June 24, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
679 
EARLV STRAWBERRIES. 
In The Gardening World of the 17th inst., (p. 
663), Mr. Cockerell says he gathered Laxton’s Noble 
Strawberry on June 7th, at Wirksworth, and it may 
interest him and others in the same county to know 
that Mr. McVinish, gardener to N. C. Curzon, Esq , 
gathered Noble at Lockington Hall, Derby, on May 
29th, and has been gathering fine fruits for the table 
every day since. Mr. McVinish was an old foreman of 
Mr. J. W. Bayne’s when gardener to Lord Belper at 
Kingston Hall, and he told the writer, when he saw 
the plants on Saturday last, that they were only 
planted in August of last year. They were perfect 
pictures as I saw them, the fruits lying on each side 
of the rows like ropes of crimson. Garibaldi 
(Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury) came in next, and 
they are also very fine. Mr. McVinish is a credit to 
his profession, as the garden he manages is to him. 
His Grapes alone are worth a journey to see, as well 
as the Peaches and Tomatos.— Derby. 
GERANIUM PRATENSE VARIETIES. 
A handful of flowering shoots of this old-fashioned 
British Geranium has been sent us by Dr. Stuart, 
Hillside, Chirnside, N.B., who is trying to improve, 
or at least to induce, a greater amount of variation 
in the colour of the flowers. The latter are already 
of wonderful size, and if Dr. Stuart can improve 
upon that, horticulture will be under an obligation 
to him, as it already is for the new race of rayless 
Violas, both large-flowered and miniature, which he 
has placed at its disposal. The flowers he sends are 
those already in cultivation, such as purple-blue, 
white, silvery-grey, and flaked with blue on a white 
ground. There is also an old garden variety with 
perfectly double flowers, later in coming into bloom 
than the single kinds and more durable. The sender 
of the above has therefore something to work upon, 
and the species has given evidence of its power to 
vary. Hybridising it with other species might pro¬ 
duce results which we as yet fail to discern. 
A COLOUR CHART. 
We have received a Luminous Colour Chart, 
prepared and sent out by Mr. J. H. Fletcher, 
Gresham Chambers, Nottingham. The principal 
feature of it is twelve circular patches of colour 
arranged in a circle in such a way that each faces its 
proper opponent with which it may be associated to 
produce the truest harmonies of contrast. The 
chart gives instructions for the colouring of these 
twelve circles which are obtained by mixing carmine, 
cobalt, gamboge, orange, vermilion, and emerald 
green with one another in such proportions as to 
give the remaining hues. In the centre of the large 
circle is a square showing three primary colours, 
three secondaries obtained by the mixing of the 
primaries, and three tertiaries derived from the 
blending of the secondaries in certain clearly defined 
ways. The chart would appear to have been 
primarily meant for the guidance of artists, but 
gardeners with the exercise of a little judgment 
couldjput it to a practical use in the arrangement of 
their bedding plants, so as to produce the best 
effects by contrasting those hues which harmonise 
with one another. Those who take an interest in 
colour and desire to pursue the subject further are 
advised to read the eighth chapter of Prof. Ruskin’s 
“ Laws of Fesole.” 
SILENE MARITIMA FLORE PLENO. 
The ordinary single flowered form of this British 
wilding is very pretty and ornamental, continuing to 
throw up flowers for a long time if grown in 
moderately rich soil with a sufficiency of moisture. 
The double form has very large flowers, with 
numerous petals that spread out in the same manner 
as those of the more double Pinks with crowded 
petals. They are white, as in the single kind, but are 
more durable and the plant is more vigorous in 
growth and continues to throw up flower stems more 
or less all the season. The ledges of rockwork are 
the best places for it, because the flowers are too 
heavy to support themselves, while staking would 
make them ungainly. On the other hand when 
near the edges of the stone-built pockets of the 
rockery, the flowers hang over naturally, while they 
are kept off the ground where they would get 
splashed in case of rain. The plant is easily increased 
by division, by suckers, or by cuttings of the young 
and flowerless shoots which, as a rule, are not diffi¬ 
cult to obtain from the base of the plant. 
