August 6, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
769 
NEW 4 fvm E Pliflpg. 
Of the new plants, flowers and fruit exhibited at the 
meeting ot the Royal Horticultural Society on the 
26th ult., the undermentioned were considered 
worthy of certificates. The Orchids certificated are 
recorded on another page. 
Aster (Heteroch.eta) diplostephioides. —The 
heads ot this plant are solitary, terminating the stem ; 
but if deficient in numbers they make up for it in 
size, for they measure from 2 in. to 3 Jin. across. 
The long rays are pale blue or lilac, varying in 
different individuals or according to the age of the 
flowers. The disc is blackish at first, changing to 
yellow as the florets open. The species is a native of 
Sikkim, from whence it was introduced in 1882, and 
was at one time classed in the genus Heterochsete. 
A First Class Certificate was awarded it when shown 
by Wm. Marshall, Esq., Auchinraith, Bexley. 
Crocosmia aurea imperialis. —The type of this 
plant is well known for its rich golden-yellow flowers. 
The variety under notice differs by the rich orange- 
scarlet of the outer surface of its flowers while the 
interior is more or less suffused with a rich yellow. 
The flowers may also be somewhat larger. An 
Award of Merit was accorded it when shown by Wm. 
Marshall, Esq. 
Nemesia strumosa Suttoni. — In this we have an 
important addition to a race of annuals which at 
present are neglected, considering their beauty and 
intrinsic prettiness. That under notice surpasses 
those which have already found their way into gardens, 
on account of its rich and varied colours, and we 
suppose the varietal name Suttoni, has been given on 
account of this variation. The grower has only to 
select a number of the more prominent variations 
and give them separate names. A plant that already 
shows such variety should soon become popular, and 
add a race of annuals to the already existing lists 
offered to gardeners for their delectation. The upper 
lip of the flower is 4-lobed, and the lower one 
broader and bifid. The whole flower may be orange, 
or the upper lip may be orange and the lower one 
white, blotched with blue. Others are purple, 
yellow, creamy, or variously striped. There is also 
a blue and white blotch at the base of the upper lip. 
The opposite leaves are lanceolate and serrate. A 
First Class Certificate was deservedly awarded it 
when shown by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, 
who had a beautiful little group of it. 
Gloxinia Her Majesty. —The strain of Gloxinias 
is continually being improved. A beautiful collec¬ 
tion of plants in pots was exhibited by Messrs. 
Sutton & Son, in which was a small group of Her 
Majesty. The leaves were elliptic, somewhat ribbed, 
neat and compact, just lying down over the pots. 
The erect, funnel-shaped flowers were pure white 
and of good substance, contrasting beautifully with 
the glowing red and white margined Duke of York. 
Award of Merit. 
Begonia Meteor. — Altogether this tuberous 
variety has the dwarf habit and the beautifully 
marked foliage of B. Pearcei, which was indeed the 
seed parent crossed with a sort named Double 
Carmine. The leaves are olive green above netted 
with paler veins, red beneath and lie close to the 
ground, while the erect flowers stand clear above 
them. The o'uter surface of the sepals is deep red 
while the inner is orange-scarlet fading to yellow in 
the centre. It is useful as a summer flower-bedder. 
An Award of Merit was accorded it when shown by 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons. 
Begonia Baronne St. Didier— The flowers of 
this tuberous variety are large, double, and primrose 
yellow with one or two centres, and the outer sepals 
are toothed at the edges while the inner ones are 
wavy or crimped. The leaves are broad, deep 
green, and the plant shown was about 15 in. high. 
An Award of Merit was accorded it when shown by 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. 
Begonia Princess May. —The pure white flowers 
of this Begonia are double with the sepals arranged 
round a common centre, and wavy like a Petunia. 
Like the last it is a tuberous variety, and the plant 
shown by Mr. T. S. Ware was about a foot high and 
received an Award of Merit. 
Carnation Miss Constance Graham. — This is a 
scarlet flake, but as in the bulk of Carnations of the 
flake and bizarre types, the ground colour is not 
pure white but blush. The flower is large and full 
without being crowded with petals. 
Carnation Aline Newman —The flowers of this 
sort are large, red, and quite full with nearly entire 
petals. The leaves, or grass as they are termed, are 
of moderate width, glaucous, and good. The variety 
may be described as a border one. 
Carnation Marnis Murray. —In habit and 
general appearance this may be compared to Aline 
Newman, and like that it is suitable for border work, 
but the flowers are of a rich soft scarlet, of large 
size with nearly entire petals. 
Carnation Horace Skimpole. —The large 
orange-salmon flowers of this variety are quite full, 
with the petals more or less incurved at the edges. 
The long, broad leaves are indicative of a good con¬ 
stitution. 
