802 
THH GARDENING WORLD. 
August 15, 1896. 
pink flowers of perfect form, and having a paler 
centre, is also very choice. The flowers of Pandora 
are large, globubar, and pale salmon. A blush 
variety with a darker centre, and slightly wavy 
petals is also very attractive. The small, globular, 
and rich golden-yellow flowers of Buttercup are 
handsome, and very abundantly produced on up¬ 
right stems, making the variety suitable for bedding 
purposes. The huge globular flowers of Hatasu 
are pure paper-white with very broad petals. 
Jupiter is a glowing crimson-scarlet flower of large 
size and fine form. The light pink flowers of 
Camellia are well named in relation to their form. 
A seedling of this shape (see illustration) is even 
more fascinating, for the light carmine-rose, petals, 
with a lighter centre, are exquisitely choice. This 
variety we consider one of the most refined and 
beautiful. 
Older Varieties. 
Some of these we have described on a former 
occasion, but they are w ell worthy of further notice, 
for certain of them are the cream of the collection. 
Royal Sovereign is like a large Germania Carnation, 
with flowers of a uniform rich yellow. It is the best 
of its class, and its grand flowers meet the eye 
wherever they appear in the houses. Speranza is a 
salmon-pink variety with rose edges, and blooms of 
huge size. The large and broad petals of the 
salmon coloured flowers of Ianthe are very striking. 
Miss M. Griffith is a delicate blush variety with 
beautifully crimped or goffered petals, and flowers of 
immense size. We gave a figure of it last year, as 
well as of Royal Sovereign. The flowers of Mrs. 
Leonard Sutton are also large, with broad petals of 
a charming salmon-pink and light in the centre. The 
globular and soft yellow flowers of Clio are of a 
soft yellow and very wavy. Lucretia has white 
flowers and wavy petals arranged round a single 
centre. The quite smooth and salmon-pink flowers 
of Nefertari are also very refined and choice. The 
flowers of Mr. H. J. Jones are of Camellia form, but 
the light orange-scarlet petals are slightly wavy. 
The magenta-scarlet flowers of Dora Hope, are 
handsome, and carried well above the foliage. A 
free flowering variety of bushy, branching habit is 
Helen Lascelles, the leaves and stems of which are 
bronzy. The globular flowers are of a beautiful 
salmon-pink, washed with white, and the broad, 
wavy petals are refined in character. Mrs. H. J. 
Jones is a huge globular flower of a bright pink with 
a wavy centre. 
The immense flowers of Orion measure 6 in. in 
diameter, making it, we believe, the largest double 
variety in the collection, or perhaps anywhere. The 
broad and relatively few petals are arranged round 
a single centre. A group of it at the end of one 
house has a very bold effect. The glowing scarlet 
flowers of J. H. Laing are borne perfectly upright, 
making it suitable for bedding purposes. C. F. 
Langdon is also a glowing scarlet, of bold, upright 
habit, but the huge flowers are totally different in 
form from those of Orion. Mr. Fraser is of good 
branching habit, and the flowers so distinct in 
colour that one can readily detect them wherever 
the variety appears in the houses. The outer petals 
are rose, then comes the body of the flower with 
broad smooth petals of a velvety, glowing scarlet, and 
the smaller petals in the centre are tinted with rose. 
It flowers with great freedom. Victrix is also of upright 
habit, and the flowers are of a beautiful magenta-rose. 
Medea is a globular, pure white flower, with broad 
smooth petals. Handsome also is Saturn, with globu¬ 
lar, wavy, crimson flowers. Very curious are the huge 
white flowers of Margaret Belhomme, raised by 
Crouse of Nancy ; the larger blooms have two faces, 
but the petals are beautifully frilled or goffered. 
Johanne Sallier (Crouse) has rich salmon flowers 
with white edges and a white centre. 
Outdoor Cultures. 
In front of the glasshouses are four beds of 
seedlings, four of plants raised from small tubers, 
one of cuttings, and two narrow beds of seedlings. 
The splendid effect of these beds at the end of 
July can better be realised when seen, than 
described. There can be no doubt of the success 
of Mr. Lascelles’ efforts to secure upright habit, 
after seeing these beds. All of these beds are of 
course on trial, the seedlings and the small tubers 
with the object of getting superior new varieties, 
and the cuttings to test the value of the respective 
varieties for outdoor work. The seedlings were 
sown in the first week of January, and are now in 
a very advanced condition. The ground is mulched 
with cocoanut fibre, and kept well watered. All 
seem to be coming perfectly double, and many of 
them are of great promise. Charming is a variety 
with a bright scarlet edge and a nearly white base. 
