(556 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 13, 1S91. 
PLANTS OF MERIT. 
The undermentioned plants were exhibited at the 
Drill Hall, Westminster, on Tuesday last, on the 
occasion of the Royal Horticultural Society’s meeting, 
and received First Class Certificates or Awards of 
Merit, according to their degree of worth. 
Celmisia specxaeilis. — Upon seeing such a plant as 
the present, one is apt to consider how it could be 
possible for it to remain so long a stranger to culti¬ 
vation when it comes from Hew Zealand, a well- 
explored and easily accessible country. It is a huge 
Daisy-like Composite, with heads If in. to 2b ins. in 
diameter, long white rays and a golden disc. These 
are borne singly on peduncles 3 ins. to 5 ins. high, 
arising from dense tufts of radical leaves. The 
peduncle is furnished with bracts and densely covered 
with woolly white hairs. The leaves are oblong-lan¬ 
ceolate, obtuse, longitudinally ribbed, hard and 
leathery, of a deep shining green, more or less toned 
down by a thin covering of cottony white hairs. From 
one to three heads arise from each crown, and the 
crowns are aggregated in dense tufts. A basket of plants 
was shown by Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, Chelsea, 
receiving a First Class Certificate. The species was in¬ 
troduced in 1882, but does not appear to have been 
exhibited in public before. 
Begonia, Duchess of Leinstee.— In this we 
have a single variety of the tuberous class, and of great 
merit. The flowers are relatively large and fiery 
orange, fading slightly on the upper half of the inner 
sepal. The leaves are of large size, more than half 
cordate, and of a deep velvety green, with paler 
reticulations, showing a certain amount of affinity 
with B. Pearcei. The whole plant stood about 15 ins. 
high as shown by Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest 
Hill. An Award of Merit was granted the variety. 
Begonia, Lady Lawrence. —Curiously enough the 
variety shown under this name by Messrs. H. Cannell 
& Sons, Swanley, Kent, also exhibited a certain 
amount of affinity with B. Pearcei, having yellow 
flowers. Those of Lady Lawrence were of good size, 
single, and of a bright golden yellow. The inner 
sepals are considerably smaller than the outer ones, 
and the anthers are orange. The large, drooping, half 
heart-shaped leaves are of a deep velvety green. The 
plant was dwarf, standing about 10 ins. high. 
SriU.EA JAPONICA MULTIFLORA COMrACTA. — Of 
course this is merely the well-known garden name for 
Astilbe japonica. As it is, the inflorescence shows a 
considerable improvement over the ordinary type, by 
the much more numerous and more densely arranged 
branches of the panicle giving~it a denser, whiter, and 
more conspicuous appearance. A group of it was 
shown by Messrs. Collins Bros, and Gabriel, 39, 
"Waterloo Road, receiving an Award of Merit. 
Carnation, Selby. —The stems of this new Tree 
Carnation are very vigorous, attaining a height of 3 ft. or 
3g ft., and are well furnished with foliage of a deep 
glaucous green hue. The flowers are large, fully double 
and bright yellow, with broad petals, somewhat 
incurved at the points and faintly toothed along the 
apical edge. They are scarcely, if at all, fragrant, but 
very beautiful. A basketful of the plant was exhibited 
by Mr. Jennings, gardener to Leopold Rothschild, Esq., 
Ascot, Leighton Buzzard, and received an Award of 
Merit. 
Pink, Princess Maud.— The stems of this variety 
stand at a uniform height of 11 ins., are erect, and 
apparently flower freely. The plant is said to be a 
seedling from the well-known Mrs. Sinkins, with large 
double white flowers. The latter are equally large in 
this case and as fully double, but instead of being pure 
white, the petals have a transverse purple blotch below 
the middle, and are deeply toothed at the apex. The 
flowers are slightly fragrant. The variety was exhi¬ 
bited by Mr. John Stacey, Farnham Royal, Slough, 
and was accorded an Award of Merit. 
Pyretheum, James Kelway. —The heads of this 
variety are of medium size, single, and of an intense 
crimson-red, with a golden yellow disc. 
