304 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 19, 1894. 
every detail of thorough cleansing was carried out; and though at 
thinning time (seldom before) an occasional specimen of the coccus was 
met with “taking his walks abroad,” a dab of the sponge from the 
bottle cut short his career and all went happy ever after.—B. K., 
Dublin. 
NOTES FROM BOOKHAM. 
Within five minutes’ walk of Great Bookham Station on the South- 
Western Railway, that runs from Wimbledon to Guildford, and just on 
the margin of that popular summer resort Bookham Common, Mr. Jas. 
Douglas, the well-known and esteemed ex-Secretary to the National 
Auricula Society, has pitched his tent. The simile, however, is hardly 
exact, because here Mr. Douglas looks to the ending of his days when 
circumstances over which no man has control shall terminate his 
reiidence as gardener at Great Gearies, Ilford. A meadow of some five 
acres, with a stiffish subsoil, but generally of a very retentive nature, is 
in process of conversion into a florist’s nursery. Three large span-roof 
glass houses have been built, a commodious bothy, office, and packing 
shed, and there are many moveable frames. Chief of the present 
stock are Carnations, of which there are enormous numbers, and many 
of them are being grown to bloom and make stock in large pits. 
Cinerarias blooming most profusely form yet a strong feature, as there 
are many hundreds of fine plants. There are also numerous good plants 
of herbaceous Calceolarias advancing into bloom, and there is, for all 
who love these beautiful flowers, a splendid collection of Show Auriculas, 
plants of all the sections in bloom by hundreds, and under the exceed¬ 
ingly high temperature provoked by the hot sunshine are found very 
difficult indeed to keep in check for showing at the Drill Hall on the 
24th. Outdoors ground is being gradually broken up, and amongst 
other things there is planted a good collection of pyramid and bush 
Apples, Pears, and Plums, which look as if they liked the soil. Presently 
much of the ground now in process of trenching will be planted with 
Hollyhocks, of which Mr. Douglas has a fine collection of seedlings 
from the best doubles. Prominent, however, at present are Cinerarias, 
Carnations, and Auriculas. 
Cinerarias. 
These are in two of the houses, one being specially devoted to 
grouping the plants into colours for seed production. The bees are 
busy amongst the flowers, and many of the insects seem to find entrance 
easier than is exit. The plants are grouped as pure white, white and 
rose, white and deep red and crimson, fine self reds and crimsons, 
white and pale blue, white and deep blue, white and purple, purple 
self, and deep blue self, thus giving a rich variety of colouring allied 
to fine flowers of the best form and substance. The strain is undoubtedly 
a very gay one for ordinary greenhouse or conservatory decoration, and 
seems by its robustness to have in it abundant seed-producing properties, 
for the work of gathering seed has already commenced. 
Carnations. 
How large the collection of these popular flowers may be here it is 
difficult to say, but some 3000 of strong young plants in pots were being 
packed, and when gone would hardly be missed. But apart from the 
collection in small pots, the mumbers in 9-inch pots, some singly, some 
in pairs, in the houses, in frames, and standing outdoors where they can 
have a little protection at night if needed, are indeed legion. As is the 
rule with the florists who grow Carnations of all the finest forms as a 
speciality, all the stronger plants are flowered in pots. Still, indoors 
or out, there is very little evidence of the Dianthus fungus, and none 
whatever of the Carnation maggot, for the plants are in almost rude 
health. 
A special feature of the Carnations is the superb collection raised 
and shown so often at the Westminster Drill Hall by Mr. Martin 
Smith, the varieties having passed into the hands of Mr. Douglas 
exclusively. True stocks of these, that are being now rapidly increased 
both by cuttings and layers, may be seen, some being of exceptional 
robustness. Most of these will be put into commerce next winter. 
They include The Churchwarden, deep crimson; Princess May, a great 
beauty, rich crimson ; Mr. C. Freemantle, very fine crimson scarlet; 
Sir Evelyn Wood, quite a Malmaison, blush striped scarlet; Mrs. B, 
Hambro, deep red ; Mrs. Stuart McRae, The Burn, a charming pink ; 
King Arthur, and Miss Audry Campbell, fine yellow. There is also 
a large number of Mr. Douglas’s own yellow-ground vaiieties. It is 
very interesting to contrast the very poor growth made by the show 
bizarres and flakes as compared with the newer strains, and it is no 
matter for surprise that the general public should have such fancy 
for the newer robust growers that do so well both outdoors and in pots 
give such fine blooms, and in the majority of cases have such high 
market value for the supply of flowers for cutting. 
Auriculas 
Mr. Douglas seems to be able practically to discount the common 
impression that Auriculas are very slow propagators. He is working up 
a large stock, and has some 1800 plants of all the best show sorts in small 
pots in frames that should make excellent flowering plants next spring. 
In one of the houses, however, and of necessity shaded, there is a very 
fine display ; some hundreds of show sorts, green, white, and grey edged, 
also the seifs in exquisite variety. Not being of the cult perhaps I do 
not admire the edged flowers so much as I do the seifs. All the same, 
one has but to minutely examine a white-edged Auricula, for example— 
and there are some unusually fine forms at Bookham—to realise that 
there is no flower in existence that has been, as it were, built up in the 
course of many years by the florists that is so wonderfully made—so 
marvellous in all its component parts as is a perfect Auricula. The 
seifs naturally most attract the attention of the uninitiated into the 
floral mysteries of Auricula conformation, because they have points that 
are easily understood and appreciated. A thrum eye, a perfectly round 
cup of golden hue, a perfect ring of dense white paste, and then a 
ground of some well defined colour, such as golden, mauve, blue, red, 
crimson, or black, are all elements easily understood and appreciated. 
