Jane 15, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
477 
Thirteen Midseason.—Bicton Pine, Cockscomb, Due de Mala- 
koff, Lucas, Pioneer, President, Eliza, Sir Charles Napier, The 
Countess, Phenomena, Carolina Superba, Marshal MacMahon, and 
British Queen. 
Eight Late Sorts.—Waterloo, Enchantress, Frogmore Late 
Pine, Helena Gloede, Jubilee, Elton, Souvenir de Kieff, and 
Bonny Lass. 
It was my intention to include in the collection Laxton’s Scarlet 
Queen, and Competitor, Dr. Hogg, James Veitch, La Grosse 
Sucree, and Loxford Hall Seedling, but Messrs. T. Rivers & Son, 
to whom the order was sent, were sold out of all six varieties, 
which may fairly be taken as an indication of excellence, of which, 
as regards the last four, I am competent to speak, as I proved them 
to be worthy of a place long ago. For size, in combination with 
flavour. Dr. Hogg takes the foremost place among Strawberries, 
just as the doctor himself does among pomologists. Marguerite is 
another Strawberry which I much desired to have, but nurserymen 
appear to have discarded it, as it does not appear in the leading 
catalogues. For many years it was the most useful early variety I 
had, and produced enormous crops of magnificent fruit on the 
Hastings sand in Sussex, about as ungenial a soil in its crude state 
for fruit culture as has ever fallen to my lot to bring under cultiva¬ 
tion. I am aware that Marguerite is regarded as a delicate variety, 
but considerable experience of it enables me to say that it answers 
perfectly under good management in rich soil that is well drained 
and thoroughly porous. It never failed me but once, and then it 
was owing to my folly in allowing myself to be persuaded to 
top-dress instead of forking-in manure immediately after the 
fruiting season. The soil had been trampled hard as the fruit 
was gathered, it became saturated with water by heavy rain in 
October, severe frost followed, and the whole of the plants in a 
large bed perished. There would have been no such loss had I 
followed my usual practice of making a clearance of rubbish 
between the rows, and forking in a heavy dressing of farmyard 
manure, thus breaking up the hard surface of the soil, so that 
superfluous rain water was certain to pass through it quickly, leaving 
the soil comparatively dry. 
Here is Dr. Hogg’s description of Marguerite in the last edition 
of the “ Fruit Manual : ”—“ Fruit very large, conical; skin bright 
shining red ; flesh bright orange, solid, juicy, sugary, and richly 
flavoured. It is of immense size, and sometimes weighs as much 
as 3| ozs.” One may well ask. Is this a Strawberry to 
discard ? Certainly somebody finds it worthy of cultivation, for 
on June 6th I saw several punnets of it at Solomon’s in Covent 
Garden, marked 23. a punnet, evidently a special price for fruit 
of exceptional size, by far the finest in the market. I was able to 
purchase quite double the quantity of smaller fruit of another sort 
for 6d. If any reader of the Journal can put me in the way of 
obtaining some runners of Marguerite I shall be much obliged. 
The Derbyshire Strawberrry bed has only been recently planted, 
so that a comparison of sorts cannot be made till next season. 
Meanwhile I invite criticism of my list of varieties, with suggestions 
of desirable additions thereto. A considerable number of sorts 
planted in a new private garden I have recently laid out in Leicester¬ 
shire will also come into bearing next season, and I hope to report 
results from both counties.— Edward Luckhurst. 
[On the day this communication reached us (9th inst.) Straw¬ 
berries were selling in shops and on costermongers’ barrows in 
London for 2d. a lb. Selected fruits in punnets were priced from 
4d. to Is. a lb., according to quality. Records of experience with 
Strawberries would be interesting and useful,] 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
June 6th. 
Scientific Committee. —Present : Dr. M. T. Masters (in the 
chair), Mr. McLachlan, Dr. Mttller, Mr. Wilson, and Rev. G. Henslow, 
Hon. Sec. 
Clematis, Double and Single, —Flowers were received of the variety 
“ Proteus,” which is remarkable for bearing double flowers on the old 
wood of the previous year, which are the first to appear, while the 
present year’s wood subsequently bears single blossoms in the autumn, 
Cereus, Photograph of. —Dr. Masters exhibited a photograph, taken 
by magnesium light, of a blossom of the Night-flowering Cereus, growing 
at Loughborough. 
Abies balsamea. —He also showed drawings of this species, exhibiting 
great variations in the characters of the bracts, scales, colour, &c. 
Cugjressus guadeloupensis and C. macrocarpa. —Dr. Masters showed 
dried specimens of these two forms. The former grows on the island of 
Guadaloupe, off S. California, and the latter on the mainland on a very 
limited area. They appear to be only varieties of one another, the 
island form being more glaucous, a common feature of maritime plants. 
Dr. Masters also observed that a variety of Pinus insignis with two 
“ needles ” instead of three, the usual number in this species, together 
with a Fan Palm, Erythea edulis, grew on the same island. 
