JULY. 



89 



CAMELLIA CARLOTTA PAPUDOFF. 



WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 



We have acquired within the last few years, chiefly from continental 

 sources, some very welcome additions to the varieties of Camellia already 

 known in our gardens, but amongst them few of the character of that repre- 

 sented on the accompanying plate from a careful drawing by Mr. Chandler, 

 for which we are indebted to Messrs. Veitch & Son, of the Royal Exotic 

 Nursery, Chelsea. _ We are glad of the opportunity of figuring it, as it proves 

 to be a very pleasing flower, with a good deal of the charm of novelty about it. 



We learn from the Messrs. Veitch, with whom we saw the plant blooming 

 in the course of the past spring, that it is of Italian origin, and was introduced 

 by them from Florence in 1861, under the name of Carlotta Papudofp. 

 It has flowered at Chelsea during two consecutive seasons, and has proved to 

 be a constant variety, a free bloomer, and a plant of excellent habit. The 

 peculiar features of the flower will be seen at a glance from the accompanying 

 figure, which is a very faithful transcript of the variety as we saw it last 

 February ; while as regards habit and the other qualities, such as vigour of 

 growth and freedom of flowering — which are necessary features in a first-class 

 variety of a permanent flower like the Camellia — we are able to say that 

 Carlotta Papudofp fulfils all the conditions that can be required. The 

 blossoms are of the imbricating form seen in eximia and varieties of that class, 

 about medium size, never apparently what would be called large, very evenly 

 formed, and also marked with tolerable evenness after an irregular pattern by 

 white blotches on a ground of carmine rose, of which two distinct shades 

 appear in the flower. It is, we think, a variety that will give every satisfaction 

 to the grower. 



We shall hope to have an opportunity of submitting some other highly 

 meritorious varieties of this noble flower to the notice of our subscribers at 

 an early date. 



FANCY PANSIES. 

 I venture to send you a few notes on some of the seedling flowers that 

 have been produced this season; and, also, what I have received privately 

 from growers of the same. The public interest is beginning to cluster round 

 this important addition to florists' flowers, and I am desirous of furthering this 

 interest by intimating what is being done in the way of the improvement of 

 the Fancy Pansy. 



Up to last year the varieties of this flower might be said to be almost 

 exclusively in the hands of Mr. W. Dean, of Shipley, Yorkshire ; and Messrs. 

 Downie, Laird, & Laing, of Edinburgh and Forest Hill. Especially might 

 this be said of Mr. Dean ; for to him is mainly due its present notoriety. 

 Naturally enough, they got distributed much wider last season • and it was 

 only reasonable to look for them at the recent exhibitions, from growers who 

 have a name for the cultivation of the English kinds. At the Spring Show of 

 the Horticultural Society, on April 18th, Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing, had 

 some blooms of seedlings that had just opened, but they were very small and 

 imperfect; two of these were named — viz., H. O. Nethercote, a crimson and 

 purple self with dark blotch; and Earl of Posslyn, a bright reddish-claret 

 self, blotched in the same way. At this Show Mr. Turner, of Slough, had 

 Feu de Joie, mulberry, with large dark blotch, which received a commendation 

 from the Floral Committee. 



VOL. II. -pr 



