August 6, 1892. 
775 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
season already 150 blooms, and I believe he will 
cut another 150 before the season is out.” 
"We understand that at certain shows in this 
country Magna Charta has been ruled out of the 
hybrid perpetual class. How would you class 
Magna Charta ? ” 
" We hold it as a hybrid perpetual.” 
" What stock do you bud your Roses on ? 11 
“ For hybrid perpetuals we use Manetti and for 
teas the Dog Rose.” 
" What advantage do you claim for budded over 
own-root stock ? ” 
" Immediate effect. The purchasing public gets 
from budded stock as much bloom in two years as 
will repay the whole outlay, whereas with own-root 
stock you must wait two years before the plant is 
any size. You must not confound Roses properly 
budded low down on Manetti stock with the stuff 
budded high on the stem which is sent over here 
from Holland for auction sales. We exercise great 
care in the preparation of our stocks. First we cut 
the wood into lengths of about 12 in. and cut out 
all the eyes from the base up, leaving only three at 
the top to grow. These are then planted and after 
a twelve months’ growth we lift them, cut off all the 
rootlets that may be up the stem, also cut back the 
roots at the base so that they will break away again 
and became bushy, and plant about 4 in. deep. 
Then when we come to bud we scrape out all the 
soil from around the roots and bud close down. 
The following spring, say in March, after the bud has 
started, we cut off the top of the stock and mould 
the plants up slightly. In this way we often get our 
Roses not only with the roots of the stock but with 
own roots as well. If budded stock is planted deep 
you are liable and likely to have them doubly rooted. 
In addition to the hot suns which are against your 
Roses in outdoor culture, 1 find you suffer a great 
deal more from insect scourges than we do.” 
" About your hybridizing : what are you doing and 
what are you aiming for ? ” 
“ Well, we know that if we can only strike a yellow 
tea of good substance and colour it will be a ten 
strike for the American trade alone, so you will 
understand that this is one thing we are striving hard 
for. In our early trials we used Gloire de Dijon 
considerably, but have found since that it is useless 
as a parent, for no matter what the other parent may 
be the Dijon blood is most manifest. It may 
interest you to know that the result of one cross 
between Dijon and Perle was a purplish red. In 
crossing two Roses of sweetest fragrance we often 
in the progeny get a Rose without a vestige of 
perfume.” 
" How do you account for this ? ” 
" Don't know howto account for it, and would like 
to meet the man who can.” 
" How do you like American Beauty over there ? ” 
" Not at all. We kicked it out long ago. It lacks 
finish and is inclined to be off colour. You must 
remember I am talking of Roses grown out of doors 
only. We have never to my knowledge tried Beauty 
indoors. Our forcing of Roses in«Great Britain is 
not very extensive. On the Continent they can 
best us in this department, but that I account for by 
the bright weather they get as compared with us in 
winter. If you don’t get sun to ripen wood you 
can’t get flowers. Perle, Niphetos, Safrano, Mermet 
and Bride we grow extensively outdoors. 
" What is your experience with the Waban ?” 
"Waban with us comes deformed as a rule. 
Indeed, the majority of its flowers are imperfect. 
Occasionally we get an undoubtedly fine flower and 
the colour is very rich. If they would only all 
come as good as the plant from which it sported it 
would be a great acquisition. It is our experience 
that a sport is rarely equal to its parent. From this 
rule, however, I would exempt the Bride, which I 
consider about our best white tea. Nothing better 
could be desired for size, form and finish. No 
amateur or professional Rose grower and exhibitor 
can afford to be without the Bride, as its great size, 
magnificent form and excellent finish add many 
points from a judicial point of view to an exhibition 
stand. Cusin with us is a very good Rose, but 
Watteville beats it in every way. A large part of 
the Roses in our cut flower markets come from the 
South of France. Compared with the flowers seen 
in your American shops they are miserable things, 
and they are all short stemmed. One point I will 
make before saying good-bye. While the world runs 
we are bound to have both sexes, otherwise the 
world stops. Now, apply that to your flower trade. 
Wherever you find a girl of taste her chosen flower 
is the Rose. And wherever you find nice girls there 
are fools of fellows, and the Roses are sure to go 
whether the fellows can afford it or not.” 
