June  23.  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
m 
HARDY  BULBS— A  BEVIEW. 
Most  of  our  hardy  bulbous  plants  have  now  shed  their  beauty,  and 
while  they  continue  to  provide  substance  for  another  floral  issue  next 
season,  we  may  profit  by  a  little  meditation  on  what  they  have  been, 
or  may  be  made  to  become,  as  garden  ornaments  in  the  future. 
The  past  winter  was  a  mild  one,  and  our  various  winter  and  spring 
flowers  had  a  good  chance  to  displa)'  their  charms.  Among  the  first 
of  bulbous  plants  in  flower  was  Crocus  Imperati.  So  early  as  the 
6th  of  January  a  small  bed  was  adorned  with  its  flowers.  The  petals 
were  deep  lilac  on  the  inside,  and  on  the  outside,  seen  when  the  flowers 
closed,  they  were  paler  lilac  and  distinctly  striped  with  a  deep  mauve. 
In  a  similar  bed  there  was  another  species,  Crocus  chrysanthus,  in 
bloom.  This,  as  its  specific  name  implies,  is  of  a  golden  yellow  colour, 
and  formed  a  good  contrast  to  Imperati.  The  various  forms  of 
C.  aureus  and  C.  biflorus,  planted  with  the  bulbs  a  few  inches  apart  on 
mounds  or  banks,  give  a  fine  effect  in  the  middle  and  end  of  February. 
The  numerous  varieties  of  C.  vernus  and  C.  versicolor  also  do  well  in 
such  places.  We  may  look  forward  and  expect  the  autumn-flowering 
species,  amongst  the  best  being  C.  iridiflorus,  C.  nudiflorus  and 
C.  speciosus. 
As  regards  the  Snowdrop,  Galanthus  nivalis,  there  is  little  need  for 
comment,  but  an  opinion  may  be  given  with  regard  to  planting  in 
places  to  produce  a  good  eflect.  This  year  I  noticed  several  beds 
crowded  with  Snowdrops,  and  thought  such  an  arrangement  unsatis¬ 
factory.  It  seemed  too  extravagant  to  be  beautiful.  A  better  plan  was 
exemplified  in  another  bed.  In  it  the  Snowdrops  appeai-ed  in  small 
clumps  under  the  Lilac  shrubs  with  which  the  bed  was  planted.  The 
bare  stems  of  the  Lilacs  formed  a  sort  of  network  as  a  light  veil  for 
the  pure  beauty  of  the  Snowdrops  behind,  and  the  graceful  form  of  the 
individual  flowers  was  better  shown  than  in  the  mass  of  white  in  the 
other  bed  ;  also  when  planted  in  small  clumps  about  old  tree  stumps 
near  trailing  Periwinkle  or  Ivy  they  looked  quite  at  home. 
Eranthis  hyemalis,  the  Winter  Aconite,  although  not  strictly  a 
bulbous  plant,  for  it  has  tubers  instead  of  bulbs,  is  worthy  of  notice. 
Forming  the  groundwork  of  a  bed  of  small  deciduous  shrubs,  this  plant 
with  its  bright  yellow  flowers  was  highly  effective,  and  that  so  early  as 
January  21st. 
In  the  rockery  in  February  patches  of  Bulbocodium  vernum  brightened 
corners  with  its  violet  purple  flowers.  Here  also,  as  well  as  in  beds,  the 
little  blue  Scilla  sibirica  compelled  admiration.  About  the  beginning  of 
IMarch  we  had  Chionodoxa  Lucilim.  Its  bright  blue  flowers  with  a  white 
eye  in  each  look  well  in  almost  any  position  ;  but  as  groundwork  for  a 
bed  of  shrubs  or  in  large  thin  patches  on  a  grassy  bank,  it  appears  most 
effective.  A  large  bed  of  Forsythia  suspensa,  with  the  Chionodoxa  for  a 
groundwork,  formed  quite  a  picture  in  the  middle  of  March.  The 
bright  blue  and  white  flowers  harmonised  well  with  the  yellow  flowers  of 
the  Forsythia  on  the  long  slender  branches. 
