566 
May 9th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
perhaps you will kindly permit me to say that the 
Weed-Killer is sold in iron drums and casks containing 
four, eight, sixteen, and forty gallons each, ranging in 
price from 7s. 6 d. to £3, and that one pint of the 
W T eed-Killer well mixed with three gallons of water, 
and applied to weed and moss-infested walks when 
the ground is tolerably dry, is a sufficient quantity to 
allow of the poison reaching the roots of the weeds; 
care being taken not to allow it to come in contact 
with living edg&g of any description, otherwise death, 
as in the case of the weeds, would follow within ten 
days of its application. 
In order to guard against anything so deplorable as 
this happening in the application of such a valuable 
preparation, as much as obviating the necessity of 
measuring the water during the process of mixing and 
distributing the Weed-Killer, I have had made a water¬ 
ing can which holds three gallons and one pint, and 
which has an oblong rose, especially made for the 
purpose, and this, like the pint measure, I have, 
by way of guarding against misadventure, labelled 
“poison.” By substituting an oblong for an ordinary 
circular rose the weed-killing liquid can be applied 
almost close to the edging without injuring it. To 
destroy Plaintains and Dandelions, we fill a small 
bottle or blacking jar with the unadulterated Weed- 
Killer, and place it in such a position in a small box 
as not to get upset in being removed, and into this a 
piece of thick wire, about 15 ins. long, pointed at one 
end and bent a, couple of inches at the other to make a 
handle, is dipped prior to thrusting it in the centre of 
each plant 6 ins. or 9 ins. in a perpendicular direc¬ 
tion. In the case of strong roots a second drop of the 
Weed-Killer may be dropped into the hole after the 
skewer is withdrawn as a coup de grace. 
In conclusion, it may be a guide to your readers in 
estimating the quantity required to say that four 
gallons of the Weed-Killer when mixed will cover an 
area of about fifty square yards of gravel.— H. TV. Ward, 
Longford Castle Gardens, Salisbury. 
DOUBLE PYRETHRUMS. 
Taken collectively these double-flowered Pyre- 
thrums not only constitute one of the most valuable 
groups of plants among hardy perennials, but as 
general decorative plants it is impossible to over 
estimate their value. They grow, as a rule, to the 
height of about 2 ft., but there are a few which in 
very wet seasons attain the maximum height of 
2 ft. 6 ins. This in itself is a strong recommendation 
in favour of their extended cultivation, though this is 
only a minor point as compared with their decorative 
value in the garden or in a cut state. The flower-spikes 
rise from amidst compact cushions of elegant fern-like 
foliage, and are crowned with large, handsome flowers, 
the colours of which vary from deep and rich crimson 
and carmine to rose, flesh, pale and sulphur-yellow, 
and from these to flowers of snowy whiteness. 
For table or vase decoration few flowers can 
compare with these for producing pleasing and 
striking effects or for durability when severed from 
the plant, which alone renders them at once 
invaluable and indispensable. For beautifying the 
herbaceous or shrubbery border, or for grouping in 
beds by themselves they are unequalled, and they 
are also hardy in the extreme. They commence 
flowering during the month of May, and from this 
time till the autumnal frosts make their appearance 
they may be had in perfection. Being among the 
easiest plants to cultivate there should be no reason 
why so meritorious a group of plants should not 
receive the attention and appreciation of all who 
have a garden, large or small. 
Their blooms individually bear some resemblance 
to Asters, and they are not unlike some few of the 
Chinese section of Chrysanthemums. In a cut state 
they are often mistaken for Asters, indeed, it is by 
no means uncommon to hear them spoken of as such 
at our London exhibitions, with the remark, “How 
very early they are.” The grand collections of these 
flowers which are brought together at most of the 
leading exhibitions by Mr. Ware, Messrs. Kelway, and 
others will suffice to give some idea of the numbers 
that are grown by those nurserymen, who, having 
recognized their inestimable value, make their culti¬ 
vation a leading feature. 