LATH YRUS SATIVUS. 
This is the Chickling Vetch when in its typical or 
wild form with white flowers. The latter are pro¬ 
duced singly on the stalks and are relatively small 
compared with those of the Sweet Pea. The leaflets 
are linear-oblong, light glaucous green, and very thin 
in texture. A variety is now being cultivated, under 
the name of Lord Anson's Pea, which has clear sky 
blue flowers. The colour is, however, very evanes¬ 
cent, and fades in twenty-four hours, or less, to a 
dirty pale buff or mauve, and already a variety-has 
been shown with flowers of that hue, but they are 
certainly very inferior to those of Lord Anson’s Pea 
and not likely to make headway with the flower- 
loving public. The blue one may be described as 
attractive and pretty, although not effective, and we 
hope to see some improvement effected in it by 
hybridisation either as the pollen or seed parent, or 
by selection if that is capable of giving rise to any¬ 
thing of value from a horticultural point of view. 
Like many other annuals of the Pea tribe, the stems 
vary in height according to soil and season, but 3 ft. 
may be considered the general average. 
LATHYRUS TINGITANUS. 
In some rare instances we have have seen L. 
tuberosus grown under the name of L. tingitanus, 
but the former is a perennial while the latter is an 
annual. It flowers in June and July if sown in 
spring in the open ground, but if sown in small pots 
stood in an unheated frame, and planted out in 
spring as soon as the weather is favourable, it will 
flower in May as it has been doing this year. The 
flowers are borne in pairs or trebles on long stalks 
and are as large as those of L. odoratus, the Sweet 
Pea, while their colour is very rich. The upper 
petal is of a dark purple, shaded with crimson 
when they first expand, fading slightly with age, 
and the wings are of a dark red. The plant 
seeds freely, but frequently, only one pod is 
produced on each flower stalk, which may be 
looked upon as a short raceme consisting of two 
flowers. The lower one is the first to expand and 
by the time the upper one is in full bloom the first 
has been fertilised and no doubt appropriates the 
nourishment which should go to sustain the upper one, 
which blooms and then drops off after a time as the 
pod of the first swells up. The upper is in bloom 
before the glory of the first has faded. 
SAXIFRAGA ANDREWSI AND 
S. GUTH RIEANA. 
For many years past these two hybrid Saxifrages 
have been looked upon as synomymous and stated by 
some authorities to be a hybrid between S. Geum 
and S. Aizoon. Others consider that S. Guthrieana 
is similar to or identical with S. Andrewsi. Now, 
there are two distinct forms in gardens, and 
there is no difficulty is distinguishing one from 
another. S. Andrewsi has lanceolate-oblong, ser¬ 
rate, light green leaves, narrowed to a blunt point, 
and of a thick and somewhat rigid texture. On the 
other hand S. Guthrieana has spathulate leaves 
which are broad and rounded at the point, tapering 
gradually to the base, crenate.andof a rich dark green. 
Now, S. Andrewsi would seem to be a hybrid be¬ 
tween S. umbrosa and some of the S. Aizoon group, 
while S. Guthrieana has more evident affinity with 
S. Geum and S. Aizoon or some of the same group. 
The flowers of S. Andrewsi are panicled and spotted 
with red on a white ground on the lower two-thirds 
of the length of the petals. 
VARIABILITY OF NEPENTHES MASTERSIANA. 
There are two distinct varieties of this in cultiva¬ 
tion,as far as the colour of the pitchers is concerned, 
besides the dimorphism which occurs in the form of 
the same according to the stages cf growth in the 
plant. The pale green variety is known in some 
collections as N. Mastersiana, while that with the 
dark brownish red pitchers is termed N. M. rubra. 