With  regard  to  Narcissus,  1  think  the  review  must  be  very  general— a 
mere  glance,  for  the  genus  affords  scope  for  pages  of  writing.  The  good 
old  Datfodil,  N.  pseudo-Narcissus,  shows  its  fine  yellow  trumpet-bearing 
flowers  early  in  IMarch.  It  is  a  native  of  Britain,  and  has  been  well 
known  for  a  long  time,  so  it  scarcely  needs  comment  here.  In  large 
clumps  on  a  rising  ground  its  beauty  is  as  well  seen  (if  not  planted 
thickly)  as  it  is  dotted  about  the  outside  of  a  shrubbery.  The  garden 
forms  of  this  species  are  legion,  which  we  may  notice  as  we  glance 
through  the  hosts  of  varieties  of  Magni,  Medio,  and  Parvi-coronati 
groups  in  any  good  treatise  on  the  genus. 
N.  incomparabilis  also  flowers  in  March.  It  looks  well  in  the  same 
positions  as  the  foregoing  species,  and  its  orange  yellow  crowns  and  paler 
yellow  perianth  divisions  make  it  a  worthy  successor  to  the  Daffodil. 
The  double  form  of  the  whitish  variety  of  this  species,  sometimes  called 
Orange  Phoenix,  is  occasionally  seen  in  gardens.  Another  double  form 
is  commonly  called  Butter-and-Eggs,  which  name  conveys  an  idea  of  its 
colour.  This  poor  plant  has  the  misfortune  of  bearing  a  long  name, 
which,  when  given  in  full,  is  Narcissus  incomparabilis  aurantius  flore- 
pleno. 
The  Jonquil,  N.  Jonquilla,  is  a  neat  plant,  and  with  its  small  bright 
yellow  flowers  in  clusters  of  four  to  six  on  each  scape  is  worthy  of  a 
place  on  the  grass  round  the  edge  of  a  shrubbery.  Its  worth  is  enhanced 
by  the  sweet  scent  of  its  flowers.  The  Poet’s  Narciss,  or  Pheasant’s 
Eye,  N.  poeticus,  is  a  well  known  species,  and  one  of  the  sweetest  of  the 
genus.  It  has  a  few  good  varieties,  varying  partly  in  their  period  of 
flowering,  recurvus  being  a  late  one  and  poetarum  an  early  one. 
N.  bulbocodium  is  a  very  distinct  species.  In  shape  the  flower  resembles 
a  crinoline  skirt,  an  old  time  vulgarity.  Its  colour  is  a  bright  yellow,  and 
it  looks  well  in  a  sheltered  corner  of  the  rockery.  The  variety  mono- 
phyllus  is  worthy  of  mention  ;  in  it  the  corona  and  perianth  are  paler  in 
colour  than  the  type — indeed,  they  are  almost  white. 
The  Hyacinth  may  next  be  dealt  with.  Most  of  the  garden  varieties 
originated  in  one  species,  H.  orientalis.  There  is  a  species  called 
H.  romanus,  which  is  not,  however,  the  Homan  Hyacinth  as  known  in 
gardens.  The  latter  is  really  a  variety — albulus — of  H.  orientalis. 
The  qualities  of  the  numerous  varieties  now  in  cultivation  can  best  be 
comprehended  by  perusing  the  special  literature  on  the  subject.  I  have 
noticed  during  the  past  season  a  decline  in  the  popularity  of  this  plant 
for  garden  decoration.  This  may  be  partly  due  to  the  wonderful  deve¬ 
lopment  of  Narcissi  and  Tulips  which  seemed  to  claim  the  admiration  of 
everyone. — Excelsior, 
.  (To  be  continued.) 
YORK  HORTICULTURAL  SHOW. 
June  Ioth,  16th,  and  17th. 
