April  22,  1>97. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
341 
Rose  Show  Fixtures  for  1897. 
June  10th  (Thursday). — Ryde. 
„  18th  (Friday). — Portsmouth  (N.R.S.). 
„  24th  (Thursday). — Colchester. 
,,  26th  (Saturday). — Windsor. 
,,  29th  (Tuesday). — Canterbury,  Sutton,  and  Westminster  (R.H.S.). 
,,  30th  (Wednesday). — Croydon,  Baling,  and  Reading. 
July  2nd  (Friday). — Crystal  Palace  (N.R  S,). 
,,  7th  (Wednesday).  —  Glasgow,  Hanley,*  Hitchin,  Reigate,  and 
Tunbridge  Wells. 
„  8th  (Thursday). — Bath,  Gloucester,  Harrow,  and  Woodbridge. 
„  15th  (Thursday). — Norwich  (N.R.S.)  and  Helensburgh. 
„  22nd  (Thursday). — Halifax  and  Trentham. 
„  27th  (Tuesday). — Tibshelf. 
*  A  show  lasting  two  days. 
The  above  are  the  only  dates  that  have  as  yet  reached  me.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  insert  in  the  next  list,  which  will  be  issued  early  in  May,  any 
further  fixtures  that  may  be  sent  me,  whether  of  Rose  shows  or  of 
horticultural  exhibitions  where  Roses  form  a  leading  feature. — Edward 
Mawley,  Roseiank,  JBerkhamsted,  Herts. 
SPRING  IN  LONDON. 
Go  where  you  will,  either  in  the  heart  or  the  environs  of  the  great 
city,  which  annually  is  stretching  its  mighty  arms  further  and  further  into 
the  Qountry,  and  you  will  find  unmistakeable  signs  of  spring.  Battersea 
Park  in  the  south-west,  famous  for  its  tropical  gardening  and  spring 
bedding,  is  assuming  an  appearance  both  green  and  refreshing.  Summer 
bedding  is  the  principal  feature  at  Battersea,  and  bulbous  flowers  are 
not  grown  in  such  large  quantities  as  in  other  of  the  metropolitan 
parks  Moreover,  classification  is  not  aimed  at  to  any  appreciable 
extent,  yet  planted  as  mixtures  Hyacinths  and  early  Tulips  make  a 
showy  effect. 
At  one  point,  encouraged  by  the  sunlight,  red  and  yellow  Tulips 
occupying  a  number  of  beds  look  very  pleasing  at  the  time  of  writing, 
and  these  are  surrounded  by  other  narrow  plantations  of  mixed 
Hyacinths  and  that  showy  Tulip  Keizers  Kroon.  From  another  point 
one  notices  long  lines  of  Hyacinths,  which  have  been  gay  for  some  time 
past,  and  along  the  herbaceous  borders  little  clumps  of  Tulips  and 
Hyacinths  seem  to  present  themselves  at  every  turning.  Springing  here 
and  there  out  of  the  grass  are  clumps  of  Daffodils,  and  on  seeing  them 
any  Daffodil  lover  would  say,  Why  is  not  more  of  that  done?  Under 
such  circumstances  certainly  the  nodding  Daff  shows  itself  to  great 
advantage,  and  on  the  grassy  banks  and  broad  stretches  of  turf  which 
Battersea  Park  possesses  one  sees  a  picture  that  might  be  further 
beautified  by  the  presence  of  an  abundance  of  these  charming  flowers. 
Along  the  borders  herbaceous  plants  are  springing,  and  in  the  shrubberies 
one  notices  the  showy  flowers  of  Pyrus  japonica,  Flowering  Currants, 
and  yellow  Forsythias.  Grass  is  growing  freely,  and  though  the  show 
of  spring  flowers  is  not  unusually  large,  thousands  of  the  inhabitants  of 
this  rapidly  growing  suburb  daily  pause  to  admire  as  they  pass  on  foot 
or  or  wheels  along  the  broad,  firm  drives  and  walks  which  in  themselves 
are  a  feature  in  Battersea  Park. 
Right  on  the  other  side  of  the  modern  Babylon  lies  Victoria  Park,  the 
favourite  playground  and  garden  of  the  teeming  population  who  eke 
out  a  likelihood  amongst  the  busy  surroundings  of  East  London.  The 
contrasts  are  truly  striking.  One  minute  you  are  in  a  narrow  stuffy 
street,  lined  on  either  side  with  overcrowded  habitations,  and  breathing 
an  atmosphere  which  never  seems  to  get  clear.  Out  of  the  street  and 
through  the  gates  you  find  yourself  seemingly  in  another  world,  for 
there  the  trees  grow,  the  flowers  bloom,  and  the  birds  sing,  and  for  the 
time  being  you  are  oblivious  of  the  strange  vic'ssitudes  of  human  life 
which  lie  all  round  you.  In  the  street  you  would  think  signs  of  spring 
could  never  penetrate  that  locality  ;  but  in  the  Park  a  different  aspect 
appears.  Spring  flowers  are  all  aglow,  green  leaves  are  bursting  forth, 
grass  is  springing,  and  one  feels  thankful  that  Nature  so  readily  beautifies 
amid  surroundings  where  beauty  is  unknown. 
