100 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 13, 1888. 
The Florists' Laced Pinks. 
By James Thurstan. 
After reading in your issue for Sept. 29th the very able 
article on the above subject by a member of such an 
old-established firm as William Paul & Co., Barngill 
Nursery, Bridge-of-Weir, 1ST. B., late of Paisley, and 
whose reputation as florists—especially for their Pinks 
and Pansies—has for many years stood so high in the 
eyes of the public—I cannot but feel gratified (and I 
am sure my friend Mr. Barlow will too) in finding that 
our favourite flower, the Pink, is still extensively 
cultivated in some parts of the kingdom, and especially 
in Scotland. 
During the last fortnight I have received several 
letters from entire strangers to me, expressing their 
hopes that a National Pink Society may be established, 
and that it will commence next year ; and one of the 
correspondents states that Mr. Frederick Hooper, 
Widcombe Hill, Bath, has a good collection of show 
Pinks. I therefore wrote to Mr. Hooper, asking him 
to oblige me with a select list, which he has kindly 
done, and which I annex :— 
Arthur Hodges, white, rich red laced, fine large flowers; 
Ben Simonite, pure white, rich red lacing, smooth and 
good substance ; Fred. Hooper, large smooth flowers, 
rich rose lace, extra fine ; Fred. M. P. Burges, white, 
laced with bright rose, flowers large, extra fine ; Joseph 
Laken, bright red lace, large, smooth, full flower, extra 
fine ; Laura, large full flower, dark red lace, distinct 
and very fine ; Ada Louise, rosy purple; Admiration, 
dark red ; Annette, rose lace ; Arthur Gilmore, bright 
rosy purple ; Attraction, red ; Beautiful, rosy purple ; 
Bendigo, reddish purple ; Bertram, red lace ; Boiard, 
rich dark lace, large ; Captivation, dark purple, fine : 
Challenger, purple; Chastity, bright red ; Colonel 
Mure, narrow, dark red; Constancy, rose lace ; 
Countess, clear red; Dauntless, red ; Dr. Masters, 
bright red ; Device, dark purple ; Emily, dark, very 
distinct; Empress of India, dark red ; Enid, red, very 
fine ; Fireman, bright red ; George White, purple ; 
Harry Paul, reddish purple ; Harry Hooper, rich dark 
red, extra ; John Ball, dark plum-purple ; Mabel, rosy 
purple ; Mary Ashburton, red ; Mary Grey, reddish 
purple ; Modesty, rosy purple ; Mrs. Darke, bright red, 
extra fine ; Mrs. Frederick Hooper, bright rose, extra ; 
Mrs. G. Dickson, red ; Ne Plus Ultra, bright red, extra; 
Prince Frederick William, rosy purple ; Bosy Morn, 
rose ; William Bruce, dark red; William Paul, clear 
rose lace. 
Taking this list with the twenty varieties Mr. 
Arthur Brown, of Birmingham, kindly gave with his 
article, which appeared in the issue of this journal of 
Sept. 8th, and the thirty varieties enumerated by 
Mr. J. G. Paul on p. 68, there will be no difficulty in 
persons, whose inclination may lead them to cultivate 
the florists’ Pink, in purchasing, for a moderate sum, 
a dozen or two different varieties, which would enable 
them to become exhibitors at the (hopeful) National 
Pink Society’s exhibition. The three lists contain 
several varieties of the same kind, and some of them 
are old sorts which are a good many degrees below per¬ 
fection, but even stands of the latter, well grown and 
exhibited, would be sure to be appreciated by the 
public generally, and the first exhibition would enable 
growers to see what varieties each one possessed, so 
that any that were not quite up to the mark could be 
easily substituted by those possessing superior pro¬ 
perties.— Linsbury House, Richmond Road, Cardiff. 
The enthusiastic florists who have lately brought this 
charming flower to the front, in your columns, deserve 
the hearty thanksbf all lovers of hardy florists’ flowers, 
and I trust their efforts to revive the public interest in 
the Pink may be rewarded with a full measure of 
success. What is really wanted is, as Mr. Brown has 
suggested, a society to promote exhibitions of the 
flower in various districts, for I am convinced that only 
by exhibiting them can their cultivation be extended. 
