January 30, 1909 



HORTICULTUKi: 



137 



European Horticulture 



SPECIAL SOCIETIES IN ENGLAND 



Under this denomination may be counted such as 

 are devoted to the Sweet Pea, the National Auricula, the 

 National Chrysanthemum, Perpetual Flowering Carna- 

 tion, National Dahlia, with which last the London 

 Dahlia Society is now amalgamated; and the National 

 Eose Society. Most, if not all these societies, can look 

 backwards on a year of successful effort and of pros- 

 perity. The National Rose Society, which for several 

 years was in a languishing condition, has received in- 

 i leased support from tlie gardening public, and has 

 increased its membersliip. At the end of 1907 the 

 members numbered 2,484, and new members have since 

 joined to the number of 666. At the recent annual 

 meeting Mr. Edward Mawley was the recipient of one 

 hundred pounds in recogTiition of liis valuable servicer 

 as honorary secretary. 



, The cultivation of the newer varieties of sweet peas 

 is extending rapidly in England, and also on the conti- 

 nent, and the membership of the National Sweet Pea 

 Society has increased from 603 to 779. So beautiful are 

 the varieties now in commerce, and so great is the admir- 

 ation of tlie public that we maj' hope in a few years to 

 see the last of the old inferior varieties banished from 

 our gardens. The dwarf "praecox" varieties are 

 only awaiting the attention of the cross-breeder ere tak- 

 ing their deserved place as forcing plants for late win- 

 ter and spring, and as objects for general decorative pur- 

 poses in the summer months. 



The National Carnation and Picotee Society has re- 

 cently sustained a great loss in the death of its president, 

 Martin E. Smith, who was the most successful raiser of 

 carnations and picotees this country has ever known. 

 This society, as also the National Auricula and Picotee, 

 and the Perpetual Flowering Carnation Societies have 

 all had their special exhibitions in the past year. All 

 are doing useful work in their special spheres. The 

 National Dahlia Society and the London Union have 

 joined hands — a fact that will most probably tend to 

 increase the usefulness and prestige of the newly insti- 

 tuted body. 



The National Chrysanthemum Society maintains its 

 hold on the public, and is well supported. The show 

 held at the Crystal Palace on December 2 and 3 was of 

 average merit, but the entries were slightly fewer than 

 on some former occasions. Fourteen new varieties were 

 presented to the floral committee, but only two were 

 awarded a certificate of merit, viz., Aurora Boreale, a 



single flowered variety of large size with reddish bronze 

 colored florets that run into .yellow at the base; and 

 Katlileen May, a decorative variety of a deep crimson 

 tint and having an "anemone" centre. The following 

 fine varieties were observed, viz., Kitty Gullivan, cerise 

 red: Mrs. Wynne, an incurved flower; Helen Williams, 

 a yellow sport from Madame E. Oberthur; Snowdrift, 

 True Gold, Mrs. Wakefield (terra cotta color). Pollox 

 and Juno were fine yellow varieties shown by Mr. Nor- 

 man Davis. 



HELIOTROI'E FRAU G. VON POSCHINGER 



This new variety of heliotrope is but little, if at all,, 

 known to English gardeners ; yet it is an ideal plant for 

 the greenhouse, brings large cor}-mbs of blooms of a 

 beautiful blue tint, tlie corymbs supported on strong 

 stalks; and is not at all tender in constitution. It pos- 

 sesses all the good properties a heliotrope should have. 

 Well grown examples of the plant in smallish pots have 

 l)cen dis))osed of in Germany for 12s. a plant — a high 

 price for such subjects. A plant of this variety was 

 figured in "Moller's Deutsche Gartner-Zeitung," Nov. 

 11, 1908. 



DRACEANA BROOMFIELDI 



Tills species was imported for the first time by John 

 Broomfield from the South Sea Islands in the year 1878, 

 but the plants were found to be dead on arrival. An 

 importation made in 1897 was more successful, and the 

 plant was shown at Ghent in 1898. Apparently the 

 plant is not readily propagated, and although ten years 

 have flown since that year it has remained scarce, which 

 is remarkable for so fine a species. A variety of the 

 plant, D. B. superba, appeared in 1903 for the first 

 time, and a specimen of it was exhibited at Ghent last 

 year. The leaves are edged in a lively manner in the 

 variety. 



Mexican Ivy 



Epimedium alpinum is the proper name of the plant, 

 the leaves of which have been sold extensively this sea- 

 sin in Chicago for florists' use, under the name of "Mex- 

 ican Ivy." This plant is a native of Japan. We have 

 a nearly allied native plant of our own, Vancouveria 

 hexandra, which is found abundantly in the northwest 

 section of the U. S. and in western Canada. The foli- 

 age is very much like that of Epimedium and could be 

 used in the same manner. 



