April 12, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
503 
THE RED-FLOWERED CURRANT. 
From a horticultural point of view, the best of all the 
Currants belonging to the section Ribesia, of the genus 
Ribes, is R. sanguineura. Its popularity is due to the 
beauty and conspicuousness of its flowers, its extreme 
hardiness, and the facility with which it may be pro¬ 
pagated and cultivated by the most inexperienced. 
These characteristics no doubt account for its wide dis¬ 
semination in British gardens, for it flowers as gaily in 
the cottager’s garden in the far north as it does in that 
of the wealthy squire “with all appliances and means 
to boot. ” 
The typical form has deep rose-coloured blooms that 
appear even darker in the bud or half-opened state, and 
when a few of them are planted in the shrubberies the 
latter assume a gay appearance on the unfolding of the 
leaves and flowers in spring. The fruit is purplish 
black, and about the size of that of R. rubrum in the 
uncultivated state, but as a rule it is not produced in 
very great quantity. 
There are several varieties in gardens, including 
R. s. malvaceum and R s. glutinosum, which differ 
botanically from the species, not only in the flowers, 
but also in the foliage. The most handsome of the 
dark-flowering kinds is R. s. atrorubens, which has 
rather shorter racemes, and smaller but very dark red 
flowers. The leaves also appear of a darker hue, tinted 
with red, at least during expansion, and is altogether 
a very desirable sort for planting in choice collections 
of flowering shrubs. While collecting for the Royal 
Horticultural Society, the traveller, Mr. Douglas, sent 
home collections of seeds from which a considerable 
number of varieties originated, varying chiefly in the 
different shades of colour. The variation was from 
pale pink to deep red ; but since then a pale creamy 
almost white variety has arisen, and no doubt still 
exists in many an old-fashioned garden, though now 
comparatively seldom seen. Although less beautiful and 
valuable than R. s. atrorubens when grown by itself, 
yet it gains immensely by association with the last- 
named variety, compared v'ith which it is equally 
iioriferous. 
Although so strikingly distinct, a hybrid has been 
produced between R. sanguineum and R. aureum, the 
latter having yellow flowers. The hybrid is named 
R. Gordonianum, and is intermediate in character 
between the parents. The habit and general appear¬ 
ance is that of R. sanguineum, but the leaves are 
smoother and more shiny-characters which they derive 
from R. aureum. The yellow hue of the latter is also 
seen in the flowers, toning down the red colour of 
R. sanguineum considerably.— Taxas. 
-- 
DIANTHUS SPECIES. 
It seems just as reasonable to assume that Dianthus 
barbatus andD. Heddewigii are of the same parentage 
or species as that D. plumarius and D. caryophyllus 
are. Look at the single forms, which seem to be 
almost impervious to the skill of the florist, and see 
how diverse they are, and how thoroughly their charac¬ 
teristics refuse to blend ! The flowers of D. plumarius 
are deeply laciniated, and rarely in colour other than 
white and pink or pale red. They are borne profusely 
on short stems fully a month earlier than are those of 
the single Carnation, and are highly perfumed. 
The single Carnation, although raised still for certain 
market purposes by almost hundreds of thousandsyearly, 
never shows any departure from its ordinary character, 
or the slightest approach to the nature of the Pink. 
The Pink equally refuses to approach the Carnation. 
The flowers of the latter of the small strain always have 
smooth edges, are smaller than those of the Pink, are 
unscented, and invariably borne on tall stems. It is 
most obvious that were there any kind of family con¬ 
nection between these two races of plants, as is 
imagined, we should see, out of the myriads of seed¬ 
lings raised yearly, some evidence of that joint origin 
which Mr. Thurstan seems to assume is the case. 
Many have been the efforts put forth to intercross 
or hybridise the Pink and Carnation, and yet with 
what results ?—why hardly a real bond fide cross-pro¬ 
duced plant exists. If it be that it is a genuine 
hybrid, it is conclusive evidence of the distinctness of 
the Pink and Carnation as species, whilst the com¬ 
parative impossibility of getting the two forms to fuse 
into fertile production shows how marked is the dis¬ 
tinction naturally. Literally hundreds of thousands 
of single Carnations have been raised in my neighbour¬ 
hood, and not one ever exhibits the least tendency to 
become double, or depart in any way from the ordinary 
Carnation habit. This fact show’s how slow must have 
been the early labours of the florist to develop double 
kmds. — D. 
