34 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 8. 
Fanny Keynes (Keynes’), buff, edged with purple; four 
to five feet.—Requires much moisture; which will well re 
pay the grower, bringing up the eye, and producing a flower 
not easily surpassed. 
Goldsmith (Keynes'>, yellow; four feet.—Requires no 
cutting or thinning ; rather late flowering; and early putting 
out. This is one of the gems of last year. I have grown it 
surpassingly fine. Very constant; hut all must he left on 
the (riant, and no disbudding at all. 
Lord Bath (Vheeler’s), crimson ; three to four feet.— 
Good, useful flower, easily grown; will bear good thinning 
and disbudding. 
LollypoP (Holmes’),huff; four to five feet.—The centre of 
this flower is so good, and the outline so correct, must make 
it a flower very prominent in the stands. I should say it 
requires little cutting, and is very constant. 
Lord Raglan (Dodd’s), three to four feet; buff; very 
perfect.—Flower dull colour, and requires much cutting out. 
The centre is perfect., and the outline good, but will require 
good, extra growth. The larger the flower can be grown 
the better it u ill be. 
Lady F’olkstone (Keynes’), light fawn, deeply tipt crim¬ 
son ; four feet.—Rather uncertain, but very fine when 
caught. Requires no cutting out, but removing the semi¬ 
double flowers as they appear. This flower will yet improve 
on last year. 
Lord Palmerston (Turner’s), crimson-scarlet; four feet. 
—Fine, large, bold flower, and will require but little cutting 
out; was shown very hue at one or two of the shows last 
year. 
Lilac King (Rawlings’), three feet.—When well done, 
the best in its class. Requires to be eased of the semi¬ 
double blooms very often ; hut will, several times in the 
season, send out a batch of deep double blooms, extra 
tine in every respect. 
Malvina (Howard’s), three feet.—Very useful old flower; 
well known ; always constant; no cutting required. 
Mbs. Wheeler (AVheeler’s), dark crimson purple; four 
feet.—This flower, at Cremorne, was shown in first-rate 
condition, and was one of the best seedlings there. 1 did 
not see it afterwards; but would safely recommend it to 
every grower. 
Marshal Pelissier (Dodd’s), dark claret; three feet.— 
New colour. If this flower comes out, which is very doubt¬ 
ful, it will be a clipper, requiring no cutting out, easy of 
growth, and first-rate in every respect. 
Ne Plus Ultra (Rawlings’), light peachy-lilac; four to 
five feet.—Requires good growth ; a little inclined to be low 
in the eye; a hand-glass would improve it, and place it one 
of the best in its class. Cut out well. 
Pre-eminent (Fellows’), lour feet; dark plum.—Requires 
uo cutting out; a very first-rate flower, easy of growth ; one 
of the best of last year; should be grown by every one. 
Perfection (Keynes’), three feet; orange-scarlet.—The 
best flower ever yet raised; requires very much cut ting out, 
and cannot be thinned loo much always. Double, shape un¬ 
approachable ; nothing can come near it yet. 
Ruby Queen (Keynes’), four feet; bright ruby.—Must 
have all the growth possible, and be very much thinned and 
cut out; the larger it is grown, the better it will he. One of 
the best when well done. 
Reginald (Brown’s), three to four feet; light fawn, with 
purple tip and shade.—A most beautiful model; requires, 
lik e Fanny Keynes, very much moisture; will then he very 
first-rate. A telling flower in a stand, catching the eye of 
every beholder. 
Rachel Rawlings (Keynes’), peach.— Requires good 
growth, but no thinning. One of the best. 
Salvator Rosa, four feet; salmon-pink. — One of the 
foreign flowers, and will well repay the grower. A tine show 
flower. Keep cut out. 
Sir J. Franklin (Turner's), four feet.—Fine, old flower. 
Cut out very much. 
Sir F. Bathurst (Keynes’), three feet.—Fine,old model; 
grow from a pot-root, or part of an old root. Cut out, and 
thin very much. 
Sir Charles Napier (Turner’s), three feet; red.—Fine, 
old model; grow like Sir F. Bathurst in every respect. 
