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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
M<ay  21,  19(>3, 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
Clibran’s  Nurseries,  near  Altrincham. 
Millions  of  Lily  of  the  Valley  crowns  are  annually  forced  at 
Hale,  the  headquarters  of  Messrs.  W.  Clibran  and  Son,  and  these 
crowns  are  grown  in  shallow  boxes  placed  wdthin  a  close  house, 
and  kept  dark  by  an  arrangement  of  shutters,  until  within  a 
few  days  of  the  time  for  cutting  the  spikes.  The  effect,  of  course, 
is  to  draw  up  the  growths  quickly,  and  there  is  no  gradual  inuring 
to  the  light,  for  when  the  growths  are  sufficiently  long,  the 
shutters  are  removed,  and  soon  the  stems  of  the  Lilies  stiffen. 
The  hothouse  is  an  ordinary  span-roofed  glass  structure,  with 
darkened  roof,  and  kept  moist  and  warm. 
The  Dahlia  house  is  another  in  which  large  quantities  of 
material  are  propagated  and  despatched  from.  In  the  second 
week  in  May  I  was  shown  what  was  the  third  batch  of  Dahlia 
cuttings  for  the  season,  and  there  must  have  been  many  thousands 
of  them,  for  both  sides  of  a  house,  180ft  long,  were  closely  filled. 
Each  of  the  houses  (as  I  ought  to  have  remarked  in  my  former 
notice)  has  an  iron  water  pipe  laid  just  under  the  edge  of 
one  of  the  stages,  with  taps  every  10ft,  so  that  the  highest  con¬ 
venience  is  arranged  for  watering. 
A  number  of  novelties  were  observed  throughout  the  houses. 
The  brilliant’  Bouvardia  King  of  Scarlets,  which  is  quite  un¬ 
equalled  in  its  colour,  is  nicely  represented,  and  this  has  received 
ail  award  of  merit  not  ver^^  long  ago.  Then  there  is  a  new 
Calla  named  The  Godfrey,  a  dwarf,  compact  grower,  with  very 
pure  white  flowers,  most  freely  produced.  At  Clibran’s  it  is  held 
in  the  highest  esteem,  and  from  the  jilants  seen,  I  think  it  will 
soon  be  very  popular  everywhere.  Calla  Elliottiana  is  in 
extensive  numbers,  while  Solanuins,  Spiraeas  (or  Astilbes), 
Cyclamens,  Calceolarias,  Primulas,  and  Cinerarias  were  in 
various  stages  of  progress.  The  Cyclamens  and  Primulas  of  the 
past  flowering  season  are  now'  yielding  splendid  seeds,  and 
Cinerarias  are  likewise.  There  are  thirty  varieties  of  Primula 
sinensis,  and  a  few  lingering  double  flowered  forms  gave  all  the 
ev'idence  required  to  prove  a  high-class,  brilliant  strain.  The  dull 
weather  has  been  injurious  to  the  great  clustered  flower  heads  of 
the  Calceolarias,  causing  the  pouch-.shaped  blos.soms  to  slightly 
damp.  The  varieties  are  of  every  colour  and  diversity  of  spotting 
and  marking,  the  round,  inflated  pouches  of  immense  size,  the 
plants  of  a  plea.sing  height  and  nicely  developed,  not  squat, 
dumpy,  and  thick,  nor  lanky  and  loose,  but  just  real  good  decora¬ 
tive  subjects,  bearing  heavy  inflorescences.  I  was  much  gratified 
with  the  Calceolarias.  Messrs.  Clibran’s  have  what  they  call  the 
cornuta  form — a  section  of  these  plants  with  horned  and  extended 
calyx ;  in  other  words,  a  double  pouch,  one  upon  the  other. 
Fancy  and  Show  Pelargoniums,  with  double  and  single 
Begonias  (and  a  great  variety  of  stove  flowering  and  foliage  kind.s) 
are  other  favourites  that  are  liberally  grown ;  the  Begonias, 
indeed,  running  to  thousands  of  plants,  and  affording  an  admir¬ 
able  selection. 
The  strain  of  self-coloured  and  .spotted  Gloxinias,  though  not 
yet  in  bloom,  is  well  advanced  and  very  promising.  In  Caladiuins 
and  Cacti,  extremes  meet,  yet  here  at  Hale,  both  are  grown  in 
large  numbers,  all  of  the  best  and  most  interesting  in  each  being 
found.  It  would  be  overwhelming  to  attempt  to  name  even  the 
leading  genera  of  stove  and  greenhouse  plants  in  .stock,  and  it 
must  suffice  to  say  that  seemingly  everything  is  here  for  which 
a  call  might  be  liiade,  and  where  plants  of  different  forms  are 
grown,  as  standards,  bushes,  or  pyramids,  these  are  to  be  had. 
