440 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 11, 1366. 



wall, and would be equally acceptable if plentifully produced 

 over a uniformly well-grown plant in a small pot. 



Holly needs no comment ; but whether small-grown plants 

 or branches of larger ones are more fitting ornaments at Christ- 

 mas is a matter upon which I am unable to give an opinion. 



Privet. — Too common and vulgar, I expect some will say. 

 Well, if so, reject it ; but I know of nothing so rich as its 

 clusters of black fruit in the antumn, and being borne at the 

 extremities of the shoots, they show to great advantage. I think 

 this would be the most likely of all plants to bear the dwarfing 

 necessary to pot-culture, and it is certainly worth trying. 



Butcher's Broom. — More coarse than the last, and less 

 productive of fruit, excepting in places favourable to its growth. 

 I merely throw out the suggestion that it may be useful, but 

 have less hope of it than of most of the others. 



Hawthorn. — There are many beautiful kinds, but I fear none 

 adapted to the purpose, as they usually shed their leaves about 

 ♦he time the fruit ripens, and, consequently, are not suitable 

 for decorative purposes. 



Aucubas have been alluded to in the early part of this article. 

 Their merit is unquestionably of the highest order. 



Cratjegus ptracantha, enlisted by Mr. Perkins, than whom it 

 would be difficult to find one more likely to give a good account 

 of the forces under his command. 



Berberis. — Only ornamental as flowering plants ; although 

 they fruit freely enough, yet the fruit does not remain fresh 

 and showy for any length of time. B. Wallichii and Darwinii 

 are both handsome plants. 



Besides the above, there are doubtless other fruit-bearing 

 shrubs or plants which could be made available, but the num- 

 ber of such fall short of the long array of those remarkable 

 for their foliage. In fact, plants for table may be classified 

 under three divisions : — Flowering plants, plants of remark- 

 able foliage, and those ornamental by reason of their fruit. 

 The present communication is more especially directed to the 

 third. I should like to learn the opinion of other writers on the 

 first two sections ; and I will at a future time return to the 

 subject, and probably follow out the ornamentation of the 

 dinner-table in another direction. There is evidently ample 

 scope for much improvement, and those who, like Mr. Perkins, 

 wisely take the counsel of their better halves, have more than 

 a double advantage over all the inventive genius of bachelor- 

 hood. — J. Robsox. 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF GLADIOLI. 



In accordance with my promise I now give, from notes made 

 in my own garden at the time of blooming, the description of 

 some of the best French and English Gladioli. There are 

 some which are so well known that I do not think it needful to 

 describe them, and those that I should decidedly reject I shall 

 leave out altogether. I will first take the more expensive 

 varieties, the bulbs of which cost from three to nine francs 

 a-piece abroad, or from 4s. to 10s. here. I would premise that 

 I hold in this, as in all florists' flowers, form to be the first 

 point, colour second, size and general appearance third. It is 

 of no use having a brilliantly coloured flower if the petals be 

 narrow and pointed; nor, again, is the best-shaped and well- 

 coloured flower of much use if only two or three blooms on a 

 spike open at a time. I need not say that winged flowers — 

 i.e., flowers having the oppositiflorus blood in them, and pre- 

 senting no good front to view, are worthless. The best are 

 those in which the flowers all face one way, and are placed alter- 

 nately on the spike. Of these Meyerbeer may be considered 

 a good illustration. Next come those having the flowers placed 

 in two rows, but still in front — as in Achille ; and lastly those 

 winged flowers which we must soon discard in i<>u>. 



I commence with Souchet's varieties sent out last autumn. 



1. Mareclial Vaillaht. — I regret that I was unable to procure 

 a bulb of this last autumn ; but Mr. Jones. Lord Leeon field's 

 experienced gardener, who bloomed it, tells me that it well 

 deserves its character. The flowers are large, well-shaped, 

 brilliant scarlet, with very large white spot. 



2. Lord By mn. — Fine showy-looking flower, but badly shaped, 

 with pointed petals. The set-on of the flowers partakes of the 

 character of Achille, from which, indeed, I should imagine it 

 ro have been raised. 



3. Eurydice. — Fine spike ; white, beautifully flamed with 

 crimson purple feathers on a yellowish ground. Sometimes nn- 

 rlistingnishable from that fine flower of Mr. Standish's, Eleanor 

 Norman. 



