674 
rHE GARDENING WORLD 
June 25, 1892. 
For 4S, 36, 24, and 18, Mr. May was first in each 
class; Mr. Mount second for 48, and third for 18 ; 
Messrs. Harkness third for 48, second for 36, and 
second each in 24 and iS. So there was close 
competing throughout as well as in the amateurs' 
classes. Some excellent bouquets were staged, 
Messrs. Perkins & Sons being first in the three classes; 
Mr. A. Booty, Harrogate, second. The epergnes 
were good, so also the baskets of flowers, cut stove 
and greenhouse flowers, Pyrethrums and Perennials. 
There was a great show of Pansies, Mr. Smellie, 
Glasgow, being the leading winner, with Mr. Irvine, 
Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Bailley very successful 
also. Some certificates for new sorts were awarded, 
and the amateurs staged well. Messrs. Dobbie & 
Co., Rothesay, contributed a fine display of Violas, 
Pansies, and other flowers, and were awarded 
Certificates for two new Violas, Rob Roy and Prince 
of Orange. 
A handsome Gold Medal was awarded to a superb 
group of Souvenir de Malmaison Carnations sent 
from Ascott, near Leighton Buzzard, by Mr. 
Jennings, gardener to Leopold de Rothschild, Esq., 
and were so much admired. 
Certificates were awarded to the Rev. G. Veld, 
York, for a beautiful seedling Hemerocallis named 
“Apricot," the result of a cross between H. flava 
and H. fulva or Middinsdorfiana ; also to a lovely 
seedling Iris of exquisite form named “ Sincerity." 
Fruit at York is always a marked feature. In the 
class for a collection of ten varieties, Mr. Mclndoe, 
Hutton Hall Gardens, was first ; and Mr. R. Parker, 
Impney, second ; and they stood in the same order for 
six varieties. For four varieties, Mr. Mclndoe was 
first; Mr. Leadbetter, gardener to A. Wilson, 
Esq., Tranby Croft, second; Mr. James Tullett, 
gardener to Lord Barnard, Raby Castle, third ; and 
Mr. Lonsdale, gardener to R. H. Appleton, Esq., 
Eaglescliffe, fourth. Three good Pines were staged, 
Mr. Slade, Clumber, being first with a good smooth 
Cayenne. In the classes for black and white 
Grapes, three bunches of each, Mr. Allsop, 
gardener to Lord Hotham, was an easy first, and 
there were seven exhibitors in the class for blacks. 
Peaches, Nectarines, and Figs were good, and there 
was a fine display of Melons in the three classes. 
Large numbers of honorary exhibits were staged. 
PEONIES AT CHISWICK. 
Siberian Paeonies, or the garden forms of Paeonia 
albiflora, are at this season amongst the more pro¬ 
minent and fashionable flowers in the garden, and 
those only who have seen a good collection of the 
newer varieties can form any idea of_ their massive¬ 
ness and fine effect when in bloom. The collection 
in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick having been obtained from various sources, 
and the bulk of them having been established for 
some years, the intending planter would be able to 
make a selection that could hardly fail to give satis¬ 
faction. They have several times been examined by 
the Floral Committee, and a large number of them 
have received three and two marks, the higher 
number being equivalent to a First-class Certificate. 
Varieties receiving Three Marks. 
A vigorous growing kind is Comte de Xanteuil, about 
2J ft. to 3 ft. high, with large, globular, rosy-pink 
flowers with a white edge. Carnea elegans is equally 
vigorous and one of the choicest, with broad, loosely 
arranged flesh coloured petals having satiny white 
edges. With this we should also class Madame de 
Montigo, having broad, blush guards, and a close 
centre of slightly crumpled white petals. A flori- 
ferous sort with dark crimson-red flowers is Madame 
Mechin; Nivea plenissima is even dwarfer, being 
orfly 18 in. high, with broad, white petals, but it is 
very early and now out of bloom. The guard petals 
of Madame Calot are slightly tinted with blush, but 
all the rest is white somewhat crumpled. Paul de 
Ritert has globular, rosy-purple flowers fading to 
white at the tips of the petals. Those of Modeste are 
rosy-purple, with pink or white tips. Another sort 
already out of season is Grandiflora nivea plena with 
pure white flowers. Of the Hollyhock type is 
Volupteuse, with a compact, crumpled centre, rose, 
and satiny at the edges. The flowers of Duchess de 
Nemours are of medium size, white, and early. 
Caroline Allian has blush guards and a crumpled 
white centre. Charles Binder is rather darker or 
flesh coloured, but otherwise similar to the last. 
