76 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  27,  1899. 
beautiful.  There  is  also  also  the  pretty  A.  j.  hybrida  or  elegans,  with 
pleasing  flowers  lighter  in  colour  than  those  of  the  type.  In  recent 
years  some  exceedingly  beautiful  varieties  have  been  raised.  Of  these 
may  be  mentioned  Lord  Ardilaun,  Lady  Ardilaun,  Beaut4  Parfaite, 
(loupe  d’Argent,  couronne  virginale,  Profusion,  Reine  Charlotte,  rosea 
superba.  Vase  d’Argent,  and  Whirlwind. 
A.  narcissifolia  is  a  pretty  plant  for  the  border,  with  its  pleasing 
white  flowers.  It  grows  about  a  foot  high,  and  does  well  in  a  rather 
light  soil.  The  Wood  Anemone — A.  nemorosa,  with  its  varieties — makes 
a  pleasing  border  flower,  and  does  well  for  carpeting  beds  or  borders  in 
which  are  other  plants.  There  are  several  varieties,  of  which  may  be 
named  A.  n.  flore-pleno,  with  double  flowers  ;  A.  n.  bracteata,  with  the 
flowers  set  in  broad  green  bracts  ;  A.  n.  rosea  fl.-pl.,  A.  n.  ccerulea.  and 
A.  n.  Robinsoniana,  with  a  few  varieties  not  yet  in  commerce.  A.  palmata 
is  better  adapted  for  the  reck  garden  than  for  the  border. 
A.  patens,  with  its  variety  Nuttalliana,  may  be  grown  in  the  border. 
These  are  about  a  foot  high,  and  have  purple  or  yellow  flowers. 
A;  pulsatilla,  which  likes  a  dry  calcareous  soil,  is  a  well  known  plant 
with  violet-purple  flowers,  growing  from  G  to  12  inches  in  height. 
A.  pratensis  resembles  it  considerably,  but  has  smaller  flowers,  which 
are  pendulous,  and  are  dark  purple  in  colour.  A.  ranunculoides  and 
A.  r.  pallida  are  pretty  little  yellow  Windflowers  suitable  for  carpeting 
shady  or  half  shady  borders  of  light  soil. 
A.  rivularis  is  rather  pretty  when  not  too  strongly  grown,  but  in 
very  rich  borders  it  is  liable  to  become  too  tall  and  coarse.  Wh°n  not 
too  strongly  grown  it  forms  a  pretty  plant  in  May  with  its  white  flowers 
wRh  purple  anthers.  A.  sylvestris  is  a  beautiful  early  flowering  white 
A  ind dower,  which  looks  well  either  in  a  border  or  on  a  rockery.  The 
flowers  are  drooping  in  their  habit,  and  are  produced  on  stems  from 
G  to  18  inches  high.  It  is  a  little  peculiar  in  its  ways,  as  in  some 
gardens  it  can  hardly  be  induced  to  grow,  while  in  others  it  rambles  like 
a  weed.  A.  hortensis  or  stellata  is  best  known  by  the  fine  variety 
named  fulgens,  whose  vivid  scarlet  flowers  are  so  brilliant  in  the  border 
in  spring.  It  is  already  spoken  of  separately  as  if  it  were  a  species, 
which  some  appear  to  have  held.  It  is  generally  sold  simply  as  A.  fulgens. 
A.  stellata  is  variable,  and  flowers  of  several  colours  and  shades  are 
found  among  the  plants. — N.  B. 
BIRMINGHAM  GARDENERS’  ASSOCIATION. 
The  annual  outing  of  this  Association  took  place  on  Wednesday,  the 
1 9th  inst.,  when  about  seventy  of  the  members  and  lady  friends  paid  a 
visit  to  A  oburn  Abbey  and  the  Experimental  Fruit  Farm  at  Kidgmont, 
by  the  kmd  permission  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford.  Professor  W.  Hillhouse, 
the  President  of  the  Association,  accompanied  the  party.  Woburn  Sands 
was  reached,  via  Bletehley,  about  ten  o’clock,  and  brakes  conveyed  the 
party  to  the  Abbey.  The  drive  was  most  interesting  and  enjoyable,  and 
afforded  an  ever  changing  panorama  of  rich  arboreal  and  other  scenery. 
Especially  interesting  were  views  of  the  deer,  the  glimpses  of  the 
kangaroos,  zebras,  and  other  exotic  animals,  as  well  as  the  numerous 
species  of  aquatic  birds,  inhabiting  the  series  of  large  ponds  bordering  the 
carriage  drive.  Arriving  at  the  Abbey,  the  party  was  at  once  taken 
charge  of  by  Mr.  Phillips,  one  of  the  estate  officials,  and  conducted 
through  the  picture  galleries,  the  gallery  of  splendid  marble  statuary,  and 
the  large  collection  of  all  kinds  of  wild  animals' heads  and  horns.  An 
object  of  much  admiration  was  the  Three  Graces,  executed  in  marble  bv 
Canova,  at  a  cost  of  £13,000. 
