I 
■July  20,  1899.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  57 
reflect  much  credit  on  Mr  Walter  Fawdry,  the  diligent  aDd  industrious 
head  gardener,  and  his  assistants,  the  former  having  been  “located  ” — as 
the  American  says — here  for  nearly  twenty  years  past,  the  first  few  3'ears 
as  foreman.  It  should  also  have  been  remarked  that  vegetables  are 
somewhat  extensively  grown,  and  receive  a  similar  amount  of  good 
cultivation  as  the  prior  mentioned  subjects. 
There  is  also  a  small  colony  of  glass  for  the  cultivation  of  flowers — 
chiefly  Roses — and  for  them  two  houses  are  devoted,  each  being  about 
40  feet  long,  span-roofed,  and  efficiently  heated  by  hot  water.  Pot  Roses 
are  extensively  grown,  while  the  Tea  section  are  growing  in  well  prepared 
beds  running  along  each  side  of  the  central  pathway,  with  climbing-Teas 
trained  under  the  roofs,  the  principal  kinds  being  Niphetos,  Belle 
Lyonnaise,  Madame  Watteville,  Viscountess  Folkestone,  Bouquet  d’Or, 
Marflchal  Niel,  L’ldeal,  Isabella  Sprunt,  Reine  Olga  de  Wurtemburg, 
Africa  is  to  keep  the  roots  of  the  plants  as  cool  as  possible  and  retain  the 
moisture  longer  than  in  the  ordinary  manner. 
In  concluding  the  foregoing  rotes  of  The  Uplands,  we  have  to  tender 
our  best  thanks  to  Mr.  Webley  for  so  readily  granting  a  view  of  his 
interesting  and  charming  garden. — W.  Gardiner. 
THE  CHISWICK  CONFERENCE. 
Not  the  most  dissatisfied  person  living  could  have  complained  of  the 
“warmth”  of  the  reception  afforded  to  visitors  at  the  Chiswick  Confer¬ 
ence,  but  the  warmth  was  more  that  of  the  atmosphere  than  of  human 
feeling.  A  German  visitor  was  pleased  to  say  that  in  Germany  they  had 
not  seen  the  sun  for  three  weeks,  so  dull  was  the  weather,  whereas  we 
were  sweltering  in  sunshine.  I  ventured  to  say  that  doubtless  this  atmo- 
FlG.  16.— THE 
Caroline  Ivuster,  Catherine  Mermef,  Bridesmaid,  S.  uvenir  de  President 
Carnot,  Madame  Cochet,  The  Bride,  Sunset,  and  Peile  des  Jardins. 
Gloxinias  and  tuberous-rooted  Begonias  also  occupy  a  considerable 
position,  with  numerous  other  decorative  plants  too  numerous  to  mention, 
the  whole  doing  much  credit  to  the  assistant  who  has  charge  of  this 
department. 
Apropos  of  the  foregoing  allusion  to  Roses,  it  may  be  interesting  to 
remark  that  when  on  a  visit  to  South  Africa  some  months  ago  Mr.  Webley 
noticed  a  ncvel  plan  of  growing  dwarf  plants  of  Tea  Roses,  and  which  he 
has  carried  out  on  a  small  scale  at  home.  It  consists  of  a  rectangular  bed 
sunk  about  3  feet  in  depth  from  the  surface  of  the  ground,  sufficiently 
wide  for  two  rows  of  plants,  the  sides  and  ends  of  the  bed  or  pit  being 
turfed  over,  and  to  protect  the  plants  from  severe  frosts  during  the 
winter  and  late  spring  frosts  stout  squared  battens  or  poles  are  placed 
across  the  bed  to  support  a  covering  of  straw  woven  mats.  This  being 
the  first  season  of  trial,  the  results,  so  far,  promised  to  be  satisfactory, 
as  when  we  saw  them  on  our  recent  visit  the  plants  were  laden  with 
opening  buds.  The  chief  object  in  the  adoption  of  the  system  in  South 
UPLANDS. 
spheric  heat  was  the  cause  of  our  native  warmth  and  excitability  of 
temperament,  whereat  he  shook  his  head  and  smiled  dubiously.  I  do  not 
think  he  quite  agreed  that  we  were  either  a  warm  or  excitable  people, 
and  certainly  there  was  no  excess  of  human  sentiment  exhibited  at  the 
Conference. 
Dr.  Masters,  in  his  opening  address  as  Chairman  of  the  Conference^ 
referred  to  the  esceedingly  warm  reception  invariably  given  to  British 
visitors  when  they  visited  continental  shows.  We,  on  the  other  hand, 
so  much  lack  that  piece  of  human  sympathy,  that  when  we  are  favoured 
with  the  company  of  eminent  horticulturists  from  other  countries,  wo 
not  only  to  their  face  refer  to  them  as  “  foreigners,”  but  give  them  the 
same  commonplace  greeting  that  we  meet  out  to  nil  and  sundry,  even 
on  what  may  be  regarded  as  a  great  social  function,  such  as  the  one 
annual  summer  gathering  at  Chiswick  may  be  assumed  to  be,  yet  we  do 
not  unbend  in  the  least  ;  there  is  no  w  armth  in  our  gr.  elings,  no  special 
reception,  no  effort  to  exhibit  j-y  at  meeting  friends  from  far  and 
near.  We  are  so  very 'lymphatic,  so  very  commonplace.  It  is  all  a 
I  part  of  our  nature  I  suppose.  They  may  do  these  things  better  in 
France,  in  Belgium,  in  Holland,  and  elsewere,  but  we  learn  nothing. 
