744 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 21, 1894. 
flower are floe blooms of C. Lawrencianum, C. 
Hookerae, C. superciliareandC^ barbatura Rollison’s 
var. ; the latter is notable for its large and richly- 
coloured lip. The large Palm house is well stocked 
with a good assortment of Palms in various stages 
of grovvth. The larger specimens of Kentia 
Belmoreana are very fine, as are several other useful 
kinds. The specimens of Cocos Weddeliana vary 
from T ft. to 6 ft. high. Seedlings of Seaforthia 
elegans 6 in. to I2 in. high will make useful stuff 
before long. There are also fine specimens of Cycas 
revoluta. A collection of pot vines may be seen in 
various stages of development from the recently 
started vine eyes to large three-year old canes in 
large pots. The two-year old canes are very plenti¬ 
ful, and are being brought along in low span-roofed 
houses. A long and wide house divided into three 
compartments contains old vines in full bearing. 
The grapes in the earliest one are now about ripe. 
The principal varieties here are Black Hamburgh, 
Foster’s Seedling and Muscat of Alexandria. The 
berries in the second vinery are still quite green. 
Amongst the varieties we noticed Trebbiano and 
Madresfield court. The third house is even later and 
contains Alicant, Muscats, and the small and sweetly 
flavoured Strawberry Grape of American origin, and 
still very little known although so pleasing in flavour 
and distinct from all the Old World varieties of 
grapes. 
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CARNATIONS AT 
CHELSEA. 
Although it may be said that we have had two dry 
periods this year, the Carnations in the nursery of 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, have made ex¬ 
cellent growth and were flowering splendidly on the 
occasion of our visit the other day. They occupy an 
open space running across the nursery, and show 
what may be done with this popular, flower even in 
the heart of the great metropolis. The collection is 
a very extensive one, including several old kinds of 
first-class merit, but which, unfortunately, are 
difficult to propagate with any degree of freedom. 
We, of course, refer to certain florists’ flowers of the 
first water, and which are always difficult to match 
withnewkindsand hardly possible to excel. The larger 
proportion of them here are kinds suitable for border 
cultivation, including, however, some of the most 
refined seifs that are usually grown in pots. New 
kinds are also being continually added to the collec¬ 
tion as they make their appearance. 
Amongst the older border varieties, Alice Agnes 
not only holds its own, but we never saw it in finer 
condition as to size. It is robust, most floriferous, 
and white striped with red. Maurice Kingscote is a 
deep rose, shaded with scarlet, and somewhat in the 
way of Ruby, another very choice thing for border 
culture. For those who like an unusual colour, 
Camellia would doubtless be acceptable ; it is of the 
richest Heliotrope we have seen, and is striped with 
scarlet in the way of Theodore. Ketton Rose is by 
many considered the best of its kind, and is of a rich, 
rosy-pink, and very free flowering. The flowers of 
Laureate are of medium size, and rich salmon- 
scarlet. Many of the laterals develop flowers and 
keep up a succession for six weeks, producing 
armfuls of bloom for cutting. Masterpiece produces 
large crimson flowers. Those of Meteor are crimson- 
scarlet with smooth petals. J. L. Too e produces 
any quantity of grass for layers, and has handsome 
orange-scarlet flowers with maroon blotches and 
stripes ; it would belong to the fancy class. In the 
same way Sultan consists of a mixture of crimson 
and maroon ; the flowers are large and the petals 
smooth. The very broad, but not crowded petals of 
Magnum Bonum are scarlet. Grant Allen is in the 
way of Brilliant, and has rich scarlet-rose petals 
that are charming and attractive. The large flowers 
of Lothair are satiny-pink shaded with white; while 
those of Florence are buff-yellow and toothed at the 
edges of the petals. On the contrary, Ivanhoe has 
brilliant maroon-crimson flowers with smooth 
petals. Those of Vice-President are very small, but 
the crimson petals are broad and smootn 
Charmingly delicate is Rose Celestial with rosy-pink 
flowers and smooth edges. Very chaste is the pure 
white Mrs. Donaldson with smooth petals. Celia has 
rich rose and showy flowers, and is one of the best of 
its colour. 
Ethel is a fancy kind after the style of Mrs. 
