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JOUBNAL 01' HOBTICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



( December 10, 1874. 



Middleton being especially noteworthy. Sutton's Berkshire 

 Prize Yellow Globe Mangel weighs 3G lbs. each, grown by Mr. 

 Jae. MesBinRer, Alton, and some of the same variety grown on 

 the Earl of Warwick's estate, Heathcote Farm, Warwick, which 

 produced the extraordinary crop of 84 tons per acre, the heaviest 

 ever known. Sutton's New Golden Tankard Yellow-fleshed 

 Mangel grown by R. W. Hall Dare, Esq., weigh 28 lbs. each. 

 This variety produces more saccharine matter than any other, 

 and Messrs. Sutton were awarded the gold medal of the High- 

 land Society for its introduction. Sutton's Improved Champion 

 Swede, some weighing 18 lbs. each, grown by J. F. Burrell, Esq., 

 This Swede has since its introduction been awarded no less than 

 £2800 in prizes. Sutton's Yellow Intermediate Mangel, a variety 

 especially suitable for shallow soils, weighing 30 lbs. each. 

 Sutton's Imperial Green Globe, and Sutton's Purple-topped 

 Mammoth Turnips, two varieties originated by Messrs. Sutton 

 some few years since, and valuable for main crop and late feed- 

 ing. Grass seeds for all soils are represented ; also seed Potatoes 

 and a very interesting collection of all the principal kinds, in- 

 cluding Sutton's Red Skin FlourbaU, and Sutton's Hundredfold 

 Fluke. 



MB. PEABSON'S GEBANIUMS IN 1874. 

 In giving my estimate of the different Geraniums we have 

 used for the embellishment of the flower garden during the 

 last summer, I will first take the Scarlet section. 



Among our old favourites we have nothing that has stood 

 the weather better than Douglas Pearson. It began to bloom 

 as soon as it was placed in its position on the flower beds, and 

 throughout the season it was a glorious sheet of bloom. It is 

 a very fine dark crimson, with large trusses, free bloomer, and 

 very dwarf and compact. Bayard has maintained its previous 

 good character. Wm. Thompson is much of the same colour, 

 a Hybrid Nosegay ; is rather stronger-growing than the two 

 preceding ; just suited for the back row in a ribbon border or 

 for massing in large beds. Mr. Lease, of Mansfield Wood- 

 house, considers it the most free-blooming and the most 

 effective Geranium of the older varieties. Mrs. Mellows and 

 the Duke of Devonshire of the same section have also been 

 good. Coming to such as have not been so long in commerce 

 among the orange scarlets the greatest favourite is Corsair, 

 and there is no doubt but it will remain a popular variety for 

 years to come. In some notes I contributed to " our Journal " 

 last year I spoke in high terms respecting this Geranium, and 

 this season it has more than justified all I have previously 

 said in its favour. It is, without exception, the best Geranium 

 in its class of colour that has been introduced for flower-garden 

 decoration, and it is equally valuable when grown in pots. 

 At Hardwiek Hall, the residence of the Marquis of Hartington, 

 Corsair stood pre-eminent. Mr. Wilson, the highly-respected 

 head gardener, considers it an invaluable adjunct to the flower 

 garden. During the summer of 1873 I was much in favour of 

 the Eev. T. F. Fenn, but the last summer it has scarcely been 

 so good. One bed of it was all that could be wished in the ' 

 early part of the summer, but the latter part of the season \ 

 the flowers were lost too much among the foliage ; however, I j 

 have propagated it extensively, and shall give it a trial another 1 

 year. Shakespeare has been good ; the flowers are borne on 

 stout footstalks, and the habit of the plant is dwarf and 

 compact. 



Of pinks. Amaranth is greatly admired for its singular colour 

 and fine truss ; and Mrs. Holden, not possessing such a deep 

 shade of Ulac, has also immense trusses which stand both sun 

 and rain. Through June and the early part of July we were 

 hardly satisfied with Amaranth, but many of our plants had 

 been raised from cuttings in March and April, and were only 

 small ones at the end of May. This confirms what your cor- 

 respondent the Eev. C. P. Peach so repeatedly advocates — that 

 of planting strong plants in the spring. When they had made 

 a httle growth and became established they bloomed with the 

 utmost freedom, and more than realised our most sanguine 

 expectations. When we removed them from the beds the last 

 week in October it was with great reluctance, so fine were the 

 remaining trusses of bloom and so grand the colour. 



We have discarded all our old pink varieties, such as Chris- 

 tine, Maid of Kent, &c., to make way for Amaranth and Mrs. 

 Holden. There are other shades of pink all good and useful, 

 especially Mrs. Ffytch, Mrs. Musters, Mrs. Tait, Florence 

 Durand, &c., but Amaranth and Mrs. Iloldeu take the prece- 

 dence with us. Mrs. Young, Contessa Quarto, and also Mrs. 

 Musters, are pre-eminent for conservatory decoration. 



