Februaiy S, 19(iS 



HORTICULTURE 



165 



Ruffled Gladioli 



About a dozen years ago I began selections with a 

 vieA\- t(i crossing in tlie liope of producing a frilled or 

 ruffled gladiolus as beautifully foriinMl as an azalea. I 

 got the clue Irom observing in some gladioli a tendency 

 to vary some from the regular sniooth ]ietals. After 

 many niatings and failures I was at last rewarded about 

 five years ago by the desired results. The first flower 

 to show was an ideal cream in color with tint of blush 

 and a strikingly marked red feather on three lower 

 ])etals. This flower is very massive, over 4 3-1 inches 

 in diameter and an extra strong grower. From bottom 

 of first blossom to tip of spike it measures 22 inches and 

 over. ' The foliage is large. The variety shown in the 

 illustration is wliite, somewhat smaller in size of flower 

 than the cream colored sort above mentioned. There 

 are several shades of ])ink and yellow, also purple, rep- 

 resented in the varieties now in process of development 

 all beautifully ruffled and four generations of seedlings 

 are rapidly coming on. Competent florists and seeds- 

 men who have seen the [)laut in bloom pronounce 

 it the most marvelous and striking gladiolus yet pro- 

 duced and the beginning of wliat will probably be the 

 finest race of gladioli. There will probably be a few 

 cut blooms shown at next year's Society of American 

 Plorists' Convention. 



British Horticulture 



Tlli: XEW SWEET PEA AX^'UAL 



The fourth "annual" of the National Sweet Pea 

 Society excels all previous issues in the variety and 

 value of the matter presented. The book should be 

 [lopular on both sides of the Atlantic for it is of a cos- 

 mopolitan character. An extract is given from Mr. 

 Lester C. Morse's introduction to "Field notes on sweet 

 peas," issued in San Francisco. "Mr. Burpee's Im- 

 pressions" is the title of an interesting article from the 

 pen of Mr. W. Atlee Burpee, who records some inci- 

 dents of Iris last year's European tour. Eeferring to 

 the activities of the National Sweet Pea Society Mr. 

 Burpee writes: "There is a line of work that your 

 Society has undertaken which I regard as most impor- 

 tant, and which must be conducted with careful judg- 

 ment. It is the prevention of the nniltiplicity of names 

 of identical varieties. The Spencer tyj>e breaks so 

 constantly that, of course, the same sports will be fotmd 

 in many different places. Personally I should much 

 prefer that instead of giving new names to these Spen- 

 cers we should give the name of the variety with which 

 they are identical in color and add the word Spencer." 

 The Society's annual report which has been circulated 

 with the "annual" has the following paragraph : "One 

 of the most pleasing and interesting features of the 

 sweet pea year was the visit of Mr. W. Atlee Burjiee, 

 of Philadelphia, with his wife and family. Mr. Bur- 

 pee visited most of the leading sweet pea growers in 

 the Fnited Kingdom ; he was keenly interested in the 

 splendid London -how, which surprised him, and he 

 was impressed by the extent and importance of the 

 Society's trials. At the dinner given to the judges and 

 officials at the conclusion of the show Mr. Burpee pre- 

 sided, filling the ohair in the happiest possible manner, 

 by his graciousness, bonhomie, and generosity. Mr. Bur- 

 ])ee has presented the Society with a fine 15 guinea 

 challenge cup for competition at the next show. 



jVIUSIIROOMS BY THE TON 



Kecently I paid a visit to the establishment of Mr. 

 K. E. Addey, of Brentford, who is one of the leading 

 mushroom growers and spawn makers. Although it 

 was in the depth of winter, there were several houses in 

 bearing, the total output being from a ton to 30 cwts. 

 a week. As mushrooms make from 9 d. to 10 d. a 

 pound on the market, it can readily be seen that this 

 branch of commercial horticulture is a very profitable 

 one, especially wdien conducted on the up-to-date lines 

 ado]ited by Mr. Addey. 



THE POMPONE CACTUS DAHLIA 



At the autumn shows several nursery firms showed 

 pseony-flowered dahlias. These are simjAy open or pol- 

 len-centred specimens of the older sorts which have for 

 many years been discarded by the English growers, but 

 h.ave been revived on the Continent. An English firm 

 of dahlia growers is making a specialty of the pom- 

 pone cactus section. From early August the plants 

 were a blaze of bloom, and although one or two sorts 

 soon failed to produce blooms full in the centre, there 

 were several which continued to flower abundantly, yet 

 remained good. These included Mignon, a lovely little 

 pink-flowered cactus, Nain (deep chestnut colpr). Cor- 

 onation (crimson), and Peace (white). 



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