118 
.THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 23, 1897. 
Aster exists in six colours, but in each case is 
characterised by having a white centre, being both 
fanciful and attractive. Dwarf Bouquet Asters, in 
many shades of colour, only grow about 3 in. to 6 in. 
high. They have a quilled centre, and bloom very 
early. As far as dwarfness is concerned this strain 
is beaten by Dwarf Shakespeare Aster, in six colours, 
and attaining a height only of 3 in. to 4 in., forming 
tufts hugging the ground. Pompon Asters grow 
about 12 in. high, forming neat, pyramidally branch¬ 
ing plants. There are twelve colour varieties of 
them, having quilled centres and flat rays in several 
rows. This type is both pretty and useful for cut 
flowers. 
The Dwarf Chrysanthemum Asters exist in eight 
varieties. The plants are bushy, producing large 
heads, and are about 9 in. high. The Victoria 
Asters, in six colours, grow 12 in. to 15 in. high, and 
produce a great quantity of closely and neatly imbri¬ 
cated heads. Both of these strains are very popular. 
The Needle Aster is after the style of the Ray 
Aster, but the blooms are smaller, and the quills are 
more compactly and neatly arranged. There are six 
varieties of this type, and they are very pretty both 
in form and colour. Bettridge’s Quilled Asters in 
many colours are well known, and are models of 
neatness, even if more formal than most of the above. 
The new yellow Aster belongs to this section. The 
Ball Aster is also practically new, and closely 
resembles an incurved Chrysanthemum. There are 
dark purple, light blue, white, and other varieties, 
which add to the long list of useful forms of the 
popular China Aster. 
REDBRAES NURSERY, EDINBURGH. 
Though the firm of Messrs. James Grieve & Sons is 
comparatively young, Mr. James Grieve, sen., has 
been a prominent figure in horticulture for over thirty 
years past, especially in connection with the raising 
and cultivation of Pansies, Violas, and other florists 
flowers. He is not unconnected with fruit growing 
as the Apple bearing his name, under "Plants 
Recently Certificated’’ in another column, will show. 
Mr. Grieve and his two sons carry on their business 
as nurserymen and florists at the Redbraes Nursery, 
Broughton Road, Edinburgh, which we had the plea¬ 
sure of inspecting early in September. 
Glasshouses. 
The first house we entered was a propagating pit 
used chiefly for rooting shrubs, such as Ivies, 
Ampelopsis Veitchi, A. hcderacea, Choisya, Clema¬ 
tis, Laurustinus, Retinosporas, Thuyas, Yews, Skim- 
mia oblata and others, the mere names of which will 
indicate the shrubs in request. Here also was a batch 
of seedling zonal Pelargoniums. Another house had 
the roof covered with Tomatos, while the benches 
were occupied with Fuchsias, and seedling Pelar¬ 
goniums, including P. fragrans and other scented 
leaved kinds. The third house also contained 
Tomatos in variety, including Comet, Sutton’s Ai, 
Austin's Eclipse and Honour Brights The latter is 
an American variety, but little esteemed by com¬ 
parison with the rest. A collection of Tulips, 
Hyacinths and other bulbs found temporary accom¬ 
modation here. 
Single tuberous Begonias in great variety made a 
portion of another house gay ; while seedlings of 
various kinds showed that stock was being raised in 
quantity, including a fine batch of the Japanese 
Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius). The Kangaroo 
Vine (Vitis antarctica) and many other rather un¬ 
common subjects receive attention. We were 
interested in a collection of British Ferns, including 
the Mountain Parsley, the Oak Fern, Aspidium 
angulare, and Scolopendriums, in variety. The 
house next to this contained a collection of decora¬ 
tive Ferns of useful market size. The more con¬ 
spicuous of them were Pteris tremula, P cretica 
cristata, P. c. albo-lineata, Lomaria gibba, Poly- 
stichum Drummondi, Cyrtomium falcatum, Scolo- 
pendrium vulgare crispum and others. These were 
all grown in the new, machine made pots, which are 
neat, strong, useful, and like what are known as the 
small 32-size. There were also some batches of 
of Ferns of a smaller size. 
