20 
I'HE GARDENING WORLD 
September 10, 1892. 
FLORICULTURE. 
Violas from Cornhil!-on-Tweed. 
We received a very attractive lot of bedding Violas 
from Mr. Thos. C. Steel, Crookham, Cornhill-on- 
Tweed. The flowers were in most cases large for 
the respective varieties, thus affording evidence of a 
suitable climate or good culture, probably both. 
They included some of the best and most popular of 
the kinds, such as the procumbent or "tufted” 
Duchess of Fife, Goldfinch, and Ardwell Gem, the 
latter the best yellow, although some give the pre¬ 
ference to the deeper coloured Bullion. The new 
type Violetta is a charming little thing, which we 
have heard described as resembling varnished calico. 
The broad, blue-edged Blue Cloud was sent under 
the name of Skylark which should have a narrow 
margin. Archibald Grant is one of the richest 
violet purple sorts of the Hollyrood type, and Sir 
Joseph Terry is one of the finest of the maroon 
purple type as far as the flower is concerned. Mrs. 
Pearce is a flower of the Duchess of Sutherland type, 
but larger and darker. Magpie is a very old 
acquaintance, perhaps one of the oldest of the parti¬ 
coloured Pansies grown for bedding purposes. The 
colours of Columbine in the flowers sent had become 
" run,” and resembled York and Lancaster more 
than the real hues, which are similar to, but much 
lighter than those of Lucy Ashton. The names had 
unfortunately fallen away from a great many in 
transmission so that we could not identify Nellie 
Grieve, Alice Dranfield, Grace Darling, Purple 
Prince, and La Perle. Some of these names must 
have been accidentally dropped in, as there were 
fewer varieties in the box than the names rolling 
about loosely. We suppose La Perle must apply to 
the white variety, and if so, we consider it too closely 
identical with Countess of Hopetoun to be retained 
as distinct unless it differs materially in the foliage and 
habit. Mrs. Bellamy is a rich purple with pale blue 
and white upper petals in the way of The Mearns, 
but more intense in colour and larger. One of 
those from which the name had dropped was a 
beautiful flower of unusual size, white, or palest 
lavender, and splashed with blue and purple on the 
upper petals, in the way of Sweet Auburn, but quite 
distinct from any we have seen. We should like to 
see the number of rayless flowers increased as well as 
the procumbent types like Duchess of Fife and 
Ardwell Gem. 
Yellow Ground Picotees from Sheffield. 
We have been favoured with a boxful of Picotees, 
mostly yellow ground varieties, from Mr. Ben 
Simonite, whose garden is on a bleak and cold hill¬ 
side, a fact which accounts for their lateness. Not¬ 
withstanding these adverse circumstances, the 
blooms, which were from plants grown on an open 
border, were in many instances of magnificent pro¬ 
portions, and Mr. Simonite informs us that they are 
much stronger growers than any of the white 
grounds. The largest of all was a magnificent yellow 
Carnation, the only one of that class sent, under the 
name of Marchioness of Salisbury, perfectly full in 
the centre, and over 3 in. in diameter without any 
dressing. 
All the rest were yellow ground Picotees, except a 
fancy named Brilliant, the nearest scarlet yet raised, 
and which most took our fancy. It measured 3m.across 
and had a broad, bright red edge on a pure white 
ground. A neat and pretty flower of smaller size 
was Sylvia, striped with crimson and red on a bright 
yellow ground. The darkest varieties sent were Nos. 
18 and 31, both striped and marked with crimson on 
a sulphur yellow ground. Ellen was of the same 
type, but the ground colour was a richer yellow. 
Rather a pretty variety was Modesty, striped with 
soft rose on canary yellow. 
