40 4 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 23, 1889. 
Carnations and Picotees. 
Our friend Mr. Wardill (p. 388) asks, “Why should the 
self-coloured and fancy-coloured striped Carnation be 
excluded from the class or stage flowers ? ” 
The reply obviously is that they are excluded from 
the class flowers just as the class flowers are excluded 
from them, because the characteristics of each are wholly 
different and distinct. But they are not “ excluded 
from stage flowers ” as being grown for exhibition ; they 
are in all respects “stage flowers” themselves. They 
are grown with the class flowers on the same stage, and 
are staged at exhibitions under the same conditions 
with them. 
The National Carnation and Picotee Society provides 
five classes for seifs and fancies, viz 
Class I, 24 blooms ... .6 prizes 
„ K12 „.6 „ 
„ L 12 „ (yellow ground) ... 4 ,, 
,, M 6 ,, ,, ... 5 ,, 
,, N 12 plants of any class or classes 
in bloom in pots, including 
tree Carnations ... ... 3 ,, 
Special attention is called in the schedule to the 
last-named class, the object of which is defined to be 
“to develop excellence as decorative subjects,” and, it 
is added, “ the judges will be instructed to award the 
prizes for cultural excellence, and a liberal head of 
flowers, which may not be shown on cards. The plants 
may have been lifted from the open ground, and the 
pots may contain one or more plants at the discretion 
of the exhibitor.’’ 
The Carnation and Picotee Union will have this year 
four classes for collections of seUs, fancies, and yellow 
grounds, viz. :— 
Selfs, fancies, and yellow grounds, 12 blooms, 8 prizes. 
6 Q 
j» n ••• ••• ••• w >) v n 
Yellow grounds only. 6 ,, 9 ,, 
,, (Kilmurry seedlings) 6 ,, 9 ,, 
besides the single bloom classes for these three sections, 
with eight prizes in each. Yet Mr. Wardill and others 
say that “professed florists banish self and fancy 
Carnations to the border.” 
To Mr. Wardill’s second query, “Why is the flash, 
flame, or the feather excluded from the white ground 
or the yellow ground Picotee ?” one can only reply in 
the same terms as to his previous challenge. There are 
cases where relatives are best apart, and the present is 
one of them ; but this applies to the white ground 
Picotees only. The flashed, flamed, and feathered 
flowers are not excluded from the yellow ground Picotees, 
which have at present none other than these charac¬ 
teristics. 
Mr. Wardill says, “For exquisite beauty of colour 
and delicacy of marking, commend me to fancy and 
self Carnations and Picotees.” The styles of colouration 
and marking in these and in the class flowers are so 
different, that comparisons are not only odious but 
idle ; but let us say that the colouration is each of its 
sort equally beautiful. “ Exquisite delicacy of mark¬ 
ing” is, however, the distinctive characteristic of the 
class flowers. It is to the fact that the seifs and 
fancies are not so much “delicately” as freely and 
boldly marked that they owe their picturesque beauty 
for the border, and their decorative value in the house. 
Our friend finally exhorts us to “lay aside one-sided 
restrictions, and let quality and beauty be our guides. ” 
He can no doubt remember the papers of the Rev. 
George Jeans on the “ Philosophy of Florists’ Flowers,” 
when they first appeared in the papers of the Florist 
of 1849. Let him lay aside Glenny and recur to these 
admirable papers, and he will have to admit that 
quality and beauty have ever been the guides of the 
true florist. Restrictions, indeed, we have, but they 
are not “ one-sided.” What Mr. Wardill calls 
“restriction,” is no more than the order and the system 
which attend development, whether in the Carnation 
and Picotee or in any other branch of human work.— 
M. Rowan. 
-->X<-- 
INDICATIONS OF SPRING. 
A visit to Kew Gardens in the middle of February, 
with the thermometer standing at 56°, and the bright 
beams of old Sol lying warmly athwart the flush of 
floral beauty, which his vigour has induced to come out; 
with winter Aconites, gorgeously coloured like golden 
Buttercups ; Snowdrops, white as milk, and in variety ; 
Crocuses, striped and feathered, veined and reticulated, 
glowing in beauty ; Anemone blanda, with its pure 
blue tints ; Narcissus minima, dangling its tiny golden 
bells ; Chionodoxa Lucilire (the Glory of the Snow, in 
its native habitats); Erica carnea, and its white variety 
alba—these and other less conspicuous flowers offer sure 
and certain indications of the good time coming. A 
day such as this (February 17th) has resulted in, is a 
day to be recorded in the columns of The Gardening 
World, for such days are, with us, in our cold in¬ 
clement climate, of very rare occurrence. 