The next house visited was filled with good 
market stuff, of which the more prominent were 
Pteris serrulata plumosa, P. Wimsetti, P. nobilis, 
P. straminea, P. majus, P. tremula, P. serrulata 
cristata, P. Ouvrardi, with very broad pinnae, 
Davallia bullata, Phlebodium aureum, Asplenium 
biforme, A. pumilum laxum, Adiantum cuneatum 
for cutting, Nephrolepis tuberosa, and others of that 
useful class, which can always find a market. A 
mixture of Pteris serrulata cristata and Adiantum in 
the same pot sells well. The silvery-leaved 
Sibthorpia europaea variegata finds suitable condi¬ 
tions for its welfare amongst the Ferns. Ficus 
elasticaand Dracaena Bruanti are also good market 
plants. The latter is similar to D. rubra, but is more 
erect in habit, and therefore more suitable for cer¬ 
tain decorative work. 
Ferns of many kinds were being reared in the next 
house entered, and could be seen in many sizes from 
newly germinated spores onwards, in pots, pans and 
boxes. Some of the species we noted were Platyloma 
Browni, Pteris argyrea, Cyrtomium falcatum, Gymno- 
gramme Mayi, Asplenium bulbiferum and others. 
The broad pinnules of Adiantum Capillus-Veneris 
imbricatum render the variety as handsome as A. 
farleyense, but on a smaller scale. A collection of 
the more useful Selaginellas find accommodation 
with the Ferns. A fine batch of seedlings of the new 
Asparagus Sprengeri will soon reach a useful decorat¬ 
ive size. Aspidistras could hardly be omitted from 
any general collection of the nature above indicated. 
The Tomatos in the early house were nearly all 
gathered. They were planted in the border of the 
house, and had attained a great height. In another 
division was a batch of Austin’s Eclipse in boxes. 
Palms, Smilax and other subjects were also located 
in this tall house. 
Outdoor Department. 
Chrysanthemums are much in request for cut flowers 
and other purposes. Altogether about 5,000 are grown, 
500 of them being in pots and the rest planted outside 
at the time of our visit. The latter were intended, 
of course, for lifting and taking indoors. Near the 
houses a select strain of Leeks was being grown for 
seed. A little further on we came upon a plantation 
of new Strawberries beiDg grown for the sake of run¬ 
ners, including Prince and Princess of Wales and W. 
E. Gladstone. The latter has very dwarf foliage, 
and cockscomb-shaped fruit of very fine flavour. 
Amongst florist s flowers was a fine strain of striped 
French Marigolds. A large plantation of East 
Lothian Stocks for Spring work had recently been 
planted out, and of Wallflowers there were several 
plantations. Some 2,000 to 3,000 Hepatica angu- 
losa should be productive of a fine effect in spring. 
Such annuals as Mignonette, Scabious, Larkspurs, 
Dianthus Heddewigi, Gypsophila, and Godetia, are 
grown for the sake,of cut flowers. 
The collection of Violas includes 130 of the best 
varieties; and although they had been much cut up 
to furnish the 40,000 cuttings inserted, numbers were 
still flowering freely. Joseph is a grand new one of 
a rich bronze on yellow, with a maroon centre. 
White Duchess, Countess of Hopetown, Blue Cloud, 
Goldfinch, and Duchess of Fife are as well known as 
they are fine. Mary Gilbert is a great improvement 
upon Bullion for size and shape. Marchioness is 
creamy white and of grand habit. Lady McDonald 
is larger and lighter in colour than Bullion. 
Accushla is white, heavily margined with dark 
purple. Other leading types are Archie Grant, 
Ariel, and the fragrant Violetta, all of which develope 
fine flowers of their kind. Fifteen new Violas are 
offered for this year, including Lavender King, which 
is the largest and finest lavender flower yet raised, 
and received a first-class Certificate from the 
National Viola Society. Princess Louise is consi¬ 
dered the finest yellow Viola in cultivation for 
bedding purposes ; it is almost rayless, and a profuse 
bloomer. Prince of Wales is rayless and similar to 
A. J. Rowberry, famous for exhibition, but is a more 
profuse bloomer than that variety. A striking flower 
is Sunset, with soft yellow flowers and a broad band 
of crimson on the two upper petals. Dr. Jim is a 
good yellow bedding varity. Many others could be 
named but it is needless to specify them, seeing that 
Messrs. Grieve & Sons keep such an extensive stock 
of the best and most popular. Eighty varieties of 
Fancy Pansies are kept in stock, besides 4,000 to 
5,000 seedlings for massing. 
Border Carnations are grown in quantity, includ¬ 
ing the well-known Old Clove, Duchess of Fife, 
Huntsman, Germania, and Mrs. Muir. Dundas 
Scarlet is of fiery brightness, and does not split the 
pod. Lady Sybil Primrose, a new sort, is buff, 
striped with scarlet, and grows and flowers freely. 
