously  had  been  very  trying  owing  to 
the  prevalence  of  hot  winds. 
The  citizens  are  well  provided  for  in  the  way  of  open  spaces. 
In  the  centre  of  the  city  close  to  the  legislative  chamber,  post  office, 
fine  town  hall,  and  market  place,  we  have  some  small  gardens  nicely 
planted  and  neatly  kept,  while  at  a  distance  of  only  a  little  over 
half  a  mile  there  is  a  charming  park  of  100  acres  with  good  cricket 
and  football  grounds,  golf  links,  and  drives.  There  are  many  trees 
and  shrubs,  and  last,  but  by  no  means  the  least,  is  the  Botanical 
and  Horticultural  Society,  which  numbers  Lord  Wolseley  amongst 
its  distinguished  subscribers. 
The  Society  is  well  supported  in  various  ways  by  the  elite  of 
the  district.  I  have  taken  the  following  statement  of  its  object 
from  the  Natal  Directory  : — “  The  object  of  the  Society  is  the 
propagation  of  trees,  shrubs,  plants,  roots,  and  seeds  for  distribution 
throughout  the  colony  ;  and  in  furtherance  of  this  object  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  indigenous  plants  and  seeds  and  exchanging 
same  with  kindred  societies  abroad  ;  also  for  experimenting  on  the 
growth  of  vegetable  products  of  economic  value,  and  for  the 
accumulation  and  preservation  of  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers  of 
value,  beauty,  and  rarity.”  The  gardens  of  the  Society  are 
charmingly  situated  in  the  Zwartkopp  valley,  nearly  two  miles  from 
the  city,  across  an  expanse  of  common  and  through  a  long  avenue 
called  the  Mayor’s  Walk.  It  would  be  well  for  the  public  if  the 
Mayor  and  Corporation  had  to  traverse  it  frequently,  as  it  might 
induce  them  to  keep  it  in  better  order. 
The  gardens  and  arboretum  are  100  acres  in  extent.  They  are 
well  designed  and  planted,  and  kept  in  good  order  by  the  super¬ 
vision  of  the  able  and  genial  Curator,  Mr.  G.  Mitchell,  who  has 
during  his  seven  years’  tenure  of  the  office  made  many  valuable 
alterations  in  them,  and  introduced  numerous  trees,  shrubs,  and 
plants,  of  which  ten  thousand  have  been  sent  out  this  year  to 
subscribers  and  customers,  and  many  thousands  more  are  being 
worked  up  to  meet  the  coming  season’s  demand. 
It  is  a  place  in  which  one  can  always  find  objects  of  beauty  and 
interest,  and  it  is  difficult  to  specialise,  as  there  are  so  many  worthy 
of  notice.  On  entering  the  gardens  by  the  Curator’s  residence 
visitors  are  attracted  by  a  fine  specimen  Palm,  Phoenix  reclinata, 
about  20  feet  high,  which  has  been  sadly  disfigured  by  the  depreda¬ 
tions  of  the  locusts.  A  few  of  the  many  other  objects  worthy  of 
note  at  this  spot  are  some  fine  buBhes  of  Gardenias  and  two 
Magnolias,  about  40  feet  high,  in  full  flower.  There  is  the  beautiful 
Lagenaria  Patersoni,  which  grows  into  a  fine  tree  here,  flowering 
profusely,  the  colour  being  a  delicate  shot  pink  ;  while  close  by 
is  a  splendid  Duranta  Plumieri,  with  its  distinct  and  pretty  blue 
flowers  freely  produced  for  nine  months  of  the  year.  Planted  by 
its  side  is  the  Reinwartia,  with  lovely  yellow  flowers,  aod  a  few 
bushes  of  Azalea  indica  of  various  colours,  and  a  good  piece  of 
Araucaria  excelsa.  In  the  background  are  some  Bambusas,  and 
two  excellent  specimens  of  Cupressus  macrocarpa  and  C.  lusitanica. 
In  passing  on  to  the  interior  of  the  gardens  at  every  step  one 
sees  many  interesting  specimens  of  plants,  trees,  and  shrubs,  which 
must  be  left  without  comment  for  fear  of  being  tedious  ;  but  there 
is  one  of  the  many  which  is  specially  worthy  of  notice — viz.,  a  fine 
piece  of  Cactus  grandiflora  (of  the  correctness  of  the  name  there 
is  a  doubt),  but  anyone  who  ha*  seen  it  at  sunrise,  with  scores  of 
its  fine  brilliant  flowers  glistening  with  dewdrops,  will  have  no 
doubt  of  its  effective  beauty. 
