226 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



Al'RlL 



HlPPEASTRUMS AT CHELSEA. 



ntTBivr th* last week in March and the first two or three weeks in April a very 

 iHJRiv. the last week ,„ i , visit the Royal Exotic Nursery, King's 



S n S^a° S the'collection of hippeastrums 



orirylS that season. Not only do they come to see the gorgeous 



l^IlZ^U^ J. Veitchand Sons provide, but they come to buy the 

 plants? and the number of buyers ,s annually increasing, so that quite a hippc- 

 Ltrum cult has now arisen. Indeed, not a few gentlemen vie with each other 

 in the management of the hippeastrum, and exhibit their new purchases or new 

 seedlings to admiring visitors, just as the orchid fancier does his choice odonto- 

 grams. In gardens of any pretensions a batch of hippeastrums is now a 

 necessity for conservatory decoration about Eastertime, and nothing could be finer 

 than the ample, brilliant blooms borne on stately spikes. Formerly the shade of 

 colour know n as orange -scarlet predominated, but now, thanks principally to Mr. 

 I last's untiring efforts, a great variety of colours are represented. Year by yetr it is 

 not easy to state exactly how much progress has been made among the hippeastrums 

 at Chelsea, but those who have legularly visited the collection for ten or more 

 years find that with the flowering of each new lot of seedlings there is an improve- 

 ment in shape, variety of colour, purity of the white ground, average number of 

 flowers per spike, strength of foliage, &c. , 



Fortunately there is no keener critic of the Chelsea hippeastrums than Mr. 

 Heal himself, and none know better than he what result to expect from certain 

 cresses. It is now twenty-three years ago since the first batch of seedling 

 hippeastrums was raised at Chelsea ; previous to 1876 seedlings had been raised 

 in a desultory manner, but that year saw their cultivation commenced in earnest, 

 (iradually this new race gained favour, until in 1882 the large span-roofed house, 

 now occupied entirely by hippeastrums, was erected. Since then there has been 

 steady progress, with one or two exceptional bursts ahead, as happened nine or 

 ten years ago, when the enormous-flowered varieties Champion and Optima were 

 produced. The centre bed of the "Amaryllis House" at Chelsea holds 

 1,100 plants, yielding some 1,500 spikes. During the flowering season there a 

 always from three to five hundred spikes flowering simultaneously, and as each 

 spike carries three or four big flowers the display can be imagined by those who 

 have not seen it. Taking the exhibition as a whole there are two points upon 

 which improvement is very evident this year, viz., the strength of the foliage and 

 the increased diversity of colour. Stout, healthy foliage always enhances the dis- 

 play of this or any other flower, so that improvement in this direction is no small 

 matter. 



The older-named varieties that were propagated regularly from offsets are fast 

 disappearing owing to the increased beauty and strength of the seedlings ; this, 

 and the fact that such quantities are sold each year, is the reason why by far the 

 largest proportion of the plants are absolutely new and flowering for the first 

 time. Some of the very best of the lighter forms that appear this year are : 

 Pad ufa» with a white and blush ground colour, crimson feathering, and orange- 

 scarlet apices to the segments ; Belus, ivory-white, with dark crimson feathering 

 towards the base of each segment ; Feronia, one of the most beautiful, a round 

 flower with prettily reflexed tips to the segments, white throat and margins, 

 scarlet ground colour, and crimson feathering ; Cadmea, purest white, with just a 

 few faint rosy-crimson markings ; Damalis, creamy-white, with rich scarlet shading; 

 Maceris, blush, with pretty rose veinings and shadings ; Harmatus, white, with 

 orange feathering ; and Jarbas, a big broad flower with a peculiar faint yellow tint 

 suffusing the creamy-white ground. Whether this will be the forerunner of some 

 yellow hippeastrums time alone will prove. One of the finest forms, and one 

 which (lowered in 1 897 tor the first time, is Mrs. George Gordon ; the white is of 

 the purest, and on this are a few flakes of deep crimson. Jobates is a good ivory- 

 white, with remarkable pencilling of crimson on the upper three segments ; 

 Pactolus, white and pale orange ; Forfarus, ivory-white, crimson, and scarlet ; 

 Raphana, white and rosy-scarlet ; and Lacenta, white, with deep crimson vein- 

 ings and orange-scarlet shading, make up a splendid lot of light varieties. 



