36 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 15, 1888. 
Fi<ofjiciUi < ¥iJ'f ) l E). 
The Florists' Laced Pinks. 
By James Thurstan. 
It was not my intention to have again, so soon, 
encroached upon the pages of this journal by further 
remarks upon my favourite flower, “ The Florists’ 
Laced Pink,” but finding that the views recently 
expressed by Mr. Barlow and myself have had some 
good effect by bringing forth valuable suggestions, and 
evidence of support in favour of our object from Mr. 
Arthur It. Brown, of Handsworth, Birmingham, a 
young and practical florist of the highest type, I feel 
anxious to lose no time in stating that I fully concur in 
the very practical suggestions his letter, which appeared 
in last week’s issue, contains in regard to holding a Pink 
show. There is no doubt in my mind that if an 
exhibition of Pinks could be arranged to take place in 
conjunction with the Provincial Show of the National 
Rose Society, that lovely florists’ flower would once 
more establish itself in the eyes and hearts of many 
hundreds of persons who would be visitors to the Rose 
Show, and numbers of such visitors would probably be 
seen congregating around the “Pink” exhibits (as in 
former times) in fond admiration. 
Now comes the question, how is the secretary or 
committee of the said Rose show* to be approached, and 
permission to be obtained for the Pinks to be exhibited 
in July next year. Perhaps the good editor, and that 
indefatigable searcher and provider of floricultural 
information, Mr. Richard Dean, of Ealing, will render 
their valuable aid in this respect. 
As there will, doubtless, be many suggestions made 
by other persons interested in the Pink and its future 
prospects, I will not occupy the reader’s time further, 
except by saying that I shall at some future period 
fulfil my former promise, in regard to expressing my 
views as to the properties of a really good exhibition 
Pink .—Mnsbury House, Richmond Road, Cardiff. 
Split-pod Carnations. 
There seems to he no doubt but that the season has 
been productive of burst flower-sheaths in Carnations 
outdoors, as I have found such to be the case with 
varieties which last year were quite correct in their 
behaviour. Probably an excess of moisture conduced 
to the too crowded nature of the petals in the buds, 
this feature having been peculiarly marked. At the 
same time, it is evident that there are many sorts 
which no kind of culture can prevent from displaying 
this defect, for the calyx or sheath seems unable to 
contain all the material which nature has crowded into 
it. As a result, it bursts and splits, becoming ragged 
and ungainly later on. Perhaps the desire to have 
large flowers with a lot of stuff in them conduces to this 
splitting defect; but it does seem to be a fact that 
many of these crowded flowers have perfume in them 
in a high degree, and for the sake of that perfume 
much may be endured. Yet there is no reason what¬ 
ever otherwise for tolerating these coarse broken- 
podded flowers, because we have plenty of really good 
forms—literally myriads—which do not break their 
pods sideways, but open evenly and properly. If seed 
were saved from these, and only such propagated by 
cuttings and layers, the coarser-flowered kinds would 
soon become extinct. It seems probable that the intro¬ 
duction of that huge-flowered Carnation, Souvenir de 
la Malmaison, has had something to do with this 
anxiety to obtain large flowers ; but whilst it is far 
from being a free bloomer, it is also a very ungainly 
flower. We see sometimes the Old Crimson Clove 
written of in terms of high admiration. It is certainly 
a richly-perfumed kind, and is fairly stout-habited ; 
hut relatively it is far from being free-flowering, and 
the blooms are unshapely. There are plenty of good 
crimson border Carnations which will excel the Old 
Crimson Clove. It is noteworthy that the French 
strain of Carnations, whilst giving great variety in 
colour and perfect form in flowers, never produces large 
ones or split pods. If size be wanting, it is made up 
for in the wonderful quantity of flowers—fully three 
times as many as our border kinds produce.— Leo. 
Fuchsia “ Countess of Aberdeen.” 
