178 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND C0T1AGE GARDEN ER. 
[ August 27, 1885. 
in every way a fine bedder. I find also that Lutea perfecta, a 
sturdy but compact-growing variety of a deep yellow colour, is 
one of our best hot weather varieties, an 1 an immense bloomer. 
Ardwell Gem is of a primrose colour, of sturdy compact habit, 
and good constitution, and an early and continuous bloomer, and 
of a pleasing colour. 
In whites, Countess of Hopetown must stand at the head of 
the list as a first-rate variety in every respect, very compact, 
short sturdy habit, and a great bloomer, flowering early and 
continuing in Hower through the summer. It is a mass of fiower 
with me early in August, notwithstanding the recent hot weather. 
I cannot speak too highly of this fine variety. Mrs. Gray 
another sterling variety, but a stronger grower, and has a ten¬ 
dency to discolour in hot weather; still it is a telling valuable 
variety and very fragrant, flowering early, and is a continuous 
bloomer. These two are our best whites. Lady Polworth is 
another really good white, of sturdy habit and well worth growing. 
In lilac or mauve coloured kinds Elegans, although an old variety, 
is still one of the very best, cf a pale lilac colour, and a great 
bloomer; but being a strongish grower is more suitable for 
larger beds. It is a telling, showy, useful variety. Duchess of 
Sutherland and Fairy Queen are two capital varieties of a bright 
silvery lilac colour, and of close habit—viz., early and continuous 
bloomers and valuable bedders. 
In purples and violets l find none more valuable and reliable 
than Cliveden Purple compaeta, robust growing and more com¬ 
pact habited than Cliveden Purple, from which it is a seedling. 
It is rich in colour with larger bowers than its parent, and a 
capital bedding variety. Queen of Pu pies is another descendant 
of Cliveden Purple, and of dwarf compact habit, and a very free 
bloomer, and a telling bedder both early and late. Queen of 
Yiolets is of a rosy violet colour, dwarf compact habit and an 
immense bloomer; in England a first-r ite bedder. 
In blues a leading place mint be given to True Blue, really a 
Viola of close sturdy habit and very free blooming, being very 
early in Hower and continuous. It is really a blue and a very 
valuable bedding variety. Arclr'e Grant is a stouter and taller 
grower, and a later bloomer, being redly a late spring and 
summer variety of a rich blue violet colour, a capital constitution 
and habit, and a telling variety. Holyrood is an old but really 
striking bedding Pansy of a bluish violet colour, also a late 
spring and summer bloomer and very effective. Lord Darnley is 
a seedling from Holyrood and of closer and dwarfer habit, and 
of a very rich deep blue violet colour a charming variety. One 
of the most striding Viola3 crown is Queen of Lilacs, a great 
improvement upon Blue Bell, a strong grower, of very hardy 
constitution, and a wonderful bloomer early and late. This is a 
variety for masses and is wonderfully effective. Blue Bonnet is 
a striking blue bedding Pansy of the Blue King type, and has a 
dark blotch in the flower ; habit close and sturdy, and a very 
free bloomer. 
We have now some most attractive blotched bedding Violas 
in Countess of Kintore and Mrs. D. Hornby, both very similar 
in colour and mar ing. rosy lilac, with large white blotches, but 
differing a little in habit, the Countess being the best of the two. 
They are very handsome bedders and flower early, and are con¬ 
tinuous. Duchess of Albanv is a new colour, soft shaded puce 
and lilac, a lovely variety of compact habit, and a free bloomer. 
Skylark is very distinct, wliife, with a sky blue margin, very 
pretty, and a good grower and b'oomer There are other varieties 
which I grow and value, but 1 have given enough names for a 
good useful selection to be made from. 
I have long been of opinion that Violas and bedding Pansies 
will be more and more grown wkpn people understand how to 
treat, them. They should be planted in October or November for 
early spring wor< in firm soil and slightly mulched, and in hot 
weather I also mulch the ground with light manure. Violas are 
glorious from March until the end of June and later, but for 
summer bedding young plants should be planted in spring,using 
those which can be lifted with balls of earth if possible. Violas are 
very effective when mixed with Pelargoniums—for instance, the 
pure white Mrs. Gray with a pink Pelargonium, or the blue and 
grey Queen of Lilacs with yellow Calceolaria, and so on. I have 
seen glorious beds of mixtures in which Violas have played a 
leading part. There are a few stout constitutioned Pansies 
which should be generally grown, and this season has severely 
tested them as decorative plants. Both here and in a gentleman’s 
garden in the neighbourhood, whose Dai-ies were burnt up by the 
heat, and Alternantheras and even Rhododendrons and other 
things were suffering severely, masses of George Rudd Golden 
Yellow Pansy were in luxuriant health and beauty, and I have 
written it down as a most valuable bedder. Golden Queen is a 
paler yellow and as valuable, and Captain Hayter is also a good 
habited sturdy yellov White Pansies as a rule [do not stand 
heat well, and with the superb white Violas we have that do we 
do not want white Pansies; even Pilrig Park, a half-bred Viola 
and Pansy, goes off very much in hot weather. Dark Pansies 
also are not needed so much, as we have very first rate bedders 
in the three varieties of hybrid bedding Violas I have already 
named, but many have a great fancy for a very dark velvety 
Pansy, and in Uncle Tom this can be had, a short-jointed stiff 
grower, flower large and good in form, and an abundant bloomer, 
and stands well. 
