366 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Octob.r 21, 1688. 
Chrysanthemum Miss Alice Butcher (N. Davis).—A bronze red sport 
from the well known early Pompon Lyon, the blooms of good size, the 
florets finely edged with yellow ; very free and of $bod habit. 
Chrysanthemum William Holmes (N. Davis and G. Stevens).—This was 
certificated on the previous day at South Kensington and described in our 
report. It is an excellent October Japanese, of good substance and rich 
colour. 
VIOLAS FOR BEDDING. 
The spring and summer of the present year were adverse to the general 
culture and well-being of bedding Violas. The dry harsh winds of spring, 
the almost total absence of rain, the cold nights with nipping frosts, which 
lasted even into the summer term, checked the progress of many plants. 
For years past I have been a strong believer in autumn planting of 
Violas, a system which if followed out will bring about the most satisfac¬ 
tory results on almost any well enriched soil. It matters little whether 
the Viola is situate on still or light soils. It has this season suffered to a 
very considerable extent, and in many cases ended in the absolute 
collapse of the plants, a collapse which is remarkable for the suddenness 
with which the plants are seized. Constitution should be one of the first 
considerations of the florist before sending out new varieties, since this is 
of far greater moment than a flower of sterling merit, and which needs 
such precise conditions and soils, together with frequent rains and a 
partially shaded position to bring it to perfection. This is not the plant 
the masses are searching after. I am strongly in favour of autumn plant¬ 
ing to secure the best results, and at the same time permit the Viola to 
do justice to itself as one of the most floriferous of all bedding plants. I 
have also spoken in respect of stiff and light soils. In the event of a dry 
season both are bad, but the stiff one is decidedly the worst, and the losses 
much greater than on light soils. I have worked in gardens where soil, 
while being excellent for brickmaking purposes, has proved fatal to the 
culture of the Viola in Bpite of anything which could be done to prevent it, 
and in which such magnificent varieties as True Blue and Lord Darnley 
have succumbed by scores, due in a great measure to the great chasms 
which are always apparent after a few days scorching sun, which, while 
forming an incessant drain to the plants, not infrequently leaves a great 
many roots fully exposed to sun and air. In such soils the hoe is of little 
use, as the soil become as hard as any ordinary roadway, and when at 
last rain comes it is swallowed up in the fissures. In such a case as this, 
knowing the character of the soil with which you have to deal, the only 
remedy is to give a good mulching early in the season, and not wait till 
the danger is near at hand. The difficulty to be encountered in light 
soils, though not so great, is anything but easily overcome. It does not 
crack with heat, but it becomes dust dry for several inches deep unless 
steps are taken to prevent it. That such difficulties are to be overcome 
I have this season proved beyond doubt, much to the surprise of those who 
have seen them, while the results have been highly gratifying. 
Owing to the especial circumstances of my case my collection of 
Violas was only obtained in the spring of the present year from Mr. 
William Dean of Walsall at a date much later than I have planted 
before. Owing therefore to the lateness of the planting time, and also to 
the fact that I am situated on a very deep bed of gravel, which rendered 
the soil particularly dry, and further not having any shade upon 
the place, I was for some time dubious of attempting their culture. The 
plants I received were sturdy well-rooted cuttings ; and now comes the 
planting. The soil I have to deal with has for the last fifty years been a 
pasture, and one which, according to the older heads in the district, a 
load of manure rarely entered. Two years ago this was broken up and 
trenched. It is a soil easily worked, but remarkably hungry and poor. 
A farmyard close at hand forms the depot for procuring manure, and the 
only kind I have used is cow manure. I selected this in particular, con¬ 
sequent upon the cooling nature of the manure, and from the abundant 
moisture it contained when dug in the ground. Of this manure I gave 
a good dressing— i.e., four or five barrowloads to beds 6 feet wide and 
about 36 feet long. During their earlier days I used the hoe frequently 
and deeply, the value of which it is impossible to over-estimate, and this, 
with occasional waterings, soon set them growing vigorously. Growths 
were sent up abundantly from the base of the plants, a highly satisfac¬ 
tory sign, and in about four months from planting I had large handsome 
patches, from which many hundreds of blooms were taken. During the 
dry weather I adopted a simple plan of mulching. The material I have 
employed is the dying tops of Narcissi, and had I not this I should find 
its equivalent in some other light chaffy material, as, e.g., freshly cut 
grass. 
But while f have said so much of the general treatment I have adopted, 
I would not iufer that all the varieties of which I am possessed have 
grown equally strong and flowered with uniform freedom. To have this 
a series of years must elapse for trial, keeping in view the one great 
starting point of constitution, continually discarding weakly growers and 
growing those of vigorous habit. It might form a fitting summary to 
these remaiks if I give the successes and failures of my collection during 
the present season, and in doing so I will afk the reader to remember 
that they are situate upon a deep sul soil tf gravel, and were very late 
planted into the bargain. 
First, then, I will deal with those which I have succeeded, which 
happily are in the majority, therefore it is with pleasure I am able 
to record their worth for general decorative purposes. Of all the 
white-flowered varieties known I place Countess of Hopetown at the 
head of the list. It is simply exquisite both as regards form, purity, 
vigorous habit, and freedr m of flowering. I am not saying too much 
when I state that it is possible to produce its well rounded flowers fully 
3 inches across. It has not the shadow of pencilling in any flower I have 
seen, and has been continuously in flower. Next I place Lady Polwarth, 
a flower of similar form, and equal in vigorous habit, freedom, and purity. 
