12 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 6, 1890. 
much better when planted only, say lialf-a-dozen 4 ins. 
or 5 ins. apart. This season has suited Lilium superbum, 
it has been especially fine ; we have some large clumps 
of it, but I think it, too, shows best only a few together 
with trees as a background ; there are many between 
8 ft. and 9 ft., the tallest measures, 10 ft. 6 ins. Mr. 
Huftelen, of New York, has sent me a paper in which 
he recommends Lilium canadense as the national flower 
of the United States in preference to the Golden Rod, 
which has been suggested. I think L. superbum would 
be better as it is not only a more striking Lily, but has 
a better name.— George, F. Wilson , Heatherbank, 
Weybridge Heath. 
A remedy for the Potato Disease. 
Mr. Moriiardt’s remedy for the Potato disease is 
based on the assumption that the fungus is purely ariel 
or atmospheric in its operation, and through the 
foliage. My own experience is that it operates in very 
wet seasons, such as the present one has been so far, 
direct from the old seed tubers through the rootlet 
fibres into the young tubers, and does not come into 
contact with the foliage externally in its course. If 
such were the case, it is difficult to explain the large 
numbers of apparently sound tubers lifted from 
apparently healthy plants early, and which tubers 
were found to be badly diseased internally. I fail to 
see how in such a case, any externally applied remedy 
would destroy a fungus so operating. We owe our 
heavy attack of disease this year specially to excessive 
rainfalls and low temperature. It is obvious that this 
suggested remedy would be useless when rain has fallen 
so regularly and so abundantly. Again it could not 
alleviate low temperatures, and our crops have suffered 
specially from cold ; again it seems impossible to suppose 
that any form of application of the mixture can affect 
a huge mass of Potato tops, as seen in large areas this 
season, from a small vessel carried on a man’s back; it 
would take enormous quantities of the liquid to 
thoroughly saturate haulm which was thick, and 3 ft. 
to 4 ft. high. Possibly the atmospheric conditions of 
Switzerland, as well as cultural methods differ widely 
from ours. Given a dry season and we have no disease 
to trouble us. That would be the best time, however, 
for the application of liquid remedies. When we get 
tremendous downpours of rain day after day, it is 
obvious that such remedies to be useful must also be of 
daily application.— A. D. 
Cucumber, Carter's Model. 
The fruit of this variety is cylindrical, and tapers 
gradually to the base in the last 4 ins. or 6 ins. The 
surface bears a few small prickles, which become almost 
inconspicuous as the fruit attains full size. It some¬ 
times reaches a length of 30 ins., but the average would 
be 24 ins. A house devoted to it for the production of 
seed in the nursery of Messrs. J. Carter & Co., Forest 
Hill, contained the other day between 500 and 600 
fruits, having an imposing appearance on account of 
their size. The plants were put in large boxes about 
eight weeks ago, and the fruits are now approaching 
maturity. The latter were fit for table four weeks 
after being planted. Amongst them we noted a 
peculiar sport having a cylindrical fruit of the unusual 
diameter or thickness of 3 £ ins. ; it measured about 
20 ins., and the surface was bestrewed with compara¬ 
tively strong prickles. Amongst a houseful of seedlings 
this was the only one which differed from the type. 
The Mexican Marigold. 
The leaves of Tagetes lueida are lanceolate, sharply 
serrated, dark green and shining, quite unlike those of 
either the African or French Marigolds, so well known 
in every garden, or Tagetes signata, so much grown 
for summer bedding purposes. The flower heads are 
even smaller than those of the last named, but they 
are remarkably effective, owing to the number produced 
in a terminal corymb. The individual heads are 
generally three-rayed, with broad, short golden yellow 
rays, and at a short distance appear not unlike a 
Milfoil of that hue. The stems are erect, scarcely if 
at all branched, very numerous, and about 1 ft. in 
height ; a large plant of it is therefore very effective. 
Being of a half-hardy nature, it should be grown in a 
sheltered, rather dry position, say on a rockery, where 
the roots will be naturally well drained in winter. A 
good plan also is to keep a few reserve plants in pots in 
a cold frame in case a severe winter should kill those 
in the open ground. It is readily propagated from 
cuttings, and is perennial. A fine plant of it in full 
bloom may be seen in the herbaceous ground at Kew. 
Begonia Martiniana. 
