532 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 21, 1894. 
FIiOfJICUliTUKE. 
The Southern Pink Society. 
Lovers of the modest, sweetly odorous Pink in all 
its forms will be glad to hear that the Southern Pink 
Society has now been duly constituted, and its pro¬ 
moters have met with so much encouragement that 
they have resolved to hold an exhibition in London 
this season. The majority of the subscribers being 
in favour of the show being held in the Drill Hall, 
Westminster, and the Council of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society having readily given their consent 
to its being held in conjunction with one of their 
regular fortnightly meetings, it has been arranged 
that the show shall take placeon Tuesday, Junei2th, 
and to that end a schedule of prizes has been pre¬ 
pared and is now being issued. Needless to say the 
prizes are of a modest character, as becomes a 
modest effort, but it is believed that the smallness of 
the rewards will not influence the exhibitors in any 
way, and that love of the flower alone will prompt 
growers to render their best assistance in making the 
show a success, from a gardening point of view at 
least. 
Though primarily the object which the promoters 
have in view is to bring into public notice again the 
very beautiful, but too long neglected florists’ laced 
Pinks, the showy self-coloured border varieties 
which all who have a flower border can grow will 
also be taken in hand, and in order to gain a know¬ 
ledge of what varieties are still in cultivation, it is 
earnestly hoped that all who may have any .sorts in 
bloom about the date of the show, be they old or 
new, will kindly send them, even if for educational 
purposes only. At the start of a Society of this 
kind it will be a good point gained to know what 
materials there are to work with, what sections want 
the most encouragement, and we sincerely hope that 
all who can will bear this point in mind, and help to 
make the list of varieties exhibited as complete as 
possible. 
The Schedule, copies of which will be gladly sent 
to anyone on application, by the Honorary Secretary 
and Treasurer, Mr. B. Wynne, i, Clement’s Inn, 
Strand, W.C., provides for seven classes for laced 
Pinks, five for border, or self-coloured varieties, and 
one for Mule Pinks, a very interesting class of 
which few know the value as garden flowers. 
The judging of the laced Pinks will be conducted 
on strictly florists’ lines, based upon the following 
rules drawn up by the President of the Society, Mr, 
James Thurstan :— 
I.— Substance of petals, and purity of white. 
" 2.—Petals to be as near rose-edged as possible— 
that is, not to have serrated edges. 
" 3.—Size and shape of petals. 
"4.—Brightness in colour and refinement of 
lacing—that is, the less the colour rurrs or juts into 
the white the better, leaving the lacing to resemble, 
as near as possible, a solid line round the petals, or 
what is better known as the " wire-edge ” lacing. 
“5.—Shape and size of flower when dressed for 
exhibition, which should be well filled with petals 
without any appearance of confusion. 
“ The maximum points in judging will be three 
for substance and purity, four for evenness of petals, 
three for size and shape of the petals, five for bright¬ 
ness and regularity of the lacing, and five for the 
shape and size of the flower.” 
The debateable question as to the minimum num¬ 
ber of petals which a show bloom should consist of 
has heen shelved for this year, in order that as many 
blooms as possible may be brought forward, and 
with the same object in view it may be added that 
all the classes are open. 
Gold-laced Polyanthuses. 
It is so seldom now that one comes across a collection 
of named varieties of Gold-laced Polyanthuses, that I 
felt quite a thrill of joy the other day when I saw a 
collection in Mr. John Forhes' nursery at Hawick. 
They were planted out in a small bed, and had had 
the protection of a light all winter. They appeared to 
be in perfect health, and were in full flower, with fine 
sturdy trusses, reminding one of the good old days 
when they were more sought after than they are now. 
The varieties most to my taste were Lancashire 
Hero, Napoleon, Nicholson’s King, Queen of Tyne, 
King Theodore (double), William III., and Buck’s 
George IV., the last named being particularly fine. 
Close at hand were some fine plants of a variegated 
Galligaskin or Jack-in-the-Green. The green, 
however, was a misnomer, the calyx being red, white 
and green. Many thousands of seedlings of all 
shades of colour much attracted attention, being the 
finest batch I have seen for some time; and the 
Auricula House in the same nursery will be a treat 
in a short time.— Coila. 
-- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED, 
The undermentioned subjects received certificates 
according to merit at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on the loth inst. 
, Iris Helena. —This comparatively new species 
belongs to the Oncocyclus section of the Iris, all 
characterised by the great siee of their standards, 
which in this case are broadly obovate, incurved 
over the top of the flower, of a clear purple com¬ 
pared with the rest of the flower, and very con¬ 
spicuous. The falls are dark purple, with a hroad 
black disc or centre, and reflexed above the middle. 
The petaloid stigmas are bifid, and of a peculiar 
shade of brown. First-class Certificate. Exhibitor, 
H, J. Elwes, Esq., Calisbourne, Andoversford. 
Amaryllis speculum. —The flow^s of this new 
variety are funnel-shaped, brilliant crimson-scarlet, 
more intensified to a dark crimson in the throat. 
It is a rich dark variety, and the plant shown bore 
four flowers on a scape about 2ft. high. Award of 
Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea. 
Amaryllis Holloway Belle. —A prominent 
white ray runs to the apex of each segment of this 
variety ; and the rest of the broad segments is of a 
rich, bright scarlet passing into green at the very 
base of the tube. Award of Merit. Exhibited by 
Messrs. B. S. Williams & Sons, Upper Holloway. 
Atragene alpina —The clear, blue colour of this 
hardy Clematis (for a species of Clematis it really 
is) makes it surprising that so few should possess, 
it. There are four oblong-lanceolate sepals, 
similarly coloured on both faces. The leaves are 
biternate with ovate leaflets. Award of Merit. 
Exhibitors, Messrs. T. Cripps & Son, Tunbridge 
Wells. 
Anemone St. Brigid’s Strain. —These are single 
and semi-double varieties of Anemone coronaria often 
spoken of as the Poppy Anemone. They are raised 
from seeds and possess wonderfully bright flowers of 
difterent shades of scarlet, rose and purple, with a 
white zone in the centre. Award of IMerit. Exhibitor 
Mr. Fitt, Panshanger Gardens, Hertford. 
Rose Lawrenco Allen. —The flowers of this 
hybrid perpetual Rose are of large size, with regu¬ 
larly imbricate petals, more or less revolute 
at the margins. Award of Merit. Exhibited by 
Messrs. G. Cooling & Sons, Bath. 
Canna L.E. Bally. —All the broad segments of 
this variety are of a bright golden yellow, densely 
spotted all over with scarlet. Award of IMerit. 
Exhibited by Messrs. Paul & Son. 
--J-- 
SPRING FLOWERS 
AT HOLLOWAY. 
At any time of the year a visit to' a nursery 
establishment of such high standing and world-wide 
renown as that of Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, of 
Holloway, is always of great interest to a plantsman, 
but there are seasons even in a nursery when the 
measure of pleasure afforded by a look round a well- 
equipped plant emporium is doubly intensified, and 
the joyous springtime is one of them. There is an air 
of bustle and ‘‘ go ” about the plant houses at this 
season that seems always to be wmnting at the oppo¬ 
site period of the year. Evidences of new growth, new 
life, abound on every hand, the propagating pits and 
frames are being taxed to their utmost capacity, while 
the show-houses filled with the glorious flowers that 
bloom in the spring appeal to the senses of sight and 
smell after months of dreary dulness in a manner 
that would rejoice the heart of a milestone, let alone 
that of mortal man. 
Let us first have a peep at the Clivias and 
Amaryllis, which were the special objects of a recent 
visit, and say at once that both were worth the 
journey to see. The great massive umbels of the 
former made a brave display, and backed up by their 
own substantial, deep green, strap-shaped leaves, 
left nothing to be desired on the score of beauty and 
usefulness, though we could wish for a new break in 
colour. That, however, at the present seems to be 
unattainable, and so w'e must content ourselves by 
welcoming any improvement in regard to size as 
exemplified by increased width and substance of the 
segments, and form, which necessarily follows the 
attainment of the former by the filling up of the 
base of the segments and so giving the blooms a 
rounder, and more solid appearance. The most 
recent addition to this advanced type is the new 
Holloway Beauty, a flower of large size, grand 
shape, and bright orange colour. Cruentum still 
remains a fine thing, and the deepest coloured of all, 
while Marie Reimers, Ambrose'V'erschaffelt, General 
Gordon, Meteor, Surprise, and Aurantiaca still hold 
their own as standard varieties, and are so wall known 
to those who appreciate these showy and useful 
plants as to need no description. 