In this variety, however, the giant size of the first is not forthcoming, in 
other respects it is grand. The third place I give to Mrs. Gray, whose 
constitution and freedom of flowering is equal to any, while its fragrance is 
unique. In age the flowers assume a bluish tinge ; in its prime it is the 
purest white of any, and possesses the true type of the Viola, has a good 
long stalk, which adapts it for cutting, and is of good substance. If a 
fourth white is needed I give that place to a variety called Jeffrayana, 
a good grower and very free bloomer. The flowers are large and pen¬ 
cilled with violet. The white-flowered varieties I have named are a great 
advance upon such varieties as Champion, Pilrig Park, White Bride, Lady 
in White, and so forth. Among the yellows my very best is Ardwell 
Gem ; it is a beautiful soft sulphur in the upper portion of the flower, 
while the lower parts are of rich light canary. As a first-rate bedder, 
a good grower, not a single plant having failed, and free bloomer, it is all 
that we can desire in the light yellows, and one to which I shall give con¬ 
siderable attention. 
In the purples I have two excellent varieties in Cliveden Purple Com¬ 
pacts and Queen of Purples; both are of a rich purplish plum, but pos¬ 
sessing distinct shades, and of different habit, the latter being of dwarfer 
habit than the former. Both kinds are simply grand and smothered with 
flowers. In rich violet Archie Grant stands out alone and unequalled in 
many ways. It is of bold sturdy habit, the flower stalks fully 6 inches 
high, and possessing a vigour very far in advance of any in its colour; 
indeed, in this particular it outdistances any other Viola. The colour is 
rich and telling, and commands attention at first sight. Another very 
distinct and striking sort is Countess of Kintore, in fact it is a marvel on 
account of the remarkable and unique combination of oolour. The colour 
is deep bluish purple with a broad bordering of white, which produces a 
wonderful effect; happily, too, it is among the very best growers, and a 
good continuous bloomer, and that such a sterling flower should find a 
ready sale follows at a natural consequence. In blue the very best is 
True Blue, a variety as remarkable for the profusion of its flowers as for 
its general qualities of endurance. I have no other which can in any way 
compare with this gem ; in a mass it is simply grand and most effective, 
and where it exists no other blue need there be. For a somewhat new 
shade of colour we may turn to Mrs. Chas. Turner, a lovely variety of 
serllng merit, with flowers of an exquisite shade of mauve purple. It 
is very compact and most profuse, and one which no garden should be 
without. In the variety Elegans we have a pleasing shade of light lilac 
or lavender, which renders it very distinct ; though hardly as free as those 
I have previously named, it is very effective and valuable as a whole. 
Queen of Lilacs is a very free and profuse bloomer, with large flowers and 
vigorous constitution. It makes an excellent bed, and is well adapted for 
large borders or as a belting to a shrubbery. The 'ast I shall name of the 
successful ones is Columbine, a well known kind, possessing a good consti¬ 
tution, and free and profuse in its flowering, the ground colour is white. 
For the rest I will ask the reader to conceive a purple and scarlet-flaked 
Carnation in mixture, and a good idea of this Viola will be secured. I 
have many more good varieties, but these are a selection of the best. Of 
the failures, my most conspicuous are Lord Darnley, a seedling from Holy- 
rood ; Golden Queen of Spring, seedling from Queen of Spring, a grand 
flower in some seasons, but too weak to withstand the excessive heat of 
others ; and Paragon. This, however, has had a number of flowers, but not 
of the usual size. I shall, however, give these a further trial, and see 
what can be done by autumn planting. I may add, in conclusion, that 
the key to the successful culture of Violas is early planting, and if your 
Violas are ready when the ordinary bedding plants come off, plant them 
out at once in good rich soil, and you will have your reward in spring in 
abundant flowers.— E. Jenkins. 
ONION-GROWING AT CULZEAN CASTLE. 
When on a short horticultural tour in Scotland recently, I saw some 
wonderful examples of Onion culture at Culzean Castle, the Ayrshire seat 
of the Marquis of Ailsa. Mr. Murray is well known as one of our fore¬ 
most Grape-growers, and in Onion-growing he has few rivals, at least I 
have never seen any to equal those he had at the end of last August. 
Sometimes a few dozens are seen that have received special treatment, 
growing to a large size, but here are whole breaks of them, and of 
enormous size. I measured one 17 inches in circumference ; and in a 
letter before me from Mr. Murray in answer to inquiries about the size of 
bulbs when fully grown, I am informe i he measured one 19 inches in 
circumference, which weighs 2 lbs. l£ oz., and that he has had six bulbs 
which weighed over a stone. I may add that they are spring-sown, and 
what may interest some of your readers at the present time is the fact 
that they are grown on ground which is trenched two spits deep every 
year. The variety, we believe, is a seedling raised on the place, and not 
yet in the hands of the public. It is a beautiful shaped bulb, and though 
growing to such a great size is an excellent keeper. While speaking of 
seedlings it may be mentioned that a new black Grape is being grown 
in the vineries, and which struck me as possessing more than ordinary 
merits. The bunches were small, as the rods were weak, but the berries 
large, round, or inclining to oblate in form. 
Before leaving these beautiful gardens we must mention the erection 
since our last visit of one cf the prettiest summer houses we have yet 
seen. It occupies a vacant space between a range of vineries and a large 
greenhouse, and in front of a large and beautiful rockery. It is built in 
so the form of an oblong. The roof is covered with Heather, and projects 
