26 
THE GARDENING WORLD* 
September 10, 1898. 
From the warehouses we went away to the trial 
grounds belonging to the firm, which are situated in 
the Lochend Road, about half way between Leith 
and Edinburgh, and exactly opposite the Loch, on 
pleasantly risiDg ground. There can be seen from 
this spot the famous Salisbury Craig with Arthur’s 
seat and Calton Hill reaching away to the west, 
whilst on the other side a good view of the Forth 
and North Berwick makes up a pretty panorama. 
These grounds are certainly well worth a visit. It 
was most surprising to view with what repletion 
and severity the test of garden and farm seeds are 
here subjected : not only are trials made of the seeds 
which have been sent out during the past season, but 
also samples of all incoming contracts, which,in a large 
business of this kind, are bound to be very numerous, 
very varied, and very large. Long rows of Peas, 
like so many regiments, Beans, Beet and Cabbages 
were right and left, both the garden and farm varie¬ 
ties of the latter succulent vegetables being very 
much In evidence. 
The famous Musselburgh Leek of which Messrs. 
Bell & Bieberstedt hold one of the finest stocks 
in the kingdom was also represented, whilst Cauli¬ 
flower, Broccoli, Radishes, and Onions all had their 
representative shares of ground alloted. I did not 
attempt to count the Lettuce, and my notes of the 
trials under treatment may be completed with 
Savoys and Turnip seeds, together with the ioi 
varieties of other things which there is no need to 
particularise ; but it is interesting to note that the 
whole of these trials reach a total of some 3,000 or 
4,000 rows. One other item equally worthy of note 
is the 130 sorts of Sweet Peas, indicating to some 
extent the wonderful popularity of the latter. As I 
have said, these grounds and the establishment 
generally are well worth a visit, and doubtless this 
month especially will afford much that is interesting 
to all those that are in a position to do so.— Gyp. 
- 4 *- 
A KENTISH SEED FARM. 
The continued dry weather has been very unfavour¬ 
able for the growth of many crops, but those en¬ 
gaged in the harvesting of cereals, Hops, flower and 
vegetable seeds alike are thankful for the sunshine 
and the dry time. The flowers and vegetables in¬ 
tended for the production of seed are much dwarfer 
than usual, but that is an advantage rather than 
otherwise, as the plants devote their energies to the 
production of seed in the primary and best flowers. 
We visited the nursery of Messrs. Dobbie & Co., 
Orpington, Kent, the other day for the purpose of 
seeing the China Asters, and inspected other sub¬ 
jects, for many things are grown here. The soil in 
this district is a heavy, binding loam of no great 
depth overlying the chalk, and would be a rich one 
provided it got a deal of working, and if the rainfall 
was heavier. 
Home Grown China Asters. 
On the last occasion of our visit two years ago the 
rainfaill at this period of the year was heavy enough 
in all conscience, and the Asters grew very tall, 
but the prospects of a good harvest of seed 
were very moderate. This year the plants are par¬ 
ticularly dwarf; the flower heads are now getting 
past their best, and the harvest prospects are good. 
In fairly average seasons the production of seed is 
sufficient to raise hopes that the home grown article 
will materially reduce the necessity for dependence 
upon Continental supplies. Messrs. Dobbie & Co. 
seem to have considerable faith in the return for 
labour expended on this crop, for they have two 
large plantations consisting in the aggregate of 
75,000 plants. They have a fine effect when seen at 
a distance, on account of the masses of various 
coIouts alternating with one another in bands across 
the field. The Quilled Asters are varied and gener¬ 
ally fine, though remarkably dwarf. The different 
colours are very numerous, some of the sorts being 
indicated by the colours such as Dark Blue, Violet 
and White Centre, Lilac and White Centre, &c. 