Last  year’s  York  Gala  will  ever  be  memorable  in  the  horticultural 
world,  because  it  was  then  that  the  whole  of  the  tents  were  blown  to 
ribbons  in  the  gale  that  raged  on  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the 
show.  It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  the  occasion  of  an  enormous 
amount  of  damage,  not  only  to  the  tents  themselves,  but  also  to  many  of 
the  valuable  plants  therein  contained.  This  year,  happily,  there  was  no 
such  catastrophe  to  record.  On  the  contrary,  the  opening  day  was  a 
lovely  one,  the  weather  being  fine  without  being  oppressively  hot.  This 
was  very  advantageous,  as  the  number  of  people  who  visited  the  exhibi¬ 
tion  during  the  afternoon  were  able  to  examine  the  multifarious  products 
in  some  degree  of  comfort,  which  is  by  no  means  always  the  case  at 
exhibitions  of  this  character.  The  several  tents  were  all  most  spacious, 
and  locomotion  was  fairly  comfortable  throughout  the  whole  of  them, 
except,  perhaps,  in  one  or  two  congested  spots. 
It  would  be  manifestly  unfair  to  endeavour  to  make  any  comparison 
between  this  season’s  show  and  that  of  last  year,  on  account  of  the 
occurrence  just  noted,  and  such  will  not  therefore  be  done.  We  may, 
however,  compare  other  seasons,  and  when  we  do  so  we  find  the  majority 
is  firmly  of  the  opinion  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  there  is  a  decided  advance, 
though  one  or  two  sections  are  distinctly  inferior  to  what  has  become  the 
custom,  Roses  being  particularly  so.  There  was  scarcely  any  competition 
throughout,  and  there  were  few  first  quality  blooms  staged.  This  was 
the  cause  lor  much  regret,  as  ihe  York  Hoses  have  on  occasions  been 
amongst  the  finest  at  any  provincial  show,  and  this,  notwithstanding  the 
earliness  of  the  Gala  dates.  The  weather,  that  all-important  factor  in 
the  horticultural  world,  has  been  by  no  means  conducive  to  the 
production  of  early  Roses,  and  York  will  not  be  the  only  sufferer  from 
this  cause.  Fruit,  too,  was  not  quite  up  to  the  standard,  but  the  groups 
and  other  portions  of  the  exhibition  were  very  fine  indeed,  and  a  credit 
to  their  growers  and  stagers. 
The  planning  of  the  several  marquees,  so  as  to  produce  the  best 
general  effect,  had  been  done  skillully,  but  points  were  lost  here  and 
there  which  rather  marred  the  spectacle.  Then,  too,  there  is  plenty  of 
room  for  improvement  in  the  placing  of  the  individual  exhibits  in  any 
particular  class,  tvhich  appears  to  be  left  entirely  to  the  discretion  of  the 
exhibitor,  with  the  result  that  different  entries  were  often  yards  apart. 
If  this  benefited  the  display  it  could  be  understood,  but  where  nothing  is 
gained  in  this  respect  we  can  see  no  object  in  doing  it.  As  a  result  of 
this  we  were  unable  to  find  a  few  of  the  classes,  and  can  only  give  notes 
of  those  that  were  seen.  We  might  point  out  to  the  Gala  Committee 
that  the  otticiousness  and  incivility  of  some  of  the  officials  of  the  show 
were  both  annoying  and  unwise,  and  at  the  same  time  we  would  accord 
a  word  of  thanks  to  Sir  Christopher  Millward  for  his  unfailing  courtesy, 
and  his  readiness  to  render  any  necessary  assistance. 
Groups  and  Specimen  Plants. 
