July'2, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
699 
Home Grown Pansies.— A box of blooms 
reaches us from Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanky, 
Kent. Judging from the size of the flowers, Pansies at 
“ The Home of Flowers ” would not seem as yet to be 
suffering from the drought that has been prevailing for 
some time and silently working havoc amongst garden 
plants generally. Amongst others were some excellent 
self-coloured blooms of merit. A deep velvety black 
form, with a small yellow eye, would constitute a good 
exhibition bloom, and several other self-coloured purples) 
in various shades, were noticeable for their size. The 
parti-coloured flowers, however, from their being more 
conspicuous are most attractive to the general public. 
Amongst these several yellows, or forms in which a 
yellow ground colour is most predominant, claim a 
large share of attention. The three lower petals are 
almost invariably furnished with a black spot of various 
sizes, giving character to individual forms. In one of 
these all the petals were furnished with a broad, 
brownish purple, velvety margin ; this gave place to 
orange-buff, orange-crimson, or some other fiery colour 
in several other distinct and attractive forms. Where 
the ground colour is white or creamy white, the blotches 
on the lower petals are violet. Many of these blooms 
were distinctly and pleasantly fragrant. 
Pancratium maritimum— Only two of the 
species of this noble genus are hardy, and when grown 
in a border, intermingled with various other hardy 
plants, as the present species is at Chiswick, in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, its distinct 
and bold appearance singles it out as an uncommon 
thing. The pure white flowers are borne in large 
umbels just above the numerous strap-shaped leaves, 
and, like many of the other species, are fragrant. In 
the Chiswick specimens the leaves die down in winter, 
and the large bulbs under such conditions prove quite 
hardy. If the soil is at all heavy, a quantity of sand 
and peat, mixed with that in which the bulbs are 
planted, will greatly assist in keeping the soil cool 
and open. 
Single Pyrethrums.— A boxful of fine cut 
blooms comes from Mr. William Caudwell, The Ivies, 
Wantage. Those who love hardy flowers cannot fail to 
be delighted with the bold massive-looking flower- 
heads of the varieties of P. roseum, now so plentiful in 
gardens. Those sent us were unnamed (probably 
seedlings), exhibiting all shades of colour, from pure 
white ranging through blush, flesh coloured or pink, 
and rose up to an intense shade of red, almost crimson 
colour. They measured 3 ins. to 3£ ins. across the 
ray, which is always the greatest feature of attraction ; 
the disk being of a deep golden yellow, even in the 
white varieties, except in those forms exhibiting an 
attempt to become double or quilled, as in a quilled 
Aster, when the disk is coloured as in the ray. Mr. 
Caudwell grows them in quantity as there is a great 
demand for seed. Seedlings flower the second year, 
and if well treated form large specimens by that time, 
producing fine flowers, single or double, according to 
the strain. The ray-florets, in many cases, are of great 
length, broad, flat and frequently arranged several tiers 
one over the other. Cut blooms last a long time in 
excellent condition when put in water, and even 
recover if they have previously been flagging. 
Begonia Arthur Mallet. —Alongside of the 
original type this would hardly be recognised as 
belonging to B. incarnata, so great is the improvement 
in the size of the leaves, which are obliquely heart- 
shaped, 6 ins. to 11 ins. long, and 3 ins. to 6 ins. at 
the widest. The colour is also very novel, being of a 
lively fiery or bronzy red, altogether different from the 
blackish purple colour of good forms of B. incarnata. 
Flowers are also produced abundantly on pendent 
branching stalks, and they, as well as the large seed- 
pods, are of a bright pink colour. The plant is, 
however, most valuable for its foliage, and cannot fail 
to give satisfaction if grown for that purpose alone. 
Beautiful specimens of it are to be seen at the Chelsea 
nurseries of Messrs. James Yeitch & Sons. 
Iberis Gibraltarica.— Without wishing to de¬ 
tract from the merits of the description of this hardy 
variety of the Candytuft given by “ W. G.” at p. 683, 
I cannot but point out that it coincides exactly with 
the delineation I should write of Iberis corifolia, one of 
the best-habited, freest to bloom, and purest-coloured 
of flower of all the section. I had always thought that 
I. Gibraltarica was but half hardy, and the flowers 
tinged with pink.— A. D. 
