FREESIAS AND LACHEN ALIAS. 



33 



become common as development or change proceeds. These new 

 varieties give a very good idea of what we now have in the way of 

 shape and colour. It will be noticed that there are no named yellow 

 flowers except the small ' Yellow Dwarf.' The reason is that there 

 did not appear to be such an opening for flowers of this colour as 

 for others, seeing that Mr. Chapman has given us Chapmanii and 

 last year (1918) Chapmanii aurantiaca, and Mr. John Hoog (Tubergen) 

 ' Canary,' ' Buttercup,' and ' Apogee.' ' Canary ' is, all things 

 considered, the pick of the bunch, but it has not the deep, rich yellow 

 tone of C. aurantiaca or of ' Apogee.' 



Freesia Peculiarities. — It is from these peculiarities that the 

 name ' Wait-and-see ' flower has been suggested as appropriate : — 

 (1) The waywardness of the yellow spots in pure white flowers. To 

 get a thicker and wider-petalled form than the ' American Purity ' 

 would be something worth having. Several times I have said to 

 myself, " Hurrah ! at last I have one ! " only to have my high hopes 

 dashed to the ground or blown sky-high (whichever phrase best 

 expresses shattered expectation) when, after "one little, two little" 

 flowers have opened of the purest white, the " third little " has 

 developed the unfortunate mark. It has been suggested that the 

 botanical explanation is that the latest fashion in shapes has caused 

 the poor petals to get a little mixed up, and that they had to wait 

 and see in these new developments which was top and which was 

 bottom petal — hence their delay and uncertainty. 



(2) The " breaking " or, were it tulips that are under considera- 

 tion, their " rectification." Not that this word is at all appropriate 

 according to modern ideas — the half -swear word " damnation " 

 would be much more so, for, alas ! most varieties suffer considerably 

 from the change. Freesia ' Whitewell ' shows the effect of the 

 change when it is anything but flattering. In ' Chameleon,' where 

 the colour varies very greatly with age, the effect is pleasing, but 

 this may not be quite the same thing. We cannot discuss the 

 question here. 



(3) " Duds." Every grower of the new varieties has had the 

 experience of good, sound, plump corms refusing to appear above 

 ground after they have been potted in the most approved way in 

 August or early September. Why is this ? Different explanations 

 have been offered. They may be " weary Willies " — that is that 

 they have done so much one year that they must take it easy the 

 next; or they may be " guzzling Georges " — they have not had all 

 the food they require, and they want to have a good tuck-in before 

 they start work again, only what they do eat in their retirement is 

 a mystery ; or, thirdly, and most probably, they are " chilled 

 Charlies" — the poor beggars have caught a "couth" when they 

 were being ripened off, or it may be after they have been potted, 

 for to start these new varieties in a satisfactory manner they seem 

 to require an atmosphere rather warmer than that of a cold frame. 

 The evidence of growers distinctly points to a chill at some period 



VOL. XLV. D 