P.EONIA PARADOSA FLORE PLENO. —The flowers of 
this variety are of large size, and the outer or true 
petals are orbicular, and of a deep crimson-red, forming 
a cup around the segments, which fill up the centre of 
the flower. These latter organs are very numerous, 
narrow, deep crimson-red, and somewhat crisped towards 
the apex. From the fact that they bear more or less 
imperfect pollen sacs along their edges, they undoubtedly 
consist of metamorphosed stamens. The plant itself 
is closely allied to P. peregrina. 
P. Moutan, Louise Mouchelet.— The flowers of 
this tree Pteony are of huge size and fully double. 
The petals are much crumpled and cut, nearly white 
on first expansion, but deepening to a beautiful salmon- 
pink. 
Iris pallida, Queen of May. — The general form 
of the flowers of this variety is that' of I. pallida, but 
the colours are decidedly of a different shade. The 
falls are lilac-purple and lined with brownish purple on 
the white ground of the basal portion, and are furnished 
with a yellow beard. The standards are broad, infolded 
and lilac, while the stigmas are yellow and white, 
tinted with blue. 
Iris, Princess of Wales. —Like the last this Iris 
also belongs to the bearded section, and is allied to the 
German Flag (I. germanica), but the segments are 
rather narrower, and more nearly of the same width 
throughout, although still obovate. The stigmas are 
bifid. All parts of the flower are pure white, with the 
exception of the pale yellow beard of the falls. The 
variety is the nearest approach to a pure white we have 
amongst the bearded Irises. Cut flowers of the above 
five plants were exhibited by Messrs. Kelway & Son, 
Langport, Somerset, and each variety was accorded an 
Award of Merit. 
For the new Orchids Certificated, see p. 657. 
FRUIT. 
Melon, Wythes’ Seedling. —The fruit of this 
variety, as shown by Mr. George Wythes, gardener to 
the Duke of Northumberland, Syon House, Brentford, 
is of medium size with a pale yellow, moderately netted 
and thin skin. A more remarkable feature of it is that 
the flesh is not strictly scarlet nor green, but a com¬ 
bination of the two. The portion next to the rind or 
skin is pale green or white, while the inner half is 
scarlet. Its merits are a thin skin, and flesh of a high 
quality, which may be expected to improve under the 
influence of more sun than we have been favoured with 
for some time past. An Award of Merit was accorded 
it in preference to some others which were exhibited. 
rARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Veitch’s Model Broccoli. 
I have grown this Broccoli for a few years, but while 
I always liked it, never did I appreciate its value so 
much as in this present year of grace. I had planned 
a succession of Broccolis, which I vainly persuaded 
myself would furnish my table, and perchance the 
table of a friend now and then, with a fine head or 
two from December to June—Snow’s Winter White, 
Penzance, Adam’s Spring White, Knight’s Protecting, 
Late Queen, Hartland’s QueeD, and Yeitch’s Model. 
Alas! I had not reckoned upon the old-fashioned 
English winter which everybody yearns for when it 
does not come, and curses and laments when it does. 
One after the other these capital Broccolis were slain 
by Jack Frost, the only two which defied him being 
Late Queen and Model, the former suffering a good 
deal and the latter hardly at all. I have now a large 
breadth standing and throwing up magnificent white 
heads .on sturdy, well protected plants, there not being 
more than two or three per cent, of failures. In an 
ordinary season they would have been fit for cutting 
early in May in this district (Devonshire), or perhaps 
about the end of April, but we are about a month 
behind with Broccolis and such-like stuff this year. I 
consider Model one of the very best Broccolis in cul¬ 
tivation, and if I were driven to a single variety I 
would take this one in preference to any other to stand 
through the winter.— Devohiensis. 
Ranunculus gramineus. 
A large number of the Crowfoots or Buttercups have 
leaves very much resembling each other, and divided 
in the same way. The Grass-leaved Crowfoot differs 
remarkably in its long, narrow, lanceolate-linear, quite 
entire, glaucous leaves, which if seen as in its native 
wilds growing amongst grass, must be difficult to detect 
except by an experienced eye, when out of bloom. The 
flowers are large, of a lustrous or shining yellow, and 
are borne singly or in pairs, sometimes threes, at the 
apex of the flower stems about a foot high. They 
differ from those of our native Buttercups in having 
about ten, instead of five petals. There is a double 
variety, not, however, very common in cultivation. 