Among darker and more gorgeous varieties Ovid takes a high position by 

 reason of its fine shape and pure soft-scarlet colour, it is a grand variety ; Altrata, 

 crimson scarlet with dark veins, is very attractive ; Orion shines, as it should do, 

 it is a fine crimson-scarlet form with purest white feathering; Bellanus, rosy- 

 crimson with a suspicion of both salmon and blush, is a most distinct variety; 

 Cyrene is crimson with rose shadings ; Bassera is a monster form, orange, with 

 intense orange -scarlet veins ; Hygena is another very distinct form haviDg rosy- 

 crimson flowers, the crimson being deepest at the bases of the segments ; this 

 should prove a serviceable parent for future generations. A beautiful hippeastrum 

 is Baroda, its intense crimson flowers are shapely and the colour gleams as if highly 

 polished ; Cajesta, orange- scarlet and crimson, reminds one of Champion, but is 

 an improvement as regards colour, especially in the deep and undulating veins ; 

 ( talenus is clear orange-scarlet ; Vagesus is deep crimson and bears several rounded 

 flowers ; Harpegus is deep scarlet with crimson shading along the centres of the 

 segments ; Ballatus is very handsome, its rich orange-scarlet colour being lelieved 

 by the white bases and centres of the segments. Two others must suffice, Zabalus 

 and Damas ; the former is rich crimson with a shade of rose suffusing it ; Damas 

 has a mixture of crimson and orange-scarlet, these colours intermixing in a most 

 wonderful and indescribable manner, indeed written descriptions inadequately 

 afford any index of the glow and life that a hippeastrum flower possesses— it must 

 be seen to be fully appreciated. 



PI 



Autumn sown Onions.— Of these « 



bxhibuion Onions, states that they never keep for any length of time. 1 " Is not 

 mat early decaying due mere to variety than to any other cause ? Probably 



^"k 115 ° Ut °f ever * hundre <l sow in the autumn Tripoli or Italian varie- 

 s^win^thlc bccau * tlM ? c ^ ulb lar & e and early, and partly because the practice of 

 oush of ' HSe^ln?^ m S aU \ Umn is ^ Uite traditional. All of them are notori- 

 S y t o decll^l m whl t e skmned specially ; indeed, these latter begin, as a 



WWF Wh y at r l ri ^ J 01 that reaS °? ^3"&°™ WaStC - 

 forms of the t^JtJSS^i^ "T SS ^ brOWn " skinned 

 the autumn for the nroduc ion If £ W S ° largdy S ° W ,n the Spnng SOWn m 



as the soft TrirxSiS u ne t Ummcr buIbs ? Wou,d the ? deca y as ***** 



to test tJX « Ch SrUe e T ^ ** *S S * 5 abk * 



sowing a very force collect inn ,r wnere . lhe 'e is now growing from an autumn 

 As to* winte^ hKfiTK "? cIuding5b ° th Tri P° U and **** ^ 



sulphurous fogs of tKn • £ L ^ ¥* 5* by S ° me ° f the dense 



Spanish varieties. So much f„ L • P ° h were rather worse affected than the 

 Also we shall be abfetc ZxtZdZlTt' 1° keCpiDg ' J* Sha " 566 ,atCr ° n ' 

 of diverse types or stocks' So fo? 2 ^ V™" T- °? the 



autumn sowing have been lift-ri \i P racticable > plants from each 



•ping sowing of the same variety^ StS^*^^^ mM * * 



Chrysant 



many 



dncrf 



their shoots, is not unlikely to prove a snare to son *wh maI T Ialio,l * 

 and exnerience as growers is not very crreat i ^ jL ° Se kn °»leds» 



and experi ence as growers is not very great I am disposeTt T"^ e 

 maybe especially so with small cultivators who do not , mkth » 

 their plants into vigorous growth until late in the sprine" 51 ? ^ 

 people who meet with failure do not take sufficient pains to det °° 

 exact cause, and on learning that someone who has grown mStH ** 

 adopts a certain practice, or uses a particular manure, thevim *a°* S 

 conclude that their remedy is to follow such lines. ' The ^ 

 however, is to first of all locate exactly the weak spot hi 

 management, and then, knowing where we fail, we are muchmore r2 

 to command success by the avoidance of similar errors ^ 



Since Mr. Shea first recommended 



timing 



. . . . pinching," with a vie. t« 



the flower buds, in his very interesting contribution • 

 cnrysanuicinum literature, a great deal of conflicting advice has bee- 

 given on this subject, and sometimes I am afraid it has not been based 

 on actual experience. This is especially the case where definite advice 

 is given with regard to novelties which have been grown but one seasoa 

 and in one locality, and though the information may be offered entirely a 

 good faith it does not always prove to be correct The difference betveai 

 pinching well grown and early rooted plants, and taking away the pood 

 of those which may only just be rooted, or are in a weakly condition, is 

 of serious moment Growers must allow for this, for to pinch indiscrim; 

 nately when the plants are not in condition, may mean, if not the ruin* 

 the plant, certainly the prospects of obtaining first-rate blooms. 



