102 
journa'l of horticulture and cottage gardener. 
AugUct 2, 1891. 
room decoration'^. It does not appear to be generally known h^w 
easily and quickly they may be raised from seed, yet this is by far 
the best method of propagation. 
Plants raised in this way make vigorous healthy growth and 
quickly attain a useful size. When in a young condition the 
seedling plants assume a style of growth quite distinct from those 
raised from suckers, the leaves in the former case being narrow and 
upright in habit. In this stage they are extremely effective for 
dinner-table embellishment, or for arranging in jardinettes, for 
which purposes small plants are in great demand. As the plants 
increase in size the leaves come broader and gradually develop 
their drooping habit of growth. It may thus be seen that by 
sowing seeds every year plants giving great diversity in their form 
of growth may be obtained from these two varieties of Dracaenas. 
At the present time I have some good plants in thumb pots which 
were raised from seed sown in January last. These will shortly 
require shifting into 3 inch pots, then by growing them in pits 
kept rather close and moist, with a little artificial heat turned on 
about the end of September, the plants will be of a useful size 
from November onwards. 
August is a suitable month during which to make a sowing, as 
with good treatment the plants resulting therefrom will be avail¬ 
able for use by June next. To hasten germination the seeds 
should be soaked in warm water for twenty-four hours before 
sowing ; even then they are frequently a month or six weeks 
before any sign of growth is apparent, and I have no doubt that 
should the seed obtained be rather old germination would not take 
place under three months. I mention this to prevent disappoint¬ 
ment, because sometimes seeds of this nature are set down as 
worthless, and the soil in which they were sown consigned to the 
rubbish heap, when the real fault lay in the impatience of the 
would-be cultivator. Loam and leaf soil or peat in equal parts, 
with abundance of sharp sand, and a little finely broken charcoal 
added, the whole passed through the half-inch sieve, forms a suitable 
compost for sowing in, and one that will not easily become sour— 
a matter of great importance when preparing soil for seeds which 
.germinate slowly. I sow in well-drained boxes or pans, cover with 
a square of glass, and place where there is brisk bottom heat at 
command. It is a good plan to dibble the seeds in, an inch apart; 
the seedlings may then be allowed to make progress before being 
placed in pots, for they do not like being disturbed till their 
^oots have become active. 
For the first potting a compost similar to that in which the 
seeds were sown answers well, and for subsequent ones two parts 
loam to one of leaf soil, one of manure from a spent Mushroom 
bed, with soot, charcoal, and sand added, the whole being well 
mixed, will be found to suit the plants. As they increase in size the 
compost should, of course, be used in a rough state.— H. Dunkin. 
CLEMATIS JACKMANNI FOR BEDDING PURPOSES. 
In the flower garden in my charge are two oblong beds filled with 
this splendid climber. Each year when in flower these receive so great a 
share of admiration, and so many inquiries are made concerning their 
treatment, that I have thought a few remarks on the subject might 
prove interesting, and perhaps instructive, to readers of the Journal of 
Horticulture, for I believe there are in numerous gardens similar 
positions in which they might with advantage be grown. The whole 
treatment, from beginning to end, is simplicity itself, and no one need 
be deterred from making a start through fear of failure. 
Our beds are about 4 feet wide, and the plants are set about that 
distance apart on each side of the bed, the soil previous to planting 
being deeply dug and well manured. To form the trellises a row of 
strong stakes are driven firmly into the ground along the centre of the 
bed. These are sawn off at a height of 2 feet 6 inches from the ground 
line. Along the top of these stakes a strong wire (similar to those used 
for making fences) is stretched and made fast by means of staples. 
Hazel sticks are then thrust into the soil in a line all round the bed 
about 15 inches from its edges. These sticks may be about 9 inches 
asunder, and should be bent in a convex form and securely fastened to 
the central wire. 
When growth commences the Clematis shoots ought to be trained in 
all directions, so as to cover the trellis as soon as possible. When this 
has been accomplished the growing shoots should be interlaced between 
the others so as to form a dense mass. For this purpose the plants 
should be looked over once a week as long as they grow freely. In 
February the plants are pruned to within a foot of the old wood, and in 
succeeding years shoots 2 or 3 feet in length are left in such a way that 
the whole trellis may be quickly covered when growth begins. After 
pruning a covering of short manure is placed upon the beds and lightly 
forked in. Should the weather at times throughout the summer prove 
very dry, the plants ought to be liberally watered, otherwise the growth 
will be scanty and the flowers small. 
Of course beds of almost any size may be planted with this fine 
Clematis, and the trellis may take the form best suited to the fancy of 
those whose wishes should be the first consideration. Trellises formed 
to represent tents, temples, pyramids, arches, and pillars, with baskets 
and hanging chains, may all be effectively covered with our purple 
friend. The best edging I know of for beds of this Clematis is Dactylis 
glomerata variegata, as the clear white and greyish-green tufts of this 
pretty Grass form a perfect setting for a mass of the deep rich purple 
flowers of Clematis Jackmanni.—W. C. G. 
VIOLAS. 
