136 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 29, 1892. 
Galpini. This it has no doubt derived from some 
improved variety of S. Rexii, many of which are 
characterized by the dark markings in the throat. 
LOBELIA SPLENDENS VICTORI/E. 
It is impossible to say too much in praise of this fine 
autumn blooming plant—it should be found in every 
garden. There is nothing to compare with it in colour 
during the month of October. It is often to be seen in a 
half-starved condition—I saw it in this unhappy 
condition myself last year in one of the London 
parks, but in this form it bears no comparison with 
the plants from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high which generous 
treatment will give. What grand spikes such plants 
will produce, how freely they branch, and how long 
they last in bloom. We have been enjoying a 
glorious display brought about under the following 
circumstances :—We had a bed of Roses that had 
been specially well prepared for them, and planted 
the Lobelias thinly amongst them. When a friend 
called in the month of June he was much struck with 
the contrast between the deep bronzy hue of the 
Lobelia and the greenery of roses, and thought the 
combination perfect. We find the long flower stems 
of the Lobelia invaluable too for filling vases; and I 
have used them also with admirable effect on the 
dinner table. — Con. 
SEEDLING CARNATIONS. 
Although the Queen of the autumn may absorb 
mind and thought just at this particular season, there 
are objects of love in the floral world which are 
worthy our attention, and which cannot be pushed 
aside and their merits altogether ignored. Much 
has been said and written about blue Carnations, 
but perhaps I may say with reference to blue 
Pelargoniums and blue Carnations, those who are led 
to believe that we possess really blue flowers have a 
portion of green obscuring their visionary faculties. 
Blue there may be, but it is infinitesimal in propor¬ 
tion to other constituents in the flowers said to be 
blue. A flower may possess a bluish tint or hue,but 
because of this it cannot truthfully be designated 
really blue. What an achievement could we but 
produce a blue Dahlia ! To my knowledge it has 
been a subject talked about for at least half a cen¬ 
tury, without securing the colour pure and simple so 
long wished for. Amongst my seedling Carnations 
flowered this season, I have many shades of grey and 
slate, some really approaching a bluish hue, but not 
sufficiently so for me to be so green as to try to palm 
them off as blue Carnations. I have several of these, 
some well-formed flowers with various flakes of a 
dissimilar colour, and which are exceedingly interest¬ 
ing. The blooms I send you have been cut from 
plants which were growing in the seedling bed, and 
a few weeks since were taken up and potted and 
are destined to afford much pleasure during the 
sombre days of autumn. I do not wish to submit 
these flowers for any intrinsic worth ^they may 
possess, but simply to show that we have now 
advanced to a period in the history of floriculture when 
even Carnations may be had all the year round.—■ 
George Fry, Lewisham. 
THE GOLDEN BALM. 
The finest plant for a yellow edging which I have 
seen this season is the Golden Balm, and no plant 
gives less trouble in keeping up stock. No Pyrethrum 
has been able to compare with it. Cuttings taken 
off in August or September are easily rooted if placed 
under handlights or in the shade. Lifting and 
dividing the roots is a method of increasing this plant 
too, and these by being less likely to grow grossly 
are more likely to deepen in colour. The value of 
hardy plants for decorating parterres and flower 
gardens cannot be over-estimated after the experi¬ 
ence of the past season. Pentstemons were long in 
coming into flower, but they have been a grand show 
since the end of July, and are of much service still, 
especially for cutting.— Stirling. 
BULBS FOR SPRING FLOWERING : 
CHIONODOXAS. 
Flowers are always more appreciated in spring than 
at any other period of the year, and most beautiful 
and interesting as are the Snowdrop and the Winter 
Aconite, the Chionodoxas certainly lose nothing by 
comparison, although they cannot claim to be as old 
inhabitants of our garden. I look upon both C. 
Luciliae and C. sardensis as among the best bulbous 
plants we grow, and I hope the time is not far 
distant when we shall see them springing up through 
the grass as plentiful as Snowdrops in private gar¬ 
dens.— Con. 
FRUIT NOTES. 
A Prolific Apple. 
