JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
99 
. j r • 
January 31, 1896. 
Spring, followed later on by Mrs. Charles Turner, Sir Joseph Terry, 
Golden Gem, Bridesmaid, Master of Arts, and others. 
It is not my intention to trace the “ sendings out ” of every year, but 
just to refer to some of the leading raisers and introducers of new 
varieties. In a catalogue of Messrs. Dicksons & Co. for 1880 now before 
me seven new varieties of their own raising are then being introduced. 
Year after year they have gone on, and in their catalogue for 1894 and 
1895 four new sorts are introduced, and nearly fifty varieties of their 
own raising, including Bullion, a very fine yellow ; Acme, a rich rosy 
purple ; Dorothy Tennant, H. M. Stanley, two fine varieties, and Mary 
Gilbert, a fine yellow, are to be found. 
In their 1880 catalogue Mr. Grieve laid down the following “quali¬ 
ties that go to constitute a good bedding Viola”—viz., 
1, A dwarf dense habit of growth, with the flowers thrown well above 
the foliage. 
2, That they bloom freely and continuously either during the spring 
and summer, or during the summer and autumn. 
3, That the flowers be of good size, but especially of good texture, in 
order that they may bear well extremes of drought or wet. 
4, The most desirable shades of colour are those that are clear and 
well defined, so that they may come out well at a distance. Mixed or 
fancy colours, though they may be dotted individually in a miscellaneous 
border, are worthless for massing. 
I think it will be freely admitted that the necessary qualities of the 
Viola in 1880 hold good now. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., Eothesay, must also be closely identified with 
the progress of the Viola, especially since Mr. William Cuthbertson took 
this plant in hand about ten years since. The firm has on many 
occasions, in London and elsewhere, exhibited superb displays of Violas 
arranged in artistic style. They introduced in 1888 Mr. John Baxter’s 
superb collection, which included Spotted Gem, Ethel Baxter, York and 
Lancaster, and Mrs. Baxter, and subsequently such fine varieties as 
Duchess of Fife, Kavenswood, Gipsy Queen, Ada Adair, Blue Cloud, and 
others, Messrs. Dobbie & Co. have also sent out new varieties raised by 
Mr. J. D. Stuart of Belfast, Dr. Dickson, Mr. Biggar, Mr. George 
McLeod of London, Capt. King of Lennoxtowa, and others. Amongst 
sorts of their own raising which have taken a high position are Lemon 
Queen, Iona, and Edina, three very first-class varieties; also Mrs. 
Bellamy, Minnie, Duchess of Rothesay, and others. 
Dr. Stuart of Chirnside, N.B., claims notice as a successful hybridiser 
and raiser, especially of the Violetta or Miniatum type. He is also the 
raiser of “ Sylvia,” a rayless white large-flowered variety which has 
become popular. I wrote to Dr. Stuart recently asking for full infor¬ 
mation as to his commencement with the Viola, and in a letter jast 
received from him he writes : “ I send you a few facts relative to the 
origin of the rayless strain of Violas.” (It seems evident that Dr. Stuart 
was unaware of Mr. Grieve’s work in the same direction previously, as 
already recorded.) He adds, “In 1872 I crossed V, cornuta with the 
Imperial Blue Pansy and twelve seedling plants resulted, identical in 
habit, and of a blue colour, still distinct from any other yet raised, I 
then crossed these flowers with the pollen of various coloured Pansies, 
and a considerable quantity of seed was saved. The plants raised from 
this flowered the following season, and exhibited a great variety of 
colours, all showing the V. cornuta keel or horn, proving their parentage, 
but they still resembled the Pansy more than I wished. I then 
determined to take the pollen from these hybrids and carefully crossed 
the V. cornuta. I was, however, disappointed with the result, for very 
few of the crosses took, and where the seed pod did swell the seed failed 
to vegetate. This is exactly what we may expect from in-and-in breed¬ 
ing, and I had only two plants from this cross, carefully saving seed 
from them when they flowered. The first to bloom was like V. cornuta 
in habit, with a fibrous tufted root habit, not in the least like a Pansy, 
the flowers being like V. cornuta, but three times the size and equally 
floriferous. In 1875 all raisers of Violas were invited by the Royal 
Horticultural Society of London to send plants for trial at Chiswick, 
and the chief growers responded. I sent up six plants each of the 
following seedlings :—Lady Susan Suttie, Hillside Beauty, Georgia, 
Ormiston, Dr. Stuart, and William, At the blooming time Mr. Barron 
wrote to know how I had procured the cross, as they flowered more 
continuously than most of the varieties under trial. The Floral Com¬ 
mittee of the R.H.S. awarded a first-class certificate for each variety. 
Plants of these were afterwards distributed, renamed, and sent out from 
another source. 
“In those days Violas were not rayless, and I endeavoured to get a 
good white self without rays, but some years elapsed before I succeeded. 
In the year 1887 my attention was attracted by a pure white variety, 
which I named ‘ Violetta,’ remarkable for its dwarf habit, floriferousness, 
perfume, and for its small, well-formed flowers. ‘Violetta’ has been 
the mother of many other good varieties, and with pollen from Violetta 
the beautiful rayless white variety ‘ Sylvia ’ was raised.” 
Still it must not be forgotten that before we had Sylvia we possessed 
a grand old rayless white, the “ Countess of Hopetoun,” which will take 
some beating as an all-round A1 white bedding Viola, Dr. Stuart has 
been a most successful raiser in such as Blue Gown, Gold Crest, Old 
Gold, Opbir, Marginata, Summer Cloud, Sweet Lavender, and others. 
Blue Gown is destined to be a very popular bedding variety, and Mr. 
Grieve, in one of his letters to me, writes, “ Sylvia is a grand variety of 
the real type of a bedding Viola.” 
