March 25, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



337 



can promise those who contemplate an escape from the din of 

 the town — we can promise those dwellers iu the country soli- 

 tudes who employ a holiday in search of something good in 

 the way of flowers, that a run up to Highgate will be well worth 

 the time it occupies. They will find what we did not find — 

 the plants attractively arranged. Ours was to view the work 

 in progress, theirs is to see it perfected. We saw the spikes, 

 and pronounce them fine ; we saw the Lilies, and bespeak them 

 excellent ; the Camellias clean and glossy ; the AZaleas — handy 

 plants — profusely clothed with bloom ; the Cytisus Atleeanus 

 glowing, the Palms stately and elegant. These with other 

 decorative plants are being put under tribute to make this 

 home show attractive. 



But as the Hyacinths hold the post of honour, the other 

 plants being accessories — framework, as it were, for the setting 

 of the picture — we will note some of the best, for growers 

 generally to note again what best will give them a reward in 

 return for sound and generous treatment. And first iu respect 

 of new introductions Mr. Cutbush has none to otter. 



Of late years the importations of new varieties have had so 

 much chati mixed with the few grains of corn that the veteran 

 grower has resolved to import no indifferent sorts, and has 

 made a resolve to visit Holland in the blooming season and 

 determine the merits of novelties before adding them to his 

 collections. He will neither add a new one nor reject an old 

 one simply because it is such, merit and quality being his 

 primary object. 



Some of the finest of the dark blues are Argus, Baron Van 

 Tayll (fine). King of the Blues (extra), Lord Melville (very 

 telling), Marie (immense spike). Of the light blues Czar Peter 

 (excellent), Bloudin (greyish, charming), Couronne de Celle, 

 Grand Lilas, Oroudates, Charles Dickens, and Pieneman (im- 

 mense bells). The best of the nearly black varieties are General 

 Havelock, Feruck Khan, La Nuit, and Mimosa. The most 

 attractive amongst the reds are Garibaldi (very rich), Linnaeus 

 (bright), Lina (fine), Madame Hodgson, Mrs. Beecher Stowe, 

 Prince Albert Victor (extra), Florence Nightingale (Fabiola), 

 and Solfaterre. The best of the whites are La Grandesse 

 (superb). Baron Van Tuyll, Alba superbissima. Grandeur :"i 

 MerveiUe (flesh), Mont Blanc (very fine), and Qneeu of the 

 Netherlands. The best yellows are Due de Malakoff and Ida. 

 Mr. Cutbush's nursery if not extensive is interesting; every- 

 thing is in good order, the whole place evidently being under 

 able supervision. 



Messrs. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. — Our next visit is to 

 another great home of the popular spring flower, for as such 

 the nursery of Messrs. Veitch & Sons has an undisputed claim. 

 The firm did not enter the competitive hsts at South Kensing- 

 ton, and thus we were unable to offer our customary meed of 

 instruction to those who cannot for themselves see a great 

 collection in bloom, and who turn, as a guide to selection, to 

 the Journal's portraiture of the most striking flowers. 



These flowers are the great feature at the present time, and, 

 as seen in our advertising columns, an inspection of the plants 

 is invited by Messrs. Veitch. We invite a free response, as a 

 floral feast is spread which cannot but be enjoyed, and which 

 will haunt the memory almost, or quite, until the Hyacinths 

 come again next year. We will briefly note a few of the best, 

 and will first glance at the new varieties. 



In this small group Duchess of Edinburgh must head the 

 list. It is a single variety, having a finely-built truss closely 

 set with well-formed waxy bells, and is of an extremely delicate 

 pink or flesh colour. Disraeli is a blue flower, with faint 

 streaks of white at the edges of the petals ; it has a beautifully- 

 shaped truss, and is very promising. Baron Beust is some- 

 what similar to the preceding, but more white iu the petals ; 

 it is a charming colour, with a rather thin spike. Princess 

 of Wales is a semi-double pink-coloured variety, with a fine 

 towering spike, and very attractive. Prince Tallyrand is a 

 porcelain blue, with large bells of great substance and a 

 medium-sized spike. Masterpiece is nearly black, with a plum- 

 coloured bar down each petal ; it has a fine-shapely spike, and 

 is well to the front of its class. Negro is also a good black and 

 maroon variety. Oriental Beauty is a pure buff in colour, 

 having a dense spike and good. Queen of Naples is in the way 

 of Von Schiller, but a shade deeper in colour ; it is a promising 

 variety, but the present plant is deficient in foliage. 



