486 
March 12, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
FLORICULTURE. 
The Fertilization of the Pansy. 
I have read with much interest the remarks of 
“ Veritas,” as I had formerly read those of Mr. Wm. 
Cuthbertson, on Pansy fertilization. This is a mat¬ 
ter upon which I have bestowed much attention for 
the past ten or twelve years, and you will perhaps 
allow me space for some remarks bearing on my own 
investigations and their results. My experiments 
have been directed to the attainment of some, at 
least, of the objects enumerated by “ Veritas.” I 
have not, indeed, sought with so much solicitude to 
obtain a scarlet Pansy, or one distinctly showing 
scarlet in its markings, as to secure improved form, 
texture, distinctness of marking, and habit. I do 
not by any means consider the first point unattain¬ 
able, or of very great importance if attained ; for the 
range of colours which we at present possess is rich 
and varied to a degree that should satisfy the most 
exacting ; but there is much yet to accomplish in the 
other directions referred to. As to size, I am of 
opinion that we have reached in “ David Rennie,” 
and several other well-known fancy Pansies, 
dimensions beyond which it would be almost unsafe 
to go. 
My experiments, continued from year to year 
through the period stated, have also been conducted 
for the purpose of ascertaining what influence each 
parent exerts in determining form, colour and habit 
in the offspring, and thus to give a definiteness to 
our aims in crossing, and some assurance of accom¬ 
plishing our object. As a result of these experi¬ 
ments, I may state briefly that I have arrived at the 
conclusion that the male gives colour, and the female form 
and liahit to the offspring. A similar law has been 
formulated with regard to the Narcissi by Rev. A. 
Rawson, I think ; but my own generalization had 
been made before I became acquainted with this 
fact. I am curious to know if other growers have 
formed a similar conclusion; and it would be 
highly interesting to ascertain whether the law 
generally applies. It would occupy too much of your 
space to give details of my experiments, but I may 
here state that I usually selected varieties possessing 
marked individuality, and experimented only upon 
those of good constitution and in good health ; for I 
consider it most desirable, as does 11 Veritas,” to 
produce a race of robust and hardy plants. 
The method of crossing which I adopt is different 
from either of those referred to by "Veritas.” I 
tried the camels’-hair brush, but soon abandoned it 
for what I have found a much more reliable method. 
From a bloom of the variety which is to represent 
the male parent, I remove the lower petal with a 
sharp knife, cutting in front of the spur, but leaving 
the hollowed projection with its contained pollen— 
which need not be disturbed in the operation. I in¬ 
sert this petal under the pistil of a bloom of the 
plant that is to act as the female parent. If this is 
carefully done, the pollen will come in contact with 
the stigma, and the inserted petal will remain, 
blocking up the opening into the nectary, and so 
preventing bees, &c., from interfering with the suc¬ 
cess of the operation. As to the stage of expansion, 
weather conditions, &c., when fertilization is most 
successfully performed, I cannot now speak. With 
your permission I may at a future date refer more 
fully to this point and others necessarily omitted 
now.-- [Please do.- —Ed.] 
In addition to this I have carefully watched the 
actions of the bees—wild bees especially—and 
marked the blooms visited when the cross seemed 
suitable. And after all, there is less of the element 
of "chance ”—in my opinion—about this method of 
crossing than is generally supposed. There is no 
doubt that an enormously larger percentage of good 
varieties is obtained from hand-crossed seed than 
from that naturally crossed—if we may speak of the 
action of bees, &c., as natural. At the same time, 
notwithstanding all my care in "matching" the 
parents, the instinct of the bee has often produced 
as fine individual seedlings. Hitherto I have 
operated upon plants growing in the open air, but I 
purpose this year to experiment upon some kept 
under glass during the critical period between the 
expansion of the flower and the setting of the seed. 
It is very difficult, however, to guard against inter¬ 
ference from insects of various kinds ; earwigs, for 
instance, assist greatly—I think—in cross-fertiliza¬ 
tion, and every Pansy grower knows how hard it is 
to prevent the incursions of this marauder—a veri¬ 
table "pestilence that walketh in darkness.” 