Silver Queen (Keynes’), four feet; new colour, lilac, 
shaded silver.—Requires extra fine growth, and kept well 
thinned. The larger it is grown the better. It will prove a 
very fine flower, and most constant. 
Triumphant (Keynes’), four feet; crimson, — Cut out very 
much, and grow under glass to get the centre well up. 
Yellow Victory (Dodd's), three feet; the finest yellow 
yet offered.—Requires good growth. It is a seedling from 
Yellow Standard without its faults, being well up out of the 
foliage, very certain and perfect in every respect. If I know 
anything about Dahlias, this is the best yelluw in the world. 
Next week I will do my best to describe twenty four 
fancies. I hope all errors will be forgiven ; and if 1 differ 
from my neighbours, my opinions are original and genuine, 
without favour or affection. 
THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE PATH OF THE 
YOUNG GARDENER. 
I have some time, been a reader of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener and Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary, and have 
derived a large amount of pleasure and knowledge from 
both. 1 have read in the work first named an invitation 
for us young gardeners to show up a few of our thoughts. 
Though young, I am, and always have been, a lover of 
flowers, and would like to jot down a few of my thoughts, 
if only to have my faults pointed out lo me, for that 
would be a real benefit. Then, my text I take from a back 
number, in which “ Snowdrop ” wishes to insinuate that 
young gardeners are so blinded by glare as to be unable to 
appreciate the deeper beauties of Botanical Floriculture, or, 
in his own words, “ Botany has sunk greatly in the few past 
years. The rage for glare has, for a time, placed science in 
the shade. Ask the young gardener the. classic name of 
the Rose of Jericho, Ac.” I much wonder he chose the 
Anaslalica Hierochuntica to tost the young gardener’s 
botanical knowledge, for it is far from being a particularly 
interesting plant, and only met with in botanical collections. 
Surely he might have found a plant amongst our native 
flora that would have answered his purpose equally as well, 
and have given the young gardener a chance of answering 
him. 
If amongst the young gardeners of Britain there are some 
dullards, as “ Snowdrop ” considered the many difficulties 
a young gardener has to surmount in his researches after 
botanical knowledge ? I hope I may not be thought tedious 
if I tell him my own experience and troubles when young. 
I had the good luck to enter a nobleman’s garden under 
what was considered advantageous circumstances; that is, 
for a certain sum of money I was to be employed for a term 
of years, and the head-gardener was to give me a thorough 
knowledge of his profession; and, so far as the practical 
part of it was concerned, he fulfilled his word, fori could 
dig and mow as well as the best of them, and nail a Peach¬ 
tree ; but the theoretical part was what I most wished to 
learn, and that ho was as fully determined not to learn me 
or any of the other young men ; for, in fact, lie threw every 
obstacle in our way he possibly could. No plant was allowed 
to have its name on its tally, hut all were numbered, and 
the names, as he thought, secure from prying curiosity in 
his pocket-book ; hut one day he happened to leave it on 
the potting-bench—stolen knowledge, they say, is sweet—the 
temptation was too great to bo resisted, and its contents 
were quickly transcribed by three or four willing bands, 
i We revelled in our triumph; for the names of his stove, 
i orchid-house, greenhouse, and conservatory plants were at 
our command. This was one step onwards. 
But I wished to become acquainted with our native plants, 
and this wish was soon to be gratified in the following man¬ 
ner :—For some misdemeanour the under-gardener was dis¬ 
charged, and a new one came in his place. This young man 
had been brought up in the Botanical Garden of Glasgow, 
and also had opportunities of hearing Professor Balfour’s 
lectures. Wo soon became friends, and my botanical studios 
as rapidly progressed. Not a wild plant within many miles j 
of the place was left unexplored, and as quickly named; and I 
very proud 1 was, if, after half-a- dozen miles, I was able to 1 
discover a fresh one. Through this land friend I obtained ! 
“ Loudon’s Hortus Brittanieus,” “ The Cottage Gardeners' I 
Dictionary,” “ Hooker's Flora Scotiea,” and a perusal of 
