October SI, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
867 
as to form a spacious verandah suppoitedby rustic pillars formed of Spruce 
tiunks. Suspended from the roof are ornamental pots and baskets filled 
with flowering and foliage plants, the whole forming a highly ornamental 
and pleasing picture. Inside,the furnishings are equally elaborate and chaste 
in design. Chairs, tables, cupboards, and window curtains are very pretty 
and neat, and of curious workmanship. It is heated by two rows of hot- 
water pipes, 3-inch, whieh tend to make it a comfortable and pleasing 
retreat in winter as well as summer. Not the least important part of its 
furnishings consists in an assortment of the most popular works on gar¬ 
dening. The whole was designed and the work executed under the 
personal supervision of Lord Ailsa, and he certainly deserves great credit 
their specific name. I believe P. Hookeri to be simply the Oriental form 
of P. Rbasas, but as I have never been able to get Hookeri certainly true I 
cannot be certain as to its identity; anyway they are very near relatives. 
This is the history of my ‘ Shirley Poppies.’ In 1879 I found a bunch of 
(as I then thought and still think) P. Rhfeas growing self-sown in a 
desolate part of my garden. Amongst them was one only flower (as far 
as I noticed) with a white edge. This seed pod I saved and sowed in 1880, 
and had several white edged and some pale red (almost pink) varieties. 
Next year I got true pink, and since then by careful selection each year I 
65.—Shirley Poppies.—Varieties op Papaver. Rhjeas, 
for the good taste displayed in every part of this pretty summer house.— 
Visitor. 
SHIRLEY POPPIES. 
A COLLECTION of Poppies was shown at the meeting of the Roya* 
Horticultural Society on July 13th this year, which attracted the admira¬ 
tion of many visitors, and the Floral Committee awarded the exhibitor, 
the Rev. W. Wilks, Shirley Vicarage, Croydon, a vote of thanks and a 
cultural commendation for them. They were shown as seedling varieties 
of Papaver Rhieis, and were remarkable for their varied hues, chiefly 
scarlet and rose, edged with white, or lighter in the centre of the petals 
with darker zones and lighter tints, some fading to nearly white, others 
very rich and dark. Some of the horticulturists present at the meeting 
considered them forms of P. Hookeri, but in reference to this the Rev. W. 
Wilkes writes as follows :— 
“ I call 'hem ‘ Shirley Poppies,’ as there seems so much doubt as to 
have obtained what were shown at Royal Horticultural Society and a 
number of other variations from purest white without one speck of colour 
down to deepest orange scarlet crimsoD. I have this year (1886) obtained 
a new break, I hope in an orange salmon, and I hope through it to obtain 
yellow before long. I have also tried hybridising ‘ Shirley Poppies ’ 
with P. nudicaule, but the result is as yet doubtful.” 
VINES AND GRAPES. 
Your correspondent, “ Experientia Docet,” contributed an article 
on the above subject a short time since which has been much discussed 
about here, not from any want of confidence or doubt about the system 
of pruning which he advocates, but it happens to meet the case of several 
gentlemen who possess what are termed greenhouse vineries, where the 
aim and pride is to grow a crop of Grapes in summer and store their 
bedding and other plants during winter. The restrictive or spur system 
of pruning has not answered in their case for I am told that in one house 
there has been no Grapes worth the name for four seasons. Of shoots 
there are plenty, most of which come barren and weak, the foliage 
