November 17, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



577 



home about the same time by Bridges, but I do not 

 think any plants were reared from them. B. Clarkei 

 flowered the following year. I showed it to various 

 gardening friends, but it did not attract much notice, 

 being leggy in habit, and rather delicate ; the 

 flowers, however, had an exquisite fragrance. Sub- 

 sequently I gave almost my last plant to Mr. Harry 

 Veitch, who made some use of it in hybridising. In 

 the same vear Sir Joseph Hooker, to whom I showed 

 it, figured and named it after myself. R. T. Clarice. 



LILY DISEASE. — I have always appreciated the 

 neat drawings of interesting fungi which Mr. Worth- 

 ington G. Smith produces in such large numbers ; but 

 it was with considerable surprise that I saw the figure 

 on p. 184 of the Gardeners' Chronicle, and read the 

 remarks on the disease of Lilies which was there re- 

 garded as due to the presence of a Peronospora. I 

 was surprised, in the first place, because I have had 

 an enormous quantity of material of this Lily disease 

 through my hands during the last three years, and 

 have devoted much attention to it, this year espe- 

 cially, that it seems incredible that I should have 

 missed a Peronospora, had there been one present. 

 In the second place, because thesymptoms of the dis- 

 ease, so far as described by Mr. W. G. Smith, are just 

 those due to the fungus I have been investigating ; 

 and when I mention that I have made more than a 

 hundred cultures of the fungus under all kinds of con- 

 ditions, besides examining some hundreds of prepa- 

 rations, it will be allowed that I have some claim 

 to a hearing when I state my conviction, that the 

 fungus in question is distinctly and positively not 

 a Peronospora at all. Thirdly, because Mr. W. G. 

 Smith's figure referred to, and the original draw- 

 ing of Ovularia elliptica enable me to be still 

 more definitely certain that the Lily disease is the 

 same in all the cases, and that the (on other grounds 

 extremely improbable) view that there are two very 

 similar Lily diseases rife this year cannot be main- 

 tained. Moreover, the neat drawing of Mr. W. G. 

 Smith itself bears witness to its not being a Perono- 

 spora — a point which, together with the paragraph 

 about spores that " produce a convolute mass of 

 mycelium as at b, which, on the opening of the 

 spore, protrudes as a germinal thread ; " and the 

 sentence, " On coming to rest the zoospores in turn 

 open and produce a germinal thread," I leave to the 

 judgment of mycologists. No one is better aware 

 than Mr. W. G. Smith that fungi are difficult things 

 to deal with at sight, and it is one of the most 

 lamentable of facts that so-called species are being 

 introduced almost every week on crude and incom- 

 plete evidence, in just that department of botany 

 where the greatest care is needed in getting at the 

 truth. H. Marshall Ward. 



PURPLE PINK LORD LYON OR PLATO.— At 



p. 474, in your issue of October 27, 1888, " R. D." 