4. ShaPspeare. — A noble flower. Spike long ; flowers well- 

 shaped, white, flamed with light rosy cerise, purple throat, and 

 large purplish crimson feather on the lower lip. 



5. Milton. — Fine spike ; flowers very large, of excellent shape, 

 creamy white tinted with rose, and deeply flamed with red. 



6. Newton. — Flowers large, well shaped, white, with rosy 

 crimson flakes, deeply lined with white. 



These constitute the varieties of last autumn. Of older 

 flowers there are — 



7. Prince of Wales. — Very dark crimson, brilliant flowers, 

 with violet stripes and shading, white midrib to side petals. 

 Spike very long ; flowers not very large, and opening together 

 well. 



8. Dr. Lindley. — Light peach ground, flamed and striped 

 with rosy carmine, especially on the edge of the petals. 



'.). Meyerbeer. — Magnificent spike. Very vigorous grower, 

 and flowering very freely. Brilliant orange scarlet, with bright 

 crimson feather. 



10. Madame Furtado. — Delicate rose ground colour, passes 

 into flesh colour, flamed with rose cerise. A beautifully shaped 

 and very effective flower. 



11. Charles Dickens, — Tender rose tinted with salmon rose, 

 flamed and striped with rosy carmine. 



12. Madame Vilnwrin. — Rose with white centre, shaded with 

 lively rose, with carmine feathers on a white ground. 



13. Edulia. — White, with deep violet spots. Not a large 

 spike, but effective. 



I now take those of a lower price. 



14. Fulton. — Vermilion red, with purple feathers ; form 

 good ; colour fine, with purple spot. 



15. Rubens. — A large well-formed flower, light scarlet, violet 

 feather ; spike long. Flowers not quite en face. 



Hi. Flore. — White, with deep rosy crimson spot in the side 

 lower petals ; petals generally flaked and striped. 



17. La Quintinie. — Salmon rose or orange. Fine flower, 

 with a violet shade at times. 



18. Madame Eugene Verdier. — Crimson scarlet, somewhat of 

 the same shade of colour as Brenchleyensis. 



19. De CandoUe. — Fine spike ; clear bright cerise, flaked with 

 crimson ; bright violet feather on lower petals. 



20. Mans. Lebrun d'Albanne. — Very brilliant rosy carmine, 

 with violet feather. 



21. James Carter. — Plant dwarf ; spike not very long ; orange 

 scarlet, white spot in lower petals ; shape good. 



22. Belie Gabrielle. — Fine spike ; very bright lilac rose, 

 lightly flamed with a deeper shade of rose. 



23. Lenne. — Orange cerise ; large yellowish white blotch. 



24. Stuart Low. — Violet rose, spotted and flamed with a deeper 

 shade on a white ground. A good flower. 



25. Stephenson. — A pretty shade of carmine cerise. Flower 

 well formed ; good spike. 



26. Imprratiiee Eugenie. — White, flamed with violet rose. 

 This variety always seems to me muddly, though so highly 

 praised. 



27. Mad. de SebignA. — Cerise rose, spotted and striped with 

 white. Very pretty. 



28. Walter 'Scot't.—Yery lively rose ; white throat, striped 

 with rosy carmine. 



Of still cheaper but good varieties there are — 

 Achille Reine Victoria Vesta 



Ceres Eldorado Mac Mahon 



Comte de Morny John Bull Madame de Vatry 



Diane Le Poussin Marie Dumortier 



Due de Malnkoff Lord Raglan Marie 



Napoleon III. Peter Lawson I'line 



MR. STANDISH'S VARIETIES. 



Fnsi>m. — Magnificent spike ; clear bright scarlet ; very closely 

 and regularly placed. 



Sirs. Dombrain. — Lilac rose, with deeper stripes. Somewhat 

 like Madame Furtado. 



Eleanor Norman. — Large flower, shape excellent ; spike good ; 

 colour very like Eurydice, but on the whole I prefer it. 



Basil.— Beaiitiful "carmine, pencilled with a deeper shade ; 

 white centre, and deep crimson blotch. 



Carminata. — Light carmine ; flower large ; shape good. 



Lemonade. — Lemon, shaded with carmine ; petals striped 

 with the same. 



Lord Shaftesbury.— -Pale flesh colour, striped with pink ; pink 

 feathers. A very showy flower. 



Prime Minister. — Scarlet, with a deep violet throat ; a fine 

 spike. 