Crombie, being yellow, striped with scarlet from the 
edge inwards; it is both a free-growing and good 
thing. The darkest maroon variety cultivated out¬ 
side is William Toby. A good companion is Earl of 
Beaconsfield of a peculiar reddish-scarlet striped 
with maroon. The brightest and liveliest of the dark 
purple seifs is Beauty of Foxhall, a really attractive 
kind of its colour. A beautiful contrast to the last 
named is The Bride, with broad and pure white 
petals. The medium sized flowers of Joe Willet are 
of a most brilliant scarlet and broad in the petal. A 
popular white variety is Mrs. F. Watts on account 
of its dwarf habit; although only iz in. to 15 in. 
high, it produces a large quantity of flowers. 
Another white variety is Florence E. Thoday, with 
medium sized flowers and as notable for stature, for 
the stems grow 2 ft. to zjft. high. The bright scarlet 
flowers of Oriflamme are rather thin of petals, but 
their hue and quality otherwise offers some 
compen.=ation. A beautiful yellow ground is Prince 
of Orange, striped with scarlet; layers are very 
abundant. Dwarf, vigorous and free-flowering as 
ever, is Queen of Bedders with red flowers. The 
dark purple flowers of Cara Roma are shaded with 
maroon and very choice. The Lady is a fancy kind, 
heavily flaked with carmine on a pale yellow ground 
and is very free. One of the best of the rich scarlet 
sorts is Napoleon III. ; it also flowers with great 
freedom. Germania is doing better than any other 
yellow this year. The abundance of layers 
produced by Maggie Lanie is evidence that it is 
well suited for border cultivation ; the flowers are 
of a lively pink. Those of Oxonian are of a maroon- 
crimson. 
With exception of the Old Clove, still plentifully 
grown here, few modern Carnations are scented. A 
marked exception is Cantab, with lively scarlet 
flowers, highly fragrant, and vigorous in constitu¬ 
tion. King of Scarlets grows 2 ft. high, and pro¬ 
duces large,rica scarlet flowers. Refined and beautiful 
the dark rose and scarlet-tinted flowers of Abigail. 
Alline Newman grows very freely, and produces 
large, dull scarlet flowers. Very choice is the pure 
while Mrs Muir, with smooth petals. Mrs. Fred is 
considered one of the best shaped and most refined 
flowers in cultivation. King of Purples maybe com¬ 
pared to Beauty of Foxhall, and is one of the very 
best of its colour. A fancy variety is Grandiflora, 
with pretty white flowers much striped with red. 
The blooms of Crimson Pet are only of medium 
size, but would be difficult to beat amongst the 
glowing crimson kinds. Comtesse de Paris grows 
2 ft. high as a rule, producing a long succession of 
flesh-coloured flowers, fading to white. 
PiCOTEES. 
The collection of Chelsea is kept replete with the 
finer things belonging to all the classes. The 
Picotees are only second in importance to the Carna¬ 
tions, and occupy a good many of the beds. One of 
the best of the heavy purple edged sorts is Mrs. A. 
Chancellor. Mrs. May grows only 12 in, high, and 
produces an abundance of shoots for layering ; the 
broad edge is soft purple. Choice and attractive is 
J. B. Bryant, wdth a dark crimson edge and fine 
form. The wire edge of Mrs. Gorton is crimson, 
and the shoots as plentiful, as in the case of Mrs. 
May. Unique in its way is Alice, with a crimson 
edge, and a uniform pink ground ; in all other cases 
the latter is pure white. Another crimson-edged 
variety is Grosteen, developing an abundance of 
shoots. Carl Schultz has a heavy crimson edge, and 
is very easy to grow. The rose edge of Norman 
Carr is very soft or delicate, giving the bloom a 
charming appearance. One of the best purple wire- 
edged varieties is Clara Penson. Very dwarf and 
free-growing is Admiration, with a heavy pur¬ 
ple edge. Mary is a good shaped flower, with a 
purple, wire-edge. Jessie belongs to the same sec¬ 
tion, but Muriel has a heavy purple edge, and is 
beautiful in shape. Dr. Epps is considered to be the 
best heavy crimson-edged variety grown, and well it 
might be, for the colours are boldly defined and con¬ 
spicuous. The flowers of Mrs. Payne are of good 
shape, with a rosy edge. The rosy edge of Little Phil 
is very broad, but soft and delicate. John Smith is 
another good shaped flower, with a heavy crimson 
edge, and very floriferous; the stems are about 15 
in high. Brunette is a charming thing with, a heavy 
and brilliant crimson edge. Contrasting with this 
are the tall stems of Louisa, producing an abun¬ 
dance of flowers, with a delicate rose edge, and 
plenty of layers. All these Picotees really want to 
be seen, for no description can give an adequate idea 
of their characteristic distinctions and beauty. 
