392 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 21, 1891. 
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_ 
The New Fancy Pansy. 
I am sure that readers of The Gardening World will 
thank “ R. D.” for his most interesting^letters on the 
Pansy, and the wonderful improvement that it has 
undergone since IS 12 ; but I believe that the Belgian, 
or fancy Pansy as it is called, was imported into 
Scotland about fifty years ago, and under the manage¬ 
ment of the late George White, of Paisley, and several 
other Scotch growers, it underwent a marvellous 
change. These good old florists laboured incessantly 
for years, and their labours were not in vain. They 
had the pleasure of raising many good varieties, and it 
is from Scotland that nineteen out of twenty good 
Pansies come. 
Now I do not agree with “Veritas” when he says 
that there are in Scotland as well as in England, 
men appointed to judge Pansies who scarcely know a 
show from a fancy Pansy. I believe the Scots are 
better educated in the Pansy than are the English, and 
I still adhere to my opinion as to our climate, and that 
we in England will never be able to grow Pansies 
during the latter part of June, July, and the fore part 
of August, equal to those grown in Scotland. I am 
surprised at his remarks, when he says that “almost 
the best flowers I ever grew were grown in the hottest 
time of the hottest season we have had since I began 
Pansy growing. ” I am inclined to think that he might 
have read his daily paper through them. My opinion 
is quite the reverse : the best flowers that I ever grew 
were grown during cool weather, especially during the 
latter part of August and in September ; it is then that 
I get that richness of colour and substance which I am 
unable to get during hot weather. Neither do I believe 
in watering every other night during hot weather. 
Watering induces the roots to run to the surface, and 
they suffer more trom the effects of the hot sun after¬ 
wards than from the want of water. 
I have been a Pansy grower for over fifteen years, 
and have visited Scotland four or five times during 
the Pansy season, to see these beautiful flowers in 
all their glory, to make selections of the best new 
and old varieties, and to obtain information as to their 
culture. During the last sis years I have never been 
beaten with Pansies at our local shows, and during that 
time I have taken thirty to forty prizes every year for 
Pansies and other florists’ flowers. 
I should like three or four of the best Scotch growers 
to give in this paper a selection of thirty-six fancy and 
twenty-four show varieties. —Amateur Grower. 
-- 
THE CARNATION- AND PICOTEE 
UNION. 
The sixth annual report of the Carnation and Picotee 
Union, just issued by Mr. E. S. Dodwell, of Oxford, 
is a notable publication from the immense amount of 
information it gives to those who are interested in the 
flower. It is a pamphlet of 58 pages, a considerable 
portion of it being devoted to reports from leading 
growers and lovers of the Carnation upon the incidence 
of the season, and upon good flowers they have grown 
and seen. This is very interesting reading—a store¬ 
house of facts, experiences, and suggestions, from which 
the young beginner in Carnation culture especially can 
draw much information of a very valuable character. 
General testimony is borne to the fact that the wet 
winter of 1889—90 proved most disastrous to old stools 
of Carnations left in the open ground, and it is to be 
feared the severe and long-continued winter of 1890—91 
has 'not been a whit more merciful—perhaps more 
destructive all round. It is all very well for writers to 
say much about the hardiness of the Carnation—and it 
is a hardy plant—but long-continued wet and cold, or 
prolonged severe frost is destructive to old plants, and 
highly injurious to young ones. I have lost all my old 
plants two winters in succession ; but the cold of the 
winter from which I trust we are just emerging, has 
been much more destructive in my own case than the 
wet of the previous one. Most of the young plants in 
the open have lost their leading shoots ; and plants in 
pots, having the protection of a cold frame, have done 
but little better. 
All the contributors of reports bear testimony to the 
trying character of last season. Mr. Martin Rowan 
states that it was “the most trying season experienced 
since 1879.” May was a dry month, but singularly 
uncongenial to the growth of vegetation ; hot sun, 
often with drying winds, prevailing by day, with the 
temperature falling very low immediately after sun¬ 
down. The effect was seen in universal check, every¬ 
thing being attacked with green-fly, Carnations coming 
in for their full share of the pest. June, instead of 
bringing improvement, opened with sharp frost, and was 
ungenial throughout. In July we had cold, persistent, 
wintry rains during the greater part of the month, fol¬ 
lowed by storms remarkable for their violence in 
conj unction with so relatively Iowa temperature. Severe 
check and much unsound growth were the natural results 
of this third successive cold, wet summer.j’ This is the 
burden of almost all the writers, and yet good flowers 
were seen at the various exhibitions—so far can the 
efforts of the cultivator triumph over vicissitudes. 