Amongst seedling Carnations we noted Mary C. 
Grieve, a lovely rich salmon variety. Over 100 
seedlings from the plantation have been selected for 
trial next year The famous Redbraes Picotee, with 
a heavy crimson edge, originated here. Pinks are 
also grown in some quantity. 
The double white Matricaria Parthenium plena 
was still full of bloom, although it commenced 
flowering in April. Sweet Peas in variety were in 
full bloom. They as well as Mignonette, and Vicks 
Branching China Asters are grown for cutting. In 
the frames was a stock of bronze, tricolor and zonal 
Pelargoniums, all of which are in request in spring 
for bedding purposes. 
A plantation of seedlings from Viola Joseph 
showed some interesting and beautiful variations. 
Near the frames were cuttings and young plants of 
various shrubs and Conifers; also plantations of 
border Auriculas, Polyanthus, and Primula cash- 
meriana in some quantity. Genista tinctoria elatior, 
2 ft. to 3 ft. high, makes a useful and showy autumn 
flowering shrub with dark yellow flowers. Shrubby 
Veronicas are well grown for decorative purposes in 
pots and otherwise. 
Herbaceous and alpine plants receive a fair share 
of attention. Amongst others we noted Campanulas, 
Helianthus multiflorus plenus, the fine leaved 
Thalictrum adiantifolium, Achillea Ptarmica flore 
pleno, Mimulus cardinalis, and the tiny evergreen 
shrub Veronica salicornoides, admirably adapted for 
rockwork. Very choice and useful are Campanula 
G. F. Wilson, Thymus lanuginosus, T. coccinea, and 
Saxifraga Wallacei, the latter grown in quantity 
for bedding purposes. 
Amongst alpine plants, of which there is a collec¬ 
tion in pots, prominence is given to Saxifragas, 
Sedums, Aubrietias, Iberis, Campanulas, Phloxes of 
the dwarf P. subulata type, Alyssum saxatile and a 
batch of Mimulus, raised between varieties of M. 
luteus and M. cupreus. The hybrids are intermedi¬ 
ate between the parents. The golden-leaved Thymus 
citriodorus aureus variegatus is almost sure to find a 
place in general collections, for it is often used as 
edgings to flower borders in Scotland, and else¬ 
where is put to a variety of purposes. 
We should have liked to have seen the collection 
at an earlier period of the season, before the general 
work of propagation had commenced, that is, before 
the season was so far advanced. In any case we wish 
Messrs. James Grieve & Sons a hugs success for 
their enterprise in establishing a business on their 
own account. 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned awards were made by the Royal 
Horticultural Society on the 12th inst. 
Orchid Committee 
Laelia pumila Low’s var. Nov. var .— The sepals 
and petals of this beautiful variety are white, very 
softly and faintly tinted with blue. The tube of the 
lip is pure white externally and yellow internally, 
with numerous raised lines of the same colour. The 
lamina and side lobes are blue-purple. There is 
much difference of opinion amongst cultivators as to 
whether this variety should belong to L pumila or 
to L. p. praestans. We incline to the former, though 
it does not entirely agree with the original descrip¬ 
tions of either. Award of Merit. It was shown by 
Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton, but passed into 
the collection of Sir Frederick Wigan, Clare LawD, 
East Sheen, during the day. 
Zygopetalum jorisianum. —The sepals and petals 
of this beautiful species are heavily overlaid with 
shining brown on a green ground, the latter showing 
as narrow transverse bars at wide intervals. The 
three lobed lip is fringed all round the edges, the 
upper portion being white, the lateral lobes yellow f 
and the crest purple. Award of Merit. Walter Cobb, 
Esqr. (gardener, Mr. Howse), Dulcote, Tunbridge 
Wells. 
Odontoglossum grande pittianum. Nov. var .— 
This is the most distinct variety of the species which 
has yet turned up. The usual brown blotches and 
bands have been washed out leaving only yellow of 
different shades. The sepals are light yellow, with 
transverse golden bars upon them. The petals cn 
the contrary are bright yellow with a large golden 
blotch covering about one-third of the base. The lip 
is creamy-white, with a few, slender yellow zones 
near the base. Award of Merit. H. T. Pitt, Esqr., 
(gardener, Mr. R. Aldous), Rosslyn, Stamford Hill. 