At p. 792 of your last volume you give a description 
of this new variety, which attracted my attention at 
once, inasmuch as that I have for years past, as a 
raiser of seedling Fuchsias, been anxious to get one 
entirely white, but without success Nevertheless I 
have, I assure you, an almost equal pleasure in be¬ 
coming the possessor of such a distinct novelty, 
although it was raised by someone else. I obtained a 
very nice blooming plant from Mr. B. S. "Williams, 
and I have just received a bonnie wee plant from the 
Messrs. Cocker, of Aberdeen, who sent it out. Although 
this plant had travelled so many miles it reached me 
in excellent condition, as if it had come only so 
many yards, the plant being covered with a profusion 
of bloom. As you observe, the flowers are of a “medium 
size but extremely pretty, ” which remark I with 
much pleasure most unhesitatingly endorse, as in my 
estimation so distinct a novelty has not been intro¬ 
duced to our notice since the time—upwards of thirty 
years ago —when Mr. Storey, of Newton Abbott, 
succeeded in raising those most striking and distinct 
novelties, the double and single varieties with white 
corollas, which were sent out by the Messrs. Henderson, 
of the Wellington Road Nursery, St. John’s Wood.— 
Qco. Fry, Lewisham. 
Carnation, Mademoiselle Carle. 
The stems of this new tree variety are dwarf when 
grown in pots, not exceeding 15 ins. to 18 ins. high, 
branching and flowering freely. The flowers are pure 
white and delightfully fragrant, while they are fully 
double, and have the petals crenate at the apex. The 
foliage is glaucous and vigorous, with a healthy 
appearance. It was exhibited before the Floral 
Committee on Tuesday by Mr. H. B. May, Upper 
Edmonton, and received a First Class Certificate. 
Dianthus, Splendour. 
In this we have a hybrid of great brilliancy, with 
flowers of moderate size, and which are produced in 
great abundance. They are of an intense fiery red, 
with a large crimson blotch at the base of each petal, 
forming collectively a zone round the eye. The petals 
are toothed at the apex, and the blooms are produced 
in lax or sometimes clustered cymes on stems about 
1 ft. high well furnished with foliage. The parents 
were Dianthus sinensis Heddewigi Brilliant and D. 
barbatus. It is one of the good novelties introduced 
from time to time by Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, and 
received a First Class Certificate from the Floral 
Committee on Tuesday. 
Chrysanthemum, Mrs. Hawkins. 
The flower heads of this early-flowering Chrysanthe¬ 
mum are large and of a much darker yellow than 
G. Wermig, from which it is a sport. The stems are 
about 30 ins. high and very stout; while the leaves 
are also large, coarsely lobed, dark green and of great 
substance. It was exhibited by Messrs. Hawkins & 
Bennett, Twickenham, at the Floral Committee 
meeting, on Tuesday, and received a First Class 
Certificate. 
New Gladioli. 
Messrs. Kelway & Son again showed a grand lot of 
Gladioli, in the Drill Hall, on Tuesday, and received 
First Class Certificates for the two following varieties : 
Castro. —There were about eighteen flowers and buds, 
the former of large size, and closely arranged on the 
spike. They are of a rosy salmon colour suffused with 
scarlet, especially towards the edges, and there is a 
broad white band down the centre of each segment 
with a purple line in the centre of it. Besler. —The 
flowers of this variety are nearly, if not equally, as 
large a3 those of the above, and scarlet with crimson 
flakes towards the margin of each segment. There is 
also a large purple blotch on the middle of the lower 
segment of the inner series, in the throat of the flower. 
Dahlia, Mikado. 
The flower heads of this new single Dahlia, exhibited 
by Mr. T. "W. Girdlestone, of Sunningdale, at the 
meeting of the Floral Committee on Tuesday, are of 
large size, and distinct in appearance. They are 
scarlet, with a central yellow zone surrounding the 
disk, and the tips, as well as the midrib, are also 
yellow, or the latter only occasionally. The florets are 
very broad and overlapping. It was awarded a First 
Class Certificate. 
-- 
ESOHSCHOLTZIAS. 
Let anyone who admires the superb beauty of the 
Eschscholtzias, try the effect of autumn sowing. 
Spring-sown plants rarely afford an adequate idea of 
the magnificence of the flower. It is a great favourite 
with Mr. Anthony Waterer, of Knap Hill. He sows 
in autumn, and in the light soil of the Knap Hill 
Nurseries the plant roots deeply, grows freely, and 
bloom in wondrous and striking perfection in spring, 
producing flowers of unusual size. The late Mr. C. J. 
