678 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 24, 1898. 
bloomed, ripe, and of rich flavour. This was off the 
tree on the west wall. I expect the whole of the 
crop on both trees will be fit for table by the end of 
this month. This, I trust, will prove the value of 
Alexander. 
I must say a word of praise for my old friend 
Amsden June, which, although not quite so early as 
tne Alexander, is a very fine sort, as it has for years 
given us large, handsome and ripe fruit by the 20th 
of July ; but its fault is that it is a slight cling stone, 
the other being a free stone. They are both robust 
growers. The third I mention, although a delicate 
grower, and does not make much wood, comes in well 
early in August and should be grown. I shall not 
now say a word about the later sorts, as their quali¬ 
ties are well known. In conclusion, we are particular 
in syringing the trees before the buds begin to swell 
early in the spring, with warm water, in which is put 
a good quantity of sulphur and soft soap, and as the 
leaves begin to show, follow this up, but wash it off 
later on with pure water. This we find keeps the 
trees free from blight, and should any appear and 
curl up the leaves, we pick off those so affected and 
destroy them.— E. D. S., Hanis. 
--*»- 
PANSIES AND VIOLAS AT 
YORK. 
At the Great York Horticultural Fete held last week 
the prizes offered for Pansies brought together a 
great many leading cultivators in the North, and a 
quantity of good blooms. In the open class for 
forty-eight Pansies Mr. A. Bailey, Jun., Sunderland, 
was first ; Mr. J. Smellie. Glasgow, second ; Messrs. 
Paul & Co., Bridge of Weir, third. In Mr. Bailey’s 
lot were fine blooms of Beauty (certificated), Mrs. 
D. Johnstone, Maggie A. Scott, Mrs. R. Laird, 
Neptune, Edith T. Crossley, Mrs. Gardiner, John 
Allen, Mrs. M. Cuthbertson, Mrs. A. Irvine, James 
J. Irvine, Mrs. R. Niven, White Queen, Thos. 
Hastie, Edward Polland, Tamworth Yellow, Dr. 
Bostock, Tom Travis, Minnie Scott, George Ander¬ 
son, Thos. Kay (a very fine white), James Campbell, 
C. H. Johnson, and Mrs. Abercombe. In Mr. 
Smellie's stand were very fine blooms ofJeannieP. 
Tait, seedling, an improved Maggie A. Scott, Lady 
Duff (a fine new variety), John Allen, James Camp¬ 
bell, Alexander Smellie, very fine, Lord Hamilton, 
Mrs. R. Niven, Tamworth Yellow, Mrs. D. John¬ 
stone, Mr. J. Bolton, Mrs. Train, Andrew Gray, 
James Simkins, and Mrs. A. Irvine. Mr. Lister and 
Mr. M. Campbell also exhibited in this class. For 
twenty-four fancies, open, Mr. Bailey was again 
first; Mr. A. Lister, Rothesay, second; and Mr. J. 
Smellie, third. Four other lots were staged. -For 
twenty-four show Pansies, first, Mr. Smellie; 
second, Mr. Lister; third, Mr. M. Campbell, Blan- 
tyre. For twenty-four fancies, amateurs, first, Mr. 
R. Mann, Shadwell, Leeds; second, Mr. W. Archer, 
Sunderland; third, Mr. C. Mitchell, Leeds. 
In the class for twelve show Pansies, amateurs, 
there were ten exhibitors. First, Mr. Thornton ; 
second, Mr. Shepherd; third, Messrs. Hall & 
Hatton. For twenty-four fancy Pansies, dissimilar, 
for amateur growers south of the Tweed, there were 
eleven exhibitors. Mr. Mann was first; Mr. Thorn¬ 
ton, second, and Mr. W. Archer, third. It will be 
thus seen that a large number of Pansies were staged 
in the competing classes, and many others not for 
competition, and it was refreshing to old Pansy men 
to see so many of the show varieties staged. The 
following other kinds were noticeable in stands as 
fine exhibition flowers:—JeannieP.Tait, already men¬ 
tioned, is a great improvement on Maggie A. Scott 
and Niel Gillies. H. P. Smith is of Mrs. Train 
style, wdth finer blotch and lively light purple top 
petals. Lady Duff resembles Mrs. Henderson some¬ 
what, but is richer in colour with fine solid blotch 
and fine form. Maggie McPhail, fine; Alexander 
Smellie has a dense solid blotch with clear white 
margin, extra fine. Mrs. R. Thompson, a white 
ground flower with very fine blotch and of the first 
quality. Miss Paterson, new, is in the style of 
Archie Buchanan and is bright and fine, with fine 
solid blotch. James Carrier, distinct and fine; Mrs. 
