184 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 21, 1885. 
CARNATIONS IN WINTER. 
These favourite winter flowers are also known as 
perpetual-flowering and tree Carnations, but call them 
what we may, their value is by no means diminished 
or increased thereby. At this season of the year, and 
onwards for three or four months, these flowers are 
eagerly sought after, and command good prices, 
probably on account of the ever welcome fragrance 
emitted by them, and their suitability for personal 
adornment. Why this particular section should be 
designated perpetual I can hardly understand, seeing 
that they only have their special season of flowering, 
like the section favoured by the florists, this being 
reversed from summer to winter owing to the special 
mode of culture which has been adopted to bring it 
about. Thus for example the Carnations and Picotees 
which flower so freely during the summer-time are from 
plants layered for the most part in the previous year ; 
while the winter-flowering section are the result of 
cuttings taken and rooted from January onwards, and 
grown on in pots specially for the purpose of winter 
flowering, and in so far as my observations go, the 
length of the flowering period of both sections appear 
about equal. 
I mention this particular with a view to show that 
other kinds as well as those we now call perpetual or 
tree Carnations may, with similar treatment, be equally 
valuable as winter flowers; for who would object to a 
good bloom of the old-fashioned Crimson.Clove in mid¬ 
winter, and would it not be equally as welcome as at 
midsummer i But while saying this, I must be frank 
with the readers of The Gardening "Would by inform¬ 
ing them that, while I have not tried the experiment 
with that particular kind, I have with some others, 
and which are regarded as strictly summer flowers. 
Having some three or four years since to provide large 
quantities of choice white flowers in winter, these 
Carnations had to be taken in hand, and besides having 
a good assortment of the kinds duly recognised as 
perpetuals, I selected some seedling border Carnations 
which appeared very anxious to flower, these were the 
result of a late spring-sown batch from choice seed, and 
not caring to risk them in our cold and singularly stiff 
soil, they had been grown in pots 6 ins. in diameter, 
and began to push flower growth late in November. To 
give them a fair trial, they were removed to a cool 
greenhouse among Lapagerias, Camellias, Tea Eoses, 
and other subjects requiring similar treatment. Being 
seedlings, we had at flowering time good, bad, and 
indifferent flowers ; still it was sufficiently con¬ 
vincing to my mind that more might be done with 
them. 
The same season I also tried the Bride (Hodge’s), 
rooting it from cuttings in the early part of the year, 
and growing on precisely in the same way as the per¬ 
petuals in pots; I got about one hundred plants of this 
variety in 8-in. pots, and was rewarded with some very 
handsome blossoms. I afterwards got to know that 
this kind when well established in pots will stand forc¬ 
ing with impunity, and as it is a variety of sterling 
merit it should be included in the list of winter flower¬ 
ing ones, and Heated accordingly ; but now a word or 
two as to the tree Carnations : —Those which formed 
the earliest batch should be in 6 in. or 8 in. pots, the re¬ 
mainder in large 48’s ; a cool greenhouse temperature 
will suit them well, such as is fitting for single and 
double Primulas, Cyclamens, and such like; once a 
week a little manure water will be highly beneficial to 
them, getting it in over night so that it will be about 
the same temperature as the soil by the time it is 
required for use. Green fly is probably the worst 
pest to it, but these are easily overcome by occasionally 
fumigating the house, which must not be kept too 
moist. 
Those who require a small collection of these charm¬ 
ing flowers will find excellent scarlets in Vulcan, Alega- 
tiere, Daybreak, Prince of Wales, Lucifer, and Life 
Guardsman. In whites we have none to beat White 
Swan, The Bride, La Belle and Avalanche. Yellows, 
Mrs. Hawtry and Andalusia ; flesh or soft delicate 
pink finds all that is needed in Miss Jolilfe, which is 
of compact bushy habit and very free flowering. Mad¬ 
ame Alegatiere is dwarf and a bright pleasing Eose, and 
Irona is a bright pink. Besides these there are many 
more with varying shades of colour or combinations of 
colour in one flower ; those cited above, however, are 
all good and decided colours in then' way, and likely to 
give satisfaction to even the most fastidious. — J. 
CRINUM POWELLI. 
