September  26,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
289 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
“  Here  awa’,  There  awa’.” 
Hyde  Park. 
Hyde  Park  has  been  particularly  handsome  and  fortunate  in  its 
bedding  arrangements  this  year.  The  combinations  have  a  considerable 
amount  of  novelty  about  them,  and,  so  far  as  their  development  is 
concerned,  they  conld  not  have  been  more  luxuriant.  It  entails 
conscientious  assiduity  on  the  part  of  Mr.  W.  Browne  and  his  staff  to 
maintain  the  appearance  of  the  beds  clean,  trim,  and  altogether  in  their 
best  condition.  Go  when  you  like,  and  you  will  observe  a  number  of 
men  diligently  cutting,  sweeping,  staking,  or  watering,  respectively,  and 
all  to  insure  success,  and  a  continuation  of  it.  The  bedding  in  London 
public  parks  is,  of  course,  one  of  the  great  outdoor  attractions  of  the 
First  City  ;  by  all  means  then,  let  us  spare  neither  the  men  nor  the 
money,  that  our  superintendents  may  still  be  able  to  gratify  a  numerous, 
critical,  and  varied  public. 
The  variegated  Maize  always  presents  a  graceful  outline,  as  well  as 
being  beautiful  in  colour.  In  an  oval  bed  in  Hyde  Park  this  plant  has 
been  effectively  used  above  Ivy-leaved  Pelargonium  Abel  Carri&re,  the 
bed  being  edged  with  white  Lobelia.  The  rich  colouring  of  Abutilon 
Tbompsoni  interspersed  with  Heliotropiums,  bushy  in  growth,  and 
standing  4  feet  high,  having  purple  Cockscombs  and  Begonia 
semperflorens  beneath,  with  a  white  edge  of  Lobelia,  was  also 
successful  and  pleasing  to  visitors. 
A  simple  bed,  yet  one  that  was  immensely  pretty,  was  oval  in  form, 
and  contained  orange-scarlet  tuberous  Begonias,  and  above  this  ground¬ 
covering  were  symmetrical  specimen  Acacia  lophantha’s,  in  height  about 
2  feet.  The  reddish-tinted  Alternanthera  major  was  employed  as  an 
edging.  Those  who  know  that  most  elegant  and  showy  of  bedding 
plants — namely,  Lantana  delicatissima,  will  readily  appreciate  the 
beautiful  harmony  that  it,  along  with  a  selection  of  Salpiglossis,  would 
furnish.  The  Lantanas  were  well  balanced,  bushy  plants,  each  5  to 
6  feet  high,  and  laden  with  their  gay,  rose-mauve  trusses.  Blue 
Lobelia  around  the  margin  completed  one  of  the  simplest  and  most 
effective  of  the  beds.  The  value  of  simplicity,  combined  with  good 
taste,  is  nowhere  more  strikingly  demonstrated  than  in  the  arrangement 
of  forms  and  colours  in  flower  bedding. 
The  silvery  foliage  of  Artemisia  arborescens  (Southernwood)  swayed 
above,  and  amongst  the  lavender-coloured  flower  trusses  of  Ivy¬ 
leaved  Pelargonium  La  France,  beneath  which  there  were  pale  yellow 
Violas,  and  around  the  oval  bed  a  broad  marginal  band  of  Alternanthera 
major.  The  whole  production  was  highly  pleasing  to  one’s  sense  of 
sight.  The  light  and  slenderly  growing  Cuphea  platycentra  above 
yellow  French  Marigolds  (Tagetes)  edged  with  red  Alternanthera 
amoena,  was  certainly  most  creditable  and  well  worth  imitating 
elsewhere.  Aster  diffusus  horizontalis  in  a  summer  flower  bed  is  novel, 
yet  it  can  be  employed  with  all  assurance  of  being  a  suitable  subject. 
With  the  ordinary  dark,  crimson  crested  Cockscombs,  and  the  allied,  but 
finely  contrasting  Celosia  pyramidalis  (r  d),  a  happy  combination,  and 
splendid  effect  results.  In  Hyde  Park  there  is  such  a  bed,  having  the 
addition  of  a  blue  Viola  named  Mrs.  C.  F.  Gordon.  The  sight  is  one  of 
the  most  gratifying  of  any.  Iresine  Lindeni,  together  with  Fuchsia 
Mrs.  Rundell,  whose  drooping  flowers  are  pink,  showed  advantageously 
above  Viola  W.  Niel,  which  is  lavender  coloured. 
