40 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 21, 1889. 
F^ofUdUhTiIf^. 
Dressing Carnations. 
I head with very great pleasure iu your last issue Mr. 
Dodwell’s admirable advice upon dressing. To use 
his words, “Dressing flowers—that is to say, the sub¬ 
jecting them to such manipulation, within well under¬ 
stood limits, as may develop a beauty not otherwise 
appreciable—rests upon a broad and very solid founda¬ 
tion, for upon it are based all the acts of life and the 
benefits of civilisation ” ; and Mr. Dodwell goes on to 
denounce the pernicious system of over-dressing, which 
we frequently meet with, especially at provincial shows. 
All true florists should do their utmost to stamp out 
this practice, and for years past, at August exhibitions 
in the Midlands, where I judge regularly, I have stead¬ 
fastly ignored stands where the flowers were “ dressed 
to death,” no matter how good in petal and marking, 
and awarded prizes to flowers which have not been so 
manipulated. I very much object also to the card 
being placed inside the calyx when it is torn away so 
much; and were the cards of such flowers removed by 
the judges, what would the flower be where over¬ 
dressing prevails ? This is evidently what “ "W. "W.” 
denounces, and many others will go with him in his 
condemnation of the system. 
It seems to me to rest with judges to a very great 
extent as to over-dressing, and I think it is in their 
power to join Mr. Dodwell in his saying, “Speaking 
for myself only, I shall most heartily join in any 
measure necessary to abolish the evil.” 
Too much dressing is also very deceptive to those who 
attend our shows and are not Carnation or Picotee 
growers ; they see wonderful blooms and buy plants in 
the hope of getting flowers like them, for they know 
nothing frequently of the mysteries of “dressing.” 
Although it is written, “Mature when unadorned is 
adorned the most,” still it must be freely confessed 
that a little judicious dressing of the Carnation and 
Picotee is most desirable in order to show the glories of 
a good petal, purity, and colour, but not to pull the 
petals almost out of the calyx in order to obtain size. 
— JV. D., Birmingham. 
China Asters. 
Under this heading, “A. D.” recommends that plants 
of dwarf-growing Asters should be shown pulled from 
the ground, their roots washed from the soil, and then 
stood in vessels of water on the exhibition stage. 
"What the effect would be one can infer from what 
happens with Stocks pulled, washed, and exhibited in 
the same way. I have frequently seen Stocks so shown, 
only to be made painfully aware that in a hot close 
tent they are scarcely fit to look at by the time the 
judges make the awards. It might be said that Asters, 
being more rigid in growth, would not suffer as in the 
case of Stocks. I am not quite sure of that. My ex¬ 
perience of Asters is that the plants soon flag when 
taken up from the ground—a defect aggravated by the 
size and weight of the flowers. There is no reason why 
an attempt of the kind suggested should not be made, 
but 1 fear the result would not prove so satisfactory as 
could be desired.— Cautious. 
New Dahlias. 
Duke of Fife. —This is a large-flowered exhibition 
variety, somewhat similar in shape to that of Crimson 
Globe, but larger, and slightly more flattened on the 
top. The bloom is of a uniform dark crimson colour, 
with small, closely-arranged florets. Specimens were 
exhibited at the National Chrysanthemum Society on 
the 11th and 12th inst. by Messrs. Keynes, "Williams & 
Co., Salisbury, when a First Class Certificate was 
awarded by the committee. The varieties, Alice 
Emily, John Hiekling and Crimson Globe, were also 
shown and certificated. For a description of these see 
those certificated by the Royal Horticultural Society 
on p. 8. 
Duchess of Fife. —-The heads of this variety are 
single, round and regular, with broad overlapping ray- 
florets. The latter are buff-yellow, with an irregular 
crimson zone surrounding the orange-yellow disc. 
W. C. Harvey.— The flower-heads of this form 
greatly resemble those of Duchess of Fife, but the 
prevailing hue is of a rich bronzy buff, and therefore 
much darker and quite distinct. The base of the 
broad imbricating florets has a crimson somewhat 
radiating blotch, the whole forming a narrow zone 
around the orange-yellow disc. 
