280 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 3, 1891. 
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The Newer Fancy Pansies. 
In The Gardening "World of December 13th, is an 
article on these flowers, signed “Veritas,” and as it is 
founded upon a paper of mine, I must ask your per¬ 
mission to deal with remarks therein. Now I will 
give “ Veritas ” the benefit of the doubt that he 
refers to me in stating that he is ‘ equally shocked at 
seeing weeds that should never have been named or put 
into commerce, lauded upas something grand.” Well, 
I go heartily with “ Veritas” here, and I am strongly 
inclined to think I held this doctrine long before 
“ Veritas ” did, for I suggested in the first instance, 
and was the first to move in establishing the National 
Floricultural Society of London, many years since, for 
the purpose of stopping the enormous influx of worthless 
florists’ and other flowers with which we were annually 
inundated. 
Then “ Veritas ” goes on to'say that “ Such remarks 
as Mr. Dean’s would have been of the greatest assist¬ 
ance to many amateurs had he described the varieties 
after growing them, instead of from flowers sent through 
the post.” Can “Veritas” assert for a fact that I have 
not also grovn or seen growing in other gardens in the 
Midlands many of the flowers I described ? That I 
should not have grown varieties not then sent out was 
notmuch tobewondered at. “Veritas” isnot consistent 
further on, for he says that I “omitted to mention 
many of the very best varieties, both in commerce and 
to be sent out next spring.” The italics are mine. 
And he mentions four varieties amongst them, not yet 
sent out, and which of course I cannot have grown. 
He goes on to say that Lord Hamilton, although a 
grand flower, is more difficult to grow, being very apt 
to run, and fears this variety wants staying power. 
Before seeing a bloom of Lord Hamilton, I pinned 
my faith to the fact of this variety having received a 
dozen certificates at least at the Scottish exhibitions ; 
the Scotch florists are severe judges when flowers 
are placed before them for certificates, and I believe in 
their judgment. Lord Hamilton is a grand flower, and 
I saw it at various times, independent of the blooms 
sent to me, but in hot weather it should be shaded. A 
friend in Wolverhampton grew it well, and advised me 
to shade the blooms, in order to bring out their 
beautiful colours and marking. I am very much 
inclined to think we do not study this sufficiently 
with some sorts of Pansies. I saw Mrs. Maxwell very 
fine in a large collection of Pansies Mr. Lister had at 
Shrewsbury, as also the blooms he sent in August to 
an exhibition at Wolverhampton, where I was judging. 
The blooms he also sent to me were very fine indeed. I 
showed them to Mr. John Pope, Mr. Alfred Hunt—the 
Pansy growers well known at Birmingham, and after 
whom Pansies are named—and to others, all remarking 
what a grand flower Mrs. Maxwell was in form, size, 
and substance. 
Just referring again to Lord Hamilton, I think I am 
correct in stating that this variety was awarded the 1 
First Prize for six blooms of any fancy Pansy, at the 
exhibition of the Scottish Pansy Society in June last, 
and I think I am also correct in saying that it has been 
generally met with at the Scottish meetings. I must 
again say that I regard it as a flower of wonderfully 
fine properties, and as to Mrs. Maxwell, it wants 
growing well to get size. I am not going to discuss 
with “ Veritas” whether Bella Coutts is an improved 
My Lady or not; I simply gave my opinion and hold 
to it. But what am I to make out of the following 
O 
words : “ Veritas ” says “ I grew both of these, Bonnie 
Annie Laurie and Bella Coutts, last season, and con¬ 
sidered them perfectly worthless for competition. I 
can say ditto to nearly.all the remarks of your corre¬ 
spondent on the other new varieties he mentions, and I 
also think the sorts he recommends, first class.” I 
have tried to get at the sense of these remarks, for the 
greater portion of the flowers in my notice are newer 
varieties of which I spoke favourably, and yet he 
observes in another place, that “As it is, his conclusions 
(meaning mine) are somewhat misleading.” I give it 
up. Had it been a question of giving a list of a few 
other first-class fancy Pansies, I should have named 
Mrs. Lister, Miss French, John Pope, Maggie, E. S. 
Cocker, and others, as very first-rate, in addition to 
some of those named by “ Veritas.” 
