742 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 22, _1899. 
with a rich rosy-red centre to the flower (or for the 
matter of that to each individual petal), and a heavy 
lacing of the same colour, contrasting beautifully 
with the pure white ground. Dresden makes the 
fourth of the new varieties, the centre of which is 
clear rose, and the margin of the same hue but 
slightly paler. All four may be grown in the open 
border, with a minimum of trouble and a maximum 
of reward. 
-- 
NOTICE OF BOOK. 
Familar Wild Flowers. By F. E. Hulme, F.L.S., 
F.S.A. Popular Edition in 25 Weekly Parts. 
Each Part 6d. Cassell & Company Limited, 
London, Paris, New York and Melbourne. 
To the amateur and wild flower collector this book 
would appeal since it enables them to take a near cut 
to a knowledge of wild plants without having to 
study the botanical terms, which (however necessary 
to the systematist and those who wish to study the 
British wildings, irrespective of any beauty or other 
thin botanical interest they may possess) are the 
pons asinorum or stumbling block to many in the 
initial stages of study. Of the twenty-five parts, 
sixteen are already before us, each containing ten 
coloured plates, together with the text relating to the 
same, so that there would be 250 coloured and full 
page illustrations, independently of woodcuts of the 
same species forming the ornamental heading and 
tailpiece to the respective articles or chapters. This 
is by no means exhaustive of the British flora, but 
as the title implies, only the more common or 
familiar plants are figured ; and we might also add 
they are amongst the more showy and interesting of 
our wildings to the general reader. Some of the plates 
illustrate t wo spe cies of a ge nus, the low price and the 
ea^y instalments by which the book may be procured 
would also bear out the terms “ popular edition ” 
applied to it. 
Part 1 commences abruptly so that we cannot say 
what the preface (if any) will say concerning the aim 
and objects of the book, nor whether there will be an 
index ; but we hope the author has fully made up his 
mind to give one, for a book without an index in 
these modern times of hurry, and the need for 
frequent and rapid reference, would be an anomaly 
and frequent source of annoyance. The reader is 
supposed to read or look through the whole book and 
look for the plants figured, we presume; but he or 
she might already know a number of wild plants by 
name, and desire to know whether they are figured in 
the book ; hence the need of an index for reference. 
The ten plants figured in Part 1. are the Field Convol¬ 
vulus, Field Rose, Meadow Crane’s Bill, Silverweed, 
Apple, Borage, Scarlet Poppy, Arum or Cuckoo- 
pint, Sweet Violet, and Primrose. It will thus be 
seen that there is no order or arrangement, but that 
is a small matter where the more common flowers 
only are concerned. For the indentification of the 
plants the figures alone would generally be sufficient 
for those who have a fairly keen eye for the discern¬ 
ment of the leading characteristics which go to make 
the respective plants what they are and nothing 
else. The&ctual descriptions are given iu few words, 
very little cumbered by technicalities, the rest of the 
four pages of text relating to the plates being taken 
up with information relating to ancient or natural 
history, the economic value, if any, the derivation of 
the botanical names, and other matter of greater or 
less interest to the general reader. We should take 
exception to the statement that the wild Pear is 
equally common as the Wild Apple or Crab. In 
some districts the Crab is very frequent while the 
Pear is seldom met wiih. The explanation of Tutsan 
(Hypericum Androsaemum), and the mention of 
London localities where it once grew wild, should 
prove interesting to all plant lovers. 
The meanings of the various English or so called 
popular names are fully explained, and prove to be 
very interesting, though at other times they are 
merely amusing, and occasionally ludicrous, showing 
that the old botanists or herbalists who applied them 
were as inapt in the rendering or expression of a 
natural phenomenon, as modern botanists are prone to 
bury the meanings of their names in the obscurity, not 
of a learned language but of home-made Greek, or 
that made in Germany. Touch-me-not and Impat- 
iens Noli-me-tangere do not appeal to us as a proper 
rendering of the phenomenon presented by the burst¬ 
ing of the pods of the Yellow Balsam, nor of Carda- 
mine Impatiens, when touched. Touch-me-please, 
Give-me-liberty, or Give-me-independence, strike us 
as what the seeds would say if they could speak. 