In’ other collections the dark one enjoys the title of 
N. Mastersiana. Now both forms may, and do, occur 
on the same plant according to the conditions of 
culture. We have seen a plant bearing green 
pitchers only, and the upper ones had the long 
tapering base which often occurs on stems that are 
allowed to run up. The same plant in the collec¬ 
tion of John McMeekin, Esq., Falkland Park, South 
Norwood Hill, had the top taken off and rooted 
separately. The old plant, when stimulated into 
growth, produced light and dark pitchers, while the 
rooted top gave rise to pitchers 12 in. long, suffused 
and splashed with red on a pale green ground, and 
handsome in appearance from their great size. 
Other species and garden hybrids vary considerably 
according to treatment. 
A CAUTION TO CHRYSANTHEMUM 
GROWERS FOR EXHIBITION. 
Will you allow me to call the attention of those 
interested to the fact that bones are being sold which 
if used for crocking pots will go putrid in a short 
time and entirely ruin the plants ? I should advise 
all growers to turn out some of their plants to see 
the condition they are in, for if transferred into clean 
pots with fresh drainage within a fortnight, not 
much harm will have been done, but in a month the 
bones I have been using go into a wet, putrid mass 
of living filth. Those who have not yet done their 
final potting should test the bones before use.— 
P. Waterer, Fawkham, Kent. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
Dendrobiums. —We do not grow many species of 
this splendid genus, therefore have no house 
specially set apart for them. Those that find a 
place here are D. Wardianum in good numbers, D. 
Brymerianum, D. fimbriatum Oculatum, D. nobile, 
etc., and all are grown in the Cattleya House, where 
they do well, although they do not make bulbs as 
long as they do when grown under more favourable 
circumstances, as regards moisture and heat. Owing 
to the somewhat dry atmosphere red spider is 
very troublesome, and unless kept under will cause 
the foliage to go off and the bulbs to be small. A 
sponge and a little soft soapy water will do for these 
pests. The plants are stood at the warmest end 
where they can be syringed frequently, and once a 
week ours are dipped in manure water, which helps 
them greatly to mature their bulbs, confined as they 
are in small pots. 
Stanhopeas. —Growers who do not possess 
Orchids in quantity are almost sure to have Stanho- 
pea tigrina, and a fine old Orchid it is, although too 
strongly scented to suit the taste of many. The best 
plants I have seen are grown in a vinery, where they 
are kept summer and winter. Here they may be 
said to be treated precisely the same as the Vines, 
started with them, made their growth with them, 
and rested with them. During the early stages of 
their growth they receive the benefit of the top 
dressing, which is put on the inside border, or from 
the manure water from the stable, which is poured 
on the floors. The plants in question are grown in 
baskets two feet square, which are completely filled 
with large bulbs and large healthy foliage, from the 
base of which are produced a quantity of spikes 
during the season. Acting on the advice of a 
traveller, the gardener removed them into a stove, 
where they did well for a time, but eventually lost 
their former vigour. Was it caused by the loss of 
the ammonia in the air, or by being kept in a high 
teperature, and in a growing state during the whole 
year ? Perhaps from both. 
Odontoglossum Rossii Majus. —This species is 
now starting into growth, but as ours were all 
repotted last season we shall (owing to the exception¬ 
ally dry and hot weather) only re-surface them with 
live sphagnum moss, too much water at the roots 
for a while will be injurious. Keep them plump by 
frequently spraying them overhead. 
Odontoglossums of all kinds should be treated in 
the same way if they are to be kept in good health. 
At the same time we do not care for ours to be 
always in a soddened state at the roots, but this 
will hardly be the case during summer, with plenty 
of air on night and day.— C. 
Laelia Oweniae. 
This is considered to be a natural hybrid between 
Laelia Perrinii and L. elegans, both of which' grow 
wild in the environs of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and 
was first flowered in the collection of G. D. Owen, 
Esq., of Selwood, Rotherham, Yorkshire, after 
whose wife it is named. The sepals and elliptic 
petals are dark carmine-purple passing into magenta 
towards the base. The lamina and side lobes of the 
lip are even darker, with a band of the same rich 
colour extending to the base of the tube, the rest of 
which is white. A coloured plate of it, bearing half a 
dozen flowers on a raceme, is given in Lindenia.pl. 