This pretty free blooming species is not cultivated so 
extensively as it deserves. It is of graceful habit, 
throwing, as now seen in Messrs. Thomsons’, Spark- 
hill Nurseries, Birmingham, erect racemes of flowers 
18 ins. long, and of a bright, light, rosy pink colour. 
It can easily be grown as a cool house plant in shallow 
pans, or in pots, say five or six plants in an 8 in. pot 
in ordinary potting soil, and it reproduces itself so 
freely by the formation of a quantity of small pseudo¬ 
bulbs at the axil of each leaf, as well as by tubers. 
Several plants are now coming into flower, and will be 
in bloom for a long time, giving another pretty autumn 
blooming acquisition to our greenhouses .—D S.H. 
Mentzelia bartonioid.es. 
The leaves of this annual are ovate or cordate, mem¬ 
branous, light green, and deeply lobed all along the 
sides much in the same way as those of Primula sinensis. 
The flowers are produced singly at the apices of the 
terminal and lateral branches. The five petals are 
obovate, bright yellow, and a little over half the length 
of the long exserted yellow stamens. It is a native of 
Mexico, and was shown at the last meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society by Mr. Geo. Wythes, 
Syon House, when an Award of Merit was granted it. 
Geranium, Shirley Blue. 
The flowers of this Geranium—stated to be a garden 
hybrid—are borne in pairs from the axils of the leaves, 
and are of a bright blue, with a white centre, on which 
there are slender radiating lines of purple. The leaves 
are dull green, slightly bronzed towards the edges, 
shallowly five-lobed, and hairy, thickly clothing the 
rather slender stems. It was shown at the last meet¬ 
ing of the Royal Horticultural Society by the Rev. W. 
Wilks, when a First Class Certificate was awarded it. 
Dahlia, Canary Bird. 
The flowers of this exhibition Dahlia are of large size, 
and of regular and neat shape, and bright yellow. The 
florets are closely arranged, rounded and blunt at the 
ends, and somewhat compressed or flattened dorso- 
ventrally. It was exhibited at the Drill Hall, West¬ 
minster, on the 26 th ult., by Mr. G. S. P. Harris, 
Orpington, Kent, when an Award of Merit was 
granted it. 
Potentilla formosa pallida. 
The flowers of the typical form of this fine Potentilla 
are of a deep rose, and the variety under notice differs 
in having flesh-coloured petals, with a crimson spot at 
the base of each. The stamens are yellow, and the 
styles crimson. The leaves are digitate, consisting of 
about five leaflets. Specimens were shown at the Drill 
Hall, on the 26 th ult., by Messrs. Paul & Son, who 
received an Award of Merit. 
Phlox Le Soleil. 
The flowers of this variety are of good average size, 
bright rosy purple, and marked at the base of the 
lamina with two white blotches on each segment. It is 
a garden variety of the race known as autumn flowering 
Phloxes. Messrs. Paul & Sons showed it at the Drill 
Hall, on the 26 th ult., and received an Award of Merit 
for it. 
Dahlia Rouge Chauvriere. 
This is a Pompon variety of medium size, neat in form, 
suffused with yellow at the base of the florets, and 
having the latter tipped with carmine-crimson. An 
Award of Merit was granted to Messrs. Kelsvay & Son 
for it, when shown at the Drill Hall on the 26 th ult. 
Gaillardia Wendell Holmes. 
The flower heads of this variety are of average size, and 
flat, with closely-arranged deep crimson-red rays, 
having yellow tips. The disc or centre is brown. It 
was shown by Messrs. Ivelway & Son, at the Drill Hall, 
on the 26 th ult., and received an Award of Merit. 
Pentstemon Le Borda. 
Tiie spikes of this Pentstemon are long, narrow, and 
densely furnished with flowers of large size. The latter 
are campanulate, often nearly regular, short, dull deep 
purple, with a brighter lamina on the inner face ; 
crimson around the throat and striated with purple on 
a white ground in the tube. An award of Merit was 
granted to Messrs. Ivelway & Son for it, when shown at 
the Drill Hall, on the 26 th ult. Samples received since 
from Mr. Forbes, of Hawick, confirm our good opinion 
of it. 
Gladiolus Baron Schroder. 
The flowers of this variety are of a large size and rich 
scarlet, with the lower segment grey on the lower half, 
with a medium purple band. A large stand of it was 
shown by Messrs. Kelway & Son, at the Drill Hall, on 
the 26 th ult., when an Award of Merit was granted it. 