The gardens were well attended, and the early flowers 
seemed much appreciated. Even the Alpine house, 
which is not generally known, contained a fair sprinkling 
of interested people. Here the wealth of floral mag¬ 
nificence concentrates chiefly upon the genus Crocus. 
These short-lived but truly gorgeous early bloomers 
may be said to be the avant courriers of the glowing 
spring. 
C. Susianus is particularly showy, with its brilliant 
orange-coloured segments, these, on the outside of the 
perianth, being variously reticulated or feathered with 
deep brown ; hence it is a handsome species even in the 
bud. A native of the Crimea and the Caucasus, it is one of 
the liveliest and earliest of our winter flowers, and well 
deserves the common designation “ Cloth of Gold.” 
C. biflorus, a very variable species, with the segments 
of the perianth ranging from white to lavender, is also 
an interesting subject, as the outer petals are beautifully 
and regularly marked with deep purple. The sexual 
organs also stand out prominently both in this and the 
preceding species, and their rich orange-coloured 
anthers and stigmata, in consequence, lend additional 
charm to the soft tints of these Alpine gems. C. 
Imperati must complete this list, the flowers of which 
are of a fine lilac-purple on the inside, the external 
parts being richly veined dark purple, and combining 
withal the odour of sweetness, it is thus rendered most 
desirable as a subject for pot culture. Although the 
flowers of the genus Crocus are of a somewhat 
ephemeral description, yet the plants or corms are 
amenable to the simplest treatment, and are thus 
within the reach of all classes, especially the numerous 
varieties of C. vernus, which are cheap and easily 
obtainable ; hence no garden, London or otherwise, 
should be without one or more representatives of these 
gorgeous though fragile harbingers of warmer weather, 
and of brighter skies.— C. B. G., Acton, IF. 
-->X-o- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
The Prominent Flowers of 1888. 
If there is any period of the year when the Chrysan¬ 
themum grower can be said to have an opportunity of 
taking things quietly and looking back upon the work 
of the past year, we should say it is the month of 
February. All trade Catalogues are issued ; exhibitions 
are a thing of the past; a conference has been held ; 
intending exhibitors at our 1889 shows have inserted 
their cuttings, and have for the most part made their 
selections of such of the novelties of recent introduction 
as they intend to add to their stock ; still it is not too 
late for a few notes upon the prominent flowers of 1888. 
The Japanese classes, as a matter of course, claim the 
greater number of the novelties ; some good additions 
have been made to the Anemone section, but the most 
important additions have been made to the section most 
in need of the additions—viz., the Incurved—and in 
nearly every case they have been sports from well- 
known flowers, and as sports invariably follow the habit 
of the parent plant, it is only necessary to give a 
description of the colour and the name of the plant 
from which the sport is derived, to give the grower a 
very good idea of what he may expect from the new 
flower. 'We will first deal with the most recent 
introductions to 
The Japanese Section. 
Sunflower (Cannell), a rich golden yellow, similar 
in style to Mdlle. Lacroix, and blooming about the 
same time. Has received three First Class Certificates. 
Stanstead Surprise (Laing), one of the largest 
blooms of this season’s novelties, with long reddish 
purple florets ; very free, but rather a tall grower. 
Etoile de Lyon is a very large and attractive flower, 
with broad straight florets of a rose-violet colour; 
a dwarf sturdy grower. 
George Daniels is a flower very similar to Etoile de 
Lyon, both in colour and build of the bloom, but grows 
a trifle taller. 
Mrs. C. H. Wheeler, a variety introduced from 
America, has this season secured the First Class Cer¬ 
tificate of the N. C. S. It is an enormous flower, 
similar in character and colour to Edwin Molyneux, 
except that the petals are broader. It is a strong 
grower, and of medium height. Our American 
cousins hold a very high opinion of this flower, and we 
notice that amongst the new seedlings exhibited at the 
American Chrysanthemum shows last November were 
several good things raised from seed saved from this 
variety. 
