October 8, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
305 
that “ they keep the Sabbath, and everything else they can lay 
their hands on.” 
Seriously, this state of affairs is highly discreditable to a 
“ Royal society, and does not say much for the good management 
of the various officials. I can go to any of our large shows in this 
■country and seldom lose a single fruit ; the same thing ought to 
be as easily accomplished in Scotland. It is merely a question of 
administration, and the managing Committee should make a decided 
reform in the matter at the next show.—W. H. Divers, Ketton 
Hall Gardens , Stamford. 
THE USE AND ABUSE OF WATER. 
In the Journal for September 17th you publish an extract from a 
ipaper that was read at the monthly meeting of the Preston and Fulwood 
Horticultural Society on the above named subject. I think Mr. Waters 
has a very poor opinion of the young gardeners of the present day. No 
■gardener will allow Azaleas, Heaths, or any other plants (when in an 
active state) to get so dry that the pots will ring like bells. One 
•experience of the above would be sufficient for most plants. I think 
they will often be dry if we have to water them with the syringe, using 
our own judgment. The idea of syringing Heaths is new. They 
require plenty of air and a rather dry atmosphere, keeping the roots 
moist in summer and somewhat dry in winter, but no syringing ; 
mildew will spread fast enough without young gardeners helping it in 
that way. 
I think plants are in more danger from the abuse of water than 
fruits. Plants must be examined every day. Some plants will need 
it once a day, some twice, others not for a week, then we have to use 
our judgment. If a fruit house has four or five good waterings in the 
year it will not suffer. I think Peaches require more water before the 
stoning period than Mr. Waters advocates. Ours have more, but 
no syringing when the fruit is ripening. Does the rain improve outdoor 
fruit when it is ripening ? From a Grosse Mignonne tree in our early 
Peach house we gathered several fruits which weighed 9 and 10 ozs. 
•each. This tells if the treatment was right or wrong. I think one 
bucket of water is quite sufficient for damping the path of a house at 
night, and it does good, as it causes a moist atmosphere, which checks 
.red spider and thrips. When the fruit begins to ripen discontinue 
damping. As for Melons, anyone can grow them if he has plenty of 
good manure, but sun heat is needed to ripen them. On the whole, I 
•do not think that the young gardeners of the present day will profit 
much if they try to work on the lines laid down by Mr. A. Waters.— 
Yorkshire Bite. 
[Mr. Waters has been excellently trained, and is an excellent 
.gardener.] 
NEW YIOLAS. 
I recently received from Mr. George Steel of Heatherslaw, a 
correspondent of the Journal, blooms of quite a new type of Viola, 
which I think will become popular, a variety named “ Violetta,” raised 
By Dr. Stuart of Chirnside. It has small blooms of pretty form, and 
•of good substance, and the plant (of which one was sent to me) of 
dwarf close habit. It is of a clear white colour, with a yellow blotch 
in the centre, and is very fragrant. The blooms are small compared 
with almost all our Violas, and it is a variety with which I am much 
pleased. 
Mr. Steel has been raising seedlings from Violetta, and sent also 
blooms of four seedlings partaking of the Violetta character, viz., Maggie 
Steel, a primrose, shaded white, with yellow centre; Flossie Brutton, 
pure white ; Mrs. George Finlay, pale yellow, shaded with white, and 
distinct ; and Miss Allandale, soft shaded lilac, with bright yellow eye, 
and of pretty form also. These seedlings will have to be further proved, 
■and are all of the Violetta type ; but Violetta will be on sale this autumD, 
and in it we are preserving the pure Viola character, and it is a charming 
variety. 
So many new Violas come under my notice, and I regret to find that 
many of the newer varieties have so little of the true Viola character, of 
which Ardwell Gem, Bullion, Mrs. Gray, The Mearns, and True Blue 
are types, and that very much of the Pansy breed is being infused, 
which leads to inferior bedding qualities in being later to bloom in the 
•spring, not so floriferous, or so lasting in the summer and autumn. 
Many inquiries are made as to what constitutes a Viola and a Pansy. 
Dotanically, both are Violas ; but when cornuta and Blue Bell were 
introduced, many years since, the former by Mr. John Wills when at 
Burnley in Lancashiie, and the latter by my brother Richard, the term 
Viola was decided upon as distinguishing a type distinct from the 
■ordinary Pansy. Then came other kinds, amongst them Mrs. Gray, 
an excellent white, sent out from Holloway some eight years or so 
since. I am anxious to see the Viola type preserved as far as possible, 
but we are drifting too much into kinds which have a great pre¬ 
ponderance of the Pansy character both in size and form of flower and 
growth. 
Mr. Cuthbertson, of the firm of Messrs. Dobbie & Co. of Rothesay, 
recently expressed a most favourable opinion of my seedling new variety 
“ Bridesmaid.” Here, in the immediate neighbourhood of Birmingham, 
we do not always get blooms so clear and large as can be obtained 
further away in the country. A box of blooms of this variety was sent 
to me a few days ago by a friend near Warwick, who has grown it, and 
I was surprised to find it to be a much finer variety than I had antici¬ 
pated ; a beautiful pale cream colour, entirely free from any ray or 
blotch, and of good habit, and such an excellent bedder and distinct. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co. also sent me a few days since blooms of a very 
beautiful new Vio'a, “ Countess of Elgin,” the upper and side petals 
light grey, clouded with light purple, the lower petals rich maroon 
purple, with a light blotch at the base, perfect form and of good 
substance, and distinct ; also “ Ravenswood,” a rich crimson-tinted 
purple self, of fine form and substance. Blooms of two other new 
varieties were also sent—“ Mary Gray,” a distinctly striped variety, 
white striped, and clouded with light blue purple, with a large rayed 
centre of a deeper shade of colour, a quite distinct large-flowered 
variety ; and “ Sweet Auburn,” white, the top petals with a band of 
FIG. 60.— ABIES FIRMA. 
rich purple, and the lower petals having a narrow margin of the same 
colour, and with a rayed centre. It is a large flower and distinct. 
Of varieties which should be generally known and grown, Countess 
of Wharncliffe is a very fine pure snow white variety of excellent habit ; 
William Neil, soft pink, and beautiful ; and “ Delicata,” shaded silvery 
grey and lilac, a charming variety of good form. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co. also sent me blooms of a very fine new Fancy 
Pansy, “ Mrs. Train,” the top petals rich shaded violet, with a wire 
margin of bronze ; the lower petals having an immense solid dense 
blotch, bordered with orange and lemon. Also a fine dark self show 
variety, “ John Dodds,” a rich velvety violet purple self, with clear gold 
e.ve, of first-class form and substance, and a really fine flower.— 
W. Dean, SparltMll , Birmingham . 
STANDS FOR GRAPES. 
Mr. Taylor opens up a very interesting subject on page 266 
respecting exhibition stands for Grapes, a topic that will no doubt 
prompt some among the large number of Journal readers and contribu¬ 
tors to give their opinions and experience thereon. It is desirable, as 
Mr. Taylor suggests, that something like uniformity should be observed 
in our Grape stands, similar, for instance, to that which prevails in the 
