278 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDEEER. 
[ September 23, 1886. 
Viola odorata var. elegantissima plena, double, blue, indigo centre, 
■waxy petals, finely imbricated petals, small in all its parts. Probably the 
double form of Grecian, Spring. 
Viola odorata purpurea plena, double purple. Spring. Syn., Double 
Russian. Very little if any difference between this and the double form 
of V. odorata or Double Scotch. 
Viola odorata var alba plena, Double White. Spring. Syn., Double 
White Russian. Very little different from the double white form of V. 
odorata or compacta. 
The two last named are generally accepted as V. odorata suavis 
varieties, but they are. almost identical with Viola odorata plena and Viola 
odorata alba plena, and certainly are not varieties of V. odorata suavis or 
semperflorens, their foliage being of the well-defined V. odorata type,and 
are scarcely worth keeping distinct. 
Viola odorata suavis or semperflorens, bluish purple. Spring. In 
mild seasons flower in early winter. Ukraine in Russia. Syn., Russian, 
Scotch, London, floribunda of some, &c. 
Viola odorata arborea, purple. Winter and spring. Syn., Tree 
Violet. 
Viola odorata arborea plena, double purple. Winter and spring. 
Viola odorata arborea plena, double white. Winter and spring. 
Varieties of V. odorata not referable to any particular class, the foliage 
being intermediate, or partly after the species and part after the sub¬ 
species or variety suavis, with in one at least after arborea—viz., King of 
Violets. They are generally accepted as garden forms of Russian, which 
I think erroneous, being more like varieties obtained through cultivation 
than transmutation effected from seed if Viola odorata vars. 
Viola odorata var. argenteseflora, white, tinted rosy purple, purple spurs. 
Spring, but flowers freely on the runner wires, and is almost a continuous 
bloomer. Raised by Mr. G. Lee. Evidently a cross between a white and 
purple variety of Violet. 
Viola odorata parmaensis plena, semi-double, white, striped rose. 
Spring. In frames flowers in winter. 
Viola odorata La Reine, double white, tinted purple. Spring. 
Viola odorata Queen of Violets, double white, tinted purple, occasion¬ 
ally very large. Spring. Syn., Belle de Chatenay. 
Viola odorata Queen of Violets, var. casrulea, double, bright light 
purple. Spring. 
Viola odorata Empress, double, purple. Spring. Very fine. Originated 
by Mr. H. Canned. 
Viola odorata Blandyana, double, purple, striped white. Autumn, 
winter, and spring. 
Viola odorata King of Violets, double, dark indigo-blue. Spring. 
Viola odoiata suavis alba, white. Spring. Syn., albiflora. 
Viola odorata suavis superba, bluish purple, tinted rosy purple. Spring. 
Larger in all its parts than Russian. Syn., Russian Superb. 
Garden varieties of Viola odorata suavis and vars.:— 
Giant, bluish purple. Early winter, if favourable, to spring. 
Devoniensis, deep bluish purple. September to April. 
Floribunda, bluish purple, very floriferous. September to April. 
Raised by Mr. G. W. Boothby from Giant. 
Czar, purple. September to April. 
White Czar, white. Autumn, winter, and spring. 
Victoria Regina, purple. September to April. Raised by Mr. G. Lee. 
Odoratissima, bluish violet. Spring, and during the winter in frames. 
Raided by Mr. G. Lee. 
Prince Consort, bluish purple. September to April. Raised by Mr. 
G. Lee, but not sent out up to 1886. 
Princess of Prussia, purple. September to April. Raised by Mr. G. 
Lee, but not sent out up to 1886. 
The four last named are the largest, best shaped, have most substance, 
and bloom over a longer period than most single varieties of Violets. 
Viola odorata suavis Wilsoni, pale purple, often pale in colour, and 
termed a pale blue, white eye, narrow petals, curious flower, highly 
fragrant. Spring, or in frames in autumn, winter, and spring. 
Viola odorata suavis Barrensteini, bluish purple. Autumn, winter, 
and spring. 
Viola odorata suavis Laucheana, purple. Autumn, winter, and spring. 
The two last are perhaps only forms of Giant of continental origin. 
Viola odorata suavis Lavisiana, lavender, white eye, large, very 
sweet, and distinct. Spring, in frames autumn, winter, and spring. 
Viola odorata suavis pallida (italica), pale lavender, white eye, very 
sweet. September to April. 
This is the probable single Neapolitan, the form the doubles occasion- 
ally give, and which is very inconstant, evolving into the double forms. 
Seedlings are very variable. 
Varieties of Neapolitan or Viola odorata suavis pallida :— 
Neapolitan, lavender, white eye. Winter and spring. SyD., Double 
Neapolitan (Viola odorata Buavis pallida plena). 
Marie Louise, lavender-blue, white eye. September to April. Very 
liable to evolve into New York. 
New York, deep mauve, streaked red, white eye. September to April. 
Syns., Odorata pendula, Venice, Marguerite de Savoie, Nice, Marie 
Louise of some, Count Brazzi’s Neapolitan, Duke of Edinburgh, Madame 
Millet, and De Toulouse. 
De Parme, deep lavender, white eye. September to April. 
Duchess of Edinburgh, cream white ground, petals tinted mauve, 
bordered blue. Winter and spring. 
White Neapolitan, occasionally semi-double only. Winter and spring. 
By ??:’ J Swanley ' w M*- e > Count Brazzi’s White Neapolitan (Viola odorata suavis 
pallida alba plena). 
The last named six varieties have double flowers. The whole of the 
others have single flowers, unless otherwise stated.— Viola. 