The present season affords a good opportunity of 
noting some of the hardiest and best bearing varieties 
of Apples, and we observe that Lord Suffield in 
particular fully maintains its reputation. Not only is 
this old favourite an uncommonly free bearer, but that, 
too, as I have proved, under untoward conditions 
as the sequel will show. Some ten years ago a consid¬ 
erable extent of fruit tree walls, forming an. outside 
garden boundary, was unprotected from the attacks 
of rabbits when a severe storm of frost and snow set in 
which continued for several weeks. The depredators 
referred to made a number of recently planted trees 
the centre of attack in the emergency with which 
they were forced to contend. One of these trees, a 
particularly clean, strong, and well furnished speci¬ 
men of Lord Suffield Apple, was among the worst 
victims, the bark being mostly stripped from it for 
about two feet from the ground, the depth of frozen 
snow of course assisting the enemy to operate freely 
on the upper part of the main stem. As I had heard, 
long before this experience, that fruit trees thus 
damaged were rendered worthless, I had made up 
my mind for the worst, but that such a theory is 
fallacious subsequent facts abundantly proved. Not 
only has this partially denuded tree yielded satisfac¬ 
tory crops of fruit regularly since the time it was so 
unceremoniously stripped of so much of its bark, but 
most of the specimens were for several years in 
succession of handsome size, and on different 
occasions dishes of them were exhibited successfully 
in the classes for weight at the county shows. 
Probably the heaviest crop the tree has yet pro¬ 
duced was gathered this season, the fruits, however, 
being slightly under the size we have occasionally 
seen them, the result probably of thinning being less 
freely performed than when larger specimens were 
realized. Free fruiting varieties, such as Lord 
Suffield and some others, always pay well for liberal 
autumn top-dressings of rich farm-yard manure. For 
old trees this is almost indispensable, their main¬ 
tenance in vigour and fertility being dependent on 
such a practice being systematically adopted. We 
were recently informed on good authority of an old 
Apple tree—which grew in a farmer’s garden in this 
district, the fruit of which had become, through age 
and improper cultivation, comparatively worthless— 
which was rejuvenated in a somewhat peculiar 
manner. During a severe storm of wind the tree 
was blown over. In order to get it into position 
again the owner got the assistance of several men 
provided with ropes, which they succeeded in doing, 
and I ought to add that a liberal bed of good 
manure had been previously provided for it. Suffice 
it to say that grand crops of fine fruit, free from 
blemish of any kind, was the result of the accident 
and consequent operation of replanting.—A/., 
Ayrshire. 
Apple Swedish Reinette. 
In general appearance this may be compared to 
Worcester Pearmain, but it is larger as a rule and 
almost, if not quite, as handsomely coloured. It is 
above the medium size, or large, ovate-conical, some¬ 
times shorter but scarcely flattened, and always 
broadest near the base. The skin is of a deep red or 
crimson, except on the shaded side which is some¬ 
times yellow, and the whole is speckled over with 
russety spots. The small and half-closed eye is set 
in a narrow, slightly plaited basin. The flesh is firm 
at first, but when it has attained maturity it soon 
becomes soft, and would ultimately get mealy if not 
used. It is in perfection during the month of Octo¬ 
ber and may be used then as a dessert Apple. At 
this period it is crisp, but tender, sweet and agree¬ 
able but not very juicy. The flesh is yellow, more 
or less tinted with red just under the skin and having 
streaks of red at a greater depth, as in the case of 
Duchess Favourite. It has fruited very well in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick. 
Apple Landsberger Reinette. 
Amongst the multiplicity of Apples at the present 
day it seems strange that so many inferior ones 
should still be grown and find their way into market. 
