May 25, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
613 
a hint of the distribution of the colours of half a 
dozen varieties. That marked i has dark rose 
flowers beautifully lined and netted with much paler 
almost white lines, and is named Rosea striata. 
No. 2 has pure white flowers, and is named Grandi- 
flora alba; but there are other white varieties 
differing in some more or less important particulars. 
No. 3 is Magenta Queen, the name of which is a 
true indication of the colour. Dark colours are 
highly favoured by a great many growers, who 
would be pleased with Purple Queen (No. 4) as 
representing that particular hue. Rosea alba (No. 
5) has more starry flowers quite distinct in form 
from any of the others here enumerated, and is 
characterised by the upper surface being white and 
the lower face rosy. Lilacina (No. 6) is purple 
streaked with white along the course of the principal 
veins. Besides the above there are now some 
charming blue varieties, including Bruce Findlay, 
and some with jagged or laciniated petals, amongst 
which are Laciniata and its sub-varieties. The 
original type has been superseded both in size and 
colour. 
-» l - - 
THE PLANTS OF THE CANARIES. 
The members of the Royal Horticultural Society 
had the pleasure of listening to a most interesting 
lecture by Dr. Morris, C.M.G., Assistant Director of 
the Royal Gardens, Kew, at which Dr. Masters pre¬ 
sided. The lecture was rendered still more attrac¬ 
tive by limelight illustrations that, considering the 
difflculties under which the lantern was worked, 
were represented on the screen with astonishing 
clearness. To admit of these limelight views, the 
end of the Drill Hall, where the lectures are usually 
given, had been temporarily enclosed by canvas, and 
into this improvised dark room a goodly percentage 
of the visitors flocked in eager expectancy, evidently 
anticipating an enjoyable and profitable hour. Nor 
were they disappointed, for Dr. Morris in his usual 
lucid and vigorous style captivated the attention of 
his hearers with his graphic descriptions of sights 
to be seen and plants, both wild and cultivated, to be 
found within the limits of the Canary Islands. 
Appropriately enough he commenced by describing 
the whereabouts of the Canaries as off the north¬ 
west coast of Africa, and in the same latitude as 
Florida, Egypt, and Persia. They were distant, he 
said, about six or seven days’ journey from London 
and Liverpool, and four or five from Plymouth. 
Referring to the history of the islands, Dr. Morris 
said that they were known to the ancients by the 
name of the Fortunate Isles, and are referred to by 
Pliny under that name. Juba, one of the old 
kings of Numidia, had also sent some ships to visit 
them. Nothing had come of this voyage of dis¬ 
covery other than the bringing away of two huge 
dogs, with which the islands at that time abounded, 
and which were subsequently sent as presents to the 
then reigning Roman emperor. The islands were 
re-discovered by some Portuguese navigators in the 
fourteenth century, and under the influence of their 
cruel and oppressive tyranny the whole of the 
aboriginal inhabitants were exterminated by the end 
of the seventeenth century. The population of the 
islands at present was of mixed descent, but was 
largely composed of Spaniards and Portuguese. 
The group was composed of seven islands of 
different sizes, and altogether would be about equal 
in area to the county of Devonshire, whilst it con¬ 
tained about the same number of inhabitants as 
Northamptonshire. The lecturer stated, however, 
that it was with the islands of Teneriffe and the 
Grand Canary that he wished particularly to deal, 
as it was with these that he could claim the closest 
acquaintance. 
The islands themselves being practically only a 
continuation of the great Atlas chain of mountains 
of North-Western Africa, the water immediately 
surrounding them was of great depth, and the out¬ 
lines of the coasts were rough, rugged, and broken. 
