828 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 24, 1895. 
amongst the handsomest of autumn Crocuses, and 
remarkably effective; Salzamanni, lilac, dark 
feathered ; ochroleucus, creamy-white, with orange 
throat, very free ; pulchellus, lavender, with yellow 
throat; nudiflorus, violet-purple. This is one of the 
most free of autumn Crocuses, and grows and flowers 
luxuriantly in almost any situation; cancellatus, 
white, purple base: asturicus, purple-lilac, very 
showy ; iridiflorus, large purple, very handsome ; 
Medius, purple: longiflorus,rose-lilac,sweet-scented; 
and sativus “ The Saffron Crocus,” purple. 
The winter-flowering kinds succeed the autumn 
species, and are extremely decorative on the rockery, 
etc., but flowering as they do during November, 
December and January, a cold frame is preferable, 
as they are so liable to be damaged by the rains and 
frost. C. alatavicus, is a white, feathered purple, 
very pretty and distinct : dalmaticus, a very pretty 
lilac, outer segments shaded fawn ; chrysanthus, 
rich orange ; Imperati, a very distinct and beautiful 
species, with flowers of violet, fawn and black, 
amongst the finest of all species ; Etruscus, white, 
veined purple and Korolkowi, flowers yellow, outer 
segments splashed purple. 
The spring-flowering species are all very effective, 
growing in grass or on the rockery, are quite distinct, 
and flower earlier than the C. vernus varieties. 
Amongst the finest of these are C. carpetanus, with 
its delicate pale purple flowers, and very pretty ; C. 
Olivieri, bright orange flowers, and fragrant; C. 
Tommasinianus, a beautiful pale lavender, and very 
free bloomer; C. biflorus argenteus, snow-white, 
with feathered outer segments ; C. b. Leichtlini, pale 
blue ; C. b. Weldeni, in which the flowers vary from 
pure white to mauve, stained blue, a very interesting 
variety; C. Malyi, white, with orange throat; C. 
reticulatus, lilac, feathered purple; C. stellaris, a 
bright coloured orange, with purple feather, very 
striking; C. vernus leucorhynchus, very handsome 
and distinct, flowers white, feathered purple; and 
C. v. Leedsii, rich purple, with white tips on each 
segment, very effective. There is such a wealth of 
these beautiful Crocuses that we can enjoy them in 
our gardens with scarcely a break from September 
until March and April. They are amenable to an 
endless number of ways of arrangement, and I may 
suggest that instead of planting in lines, to make 
irregular clumps or patches in the grass, or where 
they are not at the mercy of the fork. 
Iris stylosa, with standards and falls of a beautiful 
light blue, also the var. alba, pure white, are 
both very pretty winter-flowering Irises for a warm 
and dryish border, where they flower for a long 
period. 
It is to be regretted that the hardy Cyclamens are 
not more frequently found in gardens than they are. 
They are perfectly hardy, and require only very 
simple management. They are adapted for planting 
on rockeries, old walls, and beds where they will 
not be overgrown by tall plants. For autumn¬ 
blooming, Cyclamen europaeum, flowers crimson, 
sweet-scented ; C. hederaefolium, flowers rosy-pink, 
with beautifully shaped leaves, and similarly veined 
to the Anaectochilus, and its variety album, pure 
white, also very pretty, are very useful; while for 
winter blooming, C. Coum, bright crimson, and the 
pure white and the rose varieties are very handsome. 
C. ibericum and its varieties go on flowering for a 
long period, and are very handsome; while C. repan- 
dum, bright crimson, and C. r. album flower in 
spring. 
Other autumn-blooming plants are Zephyranthes 
Candida, a very pretty Crocus-like pure white flower. 
It requires a warm sunny situation. Scilla autumn- 
alis, purple, and the var. rosea, nice bulbous plants 
for rockeries or flower borders, and quite hardy. 
Leucojum autumnale is a slender-growing plant with 
small white flowers, delicately striped pmk. This 
requires a warm sandy soil and sunny situation, and 
is a gem for the rock garden. Sternbergia lutea has 
a bright yellow Crocus-like flower, with tufts of deep 
green foliage, and is very showy. Schizostylis 
coccinea, is a most accommodating plant, either for 
indoors or out. It is hardy, and thrives best in a 
warm, dry, sheltered situation. Its flowers are 
bright crimson-scarlet in colour. Anemone Japonica 
and varieties are very handsome border flowers 
during autumn. The new variety Lady Ardilaun is 
a grand thing, and a distinct improvement on 
Honorine Jobert, pure white.— W. L. 