 alludes to this fine variety of early flowering and 

 useful forcing Pink, and too much can hardly be 

 said in its favour, so that Mr. Douglas was quite 

 correct in pronouncing it to be the best purple Pink 

 in cultivation. As stated by " R. D." it was raised 

 by the late Mr. James Clarke, of Bury St. Edmunds, 

 who was in his day a very successful amateur culti- 

 vator, as well as the raiser of many fine varieties of 

 the Pink and other florists' flowers, including the 

 well known Derby Day and many others. It may 

 not, however, be known to " R. D," Mr. Douglas, 

 and other admirers of this fine variety, that it, 

 or, at least, one so like it in all respects that 

 no one could [perceive any difference, existed in 

 Bury St. Edmunds years before Mr. Clarke raised 

 from seed the variety sent out under the name of 

 Lord Lyon. This variety in question was raised by 

 Mr. Roland Dalton, an eminent surgeon in Bury 

 St. Edmunds, as well as a very successful amateur 

 florist, and the raiser of many fine varieties of the 

 Pink, Carnation, and other florists' flowers, including 

 his Isabella Dalton, a remarkably fine yellow Picotee, 

 and many others, and these, with the" Pink in ques- 

 tion, which he named Plato, he generously distri- 

 buted among his flower-loving friends. There is not 

 the least doubt of Mr. Clarke having raised from 

 seed the variety sent out under the name of Lord 

 Lyon, and this, we believe, was done before he knew 

 of the existence of Dalton's Plato or of the identity 

 of the two. The writer of this had plants given him 

 by Mr. Clarke of his Pink named Lord Lyon, and 

 also plants of Plato given to him by Mr. Dalton, and 

 grew them for years side by side, but could never 

 perceive in them the slightest difference in flower, 

 foliage, or habit of growth. Mr. Dalton is still alive, 

 and although far advanced in years, still takes a 

 lively interest in horticulture, and particularly in 



florists' flowers, and could, no doubt, corroborate 

 what has just been said regarding his favourite Pink, 

 Plato, which was never, we believe, sent out by any 

 member of the trade. P. G. 



CERTIFICATED APPLES AT CHISWICK.— The 

 list of Apples certificated at the recent Conference 

 at Chiswick, whilst very interesting and valuable, 

 must also be regarded in relation to the time any 

 variety named in it has been in commerce. Several 

 sorts, for instance, would hardly be exhibited by 

 other than nurserymen, and where such get, in rela- 

 tion to the number of dishes shown, a good record, 

 it may reasonably be inferred that the kind is 

 even of greater merit than the limited number of 

 certificates granted it indicates. Blenheim Orange, 

 without doubt a grand Apple, and represented by no 

 less than 170 dishes, comes out none the less so indif- 

 ferently this season as to obtain only three certifi- 

 cates ; while that splendid kind, Tyler's Kernel, ont 

 only some four or five years, and of which only a few 

 dishes were staged, obtained as many certificates. 

 Bismarck, again, out only about two years, gets two 

 certificates, whilst the popular King of the Pippins, 

 with sixty-nine dishes, gets one certificate only. 

 Lady Sudely and Mrs. Barron, both quite new, get 



81.— MAXII.LAIUA FL-SCATA: YELLOW WITH 



two certificates ; so also do such fine kinds as Lord 

 Derby and Lord Grosvenor, whilst Saltmarsh's 

 Queen, Grenadier, and Potts' Seedling relatively 

 stand well with certificates also. It may thus be 

 inferred that, in regard to newer Apples, we are 

 improving in appearance. Without doubt there was 

 a desire to deal with particularly good dishes liberally 

 in the matter of certificates, but some would have 

 received a much larger number had the season been 

 more favourable to the development of form and colour 

 in the fruits. That so many fine samples of various 

 kinds, old and new, were produced under such ad- 

 verse climatic conditions as the recentseason presented 

 must be regarded at once as the dominant feature of 

 the show of Apples, and a triumph of British hardy 

 fruit culture. If the Conference be repeated in 

 some five years' time, after a really favourable season, 

 without doubt many of the more recently introduced 

 Apples will figure largely, but no two of the number 

 will, I think, take higher rank than will Bismarck 

 and Tyler's Kernel. A. D. 



WALNUTS OF 1388,-1 find that very few of the 

 Walnuts of the present season, grown in this neigh- 

 bourhood, are of any value. The fruit from many of 

 the trees contains no kernel, but merely an empty 

 skin ; while that from other trees contains a soft 

 kernel with an insipid taste, and enclosed in a blue 

 fungoid-looking skin, How far is this general? 



Perhaps other readers will state their experience. 

 J. J. Willis, Harpcnden. 



CHISWICK (see also p. 574).- Mr. Dyer's admirable 

 letter in your columns last v/eek, coming, as it does, 

 from one occupying so distinguished a position, and 

 from one who is also a prominent member of the 

 Council of the Royal Horticultural Society, com- 

 mands the earnest attention of all horticulturist*. 

