Jatj’ li, 1 w, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
17 
character it would be unwise to attempt to describe them. I enclose a 
sketch of the three varieties that are chiefly grown, but it unfortunately 
conveys but a faint idea of the lovely hue, yet a comparison of the 
older varieties of dissitiflora will render apparent the great strides that 
"have been made in the improvement of the flowers from a florist’s point 
of view.—M. Coombe, Ashton Court Gardens, Bristol. 
[The flowers represented are very large indeed, and indicate con¬ 
siderable improvement in varieties of the species in question.] 
DEATH OF THE REV. J. T. BOSCAWEN. 
It is our painful duty to announce the death of the Hon. and Rev- 
J. Townshend Boscawen, Rectorof Lamorran, Cornwall. Mr. Boscawem 
who was in his seventieth year, was a well-known figure in horticul¬ 
tural circles, and has all his life been a devoted horticulturist. Indeed, 
Re used to boast that he was born a gardener, for in his father’s garden 
at the rectory at Wooton, near Dorking, where he was born, he had his 
own garden, and there he cultivated the plants agreeable to his taste ; 
and from that time onward to the day of his death he never relinquished 
Ris favourite pursuit. He was rector of Lamorran since. 1849, and 
there his garden was his great delight. It is one of those gardens teem¬ 
ing with plants of great botanical and horticultural interest, and the 
attraction of which was not the decorative style of gardening, but the 
intrinsic value of the lessons that might be learned there. In vol. xxxiii. 
of -the last series of this Journal, Mr. Luckhurst vividly describes the 
interesting place in the following words :— 
“ In a quiet, secluded valley, amidst steep hilly wooded slopes, in a 
cosy nook at the head of the waters of Lamorran Creek, away from the 
Reaten track of the busy world’s highway, is the residence of the Hon. 
•and Rev. J. T. Boscawen, well known to men of science and horticul¬ 
turists as a wise counsellor and friend, who, although thus living 
■apparently apart from the world, is one of its most busy workers, 
■ever ready to aid in promoting those arts which he loves and under¬ 
stands so well, and who has turned the very quietness and seclusion of 
Ris home to good account by solving many a horticnltuial problem, 
evolving lessons of such value by the wonderful results obtained in his 
garden that 1 can think of no more fitting title for it than that of a 
book written bv the hand of a master, every page of which contains 
lessons as novel as they are useful. 
“ It has very lately been my privilege to enjoy the hospitality of Mr. 
Boscawen—to see his garden, to study the lessons which it teach-s, and 
in-somo measure to grasp their meaning, sufficiently so I hope to enable 
■me to explairt their full significance, and to show how what is ready a 
great and pioneer work may be accomplished within small bounds and 
without many of those facilities which by many gardeners are con¬ 
sidered indispensable to success. It was not long ago that I strongly 
■enforced the importance of planting objects of interest in gardens. At 
Lamorran this principle was long ago understood and acted upon, and 
the result in this sense is a garden so abounding in plants and trees 
■that are alike so varied and beautiful as to positively embarrass one. 
Tt is a veritable storehouse of treasures rich and rare, so skilfully 
cultivated and arranged in such good taste as to be always fresh and 
always attractive.” 
FLAVOUR OF MELONS. 
A FEW weeks ago I purchased half a dozen Melons for a banquet. 
They were nearly perfect in appearance, a kind well known to be a 
prizetaker, were very heavy in proportion to size, large and of fine form, 
and the aroma was rich and almost overpowering. The vendor of these 
fine fruits has had much exnerience as a fruit purchaser and salesman, 
and he is highly trusted. He recommended them (with a large consign¬ 
ment of other purchases) as being Melons which it would be difficult to 
•surpass. Many gentlemen were at this banquet who have high-class 
gardens of their own and know the quality of fine fruit, but certainly 
Bid not have their palates gratified by the flavour of the Melons. With¬ 
out exception they were flavourless, though possessed of every other 
desirable quality. This certainly was an experience not conducive to 
the advancement of the system of judging Melons by sight,—M. T. 
CARNATIONS GERMANIA and MRS. REYNOLDS HOLE. 