About ten to thirteen flowers were open on a spike 
and six to eight in bud. 
Zephyranthes Candida. 
This is a great favourite with me, and a good-sized plant 
is now throwing up its large Crocus-like white flowers. 
Last year I starved it into flower, but was by no means 
satisfied with the result. This season I went to the other 
extreme and kept the pot, one about 7 ins. in diameter, 
standing in a saucer of water, with the result that the 
roots extended themselves so strongly that they have 
actually split the pot. But the specimen is rewarding 
me with a greater number of finer blossoms than last 
year, while the growth is something prodigious.— 
A ROUND OF FLOWER 
SHOWS. 
The space available for reports of flower shows in The 
Gardening World is so restricted that I can give 
only a running commentary on some shows of import¬ 
ance I have attended lately. Basingstoke comes first 
in order of time—an exhibition that seems to gather in 
importance year by year. It took place in the grounds 
of Hackwood Park, one of the most beautiful in 
Hampshire, famous for its grand timber, amoDg which 
Beech forms so important a part. Specimen plants 
were good, the best six came from Mr. T. Russell, 
gardener to W. Bradshaw, Esq., Audley’s Wood; and 
Mr. J. Currey, gardener to Colonel Pepper, Salisbury, 
was second. Mr. Currey had the best six foliaged 
plants, a very good lot indeed; Mr. E. Wills, gardener 
to Mrs. Pearce, Bassett, Southampton, was second. 
Mr. T. Weaver, gardener to W. Cooper, Esq., Oakley 
Park, had the best six exotic Ferns, and there were 
some good Fuchsias, Pelargoniums of the zonal class, 
Begonias, &c. 
Some very good groups arranged for effect were 
shown. Mr. W. Gibson, gardener to H. Harris, Esq., 
Steventon, was first, with an excellent one; Mr. 
Bowerman, gardener to C. Hoare, Esq, Hackwood 
Park, was second ; and Mr. T. Weaver, third. Mr. 
Wills had the best twelve plants in or out of bloom, 
and the best nine came from Mr. B. Tripp, gardener to 
Mr. Field, Goldings. Mr. T. Russell had the best 
specimen plant in bloom, a very fine Eucharis amazo- 
nica ; Mr. Bowerman came second, with Allamanda 
Hendersoni. 
In the cut flower classes, Mr. F. W. Flight, Twyford, 
took the leading prizes for Roses, and the best Rose in 
the show was Mrs. J. Laing, from Mr. Flight’s collec¬ 
tion of twenty-four varieties ; Mr. J. A. Wallington, the 
Hon. Secretary, had the best twelve blooms of Car¬ 
nations and Picotees. The best twelve bunches of 
hardy herbaceous plants came from Mr. B. Ladhams, 
florist, Shirley ; but other good collections were staged. 
Other cut flowers included Dahlias, Asters, &c. 
Fruit was a good feature. Mr. G. Best, gardener to 
C. W. Chute, Esq., had the best six dishes ; Mr. T. 
Osman, gardener to L. J. Baker, Esq., Ottershaw Park, 
Chertsey, being second. Grapes in varieties, Peaches, 
Nectarines, dessert and culinary Apples, and other hardy 
fruits were an interesting feature. Everyone sympa¬ 
thised with Mr. Noah Ivneller, gardener to W. T. Portal, 
Esq., Malshanger Park, who had three dishes of very 
fine culinary Apples, but five fruit only in one, conse¬ 
quently he had to be disqualified. But Mr. Kneller 
says he staged the proper number, which is highly 
probable, he being an experienced exhibitor. 
Vegetables were a very tine feature, and Mr. R. Lye, 
gardener to W. H. Ivingsmill, Esq., Sydmonton Court, 
Newbury, scored heavily. He was first with nine 
varieties ; Mr. Kneller coming second ; he was first 
with six dishes, the special prizes offered by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading ; Mr. Bowerman being second ; 
and Mr. Kneller third ; and also with six dishes in 
competition for Messrs. Webb & Son’s special prizes ; 
Mr. Bowerman being second. 
Onions were a feature, Mr. Kneller staged a dozen 
bulbs of Ailsa Craig, one of Mr. Deverill’s new varieties, 
which weighed about 30 lbs., and Mr. Bowerman was 
