236 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  September  n,  1899. 
POINTS  IN  THE  PARKS. 
[Continued  from  page  187.) 
I  was  glad  to  obtain  a  little  air  on  the  top  of  a  ’bus  from  Hyde  Park 
»s  far  as  Regent’s  Park,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible  in  town  on  a 
-scorchirg  day,  and  it  was  quite  a  relief  to  rest  under  the  beautiful  tiees 
that  ore  so  noteworthy  here.  Immediately  on  entering,  a  pietty  bed 
of  Begonia  Corbeille  de  Feu,  one  of  the  semperfloroas  type,  took  my 
iancy.  Although  not  bright  it  had  a  good  tone,  to  which  the  foliage 
added  materially. 
A  huge  bed  of  succulents  must  be  examined,  because  it  presented  a 
much  better  appearance  than  these  plants  usually  do.  The  giant  speci¬ 
mens  of  Agave  americana  and  its  variegated  form  were  the  most  notable, 
'but  there  were  plenty  of  other  kinds,  each  well  displayed  in  a  groundwork 
of  golden  Creeping  Jenny,  Sedum  glaucum,  S.  acre,  Kleinia  repens, 
Ecbevcrias.  and  Mesembryanthemum. 
The  Celosias  are  a  great  feature,  and  the  strain  employed  is  the  finest 
I  have  seen  ;  the  colours  are  brilliant  and  varied.  I  was  told  it  was  their 
■own  strain  ;  be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  a  splendid  example  of  the  florists’  art. 
I  observed,  too,  they  are  labelled  Feathered  Cockscombs.  A  bed  of  dark 
leaved  Cannas,  with  bright  red  Celosias  and  groups  of  [Bridal  Wreath, 
edged  with  Sunray  Fuchsia,  was  a  pleasing  feature.  A  gigantic  bed 
filled  with  large  Palms,  Araucaria  excelsa  and  Bamboos  in  the  centre, 
was  conspicuous  ;  while  groups  of  Aca'ypha  Macafeeana,  well  coloured, 
Abutilons,  and  Asparagus  plumosus  nanus,  amongst  olher  plants  of  the 
foliage  type,  formed  a  pleasing  contrast  with  clumps  of  liudbeckia 
la  i  rata  Golden  Glow. 
Violas  are  always  well  displayed  in  the  parks,  but  this  year  Mr. 
.Jordan  has  launched  out  with  a  large  bed  composed  of  many  varieties 
planted  in  informal  blocks,  and  the  effect  should  be  seen  to  appreciate  its 
full  worth.  It  will  be  seen  by  the  varieties  mentioned  that  the  newer 
forms  are  not  ignored.  Those  most  striking  were  Lottie  McNiel, 
Magnificent,  rosea  pallida.  Marchioness,  J.  B.  Riding,  Molly  Pope, 
Sylvia,  Bridegroom,  and  Archie  Grant. 
Ornamental  Gourds  form  an  imposing  feature.  In  some  cases  they 
are  to  be  seen  running  up  poles  in  the  shrubberies,  while  in  others  they 
are  allowed  to  wander  on  to  the  lawns,  and  very  beautiful  they  look  with 
their  fine  handsome  foliage.  I  would  fain  mention  several  other  beds  in 
this  beautiful  park,  but  space  forbids. 
As  soon  as  one  leaves  the  West  End  parks  and  proceeds  eastwards, 
t^e  fir-t  thing  that  strikes  one  is  the  lack  of  people  wandering  about  in 
4h  middle  of  the  day.  No  doubt  the  parks  are  just  as  crowded  in  the 
evenings,  but  at  noon  they’  are  mainly  occupied  by  children,  while  probably 
their  parents  are  at  their  daily  calling.  Even  the  summer  bedding  recalls 
ihe  fact  that  we  have  arrived  in  a  working  district,  where  the  people, 
ldte  their  parks,  are  more  matter-of  fact  and  conventional.  We  lose  the 
newer  ideas,  and  come  to  the  more  orthodox  type  of  planting. 
