118 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 11, 1892. 
flowered group—S. ampullaceum. This is a dwarf, compact, and 
beautiful Orchid, with dense erect racemes of deep rose-coloured 
flowers, about three-quarters of an inch across, springing from the 
axils of the leaves. The lip bears a slender spur of a pale rose 
hue. The stem is erect, 6 to 10 inches high, the leaves short, thick 
and channelled, dark green with purple dots. It flowers in May 
and June, and does well on a block or in a basket near the glass in 
a warm house. 
ABOUT VIOLAS. 
(Continued from page 4S.) 
It is a most healthy sign of the times that in Dr. Stuart’s 
new type of Yiola, of which his seedling Yioletta is the type, 
we are going back to a close habit, very free in flower, 
with smaller flowers of good form. Dr. Stuart resides at 
Chirnside, on the Scottish border, and I saw flowers of Yioletta and 
some of his seedlings last year by favour of Mr. G. Steel of 
Heatherslaw. I have very recently received from Dr. Stuart, 
whom I have never had the pleasure of seeing, or Mr. Steel either, 
a box of blooms of his beautiful seedlings from Yioletta, a distinct 
dwarf, close-growing variety, with medium-sized white flowers 
with bright yellow eye, but "entirely free from any dark marking 
in the centre ; the flowers are well formed, of good substance, 
and are deliciously fragrant. This variety will be generally 
sought after, as will also its progeny in the seedling varieties now 
sent to me by Dr. Stuart and Mr. Steel, all of which partake of the 
strongly marked fragrance of the parent variety. Those from Dr. 
Stuart are as follows :— 
Marginata.—A medium-sized flower of exquisite form, substance, 
and smoothness, creamy white, flushed on the margin with a thin 
bordering of pale blue lilac. A lovely variety. 
Picotee.—White, flushed with a pleasing shade of bright lilac, 
with the refined form of Marginata. Also a lovely variety. 
Summer Cloud.—Of the same type, the upper petals clouded 
with blue lilac, with the same shading in a lesser degree in the 
lower petals, pale yellow centre. Yery pretty. 
Blush Queen.—A very refined lovely variety, exquisite in form, 
of a soft blush tinted lilac colour, with small yellow centre. A 
distinct and lovely variety. 
Springville.—Of similar type to the preceding, perfect in form, 
of a pale primrose colour, with a deeper tint of colour in the 
centre. It is very like Dean’s Bridesmaid in colour, but of the 
Yioletta type, and is a very acceptable variety. 
These five have the distinctive character of the parent Yioletta, 
and I hail these six with intense satisfaction as preserving the 
tufted habit of the Yiola, which I am anxious to see preserved. 
At present many of our so-called Violas, or Tufted Pansies of 
some, have far too much of the Pansy breed in them, and are not 
so floriferous, and continuous in bloom as the true “ tufted ” form 
of Viola. 
Then Dr. Stuart has other seedlings, in which the Yioletta 
type is not sustained. Sylvia and Sylvia’s Rival bear a very close 
resemblance to the well known and greatly valued variety Countess 
of Hopetoun, and are simply reproductions of that variety so far 
as the flower is concerned, but no foliage accompanied the blooms, 
so that I am unable to judge of their habit and distinctness in 
growth from the Countess. Sylvia’s Rival is the whiter of the 
two, and Dr Stuart’s Bridal Wreath runs very close to both in 
colour, size, and form, all three having large blooms. I cannot 
regard either of them as desirable acquisitions by the side of 
Countess of Hopetoun, for nothing can well beat that grand old 
variety in every respect. 
Another of Dr. Stuart’s seedlings sent to me is a distinct 
fine variety of a bright blue lilac colour, free from any central 
markings ; it is named Blue Gown, and I think this will be a 
telling bedding variety. The flowers are large, not of the Yioletta 
type, and of good substance, and look as though they would stand 
wet weather well. In colour, size, and form it is almost identical 
with a fine seedling in this neighbourhood, of which two large 
beds exist in full beauty, and have been bright and gay from 
April. It is a seedling from Y. lilacina, a good old variety, but 
with a constitution not sufficiently strong to stand hot weather. 
The seedling has a stronger constitution, and is of close habit, 
three or four days of almost tropical weather not having affected 
it, while two large corresponding beds of lilacina showed marked 
symptoms of the heat. I had thought as a name for it Summer 
Cloud, but Dr. Stuart has forestalled me with this name for one of 
his lovely Yioletta seedlings, so the other still remains unnamed. It 
is a source of great pleasure to me that the Yiola has become so 
immensely popular as a garden decorative plant. It has been 
uphill work to make it so, and those who have all along stuck to 
the Yiola and championed its cause have now their reward. 
