“26 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r July 10, 1890. 
sire made more for appearance than for the scent ; in fact, that of 
some flowers so used is disagreeable rather than otherwise. That 
they are of gay colours is also urged as a recommendation, but so 
also are very often the dresses of the fair ones who carry them ; 
and it rarely happens indeed that any regard is paid to the contrast 
between the dress and the bouquet so long as the latter is formed 
of rare and costly flowers. 
In thus complaining of bouquets as they are formed at the 
present time I by no means find fault with them on all occasions. 
A neat bouquet, not too large and unwieldly, may be a fitting, 
perhaps necessary, accompaniment to a lady in a carriage or when 
going to a levee ; but for a ball could not a few sprigs be neatly 
fastened to some prominent portion of a lady’s dress so as not to 
inconvenience the wearer ? The little knot in a gentleman’s 
buttonhole a ifords a very good example, and looks well; and that 
ladies should go somewhat further is excusable enough, but the 
excess so often run into is inexcusable, as the discordant elements 
the bouquets are composed of, and the highly artificial form they 
assume, give them all the appearance of being made of some of the 
various compositions that imitations are so cleverly carried out in. 
Assuming flowers to be real, would not a tithe of those now used in 
the making of a fashionable bouquet effect the same object ? and 
would not the effect be better ? 
Much more might be said against the use of flowers for 
purposes to which they are so incongruously applied ; and beautiful 
as they are in most cases, I would warn their greatest admirers not 
to use them in too great numbers in places where they are not 
wanted, or where the conditions of other things seem to call for 
something else instead ; for by so doing they disgust rather than 
please the discriminating eye of true taste, and instead of extending 
the patronage of floral display they diminish it ; for, as before 
said, ornament too profusely applied ceases to deserve the name. 
Let the best friends of Flora, therefore, beware that in introducing 
flowers everywhere they do not sacrifice good taste. By a judicious 
disposal of a less quantity they alike cultivate a higher and purer 
iaste, and perpetuate the love of floriculture.—S. 
THE LATE MR. GEORGE DEAL. 
What a great loss our new born institution, the Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, has sustained ! I can even now scarcely realise it, 
after having at Brookwood, on Saturday, seen the grave close over 
all that remains of our dear friend and leader. I w T as somewhat 
taken aback at Brookwood when scanning the numerous faces, to 
find I was the only member of the Committee present. I after¬ 
wards heard of the London service. We must be up and doing 
something worthy of the memory of our good friend, and I feel 
sure if it were possible to have asked him in what way we could do 
him honour, he would have said, “Save the little ones.” Let us 
then have a memorial election, and thus perpetuate the memory of 
him whose loss we deplore.—C. H. Siiarman. 
[There appears to have been no time for concerted action 
with a view to the attendance of the members of the Committee 
at the funeral. Mr. Deal enjoyed the fullest confidence and esteem 
of his co-workers, and all of them deplore his loss most keenly. 
The suggestion made by our correspondent appears highly appro¬ 
priate, for Mr. Deal was devoted to the interests of the Fund, and 
most anxious to afford relief to the needy orphans of gardeners, 
which he knew were more numerous than was generally suspected ; 
and it is a source of regret that several candidates cannot be elected 
as beneficiaries of the Charity during the present year. Mr. Shar- 
man’s suggestion is commended to the consideration of those of 
our readers who may desire to share in establishing a fitting 
■memorial to a good man.] 
PENTSTEMONS. 
These plants have been improved to a marvellous degree during 
the past few years, and those who grow old sorts would be 
astonished at the advance alike in colouring, size of flowers, and 
length and closenes of spike that has been effected. A pure white 
variety fifteen years ago was something to sigh for, and the white 
varieties so called which were raised and distributed, had small 
shapeless blooms. Now white varieties, and those almost white, are 
of the largest size, good form, and among the most beautiful of 
flowers. Mont Blanc, Madame Dieulafoy, Esmeralda, and Serenade 
-are examples of these, and each of great beauty. Then in addi¬ 
tion to the varieties with pure centred corollas, to which the 
above belong, Scotch florists worked mainly on those with throats 
barred or striped, the best example of which is James Cocker, a 
most telling variety, Mrs. Westcott being a soit with a denser 
marking. But a quite distinct group has been originated on the 
Continent, the marking on the throat or inside of the tube being a 
dense mass of colour, the best, though not the largest, variety in 
this group being Derviche. Fairly good flowers can be raised from 
seed of the ordinary strain, the best seed which I know is that sold 
as Lemoine’s strain. 