Through the kindness of C. B. Powell, Esq., of The 
Old Hall, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, and by the 
aid of a photograph taken in his garden this year, we 
are enabled to give the accompanjring illustration of 
what is regarded by many as the finest hardy plant 
of recent times. A second photograph, taken later on, 
exhibited the group in still greater beauty, but our 
engraviug being in hand, we were unable to avail our¬ 
selves of it ; it will, therefore, be understood that the 
group we here present were coming into bloom, and 
not at their best. All who have been lucky enough to 
obtain the plant seem to have been equally successful 
with it, and it s'eems to flourish well in all soils and 
situations. In Sir Trevor Lawrence’s garden it has 
been very fine this year ; at Glasnevin it grows into a 
handsome giant, ; and even with Messrs. E. Gr- 
Henderson & Son, who were first entrusted with the 
distribution of the plant, it has proved perfectly hardy, 
and has grown and bloomed in the London smoke 
better than many reputedly hardier things. Planted 
deep, and if possible in a sheltered situation, there is 
no doubt that C. PoweEi is perfectly hardy in any part 
of Great Britain. It is a lovely and sweet flower in the 
garden, and for decoration indoors it is superb, as the 
tall spikes, cut as the first buds are expanding, open 
out the buds one after another as well' as they would 
on the plant, and last for weeks. One tall spike of 
C. Powelli arranged with three or four of its smaller 
leaves in a suitable vase, forms an object of great and 
unusual beauty. 
Mr. Powell writes:— ‘ ‘ Crinum Powelli was raised by me 
from seed about ten years ago when at Bury St. 
Edmunds. The seed bearing parent was Crinum longi- 
folium, both the roseum and album vars. being 
hybridised with the pollen of Mooreanum, and it possesses 
undoubtable traits of both its parents. The bulbs are 
as largeasMooreanum,anditgrowsfrom 2ft. to 3 ft. high, 
differing from longifolium, the glaucous green foliage of 
which, generally rests on the surface of the soil. The 
foliage of C. Powelli, is a dark bright green, in shape 
resembling C. longifolium, i. e ., the leaves are 5 ft. long, 
and 3 ins. wide at the base, and taper to a point. C. 
Mooreanum has leaves of a uniform width, but they are 
of a softer thinner texture, and apt to be split by the 
wind, except in very favourable localities such as at Glas¬ 
nevin, where they grow 4 ft. long. In Kent, planted 
in the same bed with C. Powelli, they are certainly not 
so hardy, and would very likely be crippled by a severe 
winter. C. Powelli has been out-of-doors ever since it 
left the seed pan, it may therefore be deemed perfectly 
hardy, and plants of it sent to Scotland have also stood 
over several winters. The only care necessary in 
planting, is to have it sufficiently deep as it lias a very 
long collar, and to have manure or good compost for it to 
root into, well below the bottom of the bulb. It will then 
take care of itself, either in full sun or in any aspect not 
exposed to tree drip. It blooms from the middle of 
July to the end of September, the flower stems raising 
themselves well above the foliage, and the individual 
blooms are superior to those of either parent, and very 
much resemble Amaryllis Belladonna in shape, though 
larger, and their colour varies from deep rose to a light 
pale pink. Amongst 100 plants raised, two or three 
were a perfectly clear white, quite equal to any stove 
Crinum, and these are the most perfect also in shape 
and breadth of petal, but do not seem to grow or increase 
so fast as the coloured forms, which are very free. The 
white form is the produce of C. L. roseum, as strange 
to say the seedlings from C. L. album produced the 
deepest varieties of pink. Each scape has from twelve 
to fifteen flowers, which in the bud stage, are all of 
a deeper tint than when expanded, whilst in the variety 
C. P. album, the buds are green. Whilst every bloom 
almost of C. longifolium produces seed, C. Powelli seems 
unfertile, though its pollen has not yet been tested with 
other Crinums, and being abundantly produced should 
be tried with some other hardy kind. When first raised, 
some plants of it were tried to be grown in pots, but 
would not do at all, where C. Mooreanum flourished 
and increased in the same soil and conditions as to 
temperature, but it evidently likes to be let alone, and 
as seldom disturbed at the roots as possible.” 
