July  31,  1902. 
103 
JOURNAL 
OF  HORTICULTURE 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
“Here  awa’,  There  awa’.” 
The  National  Chrysanthemum  Society's  Outing 
The  members  of  the  leading  floricultural  society  of  the 
United  Kingdom,  as  Richard  Dean,  its  secretary,  likes  to  call 
it  ,  arrange  an  annual  pic-nic  and  visit  to  some  prominent  place  of 
interest.  Yesterday  week,  accompanied  by  lady  friends,  and 
numbering  over  100,  they  joined  in  a  trip  to  Sir  Wheetman 
Pearson’s  beautiful  gardens  and  estate  of  Paddockhurst,  near 
Three  Bridges  in  Sussex.  The  rain  which  fell  during  the  morn¬ 
ing  in  London  must  have  damped  more  than  the  ground  and  the 
umbrellas;  but  one  often  finds  that,  metaphorically,  while 
London  weeps  the  surrounding  country  smiles,  and  it  was  so  on 
the  Wednesday. 
Leaving  Victoria  Station  just  after  ten  in  the  morning,  Three 
Bridges  was  reached  an  hour  later,  and  from  there  to  Paddocks- 
hurst  the  conveyances  were  brakes,  through  perhaps  the  most 
sylvan  parts  of  this  southern  county.  Tall  and  straight  Larch 
trees,  varied  here  and  there  by  Oaks,  Beech,  and  Elm,  com¬ 
manded  the  attention  of  everyone, 
c  o  in  m  o  n  Bracken- 
why  they  grow  7ft 
high !  Nor  must  one 
forget  the  brilliant 
banks  of  Heather,  not 
the  Ling,  but  Erica 
Tetralix,  which  abso- 
1  u  t  e  1  y  monopolises 
every  foot  of  surface 
not  already  occupied  by 
its  handsome  com¬ 
panion  Pteris  aquilina. 
The  dew  drops  had  not 
yet  been  dissipated  as 
the  party  drove  upward 
in  the  morning ;  but 
the  stillness  of  the 
beautiful  gloaming  had 
stolen  down  on  us  in 
our  home-going,  the 
red  setting  sun  illu¬ 
minating  with  weird 
irradiance  the  depths 
of  the  forests  as  our 
vision  searched  back¬ 
ward  to  their  depths. 
Why  did  the  sun  set 
in  the  east?  For  we 
from  the  metropolis 
thought  it  so,  which 
goes  to  prove  what 
changes  are  brought 
about  in  a  journey  of 
but  a  few  miles. 
By  noon  of  the  23rd, 
the  scratch  Coronation 
Eleven  (N.C.S.)  were 
in  their  element, 
“pinching”  r  u  n  s, 
“stopping  lateral 
‘shoots,’  ” and  “cutting” 
with  wonderful  skill. 
How  else  could  they  on 
such  a  day  and  occa¬ 
sion  ?  They  managed 
to  obtain  seventy  runs 
against  an  eleven  from 
Paddocksliurst,  and  as 
Mr.  W.  J.  Simpson,  the 
captain,  was  well  satis¬ 
fied,  his  team  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  been  the 
same !  The  perform¬ 
ance  was  creditable, 
and  the  local  men  were 
but  fourteen  runs 
ahead. 
Lunch  intervened 
during  the  play,  and  it 
was  here  that  the  loyal 
toasts  were  given  and 
received,  Mr.  Thos. 
Bevan  occupying  the 
chair.  The  healths  of 
Sir  Wheetman  and 
Lady  Pearson  were  pro¬ 
posed,  and  sincere 
And  as  for  Ferns — the 
thanks  conveyed  through  Mr.  Wadds,  the  head  gardener,  for 
the  kind  privileges  they  had  allowed  to  members  of  the  society 
on  this  occasion.  Mr.  Wadds  returned  acknowledgment,  succeed¬ 
ing  which  Mr.  Moorman  proposed  “  The  Visitors,”  and  the 
response  came  from  Mr.  T.  W.  Sprunt,  Mayor  of  West  Ham. 
Recognitions  to  the  chairman  and  the  society’s  secretary, 
proposed  by  the  genial  Mr.  Witty,  terminated  the  luncheon 
programme. 
The  afternoon  was  now  wearing  on,  and  while  the  stalwarts 
at  the  wickets  still  continued  their  game,  the  majority  of  the 
visitors  quietly  visited  the  delightful  gardens,  and  had  the 
additional  freedom  of  inspecting  the  magnificent  home  of  Sir 
Wheetman  and  his  lady.  Nor  could  one  tire  when  once  within 
the  walls  of  this  noble  residence,  adorned  as  it  is  with  statuary 
and  mural  dressing.  The  attached  conservatory,  with  its  lofty 
Tree  Ferns,  Palms,  and  Araucarias,  is  well  equipped  for  indoor 
recreation,  with  tables  for  games  of  a  quiet  but  amusing  nature. 
The  views  from  the  south  windows  are  truly  magnificent,  for 
the  eye  can  travel  over  miles  of  parks  and  densely  wooded  high¬ 
lands,  the  expansive  vista  seeming  to  embrace  a  splendid  valley, 
which  closes  in  hills  at  the  far  horizon.  The  south  front  is 
supported  by  a  tall  balustrade  terrace,  over  which  one  looks  to 
the  undulating  grassy  slopes,  closely  shorn  of  their  verdure,  and 
A  hydrid  Fern,  Polypodium  Schneideri. 
