692 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 2, 189-2. 
FUORlClJliTURE. 
Fancy Pansies. 
Amongst the bedding Violas and fancy and show 
Pansies something should be found to please all 
tastes in the way of form, habit, and colouring. W e 
have just been favoured with a box of fancy Pansies 
of great size and variety in colouring from Mr. John 
Porbes, Buccleuch Nurseries, Hawick. Measuring 
from 21 in. to 2f in. across the long way of the 
flower, there is nothing to be complained of in the 
way of size; in fact they were such as to make the 
would be grower’s mouth water, in the drier and 
warmer climate of London. 
They might be classified into yellow, white, and 
purple grounds, although the blotches in a large 
number of cases were so large as nearly to cover the 
whole surface of the flower ; the blotches were more¬ 
over very intense in colour, varying in the yellow 
grounds from maroon brown to black. One of the 
finest in this class was a seedling named Mrs. Street 
having broad purple edges to the upper petals. 
Blue or purple edges to the upper petals prevailed 
in Robert Jamieson, Wm. Dean, Mrs. Freeland, and 
Maggie A. Scott. Mrs. J. Bolton had maroon brown 
blotches on a bright yellow ground, and we con¬ 
sidered the variety rather choice. The upper petals 
of Mrs. J Downie were feathered on the middle, 
rather spoiling a neat little flower. The margins of 
all the petals were more or less banded with red in 
Wm. Shaw, Eva Jones, Evelyn Bruce, and H. P. 
Gordon, but particularly in the latter, which we 
looked upon as a striking flower. The ground colour 
of some of them v'ere of a creamy yellow, showing a 
transition to the yellow grounds, while the blotches 
were dark violet varying to a blackish violet. The 
best in this group were James Campbell, Rev. Jas. 
Robertson, and John Crabb, but particularly the 
first-named. 
The blotches on those with a white ground were, 
like the last, mostly of an intense violet, some of 
them almost black. Maggie Forbes, My Lady, and 
D. C. C. Laing were noticeable from their great size, 
the first-named being nearly circular A beautiful 
flower was James Miller, with the upper petals of a 
rich blue-purple. Smaller and neatly formed, pretty 
varieties were Mrs. J. E. Ellis, Seedling No. 13, 
Tbos. McCrorrie, and James Drummond, the latter 
being of a rich violet with narrow white edges to all 
of the petals, and a bronzy orange flush radiating 
from the eye. 
There were only three varieties having a purple 
ground colour, but all of them we looked upon as 
very choice in their way. Seedling'No. 24 evidently 
meant to be a yellow ground, but the yellow was 
almost obscured by the broad purple margin, more 
or less shaded with a fiery orange on the lower three 
petals, but especially the lip. A neat and choice 
flower was Lord Rosebery, with large violet blotches 
and purple border and wholly purple on the back, as 
was Mrs. Browell, a larger flower. Many of them 
were possessed of a delicate but distinct and agree¬ 
able fragrance. 
Properties of the Pink. 
Just now, when the laced florists’ Pink is attracting 
much more attention than in years past, and when 
the institution of Pink shows is leading to an 
extended culture of this fragrant flower, it is well to 
lay down the properties by which quality in the 
flower is determined. I shall be gratified if by 
doing so I may induce other growers, north and 
south, to set down their views. As to size, and here 
we have a point much discussed years ago, the 
northern florists being contented with twelve or 
fifteen petals, proved they were well laced, and the 
flower finely shaped. In the south a greater size 
found favour, something like thirty petals being 
required to form an exhibition bloom ; but flowers 
of this size and containing so large a number of 
petals the northern florists derisively termed 
"mops." In our day larger flowers are shown in 
the south than in the north; possibly climatic 
differences affect size, and so the difference remains 
to this day. 