I have not seen a stand of Pinks at any of the London 
and south of England shows for some years, and yet 
there are thousands of amateurs around the metropolis 
to whom the laced Pinks grown in the north would be 
a revelation, and a source of infinite pleasure. But 
they want to see them, and to be educated up to the 
best standard of quality, and the only way to secure 
this is by exhibiting the best sorts. Mr. Brown’s 
suggestion that a show should be held in connection 
with the Provincial exhibition of the National Rose 
Society hardly meets the case, though I have no 
doubt that the Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain and his 
committee would entertain the proposal if seriously 
made to them. The measure of success that would 
attend upon such an alliance would depend very much 
upon where the society holds its annual show. Would 
that there were some enthusiast in or near the central 
town of Birmingham, who would do for the Pink what 
Mr. Dodwell so pleasantly and so efficiently does for 
the Carnation at Oxford, But perhaps this is too much 
to expect.— A London Amateur. 
New Carnations and Picotees. 
What grand growers the three new Carnations are— 
Robert Houlgrave, S. B., and Germania and Will 
Threlfall, the new yellow seifs ! I have just potted off 
my layers—very strong plants indeed, as strong as any 
seedlings can well be. I had two plants of the first- 
named. One had its flower stem destroyed, the second 
bloomed, and to my great disappointment proved a 
“run” variety; but it makes a very good fancy 
indeed—a scarlet-ground flower, with striking flakes of 
maroon. Still, as I cannot depend upon its reverting 
to its normal form—though run flowers will sometimes 
do this—I am sorry. I have raised from Mr. Dodwell ’s 
seed two or three very fine seifs—one a deep maroon- 
purple, with an exquisite shell petal. A very fine deep 
crimson self came to me from Mr. Dodwell, under the 
name of Florizel—a real beauty, large, full, of the 
finest form, and a very strong grower. I had but two 
layers, and the plants being in the open ground, the 
worms destroyed one. That is one of the risks that 
cultivators run in having plants of choice varieties in 
the open ground. The best plan is to lift them with 
good balls of soil attached to their roots, and layer 
them in pots. All my potted layers are standing on 
boards in the open ground ; they are best there this 
weather. As the soil was nicely moist when they were 
potted, they will need no water for a week at least, and 
the heavy dews at night help to keep the plants fresh 
and brisk. As soon as the autumn rains come, the 
plants will have the benefit of a cold frame, where they 
can be sheltered from the downpour. I have not tried 
any of Mr. Douglas’s new yellow grounds, but I am 
told they are good growers, of a robust character, and 
therefore well worthy of cultivation. — R. D. 
New Tuberous Begonias. 
Mrs. Stark. —The flowers of this new sort are as 
large as double flowers of this kind need be, and pale 
primrose-yellow, consisting of a dense mass of many 
rosettes. The plant was dwarf and well-flowered, with 
half cordate deep shining green leaves. 
General Chichester. —The leaves of this new 
kind are similar in shape to those of the above- 
mentioned. The flowers are large, and consist of a mass 
of small rosettes, the petals of which, when they get 
fully developed, become somewhat undulated. They 
are of a warm deep rose colour. Both were exhibited 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, on Tuesday, and 
received First Class Certificates. 
Dahlias at Salisbury. 
Since writing my previous notes, p. 70, concerning 
the Dahlias at Messrs. Keynes, "Williams & Co.’s, I 
have been furnished with the names of the new varieties 
to which I referred as having been numbered and not 
named at the time of my visit. No laudatory remarks 
of mine are needed here ; I will, therefore, content 
myself with giving their names and descriptions as 
received, viz., Show variety : William Jackson, purple. 
Fancy variety : Major Barttelot, buff, striped crimson. 
Cactus : Panthea, reddish salmon ; Amphion, chrome- 
yellow, flushed with cerise ; Honoria, large yellow ; 
Asia, peach colour. Pompons: Whisper, bright yellow 
and gold ; Little Ethel, white, edged purple ; Eurydice, 
blush, edge crimson ; Little Darkie, dark maroon ; 
Eden, bright shaded crimson ; Red Indian, deep red ; 
Fairy Tales, delicate primrose.— J. Horsejield, Heytes- 
bury. 