Chrysanthemums and their Culture. By Edwin 
Molyneux. Eighth Edition. By far the best practical work yet 
written on this subject. Price, is.; post free, is. 2d Publisher 
Gardening World, i, Clement’s Inn, Strand,London, W.C. 
CARNATIONS AT EDENSIDE. 
Bearing in mind the great name that Mr. James 
Douglas has made for himself, both as a cultivator 
of existing varieties of Carnations and Picotees and 
as a raiser of new ones, we confidently expected that 
a visit to the Edenside establishment would be time 
well spent. Nor was our confidence misplaced, for, 
although we were rather too late to see the cream of 
the flowers, those that were left sufficiently indicated 
the high degree of cultivation and the large share of 
skilful attention bestowed upon that brightly-hued 
democrat—the Carnation. The nursery, which, by 
the way, has only recently been started, is situated 
in one of the most sweetly rural districts of Surrey, 
and is within easy distance of the L. B. & S. C. R. 
Company's station at Bookham. As the ground has 
only lately been broken up no extensive trials of out¬ 
door cultivation have so far been made, although 
where plants have been put out they are growing in 
an exceptionally vigorous style that speaks in a 
sufficiently decisive manner for the suitability of the 
soil, and augurs well for the prosperity of the under¬ 
taking. 
Mr. Douglas' large stock of plants and extensive 
collection of varieties are at the present time wholly 
grown under glass. The houses, four or five in 
number, are light commodious structures, well 
glazed, and ventilated on the most approved plan. 
With regard to dimensions they are about a hundred 
feet in length, and vary from fourteen to twenty feet 
in width. All these are filled to overflowing with 
fine healthy plants, most of them in eight-inch pots 
and all in the pink of condition. No disbudding 
whatever is done, as the primary and most im¬ 
portant object is the procuring of seed, and it is 
found that more and better seed is obtained from 
the smaller side blooms than from huge terminal 
ones, to assist in the production of which all side 
buds have been mercilessly removed. From this 
it must not be inferred, however, that nothing but 
small blooms were to be seen ; tor on the contrary 
although produced from side buds, the size, form, and 
colour of the flowers were remarkable—the latter 
being all the more noteworthy from the fact that no 
shading whatever is given. At the time of our visit 
layering was actively in progress and we were most 
favourably impressed with the strong healthy 
appearance of the grass, for no “ miffy ” doers are 
tolerated at Edenside. The habit of bursting the 
calyces, so great an evil in many of the older 
varieties has received special attention at Mr. 
Douglas’ hands, with the result that after an infinite 
amount of painstaking and unintermittent labour he 
has given to the Carnation-loving public a large 
number of sorts embracing all sections of the popular 
flower and every conceivable colour (excepting of 
course blue) that do not burst their pods—in itself 
a no mean tribute to his skill as a florist. The 
number and excellence of standard varieties which 
owe their existence to the painstaking efforts of Mr. 
Douglas are sufficiently illustrated by the fact that 
when the National Carnation Society assembled in 
council at the commencement of the present year to 
determine the relative merits and positions of all the 
varieties at that time in cullivation, the thirteen 
varieties highest on the list were raised from seed 
saved by him, Mrs. Robert Sydenham, a fine yellow 
ground, and Countess of Jersey, a heavy rose-edged 
Picotee, heading the poll with seventeen votes. 
Fourteenth in order of merit came Stadraith Bail 
(Benary) and then the next six or seven sorts were 
also obtained from Mr. Douglas’ seed. 
Amongst the numerous fine sorts contained in 
the Edenside collection the following seemed to us 
the most worthy of mention as representing the 
highest degree of merit to which the Carnation has 
so far been raised—varieties that from their grand all¬ 
roundness of good habit, form, size, and profusion of 
bloom, brilliancy of hue with distinctness of marking, 
and last, but by no means least, freedom from pod¬ 
bursting, are thoroughly deserving a place in every 
representative and up-to-date collection. Of self- 
coloured flowers Britannia is the best yellow that 
we have yet seen, and is, moreover, of large size and 
excellent form. This is one of the novelties which 
may be trusted to make a sensation when it becomes 
better known than it is at present. Mrs. Audrey 
Campbell is another good yellow, having many 
excellent points. It is somewhat lighter in hue than 
Britannia. The blooms of Miss Ellen Terry reach 
a tremendous size, being under favourable conditions 
quite as large as Malmaisons, and, moreover, of fine 
form and great refinement, added to w'hich is a 
strong and yet most agreeable perfume—a fine sort 
this for cutting from. King Arthur is a distinct 
acquisition. The foliage is strong and vigorous, the 
flowers very large and rich crimson-scarlet in hue- 
Braw Lass is a fine bright rose, very strong and free, 
whilst in Sadek we get blooms of a deep rose hue 
almost similar to those of Ruby, but exhibiting a 
much better form. Miss Eric Hambro, also a 
recent introduction, is one of the best whites in 
cultivation. Waterwitch, a lovely blush white 
variety is a gem of its kind, whilst the creamy-white 
flowers of Lady Ridley, borne erect upon stout foot¬ 
stalks are exquisite. In The Hunter we find a 
flower that reminds us very forcibly of Mrs. Reynolds 
Hole, which created such a furore when first sent 
out, and was for some time the best of its kind. 