Yet  the  beds  of  scarlet  “Geraniums”  in  Finsbury  Park,  relieved  by 
the  aid  of  pyramidal  Fuchsias  and  fdged  with  blue  Ageratum  attracted 
me  as  much  as  ever  ;  their  very  brightness  seems  to  arrest  attention.  A 
pretty  combination  is  composed  of  large  plants  of  Souvenir  de  Chas. 
Turner  Ivy-leaved  Pelargonium,  with  clumps  of  white  Antirrhinums,  red 
Celj9ias,  edged  with  blue  Lobelia  and  variegated  Mesembryanthemums. 
A  bed  of  Begonia  semperflorens,  with  Acacia  lophantha  as  dot  plants, 
and  edged  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  last  mentioned  bed,  formed  a 
pleasing  change.  Some  of  the  small  beds,  filled  with  Gannas,  Begonias, 
Fuchsias,  and  edged  with  Lobelia,  wrere  particularly  fine — in  fact,  the 
whole  of  the  bedding  was  bright  and  well  developed. 
I  have  a  somewhat  unfortunate  habit  of  going  to  the  wrong  station  to 
see  the  summer  bedding  when  I  visit  Victoria  Park,  and  a  walk  right  across 
this,  the  largest  park  in  London,  on  a  close  sultry  day  is  not  a  desirable 
feat.  Still  it  had  to  be  done,  and  in  due  time  I  arrived  at  the  beds. 
Here,  as  at  Finsbury,  the  bedding  takes  more  of  ihe  conventional  type. 
Ihe  brilliant  masses  of  colour  cannot  be  other  than  greatly  admired,  as 
they  were  the  picture  of  health  and  beauty. 
The  collection  of  beds  near  the  winter  garden  had  many  admirers.  It 
■was  just  one  mass  of  brilliant  colours,  chiefly  contributed  by  “Geraniums” 
m  all  colours,  Marguerites,  Lobelias,  and  others,  relieved  by  the  trim- 
kept  law-ns  between  the  beds.  A  bed  of  white  Marguerites,  with  scarlet 
“  Geraniums,”  and  edged  with  blue  Lobelia,  was  simple  but  beautiful. 
A  foliage  bed  of  variegated  Maize,  with  large  scented  “Geraniums,” 
Lobelia  cardinalis,  with  blue  Lobelia  and  Wave  of  Life  Fuchsia,  wa9  a 
pleasing  relief  to  the  gayer  beds. 
I  was  struck  with  the  effect  produced  by  planting  silver  variegated 
“Geraniums,”  and  Verbena  venosa  with  an  edging  of  blue  Ageratum. 
T.  ey  are  strange  colours  to  put  together,  but  the  harmony  was  capital, 
bucculents  are  not  neglected  here,  and  there  are  some  fine  beds  to  be 
seen,  while  the  specimen  American  Aloes  are  magnificent.  The  London 
people  appear  to  appreciate  this  class  of  plant,  for  there  always  appears 
to  be  a  knot  of  admirers  round  the  beds,  and  I  am  quite  sure  they  could 
be  utilised  in  private  gardens  much  more  effectively  than  is  the  case  at 
present.  I  heard  of  a  beautiful  scroll  and  some  other  fine  beds,  but 
Being  a  stranger  I  took  the  wrong  turning,  which  led  me  out  of  the  park 
at  the  end  I  ought  to  have  gone  in,  and  saved  myselt  a  mile  or  two  of 
walking. 
How  is  it  that  all  the  plants  are  named  clearly  and  distinctly  in  the 
”  est  End  parks,  while  labels  in  the  East  End  parks  ore  conspicuous  by 
their  absence  ?  Surely  if  it  is  necessary  to  educate  the  fashionable  crowds 
“^up  West,”  as  it  is  termed,  how  much  more  so  is  it  essential  in  the  East 
End  parks,  especially  as  the  dwellers  in  these  localities  take  so  much 
interest  in  their  flowers  !  —A  Country  Visitor. 