The  Anthuriums  must  be  separated  from  the  others,  however, 
in  order  to  name  A.  Scherzerianum  maxima  and  A.  Andreanuin 
Fletcherianum,  the  latter  by  far  the  most  handsome  of  any 
variety  grown.  The  spathes  are  Sin  long,  brilliant,  rich,  shining 
crimson,  and  altogether  grandly  effective.  A.  Andreanum  Fer- 
riense  furnishes  rose  pink  spathes,  and  A.  Scherzerianum  alba 
grandiflora,  with  bright  white  spathes,  are  others  of  pnme  merit, 
and  which  must  surely  lend  grace  and  beauty  to  every  stove 
collection. 
Nor  must  the  ever  handsome  and  much-sought-for  Dracaena 
Doucetti  be  omitted.  This  plant  is  very  slow  in  its  growth,  and 
large  plants,  such  as  are  at  Hale,  fetch  three  guineas  apiece.  A 
beautiful  ornametnal  Palm,  with  pinnate,  arching,  feathery 
leaves,  was  noted  in  Calamus  ciliaris,  a  plant  one  seldom  meets 
with,  and  the  reason  is  not  very  obvious. 
Besides  the  very  representative  selections  of  Crotons 
(C’odiseums)  I  may  conclude  these  notes  of  the  softwooded  and 
decorative  plants  by  a  ioa.ssing  reference  to  the  graceful  Aralia 
\'eitchi  gracillima,  in  large  numbers  here ;  to  Dracaena 
Victoria,  which  maintains  its  rich  yellow  colour  throughout  the 
sunless  months ;  and  the  following  amongst  others ;  Cyperus 
alternifolius  variegatus,  very  pretty  and  good  for  cool  houses; 
Ixoras,  standard  and  bush  Orange  trees  in  fruit ;  Ansectochilus 
Tinder  bellglasses,  having  exquisitely  marbled  and  brightly  veined 
leaves;  Nymphsea  stellata,  growing  in  tanks  in  a  cool  house;  a 
larger  collection  of  Begonia  Rex  varieties  than  I  have  found  in 
any  nursery  northwards;  Centropogon  Lucyanus,  Phyllocacti, 
Epiphyllums,  and  lastly,  Japanese  Fern  balls! 
Bedding  plants  are  a  great  feature  too,  and  the  new  Mrs. 
Clibran  Lobelia  has  been  in  demand  from’all  parts  of  the  country 
in  a  manner  most  gratifying  to  the  business  heads.  Sweet  Peas 
out  of  doors  are  now  staked  and  making  good  progress,  and 
named  varieties  receive  special  care.  The  Pseonies  cover  an 
immense  track  of  ground,  the  call  for  these  charming  early 
summer  gems  being  always  brisk.  And  since  the  United  States 
has  formed  a  Pseony  Society,  quantities  of  plants  are  being 
shipped  from  English  shores.  Border  Carnations,  equally 
with  indoor  Carnations,  are  somewhat  of  a  speciality. 
The  latter  occupy  a  house  120ft  long  and  21ft  wide, 
and  finer  Malmaison  or  .Tree  Carnations  than  are  now  in  flower 
would  be  impossible  to  find.  Free  from  disease,  they  are  also 
robust,  stout,  and  bushy.  The  herbaceous  plant  grounds  embrace 
five  acres,  and  the  numerous  spring  gem.s  (Violas,  Arabis 
albida  fl.-pl.,  Aubrietias,  &c.)  at  present  furnish  a  bright  display. 
A  Specialist  in  Sarracenias. 
A  few  minutes’  run  by  rail  or  tram  from  the  centre  of  Man¬ 
chester  takes  one  to  the  pretty  suburb  of  Chorlton-cum-Hardy 
(abbreviated  and  pronounced  “  Tschalton  ”),  with  open,  boUle- 
vard-like  streets  and  pleasant  villa  residences  mostly  surrounded 
by  trees,  shrubs,  and  gardens.  It  is  here  that  Mr.  A.  J.  A.  Bruce, 
a  native  from  far  Peterhead,  carries  on  a  iirosperous  nursery 
business,  and  has  recently  added  considerably  both  to  his  grounds 
and  his  glass.  The  Edge  Lane  nurseries  he  has  worked  for  many 
years,  and  there  are  seven  or  eight  long  houses  here,  but  at  the 
new  Oaks  Nursery,  comprising  some  four  acres  of  land,  there  are 
nearly  a  score  of  houses  and  pits,  some  of  the  structures  being 
curvilinear  vineries  of  considerable  internal  cubic  area.  Mr. 
Bruce  is  now  as.sisted  by  his  son  Alexander,  and  one  of  his 
daughters  manages  the  floral  and  plant  depot  at  Chorlton  railway 
station.  Mr.  Bruce  does  a  growing  trade  in  decorative  horti¬ 
culture  and  the  florist’s  business.  *  ! 