On page 81 the Eev, David K. Williamson writes a few kindly words 
as to Violas, in which there is a reference to myself. I pointed out in my 
previous remarks (p. 57) in the Journal that it was impossible for anyone 
to name six varieties of Violas as absolutely the best, for there are so 
many beautiful kinds which are admirable for decorative work in the 
garden. I singled out the six I named as possessing all the qualifications 
they should have for bedding out, not as tbe best six in cultivation. 
I see and cultivate so many of the leading kinds, both new and old, 
that I am able to form a fair idea of their merits, and I most cordially 
agree with Mr. Williamson as to the great beauty of such sorts as 
Duchess of Fife, Countess of Kintore, and others. Countess of Wharn- 
cliffe (also known as Lord Fitzgerald) is a very pure snow white in 
colour, but is not so floriferous and continuous, I find, as Countess of 
Hopetoun and Sylvia ; but the two last named are very much alike 
excepting in the foliage. Mr. Williamson classes Sylvia with the 
miniatures, an unintentional mistake, I think, as it must be classed with 
the large flowering section. 
In the cooler Midland counties Violas are doing so well, but in 
tbe south it is much more difficult to get a prolonged summer display. 
Some few years ago I saw a wonderfully good mass of Violas at Hamp¬ 
ton, near London, in the middle of July, and Mr. Jenkins, who had them 
in charge, used a thick layer of fresh cow manure underneath the soil for 
the roots to ramble in. 
Fragrance is a delightful attribute in many of the Violas, and to me 
it is most gratifying that the Viola should have become so popular, as I 
may safely say that my pen has always been ready to advocate its 
merits, and that 1 have had some little influence in helping it to the 
front. The conference at Birmingham on August 3rd will do a great 
deal of good, and add, I hope, to the establishment of a National Viola 
and Pansy society, with annual meetings. Had I known Mr. Williamson’s 
address I should have sent him an invitation to attend.—W. Dean. 
At the recent meeting at the Drill Hall Messrs. Dobbie & Sons had 
a very beautiful collection of these flowers shown as sprays, and my 
belief that it is in this form Violas are by far the most beautiful was, in 
spite of what scorners and hypercritics may write, undoubtedly greatly 
strengthened. As I had been a grower and a raiser, too, of Violas in 
Middlesex for twenty years I ought to know something about them as 
hot weather flowers that have to rough it. When grown on rich soil, 
where they can have plenty of moisture, they may do very well, or when 
we get a dripping season. When I saw the collection at Chiswick the 
weather was then hot and dry, and the plants were much suffering from 
heat. They were just what I ever found them to be in hot, dry summers. 
As to the rayless Violas, I have failed yet to find anything in them 
so pleasing as are many of the old and larger flowered strain. That is 
my opinion; others may think different. It is to me a matter of 
complete indifference. That they show exceeding sameness of colour is 
also the case. No one can deny that. That is, however, a very common 
fault of Violas generally, and many so-called new ones seem to be repro¬ 
ductions of the older sorts. There is not at the present moment so good 
a plum-coloured variety as is Mulberry I raised years ago. In spite of 
the hundreds of Violas put into commerce, there are now 100 plants of 
the old Blue Bell that my brother, Mr. R. Dean, raised in his garden at 
Ealing, grown for bedding decoration to ten of any other variety. That 
fact shows that after all those Violas which look so beautiful in spray form 
at shows are not generally suitable for bedding purposes in a large way. 
If I were to grow Violas for pleasure it would be much less for the 
getting from them of mass effects and far more to get pretty flowers 
for gathering to put into vases. Still, we have to regard these 
flowers chiefly from the garden decoration standpoint. Now, here 
again, apart from habit or floriferousness, or capacity to withstand 
drought, the best effects are always had from self-coloured flowers. To 
compare bedding Violas to Carnations is absurd, but it suffices for some 
critics. What colours give these bedding effects best ? White, sulphur, 
yellow, mauve, blue, indigo blue, plum or purple, and such red tints as 
may be obtainable. The edged or parti-coloured flowers that “catch 
on” so much at shows not only are most unreliable, but give no good 
effect. They are always prettiest when in a gathered state. 
As to bedding uses, I wish someone would just make a round of our 
public parks and gardens, and report as to the varieties most found in 
them. At Hampton Court the chief sorts are Blue Bell, Archie Grant, 
and the mauve Duchess of Sutherland. To these may elsewhere perhaps 
be added Bullion, yellow ; Countess of Hopetoun, white ; and possibly 
one or two others. However, it would be easy to ascertain. From the 
collection arranged by Messrs. Dobbie & Sons I noted the following as 
pleasing to me, and probably useful, more or less, in gardens :—Countess 
of Wharncliffe and Countess of Hopetoun, good pare whites ; Lemon 
Queen, primrose; W. Niel, pale soft red; Lori Elcho and Prince of 
Orange, yellows ; Duchess of Sutherland, mauve ; Bluegown, blue ; 
Archie Grant and Max Kolb, rich deep blue; Mrs. H. Bellamy, white 
upper petals, and lower ones violet maroon ; and the certificated Iona, 
the most beautiful of all its class, ground soft blush mauve, having four 
broad ribs or bars of violet purple.—A. D. 
