iS 



JOUBNAIi OP HOBTICUIiTUBE AND COTTAGB GABDKNEB. 



[ Jnlr 25, 1867. 



may be eplit off. A mild winter is, however, serviceable in one 

 respect, as the plants disposed to bloom do so earlier than 

 when the winter is severe, for the Yuccas seem to bloom indis- 

 criminately at all times of the year, when the weather is open. 

 I have had several in full bloom in December, hut more fre- 

 'juently a number of plants are just rising into bloom at that 

 time, and are cut off by the hard weather that may not set in 

 till after Christmas; a fine autumu, unfortunately, starting 

 such plants into flower at that unfavourable period. Hot, dry 

 seasons are most favourable to the plants' blooming ; the dry 

 summers of 1858 and 1859 were especially propitious. Those 

 who have not seen Yucca glorioea with a full-grown spike of 

 flowers, have certainly not seen one of the noblest of all flower- 

 ing plants, for the beauty of the spike is nut less remarkable 

 than its weight, and altogetlier the tropical aspect of the plant 

 gives it an importance entilling it to a more extended culti- 

 vation than it has yet received. — J. Robson. 



VIOLA CORNUTA DYING OFF— VIOLA LUTEA 

 AS A BEDDING PLANT. 

 A COERESPONDENT Writing from Audley End, Saffron Walden, 

 wishes to know if any of the readers of The Joohnal of Hob- 

 TiCTJLTnEE have lost their plants of Viola comuta. It ap- 

 pears by his letter, Ihat eaily last spring he planted eight beds 

 of Viola cornuta, which did very well until a few weeks ago. 

 Lately, it appears, the plants have been dying off in patehes, ao 

 much so that he is afraid of losiug them all. 



Singularly enough, the very same evil has happened iu the 

 case of the plants which Mr. Bennett was good enough to send 

 me fi'om Osberton Hall. They were planted with just the same 

 care as my own variety of Viola cornuta, and only a walk divided 

 the two rows. They were planted on the same day, and the 

 same amount of care was bestowed on each. My instructions 

 at the time of planting were — Let there be no difference in the 

 quantity of leaf soil placed beneath each row, as I wish Mr. 

 Bennett's variety to be placed under precisely the same con- 

 ditions as my own. My instructions were faithfully carried 

 out. At the present time Viola comuta Mauve Queen forms 

 a perfect sheet of bloom, not a single plant having failed in 

 the row 50 yards long ; but on the other side of the walk the 

 case is very different, iu the whole row not a single plant has 

 done well ; they have been constantly dying off, just in the 

 ^ame manner as those at Audley End. I have watered the beds 

 withmanure water, and, as a last resource, yesterday (July 18th), 

 I had the ground sprinkled over with guano between the plants. 

 At present they have a very sorry appearance. 



In making the above statement, I trust that Mr. Bennett will 

 not think I wish to depreciate his variety. I saw it planted out 

 at the Royal Botanic Gaidens, Kew, on the 19th of May, and 

 was very much pleased with its appearance at that time. I 

 considered it well worthy of the name which I suggested for it 

 — Purple Queen ; for the flowers were to all intents a beautiful 

 purple. Should this meet the eye of Mr. Smith, the Curator, it 

 would be very interesting it he would favour the readers of the 

 Journal, by reporting the pre.?ent condition of the plant, and 

 whether it has suffered the same fate as at Audley End (I pre- 

 sume that it is the Purple Queen variety which is there grown) ; 

 also, whether Wills's variety is not perfectly different from 

 Purple Queen in every feature — namely, profusion of flower, 

 colour, habit, and freedom of growth. I noticed in the Royal 

 Horticultural Society's gardens. South Kensington, on the 2nd 

 of this mouth, both Mr. Bennett's variety and my own, and the 

 difference indicated above could be plainly seen by any casual 

 observer. I sent Mr. Bennett some plants of my variety, and 

 have little doubt that he also has found out the difference. It 

 would be exceedingly interesting if he would give his opinion, 

 for I am sure both Mr. Bennett and myself are anxious to 

 provide the gardening public with the fullest information we 

 pos,sesR as to thn relative merits ot the two Vinlas, or, indeed, 

 any other valuable decorative i)lant. I enclose flowers ot each 

 variety, by which the Editors of The Journal of Horticultork 

 ■will at once see that there is a decided difference in the 

 colour, size, and shape of the flower. The upper petals ot Mr. 

 Bennett's vaiiety are very much narrower than those of mine, 

 so also are the lower petals. The habit of Mr. Bennett's variety 

 is more procumbent, and the edges of the leaves are more ser- 

 rated. 



As I have before stated, I have watched the growth of Viola 

 cornuta in extremely hot and dry seaFons, and in soils as widely 

 different as possible, yet the effect has been precisely the same. 



In a letter which I have this week received from my friend, Mr. 

 Muir, at Oulton Paik, he tells me how beautiful Viola cornuta 

 is there again this season ; he says a six-inch band has spread to 

 18 inches, and is a perfect sheet of bloom. 



Will Mr. Drewett say how it is doing with him at the Den- 

 bies this season ? Last year he gave me credit for having re- 

 introduced to our gardens one of the most chaste and beautiful 

 plants for bedding purposes. I hope he will state whether or 

 no he still maintains the same opinion of it. 