The tubers of ’95 are in full bloom, and show how 
admirably adapted they are for bedding purposes. 
They are simply the remainder of last year’s small 
tubers without selection, and are gorgeous with 
colours of all shades. Harry Laing is admirable 
for bedding purposes, and has bright scarlet up¬ 
right flowers. Royal Sovereign is perfectly upright 
in the open, and is grown from the small tubers 
of last year's cuttings. A line of a crimson strain 
from the small tubers of '95, has come remarkably 
true. 
The greater part of the available area in the 
kitchen garden is occupied with this year's seedlings, 
planted out and tended in the same careful way as 
the others by Mr. C. F. Langdon, the gardener, who 
is as enthusiastic as his employer over the Begonias. 
They are already flowering freely, and a large per¬ 
centage of the new varieties are very choice, and full 
of promise. No doubt there will be many surprises 
amongst them to record on a future occasion. Many 
of those that are yet excellent flowers must be dis¬ 
carded to make room for the new comers. What 
more need we say than that all tints and shades of 
colour and combinations of them may already be 
noted ? Before the season is over, a large number 
of them will have been selected and properly labelled 
for pot culture next year. About one per cent, will 
be worthy of this attention. Marquis of Stafford, 
crimson, and Hollyhock, salmon-pink, are old varieties 
bedded out on the lawn, and the latter is very pretty. 
Melons are now grown in the seedling Begonia 
house. Cyclamens are also well grown. The Rev, 
Edwin Lascelles has a love for hardy herbaceous 
plants, such as Sunflowers, Phloxes, nightscented 
Tobacco, Violas, and various other things, the 
collection of which he intends to extend. 
--+- 
HERBACEOUS FLOWERS SUITABLE 
FOR COMPETITION. 
I am often asked what are the most suitable varieties 
of the above to grow for competition purposes. The 
answer to this, of course, much depends at what 
season of the year the show is held, and also whether 
they are wanted for bunching or as single spikes. 
Like everything else in the floral world, this class of 
flowers is much earlier with us this season than is 
generally the case. Many of them are now done 
flowering, that in an ordinary season would have 
done duty in the end of August and the beginning of 
September ; and, as a consequence, shows held then 
are certain to suffer as far as this class of flowers is 
concerned, unless in the case of those who can grow 
them in quantity and in different positions, with the 
view of keeping up a succession. 
The undermentioned species and varieties will in 
most seasons give a good account of themselves for 
bunching purposes in the end of July and August. 
Giving them alphabetically, I would, amongst 
Achilleas, recommend A. Ptarmica fl. pi. “ The 
Pearl,” as being the best of this genus. The stems 
are 2\ ft. high, and the flowers are pure white, 
double, freely produced, and most serviceable for 
cutting in quantity. Alstroemeria aurantiaca is 
orange-yellow, 3 ft. high, very showy and easily 
grown when established. Anemone japonica alba is 
a splendid white flower, and, though, perhaps, rather 
late, should be in every collection. Campanula 
persicifolia alba fl. pi. produces double, pure white, 
rosette-like flowers, and is a real gem for cutting. 
It grows 2 ft. high. Catananche caerulea bicolor 
has blue and white flowers borne on single stalks 
2 ft. high, and is very free. Coreopsis grandiflora 
(2J ft. high), bears bright yellow flowers, very telling 
when gracefully arranged. Dracocephalum specio- 
sum has pink flowers on spikes,which are freely pro¬ 
duced on stems 2 ft. high Erigeron speciosus 
superbus having violet-purple flowers 2 in. across 
attains a height of 2 ft. Eryngium oliverianum, 
with bright metallic-blue heads, is very fine either 
for bunches or spikes. Its average height is 3 ft. 
The flowers of Gaillardia grandiflora maxima are 
orange and red. This or any other of the newer 
named varieties, such as Lord Rosebery, clear 
yellow, prove very effective on any stand. 
Galega officinalis alba, with white pea-like flowers, 
and very showy when loosely arranged, grows 3 ft. 
high. Helenium Bolanderii, yellow with dark 
centre, is a free grower, attaining a height of 2\ ft. 
