438 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Departments of Foreign Exchange and Book Reviews 



NEW HYBRID TULIPS 



Althougli there has heen no lack of diversity nor o{ choice 

 among tulips the possibility of obtaining forms actually new did 

 not seem to me miaginary wlien 1 began, twenty years ago, the 

 systematic hybridization of tulips. 



One of the objects of this attenupt was to produce a race of 

 lulips with recurvuig, or reflexing, petals, in the class of Tulipa 

 rctroriiwa and cicgaiis. The results have corresponded to the 

 expectation and tne liist flower that opened in 19U8, as a result 

 of a cross of Tulipa retle.va with a Darwin of pink flower, pre- 

 sented the effect of an iris-flowered tulip, with petals elegantly 

 reflexed and of a bright salmon-pink color heigntened by a tinge 

 of carminea little darker on the outside. 



This vaiiety was presented, under the name of Sircnc, to the 

 tulip experts of London and of Holland who accorded it three 

 first-class certificates (London, Haarlem, Amsterdam). The 

 Kciuc horttcolc. always in search for novelties, had caused to be 

 painted, as early as 1914, a colored plate of it, by the artist Mons. 

 Gcossens, and if circumstances had not hindered its puljlication 

 ti.e plate would have appeared six years earlier. In the meantime 

 the superior qualities of the tulip Sirciic have been confirmed and 

 now ue can besides rank it among the varieties ready for early 

 foicing in February. 



Of other varieties of the iris-flowered are Adonis of an in- 

 tensely bright pink and Artemis, scarlet-pink. 



In the number of the li.y-flowered tulips I have obtained a good 

 number of tulips absolutely new as to quality and color, which 

 have bee.i received very favorably by the bulb-culture specialists. 

 There can be distinguished three groups. 



First, there are some varieties of absolutely pure white, which 

 rank among the better tulips for early forcing. 



Albino (Certificate of Merit. Haarlem, 1917, first class certifi- 

 cate and certificate for forcing, Haarlem. February 9, 1920) is a 

 variety that is vigorous, of large globular flower, pure white, 

 with strong and erect stem. The certificates mentioned, which 

 have been accorded at Haarlem in a most rigorous manner, can 

 give an idea of the appreciation this variety has among the 

 experts. Such a list of distinctions could be cited for Themis, 

 another variety which permits forcing a fortnight earlier even 

 than the preceding. A third white variety, Carrara, is distin- 

 guished by its iTiilk-white tint. 



A second group is composed of varieties of which the colors 

 are absolutely new or present artistic combinations hitherto 

 unknown. 



Alcmcnc is a carmine-red, at the base pure white surrounded 

 by blue. 



Anibrc is an egg-shaped flower, of lerra-cotta color clouded 

 with amber. 



Ambrosia, lilac-pink on the outside, is colored salmcjn-orange 

 on the inside, carrying flowers of Darwin form upon long stems. 



Dido is distinguished by the very large oran,ge-red flowers, 

 reflexed with carmine and tinted salmon-orange. 



The flowers of Pulciiiea have a round form, glossy orange-red 

 on the inside, lirigbt red on the outside. 



llias. violet-purple, at the base dark yellowish white. 



Jupiter, a very large flower, bright carmine-pink, at the base 

 yellow on a blue ground. 



Leda is remarkable for the warmth of its salmon-pink, at the 

 edges lighter. 



Marx'cl. of an elongated flower, fragrant, old-gold on the inside, 

 salmon-pink on the outside. 



Nectar is a flower with pointed petals, brilliant carmine with 

 heart pure white. 



Orion produces large flowers of a strartge combination of colors, 

 carmine and salmon, copper and other hues mingling together in 

 harmonious fashion. 



The third category comprehends the Darwin tulips with vel- 

 low flowers. It is known that yellow is lacking in the original 

 race of the Darwins. Crossings with other late yellow tulips 

 have produced several varieties which by reason of their globular 

 flowers, more or less cubical, can be ranked best among the 

 Darwins. .As stich may be considered the variety Luna, of a 

 delicate yellow color. 



All of the novelties mentioned have obtained one or more 

 certificates, either at Haarlem or Amsterdatn, or at London 

 from the Royal Horticultural Society, but it would be fastidious 

 to make enumeration here. 