vanetio 



which give their best blooms from early crowns may probably prove better 



a 



p ractice than early rooting followed by pinching, and doubtless such 

 method, especially for small growers, will be gladly adopted, only it 



strong, 



Bearing in mind the fact that a week's difference in the " taking "tftfce 

 flower buds of some varieties, means the difference between a first audi 

 second rate flower, or one which may be too early or too late for a given ex- 

 hibition, the need of more than one plant of a variety and method of treat- 

 ment is obvious. It cannot be too strongly urged on amateur growers, who 

 purpose exhibiting their flowers, that a large number of varieties often 

 reduces their chances of success, and that a number of plants of from two 

 to three dozen of the best and most constant, is ample to enable them 

 to enter small classes with better prospects of taking a first place. A lew 

 varieties which should be pinched during the first week of April art 

 Golden Gate, R. Dean, Louise, Rose Wynne, Col. Chase, Th^risc Rey 

 (for second crowns), Mons. Gruyer, A. H. Wood, C. W. Richardsoa, 

 Dorothy Seward, Madame Rozain, Mrs. F. A. Bevan, Mrs. Carpenter, 

 Matthew Hodgson, Duchess of Fife, Lord Rosebery, Lyne,jun., Hero of 

 Stoke Newington, Lady Dorothy, Princess Teck, and the Queens. 



Though an occasional sprinkle of clear water over the plants is desu 

 able at this time during bright weather, it is bad practice to give much, 

 and particularly so just as the frames are closed, because we want to avoid 

 a soft growth. Most growers are, at some time in their experience, more 

 or less guilty of encouraging a too rapid and succulent growth whilst the 



plants are in frames, and then when the plants are stood out in the optt 

 they suffer proportionately from the cold winds which we so frcquewf 

 have during May. Such undue hastening of the growth has also the da 

 advantage of rendering necessary the potting into flowering pots at a 

 earlier date. If the plants are ready for this during the last week in May 

 it is quite soon enough. The main point now is to give plenty of torn 

 between the plants so that the lower parts of the stems have the adv» 



and mild, and during such weather they should not be closed aon* 



ae tl 

 he s 



and attention for these ought' to be quite as much considereaa* iu 



night. Late-rooted cuttings, and amongst these should be a 

 single-flowered sorts, will need potting up soon, as by this timc ^ 

 should be well rooted. Thev require to be grown freely, and tne^ 



main batch, otherwise they may prove disappointing. I do not miot 



^ : : i .i • J J f . _r * ~***\r cnfnr. we do n< 



notW 



ually 



ii is mure man prooaoie tnat tnis unioriuimic , 



later on, but good strong plants will be less likely to do so, ana 



assert m* 



nd will* 



from Ma^ 



sooner recover a free growth. 



It is remarkable what a number oi sports have originate? irom-j- 

 Carnot. I have had two more yellow ones sent me for tnai m» _ ( 



those 



re**T 



constitution. Tl» 



we have Mr. Mease's sulphur-coloured sport, ai 

 sent for trial what he believes to be a pink one 



Trent Park Gardens. 



grower 



\V. H. U> 



i 



Sir Joseph D. Hooker, G.C.S.I., ^^JtJSJSSS- ^ 



the Wilde medal by the Manchester Literary and Ph.Ios ogwj JJg, *» 

 Wilde lecture was this year delivered by Professor Michael f <*ic , 

 the Physical Basts of Psychical Events. 1 ' . ifi Com**"" 



■ Discoloured Palm Leaves, were submitted to the Soent» ^ 

 R.H.S. by Mr. W. A. Holmes, of the Putney Nursery m 



previous attack *! 



Sg disap^ ^ 

 S a»^a y uut nunc were present, tne mienui — - . °.. 

 spots ; so that the new leaves would probably be quite 



to indicate 