The  foregoing  is  descriptive  of  smaller  sized  beds.  In  large  beds 
one  found  such  combinations  as  that  showy  scarlet-crimson  Fuchsia 
named  Madame  Cornellison  along  with  Lantana  Boule  de  Blanche, 
scented-leaved  Pelargonium  radula,  and  Ivy -leaved  Pelargonium  Charles 
Turner,  the  whole  being  thrown  into  relief  by  the  surface-covering  of 
Mesembryanthemum  variegatum.  Yet  another  assortment  of  distinction 
included  Eucalyptus  globulus,  Ivy-leaved  Pelargonium  Madame  Crousse, 
Chrysanthemum  Gentilesse,  Plumbago  capensis,  tuberous  Begonias,  and 
China  Asters,  the  whole  edged  with  blue  Lobelia.  A  rich  “  colour- 
bed”  was  that  in  which  Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums  H.  Cannell  (rose- 
crimson  in  colour,  and  magnificent  in  form)  and  Galilea  (a  rose-pink 
variety)  were  used  ;  and  above  these  were  shapely  specimens  of 
Eucalyptus  Gunni,  the  bed  being  broadly  edged  with  Mesembryan- 
themum  variegatum. 
But  I  must  summarise  the  remaining  notes  relative  to  Hyde  Park 
bedding.  Artemisia  arborescens,  with  Heliotropium  President  Garfield, 
yellow  pyramidal  Celosias,  and  yellow  Violas,  combined  handsomely. 
The  golden  Lantana  Drap  d’Or,  interspersed  with  Veronica  incaDa,  edged 
with  Alternanthera  amoena,  was  beyond  criticism;  and  a  fine  effect  was 
produced  by  a  bed  of  Lobelia  Queen  Victoria,  having  a  blue  mass  of  the 
Wm.  Niel  Viola  and  dwarf  Lobelia  beneath  it,  the  whole  edged  with 
pink  Thrift.  Before  concluding  there  is  one  other  bed  to  be  noted.  It 
was  a  little  one,  round  in  form,  densely  filled,  and  most  beautiful,  too. 
The  creamy-white  variegated  Abutilon  Swartzi  was  contrasted  against 
Rosa  indica  sanguinea,  the  crimson  China  bedding  Rose,  and  throughout 
the  bed  there  was  an  interwoven  mass  of  the  mossy  yellow  Spergula 
pilifera  aurea,  Alternanthera  major,  and  Panicum  variegatum.  No  part 
of  the  bed  was  more  than  1J  foot  above  the  level  of  the  smooth  green  grass. 
This  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  Roses  used  in  Hyde  Park  bedding, 
and  certainly  the  innovation  (if  innovation  it  is)  is  a  step  in  the  proper 
direction.  Of  course  there  are  numbers  of  large  and  massively  filled 
beds  in  Hyde  Park,  but  these  have  been  repeatedly  noticed  in  former 
years.  A  great  deal  of  forethought  has  evidently  been  bestowed 
before  such  splendid  combinations  were  brought  together.  A  word  of 
recognition  is  also  due  to  Mr.  Linford,  the  foreman  gardener. 
Melrose,  “  the  Land  o’  Scott.” 
Thousands  flock  to  this  “  ancient  and  honourable  ”  little  Border 
town,  drawn  hither  by  the  writings  of  that  great  man  of  the  past 
centnry,  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Bart.,  truly  entitled  the  “  Wizard  of  the 
North.”  Around  Melrose  is  my  boyhood’s  land,  and  I  know  the  district 
well.  Our  old  drill  instructor  at  school,  who  had  roamed  the  world  and 
been  in  many  battles,  used  to  tell  us  as  lads  that  “  he  had  seen  perhaps 
as  pretty  a  plaoe  as  Melrose  in  his  travels,  but  certainly  never  any  place 
that  was  prettier.”  We  believed  him,  and  were  pleased.  “  Tweed’s 
silver  stream,”  and  “  Eildon’s  triple  heights”  are,  prima  facie,  the 
natural  features  which  lend  the  greatest  attraction  to  the  Melrose 
district ;  but  along  with  these  there  are  the  Gattonside  hills  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  broad  valley,  from  Melrose,  the  Galashiels  hills 
away  up  in  the  west,  besides  numerous  beautiful  broad  and  fertile 
interspersed  estates  with  lovely  woods,  and  clustering  villages  or  isolated 
residences. 
Abbotsford  lies  a  few  miles  south. west  from  Melrose,  famous  for  its 
historical  Abbey,  and  between  the  two  the  visitor  discovers  the  neat 
little  village  of  Darniok,  possessed  of  an  ancient  tower,  also  renowned 
in  the  pages  of  history.  The  district  is  mainly  agricultural. 
At  Darnick  I  was  pleased  to  make  the  aoquaintanoe  of  a  Mr.  Lindsay, 
who  has  taken  to  Tomato-growing  for  the  Edinburgh  market.  By 
rigorous  selection  of  his  fruits  he  has  managed  to  establish  a  very 
resDectable  connection  with  some  of  the  best  agents  and  salesmen  in 
the  Scottish  oapital.  Each  evening  he  sends  off  many  pounds,  or, 
indeed,  stones,  of  these  “  Love-Apples,”  carefully  graded  and  packed  in 
baskets  with  cross  handles.  These  each  contain  about  a  stone  of  fruit. 
