442 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 11, 1899. 
Salmon Queen is the finest and most distinct in 
the matter of colour amongst Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ 
recent acquisitions. The flowers are of a rich salmon 
with a paler edge, and have now greatly increased in 
size. The origin of it was a deteriorated crimson 
variety showing a trace of salmon, this being crossed 
Nicotiana sylvestris. 
with Vulcan and the result was Salmon Queen, a 
unique and beautiful colour that shows up well either 
in natural or artificial light. The flowers of Giant 
Rose are of huge size with a base that is almost 
scarlet. The gigantic size of White with Crimson 
Base has already been mentioned. Crispum has 
white flowers with fringed edges, and very broad 
segments, the stalks being stout and erect. The 
snowy purity of Giant White always arrests the 
attention, for it is a superb variety. The broad and 
twisted segments of White Butterfly are also pure 
white, and the variety has long been a favourite with 
growers. The flowers of Giant Crimson are very 
dark and intensify to crimson at the base. Though 
the plants are grown in 48-size pots, one leaf of this 
variety measured 6 in. by 6 in. The plants of the 
giant strain often measure 22 in. and 23 in. through. 
The flowers of a double strain of Cyclamen have 
ten to twelve petals each. The old Persicum album 
is still very pretty and remarkably floriferous. The 
same may be said of Light Rose belonging to the 
same strain. The Papilio race now exists in rose, 
pink, blush, white, rose with dark base, and other 
colours. The broad, finely fringed segments are 
characteristic of this strain. The crested Cyclamen 
also finds a home here. Altogether the three houses 
contain six benches, each 50 ft. long, or an aggregate 
of 300 ft. run of space. The seeds for the next 
supply of plants were sown in November last, and 
the seedlings were germinating while this year was 
just commencing. 
While passing through some other houses we 
noted a batch of Saintpaulia ionantha flowering with 
great freedom, the dark and light blue flowers being 
charming. S. i. alba was also included in the batch. 
A fine lot of Clerodendron Kaempferi will make a 
bold display next autumn. 
Calceolarias, so well grown here, were making 
perfectly satisfactory progress in frames, and were 
at that time in 24-size pots. The same may be said 
of Cineraria steliata, which will presently make a 
charming display with its myriads of starry flowers. 
A batch of Freesia Leichtlinii was scenting a whole 
house. About five bulbs were being grown in each 
48-size pot, and the flower stems had two to three 
branches each. Begonia Gloire de Lorraine was 
flowering profusely, suspended in pots, and some of 
the flowers had been crossed for seed. Primula 
floribunda is the best yellow for winter work, and 
beside it was a batch raised by crossing it with. P. 
sinensis, the progeny having longer and darker 
flowers, and a great abundance of foliage. 
- 
NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS. 
Of late years a considerable amount of attention 
has been given to the cultivation of species and varie¬ 
ties of Tobacco for ornamental purposes in the flower 
garden, as well as the sub-tropical garden. N. affinis 
is also grown in pots as well as outside for the sake 
of its deliciously scented flowers, which come into play 
after sundown. Some Tobaccos are grown both for 
the sake of their flowers and foliage, so that Nicotiana 
sylvestris would come into this category. The stems 
rise to a height of 6 ft. and are of a stately, pyramidal 
habit of growth. The lower leaves attain a fine 
development at the base, and gradually decrease in 
size as the flowers are approached. The upper part 
of the stem is branched, each shoot terminating in a 
close panicle of white flowers, the long slender tube 
of which enables them to assume a nodding or droop¬ 
ing habit. When raised from seeds and grown under 
favourable conditions, the plant becomes a stately 
object for the centre of beds and the sub-tropical gar¬ 
den proper. The accompanying illustration, lent 
us by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, will give an 
idea of this stately new subject for garden decoration. 
-—- 
PUZZLE AND QUALIFICATIONS ! 
Those two notes on p. 390 of The Gardening 
World, “Puzzle! Find the Names ” (Alf. Cook, of 
Leeds, never portrayed anything more applicable to 
the title) and the “Fourteen Qualifications of a 
Gardener" fairly tickled my fancy. What a brace 
of brilliant examples of crass ignorance and 
impudence do they denote at this latter end of the 
nineteenth century ! I am sure the thanks of young 
gardeners are due to Mr. Alfred Outram for com¬ 
municating to The Gardening World the neces¬ 
sary qualifications that are required nowadays to fill 
the position of gardener (?) They can now read up 
so as to become conversant with any of those 
qualities they have hitherto lacked. Where is the 
horticultural college that could turn out such a 
genius, or shall I say machine ? It reminds me of 
the jobbing gardener—from a good nursery—that 
used to have two or three days’ work allotted him 
every morning before the gent started for town. At 
last it so tried his “good temper" that he was 
forced to out with “ Look ’ere guv nor, you’d better 
get the Americans to make you a man, and then you 
can wind him up before you go to business and find 
him still going when you come home at night! " Of 
course the man was impertinent and was not wanted 
there again. 