The seed is sown in much the same way as Lobelia, the earlier 
in the year the better ; pricking the seedlings out into boxes, as 
they arrive at a size easy to handle, and in due course transplanting 
in April or May into the beds in which they are to flower. But 
good named varieties are so easily grown and increased, and the 
effect is so much better, that I do not care much for seedlings. It 
may not be generally known, but it is a fact, that Pentstemons are 
among the best of hardy plants for massing in beds or for bold 
lines in large borders, and with named varieties we can select suit¬ 
able colours and be sure of the result. Indeed, except in cases 
where growers keep plants for producing exhibition spikes, the best 
way to grow these is for bedding. They are of only slight value 
for cut flower purposes, as they droop quickly, and then they never 
recover. There is a way of preserving them, and that is by cutting 
early in the morning, and inserting the cut end of the stalks directly 
into a vessel of -water, which must be ready for their reception as 
soon as cut, but the flowers keep fresh such a short time even when 
so treated that it is hardly worth while taking them into account as 
producers of bloom for furnishing. 
Cuttings are inserted as a rule at two seasons, the first in 
summer in a cold frame shaded, to be potted in autumn, in order to 
secure strong plants to begin flowering in early summer ; the 
other about the middle of October in a cold frame kept close, 
which form rooted plants in the same time as Calceolarias, and 
are planted in the same way at latest in the beginning of April, 
the tips of the growths being pinched out in order to produce 
a plant of some five or six spikes. Though they will grow well 
in poor soil Pentstemons at the same time require good treatment. 
The summer treatment consists in placing a short stout stick to 
each plant, the cluster of rising spikes being secured to it with 
raffia, and when the spikes show signs of exhaustion they are cut 
off, the back growths coming forward to take their places. 
The following are a few of the best sorts for growing for 
strictly decorative purposes. L. Kuntze, A. Daudet, M. de Cher- 
ville, Tartarin, Ch. Robin, Claude Gelee, Esmeralda, Serenade, 
Emile Paladilke, Miss Buck, A. Forbes, Mrs. Westcott, A. Sinclair. 
Where plants stand the winter, which they do in most seasons, 
the shoots require some thinning out in spring in the case of 
old plants. The good resulting from this is seen in stronger’ 
spikes and a longer continued season of flowering than when they 
are left to flower unthinned. These old plants 3 to 5 feet across 
are much superior in effect to young plants, and where they 
survive the -winter they should be, on that account, allowed to 
remain for a few seasons. —N. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
July 8tii. 
Roses, hardy flowers, Lilies, and Orchids were the chief fea¬ 
tures in the floral display on Tuesday last at the Drill Hall. 
The show of fruit was also excellent, the Cherries and Peaches 
from Messrs. T. Rivers & Son, and the Strawberries from several 
exhibitors being uncommonly fine. 
Fruit Committee. —R. D. Blackmore, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. P. Crowley, Harrison Weir, C. Bunyard, J. Willard, 
T. Saltmarsh, C. Wythes, J. Hudson, H. Balderson, F. Q. Lane, 
T. Francis Rivers. 
Messrs. T. Rivers & Son, Sawbridgewortli, had a grand'col¬ 
lection of Cherries, fine Peaches, Jefferson and Monarch Plums, 
Goldoni Nectarines. Altogether twenty-nine dishes were staged 
of remarkably fine fruits (silver Banksian medal). Mr. H. Ridge- 
well, Cambridge, sent a collection of Strawberries, and an award 
of merit was granted for Strawberry Incomparable, noted last 
week (cultural commendation). Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons sent 
thirty-two dishes of Strawberries, representing as many varieties 
(bronze medal). Mr. W. C. Leach, Messrs. Bunyard & Co., 
and Paul & Son, Cheshunt, also exhibited collections of Straw¬ 
berries (bronze medal). 
Straivberry Auguste Boisselot (Paul & Son).—Fruits broad 
and somewhat flat, light bright colour, firm, and of a brisk pleasant 
flavour (first-class certificate). 
Fig St. John (Messrs. James Yeitch & Sons).—An extremely 
early variety, said to be the earliest in cultivation, retaining its 
crop for a long time. The plant was the same as that shown at 
the Temple on May 28th. The fruit is oval, even, and of good 
size (first-class certificate). 
Cucumber Allan's Favourite (Mr. W. Allan, Gunton Park 
