1884.] 
ASPAKAGUS FOECING. 
149 
Miss Lee {Lord). — Another of the fine 
Todmorden varieties ; raised from Flower of 
the Day, crossed with pollen from Elise. We 
have here a paler marginal colour, generally 
described as scarlet or salmon, though to my 
eye the colour more closely approximates to a 
bright rosy-bufi*. A lovely variety, beautiful 
for its symmetry of form, finely formed petal, 
regularity of marking, smoothness, rich tex¬ 
ture, and good white. A good grower. First 
bloomed in 1871 ; sent out in 1873. 
Miss Wood (IFood). — Light salmon edge. 
A well formed, fine petalled variety, of good 
substance and clear white, but like L’Elegant 
it sufters by comparison from its tone of 
colour. Nevertheless it is very pleasing 
when young. 
Mrs. Lord (Lord). — Heavy-edged rose. 
This, a seedling from Mrs. Bayley, is in every 
respect—in grass, habit, and fiower—an exact 
repeat of the parent, save only that the mar¬ 
ginal colour is a delicate rose instead of a lilac- 
purple. Like its parent it possesses refine¬ 
ment in the highest degree ; an admirably 
formed, stout and smooth petal, capital form, 
and a white ground that defies improvement. 
As the flower ages, the marginal colour, always 
delicate, slightly pales, but in every stage it is 
exquisite. A good gi'ower, but being of an 
open and succulent habit it is much subject 
to the attacks of parasites. Will be found to 
do well from pipings put in in early summer. 
First bloomed in 1871 ; sent out in 1873. 
Mrs. NicHOLii [Simonite). — Light-edged 
rose, sometimes medium-edged. This, like 
all the Shefiield seedlings, has refinement in a 
high degree, a fine broad smooth and stout 
petal, and is sufficiently full to produce a good 
crown. Habit of grass, dwarf, bushy, and 
prolific. Sent out in 1874. From an un¬ 
named seedling. 
Mrs. Payne [Felloives). — A glorious variety 
indeed, unsurpassable for the beauty of its 
form and petal, the brilliancy of its bright 
rose marginal colour, and pure white ground. 
To my taste this flow^er, a seedling from Ethel, 
by the same veteran raiser, and a great im¬ 
provement thereupon. Laving a brighter and 
broader marginal colour, and an even better 
form, represents perfection in a Picotee, and 
I can conceive nothing in its way to surpass 
its beauty. Nor do any of the many glorious 
flowers raised by Mr. Fellowses fill a larger 
place in my mind and heart, though I have 
keen remembrance of several, notably the 
beautiful Haidee, light purple-edge, wdiich 
thirty-one years since secured the premier 
prize at the National Exhibition at York from 
a bevy of beauties. Ganymede, again, of a 
similar period. But the glorious rose-edge as 
seen in Mrs. Payne, in combination with its 
fine form and lustrous w'hite ground, puts all 
rivalry to naught. Sent out in 1878. 
Mrs. Rudd {Rudd). — Hea\y scarlet-edge. 
A seedling from Edith D’Ombrain, fertilised 
with pollen from Obadiah. A very distinct 
and beautiful variety, far the best of the 
heavy scarlets, having none of the rusty ele¬ 
ment so objectionable in many of this colour, 
but possessing a high degree of refinement in 
combination with a well-shaped broad petal 
and fine form, substance, smoothness, and 
white ground. Mr. Rudd, ■who, since this 
was written, has passed away, contributes 
in this variety a great advance upon the 
majority in this section, and a most decided 
acquisition. A good grower. Sent out in 
1882. 
Nellie (Rudd). — Light-edge rose. A seed¬ 
ling from Mrs. Bower, light red-edge, which it 
follows in all respects save colour. Sent out 
in 1882. 
Purity {Payne ).—Raised at Oxford from 
Eliza, light purple edge, supposed to have 
been fertilised with pollen from the Rev. H. 
Matthews, heavy rose-edged. A heavy- 
edged rose of good form, substance, and white 
ground ; the marginal colour a clear pale rose. 
A good grower. First bloomed in 1868. 
Royal Visit {Abercrombie). — Offered in 
1880, when sent out by Mr. Turner, as “a 
charming heavy-edged rose, in the way of 
Edith D’Ombrain, but with a more vigorous 
habit,” a description which certainly did not 
exaggerate its merits. A grand variety, 
whether for the home stage or the exhibition 
table. First seen in 1877. Certified as 
first-class at the Exhibition of the National 
Carnation and Picotee Society in 1878.—E. 
S. Dodwell, Oxford. 
ASPARAGUS FORCING. 
HERE are two modes of forcing asparagus, 
the one by bringing the asparagus to 
the heat, and the other by bringing 
the heat to the asparagus. 
The best quality of forced asparagus is ob¬ 
tained by lifting the plants and forcing them 
in frames. The stools ought to be taken from 
beds from three to five years old, and planted 
in light soil on a hot bed. They do not require 
a great heat, in fact the slower they are grown, 
the better will be the produce. Except in very 
severe weather the glass will be quite sufficient 
protection, so that the plants may enjoy 
plenty of light and air, under which conditions 
they will be much better than if they were 
continually covered up. 
The easiest way to force asparagus is in 
beds specially prepared for forcing purposes. 
The beds ought to be built of bricks about three 