“If “Veritas” will send me at anytime, blooms 
of his new varieties I shall- have as much pleasure in 
giving publicity to his new flowers, but with my 
opinion of them, as in all other cases. If he will send 
me his name and address, I will send him particulars 
of the Midland Pansy Society, just formed in 
Birmingham, and we hope in June next to have a good 
exhibition of Pansies, with fully a £25 schedule, but to be 
competitors for prizes, exhibitors must reside in the mid¬ 
land counties. There are a few growers about us whom I 
venture to say know a good Pansy as well as “ Veritas,” 
and growers are rapidly increasing in the Midlands, 
hence the determination to have a good annual exhi¬ 
bition, at which certificates for first-class'seedlings will be 
given, no matter where from, subject to the rules of 
the society. 
In The Gardening "Wort/d of December 27th, Mr. 
W. Campbell, Blantyre, writes : “I quite agree with 
your correspondent ‘ Veritas ’ in his remarks on Fancy 
Pansies at p. 232.” I suppose, then, that the remarks 
of “Veritas,” viz., “ I am equally shocked when I see 
weeds that should never have been named or put into 
commerce, lauded up as something grand. Far too 
many of the latter class are sent out every year, &c.,” 
also has Mr. Campbell’s full approval. I have no 
doubt of it, as I feel sure that Mr. Campbell is a 
straightforward true old florist. But I hope these 
remarks will be taken to heart by the raisers north of 
the Tweed also, for the English growers go to Scotland 
for new sorts, or to those trade growers who obtain new 
varieties from Scotland, and a great outcry has gone 
forth on the inferiority and dissimilarity of many kinds 
sent out, which ought to have remained in obscurity. 
We have, south of the Trent even, raisers who send 
out a batch of new Pansies of their own raising, but I 
have never yet been so insane as to buy, or recommend 
anyone to buy them without seeing them first, or know¬ 
ing from some reliable source that they really are 
acquisitions, and I do not remember in later years 
hearing of one English-raised variety excepting My 
Lady and Siren achieving popularity. 
But Mr. Campbell’s support of “ Veritas’s ’’ complaint 
is somewhat doubtful, I think, as to Lord Hamilton 
“ being very apt to run ; indeed, so much was this the 
case last season, that many growers did not get a 
bloom fit for competition. I fear his lordship wants 
staying power.” Yet, in Mr. Campbell’s list, this 
grand variety is second on the list of twenty-four best 
fancies, contributed by thirteen well-known amateur 
growers, with twelve votes given to it. This is a 
very remarkable fact, as it was sent out at 7s. 6d. each 
for the first time last winter, and to occupy under these 
circumstances this remarkable position, it must be a 
wonderfully fine flower, and greatly esteemed. 
In looking through several catalogues of Scotch 
trade growers recently, I find that somewhere about 
ninety new varieties were sent out in 1889, and about 
eighty varieties in 1890, all raised in Scotland. Now 
it must be clear, that to add say eighty new sorts alone 
every season to an already large collection is beyond 
the power of many, the pocket especially, so we have 
to trust largely to what is written about the new kinds, 
or what we may be able to see. Of this we may be 
sure, that amateurs read with interest what is written 
about Pansies, and are thankful to those who boldly take 
pen in hand and give their views. All of this should 
tend to good fellowship. And so may 1891 find the 
Pansy still growing in populatity, and that forthcoming 
new varieties will meet with a welcome on the grounds 
of distinctness and first-class qualities.— William 
Dean, Sparkhill, Birmingham. 
Carnations. 
Frost-bound and snow-covered ! "What can the 
florist do but patiently wait until the storm of 
heat shall roll thitherward, the icy bonds melt, and he 
be able to inspect his plants and note how they have 
come through the tussle with stern winter. Everything 
in cold frames and houses where the frost can penetrate 
is fast locked in icy bonds at present, and there being 
a. thick covering of snow on the frames, no one need 
have much concern for the safety of their floral pets. 
But if, as is predicted, this spell of frost is to last for 
sixteen weeks, I can scarcely say how Carnations, 
Polyanthuses, Auriculas, &c., will fare at the end. 
One can only wait patiently and hope for the best. 
1 am quite certain I would rather have my Auriculas 
frost-bound now than in artificial heat warm enough 
to keep the frost at bay; and a coating of snow on a 
frame is a great deal better than one of mats. There 
has scarcely been a day for the past month when it did 
not freeze as sharply during daylight as during dark¬ 
ness, and as it would be risky to uncover, a thick, dark 
covering of mats must and does prove harmful to the 
plants. It is different where there is a coating of snow 
as a covering, and I rejoice that it lies thick upon the 
glass frames. 