Amongst  his  special  lines  in  plant  culture,  his  fame  as  a  grower 
of  a  representative  collection  of  Sarracenias,  or  Side-saddle 
plants,  needs  no  impress  from  me,  and  I  see  by  the  descriptive 
list  of  these  plants  before  me'  that  he  has  twenty-six  varieties. 
Of  course,  tastes  differ  materially  as  to  which  are  the  handsomer 
kinds,  but  I  w^s  pleased  with  Atkinsoni,  atro-sanguinea,  flava 
maxima,  Mitchelliana,  Fildesi,  Patersoni,  Courti,  Sanderiana, 
Stevensi  (a  hybrid,  purpurea  being  one  of  the  parents),  and  lastly 
Williamsi.  This  selection  affords  crimson,  green,  and  yellow 
coloured  forms,  and  full  descriptions  will  be  found  in  Mr.  Bruce’s 
list. 
Undoubtedly,  the  Sarracenias  are  beautiful,  as  they  are  cer¬ 
tainly  quaint  and  interesting.  Perhaps  the  day  may  come  when 
Ave  shall  see  them  used  to  some  extent  in  room  decorations-^at 
least,  they  can  be  used  intermittently.  But  they  do  best  when 
grown  apart  from  other  plants  (a  small  section  of  a  house,  or  a 
lobby  would  do),  the  temperature  suiting  their  need,s  being  50deg 
to  OOdeg  in  winter,  and  proportionally  AvarmeT  in  the  summer 
season.  At  the  Temple  SIioav  in  1902  Mr.  Bruce  obtained  a  First 
Class  Certificate  for  a.  handsome  ruddy  form  of  Darlingtonia  cali- 
fornica,  the  A'arietal  name  being  rubra.  When  visitin?  there 
recently,  my  cicerone  remarked  that  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the 
floAvers  of  the  Darlingtonia  to  collapse  in  the  course  of  one  day, 
the  Aveakness  occurring  at  the  base  of  the  stems,  the  effects-,  it  is 
thought,  of  Avater  drip.  The  plants  are  fairly  easy  to  propagate 
from  their  offsets. 
Other  “  insect ivorous  planhs  ”  noted  at  Edge  Lane  Avei'e  the 
Australian  Cephalotus  follicularis,  a  monotypic  genus  of  the 
Pitcher  plant  family,  a  dAvarf  groAver,  doing  Avell  Avhen  it  once 
makes  a  start,  but  seems  to  require  careful  handling.  It  is  cer¬ 
tainly  a  rare  and  interesting  little  member,  and  drew  much 
attention  to  itself  Avhen  Sir  Trevor  LaAvrence  staged  plants  in  the 
Drill  Hall  some  years  ago.  There  are  also  the  Sundews  (Drosera 
capensis,  dichotoma,  rotundifolia,  and  spathulata)  and  Venus’s 
Fly  Trap  (Dionsea  muscipula),  which  must  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  striking  iDlants  (in  a  double  sense)  in  the  A’egetable  king¬ 
dom.  The  Avliole  stock  of  these  carnivoroiis  marvels  look  ex¬ 
ceedingly  Avell. 
Other  Decorative  Plants. 
Besides  these  specialities  the  firm  cultivate  Dahlias,  Zonals, 
Salvias,  Cyclamens,  and  Primulas,  on  a  fairly  large  scale.  Three 
Fuchsias  are  being  taken  in  hand,  and  these  are  Sunray,  the  beau¬ 
tiful  A'ariegated  A-ariety ;  Countess  of  Aberdeen,  Avith  pure  Avhite 
floAA'ers :  and  triphj’lla,  Avith  tubular,  crimson  blooms.  Their 
Papilio  Cyclamens  are  in  named  varieties,  and  the  same  is  to  be 
remarked  of  the  Primula  obconica,  aa  IucIi  is  in  dic'ers  shades  from 
pure  Avhite  to  rich  rose  purple.  Stephanotis  floribunda  is  liberally 
cultivated  in  Sin  and  lOin  pots,  and  Lapagerias  were  also  freely 
to  be  seen.  The  plants  of  the  latter  are  secured  as  layers  from 
two  vigorous  parents.  The  beautiful  little  Fairy  Orange  Moss 
(Nertera  depressa)  Avith  its  v'elvety  cushion  of  greenery,  after- 
Avards  dotted  over  Avith  orange  red  berries,  furni.shes  quite  a 
feature  in  a  number  of  the  houses ;  and  another  plant  I  fell  in 
love  Avitli  is  our  old  fi'iend  Plumbago  rosea.  Bi'unfelsias,  Cocos 
Weddelliana  (a  large  .stock  in  60-sized  pots),  Passifloras,  Lonicera 
japonica  reticulata  aurea,  the  golden-netted  Honeysuckle';  Cam- 