The series which we have just described is but a beginning. 

 Thousands of seedlings are examined each season of flowering. 



and each year some new seedlings flower for the first tiine. 

 .Among them several hundreds have been marked out to be 

 cultivated and matltiplied by tne vegetative method, and to be 

 introduced to commerce after having been tried by forcing and 

 from every point of view, or perhaps to be rejected, if the first 

 favorable impression should not be confirmed. 



In fine one will not be able to complain of a lack of choice of 

 tulips during the coming years. — Frnest Ivrelage^ in La Revue 

 HortiLolc. 



GENTIANA FARRERI 



L'nques.iouably the most exquisitely beautiful member of the 

 G. ornata set and from every point of view a first-class alpine. 

 In the circumstances it is but fitting that it was an easy winner 

 of the high award of first-class certificate. Like others of its 

 set, it is made up of numerous procumljent stems, freely furnished 

 with narrow leaves, each growth terminated by- a solitary erect, 

 trumpet-shaped flower of lovely turquoise blue, interspersed with 

 white internally. No word picture, however, can do the plant 

 justice. Valuable at any time, it is priceless as an addition to 

 .Autumn-flowering plants. Wedded to unrivalled beauty is an 

 amialily disposed nature that will render it indispensable. — The 

 Lc.rdcii. 



Mr. Reginald l-'arrer, who discovered this beautiful Gentian in 

 the high alpine sward of the Da-Tung chain (Northern Kansu- 

 Tibet), states that "it is by far the most astoundingly beautiful 

 of its race, reducing G. verna and G. Gentianella to the dimmest 

 acolytes." Mr. Farrer describes the color as "an indescribably 

 fierce luminous Cambridge blue within (with a clear, white 

 throat), while, without, long Vandykes of periwinkle-purple alter- 

 nate with swelling panels of nankeen, outlined in violet, and with 

 a violet median line." In cool, rich soil in its natural habitat it 

 forms patches a yard across. The robustness of the plant, 

 together with its dwarf habit and great freedom of flowering, 

 makes it a desirable subject for the rock-garden, and it will also 

 lie valuab'e, like seme of the other Gentians, as an edging plant. — 

 77i<- Gardeners' Chronicle (British). 



DIANTHUS ALLWOOD 



This new race of hardy garden Pinks, introduced by Messrs. 

 Allwood Bros., Haywards Heath, is the result of some nine years' 

 work in crossing the hardy garden Pinks with perpetual-flowering 

 Carnations. Judging from their behavior, they promise to be of 

 immense importance not only out of doors, but for pot culture as 

 well. For both purposes they are free growing, flower in great 

 profusion, while not the least of their charms is their delicious 

 fragrance. They are perfectly hardy, and are easily propagated 

 at any time by means of cuttings. I have rooted them readily 

 from cutting in Midwinter, placing them under a hand-light in 

 a cool house; the resulting plants were ready to plant oul during 

 Spring, and made large specimens the same season. 



Planting may be done during Autumn or early Spring; on cold 

 heavy soils Spring planting is probably best. For Autumn plarit- 

 ing propagation should take place in July or early .August, while 

 for Spring planting I find that cuttings dibbled into cold frames 

 during September give perfect results the following season. They 

 root in a few weeks, and when they have made sufficient growth 

 they should be stopped at the sixth pair of leaves to induce them 

 to break from the base and become bushy. For bedding purposes 

 it is not necessary to pot them, as they transplant readily from 

 the frames, and grow freely in ordinary garden soil. Needless 

 to say, they do best in open positions, such as suit border carna- 

 tions, and like most members of the Dianthus family they enjoy 

 lime in some form in the soil ; for this purpose basic slag should 

 prove excellent, or old mortar rubble in heavy soils. Planted nine 

 inches or so apart they grow quickly, and soon cover the ground; 

 grown in the mass they are more or less self-supporting and 

 require very little support from stakes. They flower on long 

 stems, and cutting the blooms induces them to throw up new 

 flowering growth. — The Gardeners' Chronicle (British). 



FRAGRANT PLANTS 



So highly esteemed a quality is fragrance that many 

 a plant is given a place in gardens for its fragrance alone. 

 Some sweet-scented flowers are inconspicuous or not par- 



