April  16,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
355 
Narcissus  maximus,  and  the  light  blue  Hyacinth  R  -gulus  ;  next  came  a 
bed  formed  entirely  of  the  blush  white  Hyacinth  G-randeur  4  Merveille, 
followed  by  a  telling  mass  of  blue,  formed  of  Hyacinth  H.  Priestly.  In 
some  instances  Narcissi  were  planted  alone,  and  effective  beds  were 
composed  of  Maximus,  Emperor,  Horsefieldi,  and  Sir  Watkin.  Single 
Tulips  were  also  well  represented,  and  very  beautiful  and  striking  were 
the  plantations  of  Cottage  Maid,  Queen  of  the  Violets,  and  Proserpine. 
One  bed  in  which  the  latter  variety  was  mixed  with  dark  Wallflowers, 
looked  exceptionally  attractive. 
Hyacinths  were  chiefly  planted  in  beds  two  of  each  variety,  situated 
opposite,  and  one  could  not  refrain  from  remarking  on  the  contrasting 
beauty  they  produced.  Here  were  masses  of  Gigantea,  followed  by  the 
dark  blue  of  William  the  First,  then  came  Madame  Van  der  Hoop, 
white,  and  in  turn  again  the  rosy  pink  of  Queen  of  Hyacinths.  The 
light  blue  of  Regulua  looked  even  more  delicate  against  the  substantial 
pure  white  spikes  of  alba  maxima,  and  General  Ilavelocfc  with  its  rich 
blue  flowers  had  been  accorded  its  right  position  side  by  side  with  Mont 
Blanc,  the  colour  of  which  needs  no  description.  A  rich  golden  glow 
hard  by  portrayed  the  beauty  of  Tulip  Keizer’s  Kroon,  which  has  no 
superior  for  spring  bedding  ;  though  of  different  colour  the  scarlet  florets 
of  La  Belle  Alliance  were  equally  attractive. 
Several  other  pretty  beds  were  formed  of  Narcissus  Sir  Watkin  and 
Anemones,  and  Chionodoxa  gigantea  blended  admirably  with  Narcissus 
Grand  Monarque.  Further  on  the  unobtrusive  little  blossoms  of  Scilla 
sibirica  made  themselves  seen  amongst  the  spikes  of  Narcissus  rugilobus, 
and  Narcissus  Empress  made  a  pleasing  combination  massed  with  the 
blue  Grape  Hyacinth,  Muscari  botryoides  ;  while  in  other  beds  were 
yellow  Doronicums  and  single  Tulips.  By  this  time,  however,  the 
Marble  Arch  was  reached,  there  to  pause  and  consider ;  fancy  all  the 
way  from  Westminster  to  the  Marble  Arch  amid  flowers  and  trees,  and 
without  passing  through  a  street ;  yet  some  people  say  London  is  all 
streets.  A  peep  at  the  clock  told  there  was  yet  time  for  more,  and  by 
the  assistance  of  a  bus  labelled  Portland  Road  I  soon  found  myself  in 
Regent’s  Park. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  beauty  of  the  spring 
flowers  there,  or  to  accord  too  much  praise  to  those  who  are  responsible 
for  the  admirable  way  in  which  they  have  been  planted  to  the  best 
advantage.  True,  the  flower  garden  in  Regent’s  Park  is  uniquely 
situated,  the  long  avenues  of  Elms  and  Chestnuts  and  winding 
pathways  lending  no  small  assistance  in  showing  off  the  flowers  to 
perfection.  Every  advantage  has  been  taken  of  the  favourable  condi¬ 
tions,  with  the  result  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  another  display  of 
bedding  to  equal  that  of  Regent’s  Park. 
There  seemed  to  be  flowers  everywhere,  the  grassy  banks  presenting 
a  medley  of  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Daffodils,  Grape  Hyacinths,  and  Squills, 
that  to  say  the  least  of  it  was  perfectly  charming  ;  while  the  dying 
foliage  of  the  Crocus  and  Snowdrop  showed  that  the  display  had  been 
one  of  long  duration. 
The  large  stone  vases  were  everywhere  gay  with  Wallflowers, 
Hyacinths,  and  other  occupants,  adding  much  to  the  general  effect. 
Several  large  beds  with  undulating  surface  were  ablaze  with  Tulips 
Keizer’s  Kroon  and  Proserpine;  and  the  long  narrow  borders  planted 
with  alternate  clumps  of  Hyacinths  and  Tulips,  interspersed  with  the 
yellow  foliage  of  the  Golden  Valerian,  and  edged  with  the  unassuming 
white  blossoms  of  Arabia  albida,  looked  very  charming.  Another 
pleasing  combination  was  noticed  in  a  bank  of  white  and  blue  Hyacinths, 
with  yellow  Violas  dotted  in  between. 