" That’s good philosophy. Will you make any 
exhibit at Chicago next year ?” 
" Yes, we sent over last February in compliance 
with Mr. Thorpe’s request a lot of 1,200 Roses, 
largely our own seedlings."— American Florist. 
■Gardening Miscellany. 
LANTANA DRAP D OR. 
Lantanas of any colour whatever hardly get justice 
done them in this country, either as specimens, stan¬ 
dards, or for bedding purposes. That under notice 
is well named Cloth of Gold, for the flowers are of a 
uniform clear yellow, and evidently not liable to the 
variation which effects many other kinds in cultiva¬ 
tion, which may be yellow, creamy yellow or some 
other shade of that sort and change to lilac, rose or 
purple after they have been some time expanded. 
Drap d'Or is used in Messrs. Veitch's nursery at 
Chelsea as the outside edging to a bed, for which it 
is well adapted, being now only 4 in. to 6 in. high. 
It keeps on developing its trusses or umbels of flowers 
till autumn. 
DIDYMOCARPUS LACUN05A. 
There are fevv species of this Gesneraceous genus in 
cultivation, but they are generally neat and dwarf 
stove or intermediate house plants. That under 
notice is particularly so, for at a little distance it 
looks like a dark flowered Pinguicula. Of course on 
close inspection the structure and shape of the flower 
is altogether different, being tubular, drooping, with 
a five-lobed lamina ; the latter is violet, but the tube 
is deep purple. It is a relatively new introduction, 
having flowered last year for the first time. It is 
figured in a recent number of the Botanical Magazine, 
t. 7236. A fine batch of seedlings is now coming 
into flower in the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & 
Sons, Chelsea. 
NEPENTHES DICKSONIANA. 
Under good culture the pitchers of this Nepenthes 
get to an extraordinary size, and we should think not 
much smaller, if any, than those of N. Rajah, and 
certainly larger than those of the latter are likely to 
get in this country. Laying a measuring rule against 
one of the pitchers in Messrs. Veitch’s Nepenthes 
house, we found it a good 12 in. long, exclusive of the 
lid, and proportionately wide. The greater part is 
blotched with crimson on a light green ground, and 
although the colours are neither very dark nor 
prominent the pitchers may be reckoned amongst the 
handsomest in cultivation. 
CAREX EUROPEA VARI EG AT A. 
A few years ago a striped leaved Carex appeared in 
cultivation, and received a Certificate of Merit; but 
it is so weak a grower that it is never likely to 
become popular. Now another plant is rapidly 
making headway, and may possibly become almost 
as popular as Scirpus riparius (Isolepis gracilis) for 
decorative work. The leaves are very narrow, 
grass-like, and deep green, with narrow white 
margins ; they are more erect in habit before curv¬ 
ing over, and grow 1 ft. to 2 ft. in length. It is 
healthy and vigorous, and may be propagated 
rapidly by division. The green or typical form is 
perhaps more extensively grown than the variegated 
one, but we noted the latter in plenty in the nursery 
of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
STATICE BUTCHERI. 
One of the most popular of the Statices for decora¬ 
tive or exhibition purposes is S. profusa, a hybrid 
between S. puberula and S. Halfordii, the latter 
itself being a variety or a hybrid of which S. macro- 
phylla is one of the parents. In general appearance 
and habit S. Butcheri may be compared to S. pro¬ 
fusa ; but it is an improvement, the flowers being 
somewhat larger, produced in denser trusses, and the 
persistent or durable calyx of a more decidedly blue 
tint. There is a considerable amount of purple in 
the calyx of S. profusa. Both have white flowers, 
and have been flowering for a long time past in the 
gardens of Falkland Park, the residence of J 
McMeekin, Esq. 
BEGONIA MARIE LOUISE. 