The most noteworthy flowers of the year, as seen on 
exhibition stands, were those of C. H. Herbert, a new 
S.B. variety raised by Messrs. Thomson & Co., of Bir¬ 
mingham, and awarded premier prize at the Oxford 
Show. Mr. Samuel Barlow terms this new aspirant to 
Skirving. Of scarlet flakes, Matador, Flamingo, a 
new variety raised by Mr. S. Barlow and full of 
promise because of its rich colour; Alisemoud 
(Douglas), a very pleasing flower ; Cannell Junr., and 
Richard Dean. Mr. Tom Lord, of Todmorden, had 
this very good at Oxford ; and Mr. J. T. Kew, of 
Southend, says of it that “it has an exceptionally 
good constitution, and invariably makes hard layers.” 
Of purple flakes, Gordon Lewis (Dodwell), George 
Melville, James Douglas, Oscar Wilford, very fine in 
the north, and Prince George of "Wales. Of rose flakes, 
Likin’s Mary, a beautiful flower; Biddy Malone, 
Thalia, and Crista-galli. 
Of red-edged Picotees, Miry Dodwell, Thomas 
William, and Mrs. Gorton. Of purple edged, Amy 
llobsart, Clara Penson, Sdvia, and Mr. Likin’s two 
new varieties, Sirah Ann and Elizabeth. Of rose 
Cypripedium IIariiisianum superbum. 
One of the late Mr. Dominy’s first Seedlings. 
favour “grand,” and John Bull “very fine”; while 
Mr. F. Nutt goes a step further, and calls it “a splendid 
flower ” ; but Mr. Ranger Johnson pipes to quite 
another tune. He remarks of C. H. Herbert that he 
“ did not share the general adulation conferred on the 
new S.B , C. H. Herbert, and how the judges came to 
give it the premier priz| es ~ ' '-me. It was not 
a large flower, the grd A- _r, and it was 
spotted as a leopard. There were many better Robert 
Houlgraves in the show. I admit it to be an acquisi¬ 
tion to the class, being blight in colour and smooth 
and shapely in outline, but Robert Iloulgrave beat it 
afterwards at Manchester, and will again pass it by 
next season unless I am much mistaken.” I need scarcely 
say after this testimony that Robert Iloulgrave was 
shown in fine character, and Master Stanley also. Of 
C.B.’s the leading varieties of last year were J. S. 
Hedderley, Edward Rowan, Master Fred, and Fanny 
Hudson. Of P.P.B.’s, Sarah Payne and William 
edged, Little Phil (Dodwell), a heavy edged variety 
of great merit; Rector (Fellowes), also heavy 
edged : the beautiful light-edged Favourite, Mr. Sharp, 
and Norman Carr, one of Mr. Dod well’s new 
varieties. 
Of seifs, Mrs. Gordon, scarlet ; President, maroon- 
purple ; Annie and Emma Lakin, and Dodwell’s Mrs. 
Fred, all whites ; Mrs. Alfred, pink ; and Emmie, 
delicate salmon-pink, were all very fine. Of yellow 
grounds, Douglas’ Nellie Hibberd, Stadrath Bail 
(Benary), Nova (Benary), a brilliant flower with a light 
red striping on a shaded yellow ground ; Old Coin 
(Turner), having stripes of two shades of red on a yellow 
ground ; Victory (Douglas), Alfred Grey, which appears 
to me to be the best of the Ivilmurry seedlings; and 
Sunset (Douglas). 
I say nothing about the fancy varieties beyond 
putting in a word of praise for some of Mr. Ernest 
P>snary’s German-raised varieties. Thero are some 
wonderful things among them ; and they all, like his 
splendid Germania, appear to be characterised by great 
robustness of constitution.— It. D. 
