1881 . ] 
WHAT ZERO HAS TO SAY TO OUR FRUIT-TREES AND ROSES. 
o o 
OO 
THE GOLD-LACED POLYANTHUS. 
[Plate 533.] 
GpjON the accompanying plate, we give repre- 
sentations of two very choice varieties 
*2^9 of the Gold-laced Polyanthus—one new, 
a red-ground flower; the other old, but here 
made use of as an illustration of the more ad¬ 
vanced form of the black-ground type. Both 
varieties were staged at the Auricula Show at 
South Kensington on April 20, 1881, in the 
prize collection of Samuel Barlow, Esq., of 
Stakehill House, Castleton ; and the variety 
named “ Sunrise ” was, in addition, awarded 
the premier prize as a seedling, and also a first- 
class certificate of merit. Our figures were 
made by Mr. Macfarlane, from the prize plants 
on the day of the show. Mr. Barlow has been 
good enough to draw up the following his¬ 
torical memorandum concerning them.—T. M. 
Fig. 1 . — Sunrise is a red-ground Polyanthus 
seedling, which bloomed at Stakehill for the 
first time last spring. It is from Bullock's 
Lancer , crossed with George IV., the result 
being a decided improvement on both parents. 
The red of the ground-colour is brighter than 
in either; the pip has the full form and the 
substance of George IV., with the usual beau¬ 
tiful lacing of Lancer, the coarseness of lacing 
often seen in George IV. and the starry form 
of Lancer being both corrected in the new 
variety. Sunrise has only bloomed once, and 
as it was in its second season, it had formed 
a clump of five crowns, each of which threw 
up a truss, in none of which was there a flower 
faulty in any point; the flowers were, however, 
somewhat small, owing to the plant not having 
been divided in the autumn previous. 
Fig. 2.—Cheshire Favourite is a black- 
ground Polyanthus, now well known among 
growers, of a good robust constitution, and 
hence has lived and thriven, whilst many of the 
delicate companions of its early days have died 
out, and are no more. The colours of black 
and yellow in this variety are all that a florist 
can wish for, and the lacing is always cleanly 
cut from the body colour ; its fault is that the 
lacing often fails to cut through the centre and 
edges of each segment of the pip, but when one 
has the good-fortune to bloom it in correct 
style, Cheshire Favourite can scarcely be 
beaten. This variety was raised by Mr. 
Sanders, of Pickmere, near Northwich, Cheshire, 
and so far as I can learn, first appeared as a 
winner in 1844, although it had been in exist¬ 
ence some years before. 
The Polyanthus seems to lend itself more 
kindly to the lithographer than the Auricula. 
The accompanying picture is creditable to all 
concerned in its production, for although the 
foliage is not quite all that one could wish, it 
would be almost impossible to get a better re¬ 
presentation of the flowers than is here given. 
—S. Barlow, Stakehill House, Castleton, near 
Manchester. 
WHAT ZERO HAS TO SAY TO OUR FRUIT-TREES AND ROSES. 
[[ 2 ? UFFER and die 1” is its brief, harsh, hard 
message. Neither their nature nor our 
culture enables them to bear such seve¬ 
rities with safety. Were zero temperature to 
become common with us, we should have to 
make fresh selections of fruits and flowers, and 
adopt new cultural expedients. We have only 
to travel a short way to the north of us 
through Europe, to gain confirmation of this. 
Most of the plants that we cultivate in the 
open air, have to be protected in Russia and 
Sweden. Being more highly favoured in the 
matter of climate, we become the more venture¬ 
some. Not only have we failed to make our 
fruits, flowers, and vegetables more hardy, but 
we are constantly making them more tender. Size 
and quality have been enormously developed, 
too often, it is to be feared, at the expense of 
constitution. Even liberal culture may be said 
to add to the tenderness of plants. Most culti- 
No. 39. IMPERIAL SERIES. 
vators are familiar with the fact that the 
weakliest-looking plants mostly stand climatal 
severities best. It is the fat Broccoli, the Rose3 
with shoots half an inch in diameter, and the 
gross-grown fruit-trees that become the first 
food of the frost. And yet, year by year, the 
obvious lessons taught by such losses are for¬ 
gotten. With the returning sunshine comes the 
usual forcing regimen, resulting in autumn 
giants, that prove pigmies indeed in the first 
grip of the cold. The time seems opportune for 
sounding a note in favour of sacrificing some¬ 
what of the size to the safety of plants. 
Size, after all, is of but little horticultural, 
and less artistic value. The importance 
attached to it among cultivators is a vulgar 
error, a remnant of the barbarous times, when 
tastes were so uncultured that only or chiefly 
size could command attention or secure notice. 
Even fruit-growers need to be reminded that 
D 