Grossart, fine, and Thomas Gardiner, a grand flower 
for quality. Mrs. R. Nevin was also fine, and Mrs. 
Wm. Watson, extra fine. These were in Mr. 
Smellie's stands. 
In Mr. Campbell’s stands were very fine blooms of 
William Caldwell, Helen Christie, Mrs. J. 
McConnell, Mrs. Hugh Weir, Wm. Adam, Mrs. C. 
L. Carnegie, and Mrs. Atkinson ; and in Messrs. 
Paul & Co.’s stand were fine blooms of Arthur 
Eaton, Col. Coats, a light flower with superb blotch 
and of the finest quality ; Mrs. John Bolton, and two 
rich shaded crimson seedling seifs of fine quality. 
In Mr. Lister’s stand were fine blooms of Alice 
Bolton, a yellow ground flower of the finest quality 
and grand blotch ; G. P. Addie, Mrs. M. Cuthbert¬ 
son. very fine and rich in colour, with solid clean cut 
blotch ; Celtic Gem, a yellow self with large blotch : 
Lady of the Lake, James Campbell, Miss Faulds, 
Mrs. Thomson, Blooming Heather, Helen Christie, 
Mrs. A. Irvine, a fine white self ; Mrs. John Young, 
very similar to Mrs. A. Irvine, and a fine flower of 
the most perfect form ; and Mrs. J. Smith, a fine 
seedling. The only seedlings which received Certifi¬ 
cates (three blooms to be staged) were Beauty and 
Duke of York from Mr. Bailey, '.Sunderland, and 
Mrs. Hy. Clark, exhibited by Messrs. Clark & Son, 
Rodley, Leeds. 
In the open class for twenty-four sprays or bunches 
of Violas, Mr. Smellie, Glasgow, was first with a fine 
lot, amongst them, Dorothy Tennant, H. M. Stanley, 
a seedling named Cherry Park, very like Annie King ; 
a seedling named Mahogany, bronzy-crimson, veined 
with lemon, bright, distinct, and fine, and to which a 
Certificate was awarded; Accushla, white, edged 
with blue; Patty Smith, and White Duchess, a 
sport from Duchess of Fife, only white with the 
Duchess belting. Second, Messrs. Paul & Son, 
third, Mr. D. Hutchinson, Kirby Moorside. 
Several honorary exhibits of Violas and Pansies 
were staged. There was a large quantity by Messrs. 
James Cocker & Sons, Aberdeen, to which a Silver 
Medal was awarded. Ninety bunches of Violas, and 
a quantity of the rarer herbaceous blooms were with 
them, a very fine display altogether. Mr. John 
Forbes, Hawick, also had a large display of Violas, 
Pansies, and herbaceous blooms ; and other growers 
also. In some of these collections were varieties-of 
very questionable merit and what may be termed 
bastard Pansies, and a great deal of “ educating ” has 
yet to be done as to what really are of the new type 
of our bedding Violas, and there is also a tendency to 
introduce very inferior varieties to a great extent. 
It would be a blessing if we could have a jury of 
selected Viola and Pansy experts before which all 
seedlings should be sent for recognition and the 
stamp of merit. In the Old National Floricultural 
Society's days we had such a tribunal. We sadly 
want it now.—IF. D. 
-«S«- 
WAKEFIELD PAXTON 
SOCIETY. 
The annual wild flower exhibition of this society 
took place on Saturday last. It was feared at one 
time that owing to the continued drought a very 
meagre display would be the result. However, all 
doubts were dispelled on entering the meeting room 
about 8 o'clock, when it was seen that a most beau¬ 
tiful and varied collection graced the table. Ferns 
were rather scarce, but aquatic plants, flowers, and 
grasses were in abundance, including some varieties 
of Orchids from Berkshire, for not only had the 
lanes of Yorkshire yielded their floral tributes, but 
friends in other counties had forwarded contributions. 
The secretaries worked with praiseworthy zeal, and 
with assistance from several of the members soon 
labelled every specimen with in many cases, both 
common and botanical name. 
Mr. Crowther, of the Leeds Museum, had pro¬ 
mised to address the meeting on the subject, but at 
the last moment was obliged to send notice that un¬ 
foreseen circumstances had arisen which rendered 
his presence in Leeds imperative. The Chairman 
(Mr. Tunnicliffe), in expressing the regret they felt 
at Mr. Crowther’s absence, felt sure that they could 
not do better than call on Mr. Burton to treat them 
with a little from his store of knowledge of the wild 
beauties of Nature. Mr. Burton dwelt at some 
length upon the delight and profit man can derive 
from the study of Nature in living plant form, and 
how he had proved the soothing influence on a 
troubled mind effected by the close observance of 
these floral wonders that were free to one and all. 