In  some  of  the  round  beds  masses  of  blue  were  formed  by  Hyacinth 
Czar  Peter,  while  in  others  were  similar  displays  of  Gertrude  and 
Gigantea.  The  last  named  Hyacinth  interspersed  with  Czar  Peter  made 
a  superb  mixture,  and  one  could  not  help  admiring  the  contrast  formed 
by  Arabis  albida  and  Hyacinth  King  of  the  Blues.  A  large  bed  of 
Narcissus  Empress  and  Wallflowers,  edged  with  Golden  Valerian,  came 
in  for  its  share  of  praise,  and  hard  by  was  a  clump  of  Narcissus  Horse¬ 
fieldi,  interspersed  with  blue  Grape  Hyacinths  and  surrounded  by  Arabis 
albida. 
Enough,  however,  has  been  said  to  show  that  the  display  was  unique, 
and  amongst  the  bushes  were  noticed  peeping  forth  the  pink  blossoms  of 
Megasea  crassifolia.  As  a  fitting  conclusion  a  joyous  sound  burst  forth 
from  one  of  the  tree  tops.  It  was  a  song  thrush,  and  how  sweet,  how 
delicious  I  Fancy,  a  thrush  in  London !  Reluctantly  I  withdrew, 
wishing  my  little  crippled  acquaintance  of  the  Embankment  could  have 
heard  it,  listening  till  its  song  died  away  ;  then  through  the  gates 
to  the  streets,  ’bus,  and  home,  with  pleasant  recollections  of  my  morning’s 
walk  through  a  few  of  London’s  gardens, — G.  H.  H. 
PLANTED  OUT  ONIONS. 
THE  method  of  planting  out  Onion  plants  raised  under  glass  from 
seed  with  a  view  to  securing  extra  fine  bulbs  in  the  autumn  for  exhibi¬ 
tion  seems  to  differ  amongst  leading  growers.  When  recently  conversing 
with  Mr.  W.  Pope  of  Highclere  Castle  Gardens,  who  last  autumn  exhibited 
such  a  splendid  collection  of  Onions  at  the  Drill  Hall,  I  learnt  that 
whilst  sowing  seed  in  midwinter  and  raising  plants  under  glass  in 
warmth,  to  have  them  strong  and  early  in  the  usual  way,  yet  that  he  did 
not  lift  his  dibbled  out  plants  from  the  boxes  in  which  they  were  growing 
and  were  hardened  with  balls  of  soil,  but  shook  the  roots  free  of  soil, 
and  then  dibbled  out  in  the  ordinary  way.  He  added  that  so  far  as  his 
experience  went  the  roots  thus  inserted  into  the  soil  always  died  soon, 
others  being  at  once  emitted  from  the  base  of  the  bulbs.  That  would 
lead  to  the  inference  that  to  some  extent  a  decided  check  to  growth  was 
given. 
When  the  other  day  at  Hackwood  Park,  Basingstoke,  where  the 
champion  Onion  grower  of  last  year  (Mr.  Bowerman)  is  gardener. 
I  noticed  that  he  had  but  just  previously  put  out  his  plants.  They  were 
fairly  strong,  and  range  from  8  to  9  inches  in  height.  In  every  case 
these  were  lifted  from  the  boxes  with  the  aid  of  a  trowel,  thus  preserv¬ 
ing  with  the  roots  a  fair  sized  clump  of  soil,  and  so  transplanted. 
Water  was  not  given  the  same  day,  but  sprinkled  from  a  rose  the 
following  day.  All  the  plants  were  erect  and  firm,  showing  that  they 
had  not  suffered  from  the  transplanting.  Mr.  Pope  mentioned  that  he 
plants  in  the  evening,  and  gives  a  little  water  to  each  one  at  once. 
Both  growers  plant  as  a  rule  about  the  middle  of  April,  but  Mr. 
Bowerman  had  got  his  plants  out  rather  earlier  this  year,  chiefly  because 
the  mild  season  had  brought  them  on  early,  and  the  weather  and  soil 
were  both  so  very  favourable.  At  Hackwood  also  the  practice  prevails 
of  planting  on  exactly  the  same  portions  of  ground  each  year,  with 
results  that  seem  to  improve  each  successive  one.  That  may  seem  con¬ 
trary  to  good  practice  as  well  as  to  experience,  but  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  the  soil  is  each  year  highly  dressed  with  well-decayed 
manure,  is  deeply  trenched,  and  mixed,  and  has  a  liberal  dressing  also  of 
wood  ashes  and  guano  worked  into  the  surface  just  before  the  planting 
is  done.  , 
To  produce  large  Onions,  even  when  planted  at  comparatively  wide 
distances  apart,  high  feeding  is  needful,  and  last  year  because  of  the 
drought  liberal  waterings  were  essential  also.  But  still  the  sun  heat,  the 
moisture,  and  the  food  placed  so  liberally  in  the  soil  did  result  in  pro¬ 
ducing  some  of  the  heaviest  and  handsomest  of  bulbs  ever  growA  in  the 
kingdom.  This  year  planted  out  Onions  get  a  remarkably  good  start. 