Amongst the same group may be placed Belle Chate¬ 
laine, which has blooms of huge size ; Madame 
Vilmorin has large, rosy-lilac and white flowers ; 
while those of Furtado are rose coloured, with white 
edges to the inner petals. . The pink flowers of 
Comte de Paris are large and globular, with white 
edges to the inner crumpled petals. 
One of the best of the early kinds is Formosa 
alba, about 2 ft. high, and producing pure white 
flowers in great abundance ; early kinds like this 
serve as a connecting link in the succession between 
the European and the Siberian Paeonies. The lilac 
and white flowers of Madame Ducel are much inter¬ 
laced in the ceutre. Very distinct is Edouard Andre, 
with intense blood red but small flowers ; the plant 
is only 18 in. high. Canari has pure white flowers of 
the Hollyhock form. The guard petals of Lilacina 
plenissima are lilac, the rest pure white. Where a 
large collection is grown, variety is a great desira¬ 
bility, and that exists not only in colour but also in 
form, as is evidenced by Grandiflora lutescens, v'bich 
has broad, white guards, and the centre filled with 
short, linear, pale yellow petals after the style of an 
Anemone. Of the same type is Flavescens, but it 
is finer, with clear yellow petals. Anemonseflora 
alba constitutes a trio with the last two named, but 
differs in the inner petals being short, slightly twdsted, 
and pale yellow. Sulphurea has large flowers with 
the inner petals loosely crumpled and sulphur yel¬ 
low 7 . Luteciana is a dwarf variety with rosy-lilac 
flowers. The guards of Prolifera tricolor are white 
with a yellow centre, changing to white, and loosely- 
arranged. The blush lilac and white flowers of 
Princes Galakin are small but freely produced. The 
deep rose flow-ers of Rosea superbissima are very 
fine in their way. Dark coloured varieties are as yet 
by no means numerous, and raisers would do well to 
improve upon the form of some of them now in 
existence. Although very old the double Whitleyi 
still remains a choice sort amongst the double white 
kinds. 
Varieties receiving Tw-o Marks. 
Many of those receiving this distinction are by no 
means bad flowers, and may give as much satisfac¬ 
tion as several of the above. Queen Victoria is a 
bushy plant about 2 ft. high with blush guards and 
a white centre. The flesh or pale pink flow-ers of 
Virginia are of medium size and sometimes show 
the yellow stamens in the centre. Those of Sidonie 
are similar in size, but rose coloured, shaded with 
lilac and very freely produced. Lucrece is an early 
variety with white flowers and dwarf like most of the 
early flowering sorts. Some of the inner petals of 
Boule d’Or are edged with red, the rest being white. 
A very floriferous kind is Violacea with rosy flow-ers 
and a satiny edge. A cup shaped flower is Victoire 
Modeste, with rosy- guards and lilac and white inner 
petals. Miranda may be placed amongst the pre¬ 
cocious sorts with white flowers saving the blush 
guards. The large flowers of Princess Mathilde are 
rosy-pink with a satiny edge. The guards of Lilacea 
grandiflora are lilac-purple, with a paler centre 
Somewhat of the same style is Comtesse de Bresson, 
but it is several shades paler. Madame Jules Calot 
has lilac and white flowers with broad guards. 
Other Choice Kinds. 
Even admitting the above list to be a lengthy one, 
there were still a number of late flowering kinds of a 
high standard of merit, and which had not received 
any aw-ard at the time of our visit the other week. 
A dwarf and conspicuous kind is LTllustration with 
rosy pink flowers and white edges. The deep red 
flow-ers of Gloire de Davai, resembling those of 
Paeonia officinalis, have loosely arranged, incurved 
petals. Thorteiki has delicate pink flowers and a 
white edge. Of the Hollyhock type is Potssi with 
rosy flowers and a satiny edge. A delicate blush- 
pink flower is Louis Parmentier. A fine late variety 
is General Mac Mahon with dark rosy-purple flow-ers. 
Somewhat similar is Linnie, but the flow-ers are only 
of medium size. The rosy and satiny edged flowers 
of Madame de Muyssart are small but pretty. The 
broad flesh coloured petals of Madame de Galham 
are undulated or wavy around the apex and delicate 
in appearance. A bold and fine flower is Augustin 
de Xour with deep rosy-purple flow-ers of great size. 
The loosely arranged petals of Xobilissima are broad 
and of a deep rose colour fading tow-ards the margin. 