Most of them have, however, received special 
names. Oxonian is dark blue with a white centre, 
and, while it commemorates Oxford blue, its counter¬ 
part, Cambridge blue, is met with in the light blue, 
neat,pretty and floriferous Alexandria, or even in that 
named Lilac and White Centre, for in our opinion 
the latter is more blue or lavender than lilac. Very 
fine also are Mrs. Walker, white; Princess of 
Wales, silvery-rose, with a white centre, till fully 
developed; Red Nugent, deep purple-red; Model 
Pink, pink ; Grace Darling, soft lilac; Snowflake, 
pure white when fully developed; and Purple 
Prince, a large, dark violet-purple variety. Duchess 
of Albany is cream-white with a lemon centre, and 
Lemon Queen is the most decidedly yellow Aster yet 
obtained. Princess Royal is purple, and Annie 
Watts is purple, mottled with white. Duchess 
of Edinburgh is red with a white centre ; the Queen, 
deep rose; Modesty, silvery-pink; Unique, pale 
rose; and Lord Salisbury, dark blue, lined with 
white, is a new variety. The noble strain of quilled 
Asters is thus abundantly represented by every 
possible shade occurring in the China Aster, and 
possessing distinctness. 
Dwarf Comet Asters are as the name specifies 
and very floriferous. They do not exceed a height 
of 6 in., though we suspect they would" be taller iu a 
wet season, or in rich, moist soil. All the varieties 
are indicated by their colour equivalents only, such 
as Crimson and White, Rose and White, Light Blue 
and White, Carmine (extremely floriferous), Rosy- 
Carmine, Rose, Lilac, Crimson, Light Blue, White 
and other shades of colour. 
Giant Comet Asters are, in our opinion, more 
handsome than the dwarf ones, the large heads and 
long drooping florets recalling the Japanese race of 
Chrysanthemums, by their free and easy grace, de¬ 
void of the stiffness of the more formal though neat 
heads occurring yn other strains. Beautiful varieties 
are White, Violet and White, White Passing to 
Light Blue, White Tinted Rose, Rose and White, 
and Dark Violet, which is a large and showy flower. 
Other colours are indicated by Rose and White, 
Lavender, Azure Blue and White, Bright Blue, 
edged White, Blue, a darker variety than the 
previous one and self-coloured ; and Yellow, a very 
pale shade of lemon. The Bride is a beautiful blush- 
white variety. 
Smaller lots include various other strains, 
prominent amongst which are the Dwarf Paeony 
mixed Asters, including white, crimson, rosy-pink, 
purple, blue, violet and other shades. Tall Paeony 
Asters also find a place; and so does Mignon White, 
a small-flowered and very free variety. The strain 
of Ray Asters is comparatively new, of which White 
has long narrow and quilled florets, recalling some 
of the types of Chrysanthemum. Equally handsome 
is Bright Rose, also a " ray ” variety. 
The Victoria Asters are, perhaps, equally as 
numerous as the quilled sorts, a sure indication of 
their popularity and utility. They are relatively 
very dwarf, and form little bushes, covered with 
blossom. Their colours are indicated by such 
names as Peach Blossom, Purple Violet, Crimson 
and White, Light Lilac, Rosy Lilac, Apple Blossom, 
Flesh (a very delicate shade), Rose Tinged White, 
Light Blue Edged White (a very handsome colour) 
and Dark Blue and White (equally handsome and a 
shapely flower). Rose Tinged White, mentioned 
above, is darkest in the centre when young, but old 
flowers fade to a soft and pretty silvery-white or 
blush. The counterfoil of this is White Tinged 
Rose, for the old flowers are the darkest and of a 
self rose. Bright and lively hues are Violet, Dark 
Blue, White and Azure Blue (the dark colour ulti¬ 
mately obtaining the mastery), and Crimson. The 
far side of this plantation was made up of four long 
beds each of White and Yellow, the latter being a 
very pale shade of lemon, but quite distinct from the 
white. British grown Asters are thus well repre¬ 
sented by the above, which consist chiefly of the 
more popular strains amongst gardeners throughout 
the country. 
The Glasshouses. 
During the harvesting season every available and 
suitable place is occupied with seed, undergoing the 
drying process preparatory to its being cleaned. 
On the benches of a greenhouse we noted White 
Candytuft, crimson, bronze and golden crown, dark 
rose, violet, white, golden-yellow and other shades of 
Cockscombs. A batch of Celosia pyramidalis was 
ripening its seeds, and in the far end of the house is 
a batch of the same thing in full flower, in crimson, 
yellow and violet-crimson varieties. Tuberous 
Begonias are also grown inside and in the open. 