I must not forget to remark how beautiful Viola lutea is with 

 me now. It grows much more freely than it did last year ; the 

 habit is all that could be desired, being vei^y dwarf and compact ; 

 and the foliage is of a bright glossy green. The plant does not 

 grow more than 4 inches high, and flowers most profusely 

 throughout the season. It seeds very freely, and reproduces 

 itself true from seed. This is not always the case with Viola 

 cornuta if the seed is collected indiscriminately, but if gathered 

 from one plant only the produce does not vary so much. I 

 predict a brilliant future for Viola lutea, it is certainly the best 

 yellow dwarf edging plant I have overseen ; it is perfectly hardy. 

 Those who may wish to grow it in quantity should at once 

 order it, and begin propagating it. Messrs. J. Carter & Co., I 

 believe, have secured the principal stock of it from Mr. Tyerman. 

 I should be glad if the correspondent at Audley End would 

 send me, properly packed, and with flowers on, a small piece 

 of the kind which he grows, so that I may see if it is Mr. 

 Bennett's or my variety. — J. Wills. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 



EXHIBITION AT BURY ST. EDMUNDS.— July IC. 



The following is in contiunalion of our report of last week : — 

 In the class for miscellaneous cut Hoses, a fine stand of seventy- 

 two varieties was slio\yn by Mr. B. Ji. Cant, of Colchester. It con- 

 tained some glorious blooms of H.P.'s Madame Vidot» Francois 

 Louvat, Madume Victor Vcrdier, Le lihone, extra fine ; Alfred Colomb, 

 Senateur Vaisse, Due de Wellington, Madame Clemence Joigneaux, 

 Xavier Olibo, Comtesse de Paris, Maurice Bemardin, and Anna de 

 Diesbacb. The following Tea Kosea were also very fine — Madame 

 Willermoz, Souvenir d'uu Ami, Niphetos, President, DevoniensiB, and 

 Madame Bravy. Messrs. Ijee were second. 



The silver cup given by the gardeners of SuffolL: for the best twelve 

 cut Koses grown by a SulTolk gardener, was aivardedto Mr. W. Nichol, 

 gardener to J. H. Powell, lOsq., Drinkstone Park, Bury St. Edmunds. 

 The flowers were all young aud fresh, and of good quafity. The sorts 

 were Duo de Kohan, Princess of Wales, Maurice Bemardin, Marechal 

 VaUlant, Lord Macaulay, Jean Goujon, Charles Lefebvre, La Ville de 

 St. Denis, Madame Crapelet, John Hopper, Cloth of Gold, and 

 Marechal Niel. Mr. Keen, gardener to J. G. Sheppard, Esq., Camp- 

 sey Ash, was second. 



Tweuty-four varieties were finely shown by Mr. W. Ingle, gardener 

 to C. G. Kound, Esq., Birch Hall, Colchester ; R. B. Postans, Esq., 

 of Brentwood, l>eing second. In the class for forty-eight varieties, 

 that veteran Rose grower, Mr. J. T. Hedge, Reed Hall, Colchester, 

 was first with a good stand of blooms, among which were Madame 

 Victor Verdier, Beauty of Waltham, Due de Wellington, Souvenir 

 do Comto Cavour, Madame Boll, Souvenir do Marechal Serrurler, 

 Gloire de Santcnay, Madame Charles Crapelet, Duchesse de Momy, 

 and Mario Banmann. Forty-eight varieties from Mr. B. R. Cant con- 

 tained Komo of the fini'st flowers that have been shown this season. 

 DucliRRHo de Momy, Marie Baumann, Madame Victor Verdier, Beauty 

 of Waltham, Comtesse de Paris, Charles Lefebvre, Pierre Notting, 

 Niphetos, Devoniensis, Madame Caillat, La Brillaute, and Madame 

 Rouaset, were very fine indeed. Messrs. J. & C. Lee wore second, 

 having some good blooms. 



In the Amateurs' class for twelve Scarlet Pelargoniums, Mr. Fore- 

 man, who was first, had good plants, among which the following were 

 conspicuous : — The Clipjier, Culford Rose, Rose Rendatler Dr. Lindley, 

 Madame Rudersdorll, and Rose Pei-fettion. Mr. D. T. Fish was second 

 with well-grown plants, but over-trained ; and Mr. P. Grieve third. 



In the Nurseijmen's class for the same, Mr. John Barrett, Cotton 

 Lane Nursery, Bury St. Edmunds, was first with some capital plants, 

 remarkably well flowered. Mr. J. J. Chater was second with plants 

 much inferior to the foregoing. An interesting class in this section 

 was one of six Pelargoniums, including Nosegays. The first prize 

 was gained by Mr. Foreman, gardener to the Rev. F. Cheere, with 

 some good plants. The nurserymen bad to contribute twelve plants 

 in thi.s section, and the first prize was taken by Mr. Barrett with some 

 good specimens, among which Le Grand, Duchess, Black Dwarf, and 

 Lady CuUum were conspicuous. 



The class for six Variegated Pelargoniums, including Nosegays, 

 was warmly contested, Messrs. Saltmarsh & Son, of Chelmsford, being 

 first with small but remarkably well-gi'own plants of Argus, Mrs. 

 Pollock, Countess, Variegatum Quadricolor, Culford Beauty, and 

 Sunset. Mr. Foreman was second wdth much larger but not such 

 well-grown plants, Mr. Grieve being third. 