Another huge flower, named Haide, was notable 
for the curious mixture of soft brick red, heliotrope 
and white, on a soft, satiny yellow ground. No. 8 
would have been an acquisition if the scarlet stripes 
had been more numerous, there being only a few on 
each of the bright yellow petals. In No. 8 there was 
a slight shade of amber in the yellow, and the 
crimson markings were mostly confined to isolated 
spots on the edges of the petals. A larger and finer 
flower was Mrs. Booth, with a few faint red and 
heliotrope lines here and there upon the broad soft 
yellow petals. The pale heliotrope markings were 
more evident in Nancy than in any other, extendin 
from the margin inwards in numerous, short lines ; 
a few faint red lines were also noticeable on the 
canary yellow ground. Altogether they were a 
beautiful lot, of which any one might be proud, 
more particularly at this late period of the year. 
--I—- 
THE ROSERY. 
Autumn Treatment of Climbing Roses. 
Much more depends upon this than is generally 
imagined, as unless you aid nature in securing 
thoroughly matured wood upon these vigorous 
growers, you are doomed to disappointment next 
season. I do not say that without ripe wood the 
plants will not grow well another year ; they are al¬ 
most certain to do this, but they cannot possibly 
flower satisfactory unless they have the long and 
rambling growths of the present season well matured. 
We sometimes have an autumn when such growths 
mature well, and then, if favoured with an ordinarily 
good spring-time, we are certain of a grand show of 
flowers at the end of June. 
But it will be asked how can you assist nature in 
ripening these growths out of doors, and while they 
are growing away so rampantly as at the present 
time. The best plan is to cut away all side and 
superfluous wood at once, also to remove a few of the 
leaves upon other growth if they be too thick to allow 
of plenty of light and air gaining free access to these 
vigorous shoots. As a general rule these strong 
growers are near a wall or fence, and the radiation 
from these during the summer causes the soil to be 
rather drier and warmer than in the open. Now 
should we have a damp autumn after a dry and warm 
summer, such Roses will usually grow away very 
vigorously and late; with the consequence that 
sooner or later they are severely crippled by a severe 
frost. Although in many cases this at first seems to 
only affect the tips of such growth, the sap being in 
such an active state, the whole of the wood is more 
or less crippled. 
Unless you have a few old sacks or mats that you 
can put down to keep the soil a little drier around 
the plants, and can afford them a little protection 
from the first few frosts, it will be well to pinch out 
the tips of long growths by the early part of October. 
This will check the sap for a time, and the lower 
eyes at any rate will have a better opportunity of 
plumping up and maturing. 
The whole aim should be to secure a fair amount 
of ripened wood upon these vigorous shoots, as they 
will then produce quantities of blossoms from almost 
every eye. Too often these long shoots are cut away 
at pruning time, or else tipped during summer to 
cause more uniform growth. The proper plan is to 
cut away all such growths as soon as they have 
flowered, and encourage those of a similar vigorous 
character that are breaking from the main stem by 
that time —Experience. 
-•*-- 
FLOWER SHOW 
ODDITIES. 
Your recent comments on "Judging at Flower 
Shows" tempt me to offer a few observations on 
some curiosities of competitions that have come 
under my notice. It has often occurred to me when 
judging at horticultural exhibitions that if some one 
or more of my colleagues would make careful and 
accurate notes of the odd things which crop up from 
time to time in connection with their avocation, 
they might in the process of time secure enough 
material for a book that would furnish amusing 
reading for the gardening community. There are 
few shows perhaps at which some little thing or 
other does not arise which is worth recording, either 
because it opens a novel point for dispute, illustrates 
the natural cupidity of man, or else shows the 
singular ideas which some persons entertain as to 
the rights or privileges of exhibitors. 
I heard but the other day of an exhibitor who, 
staging sixteen Ferns in a class, actually wanted the 
judges to go back to his collection of sixteen, 
and from those select eight to compete in a class for 
that number, and was very angry because they 
declined to recognise the " innocent ” arrangement. 
Such a singular piece of obtuseness has surely never 
been heard of before. 
Only the other day a protest was made in the class 
for the largest collection of fruit at Earl’s Court that 
seemed so utterly trivial and paltry that it was 
difficult to understand how it could ever have been 
made. I should like to see all exhibitors rise above 
such trivial considerations, and mention these two 
incidents to indicate the nature of the experiences 
which constantly occur to judges, though I know' 
that there are many others not less extravagant and 
some far more absurd. 