Amongst the general collection of two hundred splendid 

 examples of culture we notice the best of the reds to be Prince 

 Albert Victor. It is a rich scarlet crimson, very telling and 

 fine. Vurbaak is another exceedingly fine variety of the 

 same type. Linmeus is a bright carmine, and an excellent 



sort. Of the lighter shades of red the best are Macaulay, 

 carmine rose ; Van Schiller, salmon pink ; Koh-i-noor, semi- 

 double pink ; Fabiola, creamy pink, beautiful ; and pink 

 Charles Dickens. 



Amongt blues King of the Blues is pre-eminent, followed 

 by General Havelock, very dark; and the good old varieties 

 Mimosa, purple ; and Baron Van Tuyll, dark blue. Of the 

 lighter shades the most attractive are Czar Peter, lavender 

 mauve, very handsome; Lothair, pale blue, excellent ; Blondin, 

 a silvery blue, fine bells and spike ; De CandoUe, lilac with 

 blue stripes ; and the still good porcelain blue variety Grand 

 Lilas. 



The best of the whites are La Grandesse, a magnificent 

 spike and fine bells; L'Innocenee, very handsome ; Snowball, 

 wonderful substance, but short spike ; Mont Blanc, massive 

 and pure ; Madame Van der Hoop, and the old favourite blush 

 Grandeur a Merveille. Miss Nightingale is a fine double white, 

 the bells being almost as large as Gardenias, and fine for 

 wiring for bouquets and button-hole decoration. 



Of the yellows the best are Bird of Paradise, bright and fine; 

 and Ida, primrose. 



Those are, in brief, the cream of the splendid collection 

 now staged at the nursery, and in conjunction with the Tulips, 

 Crocuses, Narcissus, Clematis, &c., the feast of beauty is rich, 

 varied, and satisfying. 



The varieties enumerated are the best of two grand collec- 

 tions, leaving out of the list, however, many others of nearly 

 equal merit. They comprise old as well as new kinds, and 

 are adapted to varying requirements and decorative purposes. 



IRIS GEEMANICA. 



In mentioning the Iris we have in hand one of the most 

 varied and most beautiful families of hardy plants. It is 

 assuredly true that there is no class of plants in the temperate 

 zone and very few examples from tropical climes that can un- 

 fold to the eye of the florist such an extreme range of colour, 

 such varieties of tints, such delicacies of markings, such de- 

 cided richness in body colour as the different types and sec- 

 tions which the Iris affords ; in fact its very name is expres- 

 sive, being derived from the eye, in allusion to the variety and 

 beauty of the colours of its flowers. 



The genus Iris has long been a great favourite in the flower 

 borders of Europe, and until the last few years was plentifully 

 found in almost every garden of note in Britain. It has, how- 

 ever, iu common with many other border flowers lost caste as 

 it were in the estimation of the new-fashioned florists who, 

 trained under the " bedding " n'riime, where individual beauty 

 was lost in the effect of gorgeous massing, and intrinsic excel- 

 lence was set aside for symmetry of combination, were taught to 

 regard our hardy plants as little better than cumberers of the 

 ground : hence the Iris has fallen into something like general 

 disuetude, but is yet far from lost. There has always been a 

 few real flower lovers with strength of mind sufficient to enable 

 them to battle successfully against the stream of fashion, and 

 to fight a winning battle in preserving their favourites from 

 being rushed into its devouring vortex. These have now the 

 reward of finding their labours appreciated in the returning 

 taste for the flowers which our forefathers loved to enjoy. 



It must be so. The very nature of oar constitution as a 

 nation is to cherish all that pertaineth to us by the care of our 

 predecessors, and to hand it down to posterity the better for 

 our having it. That is a national trait, and however tastes 

 may vary and new ideas find patronage the quality of conserva- 

 tion has deep root, and will assert its power in spite of passing 

 obstacles which now and again may inteivene and gain a 

 momentary triumph. Not that the new is a necessary evil, 

 and that improvements are to be slighted as mere innovations ; 

 not that the taste in floral combinations which has added a 

 charm to many an enjoyable home is to be spoken of slight- 

 ingly ; not that the prevailing system of garden decoration 

 would be relegated to the limbo of oblivion by one barbarous 

 swoop. No ! not that. Let it flourish with all the charms it 

 possesses, and improve and give pleasure to the fullest extent 

 of its capabilities ; let it do all that, but let the old plants live 

 and improve too. Let them be loved and cherished, and im- 

 proved, and increased ; not only tolerated, but admired ; not 

 only permitted to exist, but assisted to perfect themselves as 

 friends worthy of a home and protective care. That is what 

 we desh-e to see, and desire it because of the solid lasting satis- 

 fying pleasure this care would create. Our homes may be 

 beautiful as ever by judicious combinations of systematic form 



