74 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 28, 1892. 
benefit derived from mulching this season. Owing to the extremely 
dry weather experienced at the time the fruit had arrived at bottling 
size the foliage was attacked by red spider, which caused the 
swelling of the fruit to come to a standstill. Having some partly 
decayed manure at hand we mulched all the trees, afterwards 
giving them a good soaking at the roots with clear water and a 
vigorous washing with clean water applied by the garden engine. 
A change for the better was quickly apparent, and the crop is 
better now than at any period within the last thirteen yeai-3, 
although the Gooseberry crop has always been considered a 
remarkable one. My object in laying on the manure before 
watering the trees was that the good qualities of it might be washed 
down to the roots of the trees, thereby benefiting them much more 
than if the moisture was allowed to evaporate into the air. The 
manure afterwards conserved the moisture in the soil. This 
is an instance of a case in which I do not think that stirring the 
surface soil with the hoe would have had nearly so beneficial an 
effect as the mulching. Stirring the soil between the rows of 
young crops, such as Onions, is no doubt good where it is not wise 
to mulch, but the treatment best accorded to such crops as Peas 
and Beans is quite another question. 
In my opinion the two methods are wide apart, both being good 
in their way. Who would think of mulching such crops as Carrots, 
Parsnips, or Beet? Yery often the last named is growing in land 
already too rich, and to mulch such a crop with manure would be 
making matters worse. In going round various gardens and allot¬ 
ments this summer, many situated in a chalky district where soil is 
thin before the solid chalk bed is reached, it was pitiful to see the 
lines of Peas turning yellow long before they had reached the 
flowering stage owing to the lengthened drought. Surely in such 
instances as this a mulching of manure, grass, or even straw, would 
have done more towards saving the crop than all the hoeing in 
existence. 
Light soils are not nearly so much benefited by frequent stirrings 
of the surface as those which are heavy, for the reason that they 
do not crack nearly so much as soil which is naturally retentive ; 
these instead of crumbling by the effect of drought crack through 
contraction. Light soil does not contract in the same proportion 
as does that which is heavy.—E. M. 
THE OLD FLOWERS AND THE NEW. 
Carnations and Streptocarpus at Chelsea. 
There is often hopefulness in contrasts. In comparing the early 
stage of one plant with the developed beauty of another, belief is 
prompted that what has come about with the one is not impossible with 
the other. Taking this view, it is interesting to place old flowers and 
new mentally side by side, and let the realities of the first give faith in 
the possibilities of the second. In the great Chelsea nurseries of Messrs. 
J. eitch & Sons there are now two special features, the one under glass, 
the other in the open air, the one old, the other new, and it is impossible 
to go from the former to the latter without ithe comparison indicated 
suggesting itself. The Carnation is an old friend, worked up to its 
present high standard of beauty and usefulness by many years of patient 
work ;.the Streptocarpus in its hybrid forms is new. We value the one 
as a friend of proved worth and steadfastness ; we look on the other 
hopefully, as one that will do us good service when it has spent its 
novitiate under the skilled hands of the hybridiser. 
It would be unwise to suggest that high water mark has yet been 
reached with Carnations and Picotees. Each year still brings its quota 
of novelties. But we must now be content with the steadiest of 
progress, for we are very far on the road. The material has been 
acquired, and hardly admits of more than a polishing-up. That this is 
being steadily practised we see in looking over a good collection, such 
as that in the Chelsea nurseries. There are old favourites in plenty, but 
there is also a sprinkling of something fresh to excite comment. More¬ 
over, the lesson is to be learnt that many varieties possess a double 
usefulness. Take for example Winter Cheer, which, by the way, is 
admirably named. It is so largely grown under glass and so widely 
esteemed for blooming during the dull months of the year that it is 
unnecessary to enlarge on that phase of its usefulness, but it may be 
assumed that many who so cultivate it are not aware of its great value 
for flower garden decoration. This, however, should be known. In a 
very large and comprehensive collection it stands out conspicuously as 
one of the very best bedders, and invariably arrests attention. It is 
dwarf, compact, very free, and noteworthy for its brightness in colour, 
which some might call scarlet, others crimson, but which is perhaps best 
described as a mixture of both. Border Maid is another to which the 
same general remarks apply. It is a charming variety, to be sent out 
this year. In habit it is dwarf and compact, in floriferousness it leaves 
little to be desired. The flowers are well formed, deep rose in colour, 
witli a lighter shade on the edge of the petals, and very sweet ; 
moreover, it is one of the perpetual-blooming race. It is more than 
likely that it will prove useful for pots ; it is certainly excellent out 
of doors. 
Mrs. Frank Watts is pretty well known by this time, having taken a 
high position among the whites. It might almost be said that, if 
compelled to select one as the best, this would be the chosen flower, 
although few would care to disparage such beautiful and well tried 
varieties as W. P. Milner and Mrs. Donaldson. In Mrs. Frank Watts 
we have a combination of desirable qualities—good habit, freedom of 
blooming, neat form of flower, and purity of colour. L. H. Pomeroy is 
a fine dark Clove-like bloom of good form and a useful winter variety. 