Mr.  Lindsay  has  copied  the  pattern  of  London  market-growers’  glass 
houses ;  at  least,  the  sort  of  house  one  finds  at  Mr.  Peter  Kay’s, 
Mr.  James  Sweet’s  or  Messrs.  Roohford’s.  These  are,  as  a  rule,  very 
lengthy,  wide,  and  roomy  span-roofed  houses,  capable  of  being  used  as 
vineries,  Peach  houses,  or,  as  in  my  friend’s  oase,  for  the  culture  of 
Tomatoes.  The  plants  are  not  in  pots ;  they  are  planted  out  in  rows  a 
yard  apart.  He  feeds  them  liberally,  in  fact  too  muoh  so.  A  few  have 
become  inflicted  with  “  sleeping  disease”  and  “  black  rot  fungus.”  The 
only  course  to  take  is  to  grub  out  and  at  once  burn  such  plants.  As  a 
preventive  in  another  season,  it  would  be  advisable  to  spray  with  a 
solution  of  potassium  sulphide  at  the  rate  of  1  oz.  to  eaoh  6  gallons  of 
water.  The  spraying  should  be  done  frequently. 
Mr.  Lindsay  only  assumed  the  vocation  of  a  market  grower  a  oouple 
of  seasons  ago,  he  having  previously  been  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  W m. 
Thomson  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  the  famous  Grape  growers,  &c.,  of  Clovenfords. 
He  started  in  quite  a  small  way,  but  by  dint  of  persistent  hard  work 
and  the  utmost  integrity,  combined  with  an  indomitable  ambition  to 
succeed,  he  and  his  widowed  mother  have  had  a  very  gratifying  reward. 
He  hopes  to  “  force  ”  Strawberries  and  Potatoes  during  the  spring  of 
1902,  and,  furthermore,  he  will  include  Peach  culture  in  his  other 
responsibilities.  My  best  wishes  and  hopes  are  with  him  and  for  him, 
and  trust  that  both  his  maternal  parent  and  himself  may  find  the  sun 
of  prosperity  shining  all  along  their  paths. 
Sbrnbs  at  Melrose. 
It  greatly  pleased  me  to  observe  many  of  the  newer  villa  gardens 
around  the  town  filled  with  shrubs  that  have  hitherto  been  quite  rare  in 
the  district.  Prunus  Pissardi,  Negundo  aoerioides  variegata,  Collutea 
arborescens,  and  many  species  with  brightly  tinted  and  ooloured  foliage, 
are  quite  plentiful.  What  is  equally  pleasing  is  the  fact  that  the 
superiority  and  great  merit  of  the  more  recent  Rambler  Roses  and  Teas 
is  recognised.  There  are  few  districts  in  Scotland  where  trees,  shrubs, 
fruits  of  all  kinds,  and  hardy  flowers,  grow  with  greater  luxurianoe  or 
beauty  than  they  do  at  and  around  Melrose. 
It  is  curious  to  find  so  many  of  the  aristooratioal  demesnes  to  let  in 
a  region  so  full  of  romance  and  natural  splendour.  Sir  Walter  Scott’s 
old  estate  is  tenanted  by  a  London  gentleman  ;  Lowood  is  likewise  let, 
and  Pavilion  has  had  a  few  masters  during  the  last  six  or  seven  years. 
Ravens  wood,  the  home  of  the  late  Admiral  Fairfax,  has  passed  from 
the  hands  of  his  widow,  to  those  of  someone  else.  Allerley,  the  home, 
for  so  many  years,  of  that  distinguished  Scottish  gentleman,  Sir  David 
Brewster,  who  suggested  the  founding  of  the  British  Association,  whose 
sitting  this  year  has  just  taken  place  at  Glasgow,  stands  on  the  Gatton¬ 
side  flank  of  the  valley,  beautifully  sheltered  by  trees,  yet  having  a 
delightful  perspec  ive.  The  Tweed  salmon  fishing  by  rod,  attracts  a 
number  of  wealthy  gentlemen  who  pay  for  the  exclusive  right  to  fish 
many  miles  of  the  river.  There  is  only  a  limited  amount  of  shooting  on 
the  neighbouring  estates  owing  to  so  muoh  of  the  land  being  highly 
farmed.  The  nursery  business  so  long  conducted  by  Messrs.  Ormiston 
and  Renwick  of  Melrose  has  also  changed  hands  within  the  la9t  year. 
Yes,  ohanges  are  inoessant ;  they  are  unavoidable  in  the  progress  of 
the  world,  and  are  governed  by  the  advance  of  one  generation  over  the 
heels  of  the  preceding.  “The  everlasting  hills,”  however,  look  down 
upon  us  just  in  the  same  old  way,  and  the  streams  that  run  on  for  ever 
can  always  cheer  us  with  the  song  which  they  have  sung  to  pasBers-by 
during  long,  long  years — times  before  we  were  born,  and  will  still  sing 
long  after  we  are  dead. — Wandering  Willie. 