The wild type is a native of South-west Europe, and 
was originally introduced to Britain so long ago that 
it got naturalised in Wales, and was recorded as a 
British plant. It is suitable either for the border or 
rockery. 
Spiraea japonica compacta multiflora. 
For popularity as a house-plant, Spine a japonica has 
enjoyed a long and deservedly increasing run, for it is so 
easily grown. This new variety, S. compacta multiflora, 
will, I feel sure, when it is known, meet with as much or 
more favour. The difference between it and the older 
Spine a is that the new one bears dense, bushy trusses 
of creamy white flowers, which stand up well above the 
foliage, and the foliage being darker than the common 
variety, makes a fine back-ground for the flowers. It 
is pre-eminently adapted for cutting for wreath work or 
for any of those purposes for which white flowers are 
required. The trusses being so thick, give the flower a 
rich, pleasing appearance. It is a distinct advance on 
S. japonica, and a plant well worth growing.— A. E. 
Silene pusilla. 
In general appearance this resembles a miniature or 
pigmy form of Silene alpestris, to which it is no doubt 
closely related. Characters they possess in common 
are a dwarf habit, white flowers with four-toothed or 
lobed petals, and a creeping, persistent rootstock, all 
of which render them peculiarly adapted for rockwork. 
Planted in an ordinary herbaceous border, their special 
characteristics would inevitably be overlooked, and 
themselves neglected. On rockwork or in pots they 
would then be seen to best advantage. A well-flowered 
piece is quite charming, as only those can know who 
relegate hardy plants to their proper places in the 
garden, and appreciate everything on its own merits. 
Propagation is easily effected by means of seeds or 
cuttings ; in the latter case utilising the suckers, which 
spring up from the under-ground rootstock, and insert¬ 
ing them in pots kept in a close frame or under a 
hand-light. The best time to do this is during the 
months of June, July and August. 
Early Tomatos. 
Early in the season I sowed seeds of Sutton’s Main 
Crop Tomato, not having at the time any others by me, 
and about a fortnight later I obtained some seeds of the 
same firm’s Earliest of All. In due time all were potted 
together, some in 32-sized pots, and others in 16’s, in 
some good soil with the addition of a little Clay’s 
Fertilizer and bone meal. The crop produced on both 
varieties has greatly delighted me every time I have 
looked at them, so well have they done. I may add, 
that Earliest of All ripened-its first fruits some days 
before the Main Crop, thus proving its claim to the 
name given it. The fruits are of good size and fine 
quality.— A. J. Brown, Chertsey. 
Richardia (Calla) zEthiopica. 
The time is at hand when this distinct and most use¬ 
ful plant should be transferred to some open position 
in the garden. They should be planted out 18 ins. 
apart, in good, rich soil of a retentive nature, so that the 
plants will grow sturdy, and with full exposure on 
all sides, thus forming the basis of a solid, well-ripened 
growth, wherein lies the secret of growing this noble 
plant well. JVhen once they start to grow, it will be 
advisable to give them an abundance of water, as 
they are capable of taking in large quantities at all 
times. By the middle of September the plants should 
be lifted and potted up into whatever size pot they 
require, using good loam and cow manure. The plants 
should all be housed before the appearance of frost ; 
and they should have a position where they can enjoy 
an abundance of light, introducing them into extra 
heat when more flowers are desired. "When in flower 
they are found useful for standing in corridors and 
other parts of the mansion, their bold, handsome leaves 
forming a pleasing effect with the white spathes, and 
thus rendering them valuable.—- fT. Angus, Dumfries¬ 
shire, June 8th . 1S91. 
Campbell's Fumigating Insecticides. 
Haying had an opportunity through the courtesy of 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons of trying McDougall's sheets of 
fumigating material, I must say that I was much 
struck with their efficacy, and thought the system 
almost perfect. I was induced by this experience to 
try Campbell's Fumigating Insecticide, as advertised in 
your valuable paper. This I also found to be an 
exceedingly good article and easy to manage. I gave 
both good trials, and my decision is in favour of 
Campbell’s method, for I found that the rolls could be 
moved about the house more easily than the sheets, 
and so can be placed in just the particular place they 
might be most required. I found Campbell’s, like 