The  next  place  of  interest  is  a  very  fine  pond,  about  an  acre  in 
extent,  surrounded  by  numbers  of  fine  pyramid  bushes  of  Camel¬ 
lias  of  many  shades  of  colour,  with  some  grand  pieces  of  Azalea 
indica  interspersed  amongst  them.  I  think  it  would  be  impossible 
to  find  any  more  vigorous  or  floriferous  than  are  these.  In  the 
background  there  are  many  varieties  of  handsome  foliage  trees  and 
flowering  shrubs,  just  at  thtir  be*t  a  fortnight  ago,  prominent 
amongst  them  being  Hibiscus  palustris,  H.  rosea  sinensis,  H.  Bap¬ 
tist),  and  the  native  H.  calycinus,  and  Bocconia  frutescens,  with  its 
handsome  glossy  foliage  and  fine  white  bell-shaped  flowers  ;  also 
the  pride  of  India,  both  red  and  white,  Lagerstroemia  I  think  is- 
the  right  name  ;  Calystemons,  both  red  and  white  ;  Plumbagos 
capensis  and  rosea  ;  and  a  Poinsetaa,  which  has  been  in  flower  for 
six  months. 
Oleanders,  pink  and  white,  and  the  Grevillea,  whieh  I  mentioned 
in  some  previous  notes,  its  lovely  brown  and  golden  orange  colour 
and  exquisitely  formed  flowers  cannot  be  surpassed  in  floral  beauty 
or  elegance.  All  these  are  backed  by  Coniferse  and  lofty  Gum 
Trees,  the  latter  ranging  from  100  to  160  feet  in  height.  Amongst 
the  former  deserving  notice  are  Cupressus  funebris,  C.  Goveniana,, 
Lawsoniana,  C.  sempervirens,  and  Thuias  gigantea  and  orientals, 
all  these  being  as  good  as  one  could  desire  to  have  them.  There  is 
also  a  fine  Musa. 
The  Gardens  are  well  patronised  by  the  citizens,  and  are  always 
open  to  them  free  of  charge.  Most  of  the  things  mentioned  are 
not  confined  to  the  Gardens,  as  these  and  many  other  good  thing* 
are  largely  grown  around  the  neighbourhood,  but  not  so  well,  a* 
the  soil  of  the  Gardens  is  good,  and  more  congenial  to  them  than, 
any  other  part  of  the  district. — W.  H.,  November  20/A,  1896. 
(To  be  continued.) 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY’S  COMMITTEES’ 
AWARDS. 
Surely  the  logical  faculty  is  altogether  wanting  in  “A.  D.”  He 
first  institutes  a  comparison  wherein  the  number  of  awards  made  by  the 
deputation  of  the  Council  of  the  R.H.S.  at  the  York  and  Chester  Shows^ 
is  taken  as  against  those  made  at  a  series  of  meetings  of  the  Floral 
Committees,  including  those  at  the  Drill  Hall,  regardless  of  the  obvious 
difference  of  the  conditions  existing  in  relation  to  these  several  shows, 
of  which  he  seems  altogether  oblivious.  On  the  other  hand,  he  become* 
keenly  sensitive  to  the  undoubted  difference  existent  between  the  York 
and  Chester  Shows  and  that  at  the  Temple,  and  he  asks,  “  What  on 
earth  has  the  Drill  Hall  or  Chiswick  meetings  to  do  with  this 
comparison  ?” 
The  answer  is  obvious.  Exactly  the  same  as  have  the  Drill  Hall  or 
Chiswick  meetings  to  do  with  the  shows  at  York  and  Chester — ie.Y 
nothing.  That  is  the  conclusion  to  which  I  have  been  labouring  to  lead 
“A.  D.’s”  mind.  But,  unfortunately  for  him,  it  is  completely  destruc¬ 
tive  of  his  censure  of  the  Council’s  action  at  York  and  Chester,  which 
was  the  motive  of  the  letter  with  which  he  opened  the  controversy. 
The  other  point  must  be  conceded  to  “  A.  D.”  A  blurred  impression 
made  “  would  ”  look  more  like  “should;”  but,  accepting  the  former 
word  as  correct,  I  am  pleased  to  find  that  “  A.  D.”  agrees  that  the 
granting  of  awards  has  been  too  free.  Whether  compelling  every  member 
of  the  Committees  to  vote  would,  or  would  not,  tend  to  a  diminution  of 
the  number  of  awards  is  a  question  open  to  discussion  ;  but  surely  there 
can  be  no  possible  doubt  that  this  result  would  be  achieved  by  the 
substitution  of  a  two-thirds  for  a  bare  majority. 
I  do  not  suggest  that  if  a  novelty  is  submitted  which  is  of  sufficient 
merit,  an  award  should  be  withheld  on  account  of  the  number  already 
granted  in  a  particular  year.  If  a  new  variety  deserve  recognition  it 
should  have  it ;  but  I  do  contend  that  where  so  much  doubt  exists  as  is 
indicated  by  only  a  bare  majority  of  one  in  favour  of  an  award,  there 
does  not  exist  sufficient  evidence  of  merit  to  justify  the  placing  of  the 
imprimatur  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  upon  the  plant  in 
question.  Undoubtedly  had  the  “two-thirds”  majority  been  applied 
in  1896,  the  number  of  awards  granted  in  that  year  would  have  been 
considerably  and,  in  the  interest  of  the  public  who  look  to  the  Society 
for  guidance,  advantageously  diminished. — F.  R.  H.  S. 