There is already a considerable amount of variega¬ 
tion amongst the varieties of Begonia Rex, but the 
limit has evidently not yet been reached. There is 
a fine batch of Marie Louise in the nursery of 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, at Chelsea. What the 
ultimate size of the leaves maybe is not yet apparent, 
as the plants have just been raised from leaves and 
are now growing away finely. The central portion 
of the leaf is dark olive green, and this is followed 
by a broad, bright green zone, and that again by an 
olive green margin. The whole surface is about 
equally blotched all over with nearly circular white 
blotches, and the under-surface is variegated with 
red. Some growers of this class of plants are 
equally pleased with the colour of the lower surface 
as well as what other hues may shine through when 
the plants are grown on shelves close to the glass. 
AGAVE VICTORI/E REGIN/E 
Plants of this species are comparatively rare in 
gardens, and what exist are usually of no great size. 
Possibly the two large specimens in the gardens of 
J, McMeekin, Esq., Falkland Park, South Norwood 
Hill, are unique in this country. Both have thrown 
up flower stems, the lower blooms of which are on 
the point of expansion. These flowering stems are 
6 ft. to 7 ft. in length, cylindrical or rod like, 
gradually tapering to a point, with about 2 ft. densely 
covered with bracts at the base, and all the rest as 
densely covered with flower buds. The stems may 
yet elongate to some extent and are certainly stately, 
surmounting as they do the dense, shortly conical, 
rigid mass of leaves, but the flowers can hardly be 
expected to be showy considering that the most of 
those which have hitherto bloomed in this country 
are in no way conspicuous or highly coloured. As 
far as we know, this is the first time that A. Victoria 
Reginse has flowered in Britain. They were wintered 
in a warm greenhouse, but since they commenced to 
throw up their flower stems they have been stood 
upon the balustrade of a stone staircase in front of 
the mansion, where they look as appropriate as they 
are unique. Their flowering is almost certain to 
destroy the fine mass of leaves, even if it does not 
kill the plants, which would be a decided loss not¬ 
withstanding that one or two smaller ones are on the 
establishment. Possibly the plants may ripen seeds 
and so secure their increase. 
ODONTOSPERMUM MARITIME'M. 
In some gardens this may be better recognised under 
the name of Asteriscus maritimus. Whatever 
name may be given it, the plant is certainly one of 
the most refined and neat habited of the Composites, 
and only about 6 in. high. The leaves are spathu- 
late and compactly arranged upon the stems, which 
are terminated by a solitary flower head about the 
size of those of a Helenium or Buphthalmum. The 
toothed rays are bright yellow, while the disc is 
golden yellow. Altogether the plant is very suitable 
for planting in the crevices of rockwork, for it likes 
a little shelter and perfect drainage in winter. 
SPIR/EA BULLATA. 
A number of the shrubbery Spiraeas are dwarf and 
suitable for rockwork including that under notice, 
and which does not usually exceed 12 in. to 15 in. 
high. The dark green colour of its leaves is very 
noticeable, as well as their rugose or blistered 
character. What purpose the wrinkled surface 
serves is not very evident, any more than in the case 
of Myrtus bullata, for there is wide difference 
between the colour of the two. The branches are 
here also very short, and terminate in corymbs of 
red flowers which change to pink as they expand, 
but are very pretty and effective from their numbers. 
The species is a native of Japan, and is occasionally 
seen in gardens under the name of S. crispifolia. In 
the southern portion of Britain at least it proves 
perfectly hardy. 
THE BLUE POPPY. 
The bold character of the Himalayan Meconopsis 
Wallichiana, and the large, drooping sky-blue 
flowers are sufficient to make the cultivator forget 
all his trouble and pains taking in raising and carry¬ 
ing it through the winter. The great cluster of 
stamens in the centre have blue or purple filaments 
and golden yellow anthers, and the petals in some 
varieties are also of a decidedly purple hue. The 
stems of some plants on the rockery at Kew vary 
from 3 ft. to 6 ft. high, and are leafy to the top with 
a short flowering branch from the axil of each leaf, 
so that the whole inflorescence or group of inflores¬ 
cences may be described as forming a cylindrical 
panicle of 2 ft. to 4 ft. in length. The uppermost 
flower is the first to expand, and the opening pro¬ 
ceeds from thence downwards, thus keeping up a 
succession for a considerable length of time. The 
leaves are in themselves also highly ornamental, 
deeply lobed as they are and covered with long, 