Another series of experiments had for their object 
the increase of size of show Pansies in the white 
ground and yellow ground sections,- but I have 
already occupied too much of your space to enter 
upon this question now. I would only here remark 
that this is a direction in which there is surely room 
for improvement, and I hope the subject is receiving 
attention in many quarters. Many Pansy growers 
among your subscribers have no doubt been 
experimenting in the directions referred to, and it 
would be most interesting to have them relate their 
methods and results, and I trust they will take the 
present opportunity of doing so.— J. D. Stuart, New 
Forge House, Malone, Belfast. 
EXHIBITION POTATOS. 
Although I employ this term yet I do so as it were 
under protest, because I hold that in no respect 
should what are commonly classed as Show 
Potatos be dissociated from ordinary sorts as con¬ 
sumed. If anyone who may imagine that there is a 
special class of Potatos not grown for ordinary con¬ 
sumption, but only to make or give specially hand¬ 
some show tubers, will but visit exhibitions 
where Potatos are largely found during the 
coming season, they will find that chiefly these com¬ 
prise varieties extensively grown for consumption, 
and it is only where large collections are displayed 
that sorts are found not so widely cultivated, hence 
less well known. 
I read with amused interest a statement at p. 419, 
that exhibitors are shy about letting their fellow- 
competitors know of their choice varieties for exhibi¬ 
tion. How is an exhibitor to win prizes if he does 
not exhibit his Potatos, and when he does cannot all 
the w'orld see what his sorts are ? Did the writer of 
the remark referred to imagine that any exhibitor 
changes the whole of his sorts every year, and then 
-comes to the shows with an entirely fresh lot to the 
discomfiture of his fellows ? That is too funny an 
idea altogether. Every exhibitor possibly expends 
upon certain of his breadths some special attention 
when he grows to obtain fine handsome samples for 
show, and yet these are but of the same kinds as he 
is growing for ordinary consumption. When from 
these special breadths comes these very fine clean 
handsome show tubers, then .comes the ignorant hyper¬ 
critic and exclaims, " these are exhibition varieties” 
as though they were unfit for ordinary consumption, 
Let us get rid of cant of that kind as soon as 
possible.— A. D. 
| » t 
THE FLOWER TRADE OF 
PARIS.* 
The enormous increase of the cut-flower trade for 
some years past in Paris could hardly escape the 
most superficial observer, says M. Henry L. de 
Vilmorin, who writes an introduction to his son's 
just published work—" Les Fleurs a Paris ”—which 
is the outcome of a series of questions, such as :—- 
Whence come all these flowers ? Who cultivate, 
send, receive, and distribute them ? To how many 
people do the production and commerce of flowers 
provide a means of living, and sometimes of making a 
fortune ? The French Association for the Advance¬ 
ment of Science invited M. Henry L. de Vilmorin 
to take cut flowers for his subject at one of the con¬ 
ferences which it is in the habit of giving in Paris 
during the winter. Later on MM. J.-B. Bailliere & 
Son wished him to group together his information 
in the form of a book; but owing to his numerous 
occupations and engagements he was unable to 
accede to the request, but happily found in his eldest 
son Philippe, then scarcely twenty years of age, the 
man to undertake the work. 
The plan followed in the arrangement of the con¬ 
tents of the book is very simple but efficient. The 
author at first calls attention to the wide-spread 
taste for and employment of flowers in our time ; 
then he conducts the reader rapidly to various parts 
of the world where the importance and establishment 
of the commerce of flowers is made the subject of 
comment. At length, attaching himself to the city of 
Paris, he describes the proceedings and the organisa¬ 
tion of the sale of flowers in the flower markets, with 
the retailers, and in the stalls of the florist. He 
*“ Les Fleurs a Paris, Culture et Commerce," par Philippe 
L. de Vilmorin. Libraire.—J.-B. Bailliere et Fils, Rue Haute- 
feuille, 19, Pres du Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris. 
then speaks of the arrival of the principal flowers at 
Paris, ar>d passes in review those cultivated under 
glass and those grown in the South. 