SEEDLING CARNATIONS. 
To secure very fine plants to bloom in their proper 
season there is nothing like sowing Carnation seed as 
soon as ripe. It germinates freely if sown in October in 
a cold frame or greenhouse. The seedlings will stand 
well in boxes or pans through the winter, and in the 
spring will be so stout and hardy as to bear trans¬ 
planting into the open ground in the month of April. 
At that time of the year, with the ground moist and 
the temperature fairly mild, the plants make roots, and 
are stoutly established in the soil before the customary 
summer heat sets in. Whilst such plants develop into 
large clusters of grass, and produce a great abundance 
of bloom the following summer, they are perhaps for 
that reason less capable of propagation by layering than 
are plants raised the previous spring. 
It is found that spring-sown plants relatively pro¬ 
duce less bloom and more grass ; if, however, a wealth 
of bloom be held of the first consequence, then sow 
seeds as soon as ripe in the autumn by all means. 
Mr. Wardill refers to his seedlings of the present 
spring sowing as making nice little bushy plants to put 
out in September into the open ground. That arrange¬ 
ment may be in his case one of convenience, but I 
should prefer to dibble the seedlings out into the open 
ground where they are to bloom. As soon as they are 
stout enough to handle, and they should be so in May, 
the single transplanting would save a lot of trouble, 
while the plants would be well established in the soil 
for the winter. 
We need not fear that the Carnation is not hardy, 
as it takes a lot of frost to kill young healthy plants. 
Excessive wet or stiff soils and the Dianthus fungus 
are the chief enemies to Carnations in the open ground, 
unless hares or rabbits are about, but I will not assume 
anyone would leave such very tempting diet to the 
mercy of these destructive creatures. As to strains 
of double Cirnations, I do not think there are many 
bad ones. The percentage of singles—an unavoidable 
feature with the best—may be 20 per cent., but if the 
rest are good double flowers there is little room for 
complaint.— D. 
-- 
NOTES ON OLIVIAS. 
At Forest Hill. 
Out of a large number of seedlings annually being 
raised in the nursery of Messrs. John Laing & Sons, 
Forest Hill, only a few ever receive names, and those 
are the very best and represent the improvements that 
are gradually, though surely, being made. Whatever 
may be the ultimate results, all the modern acquisitions 
are improvements upon one species only, namely, C. 
miniata, and they constitute another instance out of 
many where wonderful changes have been effected 
merely by cross-breeding the forms of one type. The 
form of the flower of the wild type furnished a good 
starting point, and no doubt determined the present 
issue. The substance of the flowers and their dura¬ 
bility also recommend them to public favour. In a cut 
state the flowers last for three weeks in water, and 
about a month upon the plant. 
A decided acquisition amongst the lighter-flowered 
kinds is Stanstead Beauty. The upper third of the 
segments is of a soft orange-red, while the rest is 
almost white. The flowers are of great length and 
produced in large trusses, while the habit of the plant 
is dwarf. Another well-marked kind is Roseo-alba, 
with orange-red flowers tinted with rose at the margin, 
and having a large proportion of white in the throat. 
Lady Wolverton, as is well known, is notable for the 
great expanse of its flowers, the segments of which are 
deep orange, broad, much imbricated and recurved. 
The flowers of John Laing are of great length, and a 
brilliant orange-scarlet, while the inner segments 
especially are of great breadth. The habit of Salmonea 
is dwarf with broad, spreading leaves, and the flowers 
are deep orange-scarlet tinted with salmon. The wide- 
open flowers of Robusta are, on the other hand, of a 
pale, soft orange tinted with pink. One of the darkest 
kinds is that named Ignea, which may be described as 
crimson-scarlet fading to a deep red. 
Most of the varieties we noted on a recent visit were 
new, or comparatively so, but we cannot omit mention¬ 
ing Mrs. Laing, which will long maintain a placo 
amongst choice kinds, on account of its enormous 
trusses of rich orange-scarlet flowers. One plant was 
flowering and fruiting at the same time, the berries 
being large, ellipsoid, and of an intense purple-red 
colour. Delicatissima, a light-flowering kind, was 
carrying globular fruits of a deep red and as large as 
some early-ripening Plums, such as Early Orleans. 