Helianthus rigidus grandiflorus is rich yellow with 
dark centre, and reaches 4 ft. under favourable con¬ 
ditions. H. multiflorus Bouquet d’Or is also a fine 
double variety of exceptional merit, although con¬ 
sidered by some a trifle stiff for bunching. Linaria 
macedonica is golden-yellow with an orange lip, and 
grows 2 ft. high. Lychnis vespertina fl. pi. is pure 
white, fully double, of first-class merit, and grows 
2 ft. high. Monarda didyma has bright scarlet 
flowers in whorls ; its height is 18 in. to 2 ft. Mont- 
bretia Bouquet Parfait, dark yellow and vermilion, 
is a good thing ; but as over three dozen varieties of 
Montbretia are now to be had, any one of which is 
well worthy of a place in any collection, one or 
other certainly should be included in any exhibition 
stand. 
Pentstemon barbatus Torreyi has deep scarlet 
flowers in spikes, which, when gracefully arranged, 
have few equals, and should be in every collection ; 
its usual height is 3 ft. Scabiosa caucasica alba 
bears erect, pure white flowers, and is a gem grow¬ 
ing 2\ ft. high. Statice incana nana rosea, with 
reddish-rose flowers in large heads, grows usually to 
a height of 1 ft. Centranthus ruber albus, with 
white or C. r. coccineus with bright red flowers, are 
also very fine, growing 2 ft. high. Veronica longi- 
folia alba, V. 1 . rosea and V. 1 . subsessilis are all fine 
subjects for bunching, especially so, if loosely 
arranged. The last-named is the best, as it grows 
2 ft. high and bears stout spikes of large rich blue 
flowers. 
Many more good things might be named such as 
Lobelia Firefly or Queen Victoria, Francoa ramosa, 
and F. appendiculata. Some of the Liliums and even 
Gladioli are shown at times ; but where hardy her¬ 
baceous plants are meant, I think the line should be 
drawn here, as, even if they do stand out in mild 
seasons and in favoured districts, the majority of 
exhibitors who use them for competition give them 
the protection of glass in winter. Were such not the 
case, we would see fewer of them in hardy flower 
collections.— Coila. 
--*■- 
THE WINTER MOTH. 
I should like to know if any of your readers have 
had any experience with the greased bauds said to 
be a preventive to this destructive pest. Though we 
have an average crop of Apples here, the moth 
attacked the trees badly, devouring fruit and leaves. 
We had no frost in this garden this spring to injure 
the most tender subjects ; and though much damage 
was done by the frost of the 27th of May in gardens 
in the neighbourhood we escaped, and our loss of 
what promised to be a heavy crop of Apples is 
therefore the more annoying. Our largest tree of 
Blenheim Orange with a spread of branches, 30 ft. 
in diameter, has as heavy a crop on it as I have seen. 
Golden Noble near by is also heavily laden, and it 
was so last year, belying the notion that an 
abundant crop one year is followed by a barren one. 
In the absence of frost and insect pests I never 
could see a reason why trees should not carry annual 
crops. Insects not only spoil the crop they attack 
but they cripple the tree for another year. 
In another part of the garden Blenheim Orange, 
Kingpippen, Scotch Bridget, and Mank’s Codling 
have as many fruits on them as the old trees can 
carry. Scotch Bridget is not much known in the 
south, but here it is known to almost every school 
boy. Livesay is another local variety of the codling 
class, very much like Tower of Glamis, but it has 
suffered from the moth worse than any. We are 
swarmed with birds, as we make no attempt to 
destroy them, except the blackbird, and now and 
then the tom-tits, when they get too numerous. 
The latter is credited by some with rendering 
the gardener invaluable service; but I have 
not experienced it, and a plea has been put in 
for the sparrows, and a good deal of " bosh " written 
by sentimental writers respecting these and other 
birds. This year a tit and a sparrow built their 
nests within a few yards of our infested Apple trees, 
and in searching for food for their young they flew 
contemptuously over several trees right across the 
garden into the farmyard every three or four 
minutes, and brought some kind of insects or little 
worms each time, for it was not easy to recognise 
what they were carrying. I very rarely see the 
birds paying attention to our fruit trees until the 
fruit is ripe, except the tits which pick out the buds 
