6 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 3, 1887. 
varieties of tire Iris mentioned are planted in peaty soil, 
and kept well watered. They had finished flowering 
by the time of our visit, with the exception of Henry 
Irving, a dark-flowered and evidently late form. Deep 
soil and an unstinted supply of moisture are requisite 
for a vigorous and free development of the huge tropical- 
looking leaves of the Gunnera mentioned. The culti¬ 
vation of a collection of Bamboos is a new venture at 
this establishment and one which it is desirable to en¬ 
courage. When exposed to the keen searching winds 
of our severest winters, Bamboos suffer greatly ; but 
sheltered by the kindly influence of hedges and other 
similar objects capable of breaking the.force of the wind, 
some species undoubtedly not only thrive satisfactorily, 
but are handsome objects worthy of the highest con¬ 
sideration. Bambusa aurea, Fortunei, nigra, violescens, 
Japonica, and the square-stemmed Bamboo are some of 
the species under trial to test their hardiness in this 
country. 
--- 
HOLLYHOCKS AT WEST 
DULWICH. 
The Hollyhock, as it was known twenty or thirty 
years ago, is being revived in stronger force than ever. 
The old love for them had not died out, but was 
perforce strangled by the ravages of the Hollyhock 
disease, which culminated in 1873 and 1874, resulting 
In the destruction, or nearly so, of the largest and best 
plantations in the country. Since then the Hollyhock 
had been almost discarded from the list of plants 
cultivated, because of the unprofitableness of the 
attention and labour bestowed on them. It was 
thoroughly believed that the system of cultivation had 
been greatly instrumental in compassing the de¬ 
struction of this—one of the grandest and most popular 
of florists’ flowers, but after the lapse of a few years the 
disease has almost disappeared from gardens, although 
it still exists on Malva sylvestris and Lavatera arborea 
in a wild condition, where the TJredo state, at least, of 
Puecinia malvacearum, the Hollyhock disease, does a 
certain amount of damage to plants growing in very 
dry sheltered positions. 
Mr. James Blundell, who carries on his labours in 
Hollyhock culture in the Mantell Road, West Dulwich, 
pursues a more rational and natural method in the 
propagation and after-cultivation of this stately garden- 
plant, than was the case when heat was employed to 
hasten the rooting of eyes or cuttings in by-gone years^ 
His two most favourite modes of propagation are by 
seeds and eyes. The certainty of reproducing any 
particular variety by eyes is unquestionable ; but the 
varieties reproduce themselves from seeds with wonder¬ 
ful accuracy, as Mr. Blundell has certified to his own 
satisfaction by experiment: and this he amply de¬ 
monstrated by showing us a number of seedlings that 
had come true to name, or if any difference existed, it 
could not be detected even by a different shade of colour. 
In connection with the production of seed, it may be 
german to this object to state that Hollyhocks are 
great favourites with bees, to the single or semi-double 
flowers of which access is easy ; but in the case of the 
large and finely double productions, with densely 
packed petals, bees, and large ones especially, have 
difficulty of obtaining access to the styles and pollen. 
To ensure fertilisation Mr. Blundell presses the petals 
apart, so as to facilitate the entrance of bees, which 
avail themselves of this advantage. A large quantity 
of fine seeds are being produced this year, even by the 
very best sorts ; and seedlings of the newest and best 
types are grown in pots ready for distribution— 
strong healthy plants, with good roots and foliage. 
The method of propagation by eyes is an old one, 
but is here carried on under judicious and natural 
conditions that do not affect the constitution of the 
plant, nor render it subject to disease; whilst the 
healthy condition of the plants, both old and young, 
and their immunity from the Hollyhock disease is 
remarkable. The lateral shoots are generally utilised 
for this purpose, and are taken off at any time during 
the summer, even after they have become somewhat 
hardened, and have lost their lower leaves, provided 
there is a bud in the axil of the leaf or at the node of 
the fallen one. All leaves present, or simply the blade, 
are removed, and the whole stems cut into lengths 
without any waste, the cut being made with a sharp 
knife immediately below each node. These are inserted 
vertically in pans filled with very sandy soil, burying 
the lower part containing the eye about 1 in. or 
more beneath the surface. The exposed upper ends 
gradually die away by the time the cutting has formed 
roots and developed leaves. After a week or two the 
exposed portion L is to all intents and purposes dead 1 
and the batch of eyes would appear to have failed ; but 
we were convinced to the contrary when the eyes were 
pulled up, showing that the base had callused in a 
very satisfactory way, and the originally dormant eye 
had pushed some way—in fact, was about to emerge— 
from the soil. Mr. Blundell assured us that ninety to 
ninety-five per cent, of these eyes succeeded and formed 
plants. 
