October 1, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
09 
DAHLIA, PARAGON. 
In spite of the rapid strides now being made in the 
improvement of the single Dahlia, it is surprising that 
no improvement has been made on Paragon, which is 
now to be found in almost every garden in which single 
Dahlias at least are grown. We have a few instances 
of seedlings raised from it that differ from the type in 
some respect, as we had at South Kensington on the 
occasion of the last meeting ; but the new-comer could 
hardly be described as an improvement. The brighter 
scarlet of the margin was obtained at the expense of 
the deep maroon ground-colour of the rays. Paragon 
was known as long ago as 1832, but seems to have 
become lost to cultivation for a time, when the single 
varieties again came into fashion. One great improve¬ 
ment that might be effected would be to get a dwarfer 
and more floriferous form. 
-->X<-- 
MIMICRY IN PLANTS. 
Smell and Colour. 
The number of different odours given off by various 
members of the vegetable kingdom is very great, and 
names have been given to those with which we became 
first acquainted, naming them after the plant from 
which they proceeded. Thus we have the 
odour, smell, or scent of the Violet, the 
Primrose, the Wallflower, and the Clove. 
When we recognise the same smell in 
another plant, we say it has got the smell 
of that with which we first became ac¬ 
quainted ; to such a degree is this faculty of 
comparison carried by man, that I have 
heard it remarked that Orchids have no 
smell of their own. Of course this merely 
proceeds from man’s reasoning faculty, 
seeing that whatever plant first pos¬ 
sessed that smell must be entitled to the 
honour of priority. Orchids are of com¬ 
paratively recent introduction, conse¬ 
quently man has compared their odours 
to those of his old acquaintances, and they 
may, for all we know, in many cases have 
a claim to prior possession of their re¬ 
spective odours. Notwithstanding this, we 
say that some have the odour of Violets, 
others of Primroses, Wallflowers, Cin¬ 
namon, honey, Aniseed, milk of Cocoa- 
Nut, pomatum, fresh hay, Angelica, 
Koses, Allspice, Citron, Musk, the lizard 
and goat, or of a druggist’s shop, which 
latter muse be of a very compound nature. 
Amongst other plants we have the Roast 
Beef Plant, the carrion or tainted beef 
plants whose smell is disagreeable in 
the extreme to our olfactory nerves, 
the Musk-tree, and the Brandy-bottle. 
The same remarks applying to smell, 
apply also to colour; accordingly we 
speak of rose, pink, violet, brick, blood, 
Peach, Apricot, and sky-blue colours. 
Complimentary or corresponding colours 
are implied by using such names as Purity, 
Innocence, nivea The Bride, Blushing 
Bride, and Bridesmaid to denote that 
plants bearing them or their flowers are of the same 
pure white or delicate colour. A study of the language 
of flowers would bear out these and many other 
instances of comparison. Ball of Fire, fiery-scarlet, 
and flame-colour are appellations of another kind, 
while some superstitious or imaginative people believe 
that the red colour of carnivorous plants is due, not 
only to the blood of the animals devoured by them, 
but is actually blood. The colour, however, has 
nothing to do with blood. 
Animals furnish a great many instances of familiar 
colours to which man has likened his favourite flowers 
of more recent acquaintance. By the application 
of such names as tigrina, leopardinum, pardinum, 
pavonia, and meleagris, we signify that the flowers 
bearing them have the spotting of the tiger, leopard, 
panther, peacock, and guinea-hen respectively. The 
Tiger Lily, Panther Lily, &c., have reference to 
the same thing. More recently a want of names 
has been felt to express the numerous tints and 
shades of the artificially raised flowers—the produc¬ 
tions of man’s raising. Attempts have been made, 
especially by the French, to classify, define and popu¬ 
larise these colours by calling into service the colours, 
not very well defined, it may be, in many cases, of 
various familiar animals or natural objects. Goat 
colour, Gooseberry colour, and crushed Strawberry will 
give an idea of the application in this case. Primary 
applications of certain specific colours serve their 
purpose admirably, but they (the colours) are frequently 
so unstable that secondary names have to be given, and 
when the varietal colour is applied we have very con¬ 
flicting appellations, and the first name, paradoxical as 
it may seem, loses it significance. Familiarity and the 
flexibility of language blunts our discernment of the 
incongruity, which, however, remains a silent witness 
of our inconsistency or short-sighted faculty in the 
formation of names and clearness or perspicuity of 
language. Our language allows it, yet no one on 
reflection can fail to perceive the incongruity ; logically, 
in speaking of a white or a yellow Rose, a red Rose, a 
yellow or white Carnation, a white or a blue or purple 
Violet, and a white or a pink Blue-bell. Nobody resents 
the use of such names, yet, simply because less familiar, 
we laugh at the idea of a white Blackbird, a White 
Black Currant, or a White Red Currant ; although all 
these things naturally exist. The Irishman has been 
blamed for the expression that a Blackberry is red 
when it is green, and, paradoxical as it may seem, 
there is a certain amount of truth in it. Botanical as 
well as English names are frequently no less faulty, as 
evidenced by Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, literally 
translated as the white-yellow flower. 
Dahlia, Paragon. 
Eyes, Nose, Mouth, and Teeth. 
All these are frequently referred to in one way or 
other, and some instances have already been given. 
Maxillaria recalls the mouth or jaws of some animal. 