One of the palest flowers yet raised is Sulphurea, and 
therefore one of the most distinct; it was raised about 
three years ago. On the contrary, Bronze Beauty is 
flowering for the first time and is notable for the great 
size of its soft, orange-red flowers. 
Equally pleasant in its way is the’ variety Pur- 
purascens, with reddish purple flowers tinted with 
orange along the centre of the segments ; the flowers 
are also wide open and beautifully regular. In sunshine 
the flowers of Crocea are very richly tinted, the colour 
being brought out by contrast to the white throat. 
Those of Vivid are even darker, being of a rich orange- 
scarlet, and widely expanded. 
The two darkest varieties in the collection probably 
are Ignea, already mentioned, and Brilliant, the latter 
having intense orange-crimson flowers, the outer 
segments of which are richly coloured to the very 
base externally ; the flowers are also very short with 
broad segments. Exquisite is a strong-growing sort 
with the rich orange-scarlet of its flowers extending 
for two-thirds down the segments. The funnel-shaped 
flowers of Glow are of good substance and of a warm 
orange-scarlet. Sunray is of a lively soft orange of 
various shades on different parts, and often tinted with 
green along the middle of the segments. A fairly good 
variety of the continental raised kinds is Mademoiselle 
Van Houtte, which has long, well-expanded flowers of 
an orange-red. The segments are all of fairly good 
width. 
Besides the above a large number of unnamed seed¬ 
lings exist, and which it is impossible to particularise, 
although as garden flowers they far excel the type, and 
even many of the finer of the first-named improvements. 
One we noted was of a deep orange tint on first expan¬ 
sion, but as the flowers faded they changed to a 
decided soft rosy red. Another was almost as dark as 
Brilliant, above mentioned, but the segments were only 
of moderate width. Others exhibited rich or light 
shades, and some with a large proportion of white in 
the throat ; and although unsuitable or not of suffi¬ 
cient merit to receive varietal names, they may prove 
useful as seed or pollen parents for the raising of improved 
sorts possessed of some distinctive quality, either of 
colour, shape, or otherwise. 
At Upper Holloway. 
The Olivias, better known in gardens under the name 
of Himantophyllums, have been gay for some time 
past in the nursery of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
Upper Holloway. A house in great part is devoted to 
them and Amaryllis, the latter being confined to a 
separate compartment of the same. The large central 
stage of the other division of the house is entirely 
monopolised by the Olivias, which now take rank 
amongst the noblest of spring-flowering subjects. 
Amongst new kinds, Meteor is certainly a great 
improvement even upon the finer of the old kinds, on 
account of the breadth of the segments, which are of a 
rich orange on the upper half; the flower is at the 
same time remarkably short and open. Cruenta is of 
a rich orange-scarlet, especially on first expansion, and 
is considerably shaded with rose when fading ; it is a 
free-flowering variety. Atrosanguinea is of a deeper 
orange-scarlet, and although not so dark as General 
Gordon, the segments are broader and the flowers 
altogether larger. The flowers of General Gordon are 
darker than those of any other variety we noted, and 
for want of a better term we describe it as orange- 
crimson. Were the segments broader it would be 
indeed an effective variety. In marked contrast to the 
above is Baron Schroder, which has its segments of a 
soft orange-red on the upper third of their length only. 
Like all those above-mentioned, Surprise is also a’new 
sort. It is notable for the length of its flowers, which 
are of a rich orange, although the segments are not so 
broad as some of those already mentioned, notably 
Meteor. 
As a good instance of the early improvements, 
C. miniata splendens may be mentioned. The flowers 
are of a fine rich orange, but the outer segments par¬ 
ticularly are very narrow compared with modern 
acquisitions, and the inner ones do not overlap with 
them. Martha Reimers and Ambrose,Verschaffelt are 
Continental types now superseded by home-raised 
kinds. The first is, however, very distinct in its way, 
having soft orange flowers with a sulphur and white 
throat, and produced in very large trusses. Ambrose 
Verschaffelt has long flowers of a deep orange-scarlet 
on the upper half, but the segments are only of 
moderate breadth. Robusta has also large flowers, but 
the segments are proportionately narrow, and the colour 
is paler than that of Martha Reimers. The variety is, 
however, of vigorous habit, producing large trusses of 
bloom. 