TWIN  APPLES. 
I  HOPE  you  will  excuse  my  weakness  for  Apples  in  sending  you  a  pair 
of  twins,  both  grown  on  one  spur  of  a  bush  tree  of  Lord  Sufficld,  which 
has  produced  a  heavy  crop  of  fine  large  fruits  this  season. 
Speaking  of  the  cropping  qualities  ot  Apples,  Stirling  Castle  is  equal 
to  Lord  Suffield  and  Keswick  Codlin.  Cox’s  Orange  Fippin  has  a  very 
heavy  crop  for  the  sixth  consecutive  year,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert  is  full  as 
usual,  Lord  Derby  never  misses  a  crop,  nor  does  M&re  de  Mbnage.  Cox  s 
Pomona  and  Alfriston  are  nearly  failures  this  season,  Warner’s  King  is 
not  a  full  crop  ;  Pott’s  Seedling  and  Golden  Spire  are  heavy  croppers. 
G.  Picker,  Hessleuood,  Hull, 
[The  Apples  received  are  perfect  twins,  similar  in  character  to  the  one 
figured,  but  less  uniform  in  size,  each  pair  having  a  c  unmon  stalk  with 
no  signs  of  fasciation.  It  is  unusual  for  two  such  double  fruits  to  be 
borne  on  one  spur.  The  departure  from  the  normal  type  is  in  this  case 
accidental,  but  the  specimen  figured  was  sent  to  us  some  years  ago  by 
Mr.  G.  B.  Clark  ot  Woburn.  It  was  taken,  with  several  others,  from  a 
tree  belonging  to  Mr.  F.  Bowler  of  Husborne  Crawley,  that  had  borne  such 
Apples  from  year  to  year,  but  all  the  twin  fruits  weie  not  so  uniform  in 
size  as  represented  in  fig.  4 L  It  is  called  the  Bedfordshire  Twin.  The 
fruit  is  generally  about  one-third  larger  than  shown  in  the  illustration, 
and  was  said  to  keep  under  favourable  conditions  till  July.] 
THE  OLD  PARSONAGE,  GRESFORD. 
We  were  recently  accorded  the  privilege  of  visiting  the  gardens  of 
Dr.  Mules  at  the  Old  Parsonage,  Gresford.  where  one  of  the  choicest 
collections  of  hardy  border  plants  we  have  ever  seen  has  within  the  past 
two  years  been  established. 
The  neighbourhood  of  Gresford  is  particularly  beautiful,  and  the 
whole  of  the  doctor’s  garden  is  in  peifect  keeping  with  the  surroundings. 
The  Old  Parsonage  gardens  have  been  in  existence  for  many’  years,  but 
to  those  who  knew  them  previous  to  the  doctor  taking  them  in  hand,  the 
change  is  a  very  marked  ore,  for  what  were  then  vegetable  quarters  and 
old  shrubberies  have  beer,  coinerted  into  a  veritable  floral  paradise.  Here 
there  is  an  entire  absence  of  that  stiffness  sometimes  seen  in  the  arrange¬ 
ment  of  flowers  beds  and  borders,  all  these  being  set  out  in  a  most  natural 
manner,  and  wearing  the  appearance  of  gracefulness  and  beauty. 
At  the  time  of  our  visit  a  large  bed  near  to  the  entrance  gate  arrested 
our  attention,  and  which  was  all  aglow  with  choice,  brightly  coloured, 
tuberous-rooted  Begonias,  rising  above  which  were  Liliums  of  the  lanci* 
folium  type,  and  Carnas  of  various  colours,  all  in  full  bloom.  Near  to 
this  bed  there  were  dotted  about  the  lawn  several  new  varieties  of  Cactus 
Dahlias  and  half  standard  Roses,  the  firmer  being  laden  with  exquisitely 
formed  flowets.  As  we  pissed  on  surpri-es  after  e,ch  other  awaited  us. 