No doubt home-bred seedlings are hardier than 
imported species, provided they be not nursed from the 
beginning, and Mr. Powell's success in this instance, 
will, no doubt, be followed by others. There is no 
reason why the greater part of the strong growing Cape 
Nerines, Brunsvigias, &c., which some grow so well, but 
others make such bad work with in the greenhouse, 
should not be as hardy as the Belladonna Lily, and the 
Crinum capense (longifolia), which comes from the same 
regions, and which are perfectly hardy here. Deep 
planting, and, if possible, close to a sunny wall seems 
to be the chief things necessary to establish such bulbs, 
and once they are established, the great thing is to 
avoid disturbing them. 
-—>-S<—-- 
TRAFFORD PARK. 
Visitors to the flower shows at' Old Trafford, near 
Manchester, will have noticed opposite the entrance the 
noble arched gateway and lodges which form the chief 
entrance into Trafford Park, the residence of Sir 
Humphrey de Trafford, Bart., a descendant of an old 
Saxon family, notwithstanding the French prefix “de.” 
This prefix was used for a century, or a little over, 
during Norman times, but was dropped as the hated 
Normans lost power, and only assumed again by royal 
sanction by the father of the present baronet, after the 
title was conferred upon him in connection with the 
reclamation of the Trafford and Chat Mosses. The 
first Traffords were living on their Manor of Trafford 
in the time of the Danes, and there they have 
resided ever since, playing an important part in the 
history of this country. They possess vast estates which 
are annually increasing in value, and will, without 
doubt, increase more rapidly with the formation of the 
new Ship Canal. The park itself is most interesting, 
and full of beauties of its own ; and though so near the 
busy manufacturing towns of Manchester and Salford, 
one may loose ourselves in thought, and imagine that 
we are much farther from the hum of busy life than is 
really the case. 
As we enter by the old Trafford gates, we pass over 
the railway leading to the Central Station, Manchester, 
and also over the Bridgewater Canal, both being 
spanned by handsomely designed arches, and from here 
to the mansion is exactly two miles. The first objects 
to claim notice are young plantations on either side 
many feet below us, yet shutting out the distant view ; 
passing which, the road suddenly bends, and a flue 
stretch of lawn bursts on our view, with the canal on 
one hand and the river Irwell on the other. These 
two water-ways form the park into a peninsula, and 
but for the exception of about 30 yds. it would be an 
island containing nearly 1,600 acres. The park contains 
herds of young highland and short-horn cattle, sheep, 
red and fallow deer. The view here is enchanting ; 
away on the right are seen the well-wooded heights of 
Buile Hill and Hart Hill, on the left is Stretford, and 
beyond is seen the hills of Alderley, and others, while 
looking southward over the trees lays Trafford and 
Chat Moss. Presently we pass a venerable farm-house 
well-clothed with Ivy ; this is the residence of Sir. Bell, 
the farm bailiff, who lias, carried out great improve¬ 
ments under Sir Humphrey. Where we are now 
passing was, forty years ago, a rough open bog, on 
which cottagers had the right to cut turf for firing. 
These rights were bought by Sir Humphrey, who came 
into possession in 1852, and who had this land drained, 
trenched, and sown with grass ; the drains pass into a 
lake formed on the slope leading down to the river 
meandering round the park. The plantations have a 
pretty effect in spring when carpeted with young Fern 
fronds and Blue bells. There are some grand Beech 
trees, and some Oaks are seen as we get nearer to the 
mansion ; but we regret to say that the latter are fast 
dying out, having never recovered from the severe frosts 
of a few years ago. Wild birds, such as herons, ducks, 
&c., are frequent visitors ; we hear the crowing of cock 
pheasants, anon the whirr of partridges. The very hares 
and rabbits seem tame here, and not alarmed as we 
pass on. There has been here for the last two years a 
rook whose wings are black and white. There are 
several rookeries in the trees on the river brink. 
We now reach the mansion, a stone building of the 
style so common about 160 years ago. This was built 
by the father and grandfather of the present baronet ; 
and adjoining to the ancient “ Wycklewieke ” hall, 
with its Tudor windows and Ivy-clad walls, which 
has been incorporated with the modern mansion. As 
we skirt the mansion, we note some of the wonderful 
old Oaks in the drive—descendants, no doubt, of the 
old forest which once stood here—and make our way to 
the gardens, passing the noble pile of buildings form¬ 
ing the stables, coach-houses, and home farm. The 
gardens are on either hand. The kitchen garden is 