Miss Jefferies. —This variety is also single, and 
exactly of the same type as the two previously 
mentioned ; but the ray-florets are rose-coloured, with 
a purple zone surrounding the yellow disc. All three 
were exhibited by ilr. T. S. "Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, 
Tottenham, and received First Class Certificates from 
the committee of the National Chrysanthemum Society. 
William Searle. —This variety has medium-sized 
flower-heads for a Pompon. The florets are closely and 
neatly arranged, and of a pale orange-red, with paler 
edges. It was exhibited by Mr. Charles Turner, 
Slough, and received a First Class Certificate. 
Northern Star. —The flower-heads of this single 
variety are of moderate size, with deep crimson-red 
rays, margined with yellow, and passing into that 
shade around the yellow disc. It adds one more to the 
list of single kinds with striped flowers. 
Eclipse. —The ray-florets of this form are rose- 
coloured, with a deep crimson zone surrounding the 
yellow disc. The chief novelty seems to consist of a 
golden shading that runs from the crimson zone upwards 
upon the rose ground colour of the florets. 
Centennial. —'This is a new variety of medium size, 
with long-pointed, crimson-red florets, margined with 
so intense a shade as to be almost black. The last 
three were exhibited by Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, 
Crawley, Sussex, and received First Class Certificates. 
Chrysanthemum, Sam Henshaw. 
From the fact of its being already in flower, this new 
Japanese variety would seem to be an early one. The 
heads are of medium size, and the florets all involute 
and closely incurved, so that the pale silvery grey or 
French-white of the under-surface only is shown. The 
upper or inner surface of the florets is pale purple, and 
this shining through according as the rays of light fall 
in certain directions, imparts a pinkish tint to the 
silvery grey of the reverse of the florets. The flower- 
heads will possibly increase in size as they become 
more fully expanded. The variety was shown by Mr. 
D. B. Crane, 4, "Wood view Terrace, Archway Road, 
Highgate, at the National Chrysanthemum Society’s 
first show of the season, on the 11th and 12th inst., 
when it received a First Class Certificate. 
Polyanthuses in Pots. 
Those who intend to grow a few of the gold-laced 
Polyanthus in pots, should see about obtaining their 
plants at once, and getting them established as soon as 
possible. Some sorts, such as George the Fourth, 
Exile, Blackbird, Lancashire Hero, Lord Beaeonsfield, 
&c., are to be had, though scarce and high priced ; but 
Cheshire Favourite, Prince Eegent, Sidney Smith, 
Lancer, William the Fourth, and John Bright are 
plentiful and cheap, and they make very good exhibition 
sorts. Those who can grow them in cool moist localities 
in the Midlands and the North, plant them out of 
doors in the summer, after they are divided in late 
spring, and they grow into nice young sturdy plants. 
If some of these can be obtained they should be potted 
in a good Auricula soil, placing a little coco fibre about 
the roots to give them a start, and then stand them in 
the open, not giving them any water, but waiting for 
rain to come. As soon as the roots come through to 
the sides of the pots they should be shifted into a larger 
size, but on no account be over-potted. The plants will 
not harm if kept fairly dry all the winter ; the loss of a 
good many plants results through being saturated with 
rain, and then allowed to become frost-bound.— II. D. 
-—>-Z<—- 
MITRARIA COCCINEA. 
The subject of this note is an exceedingly ornamental 
plant when covered in the spring with its Gesneroid- 
like scarlet flowers. It is a native of the Island 
of Chiloe, on the coast of Chili, and is not sufficiently 
hardy to be grown universally outdoors in Britain. 
Properly speaking, it is a true climber, although it 
can be trained into a practically low shrub if grown in 
pots. Like a great many of our half-hardy plants, this 
one has apparently fallen into obscurity in some parts 
of the kingdom. 
The fact that it will not thrive in a dry atmosphere 
probably may have something to do with it not being 
more generally cultivated. "When placed in such 
circumstances the foliage drops off as if attacked by a 
plague of thrips. The leaves are small, alternately 
opposite, deeply and regularly dented, lessening in 
depth towards the petiole, and are thickly covered 
with minute transparent hairs. The general colour 
of the foliage, however, is of a dark shining green, and 
has a strong resemblance to Fuchsia microphylla. 