Many Violas and Pansies fail from late planting. I am 
often applied to for plants in June and July, far too late for 
plauting them. Spring planting should not be done later than 
May if possible. Autumn planting any time from August.— 
William Dean, Walsall, Staffordshire. 
[Bunches of the freshest, brightest, and best Violas we bave 
ever seen in August’accompanied this communication, and they 
fully justify all that is said about them.] 
CLASSIFICATION OF MELONS. 
At the majority of shows there are two classes for Melons—one for 
scarlet-fleshed varieties, the other for green-fle hed sorts ; but those who 
judge often find a curious mixture, and I think the classification requires 
altering. White-fleshed Melons appear to have become as plentitul as 
scarlet or green ones, but there is no class for them. As yet they are un¬ 
recognised, and thev may often be found in both scarlet and green-fleshed 
classes. I have been told of some judges who have found fine-flavoured 
and handsome fruits in both classes, but they would have nothing to do 
with them, as they were neither scarlet nor green, and they were passed 
by in favour of inferior fruits of the specified colour. There is surely a 
mistake here, and something ought to be done to rectify it. For my own 
part I have always been in favour of taking them in when found worthy 
of it, especially in the green-fleshed class, but it would be better if the 
prizes were offered for “ green or white ” fleshed varieties. Many 
societies might not be able to see their way clear to add another class for 
whites, although 1 believe they would oLen be the best filled, but if tbe 
two were specified as suggested above it would do ju tice to deserving 
fruits and give all concerned a clear idea what to do.—J. Muir, Ufargam 
Park, S. Wales. 
WILTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
August 20th. 
This, the first Show of the above resuscitated Society which has been 
held for twelve years, was opened in the episcopal grounds, Salisbury, on 
Thursday last. It would be hard to find a more suitable place for hold¬ 
ing such an exhibition than the well-kept grounds, trim lawn, and well 
filled and arranged flowerbeds opposite the south front of the palace, and 
the shady walks under the Bhadow of th 1 beautiful Cathedral. The Show 
was pronounced to be a great success in every respect, and should its future 
prosperity be correctly foreshadowed by its re-opening display, it will ere 
lono- rank among the first exhibitions in the south and west of England. 
The position of Salisbury is a central one horticulturally; moreover, the 
Lord Lieutenant of the county (the Earl of Radnor), the Mayor of Salisbury 
(Mr. Fulford) and his predecessors in the civic chair, citizens, and neigh¬ 
bouring gentry take a great interest in all matters pertaining to horticulture. 
The Society, too, is fortunate in securing the gratuitous and able servicesof 
Mr. W. H. Williams as its Secretary; and although the redoubtable 
Mr Cypher did not appear, his place was ably filled in the way of staging 
grand plants by Messrs. Lock, Rann, Wills, and Mould. Fruit was well 
represented by supplies from Longford Castle, Marston, Longleat, Clarendon 
Park, and Rood Ashton, as a perusal of the prize list will show. 
PLANTS. 
In the class for twelve stove and greenhouse flowering plants Mr. Lock 
gardener to B. W. Cleave, Esq., Crediton. Devon, was a good first, showing 
a grandly flowered lot of even, fresh, well-trained plants. His Ixoras Dufh 
and Williamsii, Dipladenias amabilis and Brearleyana, Clerodendron Bal- 
fourianum, and EricasFairreana,Eweriana superba, andMarnockiana,6 fed 
through, were all grand specimens of good culture. Mr. J. F. Mould, 
Pewsey, was second, his best plants being Ixora regina, Diplad-ma ama- 
bilis, Bougainvillea glabra, and Erica Austiniana; third Mr. Wills, gardener 
to Mrs. Pearce, The Firs, Bassett. His collection contained the best plant 
of Statice profusa in the Show, it being perfect in form, densely flowered, 
and 5 feet over. A superbly flowered B .ugainvillea glabra was also v»ry 
telling in this collection. For twelve fine-foliage stove and greenhouse 
plants Mr. Rann, gardener to J. Warren. Esq., Hand Cross Park. Crawley, 
was a good first, showing highly coloured Croton interruptus, 9 feet over, 
and C. Warreni, equally well coloured, but a trifle smaller, a large Latauia 
borbonica, a fine Gleichenia rupestris, and a handsome Cycas revoluta. 
Second Mr. Lock, whose best plants were Gleichenia Speluncse, 6 f-et over; 
Croton Williamsi, C. Weismanni, and Latania borbonica. Third Mr. 
Wills, with smaller but fresh well-grown plants. Two extra prizes weri 
awarded in this class, one to Mr. C. Penfold, gardener to Geneial bir i. 
Fitzwigram, Leigh Park, Havant, Hampshire, and the other to Mr. Mould, 
who both showed good collections. Mr. Lock was placed first for six s tove 
and greenhouse flowering plants, and Mr. Mould second; and for a like 
number of flue-foliage stove and greenhouse plants Mr. Lock was to ttie 
front again, his best plants ill this class being grandly coloured Crotons 
Disraeli and Truffautianus ; second Mr. Wills ; third Mr. F. Smith, the 
Palace Gardens, Salisbury, both showing well. 
For nine exotic Ferns and Mosses Mr. Lock was once more to the front, 
showing grand plants of Davallia polyantha, D. Mooreana, each 6 feet 
through, and beautifully fresh; a fine Nephrolepis davallioides furcans. 