'West Dulwich is on the London clay, and the site of 
the garden itself occupies an old brickfield, so that the 
difficulties to be encountered in cultivating plants in 
brick-earth overlying a heavy clay, are of no mean kind 
in any one year, whether there is much or little rain— 
the extremes being worst. Notwithstanding the ex¬ 
cessive drought there has been no cracking of the soil, 
and this fact is wholly attributable to the heavy 
manuring and dressings it gets before any crop is laid 
down, and especially before a plantation of Hollyhocks, 
which remain for two years undisturbed, is made. 
Sewer sand, London road scrapings, and garden refuse, 
wood and other materials slowly charred, not burnt to 
a powder, are laid on the ground without stint or 
measure, before being trenched. The garden refuse 
sweetens the ground, at the same time affording a great 
quantity of potash, and great value is attributed to the 
sewer sand, both on account of the manurial properties 
it contains, and the mechanical effect it has on the 
porosity of the soil. The plants in the open ground 
have not been watered at all during the whole summer, 
and from the fact that the plants have not suffered 
proportionately to the drought, Mr. Blundell adduces 
that the sewer sand must contain salt, and thereby 
adds materially to the water-holding power of the soil. 
Deep trenching has also to be taken into account. 
It has been the work of five years to bring up the 
present excellent strain of Hollyhocks, and three years 
were spent and no trouble spared before any of the five 
existing types made their appearance. All the stock 
from which the race has been derived is to be rigidly 
discarded, the roots sold at a cheap rate, and nothing 
kept but the very best varieties, which will be planted 
extensively on the ground cleared. Purple Prince, 
purple ; Marion Foster, buff: Modesty, blush-white ; 
Horace, bright crimson ; Norma, blush ; Rosalie, deep 
rose ; Robina, rosy crimson; Helen, ash-grey; King of 
Buffs, buff; Favourite, fawn ; Champion, golden buff; 
and Yirginie, white, are some of the best of the old sorts 
which are to be discarded—-the intention being to secure 
a race as fine as the favourite Hollyhocks were some 
thirty years ago. Even if old types should be 
represented, now dead, the new productions are to all 
intents and purposes new varieties. 
Most of the new forms, while preserving the guards 
peculiar to the old sorts, have gained immensely in size 
and in being more fully double. The guards, which 
consist of the outer or primary petals, give a finish to 
the whole flower, the effect of which is undeniable. 
Princess of Wales, a reddish pink and one of the largest 
and finest, by crossing has given rise to seedlings 
reproducing the parent and two others equally grand, 
but differing in the shade of colour. These are Mrs. 
Barron, a rose-pink, and Henry Neville, a salmon-pink, 
both very large and double. Ettie Beale is a full 
double, pale delicate blush. Shirley Hibberd, a large 
rosy crimson, is regarded as one of the most distinct, 
and readily distinguishable on account of the broad 
undulated petals interlocking or plaiting with one 
another in the centre of the flower. The latter, 
together with A. F. Barron, a large, deep crimson, 
with somewhat undulated petals, reproduce them¬ 
selves true to name from seeds. A fine primrose- 
yellow flower named Primrose Gem, was certificated 
last year at Kensington, together with Princess 
of Wales and Shirley Hibberd. The only flower 
of the choice named sorts that we noticed without 
guards is Her Majesty, a huge flesh-coloured flower, 
tinted with purple towards the base of the petals. This 
apparent absence of guards is due to the central petals 
being so long as to overlap the outer ones. Miss Roupell, 
bronze and gold, is a very fine and perfectly double 
flower with wavy petals. A grand cream-coloured sort 
named Mary Anderson is one of the finest, and comes 
true from seed. The best white is Yenus, of great 
purity, with wavy and crimped petals, and highly 
suitable for wreath making. Niphetos is of medium 
size, and styled on that account a pompone white ; but, 
except for size, it has all the other characteristics of 
Yenus. The guards are very broad, as might be 
expected from the smaller development of the central 
petals. A large deep rose, with densely packed petals, 
and named Prince of Wales, produces stately spikes 
of great length. Henry Irving, a deep claret, large 
and finely double flower, reproduces itself true from 
seed ; but one of the most distinct seedlings, the 
result of crossing, and as yet unnamed, has flowers 
resembling the Heliotrope in colour, with the petals 
changing to a deep violet-purple at the base. It is 
highly distinct and noticeable from the fact that it 
resembles no other in the collection. A fine canary- 
yellow, named Princess Beatrice, is notable on account 
of its beautiful shape, as well as its colour. A darker 
yellow free-flowering kind is Aurea, which has the 
peculiarity of sending out lateral flowering shoots from 
the nodes that have flowered, and continue a succession 
till late in autumn. Miss Charman is also a fine 
flower. 