Carnation The Pasha. —Here again the foliage 
is good, and the large, bright terra-cotta flowers ha\ e 
incurved petals more or less toothed at the edges. 
All the five varieties were exhibited by Martin 
Smith, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Blick), Hayes Common, 
Beckenham, and an Award of Merit was accorded in 
each case. 
Sweet Pea Lady Beaconsfield. —A bunch of 
flowers of this variety has a delicate and pleasing 
appearance. The upper petal or standard is flesh- 
coloured, while the wings and keel are of a creamy 
yellow. The odour is sweet. It was exhibited 
amongst a group of others by Mr. Henry Eckford, 
Wem, Salop, and received an Award of Merit. 
Carnation Lady Wantage. —This would seem 
to be suitable for border work, and is rather refined 
in appearance, with broad, rounded, and entire, pure 
white petals that are slightly wavy. The flowers 
are fragrant, which is not always the case with 
modern varieties. An Award of Merit was accorded 
it when shown by Mr. Badcock, Oxford Road, 
Reading. 
Carnation Oriflamme. —Border varieties are in 
the ascendancy, and this one is bright scarlet, flori- 
ferous, and full, but not crowded, with the petals 
slightly toothed at the edges. It received an Award 
of Merit when shown by Mr. J. Douglas, gardener to 
Mrs. Whitbourne, Great Gearies, Ilford. 
Fruit. 
Tom\to Royal Sovereign. —Surely Tomatos 
have now reached their limits as to size in thishuge- 
fruited variety. Six fruits shown by Mr. R. Gilbert, 
Stamford, weighed in the aggregate ten and a half 
pounds. They were similar in shape to those of 
Perfection, when well grown, or rather more flattened 
on the top, smooth, and of a dull red, but apparently 
quite solid in the centre. An Award of Merit was 
accorded it. 
Melon Emerald Gem. —The fruit of this 
variety is small, oval, and green, slightly marked 
with grey, but not netted. The surface is fluted 
with rounded ridges. The scarlet flesh is of con¬ 
siderable depth, and in every respect it seems a 
promising sort. It was exhibited by Mr. G. H. Sage, 
gardener to the Earl of Dysart, Ham House, Rich¬ 
mond, and received an Award of Merit. 
--—S-- 
CATTLEYA SCHILLERIANA LOWIANA. 
So different in colour is this variety from the type, 
that one could readily mistake it for something else 
at first sight, especially in the half expanded state. 
The psuedo-bulbs are oblong, and ij in. to 2 in. long, 
and ribbed, being therefore wonderfully small in pro¬ 
portion to the size of the flowers they produce. The 
oblong sepals and petals are green, spotted with dark 
brown internally. The middle lobe of the lip is 
oblate, and of a beautiful mauve-lilac, closely striated 
with white lines; the margin is also finely toothed. 
It was exhibited at the last meeting of the Royal 
Florticultural Society by Messrs. H. Low & Co., 
Clapton, and received a First-class Certificate. 
-- 
SCYTHE MOWING. 
There are hundreds of young men now developing 
into gardeners who know nothing about the art 
of mowing with a scythe. What was once an abso¬ 
lute necessity is now largely a useless practice, for in 
few gardens is it needful to employ the scythe, which 
somewhat crude and ancient implement has long 
been superseded by the lawn mower. And yet there 
are lawns much marked by trees, or slopes, or 
hollows, or other irregular and difficult places, where 
the mower will not operate, and the scythe becomes 
an absolute necessity. Young gardeners of to-day 
may later have the control of such places, and they 
will find themselves in a very awkward plight should 
they be called upon to use the scythe or overlook 
others. 
Old-fashioned and comparatively unused as the 
scythe may be in gardens, still there is a use for it 
found sometimes ; and a knowledge of its use and 
successful handling should never be despised. There 
is no form of bad work in gardening which can be 
less hidden than is bad mowing. Good work should 
leave behind no evidence of the passing of the blade, 
beyond the fact that the lawn is smooth shaven. 
Bad mowing leaves an awfully scored, seared surface 
to the lawn, and recalls the incompetence of the 
operator every hour. The introduction of the lawn- 
mower has largely revolutionised the work of keep¬ 
ing pleasure grounds in neat condition. The lawn 
may now be twice or thrice the area it was in scythe- 
mowing days, and yet entail on the gardener not one 
half the labour that scythe mowing involved, even 
apart from the inevitable sweeping which had to 
follow. 
Then the men had to turn out to their mowing at 
four or five o’clock in the morning, mowing till 
breakfast time and often later. Now the mowing is 
accomplished during the day with ease, and by one 
man and a horse or pony. No gardener need desire 
to return to the " good old times ” of scythe mowing, 
but all the same no good gardener will allow it to be¬ 
come with his subordinates an absolutely lost art. 
—D. 