In many places huge beetling cliffs rose abruptly out 
of the water to a considerable height, whilst behind 
them in the interior huge snow-clad peaks lifted 
their heads to heaven. One of them, the well- 
known Peak of Teneriffe, rising to an altitude of 
12,000 feet above sea level. Although in the lower 
regions the climate was hot and dry, as might be 
expected from the close proximity to the great 
desert of Sahara, still all sorts of climates were 
obtainable according to the various altitudes. The 
average mean winter temperature of the islands, that 
is to say during the months of December, January, 
and February was about 6o° Fahr. The soil itself 
was only volcanic dust covered with stones to a very 
great depth. And yet, despite these natural dis¬ 
advantages, much of the soil was cultivated and to 
good purpose. The expenses connected with the 
preparation of the land were, the lecturer continued, 
very great; the cost of clearing each acre of the 
stones with which the land was so thickly covered 
exceeding £200 sterling. In many cases these 
stones would be stacked in a huge heap in the 
centre of the field, where they would naturally 
present a rather strange appearance. Then, besides 
the cost of clearing, the whole of the land had to be 
artificially irrigated. 
Dr. Morris then went on to say that some of the 
productions of these islands were known far and 
wide, such as the canary bird and the canary grass, 
the former being valued as one of our best songsters 
and a pet in many a home. The canary grass, too, 
although brought originally from the islands as food 
for the canary bird, was now cultivated rather 
largely in Europe and America as food for many 
birds besides canaries. The islands, tco, had been 
celebrated in times past for the canary wine. Owing 
to the havoc committed among the Vines by the 
Oidium fungus the export of wine has during the 
present century almost entirely ceased. Our know¬ 
ledge of the flora of the islands practically com¬ 
menced with Humboldt’s visit to them. The great 
explorer found that the vegetation might be divided 
into two or three zones. First comes the Vine dis¬ 
trict, in which are also cultivated Bananas and 
Sugar Canes, and where he found a native Date 
Palm, Phoenix canariensis, flourishing. Next to this 
comes the Laurel zone, characterised by clumps of 
Laurels, Hollies, wild Olives, Arbutus, and a host of 
British plants, amongst which might be reckoned at 
least a dozen of English Ferns. Above this a dry 
and barren district exists, destitute of verdure, and 
in which one might look in vain for the numbers cf 
beautiful plants characteristic of the lower levels, 
nothing but the Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum) 
being able to exist. 
The flora of the islands was, the lecturer con¬ 
tinued, rather remarkable, for out of the eight hun¬ 
dred vascular plants it contains, no fewer than four 
hundred are endemic, over one hundred of these 
being now in cultivation at Kew. Specimens of 
these had been brought from Kew for purposes of 
illustration, among which might be mentioned 
Cheiranthes mutabilis, a plant rather remarkable on 
account of its two-coloured flowers, and which is to 
be found at an altitude of from three to four 
thousand feet above sea level; Cineraria cruenta, 
about which a considerable stir is being made at present 
as to it being the reputed parent of the various strains of 
the popular Cineraria of gardens. It was said of this 
plant that when growing wild it was characterised 
by the purple colour of the under side of the leaves. 
Under cultivation, however, the plant gradually 
loses this, until finally a total elimination of the 
purple takes place. Ranunculus cortusaefolius is 
another remarkably pretty plant which grows with 
astonishing freedom in the Laurel zone at a height 
of from one thousand to two thousand feet, its 
large, rich yellow flowers being particularly con¬ 
spicuous. Other plants which are to be met with in 
our gardens and which have come from the Canary 
Islands are the popular Cytisus racemosus, the 
more rarely seen C. filipes, the flowers of which are 
so fragrant, Cineraria Heritieri, Chrysanthemum 
urosenetii, and C. foeniculaceum. The native 
Date Palm, P. canariensis, also attains a great 
size. It is rather distinct in habit fromthe true 
Date Palm, and forms a large globe-like head of 
fronds, the pinnae being dark green in colour, and 
set very closely together. A fine representation that 
was given upon the screen of the far-famed Dragon 
Tree (Dracaena Draco) aroused a good deal of 
interest, which the lecturer still further excited by 
saying that although the tree itself had succumbed 
to the influence of time a piece of it was still growing 
at Kew. 
Illustrations were also given of the Cochineal 
Cactus, upon which the cochineal insects feed, also 
of Opuntia Dillenii, the spines of which were used 
to fasten the insects on to the plants. Both these 
Opuntias it was stated flourished in the Canaries, 
and the export of cochineal bad in times past been 
a lucrative industry. Views of the Botanic Gardens 
were also given as well as illustrations of Mrs. 