" Touch-me-gin-you daur ” applied by the Scotch 
to the Thistle would seem to be highly appropriate 
to a plant which protects itself by spine c . The 
medicinal faculties of Impatiens Noli-me-tangere 
puzzled the ancients, for they were unable to “ affirms 
anything of certaintie, but rather by heresay.” We 
are afraid that was the case with by far the larger 
number of plants, and that their medicinal value was 
assumed first and affirmed afterwards. As the object 
of a popular book is to amuse as well as interest and 
instruct the reader, the information here supplied is 
well fitted to that end. The quotations and bits of 
folk lore also serve to take the reader back to ancient 
times when simple folk were beginning, as a result of 
civilisation, to take an interest in the beautiful 
flowers around them, but which they yet failed to 
comprehend, as moderns do after so many centuries 
of the study of plant life and natural history gen¬ 
erally. In speaking of the Marsh Marigold no men¬ 
tion is made of King Cup, a name often applied to it 
in the more rural districts of Surrey. Welsh, Irish, 
and occasionally Scotch names are mentioned, but 
we may add the Gaelic name of the Marsh Marigold, 
namely Lus bhuidhe bealtuinn, or the yellow plant of 
Beltane or May, which carries us back to druidical 
times. 
Paper and printing are excellent, and if readers 
take the trouble to bind the parts neatly into volumes 
they will have a cheap book that will afford them 
much entertainment during their leisure hours. 
-- I - 
’MUMMERS AT MENTMORE. 
A happy selection by the officials of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society’s annual excursion gave 
the members of this very-much-alive institution an 
opportunity of inspecting the charming demesne of 
Mentmore Towers, in Buckinghamshire, on Monday 
last, thanks to the gracious permission of the Earl 
of Rosebery, through the good offices of Mr. Smith, 
who for so many years has presided over matters 
horticultural at Mentmore. And a very pleasant day 
indeed it proved to be. The excursion was timed to 
leave Euston at 11.5, and punctually at eighteen 
minutes past noon Cheddington Station was reached, 
where that far-seeiDg master of organisations in the 
person of Mr. Richard Dean, the society’s secretary, 
had provided ample vehicular accommodation in the 
shape of brakes, waggonettes and charabancs, in 
which the journey was continued by those what 
wished to drive. Others who had a notion in the 
direction of “ fresh fields and pastures new" made 
a short cut across the meadows by the home farm— 
a most enjoyable walk made the more interesting by 
the descriptions and directions most courteously 
given by the local constable as to the way in which 
and which not to go. Some heavy clouds in the 
Watford district as the train passed through seemed 
to threaten a downpour, possibly by way of judg¬ 
ment on some of the extra-enthusiastic excursionists 
who threw their umbrellas out of the carriage 
windows at Willesden, but by the time the heights 
of Mentmore were reached the sky had cleared. 
The July sun shone with all its might and majesty, 
and despite a hazy distance the views and pictur¬ 
esqueness of the surroundings of this charming spot 
impressed all and everyone. 
Dinner was served at half-past one in a com¬ 
modious marquee on the village green, some 200 
guests sitting down, under the presidency of Mr. 
Percy Waterer, who was supported by a distin¬ 
guished company. The post-prandial proceedings 
“were commendably brief. After honouring the cus¬ 
tomary loyal toasts, the health of Lord Rosebery 
was submitted by the chairman. Mr. Smith 
acknowledged the sentiment with a suitable expres¬ 
sion of cordial welcome to the society and the com¬ 
pany present that day which he was pleased to see. 
The chairman called upon Mr. R. Ballantine to pro¬ 
pose the toast of the “ Country Members and 
Visitors,” of whom that gentleman stated that they 
were happy to see so many amongst them, and in 
humorous terms expressed the hope that their 
country members would assist them at their business 
meetings as readily as they did at their alfresco 
gatherings. The response to this toast was in the 
capable bands of Mr. Cuthbertson, of Messrs. 