The Alpha-Acme Label Rest. — Messrs. 
Storrie & Storrie, nurserymen, Dundee, send us a 
sample, in three sizes, of a label brought out and 
patented by them under the above name. A piece of 
galvanised iron wire is so twisted about the middle as 
to carry a wooden label in a horizontal position. The 
free ends of the wire, by insertion in the ground, con¬ 
stitute the support of the label. There are two loops 
in which this may be inserted or removed at pleasure, 
the support being light, durable, and practically im¬ 
perishable. The wooden label is first painted with 
white and then with black. The name of the plant is 
then written with some hard-pointed instrument while 
the black paint is wet, which has the effect of showing 
up the letters in white on a black background. Wooden, 
zinc, or other labels may be used ; but the former are 
guaranteed to remain legible for fifteen or twenty years, 
although we should add that a label lasting half that 
time would be a boon to gardeners generally. One 
good advantage possessed by the label rest is that the 
name of the plant it carries is kept clear of the soil, and 
not liable to get lost by the rapid decay of the wood. 
Foxgloves. —That these are vastly improved in 
habit as well as in quality of flower is evident from 
the ■ strain I have here, the spikes of which, whilst 
laden with flowers, packed closely and forming masses 
of several colours, are still not more than 24 ins. to 
30 ins. in height; and though their altitude will be 
increased, yet on the whole the average height is fully 
15 ins. to 18 ins. less than the older strain exhibited. 
Selection from short stems and compact or well- 
clustered flowers will do much in the direction of 
producing this desired result, whilst the objectionable 
legginess so often urged against Foxgloves as garden 
plants is non-existent. Few persons who have not 
grown some of the more select garden strains can tell 
how really beautiful they are when in bloom. The 
colours range from pure white, with the throats heavily 
blotched with deep maroon, to dark red, also beautifully 
spotted internally ; the intermediate hues being very 
soft and pleasing. A pinch of seed sown at once in a 
pan or shallow box will soon produce an abundance of 
plants, which dibbled out thickly into a small patch 
of ground for a few weeks will prove strong plants to 
put out into the borders early in winter.— A. D. 
Centaurea for Cut Flowers. —We grow a 
good quantity of Centaurea montana and its varieties, 
alba and coerulea, and find them very useful for cut- 
flower work, as they last a long time in water after 
they are cut ; and the fringed appearance of the florets 
on the receptacle, with the colours blue, white, and 
pink, make them stand out in beautiful contrast to 
most other flowers which are in season at the same 
time. These very hardy perennials will grow almost 
anywhere, either in the corners of shrubberies, flower- 
borders or rockeries, and should be largely grown where 
sufficient space is available and cut flowers are required. 
They will give a good supply until they are succeeded 
by the Cornflower, Centaurea cyanus.— Alfred Gaut, 
The Gardens, Copped Hall, Totteridge. 
Primula Reidii. —Whether this new Himalayan 
species is sufficiently vigorous in growth, and hardy 
enough to become a general favourite or not, it is 
certainly a pretty species, of dwarf habit and interest¬ 
ing appearance. It cannot compete with such fine 
species as P. rosea and P. japonica ; but that need be 
no bar to its cultivation for its own individual and 
characteristic beauty. The comparatively large 
drooping white flowers are borne just above the distinct- 
looking hairy foliage, on a scape a few inches high. 
One peculiarity of the flower is that its fragrance 
resembles that of Narcissus poeticus. Several plants 
flowered recently in the Heath House at Kew. 
Anthurium Rothschildianum. —The name 
here given is of a very comprehensive or collective 
nature, seeing that it includes a considerable range of 
variety in colour amongst the forms that can be raised 
from seed. The predominant colours are scarlet, 
white, and yellow, but the distribution of these is 
subject to great but pleasing variation. A great 
number of seedlings in all stages of growth may be 
seen at Messrs. James Yeitch & Sons’ establishment at 
Chelsea. The choicest forms are those with a scarlet 
twisted spadix, and a spathe closely blotched and 
spotted with scarlet on a white ground. The amount 
of scarlet is exceedingly variable on different in¬ 
dividuals, and sometimes even on the same plant. 
