180 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 17, 1888. 
New Fuchsias. 
That well-known raiser, Mr. James Lye, has just for¬ 
warded to us a hatch of flowers of new Fuchsias of his 
own production, and very charming they are. That 
Mr. Lye’s Fuchsias are advancing in the popular 
estimation there can be no doubt, and they are being 
largely grown both for exhibition and decorative 
purposes. At county shows one sees Lye’s new varieties 
among the sorts exhibited for prizes, and in the 
collection at Chiswick they are conspicuous. "When at 
the Bath and Trowbridge shows we saw that from 
eight to ten of the Clyffe Hall seedlings were very 
prominent among the fine specimen plants, and it is 
due to Mr. Lye to mention that while he has studied 
closely improvement in the quality and colours of the 
flowers, deeming these to be of the first importance, he 
has also greatly improved the habit of the plants, and 
a remarkable floriferousness characterises all his seed¬ 
lings. It is especially as exhibition varieties that we 
would commend them, and it may be safely assumed 
that the sorts which come out well on the exhibition 
stage are also of great value for decorative purposes. 
The new varieties sent for inspection comprise two 
that are denominated dark—viz., Ayrshire, bright coral- 
red tube and sepals, rich blue corolla which is slightly 
semi-double, stout, and very fine, and a decided advance 
in the way of blue-corollad Fuchsias ; and Renown, 
pale red tube and sepals, purple corolla, shaded with 
maroon, a very bright and pleasing variety, contrasting 
well in all its parts vigorous habit. Of light varieties 
there are Constancy, flesh-coloured tube and sepals, 
rich carmine corolla, sepals well reflexed, stout, extra 
fine; Delight, pure white tube and sepals, pink and 
Carmine corolla, slightly shaded with violet, an extra 
fine variety for decorative and exhibition purposes ; 
Fair Maid, creamy white tube and sepals tinted with 
blush, deep carmine corolla flushed with magenta, 
stout and very fine; Heroine, white tube and sepals 
with lines of pink, bright carmine corolla, new in 
colour, excellent habit; and Peasant Girl, white tube 
and sepals tinted with the most delicate blush, pink 
and carmine corolla slightly shaded with violet. The 
last of the batch is a fine double white-corollad variety, 
named Distinction, with pale bright red tube and 
sepals, stout and full double white corolla flaked with 
rose, large, symmetrical, and of fine quality. 
With the Fuchsias came trusses of a new seedling 
nosegay Pelargonium, named Rosalba, also raised by 
Mr. Lye, and strongly recommended by him, both for 
bedding purposes and pot culture. The trusses of 
bloom are of immense size. On one of them 143 pips 
could be counted ; the colour is rich deep pink ; the 
habit compact, short-jointed, and very free blooming. 
Of late years we have seemed to be losing a good deal 
of the nosegay type, once so popular for bedding 
purposes. This new variety of Mr. Lye’s may be the 
means of helping to popularise the race again. 
Winter-flowering Carnations. 
I have come to the conclusion that the winter-flowering 
or tree Carnation is simply a kind of sport (or accident) 
from the summer-flowering varieties, and having, by 
some means, bloomed in the autumn, winter, or early 
spring, it had been propagated as a distinct type, and so 
its character became fixed. I infer this from the be¬ 
haviour of some of my own plants last summer. Take 
the self-yellow Germania. A plant of this variety threw 
up two strong flowering shoots, which gave me some 
fine blooms, and towards the end of the summer it put 
up another flowering-stem, which has developed three 
plump buds. I have taken the plant into the green¬ 
house, but whether I shall succeed in getting it to 
expand under the influence of solar heat only remains 
to be seen. I think, therefore, that with a little man¬ 
agement, Germania could be made both a summer and 
winter-flowering variety. 
Last autumn Mr. Dodwell sent me some strong 
seedlings. They were duly potted up, and as soon as 
possible in the spring planted out in the open ground. 
A few of these threw up strong branching stems that 
did not lead to bloom in the summer, and they grew to 
a height of 2 ft. or so. These plants were lifted in 
September, potted, and placed in the greenhouse, and 
though, for want of artificial heat, I cannot expect to 
bloom them during the winter, I hope to do so in the 
spring months. How, Mr. Dodwell doe3 not grow 
winter-flowering Carnations, and so I think I am 
justified in regarding these as accidental sports. 
