"May 3 ), 1889 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
413 
Heroine perfect, her rich gold tube being one of her very best 
•points. If my friend saw how these flowers die, and that is every¬ 
thing in a self, he would see that for thrice he was not “ right in 
The end.” 
Now, Ebony was decidedly rough and ill-tempered this year. 
Tien Simonite and I saw she would be, in March ; for her nineteen 
•pips were all bom with a twist on, and I amputated some ; but last 
_year Mr. Simonite’s bloom of her was absolutely faultless for 
smoothness and flatness. Flat irons could not have out-flattened 
it, and since this last time is the first out of four that she has been 
wrong, we will put confidence in Ebony till she forfeits it further 
than this. 
I agree with “ D., Deal," that success in raising seedlings must 
needs be in favour of the exhibitor ; but still, the mere name and 
•charm of “ seedling " can carry no weight if the seedlings them¬ 
selves have none. The man would be only the worse beaten. 
They must stand on their own merits against all that comes, and 
There are dozens, say of the veteran “ George Lightbodv,” to 
choose from, to meet one poor neophyte who hasn’t a second plant 
•perhaps of its kind to represent it. But without doubt there is a 
-closer and fresher interest to all concerned when seedlings can 
appear. 
Only on one point should they not be unduly and Drematurely 
judged. Every Auricula that I know can sow its wild oats, and it 
Js never too late to “ make an occasional sowing.” A single plant 
.cf the best cannot be depended upon for being in bloom at the 
required time, or in its best form. Let this be fairly and graciously 
'borne in mind also over the scant stock of a young seedling, perhaps 
.the only plant, as Melanie is, though three years old. We shall 
have perfect Auriculas before we get unerring ones.—F. D. Horner, 
3 urton- in-Lonsdale. 
I GROW a certain number of florists’ flowers because I am fond 
-of them, and amongst others the Auricula, consequently your 
floral notes have always to me a peculiar interest. 1 have been 
•greatly struck by the late contributions of “ D., Deal," on this 
flower, and how very conservative he remains on the matter of old 
■versus new varieties. I do not agree with him, and would not have 
troubled you if it did not appear that no one else seems to care 
about controverting his assertions, although one would think that 
•your reports of the late national shows would convince most people 
who had noted the names of the varieties in the winning stands 
That no one who does not keep abreast with the times in the matter 
of new sorts can have the least chance of competing successfully. 
For my part I have not the slightest hesitation in affirming that 
of the old sorts there are not more than ten, if so many, worth 
■growing in a select collection, and besides, some of them are rapidly 
sbecoming senile, and therefore new varieties are necessary for 
natural reasons. For instance, five years ago I purchased one each 
-of Col. Taylor, Lightbody, and Hero. I have now but three Light- 
bodys, while Taylor and Hero have never produced offsets. Col. 
Taylor has only bloomed once decently, and never in show form. 
•On the contrary, F. D. Horner, purchased eighteen months ago, 
has bloomed beautifully both last year and this, and has besides 
increased plentifully, two of last year’s offsets blooming finely this 
year. 
But what more particularly induces me to rush into print was 
your correspondent’s remarks anent Heroine. Heroine a weak 
tube ! Enough to make the flower speak, and speak it does to 
some purpose. Heroine, in my opinion, is nearer perfection than 
.-any self yet in commerce, and its tube is simply perfect. It is my 
-ambition to possess Heroine, and it is not from my own, but from 
visiting other collections, that my opinion respecting it is formed ; 
•but as soon as the price comes within the scope of what I feel 
justified in paying for an Auricula I shall not be long without it. 
Hen Simonite says that if he had not got it, and had no other 
means, he would sell his coat to obtain it, and his opinion as to its 
merits may thereby be inferred. 
If the opinions of “ D., Deal," were those of Auricula growers 
in general they would be most disheartening to those who, by rais¬ 
ing new varieties at great expense,' are seeking to improve the 
Auricula ; but if I was the proud raiser of either Heroine, F. D. 
Homer, or Conservative I should not think that I had altogether 
laboured in vain, but that the Auricula was in some measure the 
better for the attention I had spent upon it.—M. 
THE LATE MR. WOOD HEAD’S SEEDLINGS. 