Sometimes the spadix is pale yellow ; and this is also 
the case in the variety album, which has a pure white 
spathe. A. Scherzerianum Wardii is a magnificent 
variety with a large soft-scarlet spathe, and broad 
channelled leaves. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Roses. —Now will be found a good time to re-pot 
Roses. Unless these are annually attended to in this 
respect, they are wanting in vigour at forcing time, and 
rendered more liable to the attacks of Aphis ; in fact 
are never so satisfactory as when systematically treated. 
In the case of plants in full-sized pots, it not being 
desirable to give them a further shift, let them be 
turned out of their pots, the size of the ball reduced, 
and then returned to the same size, they will then do as 
well as those shifted ; but by far the better plan is to 
always keep a successional batch of young plants to 
take the place of those becoming too old. This remark 
applies more particularly to H. P's. ; Tea Roses, as a 
rule, seldom do this, added to which they require so 
much less root-room than perpetuals. What can be 
more useful than a good batch of that fine old variety, 
Devoniensis, generally in flower and always admired ? 
With us it is still the best taken, all round. The best 
variety for button-hole work we find to be “ Le Pactole,” 
this on a suitable stock gives a profusion of bloom with 
a delicious perfume. 
Chrysanthemums. — If not completed, attend with¬ 
out further delay to the finishing of the shifting on of 
Chrysanthemums ; and, if possible, let the plunging of 
the plants proceed as the work is carried on. With the 
present dry weather they are apt to suffer ; in fact, if 
room can be found in some shady part where they may 
be stored for a few days before being placed in their 
summer quarters, it will be all the better. Flagging 
is at all times most injurious to them. The summer¬ 
flowering varieties are now coming into flower, and to 
obtain purity of colour we shall place them on the 
stages in the greenhouse. 
The Stoves. —Keep the floors and stages in the 
stoves frequently damped down, and use the syringe 
freely, or thrip will make sad havoc among many of the 
plants. Shift on Celosias as they become sufficiently 
advanced ; through stress of other work we have been 
obliged to throw away one batch which had become 
infested with red-spider. Of course, we at once made 
another sowing, and we quite hope for better results 
than if we had kept the dirty stock on. Poinsettias we 
have removed from the heated to the cold frames, where 
they are freely ventilated ; the only precaution necessary 
being the shading of the frame for a few days rather 
closely, but with plenty of air, gradually reducing the 
shading until they can be fully exposed. Under such 
treatment they give much finer bracts than if kept 
coddled up in heated houses or pits. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Yines. —Much care is now necessary in the giving of 
the Vine borders an abundance of water, or shanking 
may be expected to follow; and what is even of quite as 
much consequence, the clusters will not colour if the 
Vines are kept short of water. Nothing is more to be 
deprecated than splashy waterings in the cultivation of 
the Vine ; a thorough soaking should always be given, 
to be followed, if thought advisable, according to the 
texture of the foliage, by the sprinkling on the surface 
of the inside borders of guano or other artificial manure, 
which will greatly assist in keeping all healthy and 
clean. With the intense sun prevailing, we have had 
the roofs of the vineries containing ripe and ripening 
black Grapes syringed lightly over with lime-wash, 
which helps to retain the colour and also relieves the 
foliage. Care must at all times be taken to freely 
ventilate. Muscats are ripening up fast, and we have 
given the borders a good soaking, using as a manure 
Clay’s Fertiliser, which we find the best. Should the 
weather become changeable—and it is much to be 
desired —the pipes will be kept nicely warmed. The 
variety Mrs. Pearson, which we have inarched on the 
Hamburgh in the second vinery, appears to take a long 
time to mature. The general crop is well advanced in 
colour, while Airs. Pearson is as green as a Leek. 
Should it prove late, we intend trying it under Muscat 
treatment, as I have been assured it is well worth all 
the care that can be given. 