At the Royal Nursery, Slough, where winter-flowering 
Carnations are largely grown, the practice is adopted 
of sowing the seed in a gentle heat, early in the year, 
and when large enough the plants are potted off singly 
into pots, and finally planted out in beds in the open 
air as soon as it is convenient to do so. Being placed 
in good soil, the plants grow into good size, and 
towards the end of the summer they throw up their 
flowering stems. Then the practice is adopted of lifting 
the plants, potting them, and taking them into a light 
airy house heated with hot water, to bloom during the 
autumn, winter, and spring. Plenty of air is required, 
even when heat is turned on air is given on the side 
opposite to the wind. By this means the plants are 
kept sturdy and growing, and Mr. Turner states that 
from these seedlings he gets an abundance of flower 
during the winter months. Any really good variety is 
named, propagated, and duly sent out. All the fire- 
heat required is just enough to keep damp from settling 
upon the flowers, and to assist them in expanding. 
The usual practice in propagating winter-flowering 
Carnations is to take cuttings in the spring, and strike 
them in a gentle heat as one would Pinks ; but these 
do not make sufficiently strong plants to flower well 
the following winter, therefore it is better to take the 
cuttings in August, root them in a gentle warmth, 
getting them potted off singly into pots during the 
autumn, and then winter them in a cold frame. These 
plants grow into a good flowering size by the following 
autumn ; they come into bloom quickly and early, and 
go on flowering all through the winter and early 
spring—indeed, with the aid of a little heat it does not 
appear difficult to have Carnations in bloom all the 
year round. 
I have now in bloom a fine white seedling Pink of 
the Mrs. Sinkins type. It was one of some seedlings 
also received from Mr. Dodwell, but which failed to 
bloom, though it sent up a late flower-stem that 
developed a bud, which is now fully expanded, and I 
am bound to say, is full of promise. I shall look forward 
to its flowering again in the spring with considerable 
expectation.—^. D. 
A FABLE NOT FOUND IN 
^ISOP. 
Once upon a time there dwelt a giant in a cave. It 
was a pleasant feather-bed-and-down-quilt sort of cave, 
because not kept up at the giant’s expense, but en¬ 
dowed by the Government with something under or over 
£20,000 a year I The cave is situated in a locality 
designated geographically as “Botany Bay.” Beside 
the giant’s cave is a public highway, along which the 
poor jobbing gardener now and then proceeds to his 
daily labour. It was a dreary, wet, and foggy morning 
in November, and two or three poor “ Japonicas” were 
going to their daily toil, when out popped the giant. 
“ Ah 1 oh ! ! hum ! 1! ” said he. Of course, the poor 
gardeners were a little frightened because in their 
innocence (as long ago derived from Eden itself) they 
had thought the giant asleep under his eider-down 
quilt. “"Where do you come from ?” saidthegiant, in 
tones a la Richard III. “From Chiswick, Sir,” 
said the boldest of the horticultural villains. “ Ah I ” 
ejaculated the giant, “ I know it well 1 in truth, a dull 
and dreary place—you—you—you really ought to 
be ashamed of yourselves I ” and then he brandished his 
club and said, “Why don’t you make it a really 
living thing—a thing interesting, a perfect paradise, 
where intelligible work is being carried on always— 
as it is [?] in my cavern ? ” 
The poor gardeners felt in their hearts that it was 
not altogether their fault that their Cabbage-garden 
was not quite as perfect as the giant’s cave ; but what 
could they do ? One of the gardeners, however, not 
bolder than the rest, but very shrewd and quiet, 
had taken stock of the giant, and having a spade in 
his hand, did not much mind the gnarled old botanical 
club that the giant carried. “You are quite right,” 
said the gardener, “ we are ashamed of ourselves ; but 
we did our best, and thought we had pleased our 
employers when we grew pretty plants for them.” 
“No, you didn’t 1” said the giant, “you are such 
poor fools. Why didn’t you consult me i ” “We 
are very sorry,” said the gardener, “but —but we 
thought you had plenty to do in your cave.” “Not 
a bit of it,” said the big man, “not a bit of it! 