 It is the natural corrollary of your recent articles 

 upon Chiswick, and materially helps to indicate a 

 path through which the Council may eventually 

 push the garden at Chiswick into prominence and 

 usefulness. It may seem, perhaps, somewhat hyper- 

 critical to find fault with an expression, or even 

 a term, but knowing something of the "touchiness " 

 of the gardening community, and the sentiment 

 of jealousy which exists, lest Chiswick should become 

 ultimately a branch of Kew and be nnder Kew 

 control, I can but regret that Mr. Dyer should 

 have alluded to Chiswick as a horticultural Kew. 

 That Mr. Dyer felt something the same as I do, 

 seems evident by his closing sentence, in which he 

 strives to define what he really means by the term, 

 and it is exactly of the nature all reading his 

 previous observations intelligently would arrive at. 

 What Kew is to botany, or rather is in relation 

 to practical educational botany, let Chiswick be 

 made in relation to horticulture. We cannot hope 

 that it will ever become as that is — a Government 

 establishment, and probably it is best that it never 

 should be so, as in such case it might fail to meet the 

 requirements of active or progressive horticulture. 

 Apart from the term thus taken exception to, there 

 seems to be nothing in Mr. Dyer's letter which 

 will not meet with universal approval. The stumbling 

 block to progress now that sheer indifference to 

 Chiswick no longer exists, is the financial position. 

 The Society wants money, and in view of the 

 nobility of the object aimed at, assuming that 

 Mr. Dyer's proposals be accepted by the Council, 

 it does seem as if a special Chiswick fund might be 

 raised with considerable success. Before any appeal 

 is made to the country, however, a scheme of an ex- 

 act and practical nature, not too ambitious, but still 

 very clear and decided in character, should be prepared 

 and published ; and with such a programme it does 

 seem that a ready response would result. Of course, 

 it is evident that under the proposed change Chis- 

 wick could hardly be the market garden that it now 

 is, and must of necessity submit to a large deduction 

 from its present income as derived from the sale of 

 marketable produce. It is to the shame of horticul- 

 ture such should be the case, but Chiswick in doing 

 so is in good company. It is very obvious that nothing 

 but a strong determination to make Chiswick a living 

 and practical horticultural reality, will serve to 

 resuscitate the Royal Horticultural Society, or to 

 place it on that elevation which it is so desirable 

 it should occupy. If Chiswick fails to attract sup- 

 port it is hard to tell through what other force it is 

 to be secured. For that reason proposals to re- 

 organise Chiswick, should be bold and of a thoroughly 

 practical, yet liberal nature. Possibly the large sur- 

 rounding population might be made to help in the 

 revival, and it is to be hoped that horticulturists 

 universally would be only too ready to help the old 

 Society to accomplish so much good work at the old 

 home. Spade. 



MINA LOBATA.. — Referring to the remarks at 

 p. 542 of your last issue, as to the hardiness of this 

 beautiful climber, we may mention, that during the 

 month of August we saw it growing magnificently, 

 the plant literally covering a large piece of trellis 

 with its pretty orange and red blossoms. The 

 situation was quite an exposed one in the open 

 air, near the Hartz Mountains, in Germany ; we are, 

 therefore, of the opinion that the plant will prove 

 hardy in every part of England. James Carter § Co. 



THE TRADESCANTIAS— Permit me to put in a 

 plea on behalf of this group of hardy perennials. 

 They are hardy, distinct in character, and remark- 

 ably handsome, continuing in flower from May until 

 September, and doing well in any good garden soil. 

 The type is T. virginica, a native of South America, 

 producing deep violet-blue flowers, with anthers of 

 golden-yellow. Very fine clumps of this are to be 

 found in cottage gardens, where, being let alone, they 

 flourish and bloom amazingly. Of the varieties 

 there are alba major, with haudsome pure white 

 single flowers ; the double purple, azurea, rich deep 

 blue, one of the very finest, and a double form of 

 this also; rubra, deep bright carmine, very effective 

 and showy ; a double form of this, and another 

 named delicata, soft blush-pink. This makes 



