742 



HORTICULTURE. 



November 27. 1909 



British Horticulture 



A HWEET PEA LIST 



A very useful list has been published by the jSTational 

 Sweet Pea Society, giving the leading varieties in com- 

 merce, and their distinctive tints. This authoritative 

 selection should be exceedingly helpful to those culti- 

 vators who are perplexed at the multiplicity of sorts 

 which crowd the pages of the trade catalogues. The 

 list is as follows: White, Etta Dyke, Xora Unwin, and 

 Dorothy Eckford; crimson and scarlet. The King, King 

 Edward, and Queen Alexandra ; rose and carmine, John 

 Ingman, Marjorie Willis, and Prince of Wales ; yellow 

 and buff, Clara Curtis and James Grieve; blue, A. J. 

 Cook and Lord Xelson ; blush, Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes; 

 cerise, Chrissie Unwin and Coccinea ; pink, Countess 

 Spencer and Prima Donna; cream pink, Constance Ol- 

 iver, Mrs. H. Bell, and Queen of Spain ; orange shades, 

 Helen Lewis, St. George, and Miss Willmott; lavender, 

 Frank Dolby, Mrs. C. Foster, and Lady Grizel Hamil- 

 ton ; violet and purple, Eosie Adams and Duke of West- 

 minster; magenta, Menie Christie; mauve, the Marquis 

 and Mrs. AValter Wright : maroon and bronze. Black 

 Knight and Hannah Dale ; picotee edged, Elsie Herbert 

 and Mrs. C. W. Breadmore; striped and flaked (red and 

 rose), Aurora Spencer, Yankee, and Jessie Cuthbert- 

 son; striped and flaked (purple and blue). Prince Olaf; 

 fancy, Sybil Eckford; bicolor. Mrs. Andrew Ireland and 

 Jeanie Gordon ; marbled, Helen Pierce. TJie floral 

 committee of the society have also issued a list of "too- 

 much-alike" varieties. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM NOVELTIES 



Although the trade growers were strongly represent- 

 ed, there was a falling oS of both as regards the quality 

 and the quantity of the competitive section at the 

 November show of the National Chrysanthemum So- 

 ciety at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham. The numerous 

 visitors, however, found much that was new and inter- 

 esting amongst the various stands, indicating the con- 

 tinuous activity of the British and continental hybrid- 

 ists to add to their meritorious lists of triumphs. A 

 complete list would occupy too much space. I must 

 content myself with a selection of the leading novelties. 

 Shanklin Sunshine is a new comer from the fertile Isle 

 of Wight. It is a bold exhibition bloom of a very rich 

 golden-yellow. Amongst the whites. White Queen, from 

 the same raiser, attracted considerable attention. The 

 spotless, snowy blooms are borne on stifl! stems, and the 

 plant is evidently a vigorous grower. A first-class cer- 

 tificate from the National Chrysanthemum Society, 

 and an award of merit from the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society has been received. There is no dearth of good 

 yellows. One of the newest is Yellow Mrs. Charles 

 Beckett. This is a clear primrose sport, with somewhat 

 broader florets than its white parent, and will evidently 

 prove very useful for the show benches. Empress is an 

 imposing canary yellow incurved Japanese bloom, with 

 broad, loosely formed florets. David Ingamells, named 

 after a well known Covent Garden florist, is a mid-sea- 

 son market variety of a nice rich yellow, with excellent 

 points as a commercial variety. 



SOME ATTRACTIVE TINTS 



Leviathan, aptly named, is a big Japanese bloom, of a 

 ereamy-white tint, striped with pink, the florets being 

 long and straight pointed. The delicate sliading of 

 silvery-rose in the drooping florets of Miss Lilian Hall 

 attracted many admirers. Another pleasing combina- 

 tion was seer in Beefbam TCci'lin'i' — amber, shaded 



with cinnamon red. George J. Buzzard has a taking 

 shade of wine red, wdth broad, straight florets. Of a 

 similar color is Keith Luxford. On more than one 

 stand was to be seen Lady Letchworth, a shapely, in- 

 curved Japanese variety, the broad florets being of a 

 bright golden hue, with a canary yellow reverse. 

 Amongst the new sports Mrs. W. Iggulden is likely to 

 find considerable favor. This is a sport from Madame 

 G. Eivol, the reflexcd florets having a rich yellow tint. 

 Dreadnought resembles Eeginald Yallis ; the long flor- 

 ets are of a pleasing shade of ruby-rose. Captivation 

 partakes somewhat after Bessie Godfrey, the full flow- 

 ers being of a soft yellow shade. Single chrysanthe- 

 mums are now enjoying increased popularity. This is 

 largely due to the many new developments made 

 amongst this section. The later additions include Bes- 

 sie Payne, a graceful flower of a bright piidv hue; Syl- 

 via Slade, a rosy garnet, with a white ring around the 

 disc; White Pagram, an interesting sport from the rose- 

 pink Edith Pagram ; Miss Mary Pope, a decided acqui- 

 sition amongst the pinks; and Cissie Jervis, which is of 

 a canary-yellow tint, shaded towards the edges with 

 apricot bronze. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST 



"The British Fern Gazette" is the latest addition to 

 horticultural journalism on this side. It is edited by 

 Mr. C. T. Druery. F. L. S., a well known expert.— The 

 carnations raised by the late Mr. Martin Smith, for 

 many years president of the National Carnation So- 

 ciety, are being distributed by Mr. C. Blick, of Hayes, 

 Kent. — Mr. Seaton, after a three years' course of in- 

 struction at the Eoyal Horticultural Society's gardens, 

 has been appointed by the British Columbian Govern- 

 ment to superintend one of its parks. — The partnership 

 which has existed between Messrs. W. Bull and Edward 

 Bull, nurserymen, Chelsea, has been dissolved owing to 

 the ill-healtli of the first-named. The business will be 

 continued by Mr. E. Bull. — A lady florist has been ap- 

 pointed to superintend the table decorations of the new 

 Lord Mayor at the Mansion House in London. 



London. 



>t>V. ddi*^. 



Adiantums in the South 



This class of ferns is very much in demand both ill 

 cut fronds and in pots and pans from small fernery sizes 

 up to large specimens, and at times the supply runs far 

 short of the demand. For cut purposes A. hybridum 

 and A. Croweanum are chiefly grown. These varieties 

 also make fine i)ot plants. A. maguificum is the leader 

 for ferneries and table decorations. It is hard to over- 

 praise this vario'ty. As a house plant it always gives 

 satisfaction to the purchaser. Its chief busine.«s seems 

 to be to keep on growing no matter how it is maltreated. 

 It is also about the only variety outside of A. Farley- 

 ense that will keep in any kind of shape during the hot 

 sunnucr months. A. capillus-vencris is losiiiL;- I'avor. 

 The fronds of this variety are so short and dense that it 

 requires careful watering to prevent the foliage from 

 damping off. A. cuneatum, relegated to the background 

 on the introduction of A. hybridum and A. Croweanum, 

 is once more coming into its own and for design work is 

 far ahead of either. A. Farleyense holds first place as a 

 fancy, and grows readily when given proper care. Dur- 