The Amaryllis house contained a great wealth of 
bloom with an abundance of spikes in all stages of 
development to follow, and we noted with pleasure 
in this year’s crop of seedlings flowering for the 
first time, the introduction of some new blood 
that promises to greatly enhance the value of 
the strain, good as that has hitherto been. The old 
strain, if we may so describe it, as distinguished from 
the new break, unmistakably showed its origin from 
the variety Empress of India, and a few other sorts 
possessing similar characteristics, but good as these 
types were in their day, they are no fair match for 
the latest evolutions of the skilful hybridist, which 
are characterised by their stifly erect scapes, their 
bold, upstanding, open countenances, if we may so 
describe their ” look-you-straight-in-the-face ” sort 
of flowers, which are moreover of great substance, 
fine smooth form, and often of great beauty of 
colour. To this ” improved ” section must be added 
two seedlings of the new break at Holloway that had 
not yet been named, but which were decidedly the 
gems of the collection. Both were bold, well- 
rounded, slightly reflexed flowers, one of a bright 
scarlet colour with a light centre, and the other of a 
light ground colour with the segments flushed with 
crimson towards the apex. Of named sorts 
previously noticed. Emperor Frederick, scarlet, 
with a light centre ; Lord Salisbury, rich red wine 
colour, with darker veins; Lady Ardilaun, white 
ground with scarlet venation, large and fine in 
shape; Apollo, crimson-scarlet, and very neat ; and 
Ariadne, a very distinct flower, white ground beau¬ 
tifully barred the length of the segments with rich 
rose, w’ere all very conspicuous. Amaryllis Belladona 
blanda, an evergreen summer-flowering plant, with 
larger and lighter coloured blossoms than the type. 
Is much appreciated here for its beauty and free- 
flowering habit. 
The Orchid houses contain something of every¬ 
thing in bloom at this season, and the Vanda house 
with its fine display of spikes of such good things as 
V. suavis, tricolor, formosa, insignis and their well- 
marked varieties; the later flowering Cal anthes, such 
as the pretty C. Sanderae, C. massuca, and C. 
veratrifolia; the cool Orchid houses with their 
choice varieties of Odontoglossum crispum, Onci- 
dium Marshallianum, Odontoglossum triumphans, 
a grand variety with broader sepals and petals, and 
brighter yellow ground colour and spotting than is 
seen in normal forms ; O. Pescatorei, pretty in all 
its forms, O. prionopelalum, and O. Coradinei 
superbum, well worthy of the added adjective. In 
other departments Vanda teres promises a glorious 
yield of its lovely blossoms, and such choice Dendro- 
biums as D. chrysodiscus, D. Venus, and D. cucula- 
tum giganteum claim the admiration of all at the 
present time. The greenhouse Rhododendrons also 
claim a passing notice, as do many of the fine, old- 
fashioned New Holland plants, now’, alas 1 all too 
much neglected. 
-■ -- 
SUCCESSFUL COELOGYNE CULTURE. 
We are indebted to the courtesy’ of Mr. Roberts, 
gardener to Sir D. Solomon, Bart., Broom Hill, 
Southboro’, Tunbridge Wells, for another oppor¬ 
tunity of illustrating the successful culture of 
Coelogyne cristata, and the value of that most use¬ 
ful Orchid for decorative purposes. The three 
specimens seen in the accompanying illustration 
were 2 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and bore filty, sixty, and 
seventy spikes respectively', many of the spikes bearing 
eight flowers on each, while other examples in 8-in. 
pots bore eight to nine spikes each—a record of high 
culture attainments on the part of the grower. 