Plants raised from a German strain of seeds, exhibit 
very large, but coarse and only partly double flowers, 
which, however, may produce something fine by 
improvement with the choicer home-raised produc¬ 
tions. Old plants have almost finished flowering, but 
seedlings raised in February will soon be at their best. 
Their large healthy leaves are quite encouraging, and 
the numerous shoots produced by them from near the 
base will continue the flowering period till late in the 
autumn. 
-•«<->- 
CROSS-BREEDING OF WHEAT. 
Some years ago one of the most successful breeders 
and improvers of garden plants commenced the im¬ 
provement of Wheat. His plan was to originate an 
earlier variety than Talavera, and in making the 
attempt he crossed some of our best and most pro¬ 
ductive sorts—esteemed for their superior quality— 
with an early variety from Japan. The experts have 
not found the crossing of Wheat a difficult operation, 
though it certainly requires care. That Messrs. James 
Carter & Co. have effected it no one will doubt, after 
seeing the collection of ears of crossed Wheats in their 
museum at Holborn or their standing crops in Essex. 
The horticultural expert just referred to has become 
famous for the improvement of Peas, fruits and vege¬ 
tables, and one cannot doubt that if he had pursued 
his improvements on Wheat, he would long ago have 
launched on the market some improved sorts. What 
he failed to carry out Messrs. Carter, we may hope, 
will successfully accomplish. 
In connection with our subject of breeding, it should 
be borne in mind that calculated labours and skilful 
matching must necessarily produce better results than 
hap-hazard crossing, and as Wheat is one of those 
plants whose florets are invariably self-fertilised, 
“natural” crossing, if ever it occurred, must neces¬ 
sarily be hap-hazard. A breeder, on the contrary, 
will work by method, and in introducing the pollen 
of another kind of Wheat, he will keep in view the 
particular modification which he desires to effect. It 
is within his power, for example, to establish in his 
cross an earlier or a later habit, and so on. The 
famous Scotch breeder, Patrick Shirreff, crossed his 
Bearded White Wheat — having small seeds — with 
Talavera, which is known for its large grains, and the 
defect was at once removed. 
Mr. Shirred"s King Richard was the offspring of 
parents, one of which was bearded, while the other 
wanted that appendage, and the result was that the 
ear of King Richard, though apparently beardless at 
first sight, was not entirely so, since the ends of the 
chaff, at the upper part of the thickest ear, were 
furnished with bristles. Under similar circumstances 
one of the new kinds raised at Forest Hill by the 
crossing of a bearded with a smooth-eared Wheat, owns 
an ear furnished with prickles at the top, and the 
enterprising manager for the firm believes that the 
peculiarity will prove valuable, since his experience has 
assured him, both at Forest Hill and on the farm in 
Essex, that this prickly ear is completely bird-proof. 
A Wheat so modified as to baulk the sparrows cannot 
fail to be useful in all countries which that cosmopolitan 
bird has colonised, including Australia, New Zealand, 
and America, in all of which he has proved a terrible 
pest. 
Several crosses were effected between Talavera and 
other more robust varieties for the sake of obtaining 
an early sort, and at the same time one which should 
be endowed with vigorous habit, and the results on the 
ears are exceedingly characteristic. We would here 
remark that new varieties, earlier than the old ones, 
would prove particularly welcome in all the later 
Wheat-growing districts, and, in fact, in the forward 
neighbourhoods as well, on account of the great 
advantage of getting the fields cleared in time for 
autumn tillage, and for the sake, sometimes, of winning 
the race to market when a fall of prices is expected. 