Mr. Parkin followed, and in the course of his 
remarks made mention of those herbs used 
medicinally, and also the different localities and 
spots favoured by the different species. Messrs. 
Maher, Eastwood, Goodyear, and Gregory also took 
part in the most interesting discussion which 
followed. Those members who had so diligently 
employed themselves in bringing the collection 
together were accorded a hearty vote of thanks. 
THE FASHIONABLE 
FLOWER. 
The craze is spreading. That ugly hybrid of a white 
flower and chemicals known as “ Oscar's green but¬ 
tonhole ” is no more to be found, and even the 
blush-pink Malmaison Carnation has fallen from its 
high estate as the favourite of the British jeunesse 
doree. Instead of it, if your yearnings go towards 
being “ in the fashion,” you wear a stiff little bunch 
of Cornflowers on your manly breast. And even 
though the particular shade of blue of the Centaurea 
Cyanus dees not “ pair ” well with your black coat, 
that need not interfere with your patronage of the 
flower. You may even wear it with your black even¬ 
ing garb. It really is quite the proper thing, and it is 
not at all unlikely that your hostess, when you con¬ 
descend to dine out or grace her late ‘‘At Home” 
with your presence, may pay you the subtle compli¬ 
ment of adorning her dinner-table or her reception- 
rooms with the little flower which you and the like 
of you have brought to honour. 
Don’t you remember how well they looked the 
other evening, the blue flowers among the trembling 
grasses, in fan-shaped vases of olive-green glass ? 
And on that mantlepiece, in front of which you 
stood in what you (perhaps rightly) considered so 
nonchalant and graceful an attitude, in the beauti¬ 
ful Empire mirror were reflected your blue flowers 
rising out of Venetian vases of such exquisite colour¬ 
ing that, had you not been so fervently occupied 
with other matters, you would have thought the 
nymphs of the Adriatic had fashioned them of sea¬ 
water at the hour when the autumn sun sets in rosy 
and golden glow beyond the Lido. 
Your chosen flower, youth of the " buttonhole” of 
blue-bottles, is very humble. Perchance you have 
seen it among the ripening corn, mixing with 
“ cheap " red Poppies, with reckless ground-Convol¬ 
vulus, and other vulgar weeds. But be not, there¬ 
fore, dismayed, for it has as interesting a history, 
and as ancient, as the Rose itself, which the angel 
brought down from Paradise. Let me enlighten you 
just a little, and when next it happens to you that 
you search vainly for a subject of conversation with 
your fair neighbour at the dinner-table or in the 
drawing-room, you might find grace in her eyes if 
you conversed pleasantly and naturally on the mean¬ 
ing of the centaury. You may call it by that name r 
it sounds rather well ; and if you do so you can 
casually drop the remark that it is curiously interest¬ 
ing to think that this name has its origin in the fact 
of Chiron, the centaur, discovering the medical pro¬ 
perties of the plant when, as Pliny tells us, had been 
wounded by a poisoned arrow. 
If you prefer (or, if your fair neighbour prefers) 
easy grace to scholarliness, you will please to call 
the Cornflower Blue-bottle, Blue-blow, Bluet, or 
even Cornflower. All these names are correct, and 
there is a flavour of the field about them which, 
under circumstances, is as acceptable as, under 
similar conditions, the faint smell of the stables about 
female apparel is said to be in France.— Westminster 
Gazette. 
-- 
Hardening Miscellany. 
ROSE PRINZESSIN LUISA V. SACHSEN. 
A coloured illustration of this new Tea Rose is 
given in the third number of the Rosen Zeitioigior the 
present year. Growers in this country might object 
to the German name and its length; but that objec¬ 
tion could be overruled by rendering the name in 
English as Princess Louise of Saxony It might be 
described as a yellow Rose heavily shaded with 
orange, or—salmon orange on the outer face of the 
petals, recalling the colour as seen in William Allan 
Richardson or Ma Capucin, especially in the bud 
stage The fully expanded flower has numerous 
petals filling up the centre, and the young leaves are 
much tinted with red, as in Princess Beatrice and 
several others It was raised by Robert Zomich. 
An older variety, sent out by Bonnairein 1887, is also 
figured in a separate plate of the same journal as the 
above. The flower is pale yellow, more or less tinted 
with pink, especially on the edges and outer face of 
the petals, and both in this respect and in the form 
of the blooms the variety recalls that of Marie Van 
Houtte. 
