May  30,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
461 
ceased  t°  be  exhibition  subjects.  One  of  the  newest  introductions  is 
Merr  hii-nst  Benary’s  Prince  Bismarck,  brilliant  salmon  rose,  and  very 
double,  which  comes  quite  true  from  seeds.  Lord  Roberts,  brilliant 
blood  red,  and  Queen  of  Whites,  pure  white,  have  the  reputation  of 
being  very  fine  varieties.— R.  Dean,  Y.M.H. 
- - - •  0  €»»  > - - 
Gadding  and  Gathering 
“Here  awa’,  There  awa’.” 
last  year  are  asked  to  describe  the  principles  of  classification, 
hybridisation,  and  even  landscape  gardening  is  included  in  the 
curriculum — at  least  questions  are  askeS  on  this  subject.  If  I  may 
be  allowed  one  comment,  it  will  be  to  say  that  when  the  youths 
from  this  Regent’s  Park  garden  go  into  up-to-date  gardens,  either 
private  or  commercial,  their  eyes  will  be  opened. 
A  Practical  Gardening  School. 
The  Countess  of  Aberdeen  on  Friday  last,  17th  inst.,  presented  the 
first  diplomas  won  by  the  students  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society’s 
Practical  Gardening  School.  Some  or 
those  who  understand  the  condition  of 
the  Society’s  gardens  at  Regent’s  Park 
may  wonder  when  this  movement — this 
Practical  Gardening  School — was  started, 
who  teaches,  and  also  what  is  tanght. 
Firstly,  the  ‘‘School’’  originated  three 
years  ago;  secondly,  Mr.  E.  F.  Hawes 
is  superintendent  of  the  garden,  he  has 
assistants,  and  “  all-gardening,”  every 
phase  of  it,  is  supposed  to  be  taught. 
Mr.  Frederick  Clifford,  K.C.,  discharged 
the  presidential  duties  when  the  Countess 
of  Aberdeen  distributed  the  diplomas, 
and  made  some  interesting  observations. 
He  quoted  from  a  memorandum  prepared 
by  the  Society  for  presentation  to  a 
Committee  of  the  Treasury  Bench  of  the 
House  of  Commons  when  the  Royal 
Botanio  Society  had,  some  time  ago, 
petitioned  for  a  money  grant  to  aid  them 
in  their  work.  The  memorandum  notified 
the  extent  of  the  garden  (about  4  acres), 
and  went  on  to  explain  that  the  Society’s 
gardens  contained  a  collection  of  medi¬ 
cinal  plants  arranged  in  beds  according 
to  their  natural  orders  and  affinities, 
besides  having  conservatories  repre¬ 
senting  forms  of  tropical  vegetation,  and 
grounds  filled  with  a  named  oolleotion  of 
trees,  shrubs,  and  hardy  plants. 
The  answer  received  from  the  House 
of  Commons  was  understood  to  say  that 
the  gentlemen  to  whom  the  Society’s 
petition  had  been  made,  knew  nothing  of 
the  work  being  carried  on,  nor  of  the 
value  of  the  Botanio  Society’s  garden ; 
and  so  the  matter  fell  through.  The 
president  mentioned  that  60,000  (?) 
specimens  are  given  from  the  gardens 
each  year  to  students,  artists,  and  others. 
Students  attend  the  gardens  from  the 
London  University,  and  from  all  the 
London  hospitals,  while  frequently 
ramblers’  clubs  and  parties,  with  a  view 
to  botanical  study,  receive  privileges  to 
visit.  The  Practical  Gardening  Sohool 
is  prosperous.  It  started  with  six  students; 
these  increased  to  twelve,  with  two  lady 
gardeners ;  then  last  year  there  were 
nineteen  boys,  with  still  t-he  two  ladies, 
while  during  the  course  of  this  year 
other  boys  have  joined,  to  swell  the  total 
to  twenty-two.  The  questions  asked  at 
the  examina  ion,  for  which  the  diploma 
is  awarded,  follow  on  the  lines  of  those 
put  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s 
examination.  One  of  the  practical  ques¬ 
tions  at  the  Royal  Botanio  Society’s 
examination  was  :  “  Name  all  the  vege- 
tables  growing  in  the  students’  garden, 
and  describe  their  oulture.  If  any  have 
failed,  explain  the  reason  why.”  The 
friends  who  attended  at  Friday’s  distribution  of  the  diplomas  were 
told  that  the  students  answered  that  question  well,  Mr.  Jordan, 
Superintendent  of  Regent’s  Park,  was  examiner. 
Here  are  other  samples  of  the  questions  put  before  Beoond-year 
Btudents.  1,  “  Explain  how  lawns  should  be  oared  for,  relaid,  and 
renovated.”  2,  “  What  is  understood  by  a  plant’s  food,  and  its 
constitution ;  how  do  plants  obtain  their  food  ?”  3,  “  Mention  the 
different  parts  of  a  hot-water  heating  system,  and  explain  how  the 
circulation  works.”  Theory  and  practice  go  hand  in  hand,  and  there 
are  4  acres  for  twenty-two  students !  Students  of  the  third  and 
Laing’s  of  Forest  Hill. 