The  plants  are  early,  have  been  well  exposed  and  hardened,  fine,  most 
favourable  weather  for  the  transplanting,  and  soil  in  perfect  condition, 
and  being  got  out  fully  a  week  earlier  than  usual  have  all  the  longer 
season  in  which  to  perfect  themselves. 
That  is  after  all  a  matter  of  the  greatest  moment,  as  very  long  seasons 
are  needed  to  enable  huge  Onion  bulbs  to  be  not  only  formed,  but  fully 
matured.  These  big  bulbs  ripened  so  well  last  autumn  that  they 
are  much  later  than  usual  in  pushing  growth,  although  they  have  been 
some  time  planted.  That  is  a  tribute  to  the  warmth  of  last  auiumn,  a 
weather  condition  we  may  well  hope  to  see  repeated  this  year. — A,  D. 
OLIVIAS  AND  CALADIUMS. 
The  above  association  may  sound  rather  incongruous  at  first,  com¬ 
bining,  as  it  does,  two  classes  of  plants,  which  thrive  under  such 
extremely  different  conditions.  They  are,  however,  joined  here  because 
on  the  occasion  of  a  recent  visit  to  the  Forest  Hill  Nurseries  of  Messrs. 
J.  Laing  &  Sons  both  were  so  splendidly  represented,  that  a  few  notes  on 
some  of  the  best  of  each  were  considered  of  sufficient  interest  to  place 
before  the  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture ,  instead  of  only 
jottings  about  the  Olivias,  as  was  intended.  Not  that  these  are  the 
only  good  things  in  this  well  known  horticultural  establishment,  in  fact 
there  are  some  of  almost  all  sorts.  Orchids,  for  example,  are  seen  in 
fairly  large  numbers  and  great  variety,  Ferns  and  Palms  are  admirably 
grown,  and  as  for  Begonias — but  having  mentioned  the  name  of  Laing, 
more  need  not  be  said  regarding  them. 
Considering  that  Olivias  are  greenhouse  plants  of  distinctly  easy 
culture  and  of  beauty  both  when  in  flower  and  out,  it  is  a  matter  for 
surprise  that  they  are  not  much  more  extensively  cultivated,  especially 
perhaps  by  amateurs.  It  cannot  be  the  price  that  bars  the  way,  as  several 
of  the  ordinary  varieties  of  0.  rainiata  can  be  purchased  very  reasonably i 
These,  of  course,  are  not  equal  to  many  of  the  new  ones,  but  numbers  of 
them  are  very  beautiful  and  well  worthy  of  attention.  Not  only  are  they 
extremely  useful  for  affording  diversity  in  the  greenhouse  but  also  for 
the  embellishment  of  rooms,  where  with  ordinary  care  they  last  in 
good  condition  for  a  fairly  long  time.  For  this  purpose  their 
adaptability  is,  in  all  probability,  nowhere  more  widely  recognised  than 
in  some  of  the  towns  and  villages  of  Holland,  where  highly  creditable 
plants  may  be  seen  adorning  house  after  house  at  this  season  of  the 
year.  It  is  only  occasionally  that  they  are  so  used  here,  but  they  are 
undoubtedly  both  more  serviceable  and  more  ornamental  than  many 
of  the  plants  utilised  for  the  purpose.  In  establishments  of  greater 
pretensions,  too,  they  might  well  be  more  frequently  seen,  though  in 
most  places  they  are  represented  in  some  manner  or  another.  A  little 
group  of  a  dozen  or  eighteen  plants  makes  a  very  imposing  display, 
and  one  that  almost  everyone  will  be  bound  to  admire. 
The  bold,  strap-like  leafage  forms  an  admirable  foil  for  the  flowers, 
which  in  some  of  the  newer  varieties  are  exceptionally  rich  in  colour, 
and  of  large  size.  Not  only  are  the  individual  blooms  large,  but  the 
heads  also.  Then  again  the  segments,  which  were  not  long  ago  almost  all 
pointed  and  narrow,  are  now  in  a  considerable  number  of  the  sorts 
rounded  and  broad,  overlapping  so  as  to  form  a  pleasing  contour. 
Combine  with  these  advantages  the  acknowledged  simplicity  of  culture, 
and  then  find  a  good  reason  why  Olivias  or  Imantophyllums  are  not 
far  more  popular.  Every  year  brings  with  it  improved  varieties,  and 
anyone  who  grows  them  can  try  his  hand  at  raising  new  ones,  and  with 
good  chances  of  success.  Let  a  grower  introduce  a  pure  white,  a  blue, 
a  purple,  or  a  normal  coloured  scented  one,  and  his  labours  will  not 
go  unrewarded,  for  either  of  these  would  give  such  a  fillip  to  Olivia 
cultivation  as  it  has  not  experienced  for  a  goodly  number  of  years. 
We  will  now  turn  for  a  few  moments  to  the  varieties,  and,  of  course, 
only  those  of  the  most  general  excellence  will  be  named  here.  As  the 