-- 
THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT 
DISTRIBUTION.* 
Of the various means available to fruit growers for the 
disposal of their crops, that by which they can be 
brought within the reach of consumers in a full- 
flavoured, fresh and bright condition is the one which 
will leave the most profitable results to the producers, 
and lead to the most successful permanent development 
of the industry in which they are engaged. Fruit may 
be preserved, pulped, evaporated, refrigerated, or 
manipulated in any other manner that will enable it to 
be converted into a merchantable commodity possessing 
a distinctive cash value ; but there yet remains the 
undeniable fact that it is in its fresh ripe condition, 
* A paper read by Mr. D. Tallerman, at the late Crystal 
Palace Fruit Conference. 
while clothed with its undisguisable natural bloom, 
endowed with its fragrant aroma and luscious flavour, 
that fruits have their highest and best values ; there¬ 
fore, the most important subject that can occupy the 
minds of fruit growers is, how they can best place their 
produce within reach of consumers in that inviting 
condition, in order to acquire the full benefits that 
accrue from it. This subject naturally involves a 
consideration of the means of rapid and effective 
distribution, which are absolutely essential to secure 
successful results. 
The science of fruit distribution is necessarily a 
commercial study, and comprises the principles that 
growers should practise to place their produce within 
reach of consumers. 
First, when and where they may be required. 
Second, in the best possible condition. 
Third, at the least possible cost. 
The means by which these measures, simple as they 
appear, can best be successfully attained involves 
attention to matters of detail, the necessity of which 
will be readily acknowledged by all engaged in frqjt 
growing and marketing; but to ensure a beneficial 
result from the consideration of the subjects which 
we are assembled to discuss, it is necessary to treat 
the various branches of the trade from specific not 
general points, inasmuch as although the general 
condition of the subject may be speedily summarised, 
that will not bring us any nearer the position we hope 
to reach. Briefly, then, we are a large community 
existing in a small space. Fruit consumers abound in 
all directions, fruit producers are to be found in but 
few places. The consumers are counted by millions, 
the producers by hundreds. The consumers require all 
the fruit that is grown and more ; the growers do not 
profitably sell when fresh the yield of their orchards, 
and are driven to seek other outlets in order to secure 
even a nominal return for their crops. It must be 
borne in mind that the circumstances and conditions 
that surround individual growers and consumers vary 
very largely, and courses of procedure that would bring 
advantageous results in one direction would be in¬ 
appreciable in another. 
With growers we have a wide range of conditions to 
deal with, from the owners of the numerous old 
orchards of large acreage to which little or no attention 
is given, to the cultivators of small quantities of choice 
fruits under glass or in the hothouse, which are the 
subject of incessant care and watchfulness. 
With consumers we also have an infinite number of 
conditions which embodies a still wider range of 
thought, for from the wealthy members of the upper 
classes who require, and will have at any time, if pro¬ 
curable, for their tables regardless of cost, any fruits 
that may be rare, choice, and of fine quality, to the 
buxom matron who buys a couple of pounds of what¬ 
ever fruit the costermonger may have on his barrow, 
so that her husband’s and family’s dinner may be 
complete with its dumpling or pie. Every variety of 
condition has to be met with and provided for, there¬ 
fore it must be evident that the more these existing 
and varied circumstances are understood, and the 
nearer they can be met and provided for, the greater 
must be the benefits that will accrue to fruit producers. 
With respect to the first point—viz., the disposal of 
fruits, when and where they may be required. I would 
point out to growers that, with the exception of the 
county of Kent and the metropolis, the centres of fruit 
production and fruit consumption are not contiguous to 
each other. By an inspection of the diagram of the 
kingdom, showing the population and the fruit area 
of each county, it will be seen that the bulk of our 
fruit supply is produced in a very few districts, while 
a large portion of the country which is densely popu¬ 
lated is devoid of any fruit produce of their own locality 
but rely upon other districts, and that the people 
gladly purchase any quantity of fruit that may be 
brought to them in good order and condition. That 
this position is undeniable may be gathered from the 
results that have attended the efforts of a few private 
parties who have relinquished the old practice of 
sending to the markets of Covent Garden, the Borough, 
and Spitalfields, and despatch their fruits instead to 
Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Glasgow, and other 
largely populated northern towns, where they have a 
profitable outlet for a large quantity of fruit that other¬ 
wise would have helped to glut the London markets. 
There is an enormous number of small towns in the 
mining and manufacturing districts that would 
welcome a supply of fresh fruit, which they do not 
now obtain. In order to directly meet the require¬ 
ments of these towns it is desirable that the fruit 
growers of each district combine with each other and 