Considerable  time  was  spent  in  roaming  about  the  60  acres  of  well 
kept  pleasure  grounds,  admiring  some  of  the  most  ancient  and  richest 
arboreal  scenery  in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  the  broad  slopes  and 
stretches  of  well-mown  green  turf.  The  noble  Cedar  of  Lebanon  and 
majestic  Oaks  riveted  the  attention  of  the  visitors.  The  “Abbot’s  Oak” 
was  pointed  out ;  it  is  said  to  be  the  tree  on  which  the  last  abbot  of  Woburn 
Abbey  was  hung  for  his  denial  of  the  supremacy  of  King  Henry  VIII. 
Another  object  of  interest,  too,  was  the  prostrate  dead  Deodar  Cedar,  cut 
down  by  Mr.  Gladstone  when  on  a  visit  to  the  duke.  In  front  of  the 
south  far-ade  of  the  abbey  is  the  somewhat  curiously  laid  out  scroll  flower 
garden,  with  its  edging  of  dwarf  Box  and  white  sand  paths — bicolor  and 
other  Pelargoniums,  and  tuberous  Begonias  were  the  chief  occupants, 
Imae  would  not  allow  of  a  visit  to  the  kitchen  gardens. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  the  brakes  conveyed  the  party  to  Ridgmont 
through  charming  sylvan  scenery,  and  including  nearly  t'\o  ii  ileg 
ot  the  torluous  double  lined  stately  Elm  avenue,  where  the  visitors  were 
met  by  Mr.  S.  Pickering  and  Mr.  Lewis  Castle,  and  at  once  entertained 
o  a  substantial  cold  luncheon.  Mr.  Pickering  conducted  the  visitors 
over  the  fruit  farm,  and  at  various  points  gave  particulars  of  the 
experiments  and  modes  of  cultivation  of  the  fruit  trees. 
After  partaking  t-f  the  reinvigorating  tea  and  a  rest,  the  visitors 
proceeded  to  the  closely  adjoining  railway  station  at  Ridgmont,  en  route 
or  Birmingham,  after  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  outings 
the  members  ot  the  Association  had  experienced. — W.  G. 
~  Exeter  Gardeners’  Outing.  —  The  Devon  and  Exeter 
(xaideners’ Association  recently  held  its  annual  outing.  In  brakes  they 
passed  Ileavitree,  and  arrived  at  about  a  quarter-past  ten  at  Strete 
.»aleigh,  the  residence  of  II.  M.  Imbert-Terry,  Esq,  who  showed  the 
members  his  fine  collection  of  Conifers,  and  added  to  his  kindness  by 
entertaining  the  party  to  lunch.  A  drive  to  Ottery  St.  Mary  was 
followed  by  one  to  Sidbury  Manor,  the  residence  of  Sir  Charles  Cave, 
Bart.  Here  the  head  gardener.  Mr.  J.  L.  Reynolds,  escorted  them 
through  the  excellently  kept  glass  houses,  and  the  well-kept  grounds. 
Roses  at  Kew. 
The  last  ten  years  have  been  prolific  in  changes  for  good  in  the 
different  departments  at,  Kew,  and  nowhere  is  this  more  apparent 
than  outside.  Up  to  that  time  little  was  done  to  adorn  the  lawns 
and  grounds  with  -  showy  flowering  plants.  Scientific  collections 
of  plants  were  maintained,  each  in  its  own  place,  and  if  a  bed 
or  clump  were  required  elsewhere,  as  a  rule  the  common  Laurel 
or  Rhododendron  was  used.  Now  all  this  is  changed;  the  collections 
are  kept  up  scientifically  as  before,  but  in  the  case  of  any  specially 
good  thing  one  or  more  beds  are  made  of  it,  in  addition  to  the 
collection  plant.  By  skirting  the  lawns  and  shrubberies  with  these 
masses,  of  showy  plants,  and  by  replacing  Laurel  clumps  with 
flowering  shrubs,  the  gardens  have  been  rendered  infinitely  more 
useful,  beautiful,  and  pleasant. 
Apart  from  other  plants,  the  progress  made  in  the  above 
mentioned  time  with  the  Rose  is  remarkable.  Up  to  that  period  the 
only  recognised  Rose  garden  was  the  collection  of  species  near  the 
Pagoda;  these  with  a  few  clumps  of  species  and  varieties  about  the 
grounds  constituted  the  whole  of  the  Kew  Roses.  Now  Roses  are 
found  everywhere,  and  during  the  whole  of  the  summer,  and  more 
particularly  in  June  and  July,  make  one  of  the  chief  attractions  of 
the  place,  for  coming  in  as  they  do  when  the  beauties  of  the  Azalea 
and  Rhododendron  begin  to  wane,  they  make  worthy  successo  s  to 
those  brilliant-coloured,  lree-flowering  plants. 