PLUMS IN LONDON—FOREIGN FRUIT AND RAILWAY 
CHARGES. 
Plums and Damsons have been pouring into London in such quantities 
as have never been known before. Mr. Skinner, one ot the largest 
growers in the country, and who has dealt in Covent Garden for over half 
a century, affirms that he has never known a year at all approaching this 
for both Plums and Damsons, and indeed stone fruit generally. Usually 
large quantities are imported into London from the Continent, but there 
is this year such a glut from English grounds that the Continental 
growers are altogether out of it. There are no foreign Plums in the 
London market. Indeed, it is reported from some quarters of Kent that 
great quantities of Plums are being allowed by the owners to rot upon 
the trees, as they find it does not pay them to gather them and send them 
to market. Growers complain that this waste is due to the exorbitant 
charges of the railway companies, who are reaping a rich harvest from 
the splendid crops of our own grounds while they are actually bringing 
down prices in the market by giving an advantage to Continental growers. 
This is not the case this year with Plums and Damsons, since, as it has 
been said, there are no Continental fruits of these kinds on our market. 
But all such fruits as foreign growers find it worth while to send over 
here can be sent at rates lower than those charged to our own growers. 
For example, it is said that Pears and Apples are being conveyed from 
Belgium to Covent Garden at from Id. to 5d. a bushel. From Maidstone 
6d. is the charge. Thus it would seem that it is not only the foreign 
sugar trade that is being fostered by a bounty system. There is a bounty 
system for the benefit of the foreign fruit trade also, and this is applied 
by our own railways. The plea for this very unsatisfactory state of things 
is that if our railway companies did not cut down their rates to foreign 
growers the traffic would be taken by steamers. They are, in fact, com¬ 
pelled to this reduction by competition. That may be so ; taut one would 
think that where competition does not compel this reduction, common 
fairness to rival traders should. If this is not sufficient, some other means 
must be adopted. So at least the English growers think, and they are 
understood to be casting about for these other means. Some of them 
whose grounds are in the neighbourhood of Sittingbourne have been 
endeavouring to organise a service of fruit-barges brought up by steam- 
tugs. The cost this way, if it were practicable, would not amount to 
half the railway rates, it is said. The first experiments, however, do not 
appear to have been altogether successful. It is a tidal creek that runs 
out from the Thames towards Sittingbourne, and the difficulties of tide have 
occasioned the loss of a market to the first cargo. With ripe fruit this, it 
is clear, may sometimes prove serious, and may possibly thwart this rever¬ 
sion to a mode if transit familiar to the days before railways. It does 
not, however, seem to be as yet quite certain that a little scheming and 
contriving as to the time of dispatch may not overcome this difficulty. 
Among growers to whom water carriage is not available there are pro¬ 
posals of combination to provide means of land transit apart from 
railways, should argument fail to secure fair terms. Meanwhile, it would 
be interesting to know, if some statistician would tell us, what sort of a 
tax Londoners are paying on this ODe item of fruit alone, through the 
high rates of carriage rendered to some extent necessary by the extra¬ 
vagant cost of our railway construction, and the enormous sums which 
were originally paid to landowners along their lines of route in order 
that towns might be planted and industries developed, and a fabulous 
value thus given to the estates of these same landowners. It would at 
least be curious, if not startling, to see how large a part of every 6d. we 
spend in Plums goes to help out the dividends ou that tremendous outlay 
of capital, to t-ay nothing ot the fruit that is rotting on the tri es because 
we parched and heated Londoners cannot get at it .—(Daily News.) 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
September 21st. 
Though no prizes were offered on this occasion the exhibits before the 
two Committees made a very good display, the collections of hardy flowers 
and Dahlias being numerous. 
Fruit Committee— Present: T. Francis Rivers, Esq., in the chair, and 
Messrs. W. Paul, W. Warren, G. Norm, n, J. Ellam, J. Smith, J. Burnett, G. 
Bunyard, P. Crowley, S. Ford, R. D. Blackmore, C. Silverlock, Harrison 
Weir, and T. B. Haywood. Mr. T. Hungerford, Berami Station, New South 
Wales, exhibited specimens of the Novel Orange from trees eight years old 
cultivated without irrigation. The fruits were highly commended. Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt, exhibited plants in fruit of their new perpetual 
Strawberry Roi Henri. Mr. Warren of Isleworth sent several dishes of 
Apples, Pears, and Plums. Mr. W. Taylor, Osborn House, Hampton, showed 
fruits of Cox’s Emperor Plums. Mr. T. Baines exhibited specimens of the 
Cut-leavi d Bramble. Mr. J. Burnett, Deepdene Gardens, Dorking, showed 
fruits of the Tyson Pear, and the late Raspberry Belle de Fontenay. Mr. R. 
Smith, Kenward, Yalding, Maidstone, sent fruits of Prince of Wales Peach 
from trees on open walls. They were of good size and colour. (Vote of 
thanks). Mr. Hot ley, Toddington, Beds, showtd a seedlir g purple Plum. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, had about one hundred diBhes of Appbs. 
Mr. R. Gilbert, The Gardens, Burghley, Stamford, had a fruit of a green- 
flesh Melon named Her Ladyship’s Favourite, which was of good flavour. 
Mr. Morrall, Rugeley, showed a seedling Apple. Mr. J. James, Cowley Road, 
Uxbridge, had a seedling Tomato, large, round, even fruits. Mr. W. Roupel], 
Harvey Lodge, Roupell Park, showed some handsome bunches of Madres- 
field Court Grapes and a tree of Fertility Pear in a pot, and bearing sixteen 