Clivias  have  been  specialities  of  the  Forest  Hill  firm  (London,  S.E.) 
for  many  years,  and  at  present  the  collection  is  at  its  brightest  and 
best.  New  varieties,  the  result  of  crossing  and  selection,  are  yearly 
resulting,  till  at  length  plants  with  greatly  increased  blooms  and 
ponderous  trusses  have  been  evolved.  Olivia  limonia  is  as  yet  rare,  and 
|  is  pale  cream  coloured.  C.  Sir  George  White  has  enormous  trusses, 
and  Kentish  Beauty,  as  a  novelty,  has 
yet  its  way  to  make.  Harry  Laing 
has  bright,  open  -  mouthed  flowers  ; 
Right  Hon.  Joseph  Chamberlain  is 
one  of  the  best ;  Lady  Sarah  Wilson, 
General  Buller,  and  Queen  Alexandra  are 
also  new ;  the  latter  has  well-expanded 
blooms,  pale  in  the  centre,  and  having 
a  brick  red  edge.  Besides  their  numerous 
collection  of  tuberous-rooted  Begonias 
for  bedding  or  pot  culture,  the  Messrs. 
Laing  have  been  turning  attention  also 
to  Streptocarpuses,  with  results  that,  so 
far,  are  gratifying  to  themselves  and 
plantsmen  generally.  They  were  amongst 
the  earliest,  if  not  absolutely  the  first, 
to  introduce  the  multiflora  strain.  They 
began  with  the  ordinary  blue  flowered 
greenhouse  Streptocarpus,  upon  which 
they  have  worked  till,  at  the  present 
time,  the  varieties  of  this  exquisite 
conservatory  subject  range  in  colour 
through  blue,  violet,  purple,  mauve, 
magenta,  red,  pink,  and  on  to  spotless 
white. 
Some  of  the  forms  combine  blue  and 
white,  a  blue  edge  and  white  tube,  or 
vice  versa.  The  selection  from  which 
one  may  pick  and  choose  is  increasing 
each  season,  but  enough  has  been  already 
secured  to  glorify  our  gardens  greatly 
in  the  spring  months,  compared  to  what 
the  practical  man  was  at  one  time 
dependant  upon  for  his  decorative  pur¬ 
poses.  A  pinch  of  seed  is  easily  sown, 
and,  as  a  rule,  the  Streptocarpus  responds 
to  ordinary  care  and  culture. 
Gloxinias  were  sturdy  and  fine  in  the 
early  part  of  May.  Only  a  few  were 
then  producing  flowers,  but  among  them 
I  noted  Mrs.  Laing,  of  a  deep  reddish 
purple,  and  having  a  lilac  edge ;  and 
near  it  John  Laing,  a  brilliant  amaranth, 
a  glowing  oolour  with  a  clear  white 
edge.  Lady  Edridge  was  a  handsome 
purplish  -  violet  variety,  deserving  the 
attention  of  specialists.  Houses  are 
devoted  to  miscellaneous  collections  of 
plants,  including  all  classes  of  decorative 
Palms  (for  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  firm  are  large  decorators), 
Ferns,  and  stove  and  greenhouse  plants. 
Caladiums  occupy  the  entire  space  of 
one  large  span-roofed  house. 
Pot  Vines  were  thriving  amazingly, 
and  here  were  included  all  the  newest 
and  best.  Diamond  Jubilee,  Lady  Hutt, 
Muscat  of  Alexandria,  Black  Hamburgh, 
Lady  Downe’s,  Foster’s  Seedling,  Appley 
Towers,  with  others  were  each  clean 
and  exceedingly  strong  in  12-inoh  pots. 
Figs  in  pots  were  so  numerous  as  to 
constitute  quite  a  feature  of  the  estab¬ 
lishment,  and  in  an  orohard  house  in  a  branch  nursery  a  whole 
representation  of  forced  fruit  trees  were  to  be  seen. — Wandering 
Willie. 
- >  -ooo-  ♦ - 
Manuring  Orchards. — For  an  orohard  of  stone  fruits,  blood  and 
bone  manure  with  10  per  oent.  of  sulphate  of  potash  added,  or  a  special 
and  complete  fertiliser,  which  may  also  be  used  for  Citrus  treos,  instead 
of  the  bone  dust  and  potash,  is  recommendable.  In  either  case  the 
manure  should  be  well  oovered,  the  most  effectual  plan  being  with  the 
spade  or  fork  ;  hand  cultivation,  though  costing  more,  is  always  worth 
more  than  mere  ploughing. 
Tetratheca  hirsuta. 