Dobbie & Co., from far Rothesay, who, in happy 
terms, exactly took up the vein of humour initiated 
by Mr. Ballantine. Mr. Bolderson also replied. 
Hereabouts, Mr. Dean interposed with the intima¬ 
tion that an enterprising firm of London publishers 
had sent down some photographic artists to snap¬ 
shot the company. Then Mr. Bevan proposed the 
chairman, to whom the members accorded three 
times three, and we all trooped cut to interview the 
knights of the camera. 
The afternoon was spent in a ramble amongst the 
grounds of Mentmore, and at 4.30 an inspection was 
made of the famous stables. Tea was partaken at 
5.30, again on the greeD, and later on the company, 
which included a large number of ladies, set their 
faces homeward, after having spent not the least 
enjoyable day in the annals of the society’s excur¬ 
sions.— Gyp. 
THE MUMMY PEA. 
Writing about this Pea, Mr. P. Davidson, says, 
■' I venture to send you a blooming spray of the 
Mummy Pea; it might interest some of your readers 
on account of its rather fabulous and antique history, 
of its being found with a mummy and retaining its 
vitality for many generations. It is successfully 
grown by Mr. James Dulby, 73, St. James’ Road, 
Upper Tooting." 
[The Pea in question is a variety of the common 
one, and we have seen it under some such names as 
Pisum sativum multiflorum and P. elatius. The stems 
are fasciated,very much thickened and hollow towards 
the top, where the leaves and flowers are much 
crowded. Each flower stalk carries two flowers of a 
pale purple colour, and all are confined to the top of 
the stem. The pods are very moderate in size and 
call for no special comment. The variety repro¬ 
duces itself true from seed. We have known it for 
many years under the name of Mummy Pea, and can 
quite believe that it was found with a mummy, but 
that it had been put there quite recently by a living 
one. We give credit to readers of The Gardening 
World for disbelieving the story that the seeds had 
retained their vitality in company with a mummy 
for many generations, or even thousands of years 
according to some stories. We do not believe that 
any seeds could retain their vitality for such a 
lengthy period. Whatever the real age of the variety 
it is distinct and interesting in more ways than one.— 
Ed.] 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned awards were given by the 
Royal Horticultural Society at the International 
Conference on Hybridisation, opened at Chiswick on 
the nth inst. 
Orchid Committee. 
Cattleya Loddigesii Harrisoniae alba, Nov. var. 
—A white variety was in existence many years ago, 
but that had a yellow disc to the lip. The variety- 
under notice is pure white, with the exception of a 
faint lemon tint at the base of the small lamina, the 
base of the lateral lobes and the base of the column, 
but the faint flush is hardly observable. (First-class 
Certificate ) Rev. F. Paynton (gardener, Mr. H. 
Cook), Stoke Hill, Guildford. 
Laeliocattleya Adolphus, Nov. hyb.b'gen. —The 
parents of this bigeneric hybrid were Laelia cinna- 
barina (female), and Cattleya Acklandiae (male), the 
flowers being somewhat larger than those of the 
former. The sepals and petals are lanceolate and 
buff-orange, spotted with crimson towards the tip,- 
showing the effect of the pollen parent. The tube' 
of the lip is pale yellow, but the round, terminal lobe 
is slightly fimbriated, and purple, with darker veins- 
overlying a yellow ground. The column is dark 
purple. The slender stems, now 3 in. to 6 in. high, 
carry a pair of leaves each. It is intermediate be¬ 
tween the parents. (Award of Merit.) Rev. F. 
Paynton. 
Epilaelia Charlesworthii, Nov. hyb. bigen .—' 
The parents of this strange bigeneric hybrid were 
Laelia cinnabarina (female), and Epidendrum radi- 
cans (male). The latter has by far the more power¬ 
fully affected the hybrid, for the plant has quite the 
form of an Epidendrum, the stems being 3$ ft. 
high, including a long peduncle, and bearing two 
rows of short leaves like the male parent. The 
flowers are also produced in a short raceme at the 
top of the flower stalk, and the lanceolate sepals and- 
petals are brilliant scarlet. The four-lobed lip is- 
yellow, tipped with orange, with some crimson spots- 