Still, between it and TheHunterwefindagood deal of 
difference, and, it may be remarked, a difference all 
on the side of improvement, for the lovely Apricot 
hue is deeper, the flowers instead of drooping are 
erect, the footstalks being stronger, and the 
objectionable habit of calyx-bursting is entirely 
obviated. The Pasha is also a charming variety, 
bearing blooms of the much-sought-after apricot 
hue, but the beauty of the flower is much enhanced 
by the charming way in which the petals are 
fringed. Hayes Scarlet is as yet unapproachable, 
for no other scarlet self yet forthcoming boasts of 
such a finely-formed and richly-hued flower, whilst 
in habit it is above suspicion. In Bendigo we find 
the Dearest approach to a blue Carnation we have so 
far seen, for its flowers are of a lovely violet-purple, 
at once pretty and distinct, and, withal, large and of 
good form. Very noteworthy is Mephisto, which 
resembles the Old Clove in colour, but is of a richer 
and deeper shade, and is certainly a great improve¬ 
ment. 
AmoDgst the much-sought-after yellow-ground 
section, Cardinal Wolsey takes a foremost place. 
Somewhat similar to Victory, the flower is greatly 
superior in form and brilliancy of hue. The large 
well-shaped flowers of The Dey invited inspection as 
we passed them. Here we get a rich buff ground¬ 
work, charmingly striated and suffused with bright 
rose—a very desirable variety. George Cruickshank 
is a truly handsome flower, with large, well 
developed flowers streaked with crimson upon an 
orange-buff ground. 
Of yellow-ground Picotees there was an abun¬ 
dance, and certainly this beautiful section of a 
gorgeously showy class of plants never appeared in 
our eyes to better advantage than at Edenside. 
Florrie Henwood, a rich, clear yellow, has a well- 
defined edge of bright rose. Ladas, a large full 
flower with an exceptionally clear yellow ground 
colour, has petals of remarkably good substance, 
with a well-marked scarlet edge. President Carnot 
is of not less excellent form than those previously 
mentioned, and has a heavy margin of scarlet. 
Other good sorts are Mrs. Alfred Tate, a heavy rose- 
edged variety, much later in flowering than the 
majority of its kind, and especially valuable on that 
account; Mrs. Douglas, medium rose-edged ; Mrs. 
Dranfield, light rose-edged ; Mrs. Gooden, medium 
scarlet-edged ; and Cowslip, bright rose-edged. 
Several Malmaison varieties are grown, but as we 
were too late to see these in flower we can only give 
testimony to the sturdy growth and splendid habit 
of the plants. Churchwarden, which bears flowers 
of a bright crimson-scarlet shade was especially con¬ 
spicuous, the size and substance of the leaves and 
the strength of the shoots bespeaking a first-class 
constitution. Princess May, a rich rose-coloured 
variety, has also done great things this year, whilst 
Sir Evelyn Wood, a handsome striped sort, in which 
the ground colour is salmon-pink, is a pleasing 
departure from the usual run of Malmaisons. 
It would occupy a deal too much space to properly 
describe even a fair proportion of the varieties of 
the Carnation and the Picotee which find a home at 
Edenside, but those to which reference has been 
made must serve as an example of the kind of stuff 
to be found in a collection which can scarcely be too 
highly praised for comprehensiveness and for real 
and intrinsic merit. 
Vines and Vine Culture.— The best book on Grapes. By 
Archibald F. Barron, Superintendent of the Royal Horticultural 
Society's Gardens, Chiswick ; Secretary of the Fruit Com¬ 
mittee. Demy 8vo., Handsomely bound in Cloth Price, 5s. 
post free, 5s. 3d., from Gardening World Office, I, 
Clement's Inn, Strand, W.C. 