Leaving then the question of size, I go on to 
consider other points, such as the petals being 
■■ rose-leaved,’’ that is to say of a fine rounded shape, 
and perfectly smooth on the edge, anything in the 
way of fimbrication or saw-edged being considered 
a defect ; the petals also to be of good substance, 
and the ground colour perfectly pure. I may further 
say in reference to the shape of the petal that it 
should be nearly circular, excepting at the point 
where it is inserted in the calyx, the petals to lie 
flat ; thus absolute regularity and symmetry of the 
arrangement of the petals depending to some extent 
upon the art of the dresser. 
Another point of importance is, or rather was at 
one time considered of much more importance in 
the north than at the present time, that the colour 
in the centre of the flower, which is an abiding 
characteristic in a laced Pink, should be of the same 
colour as the lacing, though it appears to be some¬ 
what difficult of attainment, and the lacing laid on 
regularly and of uniform depth of colour round the 
petal edges, showing only the narrowest margin of 
white ; the pod not to burst, holding the petals well 
together. 
There may be varying shades of red or purple, as 
in some cases the colour is dark and in others light. 
A deep purple, or a good deep bright red is pre¬ 
ferred, but some purple flowers are quite pale in 
tint, and yet finely and regularly laced What does 
Mr. James Thurston say to the foregoing ?— -R. D. 
Carnations at the Stanley Road, Oxford. 
Being at the Commemoration Flower Show at 
Oxford during the third week of June, I took 
advantage of my presence in the city to pay a visit 
to the high priest of the Carnation and Picotee in 
the Temple of Flora—Mr. E. S. Dodwell. As he 
is able to look back upon sixty years’ connection with 
the Carnation, he may truly be regarded as primus 
among growers and lovers of this popular flower. 
Year by year, as attesting to the strain put upon his 
collection, the Carnation garden in the Stanley 
Road enlarges its borders ; other flowers and vege¬ 
tables have to give place to movable frames and 
beds of seedlings, consequent upon the ever- 
increasing prosperity of the Oxford Union. 
After a look round, and while sitting in Mr. 
Dodwell’s room, I put a few questions to him by way 
of eliciting some information of interest to Carnation 
growers. Asked as to the present appearance of the 
plants, he said he had every reason to regard it as 
very promising, if only there is a warm month before 
July 30, present appearances pointing to a good 
bloom, and good grass for layering. On the other 
hand should the summer prove wet and stormy as 
last year, there is a probability of a greater loss of 
plants than in 1891, as the spring of the present year 
was very trying to healthy development. There 
must be a thoroughly ripened growth before a plant 
can yield healthy produce. 
In reply to a question as to the expediency or 
otherwise of endeavouring to secure progeny by 
placing the plants under glass, Mr. Dodwell pro¬ 
nounced strongly against the practice, and said the 
inevitable result must be a weakening of stamina. 
Asked as to the average increase of a plant in a year, 
Mr. Dodwell stated the normal increase is five ; but 
of late years, the seasons having been more or less 
hostile, three only. 
As to coming new varieties he stated that from 
seed sown in 1889-90, there were some additions of 
great promise, he thought much better than anything 
previously raised ; but as, owing to the incidence of 
the season, the stock was limited, the varieties will 
have to be grown another year. No new variety is 
propagated for sending out which as a seedling was 
not wintered in the open ground as a thorough test 
of hardihood ; in the spring the plants are lifted and 
placed in pots for the convenience of layering, and in 
order that the grass may be perfectly hardened. Asked 
as to the number of pots of Carnations in the gar¬ 
den, he said there were 3,900 in all, containing about 
8,000 plants ; in some 700 of these pots there w’ere 
three and four plants. 
In raised beds under low walls and in such beds in 
the open could be seen a large number of small seed¬ 
lings raised from seeds sown in the spring, pricked 
out from the frame in which the seeds were raised, 
and which will be put out in the open ground shortly. 
1889 was one of the best seed years for some time past; 
but in 1888, 90, and 91 the yield of seed has aver¬ 
aged five and six per cent, only of well developed 
grains. The seed-pods are kept unbroken until the 
end of November or early in December until they 
have thoroughly ripened ; then they are broken, the 
seeds extracted and cleaned ready for sowing. In a 
good season 100 seeds which would contain a few 
more will produce from 105 to no plants; the aver¬ 
age for the last few years has been 40 to 46. 