The  first  of  these  w  as  perhaps  the  collection  of  Liliums,  numbering  in  all 
seventy-two  distinct  varieties,  some  being  particularly  choice  and  rare, 
including  L.  polyphyllum  and  I..  Leichtlini,  both  of  which  have  flowered 
successfully.  In  close  proximity  to  these  was  a  fine  example  of  Herarrocallis 
aurianticus  major,  which  had  near  neighbours  in  Montbretia  imperialis 
and  several  varieties  ot  Crinums,  all  of  which  have  produced  flowers. 
In  passing  ihe  doctor  pointed  with  some  amount  of  pride  to  a  number 
o  well  grown  plants  of  Scabiosa  caucasica  alba,  which  were  flowering 
profusely,  to  the  astonishment  ot  others  present  who  have  tried  in  vain  to 
brirgthis  variety’  to  ihe  flowering  stage.  A  bed  of  Callas  next  attracted 
our  attention,  and  varieties  such  as  Pentlandi  and  Elliotiana  had,  we 
were  told,  flowered  freely  under  the  same  treatment  as  that  given  to 
Dahlias.  As  a  proof  of  the  mildness  of  the  climate  at  Gresford  a  well 
furnished  specimen  of  Chammrops  excelsa  has  withstood  the  past  two 
winters  unharmed.  Delphinium  cashmerianum  album  created  consider¬ 
able  interest,  as  also  did  a  collection  of  hardy  Cyclamens,  composed  of 
C.  neapolitanum  and  C.  europaetim  vars.  Hardy  Orchidaceous  plants, 
Ferns.  Alpines,  and  Water  Lilies  were  also  in  evidence  in  nooks,  crannies, 
and  tanks  specially  prepared  for  them. 
Dr.  Mules  believes  in  having  the  newest  and  best  of  everything  in  the 
way  of  florists’  flowers,  and  this  was  very  evident  on  examining  his 
collections  of  herbaceous  Phloxes  and  Pentstemons,  both  of  which 
embraced  a  large  number  of  varieties,  and  were  remarkably’  fine.  In  a 
different  part  of  the  garden  was  a  bed  of  seedling  Phloxes  of  the  doctor’s 
own  raising,  the  seeds  of  which  were  only  sown  in  the  spring,  but  nearly 
all  the  plants  were  bearing  a  considerable  quantity  of  bloom.  The  time 
passed  too  quickly  to  do  anything  like  justice  to  all  that  was  to  be  seen, 
and  it  was  with  regret  that  we  obeyed  the  command  of  the  leader  of  onr 
party  to  make  for  the  station  in  order  to  catch  the  train  for  rare  old 
Chester.— George  Paxton. 
The  Belladonna  Lily. — This  is  a  very  beautiful  plant  where 
it  succeeds,  a  suitable  place  for  it  being  often  lound  near  warm  walls, 
where  the  soil  is  fairly  good  though  comparative, y  light.  I  recently 
noted  some  nice  plants  ot  it  at  Shipley  Hall,  Derby,  in  front  of  one  of 
the  large  greenhouses,  a  position  often  chosen  and  usually’  successful. 
Large  robust  looking  spikes  were  throwing  up,  and  those  flowers  that 
were  open  were  of  a  beautiful  rosy  pink  tinge.  Top-dressing  annually 
with  rich  soil  is  the  best  plan  *o  keep  the  plains  in  health,  as  they  do  not 
relish  frequent  disturbance.  Taking  up  the  dumps  and  dividing  is  the 
easiest  wav  of  propagation,  and  {I  is  should  take  place  before  they  get 
too  crowded. — B.  S.  E. 