Perry, of Birmingham, so well known as an amateur 
florist and raiser of Verbenas, was a great lover of 
Eschscholtzias, especially of' the glorious brilliant 
orange E. crocea, and he used to cultivate them among 
his standard Roses. He held that it was peculiarly 
adapted for this purpose, because being tap-rooted— 
striking a main root down deeply into the soil, it did 
little injury to it, and the plants grew high enough to 
hide the naked stems of the standard Roses. He held 
also that during a dry summer, and in the case of 
light land, a covering of this kind over the roots 
benefited the Roses, and he liked his Eschscholtzias 
better than a dreary-looking mulching of manure. 
Of all the annuals he grew, he thought none so 
brilliant, graceful and lasting as the Eschscholtzias. 
Two species came to us years ago from California— 
one named Californica, in 1790, orange with an edging 
of yellow ; and Crocea, in 1833, rich orange, the latter 
the largest and finest of the two, from which has come 
a white variety, and the white eventually developed 
into a rose-coloured form, known as Rosea ; but the 
two grandest of the later selections are Carter’s 
Mandarin and Carter’s Rose Cardinal. Both these 
came from the pretty E. crocea rosea. The former is 
of a rich crimson-orange colour, the latter is Rosea 
deepened into a clear rose. Both are remarkably showy 
and striking—the former especially, and they are great 
acquisitions to our decorative hardy annuals. 
But to have fine blooms on plants of Eschscholtzias, 
the seedlings, when about 2 ins. high, should be 
thinned out, and left about 15 ins. from each other, 
thus affording. them space in which to develop. 
Coming into bloom with the Roses, they will continue 
gay until September, when an early pod or two of seed 
can be gathered and the plants cleared away, so that 
the Rose beds may have the benefit of the autumn 
rains. That is if the plan of Mr. Perry be followed. 
Mr. Perry always recommended that the seeds he sown 
where the plants are to bloom, so as to avoid un¬ 
necessary transplantation. I have named the best 
varieties above ; the striped and double forms are 
scarcely worth growing. They are novelties in their 
way, but no one can say they are as effective and 
striking as the varieties composing the list I have 
given.— R. D. 
-->X-<-- 
THE PERRY VALE NURSERY. 
One of the leading features for some weeks past in 
Messrs. James Carter & Co.’s nursery, has consisted 
of a houseful of Petunias in full flower. The range of 
colouring is something remarkable, and the outcome of 
long perseverance and close attention in the matter of 
cross-breeding the different kinds with the view of 
obtaining certain results. The Petunia, it may he 
observed, has been a specialty with the Messrs. Carter 
for many years, and they have now numerous distinct 
colours and different races or strains. They come 
wonderfully true from seed,' and not the least important 
and interesting point is the process of raising double 
varieties from seed. 
Single Petunias. 
A showy and pleasing kind is Queen of Roses, which 
bears a great profusion of clear soft rose flowers, the 
segments of which are beautifully toothed at the 
margin. Being of dwarf habit, it is a suitable sort 
for bedding purposes. Very curious -is Duchess of 
Connaught, which has purple and blue flowers, closely 
striated with darker veins, and having a broad pea- 
green margin. The latter colour is as decided in tone 
as that of a green-edged Auricula, or even more so, 
while it is brighter. King of Crimsons is of a crimson- 
purple hue, with darker, almost black veins. Another 
variety suitable for bedding purposes is White Pearl, on 
account 'of its dwarf habit and pure white flowers. 
Purple Prince is purple for some time after expansion, 
but ultimately fades or rather changes to a violet 
almost blue colour. That named Danish Flag has a 
purple ground colour, with five white stripes running 
from the throat of the corolla down the segments ; the 
white bands vary greatly in breadth. A distinct and 
very singular selection from this is known as the 
tattooed variety. On a ground colour of purple are 
numerous spots, rings, ziz-zag, and other tracings of 
white. Blue Vein is characterised by being richly 
reticulated—that is, netted with violet or black on a 
lilac, purple, or violet groundwork. A decorative and 
showy kind is Maltese Lace, which is crimson and 
much netted with darker veins. The distinguishing 
feature is, however, the broad rose-coloured margin, 
which is undulated, crisped, and toothed in a striking 
way. 
Double Petunias. 
It is surprising how readily these are raised from seed, 
although the double varieties themselves are entirely 
seedless owing to the derangement of the pistil. The 