Good varieties as they find their way into cultivation 
on a large scale, must eventually drive the bad ones 
out of the field. The British, public is not very dis¬ 
criminating sometimes, otherwise more value would 
be placed upon varieties of good flavour inde¬ 
pendently of colour. The fact is that the vatieties 
of Apple are but very little known amongst the 
general public, often sold under wrong names, and 
oftener still without any name at all. The fruit of 
Landsberger Reinette is ovate-conical, above the 
medium size, pale green, and shining till it has been 
in the fruit room for some time when it changes to 
pale yellow. In favourable localities it is flushed 
with crimson on the sunny side, but in the gardens 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, at Chiswick, 
where it otherwise does very well, it is generally 
devoid of this high colouring. The eye is closed in 
a narrow, and shallow, slightly plaited cavity. The 
flesh is white, ultimately becoming yellowish, tender, 
crisp and very juicy, with a slight and agreeable 
acidity, at least in its early stages of maturity in 
October. The fruits keep till Christmas and are 
suitable alike for dessert or culinary purposes. The 
tree bears well and might more often be planted than 
some of the worthless sorts that occupy gardens and 
find their way into market from various sources. 
New Fruits Certificated. 
Melon Beauty of Syon. —-The fruit of this 
new variety is of small size, say from 3J in. 
to 4J in. in diameter, globular, and gives 
promise of being a highly flavoured sort, and 
therefore useful for table purposes. There 
are great differences of opinion as to whether large 
or small Melons are the best, but when exhibitors 
stage Melons in competition for the best flavoured 
sort, we generally find that the small fruits win the 
prizes. The skin is of a deep golden yellow, thinly 
netted, and very faintly furrowed longitudinally, but 
otherwise quite smooth. The rind is thin, and the 
scarlet flesh of great depth, sweet, juicy, and of ex¬ 
cellent flavour considering the lateness of the season. 
It was obtained from Hero of Lockinge crossed with 
the pollen of an unnamed variety. A First-class 
Certificate was accorded it when exhibited by Mr. 
G. Wythes at the last meeting of the Fruit Committee 
of the R.H.S. 
Apple Monstrous Incomparable.— The fruit of 
this variety is of great size, globose, but somewhat 
elevated to the crown, 3J in. to 4J in. in diameter 
near the base where it is broadest, and somewhat 
flattened at the base. The skin is perfectly smooth 
and even, greenish-yellow, changing to a soft, pale 
yellow, reminding us of Golden Noble as far as 
colour is concerned, with a few green specks near 
the base, and tinted with golden or bronzy yellow on 
the exposed side. The eye is closed in a moderately 
deep, rather narrow, and slightly plaited cavity. The 
stalk is short, in a rather deep and round cavity. 
The fruits were grown upon a small tree on a wall, 
and the only one known to be in the island of Jersey. 
The tree is supposed to have been imported from 
France a few years ago. An Award of Merit was 
accorded it when exhibited at the meeting of the 
Fruit Committee of the R.H S. on the 18th by Mr. 
H. Becker, 13, Beresford Street, Jersey. 
-- 
NEW ZONAL 
PELARGONIUMS. 
The following new Pelargoniums received Awards 
of Merit at the meeting of the Floral Committee of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, on the 18th inst. 
Raspail Improved.— As in the case of the 
original Raspail, this belongs to the zonal section. 
Both flowers and trusses are very large, well borne 
above the foliage, and the former are semi double 
and bright scarlet. A single flower on measurement 
was found to be 2J in. in diameter when pressed 
against a rule. The habit of the plant is dwarf 
and compact, somewhat similarly to the old Vesuvius, 
and the leaves are also similar except that the zone is 
of a fainter bronzy hue. The old double-flowered 
varieties with small and hard or compact flowers 
seem to be dropping into oblivion. 
Madame Bondeville. The flowers of this sort 
are single, of large size and borne in bold, handsome 
trusses. They are white with a scarlet edge like a 
wire edged Picotee, but are also lightly suffused with 
scarlet on both surfaces with the colour spreading 
from the darker tinted veins. Some flowers are 
more heavily suffused than others in a somewhat 
broken manner, giving them the appearance of 
crushed Strawberry. At all events the variety may 
be looked upon as one of the most pleasing and 
distinct of the lighter coloured zonal Pelargoniums 
now in cultivation. The leaves are of a deep green 
with a light green centre, and therefore distinct in 
that respect. Both varieties were exhibited by 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley. 