There is no month in the whole year better suited 
for planting these and many other hardy plants than 
the present, or as early in May as possible. Select a 
showery day for planting them, or, failing this, give a 
good watering after the operation is complete. They 
thrive in almost any ordinary light, sandy, or even 
stony soils, but they do not like cold retentive soils; 
n fact they soon dwindle and die if planted in them. 
Before planting the soil should receive a good dressing 
of well-rotted manure and be dug deeply. Obtain, if 
possible, established plants in pots, which may be had 
from various nurserymen and at moderate prices, 
taking care to loosen the ball of earth if it be at all 
hard, so as to allow the fresh roots to obtain a hold of 
the soil as quickly as possible. The plants should 
be planted not nearer than 20 ins. apart each way, 
so as to allow plenty of room for developing their 
pleasing tufts of leaves. During the season the 
frequent use of the Dutch hoe or 6mall fork will be 
found highly beneficial to them, indeed, frequent 
stirring of the surface is most helpful to all or nearly 
all newly-planted subjects. 
The plants which are put out now will produce 
excellent blooms during September and October, espe¬ 
cially if the season be favourable. These plants must 
not be disturbed till the following spring, when a 
portion of the stock may be lifted and a new 
batch planted out as recommended above. This will 
have the effect of extending their flowering period, 
as those that were left undisturbed will commence 
flowering in May and continue for weeks in perfection, 
and the newly-planted ones will flower during the late 
summer and early autumn months. With a view 
to assist those who would prefer a choice selection 
of these charming plants, I will conclude my remarks 
by citing some of the best. 
Select Vabieties. —The leading whites are to be 
found in Boule de Neige, Candidum plenum, and 
Princess de Metternich, all of which have beautifully 
formed flowers. Among other grand white-flowered 
kinds are Mont Blanc and Virginale. Among crim¬ 
sons are Galopin, Fulgens plenissimum, Imbricatum 
plenum, Prince Teck, Progress, Marquis of Bute, and 
Captain Nares. Glorie de Stalle has rich glowing 
purple-carmine flowers, and Versallies Defiance is 
also of a carmine shade. Ceres, Lady Blanche, 
Ddesse, and Carneum plenum have flesh-coloured 
flowers. Imperatrice Charlotte has whitish flowers 
shaded flesh, and of immense size. The rose- 
coloured forms are plentiful, Peau Bouge, Glorie 
d’ltalia, Floribundum plenum, and Boseum plenum 
being among the best. Panorama has sulphur, and 
Solfaterre creamy-yellow flowers. In Yance we have 
cream with a tinge of flesh, and Voi Lactee has white 
flowers suffused with pink, the flowers being of great 
size and very double. Beyond these there are nume¬ 
rous and varying shades, which to give in detail now 
would occupy far too much space; the names given 
above, however, include some of the very best varieties 
extant, and are certain to give satisfaction.— E. 
Jenkins. 
POLYANTHUSES. 
In spite of the fact that a National Society for the 
Promotion of the Culture of Polyanthuses has been for 
several years in existence, and still farther, spite of 
the ancient nature of the Gold-laced Polyanthus as a 
florists’ flower, there seems still to be a singular amount 
of ignorance existing as to what are the points which go 
to make up a perfect flower, such as the florist can 
regard with entire satisfaction. Probably this igno¬ 
rance arises chiefly from the fact that the Gold-laced 
Polyanthus oflers so little that is attractive in a 
decorative sense, and therefore does not ordinarily 
appeal to the tastes of gardeners generally as so many 
other hardy spring flowers do. 
To fully understand and appreciate the beauties 
of a perfectly marked flower of this florists’ section 
of the Primrose family it is necessary to become a 
fancier or connoisseur, or, perhaps more literally, a 
genuine florist. Ordinary mortals find pleasure and 
enjoyment in the contemplation of masses of flowers 
which have not the remotest claim to form, refine¬ 
ment, perfection, or any ideal which art has created. 
The Gold-laced Polyanthus is purely an art-created 
flower, and represents the outcome of generations of 
labour, yet does it also seem to have reached its 
bounds in all that relates to essentials in marking and 
colour. We cannot get beyond a Cheshire Favourite 
or an Exile, do what we will, and if we do but 
compare the progeny of these choice kinds, even if 
that or any other progeny number tens of thousands, 
still we find nothing excelling, nothing more perfect, 
indeed, few, if any, that equal. 