Calochortus vars. —Mr. Wilson exhibited blossoms showing great 
variety of colouring in C. venustus citrinus and C. v, oculatus. They 
were grown in open borders at Weybridge and Wisley. 
Aquilegia and Clematis Hybrids (?). — A communication was 
received from Mr. E. J. Low of Shirenewton, Chepstow, describing some 
supposed hybrids, accompanied by specimens of Clematis montana and 
a drawing of the “ hybrid ” Aquilegia exhibited at the last meeting. It 
was the opinion of the Committee that the evidence of its being a true 
hybrid was not satisfactorily established. 
VIOLAS AND VIOLA CULTURE AND MR. W. DEAN. 
The Rev. David R. Williamson writes to us as follows:—“An 
exquisite little floral essay on Viola culture has just been published 
by Messrs. Dobbie & Co., of Rothesay. This gives in condensed form 
information that is requisite for the culture of the Viola, which, 
whether as regards its beauty, fragrance, variety of colour, or its mar¬ 
vellous durability is a great acquisition to the modern garden. Among 
the famous Scottish and English cultivators of the Viola, whose 
biographies and portraits are given 
in this instructive and picturesquely 
written little book are Mr. William Dean, 
Birmingham; Mr. John Baxter, Dal- 
dowie, Perthshire (raiser of the White 
Duchess and Duchess of Fife) ; Mr. James 
Grieve, Edinburgh; Dr. Stuart, Chirn- 
side, Berwickshire ; Mr. William Cuth- 
bertson, Rothesay, and Mr. George 
McLeod of Chingford, the accomplished 
Secretary of the London Pansy and 
Violet Society.” 
[As an old and appreciated con¬ 
tributor to our columns, as a veteran 
florist than whom none has worked 
more zealously and disinterestedly in 
the popularisation of Pansies and Violas, 
and as the author of the valuable history 
of the Pansy in Mr. James Simkins’ 
instructive work, “ The Pansy,” we, by 
the courtesy of Messrs. Dobbie & Co., insert the portrait of Mr. Dean 
from their dainty little essay referred to by Mr. Williamson ] 
GLOXINIAS AT CHELSEA. 
At the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, is now to be seen at tha 
summit of their beauty a magnificent collection of Gloxinias. 
Arranged in a low span-roofed house on two flat stages they present a 
perfect vision of beauty in colours ranging from pure white to a rich 
deep purple. The compactness and extreme floriferousness of the plants, 
combined with the charming delicacy of the shades and the wonderful 
substance of the flowers, create on the mind such an impression as will 
not quickly pass away. Everyone interested in these plants should 
see thsm, and they will be amply repaid for their visit. 
What wonderful improvements have been made in the past few 
years amongst Gloxinias ! Now the blooms are short in the tube and 
broad across the lobes, instead of long and narrow, as they formerly were. 
The plants at Chelsea are a credit to Messrs. Veitch & Sons, and to their 
grower, Mr. West. It maybe interesting to readers of “our Journal’ 
if a few of the best varieties are named, but all those who have the 
opportunity of judging for themselves should not fail to grasp it. 
A worthier variety than Triton, with which I may commence a short 
selection, cannot be found in any collection. The throat of this flower is 
light in colour, the lobes, which overlap each other perfectly, being 
netted with light and dark purple, and having a clearly defined 
margin of a delightful shade of purple. Cygnet has the throat and 
lobes pure white margined with purple, which shades at the extreme 
edges of the flowers to light blue. Monarch is one of the finest. The 
colour is a rich velvety crimson, and the flower is of the most perfect 
form. Ruby cannot fail to attract attention, the colour being so soft 
and pleasing ; delicate pink shaded with scarlet can convey but a poor 
idea of its beauty, for it is one of those flowers which must be seen to be 
properly appreciated. In Claudia is found still another shade, the 
ground colour of the lobes being of a unique crimson purple, with a 
crimson spotted threat and clear blue edges. This variety is remark¬ 
ably free flowering and of fine habit, each of the flowers having six 
lobes, and in some seven. Cicely is a bloom having an almost indescrib¬ 
able shade of colouration ; dark crimson flushed with purple and having 
a distinct margin of white will doubtless convey some idea of its 
beauty. Antigone carries flowers of great substance, the throat and 
lobes being crimson spotted on a pure white ground, and having a most 
clearly defined margin of pure white. 
Duchess of Connaught has a very light throat, bright scarlet with a 
pure white margined lobes, and is one of the most striking in the collec¬ 
tion. Orestes is of a rich dark velvety crimson colour in the throat and 
on the lobes, which are edged with a soft pleasing shade of rose. Elvira 
is one of the most charming. The throat is marbled with red, and the 
lobes, which are margined with very pale lilac, are purple shaded with 
bright blue. Sylvia has a white throat, and margins of the lobes are of 
the purest whiteness surrounding a ground of beautifully soft rose. Sun¬ 
beam is undoubtedly one of the most attractive, it having rich scarlet 
Fig. 8C.—Mr. WILLIAM DEAN. 