For  ease  they  may  be  divided  up  in  four  sections,  No.  1  being  repre¬ 
sented  by  the  bulk  of  the  garden  varieties,  Teas  and  Hybrid  Perpetuals  ; 
No.  2  the  collection  of  species  and  botanical  Varieties  on  the 
west  side  of  the  broad  vista  near  the  Pagoda;  No.  3  really  good 
flowering  species  and  varieties,  principally  climbing,  in  the  new  Rose 
garden  near  the  Pagoda ;  No.  4  species  and  varieties  used  in  beds, 
clumps,  and  on  pillars  in  other  parts  of  the  grounds. 
Possibly  to  many  gardeners  the  Ptoses  usually  met  with  in  gardens 
— Teas  and  Hybrid  Perpetuals — have  most  attractions.  These  are 
represented  at  Kew  by  a  number  of  the  trst  varieties  of  each  section. 
’They  are  to  be  found  occupying  beds  which  extend  from  the  pond  near 
No.  1  museum  along  the  north  end,  west  side,  and  south  end  of  the 
Palm  house.  Both  standards  and  dwarfs  are  to  be  seen,  and  in  most 
instances  each  variety  is  represented  by  a  bed.  The  standards  consist 
of  fifty-two  small  beds,  three  plants  of  one  variety  being  planted  in 
each.  Some  of  the  most  conspicuous  are  Duke  of  Edinburgh, 
Prince  Camille  de  Rohan,  Merveillo  de  Lvon,  Ulrich  Brunner,  White 
Baroness,  La  France,  Magna  Charta,  and  Marchioness  of  Lome.  The 
dwarfs  consist  of  about  fifty  beds,  each  containing  from  eighteen  to 
twenty-four  plants,  one  variety,  as  a  rule,  being  grown  in  each  bed. 
At  present  they  are  at  their  best,  and  make  a  fine  show.  The  Teas 
are  represented  by  many  good  varieties,  among  them  being  Bridesmaid, 
Madame  Eugene  Resal,  Viscountess  Folkestone,  Princess  de  Sagan, 
and  many  others.  Of  Hybrid  Perpetuals  La  France,  Mrs.  J.  Laing, 
Ulrich  Brunner,  Captain  Christy,  and  Glory  of  Cheshunt  are  very 
fine.  All  these  beds  have  an  effective  undergrowth  of  Violas. 
The  second  group — i.e.,  collection  of  species — is  on  the  west  side 
of  the  vista,  close  to  the  Pagoda,  and  is  contained  in  a  long  wide  bed. 
A  large  number  of  species  and  botanical  varieties  are  comprised  in 
this  collection,  each  sort  being  represented  by  a  good  single  specimen 
or  a  group.  These  are  full  of  interest,  both  when  in  flower  and  later 
on,  when  almost  every  plant  is  laden  with  bright-coloured  fruit. 
The  third  group,  as  before  stated,  consists  of  a  large  number  of  the 
best  of  the  species  for  flowering,  and  good  varieties  growing  in  the  new 
garden,  near  the  Pagoda.  It  was  a  happy  idea  when  this  Rose  garden 
was  first  thought  of,  for  it  has  transformed  an  old  gravel  pit,  which 
four  years  ago  was  about  the  mest  unsightly  spot  in  the  gardens,  into 
one  of  the  loveliest,  for  where  once  all  was  a  barren  waste,  is  now 
greenery  and  flowers.  To  effect  this  change  the  sides  cf  the  cutting 
were  terraced  and  bays  made,  these  terraces  and  bays  all  being 
formed  with  good  soil,  kept  in  position  by  facirig  the  terraces 
with  large  tree  roots.  The  whole  now  forms  a  long  valley,  with  a 
broad  central  and  two  side  grass  walks.  As  a  brilliant  effect  was  the 
object  in  view,  large  masses  of  the  different  types  were  planted,  each 
bay  or  terrace  being  planted  with  one  sort.  The  most  striking  masses 
are  Mrs.  Anthony  Waterer,  spinosissima  var.  altaica,  lutea,  hispida, 
Fellenberg,  Flora,  Carmine  Pillar  (a  fine  group),  setigera,  Wichuiiana, 
a  group  of  rugosa  hybrids,  and  an  immense  group  of  Crimson  Rambler, 
the  whole  hedged  in  by  multiflora  and  other  strong-growing  species, 
while  in  the  crevices  between  the  butts  small  growing  vars.,  such  as 
White  Pet,  are  planted.  About  the  middle  of  July  the  group  of 