To make a book about them would be holding up 
the mirror to exhibitors’ natures, and perhaps help 
to cure them of many defects. It is sometimes 
pleaded that schedules are obscurely w'orded. Well, 
that may be so too, but it is very difficult to word 
schedules that are comprehensible by all intellects. 
It would be exceedingly awkward were it found that 
when conditions to classes are appended, it was 
further necessary to add explanations of the condi¬ 
tions .—An Old Judge. 
-- 5 *- 
BATTERSEA PARK. 
As far as the carpet and sub-tropical bedding is con¬ 
cerned we cannot expect it to look better or fresher 
than it is at present, although the plants in the latter 
case may yet be much larger, as they are now grow¬ 
ing very rapidly with the abundant moisture at their 
command ; but the fading of flowers, cold nights, 
and windy weather must soon tell upon their fresh¬ 
ness. Should this month, how'ever, prove fine 
generally, it is not unreasonable to expect to see 
everything wearing a comparatively iresh appear¬ 
ance till the end of the month Flowering subjects, 
such as Pelargoniums, cannot be expected to look so 
well as they have been, although at present there is 
little to complain of except that a fuller exposure 
than they get in the sheltered enclosure knowm as 
the sub-tropical garden, and less shading would suit 
them better. 
Commencing at the west side of this place and 
proceeding eastward the principal beds may be 
noticed. A carpet bed here is laid out in three 
circles with a half circle at either end. In the 
central one is a plant of Dracaena surrounded by 
Coleus, and that again by a line of Pelargonium 
cinctum ; then come four arcs of Coprosma Baueri- 
ana variegata, pegged dowm, bounded by a line of 
Kleinia repens and two of Alternantheras. The 
centres on each side of this consist of Sedum 
sarmentosum variegatum edged with Alternantheras, 
followed by four ovals of Mentha surrounded by 
lines of Pachyphytum aduncum, Alternantheras and 
Kleinias. The groundwork consists of Alsine 
pilulifera and Ale ntha, with four lines of edging. 
Near this is a bold bed of Polymnia granais about 
3 ft. high with huge Heracleum-like leaves on a 
ground of Heliotrope, Lantana, and Coleus. A 
circular bed filled with tuberous Begonias with a 
Dasylirion in the centre is quite gay. A large bed of 
the same shape is filled with bronzy-leaved Cannas, 
mixed with scarlet Gladioli, and is handsome. A 
bed of Pelargonium Henry Jacoby is also floriferous. 
A border of Castor Oil plants, having tall specimens 
of Ailanthus behind, mixed with Marguerites and 
edged with Phloxes, is also noteworthy in the way 
of sub tropical gardening. A large oblong bed of 
Dahlias mixed with Plumbago capensis may be seen 
to advantage at the present time. 
In the same place as last year is a fancy bed of 
little mounds planted with carpet bedding stuff, the 
design being different from what it was last year, neat 
and pretty. Around and at some distance from the 
centre are four three-sided pyramids so to speak, and 
alternating with them but nearer the outside are four 
figures of the Prince’s Feather. Between these again 
are four figures like elevated dagger points. All these 
raised figures are neatly planted on the sides and top 
with Alternantheras, Mesembryanthemum cordi- 
folium variegatum, yellow Alsine, Sedum glaucum, 
and Mentha, neatly divided into differently shaped 
figures by means of Kleinias, Echeverias, Mesem¬ 
bryanthemum tigrinum, and other subjects, with 
numerous dot plants on the broader faces and in the 
centres. On the right is a large curved bed of 
Wigandia caraccasana, zjft. high, with leaves iS in. 
long by 12 in. wide, on a groundwork of Heliotropes 
and Agapanthus with several edgings. Two circular 
beds of a dark foliaged Coleus, trimmed so as to 
form a low topped dome, are striking from their 
uniformity and richness of colour. A large bed 
widening to a circle at either end is planted with 
various succulent plants, showing to what purpose 
they can be put when properly handled. The object 
is to bring each plant into bold relief individually. 
The two centres are occupied by large plants of 
Dasylirion on a groundwork of the yellow-leaved 