Immediately upon the receipt of Dr. Stuart’s box of flowers, 
others came from my old correspondent and enthusiast in good 
floral work, Mr. George Steel, of Heatherslaw, and it may interest 
many to know something about them. I will first take the shades 
of yellows—viz., 
Beauty of Heatherslaw (Steel).—A medium-sized flower of 
beautiful form, stout, smooth, and entirely free from any ray or 
marking ; a pure self of a rich yellow colour. I was so struck 
with the similarity of this seedling with my Golden Circle, that I 
at once gathered flowers of the latter for comparison, and I could 
see no difference only that one might be a trifle more yellow than 
the other. At all events, they are not distinct in colour and 
ground, and as my Golden, Circle is in the hands of others also, it 
should take precedence over the Beauty of Heatherslaw, not yet 
sent out. My Golden Gem, and Mr. Loudon’s Rothes, sent out by 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., are of the same type, and very much like a 
beautiful variety, Queen of Spring, which I introduced into notice 
ten or eleven years since. In fact, Rothes is simply Queen 
of Spring again or scarcely distinct from it. All are lovely pale or 
deeper shaded yellows, pure self, and without an atom of marking 
in the centre. 
Yenus (Steel) is a counterpart of Dean’s Bridesmaid, but a 
little deeper in colour ; a pure self, entirely free from any marking 
and a very desirable variety. 
i:s Ophir (Dr. Stuart).—Deeper in colour and smaller than 
Springville, already described. Bright yellow blotch with paler 
margin. 
Marquis of Waterford.—This is of the old Y. lutea type, small 
flower, a close short-jointed habit, and a most profuse bloomer ; 
bright yellow with rayed centre. Mr. Steel thinks most highly of 
this variety as a bedder, and from what I see of its habit in my 
garden from plants sent to me in the spring by him, it is a 
most useful dwarf yellow variety. It is certainly an improvement 
on the old Y. lutea. 
White’s Border Queen.—We have the Pansy breed visible 
in this variety ; bright yellow margined with deep blue lilac, but 
with a small blotch in each side petal and a rayed lower petal. Mr. 
Steel says it is a seedling from Skylark. It is pretty, and will 
please many, but I do not care for it as an acquisition, and it is a 
reproduction of an old Pansy of fifty years since. 
°White Lady (Dr. Stuart).—A very pretty white with small 
lemon centre, good form and substance, and very pretty. 
c Mrs. Joseph Oliver (Steel).—A little gem of exquisite form, 
almost snow white with a very small yellow eye. 
c 'Yioletta (Dr. Stuart).—The original of the type is white, 
slightly clouded with blush, and distinct yellow centre. It is 
deliciously fragrant, which is also a characteristic of the seedlings. 
Sylvia.—Already described in Dr. Stuart’s sending. 
°Maggie Steel, Mrs. George Finlay, and White Lady.—All 
Steel’s seedlings. They ai’e very much alike and all very pretty, but 
we scarcely need all, certainly not as distinct varieties. Maggie 
Steel is very pretty, pale creamy white with yellow centre, and 
White Lady may be the best and the whitest. Mrs. Geoi’ge 
Finlay is smaller and has more cream colour in it and is very 
pretty. This ends the whites. 
Nina.— Of medium size, exquisite form and of good substance, 
bright in colour, striped and clouded violet purple and rosy lilac, 
distinct and good, a welcome acquisition. 
*Picotee (Dr. Stuart).—A lovely variety already described. 
°Summer Cloud (Dr. Stuart).—Already described. 
"Mrs. Stevens (Steel).—Deep lilac with a lighter shade in the 
lower petals and large creamy white centre, with small yellow 
central blotch, very pretty and deeper in colour than Blush Queen. 
—W. Dean. 
LETTUCE FOR AUTUMN AND WINTER, 
Any time during the month of August is good for making a 
sowing of Lettuce seed of both the Cabbage and Cos varieties tor 
an autumn and winter supply. I have found ground from which 
early Potatoes on sheltered borders have been dug suitable after 
applying a top-dressing of soot, forking over the ground and other¬ 
wise preparing the soil by raking it level and making it fine for 
the seeds. When the ground is ready draw the drills 1 foot apart 
and sow the seeds evenly, afterwards covering them with fine soil. 
I like to make a sowing the second week in August, also another at 
the end of the month. It is a good plan to fix some forked sticks 
or a sort of trellis of wood over the beds to support a net for pre¬ 
venting the birds taking the seeds, as the finches are very fond of 
Lettuce seeds. 
If a large supply of Lettuce is required prepare other vacant 
ground, and when the first seedlings are sufficiently large to handle 
♦Those marked * are all Yioletta seedlings. 