Spring  bedding  in  Victoria  Park  is  always  a  feature,  and  this  year 
the  display  of  bulbous  flowers  is  quite  up  to  the  usual  standard,  though  the 
recent  cold  weather  has  been  the  means  of  retarding  their  progress.  The 
main  portion  of  the  flower  beds  are  admirably  situated  in  a  conspicuous 
position  near  one  of  the  main  entrances.  Here  the  flowers  show  to 
advantage  their  variety  of  delicate  colours  in  the  sunlight.  Hyacinths, 
Tulips,  and  Daffodils  are  admirably  blended,  though  among  the  former 
one  can  notice  traces  of  the  sharp  frosts  which  have  recently  prevailed. 
To  mention  varieties  is  but  to  go  over  the  same  ground  again,  for  all 
those  of  well  tried  merit  are  to  be  found  there.  Workmen  as  they  pass 
homeward  through  the  Park,  and  others  who  come  out  for  recreation, 
pause  to  admire  and  pass  opinions  on  the  flowers  individually  and 
collectively.  -Conspicuous  as  are  the  bulbs  at  this  point  it  by  no  means 
exhausts  the  display,  as  at  almost  every  turn  you  come  across  masses  of 
Hyacinths  and  nodding  Daffodils. 
Wallflowers  are  opening  and  Polyanthuses  commencing  to  bloom, 
in  spite  of  the  attacks  of  the  London  house  sparrow,  who  appears  to 
have  a  special  liking  for  these  flowers.  Shrubs  of  hardy  floriferous 
nature  are  making  known  their  presence  in  the  display  of  bright 
blossoms,  and  everywhere,  in  spite  of  smoke  and  gloom,  one  sees  the 
unmistakeable  evidence  of  a  bursting  into  new  life.  Improvements,  too, 
are  also  apparent,  and  the  winter  has  been  spent  in  the  formation  of  a 
broad  firm  carriage  drive,  which  penetrates  through  a  portion  that 
hitherto  wa9  bare,  and  had  a  most  uninviting  appearance.  Great 
tracks  of  bare  ground  on  each  side  have  been  fenced  in  and  sown 
with  grass  seeds,  and  what  was  once  nothing  better  than  a  quagmire  of 
mud  will  in  time  be  transformed  into  a  stretch  of  green  turf  unsurpassed 
in  any  park  in  the  metropolis.  These  improvements  testify  to  the  energy 
of  the  superintendent  and  the  efficiency  of  the  staff,  and  one  cannot 
speak  too  highly  of  the  effort  made  to  beautify  a  park  that  is  such  an 
unquestionable  boon  to  this  crowded  locality. 
A  walk  round  many  of  the  adjacent  enclosures,  such  as  the  clean 
and  admirably  kept  old  and  new  gardens  at  Bethnal  Green  and  other 
open  spaces  that  a  few  years  ago  were  nothing  more  than  an  eyesore 
is  not  without  interest,  as  they  are  in  a  smaller  way  now  bright  with 
the  flowers  of  the  spring.  The  London  County  Council  has  so  many  of 
these  pleasant  enclosures — for  they  may  be  justly  so  called — that  it  would 
take  too  long  to  notify  them  ;  therefore  we  will  turn  to  South  London, 
where  we  find  a  park  of  quite  a  different  character.  The  park  at  Peckham 
Rye  is  of  recent  construction,  speaking  comparatively,  and  has  an  air  of 
rustic  nature  about  it  that  one  does  not  find  elsewhere.  One  looks  in 
vain  for  large  plantations  of  Hyacinths  and  Tulips,  as  bedding  is  not  the 
predominating  feature,  but  the  little  Winter  Aconite  appears  here  to  tell 
of  spring,  and  later  the  Bluebell,  the  Forget-me-not,  and  wild  Parsley 
present  themselves  in  profusion  under  the  shade  of  the  overhanging  trees. 