The same can be said of Carnations. I am not in 
the least concerned about mine, as the foliage is dry, and 
they seem to be quite snug and comfortable with the 
snow overhead. Those who have to purchase plants, 
should send in their orders without delay, so that as 
soon as the frost breaks, the varieties they wish to have 
may be forwarded to them. Any one desirous of 
forming a collection of Carnations, may safely select 
from the following:—Scarlet bizarres: Admiral Curzon, 
Robert Lord, Robert Houlgrave, and George. Crimson 
bizarres : Due d’Aumale, Harrison Weir, Master Fred, 
and J. S. Hedderley. Pink and purple bizarres : 
"William Skirving, Thomas Anstiss, Mrs. GortoD, and 
Sarah Payne. Scarlet flakes: Alisemond, Henry 
Cannell, Sportsman, and Matador. Rose flakes : Miss 
Erskine Wemyss, Thalia, James Merryweather, and 
Sybil. Purple flakes : James Douglas, Mayor of 
Nottingham, George Melville, and Squire Whitbourne. 
Of Picotees. "the following :—Heavy red edge : Brunette, 
John Smith, Princess of Wales, and J. B. Bryant. 
Light red edge : Violet Douglas, Mrs. Gorton, Thomas 
William, and Mrs. Bower. Heavy purple edge : Hilda, 
Zerlina, Baroness Burdett Coutts, and Muriel. Light 
purple edge : Her Majesty, Clara Penson, Alice, and 
Ann Lord. Heavy rose edge : Edith D’Ombrain, Mrs. 
Payne, Royal -Visit, Lady Holmesdale. Light rose 
edge : Ethel, Miss Gorton, Nellie, Amy Lakin. Heavy 
scarlet edge : Constance Heron, Mrs. Rudd, Mrs. Sharp, 
and Ada Hannah. Light scarlet edge : Favourite and 
Mrs. Geggie. 
It will be remembered that at the Oxford L nion 
Show in August last, Mr. Dodwell had but two classes 
for the Picotees: viz., heavy edge and light edge. 
I am disposed to think he is quite right in adopting 
this practice. Classes for one plant or one flower, 
either Carnations or Auriculas, are to my mind very 
uninteresting, and they attract but little attention, 
besides which they entail upon the judges a great deal 
of labour ; and as an unlimited number of flowers can 
be staged in each by growers, those who grow largely 
are likely to, and indeed often get, a monopoly of the 
prizes. This is no doubt a position likely to be dis¬ 
puted ; but I have set down my views on the matter, 
and I have on the other hand given in the foregoing 
lists the best flowers in all the different sections into 
which the edged Picotees can be divided. 
Of yellow-ground flowers I can recommend Agnes 
Chambers Annie Douglas, Almira, Dorothy, Jamra, 
Lemon Drop, and Maud Ellis ; and of the Kilmurry 
yellows, Alfred Grey, Nankin, Queen of Herts, 
Patricia, Sovereign, Lady, and Tournament. Of self 
flowers — and the prizes offered by Mr. Martin 
R. Smith are likely to bring these into prominence — 
The Governor, Emma Lakin, Annie Lakin, Germania, 
Mrs. Reynolds Hole, Mary Morris, Mauve Perfection, 
Mars, Mrs. Logan, Rowena, The Moor, Tom Pinch, 
Purple Emperor, Neptune and Will Threlfall. 
I am scarcely disposed to name fancies, as so many of 
them are simply sports, but I have no hesitation in 
stating that many of those raised and sent out by Mr. 
Ernest Benary, of Erfurt, Germany, are very novel 
and beautiful, in addition to which they are excellent 
growers.— R. D. 
-. >!<- - 
POPPY, THE BRIDE. 
The number of varieties which Papaver somniferum 
has given rise to in gardens is something remarkable. 
It is the Opium Poppy of commerce, and has been 
employed from time immemorial for medicinal and 
other purposes. Originally a native of Europe, Asia 
including India) and North Africa, it has now become 
(naturalised in many other countries as an escape trom 
cultivation, and in Britain as having strayed from 
gardens. Some of the races into which it has sported 
are the double-flowered Pieoniseflorum, Marselli, a 
double strain with fringed petals, and the Danebrog, 
known by the four white blotches on the petals forming 
a cross. Of the different strains there are many 
colours, ranging from white to pink, rose, red, mauve, 
purple, scarlet, crimson, and dark blood-red or almost 
black. The Bride is a fine selection of a pure white, 
and single, with entire margins to the petals. The 
habit and size of the plant is precisely similar to those 
of the type. The bluish green or glaucous leaves are 
ample, with a bold and telling appearance when the 
plant has been well grown. 
Owing to the fragile nature of Poppies in general, it 
is preferable to sow seeds where the plants are to flower. 
They may be transplanted with safety if lifted with 
soil attached, and planted during moist weather ; but 