Masdevallia Simula is the pug-nosed Masdevallia ; and 
Leontodon and Dandelion, or the Lion’s-tooth, are 
suggested from the large jagged teeth of the leaves. 
We have a resemblance to the Pheasant’s keen lively 
eye in Narcissus poeticus ; the Ox-eye in Chrysanthe¬ 
mum leucanthemum ; the Sun’s-eye in Tulipa oculis 
solis ; and the Day’s-eyein the “modestcrimson tipped 
flower ” the Daisy. The name is derived from two 
Saxon words, deeges age, signifying the day’s eye, 
probably suggested from the fact that the Daisy opens 
its flower to greet the sun, and closes at night. The 
allusion is certainly a happy one.— F. 
-- 
THE KINVER SEED FARMS. 
On the Worcestershire borders of Staffordshire, not 
far from the town of Stourbridge, lies a farm—or, 
rather, three farms—which comprise within their area 
aperfect plethora of horticultural treasures and novelties. 
These are the famous Kinver farms of Messrs. Webb & 
Sons, of Wordsley, whose name needs only to be men¬ 
tioned in The Gardening World to be recognised by 
all your readers. The village of Kinver lies mostly at 
the foot of a slope, upon the summit of which Messrs. 
Webb’s estate—for the land occupied by them is mostly 
their own property—lies. The farms cover something 
like 1,600 acres, and the whole area is employed in 
raising and testing seeds for garden and farm crops ; 
but even this space only suffices for the growth of 
“stock” seeds, the bulk for market being grown from 
them in various suitable districts, and covering, in the 
aggregate, nearly 17,000 acres. The business done at 
Kinver is principally that of experiment and trial. 
Year after year, with infinite patience and the most 
practised skill, the work of selecting “the best from 
the best,” and—to use an apparent Hibernicism—im¬ 
proving it, goes on. That Messrs. Webb do, as a matter 
of fact, “improve the best ” is very plain. There is no 
finality in nature, and there is, therefore, none in 
gardening. Year after year sees the present perfection 
surpassed in the ceaseless straining for still higher 
results. 
Thus it is at Kinver. By selection, hybridisation, 
and cultivation, new varieties designed to perpetuate 
the virtues, and eliminate the failings of the parent 
kinds are constantly being produced and brought before 
a more and more exacting public. At the time of our 
visit a few weeks since, there were about 2,300 trials of 
vegetables and flowers alone in progress at Kinver. A fair 
idea of the scale of magnitude upon which 
the trials and cultivation of every crop are 
carried on, may be gathered by taking Peas 
as an example. No less than 85 acres 
were occupied by this crop alone, and 
the trial plots included about 150 sorts. 
A new variety of Pea has this season 
been under cultivation, for which Messrs. 
Webb anticipate a great success as soon as 
it is offered to the public. This is a cross, 
as yet unnamed, between Ne Plus Ultra 
and Telephone, and combines the shape of 
the former with the Pea of the latter. 
The earliest blue wrinkled marrow Pea is 
the Wordsley Wonder, a variety intro¬ 
duced three years ago as the result of 
crosses between Advancer, Little Gem, 
and Prizetaker. As a main crop Pea, 
Messrs. Webb’s famous Chancellor is un¬ 
surpassed at Kinver, while other notable 
kinds are Kinver Gem, Electric Light, 
Perfection, Kinver Marrow, and Triumph. 
Potatos occupy a considerable breadth 
of land, and a good deal of attention at 
Kinver. There were 70 acres appropri¬ 
ated to this crop at the time of our 
visit. Messrs. Webb devote an infinity 
of assiduous care to the improvement 
of the tuber, and to the raising of new 
varieties. No doubt one of the chief safe¬ 
guards against disease is the cultivation 
of new crosses. The old kinds, however 
excellent, and at first disease-resisting, 
seem after a time inevitably to degenerate 
and succumb. They “have their little 
day, and cease to be ” disease-resisting. 
A bare statement of the achievements of 
Messrs. Webb with regard to this crop 
suffices to show that, at least, they 
have not been idle. In 1886 they 
brought out three new varieties, viz., Kinver Hill, 
Discovery, and Benefactor, all of -which have now an 
established reputation. For the present year their 
introductions were also three in number, W T ordsley 
Pride, a second early Kidney and great cropper; Renown, 
also a second early variety of dwarf and neat appear¬ 
ance when growing, an extraordinary cropper with 
good shape, size, and flavour ; Red King, a red-skinned 
main crop variety of strong habit of growth, a heavy 
cropper and first-class keeper. In addition to old- 
established favourites, such as Surprise, Early Ashleaf, 
&e., Messrs. Webb have several new seedlings coming 
on for offer next season. Some of these have already 
received First Class Certificates, and great things are 
anticipated of them. One of these, which we saw, is a 
cross between White Elephant and Magnum Bonum, 
and is likely to make a good hit. Messrs. Webb’s 
manager at any rate fancies it very much. 
Other vegetables of all kinds receive proportionate 
attention. There were large quantities of Cabbage, 
the chief varieties cultivated being the popular Emperor, 
Flockmaster (especially recommended for farm cultiva¬ 
tion), and Imperial. Of Savoys, the New Kinver 
Globe and Little Wonder are the best known kinds. 
In Broccoli, there are May Queen and Champion ; in 
Carrots, Defiance, Intermediate, and Market Favourite ; 
in Celery, Mammoth Red and Pearl White ; in Cauli- 