Passing by many other valuable varieties I come to the 

 seedlings of 1872 which were sent out early in the present 



year. Anyone possessing that batch might consider themselves 

 fortunate, for they are a great advance on any of their prede- 

 cessors. We have not tried them in the flower garden, as we 

 only bought one plant of a sort, but we can bear testimony in 

 favour of their good qualities for indoor work. Mrs. Turner 

 is remarkable for the immense size of its truss ; and Lady 

 Emily Pierepont, a beautiful delicate shade of pink, is the 

 sweetest thing that Mr. Pearson has yet sent out. Cruger has 

 fine-shaped flowers, a glowing scarlet suffused with pink — 

 quite a model of perfection. Miss Maud Holden, rich brilUant 

 scarlet, and John Watson, fiery crimson, the individual flowers 

 being 2 inches across. Then among the various shades of 

 pink, scarlet, crimson, and rose I may mention Mrs. Gibbons, 

 an improvement on Amaranth ; Col. Wright, fine habit ; Laura 

 Walter ; H. E. Clifton, large bold truss ; Caxton ; Arthur 

 Eogers ; Lucy, bright rosy pink, quite a gem ; Sibylla, im- 

 mense trusses ; Nelly May, salmon shaded with scarlet ; and 

 Miss Blanche Storey, delicate pink with a light eye. These 

 are all of sterling worth. 



I made a hasty visit to Chilwell on the 27th of October. 

 Although it was so late in the season I not only saw in a large 

 span-roofed house the best of previous years, but the house 

 was more than half-filled with seedlings raised in 1873, to be 

 sent out early next year. Many who have seen these Gera- 

 niums have loudly set forth their praises as decorative plants ; 

 not only in the summer and autumn, but in suitable houses 

 they will continue to bloom profusely on to midwinter. When 

 I saw this house on the above date it was quite as gay as 

 when I have seen it in previous years during the bright days of 

 August, and in a note from Mr. Pearson on the 2nd of Decem- 

 ber, he stated it was then as bright as ever. All the new 

 varieties were conspicuous for much larger and bolder trusses, 

 and the individual flowers were more round and perfect, such 

 as would pass through the ordeal of a florist's examination. 

 How they wUl answer as bedding plants time wiU prove, but 

 from the compact habit of many of the plants, and the strength 

 of the footstalks and the substance of the petals, they carmot 

 faU to be valuable additions to the flower garden. I will 

 mention a few. 



Mrs. T. F. Fenn, much of the habit and colour of Ama- 

 ranth, a more intense lilac pink, and the individual trusses 

 larger, with plain green leaves. Ethel, a slight zone in the 

 leaf, large lilac flowers. Annie Orton, of the same colour but 

 a darker shade, very much like Amaranth, far surpassing it in 

 all respects. Lucy Bosworth, Lady Byron, and Mrs. Eogera 

 may be classed together as bright rose pinks with light eye, 

 and in our note-book we have put them down as the greatest 

 march out. Charles Smith and Sir H. S. Stanhope are dark 

 crimsons, the darkest I have ever seen, possessing immense 

 trusses. Douglas Pearson, an old favourite, falls into utter 

 insignificance by their side. Mrs. Whiteby, scarlet with 

 white eye, pretty zone, dwarf and compact habit. Mrs. Lea- 

 croft, orange red with a white eye, a very distinct variety. 

 Earl Manners, fine dark crimson with light eye, firm leathery 

 petals, is very good ; also Dora Charlton, Laura and Archi- 

 bald Henderson may be classed with Earl Manners for colour. 

 Lady Stanhope, red orange — Mr. Pearson guarantees this to 

 be the finest bedding variety he has yet raised. Mulberry, 

 dark plum colour, a Nosegay of a superior type. Mrs. Jacaby, 

 fine bold truss, colour a mixture of salmon, pink, and rose, 

 v/hieh baffles our ingenuity to describe. John Gibbons, habit 

 of old Tom Thumb, dark scarlet, fine bold truss, flowers of 

 immense size ; one of the largest Mr. Pearson has yet raised. 

 It is likely to be much sought after for exhibition purposes. 

 Eev. F. Atkinson, rather a darker shade of scarlet than the 

 preceding, trusses very large. Ellen and Miss Strachan, fine 

 salmon, a great advance on this shade of colour, flowers very 

 perfect. Miss Louise Smith, purple rose with massive firm 

 petals of wonderful substance ; very fine. Mrs. Joseph Paget, 

 beautiful rose, of satiny texture, fine truss, and good habit. 

 Mabel Eden, purple rose, some shades deeper than Mr. Pear- 

 son's Eose Bradwardine. John Fellows, rosy crimson, bids 

 fair to be a first-rate bedder. 



Those who think new seedling fruits and flowers come 

 almost by chance, have little idea of the expenditure of trouble 

 and cash Mr. Pearson's seedUngs have cost him. Visitors to 

 the Chilwell Nurseries have seen the thousands of Geraniums 

 raised each season from seed, but very few have any idea that 

 every one of those was raised from a flower crossed by his own 

 hands, for no one is ever allowed to interfere with this his 

 favourite pursuit. I have heard him say that if obliged to 

 leave home fur a day, he cuts off every bud that is Ukely to 