Tomatos are represented by a houseful of the new 
Golden Jubilee carrying a heavy crop of fruit on 
robust stems. It is, in fact, an enormous cropper, 
and the ripe fruits vary from golden yellow to those 
that are more or less flushed with a handsome shade 
of orange. A few of Dobbie’s Champion are grown 
in the same house, but most of this variety is at 
Rothesay. The Cropper produces an abundance of 
nearly globular fruits of small size. Dobbie’s Im¬ 
proved Conference, in the open air, takes the place 
of the latter, and is fruiting abundantly. It also 
does better at Orpington than Dobbie's Champion. 
Cherry and Golden Drop are both small varieties, 
being, in fact, about the size of Cherries or Goose¬ 
berries, now fruiting most abundantly and ripening 
in the open air. They are very solid and of excel¬ 
lent flavour. 
(To be continued.) 
- »l» - 
SPORTING CAPE PRIMROSES. 
One of the most interesting subjects for study and 1 
investigation which comes under the cultivator's 
notice is that of “ Sports ”—interesting, because it 
baffles and puzzles even the greatest thinkers. Why 
a plant should produce a flower (perhaps a solitary 
one) differing in its character from its fellows, with 
certain organs suppressed and others developed at 
their expense, cannot be explained. The Rev Prof, 
Henslow, in his instructive lectures delivered at the 
R.H.S. Gardens in July last, admitted this,and gave 
those who were privileged to hear him much 
valuable food for reflection on this subject, and, to 
mention one instance, he gave us (amongst many 
other most useful sketches of the evolution of some 
florist's flower) an account of the history of the 
Gloxinia, and compared by illustrations the present 
erect and brilliantly coloured flowers with one of the 
parents, G. speciosa, with its small drooping flowers 
and long ungainly leaves. The process of improve¬ 
ment (I use the word in the florist’s sense) was 
effected by Nature. The florist watched and selected 
till he gained his end. 
There has come under my notice during the past 
few days amongst a batch of hybrid Streptocarpus 
an instance of sportiveness in three different plants, 
each sport differing in detail slightly, but agreeing in 
this respect, the erect position of the flower which 
sports and a tendency in each to become uniform in 
shape and size of the lobes of the limb of the corolla. 
No. 1 is a terminal flower, perfectly erect and 
solitary; the fine lobes of the corolla limb are equal 
and spreading; perfect stamens are wanting, four 
rudimentary ones being visible. The colour is pale 
blue without any of the violet markings which 
characterise all other flowers on the plant. 
No. 2 has an erect flower, terminal, with six lobes 
to the limb of the corolla. One of the anterior lobes 
is slightly irregular, or more fully developed than the 
others, this lobe alone being marked with purple in 
the same way as the trifid lobes of the normal flowers 
on the plant. One stamen only is developed. 
No. 3 is an erect flower, the central one on a nine- 
flowered peduncle. The lobes of the limb of the 
corolla are spreading and equal, and the remarkable 
thing about this flower is that it has five perfect 
stamens, their anthers closely pressing round the 
stigma. 
In all other flowers of Streptocarpus I have 
experienced I have only observed two perfect 
stamens, which appear to be adpressed by their 
anthers to the underside of the somewhat bent 
stigma. The three plants producing these sports are 
growing side by side planted out in a Peach house 
border, and are about eighteen months old. 
I observed a similar instance in another plant 
about a month ago, and being very busy at the time 
I fertilised the flower, and marked it by a strand of 
bast, and a week later was unlucky enough to cut off 
the seed capsule accidentally. Actions and flowers 
are alike uncertain sometimes .—Arthur Pentney. 
[A day or two after the above note reached us,a box 
of the ordinary hybrid Streptocarpi came from Mr. 
Pentney, the more remarkable ones being retained 
upon the plants, as he has further designs upon them, 
Two flowers were, however, sent, showing the three 
posterior stamens partially developed, and exhibiting 
distinct filaments, whereas in the normal state of 
Streptocarpus, these three are represented by small 
knobs terminating as many slender ribs on the corolla 
tube. Independently of these interesting curiosities 
we cannot overlook the beauty and utility of the 
flowers for greenhouse and conservatory decoration. 
The flower scapes carried from two to four large 
flowers, of various shades of rose, purple, blue, 
purple-blue, and violet, in many combinations, the 
colours occasionally being quite intense. The lower 
three segments were generally marked with crimson 
or violet lines and bands, sometimes almost black. 