Daubenton is of the Hollyhock ty-ye, with rose 
flowers and silvery- white edges, but the crumpled 
and compact central petals give the bloom a some¬ 
what moppy appearance that might not please the 
fancy of everyone. 
FBORlCULtTURE. 
The Pansy and Viola as Popular Flowers. 
A wave of popularity is undoubtedly- spreading, and 
these two lovely flow-ers are rapidly coming to the 
front, the former especially as an exhibition flower, 
and the Viola as a decorative plant. Thousands of 
the latter are now grown, where five years since 
dozens only were seen. 
Under the above title, a very excellent and 
exhaustive paper w-as read at a recent meeting of 
the Shepton Mallet Gardeners' Association, by Mr 
Wm. H. Morton, solicitor, of that town, giving 
much valued information as to the early history of 
the Pansy from 1813 or 1814 to the present time, 
drawing attention to the fact that in about the year 
1813 the late Lord Gambier saw the wild form of 
Pansy growing in his fields, gathered some and took 
them to his head gardener to see if he could obtain 
any improved forms from them. This old gardener, 
Mr. Thomson, afterwards became a famous Pansy 
grower at Iver, near Uxbridge, close to Lord 
Gambier’s estate, and under his fostering care 
greatly improved forms were soon introduced, and 
other cultivators also taking the flower in hand, the 
Pansy soon made great headw-ay, and was included 
in the list of old florists' flowers. It would fill a 
small volume to trace the history- of this flower, and 
Mr. Morton has done good service in the West of 
England by his excellent treatment of his subject. 
He admits freely his indebtedness to Simkins’s 
Book on the Pansy and the history- of the Pansy 
therein w-ritten by an old cultivator, and points out 
that although forms of the fancy Pansy were known 
as far back as 1848, introduced from France by the 
late Mr. Jotm Salter, they found no favour w-ith 
English florists. It w-as in the year 1858 that 
improved varieties raised in France of fancy Pansies 
were introduced from Lille by Messrs. E. G. Hender¬ 
son & Sons, of London, to Mr. W. Dean, still living, 
but then residing in Yorkshire. At first our older 
florists wouldn't recognise them, but Mr. Dean saw 
there was something in them and went to work 
raising seedlings, and ultimately- our Scotch friends 
took them in hand. And what are they now ? It 
seems almost impossible to get finer flowers, grander 
in form and colour, and yet our good friends, the 
Scottish florists, y-ea-dy add a few grand new varieties. 
Mr. Morton gave valued advice as to cultivation, 
and pointed out the respective qualities of the two 
classes, show- and fancies, and also Violas, of w-hich 
he spoke in enthusiastic terms. A very hearty vote 
of thanks was accorded to him. 
--- 
APRICOTS IN DAMASCUS. 
The city- of Damascus is surrounded by gardens 
which are composed of fields of Apricots furnishing 
an average yield of from 50,000 to 65,000 quintals of 
fruit. M. Guillois, the French Consul at Damascus, 
says that the harvest lasts about six weeks, generally 
from the 10th June until the end of July. There 
are six principal descriptions of Apricots, the 
Sendiani, Hamcni, Onazari, Chahmi, Baladi, and 
Klobi. The Sendiani appears the first, about the 
middle of June ; it is an oval fruit of a yellow colour, 
and of a slightly acid taste. It is consumed exclu¬ 
sively at Damascus. The kernel of this description 
of Apricot is not bitter to the taste. The Hamoni, 
which follows immediately after the Sendiani, is the 
most appreciated ; it is small, round, with a glossy- 
skin, and the fruit is perfumed and juicy-. This 
variety, like the former, is consumed at Damascus, 
and it is subdivided into tw-o categories, the Hamoni 
Bakir and the Hamoni Lakisse. The Onazari is 
slightly-oval, red, juicy, and perfumed, and resembles 
the European Apricot. The kernel of this description 
is large, and of a sweet taste, and is easily detached 
from the fruit. The price of the Onazari is about a 
sixth higher than that of the preceding varieties, and 
part of this fruit is consumed at Damascus, and the 
remainder is sent to Bey-rout. The three varieties 
enumerated above are almost entirely used for home 
consumption, and in a fresh state ; while the following 
descriptions are largely used in the manufacture of 
preserves, for drying, and for making Apricot paste. 
These are the Chahmi,which, externally, resembles 
the Hamoni, but is inferior to it as regards taste, the 
fruit being dry, and wanting in perfume. The 
Baladi, which resembles the Onazari in form and 
taste, is yet considered to be superior to the latter 