Other growers in Scotland also raised seedling Violas, amongst them 
the late Mr. John Downie, who sent out about six years since amongst 
others The Mearns and Lady Amory, two fine varieties, and more 
recently Mr. Andrew Irvine of Tighnabruaich has formed an extensive 
collection, and is raising seedlings, and has already sent out such good 
sorts as Lady Borthwick, Miss Alexander, Wm. Dean, Duke of Clarence, 
Maggie Todd, and others. Mr. J. Smellie, florist, Glasgow, obtained' 
a certificate at the recent Viola Conference for a seedling Lizzie 
Thornley, and Messrs. Dobbie & Co., Rothesay, obtained one for a 
charming yellow named “ Gem,” and Capt. King of Lennoxtown was 
awarded certificates for two fine seedlings, “ Mrs. Palmer,” and “ Verona.”' 
Mr. Frater, Messrs. Paul & Co., Bridge of "Weir, Mr. D. Fergusson,. 
Mr. Hamilton, and others are also raisers of new varieties. 
Ireland is also furnishing a good contingent of raisers in Mr. J. D, 
Stuart and Mr. Samuel McKee, both of Belfast. The former has been 
the more successful as a raiser, and has sent out, through others, such 
fine sorts as Golden Flake, Laverack, H. W. Stuart, Blue Garter, 
Carissima, Erin, Diva, Hibernia, Mary Stuart, Acushla, Colleen Bawn, 
Charm, and others. Mr. McKee grows a much lesser number of plants, 
but has already raised such fine sorts as Reliance, Comet, Magnet, 
Duchess. Countess, Mars, and others, and was also awarded a certificate 
at the Viola Conference for Charmer, a lovely variety. Mr. George 
Steel, Etal, Cornhill-on-Tweed, is now devoting his attention very much 
to the Violetta or miniature section, and has some fine varieties yet to 
be sent out, most of which I have seen. Amongst varieties he has 
already introduced are Mrs. Joseph Oliver, Maggie Steel, Mrs. George 
Finlay, Mrs. Stevens, and others. 
Mr. Septimus Pye of Catterall is also earnest in Viola work, and the 
introducer of many new varieties raised by himself, Mr. J. D. Stuart, and 
others. 
Several amateur florists in the neighbourhood of London are also 
raisers, Mr. George McLeod of Chingford being one of the first to take 
the Viola in hand close to London, and obtained at the Viola Conference 
a certificate for a seedling pink-tinted variety named Rose Queen, as 
well as having previously raised other varieties. Mr. A. J. Rowberry, 
Woodford, near London, also obtained a certificate at the Conference for 
a beautiful almost blue miniature variety named Olivetta, really a 
gem, and Mr. D. B. Crane, Highgate, London, also obtained a certifi¬ 
cate for Ethel Hancock, a charming white of the Sylvia type. 
Much more could be written on the Viola, but I must now draw 
these remarks to a close. I rejoice in its popularity, and in the certainty 
of its being universally used in gardens for a number of years until 
superseded by some other plant, but that time is yet far distant.— 
William Dean. 
THE LATE MR. WILLIAM THOMSON. 
It would bs with a sad sense of a great personal loss that many of 
your readers looked on the portrait given in your issue of the 
17th inst. of the practical horticulturist and good man, whose noble 
qualities of mind and heart had justly endeared him to a wide circle of 
friends not exclusively confined to horticulture, and many pleasant 
hours would again be brought to mind of time spent in his company 
listening to some practical advice, or enjoying some of his pleasant 
reminiscences of which his mind seemed to be a veritable storehouse. 
Who that has been present at some of our horticultural functions when 
he has presided that has not felt proud of having such a grand old man 
as chairman, and have gone away from the meeting instinctively 
feeling better men, and with a higher sense of the duties and 
responsibilities of his calling after listening to a speech on some 
gardening subject from him 1 and who, again, that has been privileged 
to spend a day at Clovenfords has not been struck with the masterly 
mind that has been at work in all the detailed arrangements of the 
place? The marvellous crops of Grapes taken off the Vines there for 
years in succession might entitle Clovenfords to be called the home of 
Gros Colman and Lady Downe’s Grapes for market purposes. Perhaps 
one of the finest houses of “ Duke’s ” to be seen was growing here a few 
years ago, pruned on the long spur ^stem. The writer was told by the 
late Mr. Wm. Thomson the roots had a free run of the natural soil 
outside (which is very poor), the only attention given being an 
occasional dressing of their Vine manure. 
But the most interesting feature of all to visitors at Clovenfords 
was found in the personality of Mr. Thomson himself, the charm of 
whose manner and gentlemanly bearing made old and young alike 
welcome, and he was ever ready to give advice and encouragement to 
both ; especially was this so wit’n the young, whose welfare he had 
thoroughly at heart, and perhaps in his day did more than any other 
man in seeking to improve the position and raising the standard of young 
gardeners. 
For one, I hope that in any attempt which may in the future be 
made to raise a fund for the perpetuation of Mr. Thomson’s memory, 
that this admirable trait in his noble and many-sided character will be 
kept well in view.—N. F. Barnes, Eaton. 
A Reminiscence. 
It was with sorrow that I read of the death of Mr. Will'am Thomson. 
It was rather singular that a discussion should be going oa in the 
Journal of Ilortictilture over his favourite subject just at that time. 
I once had the pleasure of a shake of his hand when on a visit to 
Clovenfords, although the name of this famous pioneer in Grape grow- 
ing was familiarly known to me long ago. My young days were spent 
close to the scene of his early triumphs, almost in touch with that lasting 
monument of his old friend, the late Mr. Peter Kay, that fins example 
of extension Vine training at Finchley. 