Some years ago, when I had the pleasure of seeing this grand 
collection of Auriculas, which found their home at Shobden Head, 
high up over Halifax, under the fostering care of Mr. Thomas 
Woodhead, I said that from what I heard from him then as to the 
method he had adopted in hybridising we might expect some excel¬ 
lent results. Well, time has rolled on since then, and his brought 
its changes with it. The kind and genial florist, whose hospitable 
reception of me I cannot easily forget, and his great friend (whose 
name as a florist we all honour) George Rudd, have both passed 
away ; but Mr. Woodhead’s sister, who was so devotedly attached 
to him, whose memory she still lovingly cherishes, still keeps on 
his famous collection of Auriculas, which I believe has largely 
increased since then. She, as I mentioned then, was an ardent 
florist, and her love for her flowers and her affection for her brother 
has doubtless cheered her on in her culture. She has been also a 
very successful exhibitor this year, having obtained seven prizes 
at Manchester and eleven at Rochdale, a feat which not only reflects 
honour on her collection, but credit on her gardener, Mr. McDonald, 
Through Miss Woodhead’s kindness I received last autumn 
plants of the four seedlings raised by her brother, which she has 
distributed amongst her friends, and that my estimate of Mr. Wood¬ 
head’s probable success was not unfounded is gathered from the 
fact that some of these have been placed in winning stands, both 
at the northern and southern shows, and by other exhibitors than 
herself. There is one point which, as I have already noticed, 
Mr. Woodhead seemed to have gained in his seedlings—viz., a good 
coloured tube. Most of the seifs recently raised have pa’e or 
watery tubes, and there can be but little doubt they thus lose an 
element of beauty, for the contrast between a golden or orange 
tube and the rest of the flower gives a life to it which a pale tube 
fails to give. If Prince of Greens had but the tube of Richard 
Headly, what a beauty it would be. 
Black Bess .—This flower was well shown by Mr. Hen wood at 
the Southern Auricula Show, and attracted a good deal of attention. 
The colour of the flower is dark maroon ; it has a smooth-edged 
petal, solid paste and golden tube. Like all seifs, the paste is apt 
sometimes to be angular or scalloped, but in general it is round. 
The habit of the plant is excellent, and it readily throws offsets. It 
will therefore without doubt be a popular flower, and will probably 
oust a good many of the older flowers of the same colour. 
George Rudd .—This a bold style of flower, somewhat in the 
style of Traill’s Beauty, but with better qualities, and more 
constant. Of it it was said it was sometimes a beauty and some¬ 
times a beast. The colours are not the same, although the grey of 
the edge is more decided, and the tube more yellow. 
Rachel .—A flower somewhat similar in character to the fore¬ 
going, but not perhaps so large, and with a tube inclined to be a 
little too large in proportion to the rest of the flower. It is one of 
a rather numerous class, the grey edges. 
Mrs. Dodwell. —This, on the other hand, is one of a rather 
scarcer class, but to which some good additions have been made of 
late years, and is, I think, the most valuable of the four seedlings. 
The edge is of a decided clear white, not grey ; the body colour is 
deep black, and the contrast betwen it and the edge is very charming. 
I think it must stand on the same level as Horner’s Magpie, and is 
a decided acquisition to a somewhat limited class. 
It says a great deal for the success of Mr. Woodhead’s hybrid¬ 
ising that these varieties should so soon take a position amongst 
winning flowers, and be able to compete with old, long-established 
favourites.—D., Deal. 
GARDEN ALLOTMENTS—THEIR ADVANTAGES 
AND UTILISATION. 
[Read at Nottingham by Mr. J. Wright.] 
When I paid a flying visit to Nottingham a little more than 
three months ago I was fortunate in finding two at least most 
excellent friends—Mr. Farmer, who provided me with shelter during 
the night, and Mr. Haywood, who gave me a drive in the morning. 
That drive to me was full of interest, for it afforded me a passing 
glance of the most extensive, complete, and perfect system of 
garden allotments that had ever come under my notice in this 
country. It was something like the realisation of a dream ; some¬ 
thing that I had pictured in my mind for years as desirable ; 
something which I had sought for by long travel but failed to find 
accomplished till my short but pleasant visit to this busy town. 
I had heard of and read about the Nottingham gardens, and the 
gardening instinct possessed by their owners and occupants, but 
was almost overwhelmed with surprise and gratification when I 
saw the magnitude of the scheme and the splendid accomplishment 
of an idea, fraught, I am sure, with good to many in many ways. 
And when I dwelt on the efforts that had been made by men of 
wealth and men of labour in furtherance of a common object of 
public importance and personal benefit, I was most willing to try 
at least to lend a helping hand in tilling those gardens by scatter¬ 
ing a few seeds here and there. If even a few should take root 
and prove the precursors of better crops, it will be an abundant 
reward to me for the endeavour. 