Bizarres and Flakes. 
It is necessary, we suppose, to grow a number of 
varieties of these two classes if the cultivator intends 
to exhibit, but they do not enjoy the popularity of 
the previously named kinds, particularly the border 
Carnations with well-defined self and other striking 
colours. True Briton and John Hinds are showy 
scarlet bizarres, while Queen Victoria and Due 
d’Amaule are crimson bizarres. The two colours 
forming stripes on a white ground and characteris¬ 
tic of this class vary greatly in number and size, and 
one of them may occasionally be absent. On the 
other hand Princess Beatrice is said to be a purple 
and pink bizarre. 
The flakes are equally variable and sportive, and 
like the bizarres they very often revert to seifs, pro¬ 
ducing the two kinds of flowers on the same plant 
or all the blooms on a plant may be of one uniform 
colour. Florists are, of course, very familiar with 
all this, and can only regret that it is so, since the 
sportive nature of the plant cannot be controlled. 
St. Gatien is a rosy flake producing huge flowers. 
Those of Thalia are characterised by their very 
heavy rose flakes; while the blooms of Queen 
Victoria have as heavy purple flakes. The broad 
flakes of Mr. Thomas are scarlet. The purple flaked 
flowers of Mr. Sutton are sometimes striped as well 
as flaked. The scarlet flakes of Mars are very 
numerous and of moderate width. James Douglas 
is one of the best of the purple flakes. All have their 
differences, which can readily be distinguished by 
the discriminating and practised eye of the florist 
who has had them under his care. Altogether the 
number of kinds is very great, and both old and new 
kinds are well represented. 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural, July 10th. —At the meeting of 
the Scientific Committee held this day, Mr. G. F. 
Wilson, F.R.S., exhibited specimens of Calochortus 
remarkable for their fine growth and varieties of 
colouring. They were C. venustus, purpurascens, 
C. V. roseus, and a pure white form. References to 
descriptions and figures of C. venustus, Benth., a 
native of California, will be found in Baker's 
’■ Revision of the Genera and Species of Tulipeae," 
Jour. Lin. Soc. xiv., p. 302. Mr. Wilson observed 
that this species was drawn by Mrs. Duffield about 
twenty-five years ago, and reproduced in " The 
Garden.” It is also figured in Trans. Hort. Soc. ii. 
(i) [1835], t. 15, fig. 3. Mr. Baker places Calochor¬ 
tus as the sixth and last genus of the tribe Tulipeae, 
enumerating twenty-one species from Mexico and 
Western North America. 
Mr. Blandford reported on specimens of diseased 
sugar cane received from Barbadoes. They w'ere 
badly diseased with the fungus, Trichosphaeria 
sacchari, and in some cases bored by the beetle 
Sphenophorus. This disease is as yet only known 
to occur in Mauritius, Java, and Barbadoes. Dr. 
Morris observed that it first appeared in Barbadoes, 
and was called the ” rind ” disease ; it then occurred 
in the roots in Java, being thought to be distinct 
from the former; but the two forms ultimately 
proved to be one and the same. A summary of the 
nature of the disease is contained in a letter to the 
Colonial Office, “ Kew Bulletin,” June, 1894, P- 
175-176- 
The Rev. G. Henslow exhibited some photographs 
illustrative of different features of Malta, including 
cultivated areas, uncultivated hill-tops, etc., and 
ancient river valleys known as " wieds.” The only 
trees of cultivation in the fields are Carobs, Figs, 
and Opuntia fficus indica, of which last there are 
four varieties—the ” blood,” the" white,” the ’■ seed¬ 
less,” and the "yellow.” 
Mr. Henslow also showed specimens of Oxalis 
cernua, commonly called by the Maltese “ English 
weed,” introduced by Father Giacintho from the 
Cape in 1806. It is remarkable for its prolific multi¬ 
plication by bulbis, as it never sets seed in the 
northern hemisphere, the " short-styled ” form being 
the only form known. It has elongated slender 
rhizomes with rod-like aquiferous appendages, by 
means of which it can climb up among the loose 
stones of the walls, or descend to great depths among 
the rubble. A further account of the distribution of 
this plant throughout the Mediterranean region, 
having originated in Malta, will be found in the 
" Proc. Lin. Soc.,” 1893, p. 31. 
