September 30, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
69 
BEGONIAS AT BEXLEY. 
The present is not the time to see pot plants at their 
best if they have been flowering all the season, but 
where they have been liberally treated, the stout 
stems are still producing large blooms, perfectly in 
character, and fully showing their capabilities as con¬ 
tinuous bloomers. Such is the case at Crook Lodge, 
Bexley Heath, Kent, where Mr. T. S. Ware of 
Tottenham has a branch establishment, almost solely 
devoted to the culture of tuberous Begonias. The 
culture of this class of flowers was first commenced 
by Mr. Ware, at Tottenham, but since their removal 
to Bexley, rapid and marvellous strides have been 
made in the improvement of the strain. The double 
kinds, especially, have been brought to great perfec¬ 
tion, but it would be hard to say what they are still 
capable of or may be destined to produce. 
Double Kinds. 
The two best double white varieties in the collection 
are Princess May and Alba Magna, both having 
large flowers, but perfectly distinguishable at a 
Queen Victoria. It has medium-sized flowers, and 
recently received a First class Certificate at Earl’s 
Court. 
Yellow varieties, both single and double, but 
especially the latter, have been much improved 
recently. The flowers of Countess O’Gorman are- 
deep and bright, almost golden yellow, with a broad 
pale guard, and the variety is the best of its colour. 
A new type is Iona, whose orange-yellow flowers are 
compacted into a single centre. Senora is also a new 
type of colour, and has daik orange, or almost 
orange-scarlet flowers, with two broad guards. 
White centred flowers are very charming, and their 
numbers are being augmented from time to time. 
Viscountess Cranbrook and Claribell are the best of 
the older types. The former has pure rose flowers, 
with a white centre, while the latter is salmon- 
rose, and is both delicate and exceedingly 
choice. Very different is Elegance, whose small 
flowers are salmon-rose, white in the centre, 
and all crenate round the edge of the petals, re¬ 
sembling for all the world, a double Chinese Primula. 
habit. The Camellia-shaped blossoms of Madame 
Barrone de St. Didier are of beautiful form and 
primrose in colour. The two outer sepals are cre¬ 
nate. The Hollyhock-shaped flowers of Jeanne 
d’Arc are pure white, very full and deep with guard 
petals. The brilliant scarlet flowers of Henshaw 
Russell are now pretty well known for their bold and 
handsome appearance. The pure salmon flowers of 
Baroda are not very large, but of perfect Camellia 
form, and most attractive. The plant has red stems 
and is very floriferous. Beauty of Belgrave has 
huge, blush-pink flowers very closely similar to 
those of La Belle France Rose. As the blooms are 
pendulous the variety is well adaptud for basket 
work, but paradoxical as it may seem, it produces a 
charming effect as a bedding plant, for it has been 
grown out of doors here, a perfect mass of bloom all 
the summer and still most floriferous and showy. 
Several other doubles, both large and small flowered 
are bedded out with the best effect, for the pro¬ 
fusion of bloom with which they are still laden is 
remarkable. 
Allamanda Williamsii. 
glance. The blooms of the former are undulated 
and crimped like a Hollyhock, with a tint of cream 
in the centre. The stalks are short and erect, while 
the plant is moderately dwarf and branching. Alba 
Magna, on the other hand, is taller, with pure white 
flowers. Bexley Gem has very large flowers of a 
beautiful rose, and although they have many centres, 
the petals are not crowded. The plant is of good 
habit, and flowers freely; Pavonia is also of good 
habit, branching from the base, but the large, many- 
centred blooms are of a delicate soft rose, and carried 
on short, stiff stalks. The bright scarlet blooms of 
Victory have broad guards like a Hollyhock, and are 
also borne erect. The rosy-crimson flowers of Miss 
Jennie Fell are of perfect Camellia form, with the 
broad, imbricating petals arranged round a single 
centre. A magnificent kind is Duke of Teck, with 
huge crimson-scarlet flowers on short stalks, and 
very full, but the central petals are small. It con¬ 
stitutes a strong contrast to the popular Duchess of 
Teck, whose flowers in their ultimate stage of de¬ 
velopment resemble a bunch of Primroses. The 
bronze-purple stems of this kind are striped with 
pale green. A most beautiful shade of colour is 
exhibited by the delicate soft pink flowers of 
Bouquet is similar to the last, but the flowers are 
deep rose with a pure white centre. Both are useful 
for bouquets and button-holes. The four constitute 
the cream of the white-centred varieties. 
A veritable triumph has been effected in the Duke 
of York with huge crimson-amaranth flowers and 
broad, imbricated petals arranged round a single 
centre. The flowers of most perfect form, are very 
freely produced on stout, erect stalks. The variety 
is quite new and is certain to meet with approbation 
from the general public. Mrs. F. Fell is one of the 
largest doubles in the collection, and has salmon 
rose flowers, with the unusually broad petals 
arranged round a single centre. They are not at 
all densely crowded like some types, and the blooms 
ultimately become flattened in form. Hitherto, the 
Rose or Camellia formed flowers have been moderate 
in size, but in Picotee we have blooms of great size 
with long, broad, ascending petals loosely arranged 
round one centre, recalling some of the Tea Roses, 
but they are white with a well marked pink edge, 
and to say the least of the flowers they are decidedly 
handsome. The dark Rose flowers of Leviathan are 
also of huge dimensions with several centres but 
broad petals, and the plant is of good branching 
Single Varieties. 
There is somewhat less enthusiasm in the naming of 
single varieties than formerly, but the raising of new 
and improved sorts is not in the least abated. 
Where all are so superior and excellent from a 
packet of seed it is difficult to keep pace with the 
giving of new names, and moreover seems needless 
and unnecessary, except in very exceptional cases. 
We have selected seven of the leading shades of 
colour by way of representing the whole. Alba 
marginata fimbriata is white, with a well-defined 
rosy-scarlet margin. Challenger is of a brilliant 
dark crimson. The large and circular flowers of 
Leonora are of a bright rich pink, and the plant is of 
good branching habit. The best of the salmon kinds 
is Alice Hampson. The flowers are very large and 
freely produced on dwarf plants. The bronzy- 
orange flowers of Champion also represent a distinct 
type. The leaves are very broad and the con¬ 
stitution of the plant vigorous. The orange, bronze, 
and yellow shades are now very numerous. The 
flowers of Aurora are of a brilliant crimson-scarlet. 
Bexley White is the best all-round variety of that 
shade, and is very pure on both surfaces of the 
sepals. We noted another with a peculiar snowy- 