Then  there  are  the  Hawthorn  bushes  with  their  wreaths  of  pink  and 
white  blossoms  all  in  prospect,  and  a  long  time  to  come  wild  flowers  of 
the  character  named  will  follow  each  in  close  succession.  The  garden 
portion  tells  of  skill  and  attention,  and  one  notices  alterations  and 
improvements  that  have  been  made  to  advantage.  Wallflowers  are 
opening  and  hardy  flowering  shrubs  are  all  aglow,  while  on  the  giant 
trees  all  round  a  canopy  of  leaves  is  rapidly  appearing,  which  when 
complete  will  put  a  finish  on  the  woodland  appearance  of  Peckham. 
Not  far  away  the  undulating  surface  of  Brockwell  Park  is  looking 
fresh  in  its  mantle  of  bright  green,  and  near  the  entrances  this  is 
relieved  by  plantations  of  spring  flowers.  The  old  walled-in  garden 
in  the  centre,  which  always  seems  to  contain  something  to  give 
pleasure  to  the  thousands  who  wander  round  its  complication  of 
walks,  is  not  without  its  features  of  interest,  even  at  this  early  season, 
and  though  perhaps  the  herbaceous  and  other  old-fashioned  flowers 
which  bloom  later  are  more  in  keeping  with  the  place,  yet  the  gems 
of  the  spring  cannot  fail  to  attract  admiration.  Turning  to  Southwark 
Park,  we  find  a  display  of  bulbous  flowers  which  is  evidently 
appreciated  by  the  inhabitants  of  that  crowded  locality.  Hyacinths,  Tulips, 
and  Daffodils  make  up  the  show,  the  varieties  of  course  being  similar 
to  those  in  other  parks. 
Across  the  great  city  once  more  to  Finsbury,  the  well-known  park 
of  North  London.  Here  again  we  find  abundant  signs  of  spring  in 
the  profusion  of  bulbous  flowers,  the  bursting  vegetation  along 
shrubbery  and  border,  and  the  increasing  verdant  appearance  of  the 
lawns.  As  in  all  these  public  playgrounds  the  same  kinds  of  bulbs 
are  used  for  the  spring  display,  the  difference  alone  lies  in  the  methods 
of  arrangement.  Attention  and  good  taste,  however,  are  everywhere 
apparent,  and  it  would  hardly  be  fair  to  close  these  rambling  recol¬ 
lections  of  a  walk  round  the  London  parka  without  Baying  a  word  in 
favour  of  Messrs.  J.' Carter  &  Co.,  who  supplied  the  whole  of  the  bulbs 
by  contract  for  the  Royal  parks.  The  task  is  no  light  one,  and  the 
general  excellence  of  the  flowers  everywhere  reflects  great  credit  on  the 
firm. — G.  H.  H. 
Late  Apples. — I  was  surprised  to  read  the  other  day  a  note  from 
a  well-known  southern  gardener  deprecatory  of  Bramley’s  Seedling 
Apple  as  a  standard  variety.  Perhaps  this  depreciation  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  writer  cultivates  a  somewhat  sandy  soil  on  gravel,  and 
whilst  some  Apples  do  well  on  it  Bramley’s  may  prefer  a  stiffer  com¬ 
pound.  That  it  does  thrive  well  on  strong  soil  there  can  be  no  doubt, 
and  perhaps  likes  a  cooler  temperature  than  the  South  furnishes.  It 
would  be  well,  in  view  of  the  note  referred  to,  if  some  practical  infor¬ 
mation  could  be  obtained  as  to  what  soil  and  situation  suits  it  best. 
When  we  hear  of  standards  thriving  luxuriantly  and  cropping  heavily  in 
an  Osier  bed  in  the  Midlands  it  is  natural  to  conclude  that  Bramley’s  is 
at  once  a  deep  rooter  and  a  glutton  for  moisture.  Lane’s  Prince  Albert, 
Wellington,  Alfriston,  and  other  fine  late  varieties  do  well  on  the  grav''” " 
soil  referred  to.  No  doubt  for  such  comparatively  shallow  pod  -  i  he  m  -  - 
named  is  the  very  best,  because  it  is  far  from  being  a  grofs  gruw>-r,  aud 
whilst  a  heavy  cropper  can  be  so  readily  fed  from  the  surface.  But  we 
have  undoubtedly  in  Prince  Albert  and  Bramley’s  two  of  the  finest 
average  croppers  and  late  keepers  to  be  found.  The  former  is  better  for 
gardens,  the  latter  for  orchards.  Still  it  is  desirable  to  learn  if  its  average 
conduct  on  shallow  soils,  especially  that  because  coming  from  the 
Midlands  with  such  a  high  reputation  we  have  been  universally  recom¬ 
mending  wide  planting.  It  is  so  important  that  in  this  matter  there 
should  be  no  mistakes. — A.  D. 