The  premier  position  for  a  group  of  miscellaneous  plants  in  or  out  of 
bloom,  arranged  for  effect,  and  occupying  a  space  not  exceeding 
300  square  feet,  was  secured  by  Mr.  C.  J.  Mee,  Nottingham.  The 
arrangement  was  a  very  charming  one,  though  the  effect  was  slightly 
marred  by  an  immense  Kentia  Belmoreana  in  the  front.  The  mossed 
surface  was  undulating,  and  as  specimens  here  and  there  Crotons  were 
admirably  employed.  Odontoglos»ums  were  eflfective,  as  were  Begonias, 
Anthuriums,  Palms,  Ferns,  Cypripediums,  and  others.  Mr.  J.  Wilson, 
gardener  to  Sir  Jas.  Eeckitt,  Bart.,  Swanland  Manor,  who  secured  the 
second  place,  had  a  very  similar  arrangement.  The  plants,  however, 
were  not  so  lightly  or  gracefully  arranged,  though  they  were  skilfully 
chosen  and  finely  grown.  It  must  have  been  a  difficult  matter  to  decide 
the  respective  positions  of  these.  Mr.  J.  McIntyre,  gardener  to  Mrs. 
Gurney  Pease,  Woodside,  Darlington,  occupied  the  third  position,  but 
though  fine  plants  were  employed,  it  lacked  the  characteristic  features  of 
the  other  two.  The  fourth  position  went  to  Mr.  W.  Vause  of  Leamington, 
and  the  fifth  to  Messrs.  R.  Simpson  &  Son,  Selby. 
In  the  class  for  ten  stove  or  greenhouse  plants  in  bloom  and  six 
foliage  plants  Mr.  Jas.  Cypher,  Cheltenham,  went  to  the  front  with  his 
unique  plants.  The  specimens  were  Pimelea  diosmaefolia.  Erica 
Cavendishi,  Clerodendron  Balfourianum,  Phoenocoma  prolifera  Barnesi, 
Erica  depressa,  Stephanotis  grandiflora,  Anthurium  Wardi,  Bougain¬ 
villea  Cypher!,  Erica  hirsuta  alba  tincta,  Franciscea  eximia,  and  Erica 
ventricosa  magnifica,  with  Kentia  australis,  Cycas  undulata,  Latania 
borbonica,  Kentia  Belmoreana,  Phoenix  rupicola,  and  Kentia  Fosteriana. 
Mr.  F.  Nicholas,  gardener  to  the  Marquis  of  Zetland,  Marske-by-the-Sea, 
was  a  very  creditable  second,  his  specimens  of  Erica  depressa  mulliflora, 
Azalea  Due  de  Nassau,  Aphelexis  rosea,  and  Croton  angustifolium  being 
very  fine.  The  third  position  was  assigned  to  Mr.  W.  Vause,  who 
grows  specimen  plants  so  well,  Mr.  J.  Cypher  was  again  ahead  for 
six  specimen  plants  in  bloom,  showing  Pimelea  diosmiefolia.  Bougain¬ 
villea  glabra,  Aphelexis  macrantha  rosea,  Anthurium  Scherzerianum, 
Clerodendron  Balfourianum,  and  Erica  depressa.  Mr.  Chas.  Lawton, 
gardener  to  H.  Harrison  Broadley,  Esq.,  Welton  House,  Brough,  was  a 
splendid  second  ;  and  Mr.  W,  Vause  third. 
Mr.  J.  Sunley,  Milford  Junction,  went  to  the  front  for  three  specimen 
plants  in  flower  with  Genetyllis  tulipifera,  Anthurium  Scherzerianum, 
and  Erica  ventricosa  grandiflora.  Mr.  Lawton  was  second.  For  a  single 
specimen  stove  plant  in  bloom  Mr.  C.  J.  Mee  was  first  with  Anthurium 
Scherzerianum  ;  Messrs.  R.  Simpson  &  Son  second  with  Stephanotis 
floribunda ;  and  Mr.  J.  R.  Rollinson,  gardener  to  W.  Bateman,  Esq.,  Pannal, 
Leeds,  third  with  Anthurium  Scherzerianum.  Mr.  W.  Vause,  was  first 
with  Aphelexis  macrantha  rosea  in  the  class  for  a  single  greenhouse  plant 