Now what you poor fellows want is a policy — a 
policy is the thing! Now why don’t you make 
your dull old Cabbage-garden like my lovely botanical 
cave?” “We should like to do that,” said the 
man with the spade, “but you see we have to work 
to bring in grist to the miR, and-.” “Oh, don’t 
tell me,” said the giant, “ try a Pumpkin plot among 
your Cabbages every year, do—do as I don’t do myself, 
grow Les Plantes Potageres ; in a word, do what I 
cannot do in my gloomy cavern—grow the best of 
everything in the sunshine and in the open air.” 
“Ah, yes,” said the gardener, “we should like to do 
that, but you see-.” “Now don’t answer me,” 
said the giant, “ because I am sure, if intelligently 
carried out, my plan would be found both interesting 
and useful, and-.” But at this moment the man 
with the spade lost all patience and accidentally 
brought down his implement on to the giant’s toes. 
“Ugh, ugh,” said he, “you are such a stupid set—you 
wont be advised. Now why can’t you improve as I 
tell you ? You see the superior organisation and 
intellect and industry displayed around my cavern, 
don’t you ? ” 
“Yes,” said the gardeners quite quietly, “we see 
all that; at least, you are telling the truth, we feel sure, 
but we have to work for our living. The Government 
hasn’t endowed our Cabbage-garden at Chiswick with 
a grant of £18,000 to £20,000 a year.” This seemed 
to hurt the great man worse than the spade on his toes, 
and he turned and left the “Japonicas,” muttering as he 
went, “The poor misguided fools ! The idiots ! If 
they would adopt Le Potager d'un Curieux, it would 
do wonders for them (?).”— The Man with the Spade, 
his -f- marie. * 
--- 
POTATO CULTIVATION. 
The Jensen System of Moulding. 
The following report was read at the meeting of the 
Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
held on Tuesday last 
During two successive seasons elaborate experiments 
and careful observations were made as to the effect of 
the Jensen system of moulding. The experiments were 
made at Chiswick under the superintendence of the 
Scientific Committee. Although results of considerable 
practical interest were obtained, yet the primary object 
of the experiments was frustrated by the non-appearance, 
or, rather, by the scanty development of the Potato- 
fungus. Moreover, it became apparent that the cost of 
the experiments, as then carried out, would be such 
as to preclude their imitation on a large scale for 
practical purposes. 
During the present season the Potato disease set in 
at Chiswick with virulence about July 29th. Up to 
that time no attempt had been made to check its 
course, or to note the conditions under which it 
Occurred ; but at the suggestion of Mr. Plowright, two 
rows in juxtaposition were submitted to experiment on 
August 10th. 
The rows were 30 yds. in length, the variety selected 
Schoolmaster, and the conditions as absolutely identical 
as possible, except that the one row was left moulded in 
the ordinary way, while the other was “high-moulded” 
—that is to say, banked up on one side to form a ridge, 
while the haulm was slightly bent over to the other 
side. In the ordinary system of moulding, a furrow is 
left along the top of the ridge, into which it is surmised 
that the spores fall, washed off by rain from the foliage. 
The high moulding, it is supposed, obviates this by 
securing the fall of the spores on the ground between 
the rows, and not on the rows themselves. As the 
disease appeared to be equally severe on both rows, and 
was, moreover, far advanced, but little expectation was 
indulged in that the results would be of any value. 
Nevertheless, on September 29th, the Potatos in the 
two rows were lifted and examined, as dug, by Mr. 
Barron and Dr. Masters. It speedily became apparent 
that there was a considerable difference between the 
two rows, and that the tubers from the high-moulded 
row afforded a much cleaner and more even sample. 
With a view to put this general impression to a 
numerical test, fifty tubers from each row were taken 
indiscriminately, twenty-five by one observer, the 
remainder by the other, so as to equalise, as far as 
possible, the “ personal equation.” 
These 100 Potatos were then examined with a more 
careful scrutiny, each one being cut open to ascertain 
whether or no it was diseased. The result was as 
follows :—Out of fifty taken from the row moulded in 
the ordinary way, thirteen were found diseased, or 
twenty-six per cent. Out of fifty taken from the high- 
moulded row, five only were noted as diseased, or ten 
per cent. No doubt a more careful examination by the 
microscope would have indicated a larger proportion of 
disease in each case, but it is not likely that it would 
have very materially altered the proportion either in 
one direction or the other. In order, however, to 
obtain further information upon this point, twenty-five 
tubers from each row were put aside for future 
examination, with the result, that when examined on 
November 12th, of the twenty-five tubers from the 