I often wonder what sort of replies would come 
from the average British mechanic, who is taking his 
xod. or more per hour, if he had half the humbug 
to put up with as many of the so-called gardeners. 
I can well call to mind that some years ago I 
thought I should like a place on my own account, so I 
advertised in the Times and got a reply from a 
military man residing at a fashionable town on the 
south coast. When I read that epistle through I 
really thought the list of qualifications necessary 
was a hoax that might have emanated from the 
fertile brain of some gay young sparks who had 
indulged in bothy amusement in the way of letter 
writing. But then as I was advertising under a 
nom de plume, care of a railway bookstall situated at 
a station where an old schoolfellow of mine was 
employed, I knew such could not be the case. I was 
so disgusted that my advertising venture had brought 
such an offer—and the only one—that I was upon 
pitching it into the fire, but then I noticed that my 
would-be employer had been considerate enough to 
enclose a " stamped" envelope—stamped, mark 
you ! Not an ordinary postage stamp that I could 
detach and turn to my own use if I did not reply— 
already addressed. He was unkind not to enclose a 
sheet of paper, but I soon found that and penned 
him the following reply :—Alpha acknowledges the 
receipt of your letter, and begs to say that having 
spent twelve years in some of the best gardens in 
England he now requires a situation where he can 
show his abilities as a cultivator, and not as handy 
man ; he knows nothing about washing dogs, and 
the other requirements you mention, so therefore 
does not feel himself capable of undertaking so 
responsible a situation." 
At the anniversary of the Royal Gardeners’ 
Orphan Fund, ten years ago, the subject of Mr. 
Veitch’s toast was " Gardeners and Gardening," 
coupled with the name of Mr. D. T. Fish. That 
gentleman, in the course of his reply, very truthfully 
remarked " Gardeners had to take their wages in 
Beauty." Things have not improved since then. 
Gardeners have to make longer hours, and are in 
many cases worse paid than a bricklayer’s labourer ! 
— Pathfinder. 
-—- 
COELOGYNES AT CLEVELY, 
ALLERTON. 
The gardens are well known as amongst the very 
best in the neighbourhood of Liverpool, and at all 
seasons contain some interesting feature of horti¬ 
culture. At present Coelogynes are the premier 
attraction, and right well are they done. Mr. B. 
Cromwell, the able gardener, secures masses of bloom 
year after year that prove, amongst choice spring 
flowers, they hold a leading place. The varieties 
grown are C. cristata, C. c. Chatsworth var., C. c. 
Trentham variety, C. c. maxima and C. c. lemoniana. 
They are all in large pans, the masses of bloom 
ranging from three to four feet in diameter, many 
of the bulbs carrying twin-flowered spikes. The 
old variety has from four to six flowers on a spike, 
whilst C. c. maxima sustains from six to eight. This 
variety must be placed in the fore-front with its 
larger flowers, of good substance and boldness. C. c. 
lemoniana is valuable for the distinct colouring of its 
lemon-coloured centre, against orange of the other 
varieties. 
After securing well flowered specimens, the next 
point is to show them to advantage; and this is 
admirably done at Clevely in the form of a deep 
bank with a fine Kentia and large Davallias as a 
back ground. To break the monotony of bloom 
small Palms and Ferns are interspersed with the 
best results, forming altogether a feature that must 
delight an ardent horticulturist like T. S. Timmis, 
Esq., in his well kept gardens. 
STAR PRIMULAS. 
I note in your report of the last meeting of the 
R.H.S., a very favourable reference to this most 
useful addition to the class of plants suitable for 
conservatory decoration. 
I doubt not the display made at the Drill Hall will 
beget a desire in many of those who saw the Primulas 
to become possessors of these veritable gems. They 
certainly are worthy of all you say respecting them, 
and more will yet be written of them, as their merits 
are recognised, and their use and value appreciated. 
The healthy and vigorous foliage is a commen¬ 
dation, and the number of spikes a plant will carry, 
with three, sometimes four, whorls of blossoms upon 
them, standing erect, and reaching a height of 4 rom 
18 in. to 2 ft., is certainly a new and distinct feature 
in the Primula class. The improved variety, the 
Lady, is most beautiful, the purity of the flowers, and 
the size of them, causing this to be at once very 
noticeable. The plants are sturdy and robust, and 
when well done, are truly masses of flower. The vari¬ 
ous forms of CanDell's Pyramidalis are all worthy of 
culture, and sure to give general satisfaction. 
Looking at a quantity of these, as it was my pleasure 
a few days ago, at the gardens of H. H. Spencer, 
Esq., Teignmouth, I was much struck with their 
beauty and attractiveness, and would willingly 
commend them to any who are on the look out for a 
new and good thiDg. 
Mr. Foster in reply to my enquiry, informed me 
that when the flowers are cut they will remain 
perfectly fresh for ten days, or more, and do not fall 
from their calyx as [other, Ed.] forms of P. sinensis 
are very apt to do. 