Germania is an excellent yellow seif Carnation. The blooms are a 
•soft canary tint, the flowers full and well formed, and the petals of good 
•substance. The calyx is long and of uniform size, pointed at the apex, 
and expands with that evenness and uniformity which renders arti¬ 
ficial help needless. Far too many of our best flowers among Carnations 
Rave an ugly pear-shaped pod which bursts on one side, thereby impair¬ 
ing the beauty of the blooms, but the one under notice is quite different. 
Luckily, too, it possesses an excellent constitution and produces plenty 
■of good “ grass ” for layering purposes. It is also freely flowered, the 
later blooms reaching a good size. I have a few plants of this beautiful 
•variety now in flower, having been grown in a cool house during the 
winter ; the first flowers were fully 2| inches across, and could have 
fieen made to appear much larger by the aid of tweezers had they been 
required for exhibition purposes. It is, however, unfortunately devoid 
of fragrance. 
Speaking of Carnations reminds me of the charming new colour we 
have in Mrs. Reynolds Hole, a mixture probably of 'apricot and salmon, 
which is simply unique ; but apart from its novel and striking colour 
it has but little to recommend it ; indeed, one very large grower 
of Carnations in referring to this particular variety expressed himself 
thus a year ago: “ It has but one good quality, all the rest are 
bad,” the one good qnality being the colour. The growth is tall and 
straggling, and in constitution it is far from the best, many 
having cankered and perished during the past winter. In the first p'ace 
an abnormal swelling has set in, which eventually burst, and decay was 
the result. This may have been caused by insects, which played sad 
havoc with many thousands of Carnations, and the season of 1883 was 
altogether opposed to Carnation growing. I had good hopes of this 
Carnation when I flowered it a year ago, for then it appeared strong 
and robust, sufficiently so to induce our purchasing largely, but the 
plants exhibited a changed character when they were unpacke 1, the 
growth being much weaker. The “ grass ” is neither so abundant nor 
so vigorous as heretofore, and a good constitution is a very important 
item towards popularising flowers such as the e ; and it will be interest¬ 
ing to note how these new comers will figure in the anticipated Carna¬ 
tion trial at Chiswick.—J. H. E. 
STRAWBERRY LATEST OF ALL. 
Mr. Laxton of Bedford, raiser of Noble, A. F. Barron, Pioneer, 
King of the Earlies, and other fine Strawberries, brings before our 
notice a new late variety, which bids fair to form a valuable addition 
to the ranks of this delicious fruit. It is stated to be a seedling from 
British Queen crossed with Helena Gloede, ripening from ten days to a 
FIG. 3.— STRAWBERRY LATEST OF ALL. 
fortnight after the former. The faults of British Queen are its tender 
constitution and uncertain bearing qualities ; but Latest of All, while 
fully equal to its parent in flavour, is said to be much more hardy, to 
thrive in any soil where Strawberries succeed, and to be very prolific 
and continuous in bearing. The habit is described as “ vigorous but 
dwarf, the foliage thick, leathery, and remarkably downy, rendering 
this variety able to resist the attacks of mildew to which many late 
sorts are liable.” The specimen fruits received, one of which is repre¬ 
sented by the engraving (fig. 3) are conical and sometimes corrugated 
fruits of extraordinary size. The colour is dark red next the sun, and 
paler in the shade; seeds small and prominent. The flesh is firm, 
white, juicy, and richly flavoured, with somewhat of the Pine or Haut- 
bois flavour. We cannot say anything more commendatory of Latest 
of All than that it is a fitting and worthy companion to Noble. 
NOTES ABOUT STOVE PLANTS. 
Some stove plants are frequently grown in too high a tempera¬ 
ture during the summer months. Artificial heat only tends to 
make them grow quickly, and in consequence they do not possess 
the solidity that is necessary to insure satisfactory flowering. This 
is not the sole cause of failure ; they are often overshadei, an evil 
that cannot he too carefully avoided. 
POINSE rTIAS. 
Unfortunately in most gardens cold frames are not provided in 
such quantity as are really necessary, though they are amongst 
the most useful of glass structures for many plants during the 
summer months. Where vegetable forcing is carried out on a 
large scale there is generally a good number at disposal at this 