From the commerce of flowers, our author passes 
on to enumerate the principal plants which consti¬ 
tute the objects of the producers’ care, and indicates 
the merits of the various species at the same time 
giving a brief summary of their culture. Annuals, 
biennials, hardy perennial and bulbous plants are 
successfully dealt with, after which he speaks of 
hothouse plants, and devotes special chapters to 
Orchids, to flowering trees and shrubs, and to Roses in 
particular. At last he reviews the special culture of 
the South, and the materials for mixing with cut 
flowers in bouquets, such as mosses, ferns, and 
various green subjects. 
It is not too much to say that the author is well 
acquainted with his subject, for he has been familiar 
with flower culture in the environs of Paris from his 
infancy, as well as with those from Provence. He 
has made several journeys through Europe and in 
America for observation and comparison. The book 
runs to 324 pages octavo, and is illustrated with 208 
figures intercalated in the text. It is divided into 
two parts, the first dealing with commerce and 
culture, the second with flowers used for ornamenta¬ 
tion ; and besides contains a good index. The illustra¬ 
tion s consist chiefly of figures of various cultivated and 
popular subjects, but a full-page one shows a 
carriage adorned for the battle of flowers at Cannes. 
Being in French, the book should find most favour 
with French-speaking nations, but would no doubt 
be appreciated by those in Britain who are interested 
in cut flowers and the trade in them, and who 
understand the language. 
THE HOLLOWAY 
NURSERIES. 
Except where Orchids are plentiful, there is not 
much to be seen in nurseries in the early days of 
March that is of any great value to journalists in 
search of materials for " copy," but there is very 
much going on that interests the Chiel that tak's the 
notes if he is fond of plants and is well versed, as he 
should be, in all cultural details and requirements. 
The lengthening days and increasing light of early 
spring brings a busy and anxious time to the nursery¬ 
man and his assistants. Most of his plants grown 
under glass get " on the move,” and more or less are 
showing their impatience to commence their season's 
growth. These will day by day demand increased 
attention, and will admit of no neglect if they are to 
take the eye of "the buyer." In the propagating 
houses, too, all is activity, and every inch of space 
utilised with seeds, cuttings, buds, or grafts in end¬ 
less variety, for sooner or later everything will be 
wanted; and all must now be closely watched, for 
with many things " a bad take ” means the loss of a 
season's crop, and its attendant evils. 
In the nursery of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
all these things are now going on with a degree of 
vigour that is characteristic only of successful enter¬ 
prise, but much that one sees discretion tells us we 
must not make " copy ” of just yet. In the Fern 
houses, which lead to those containing the Orchids, 
the young growths create a lively sense of the 
beauties to follow, and one plant in particular claims 
attention on account of its beauty now, for its young 
fronds have a glow of warm rosy pink colour that is 
not seen in any other Fern. This is Lomaria 
attenuata, a plant with a clear stem about 18 in. 
high and about 1 in. in diameter, with a crown of 
fronds that is wondrously pleasing just now. 
In the Orchid houses the Vandas and Ltelia pur- 
puratas give abundant promise of a rich harvest of 
bloom later on when the Cattleya Trianaes, now- in 
great form, are over. Among the latter we noted a 
grand variety with very broad, well-rounded petals, 
measuring 8 in. over, and a mr-gnificently coloured 
lip, rendered all the more striking by reason 
of its clearly defined, rich orange-coloured 
saddle-shaped blotch in the throat. Lycaste 
Skinneri delicata, a variety distinguished by 
the delicately suffused tints of rose in its sepals and 
petals, is undeniably pretty ; as also its near neigh¬ 
bour on the stage, the hybrid Dendrobium chryso- 
discus, with sepals and petals tipped with violet, 
and a bright lemon blotch on the spear shaped lip. 
Specially attractive too was a group of good sized, 
freely bloomed specimens of the rare Ccelo- 