Asked as to whether all ripened seeds were uni¬ 
formly black, and if those of a brown or creamy 
colour are equally active in germinating, Mr. Dod¬ 
well said that seed from purple-flaked Carnations are 
almost invariably of a chocolate colour, though it 
does not necessarily follow that they would produce 
purple flaked varieties. Clara Penson and Simonites 
Mary, two light purple-edged Picotees. almost in¬ 
variably produce white seeds. It is a mistake, there¬ 
fore, to suppose brown and light coloured seeds will 
not germinate. In a good season, the ovary of a 
Carnation will yield from 60 to 100 seeds; each 
embryo occupies a separate seed ; every seed grain is 
an individual, having a distinct character, though the 
habit of growth may be much the same. No variety 
can be depended upon to reproduce itself, and not 
unfrequently rose-flaked Carnations will come from 
scarlet bizarre Admiral Curzon. 
The seeds are sown in a bed made up on one of 
cocoa-fibre, refuse, or leaves ; a wooden frame is 
placed upon a bed surfaced with fine soil ; drills are 
drawn, and the seeds sown thinly ; a glazed light is 
placed upon the frame. As soon as the plants are 
large enough they are pricked out in the open in beds 
above referred to. This season it was done on the 
8th, 9th, and 10th of this month. From these beds 
they are transferred to the open ground, but many 
hundreds are sent direct from these beds to 
subscribers to the union, who prefer to have them to 
named varieties.— R. D. 
-*5-- 
SHOW AND FANCY 
PELARGONIUMS. 
Popular as these are, and so easily and cheaply 
obtained from almost any florist, yet they are not so 
freely cultivated as one might reasonably expect. 
How very seldom we see them doing well in an 
amateur's greenhouse, and yet they might be grown 
much more successfully with even less attention 
than many other subjects receive; and if so cultivated 
there cannot possibly be a more showy or pleasing 
occupant for the amateur’s greenhouse or con¬ 
servatory. I am induced to treat upon this subject 
at the present time because now is the best time for 
propagation ; therefore it is not so unseasonable as 
at first sight might appear. 
They should always be grown fully exposed to the 
light, and in case a low span-roofed house cannot be 
afforded them it is well to cultivate upon a shelf, as 
you can thus get them closer to the glass and will 
secure shorter-jointed and more compact growth. 
When grown crowded amongst other subjects, and 
far from the glass, they are seldom satisfactory, 
being much more liable to fly, and producing weak 
and long-jointed growths of unsightly appearance, 
which are incapable of producing flowers of such 
superior quality and freedom as plants grown upon 
the lines I will recommend. 
It is the general practice in many gardens to pro¬ 
pagate these Pelargoniums as soon as they have 
finished flowering, using the old or partially 
ripened wood for this purpose. I do not uphold this 
plan, greatly preferring to strike my plants earlier 
than this, and from any of the side growths that can 
be spared from the plants while in a growing condi¬ 
tion. Several of these may generally be obtained 
from the plants during June, and even earlier. At 
this time of the year these will strike just as freely 
as the Zonal Pelargoniums, and will grow on and 
make stronger and much better constitutioned plants 
than autumn struck subjects. 
A gentle bottom heat will cause the cuttings to 
root freely ; and a compost of two-thirds turfy loam, 
the remainder being made up of well-decayed 
manure (such as the remains of an early Cucumber 
or Melon bed), and coarse sand, will suit them 
admirably. A little leaf-soil may be added in place 
of the manure while the striking process is going on, 
and rather more sand may be used then than later 
on when the plants are in full growth. With this 
exception I do not alter my compost at any time, and 
have no reason to complain of the results. As soon 
as they are rooted, and have been potted on singly 
into the above compost, they should be placed upon 
a shelf as close to the glass as possible, and in a 
moderately warm greenhouse temperature. Do not 
grow them in a dry atmosphere, nor be afraid to use 
the syringe gently at least once a day, and at the 
same time afford them regular and careful attention 
as regards root watering. 