True, there are plenty of larger flowers, plenty 
that have broader and therefore more striking lacing, 
plenty more robust, and so on, and to the uninitiated 
much more attractive flowers; but the fact remains 
that from the pure fancier’s point of view, judged 
indeed by those canons which florists religiously 
regard as laws more immutable than even were those 
of the Medes and Persians, the old kinds remain 
unexcelled. With such poor encouragement what 
wonder, then, if raisers regard the production of 
seedlings, in the expectation of obtaining something 
new and exceptionally good, as a kind of forlorn hope 
which it is best to leave unstimulated. 
Gold-laced Varieties. 
What are the chief points in the formation of a 
perfect Gold-laced Polyanthus? Only the other day 
an amateur grower assumed that he had something 
wonderfully good because he found a flower with a 
creamy-white lacing. Whether a race that had good 
white lacing and white or cream centres would find 
favour with florists is by no means certain, but they 
would give an acceptable break in any case. The 
lacing of any good flower must be yellow, and yellow 
only; a bright clear hue, very distinctly and evenly 
defined, not in the form of a broad belting, but rather 
narrow. Then in each case the lacing should be both 
on the outer edge as well as in the centre of each petal, 
cut clean through to the centre of the flower, and that 
centre should also be of a clear yellow or lemon hue, 
and perfectly round. 
It is one of the most exacting requirements of the 
florist that any high-class gold-laced flower should 
not only have centre and lacing of the same clear 
shade of yellow, but also that this centre should keep 
its colour to the last, and not die off cloudy or showing 
a buff tint. Any flowers that present that feature, 
however good they may be in other respects, are 
ruthlessly condemned. The ground of the flower 
should be dense and clearly defined. As a rule, the 
ground colours are red, or perhaps more properly 
called chestnut, and black; the latter always pre 
dominating so largely that reds are as scarce as blacks 
are plentiful. It is hardly probable that we shall ever 
get any other ground hue into the Polyanthus, as the 
breed adheres so closely to these two mentioned. It 
is absolutely imperative that the ground, let it be 
what it may, must be dense, solid, and well-defined. 
Any really first-class red grounds would be hailed with 
delight by the fanciers. 
There still remains the interesting point in a flower 
as to the nature of the eye. Ordinary observers laugh 
when they find florists so determined upon the merits 
of the thrum over the pin-eye. It is true that in 
ordinary border flowers, or _ in those employed to 
create effect in massing, the form of the eye is of 
little consequence. Gold-laced Polyanthuses, however, 
are admired, not for their mas3 effects, but for their 
individual merits; hence, the higher the order of 
merit in the flow'er, the greater its value. If, therefore, 
anyone having a flower in which the lacing, ground, 
and centre may be perfect, and which yet has a 
pin-eye, and one that is equally perfect and has a 
good thrum-eye, they will have no difficulty in per¬ 
ceiving that the latter feature gives a oentral finish to 
the flower which is wholly wanting in the other. It 
is not a matter of taste or fanoy, it is one of real 
artistic merit; hence the insistance with which florists 
adhere to the thrum as an essential. 
We thus find the elements of any good Gold-laced 
Polyanthus flower to be, ground black or red, dense, 
and well defined. Lacing clear yellow, narrow, well 
defined, and cutting right through to the centre, both 
on the edges and centres of the petals, whioh should 
be regularly lobed, so as to make a fairly oircular 
flower, and not an angular one. The centre should, 
like the lacing, be of a clear yellow, that does not oloud 
or darken, and should be quite round, and the eye 
should have a thrum filling, and not a pin or pro¬ 
jecting pistil, as is so common in flowers. Allied to 
these features in the flowers, the plant should be 
fairly robust, and the flower stems stout, erect, and 
even in height. Amateur raisers should study these 
points, and ascertain how near their seedling flowers 
may approach to perfection or otherwise. 