Smith's garden, where Miss North painted the 
greater part of the pictures of plants characteristic 
of the Canary Isles, which were now to be seen in the 
North Gallery at Kew. Mention was also made of 
the large Myrtle trees, some ten or eleven feet in 
height, of magnificent specimens of Ficus Roxburghii, 
the traveller's tree, Ravenala madagascariensis, 
Caryota urens, beautiful Bougainvilleas, and Roses, 
groves of Oranges, &c , which were to be seen in the 
cultivated parts of the islands. But, Dr. Morris 
went on to say, although the imported and cultivated 
plants grew so strongly and so well, they were not 
in any way elbowing out the native plants, for, as far 
as his personal observations and experience went, 
the latter appeared to be quite capable of holding 
their own against foreign introductions. 
-- 
PELARGONIUMS AT RYECROFT. 
The old proverb which states that “ anything that is 
worth doing at all is worth doing well’’ is evidently 
thoroughly believed in, and what is more acted upon, 
by Mr. H. J. Jones, in his treatment of the Show, 
Decorative, and Regal sections of the Pelargonium, as 
a visit to his busy little nursery at Hither Green, 
Lewisham, will sufficiently testify. At the present 
time a light roomy house some hundred feet in length 
by twenty-five in width is filled with exceedingly 
meritorious examples of this showy class of plants. 
The house is a blaze of colour from end to end, 
colour indeed that is all the more striking from its 
agreeable contrast with the rich dark green of the 
foliage which it surmounts, a hue that bespeaks culti¬ 
vation of no mean order of merit. Show Pelar¬ 
goniums are, it is true, very largely cultivated 
throughout the country and during the seasons at 
various flower shows of note they may be seen in a 
more or less meritorious condition. Seldom, how¬ 
ever, do we come across a collection of plants more 
worthy of praise than those which are just now so 
much in evidence at Ryecroft Nursery. 
Show and Decorative Sorts. 
In these sections some fine examples were forthcom. 
ing, both of the newer introductions as well as of 
varieties which have stood the test of several years 
of culture, and even yet hold their own as proven 
and trustworthy sorts. Among these latter W. C. 
Boyes was charming, being of good habit and pro¬ 
ducing its pretty salmon tinted flowers in great 
profusion. Jubilee has blooms of a delicate soft 
pink hue, blotched maroon. Rose Bard, with its 
soft rose flowers, the upper petals being feathered 
and blotched with maroon, is a very pretty sort ; 
also Rose Queen, the blooms of which are of a 
bluish-pink shade, the upper petals blotched red. 
Very charming and distinct is Lady Isabel, carrying 
quantities of the soft rosy-lilac blooms, also blotched 
with maroon ; whilst of Volonte nationale alba, with 
its large pure white flowers, too much can scarcely 
be said in commendation. Among the varieties sent 
out during 1894 ma y he seen some real gems. One 
of them, Mr. H. J. Jones, was well represented by 
some splendid plants quite 3 ft. in diameter, and, to 
judge from the number of trusses of bloom which 
they carried, this variety would be hard to beat for 
floriferousness. The flowers are of a bright rosy- 
red hue with a white eye, whilst the crimson-maroon 
blotch on the upper petals add not a little to their 
beauty. May Queen, another desirable variety, has 
clear soft salmon-rose blooms blotched dark crimson, 
whilst Lady Duff, a sport from the well-known Duke 
of Fife, is exceedingly attractive with its trusses of 
rich red flowers. The large size of the flowers 
borne by Mrs. H. J. Jones serve to render this 
variety very conspicuous ; indeed, it is said to be 
the largest flowering Pelargonium in existence. A 
number of plants were in fine condition, and to judge 
from appearances the blush-white blooms with their 
characteristic crimson blotches are highly thought 
of at Ryecroft, and, we may add, well they deserve 
to be. 
In the list of 1895 introductions are to be found 
some exquisite varieties. J. Douglas, a fine exhibi¬ 
tion plant, having rich purple-rose flowers and 
white centres, stands out from the rest very con¬ 
spicuously. Another not less important acquisition 
is to be found in Eucharis. This is of the same 
habit as Volonte nationale alba, but is distinct from 
it in that each individual flower possesses a much 
longer pedicel than is usually the case with the 
majority of Pelargoniums. This feature renders 