This plant should be potted in fibrous peat and sandy 
loam, with good drainage, and can be easily propagated 
either by division or from cuttings at the proper 
season.— Gamma, Edinburgh. 
THE MIGNONETTE AND ITS 
CULTURE.* 
By Mr. W. P. Eoberts. 
The Mignonette (Reseda odorata) is not a showy or 
an attractive plant, but so long as there are olfactory 
organs in existence, so long will the Mignonette be a 
favourite, and especially with the ladies, either as a 
pot plant or in a cut state for filling vases, small 
glasses, or mixing with other flowers. Indeed, of all 
the plants I have grown none have been more admired 
or have elicited so much praise as well-grown specimens 
of this fragrant plant. I am not acquainted with 
many plants that will try the patience and skill of the 
cultivator so much as this, for unlike many tender and 
more valuable subjects, which can be restored to com¬ 
parative health and vigour from an apparently dying 
state, a pot of Mignonette after starting to go wrong 
will continue to grow worse until it dies in spite of all 
efforts to save it. The Mignonette of gardens is a 
native uf Italy, and was introduced into this country 
in 1752. The parent, or the original species, may still 
be met with in botanical gardens no doubt, but 
probably has no more resemblance to the varieties now 
in cultivation than the wild one, Reseda luteola, which 
I have come across in abundance on chalky banks in 
Kent. 
Culture in the Open Air. 
This is a very simple matter, provided the soil is 
rich enough to produce vigorous growth, and that slugs 
are not allowed to devour the young plants as fast as 
they appear. I do not know of any plant that is such 
a frequent victim to these voracious creatures as the 
Mignonette, and thousands of plants may be said to be 
destroyed annually before they are seen by human eye ; 
for if the soil is at all lumpy the slugs retire under the 
lumps by day, and at night come out in search of the 
coming seedlings, and in hundreds of instances they 
push their way down amongst the nodules of soil in 
search of them. Thousands of self-sown seed would 
annually become plants if not interfered with by the 
slugs, and where these creatures are prevalent I deem 
it waste of time to attempt growing Mignonette in the 
open ground. "When I commenced to grow it I had 
frequent failures, and of course blamed the seeds and 
denounced the seedsman, which was only natural, 
seeing that there were no traces of slugs beyond a 
little slime here and there and no signs of a plant 
having existed. The quality of the seed was tested by 
sowing some in pots, and found satisfactory, and an 
examination of those in the ground was made by care¬ 
fully moving the soil here and there, which revealed 
the headless trunks of my Mignonette. The devices to 
keep slugs away from plants and to inveigle them into 
traps are familiar to you all. 
One thinks he is quite safe—or rather that his plants 
are—with a belt of lime or soot round them; and so 
they are if the enemy is not already ensconced within 
the fortress, and the weather continues dry, for the 
first shower will destroy his barriers, and that at a time 
when they are most wanted, as it is in a moist at¬ 
mosphere that the slug commits the greatest depre¬ 
dations. Soaked bran or brewers’ grains are some of 
the allurements held out to the slug, and these are 
examined at night and the pests killed. Others dis¬ 
regard these and other auxiliaries, but go in search of 
the slugs at dusk and daybreak and catch them, which 
occasions much treading of the soil, rendering it unfit 
for plant growth until it has been loosened up again by 
the fork or spade. It appears to me that what is done 
to check, catch or destroy the slugs must be 
accomplished before or at the time the seeds are sown, 
so that by the time the plants are up the ground is 
clear of it. 
As a first aid, it is of importance that the surface of 
the soil should be made fine, and beaten moderately 
firm and smooth with the back of the spade. Laying 
a few heaps of partially-decayed vegetable matter near 
and on the seed bed are excellent traps, which can be 
examined at leisure during the day, when they may be 
moved if the under surface is covered with slugs, the 
ground underneath being sprinkled with fresh slaked 
lime or salt. This plan followed up every two or three 
days for a fortnight is the best I know of to rid ground 
of slugs. 
The seeds may be sown any time from April to July, 
and by placing lights resting on bricks over plants of 
the latter sowing, nice spikes of Mignonette may be 
gathered at Christmas. Mignonette, like many other 
annuals, is usually sown too thickly, or not thinned out 
* A paper read at the last meeting of the Preston and Fulwood 
Horticultural Society. 