Magnum Bonum is not new, but it is very free, and is still one of the 
best scarlets. Bose Celestial, too, is not yet surpassed in its colour, and 
it has beautiful form to recommend it. Dr. Parke is another good rose, 
being a wonderful bloomer and of good form. William Toby is velvety 
purple, very dark. Alice Ayres can hardly be termed a self, as the white 
ground is lightly flaked with rose. It is a charming variety, and very 
valuable for cutting. Joe Willett remains one of the most brilliant 
reds. Beauty of Foxhall is one of the best of the purples, having 
a glowing magenta tinge that makes it wonderfully bright. Pro¬ 
fessor Goodhart may be classed as a Fancy rather than as a Picotee. 
It is a yellow ground with crimson edge, but somewhat splashed and 
flaked. Almira, a yellow ground Fancy of fine form, is a beautiful 
variety. Dorothy, buff ground with deep rose flakes, is also charming. 
Buby (Turner), is a brilliant ruby red, with a good petal and admirable 
form. Queen of Bedders (Turner), light scarlet, good shape and fim¬ 
briated, is very free and delightful for cutting. Cara Boma is a rich 
purple, very large and good. Germania is well known as a splendid 
yellow, and there is a beautiful bed of it. Grant Allen much resembles 
Brilliant, but is superior in not splitting the pod. It is rich rosy 
crimson. Maggie Laurie is a charming little rosy pink fimbriated 
bloom. Leander is a bright yellow that stands the wet wonderfully 
well, but spindles up 3 feet or more. John Barnett is a finely formed 
bloom of a very rich rose shade ; an old favourite. Crimson Pet is 
splendid in colour, a rich velvety crimson, but inclined to be small. 
Mrs. Beynolds Hole is prominent, and so are the crimson and blush 
Cloves ; while Amy Herbert, rich rose, a fine full flower, is also note¬ 
worthy. 
The Picotees and florists’ Carnations, flaked and bizarres, are a very 
strong contingent, all the best varieties being represented, and saying 
this obviates the necessity of merely multiplying names. It is satis¬ 
factory to note that severe thinning of the buds is not prac ised, so 
that the true qualities of the varieties as bedders is clearly seen. The 
plants are admirably grown, and are grouped in a series of beds near 
the Fulham Boad entrance to the nursery, where they make a beautiful 
display. 
From the old flowers we turn to the new, and it is quickly perceived 
that the possibilities in Streptocarpus are already removed from the 
ground of mere speculation to something practical and tangible. In the 
able hands of Mr. John Heal marked progress has been made, and 
nothing will be more interesting than to watch future developments in 
this already valuable and beautiful flower. There is perceptible advance 
in size of bloom for one thing, and there will no doubt be further im¬ 
provement in this respect every season. That it will be at the expense 
of free flowering there is little fear, for Messrs. Veitch’s hybridiser is as 
fully alive as any of those w r ho may examine and criticise his handi¬ 
work to the importance of avoiding any such sacrifice. So far as regards 
bulk of bloom the Streptocarpus may never be got to the Gloxinia stage, 
but it will not matter if they stop short of that so long as their floriferous¬ 
ness is unimpaired. Diversity of colour, too, is increasing apace. We 
now observe violet, purple, deep mauve, rosy mauve, lilac, pure white, 
white with purple streaks in the- throat, and—mo9t important of all 
perhaps as marking an approach to the coveted scarlet—a bright rosy 
purple. There seems every reason to hope that red flowers will be in 
due time secured, although it may not be the work of a season or two. 
Be that as it may, a most valuable class is being rapidly evolved, and in 
the face of what has already been done we may rest confident that the 
future has something bright in store. 
It will be proof enough of the accommodating nature and easy 
culture of the Streptocarpus to indicate the conditions under which they 
are growing at Chelsea. They are planted out in a long range of pits, 
the soil used being a mixture of peat, loam, and sand. There are 
upwards of 2000 of them, and they are brought well up to the glass, a 
constant current of air passing over them. The seed was sown in 
December, 1891, and the plants are now full of bloom. With the 
decaying flowers picked off to prevent seeding they would bloom 
continuously into October, for they keep throwing up fresh flowers, and 
after a winter’s rest w r ould bloom profusely again in March. A batch of 
plants that were in full bloom at the Temple Show had the flower stems 
cut down two or three weeks ago, and are again' pushing up abundance 
of buds ; in a short time they will be a mass of bloom once more. There 
is very little doubt that by sowing successions plants could be had in 
flower every month in the year. Their safety in winter does not demand 
a high temperature; on the contrary, 40° to 45° is quite sufficient to 
keep them in health, and as a proof of this it may be mentioned that 
some of the Chelsea plants had the foliage cut by frost last winter, but 
still bloomed. When grown under cool conditions they are not subject 
to insects. 
In the face of the many good qualities hybrid Streptocarpus 
possess — beautiful and diversified flowers, handsome leafage, ease 
of culture, and continuity of flowering—it is not surprising to hear 
that their popularity is increasing by leaps and bounds. It can 
onlybe a matter of time for the now flowers to prove as valuable as 
the old.—W. P. W. 