A few very beautiful are Buttercup, rich yellow ; Sapphire, blue ; Fire¬ 
fly and Ariel, fine rich reds ; Blackbird and Sir W. Hewett, fine blacks. 
However, there will be ample opportunity to see Auriculas at the Drill 
Hall on the 24th inst., and further reference to sorts is needless. It is 
certain that Mr. Douglas, whose reputation as a florist is of the highest, 
means to grow only the best of everything he cultivates, and no doubt 
very soon Bookham strains of plants and seeds will become familiar in 
our mouths as household words.—A. 
Rose Show Fixtures in 1894. 
June 13th (Wednesday).—Colchesterf and Isle of Wight (Shanklin). 
„ 26th (Tuesday)—Westminster (R.H.S.). 
„ 27t,h (Wednesday).—Windsor (N.R.S.) and Richmond (Surrey). 
„ 28th (Thursday).—Canterbury, Eltham, and Sutton. 
„ 30th (Saturday),—Sittingbourne and Brockham. 
July 3rd (Tuesday).—Farningham and Bagshot. 
„ 3rd (Tuesday).—Diss. 
„ 4th (Wednesday).—Croydon, Reigate, and Tunbridge Wells. 
„ 5th (Thursday).—Hereford and Norwich. 
„ 7th (Saturday).—Crystal Palace (N.R.S.) 
„ 10th (Tuesday).—Gloucester and Wolverhampton.’" 
„ 11th (Wednesday).—Hitchin and King’s Lynn. 
„ 12th (Thursday).—Bath, Harleston, Woodbridge, and Worksop, 
„ 14th (Saturday).—New Brighton. 
„ 17ch (Tuesday).—Helensburgh. 
„ 19th (Thursday).—Halifax (N.R.S.)., Halesworth, and Trentham, 
„ 2l8t (Saturday).—Manchester. 
„ 26th (Thursday).—Southwell. 
A Show lasting three days. f A Show lasting two days. 
Any date of Rose shows, or of other horticultural exhibitions where 
Roses form a leading feature, not named above, I shall be glad to receive 
as soon as fixed, for insertion in future lists. — Edward Mawlbt, 
Bosebanh, Berkhamsted, Herts. 
The Parentage of Roses. 
When we consider the characteristics of a Rose depend entirely 
upon its parentage, the value of this subject can scarcely be over¬ 
estimated by the earnest rosarian. The late Mr. Bennet, the raiser of 
Grace Darling, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, Cleopatra, Princess of Wales, 
Viscountess Folkestone, and Mrs. John Laing, who expressively termed 
his finest productions “ pedigree Roses,” was not one who undervalued 
the origin of a Rose. The attributes that he aimed at are apparent in 
the varieties I have named—vigorousness of habit, clearness and dis¬ 
tinctness of complexion, exquisiteness of form (as in Mrs. John Laing), 
attractiveness of fragrance (as in Viscountess Folkestone, which in this 
respect is only rivalled by La France), and lastly, what is by no means 
a minor qualification, great floriferousness. That his ideal was realised 
cannot be denied. 
The chief parents of modern Roses are the following. From La 
Reine descended Auguste Mie, Frangois Michelon and Paul Neyron. 
G^o^ral Jacqueminot, still one of the most brilliant Roses, has given us 
Pierre Netting, Xavier Olibo, Senateur Vaisse, Charles Lefebvre, Alfred 
Colomb, Prince Camille de Rohan, and Duke of Edinburgh, which, as 
Mr. Wm. Paul informed me last year, he raised from seed of the famous 
“General” at Cheshunt in 1868. To Jules Margottin may be attributed 
Beauty of Waltham, Countess de Serenye, Duchesse de Vallambrosa, 
Magna Charts, Abel Grand, and Th^r^se Levet. To Senateur Vaisse we 
are indebted for Madame Victor Verdier, while Charles Lefebvre, raised 
by Lacharme in 1861, has given us Dr. Andry, Horace Vemet, Paul 
Jamain, Lord Macaulay, and Mrs. Harry Turner. Those beautiful dark 
Roses, Abel Carri^re and Jean Liabaud, are descendants of Prince 
Camille de Rohan, while A. K. Williams is a derivation from Alfred 
Colomb. From the Duke of Edinburgh has been derived Brightness 
of Cheshunt, Duke of Connaught, Reynolds Hole, Duke of Teck, and 
Sultan of Zanzibar. Of these the variety which bears the Dean of 
Rochester’s name is, as a rule, greatly commended by rosarians, and 
equally condemned by amateurs. It produces few blooms, which are 
easily larnished by strong sunshine or rain. On the other hand, such 
varieties as Duchess of Al bany, Caroline Testout, and Augustin Guinois- 
seau inherit the best qualities of the parent Rose La France. 
In several instances the offspring is superior to the parent. Lady 
Mary Fitzwilliam ii surpassed in beauty by White Lady, Isaac Periere 