Hons. Bernard is similar in colour to Mdme. 
de Sevin. It is an excellent flower, and well merits 
the Certificate obtained for it by Messrs. Laing this 
season, although it has been out several years. It 
is a good thing for grouping, and retains its foliage 
well. 
Alcion, a Japanese reflexed, is an attractive, deep, 
reflexed, rosy carmine flower. 
Mrs. W. A. Harris is a large Japanese flower of a 
fleshy pink colour, with twisted florets. 
Miss Gorton, a sport from Bouquet Fait, creamy 
white suffused with rose, is a very attractive flower. 
Avalanche, which was introduced last season, has 
made its way to the front with great rapidity, and 
judging from the demand for it, is likely to hold its 
own for some time to come. Few collections will this 
year be without it. 
Florence Percy, another of last season’s introductions, 
has come well to the front. 
Fimbriatum, a blush-pink of American origin, is a 
good flower. 
The French Novelties. 
Of all the new varieties sent out from France last year, 
few indeed among the Japanese were worth having, 
though it is possible that out of the large consignment 
a few more may prove to have good qualities, but which 
we have been unable to discover the first season—take 
for example Hamlet, sent out in 1887, it last year 
turned out a very fine flower. The best of the 1888 set 
are Mdme. Louis Leroy, a pure white flower, very full; 
a strong grower, of medium height. Anatole Cordon- 
nier (Delaux), a large rich purple, lightly spotted with 
white. Care must be taken in selecting this variety, 
as there is another of the same name sent out the same 
year by L. Lacroix. Good white flowers are always 
acceptable, and Condor is a promising variety with 
broad petals. M. Le Comte Foucher de Cartel, rose- 
violet and white, is a large flower, rather early, and 
a somewhat tall grower. 
Incurved Varieties. 
The additions to the Incurved section this season con¬ 
sist of both sports and seedlings, but the latter, judging 
from the blooms we have seen, are not all triumphs of 
success, though they may improve by next year. 
Souvenir d'Alfred Mott is a fine colour, and will 
turn out an acquisition. 
Violet Tomlin (Davis & Jones) is considered to be 
the finest introduction of the year. It is a bright 
purple-violet sport from Princess of Wales, the qualities 
of which are known to every “Mum” grower. There 
is also a golden sport from the same source named 
Mrs. S. Coleman, which has not yet received a 
Certificate, but it is in the hands of the right man. 
Mr. R. Owen will no doubt this forthcoming season 
stage blooms bringing out all its good qualities. 
L’Automne is an attractive flower for this section, of 
a striking soft salmon-buff colour; it is of French origin, 
and although it has been out several years it has not 
been seen in this country before, and well merited the 
First Class Certificate awarded to it by the N. C. S. 
The petals are broad, but it is a very shy weakly 
grower. 
H. Shoesmith is a good bronze sport from Golden 
Beverley. 
Alfred Lyne is a good lilac-coloured sport from 
Novelty. Another well-known variety, Mrs. Heale, 
has produced a good sport of a clear yellow colour, 
named Miss M. A. Haggas. 
One of the most curious instances of sports has been 
seen this season. Cullingfordi, with the colour of 
which every grower is familiar, has thrown a perfect 
incurved flower, following the parent in every respect 
except the shape of the bloom, which is as perfect as 
Lord Alcester, or any of the Queen Family, retaining 
at the same time the intense crimson petal with the 
golden reverse. 
The only valuable addition to the early-flowering 
section has been Mrs. Hawkins, which is really a 
golden Mdme. Desgranges, being of a deep yellow 
hue, and not a pale straw colour like the variety that 
has hitherto gone by the names of Golden Mdme. 
Desgranges, Mrs. Burrell and G. Wermig. 
The Anemone section has also been augmented. 
Nelson, a rose-violet flower with the centre florets 
tipped with creamy white, is a very fine attractive 
bloom, and will soon hold a prominent position on the 
exhibition table. Souvenir de Mdme. Blandineries is 
a Japanese Anemone, of a rose-crimson with a yellowish 
tint on the tips of the centre florets. 
