26 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 12, 1896. 
the rainfall was not so great, the lack of moisture from 
the clouds must be made up by deep cultivation. He 
had great objections to watering his plants with the 
hose, for except this was in the hands of a careful 
and experienced workman, the plants were apt to 
have the soil washed off their roots by the forcible 
stream of water and harm would thereby be done. He 
advised that all watering should be done through the 
medium of a rose-can. Violas certainly possess this 
great advantage over the generality of bedding plants, 
that they will stand any amount of overhead water¬ 
ing. Like Mr. Jordan he had found the winters to 
exercise a fatal effect upon the plants, and for any 
place within the five mile radius autumn planting 
could not be practised. He propagated his 
plants by cuttings. In September the young 
growths near the crown were selected, and dibbled 
into cold frames, where they passed the winter. 
After being watered, the cuttings required little 
more attention and rooted quickly and well. 
Violas had a number of enemies. Of these, Canker 
was one of the most dangerous. It was often brought 
about in the first place by wireworms gnawing the 
plants at the collars. Mildew and red Spider also 
had to be reckoned with, although fortunately they 
did not often make their appearance when high 
cultivation was given. Mr. Moorman also spoke of 
the effective combinations that might be made with 
Violas, Fuchsias, and bronze Pelargoniums. 
Dr. Shackleton was of opinion that the Violetta 
type was the most useful and best for small 
gardens. Mr. D. B. Crane stated that it was his 
experience that autumn planting was a much better 
practice than spring planting. He followed the 
former method and did not lose more than three per 
cent, of his plants. 
Violas for Exhibition. 
This phase of the subject was taken in hand by Mr. 
Needs and Mr. Baxter, both of Woking, special 
reference being made to the newer varieties. Both 
of these gentleman are known as extensive and 
successful exhibitors. 
Mr. Baxter, in commencing, drew the attention of 
his audience to the fact that many good bedders were 
first-class exhibition varieties, some of the rayless 
sorts such as A. J. Rowberry, Border Witch, and 
White Duchess, being near to perfection. The 
essayist averred that no hard and fast rule as to 
what was a good Viola could be laid down. In 
Duchess of Fife, said he, we get a form very 
far from an ideal show variety, but yet it is a 
very beautiful and desirable thing. In Purple 
Empress, on the other hand, we come very near to 
the ideal show type, which in this case lacks grace 
and refinement. We have now seifs in almost all 
shades but scarlet, whilst among the striped varieties 
H. W. Stewart is the best. There is little new in 
whites, Countess of Hopetoun still leading the way. 
Yellow Queen is the best of its class, and makes a 
pretty spray. Lord Salisbury is near to Lemon 
Queen, but it is apt to come rather coarse on 
occasion. Mrs. C. F. Gordon may be justly said to 
have taken the place of the Countess of Kintore. 
There has been a great advance of late years in 
flowers having broad margins as Peter Barr. 
In the rayless section there are many chaste and 
lovely forms. A really good yellow rayless variety 
did not exist until Mr. H. J. McLeod, of Dover House 
Gardens, introduced A. J. Rowberry, the form of 
which may still further improve. Vestal is the 
purest white but rather undersized. Ethel Hancock 
is good. Christine, with its orange throat, is second 
only in Violas to White Duchess. May Scott, blush 
on white, is charming, also Florizel. Waterloo is a 
little better than Bluebell. 
In the miniature section there was still plenty of 
room for improvement. At the last show of the 
National Viola Society in the Royal Botanic Society’s 
gardens two stands had been disqualified because 
they were over the stipulated size. Personally he 
should not advise increasing the standard, but 
he thought that a miniature Viola should be a 
miniature without being made so by bad cultivation. 
Mr. Needs. 
This gentleman then proceeded to take up the thread 
of Mr. Baxter’s discourse, whose remarks he said he 
must endorse. He thought that Mr. Baxter had so 
covered the ground that there was not much room 
left for him to say anything. At the best he could 
only hope to mention a few varieties that Mr. 
Baxter had left out. Cottage Maid had been 
omitted. This was one of the best, although an old 
variety resurrectionised (an old maid, interposed 
Dr. Shackleton). Lady Isabel and Cherry Park 
were liable to become coarse under very high 
cultivation. Carissima was wanted on account 
of its colour, although it is decidedly lacking in sub¬ 
stance. Mention had been made of A. J. Rowberry 
as a good thing. In his opinion it was bad in every¬ 
thing but its colour, and on that account alone was 
it tolerated. Its constitution was one of the worst. 
Pencaitland, • he thought, had scarcely had justice 
done to it by this year's trials. Niphetos, which he 
learned from Mr. W. Sydenham, was synonymous 
with Marchioness, was also good. 
Mr. Geo. McLeod stated that Cottage Maid, 
referred to by Mr. Needs, was raised by a Mr. 
Baxter of Daldowie, and sent out by Messrs. Dobbie 
four or five seasons ago. The thought that the 
question of foliage was important to exhibitors, as 
some greenery was needed in the making up of the 
sprays. It would be a good plan to grow a number 
of plants of some variety that produces plenty of 
foliage. The best for the purposes was Daldowie 
Yellow, which was literally all foliage. 
Viola Sports. 
Mr. J. D. Stuart, of Belfast, had been deputed to 
deal with this most interesting subject, but, owing to 
pressure of business, his paper was exceedingly 
short, and only occupied Mr. R. Dean a few minutes 
in reading it. Mr. Stuart believed that the con¬ 
ditions of heat and moisture have a great deal to do 
with the sporting to which Violas are so addicted. 
In varieties which have purple blotches in the 
blooms, he had noticed that the area of purple was 
apt to extend in wet seasons, and contract in dry 
ones. Watering did not produce the same effect as 
the water from the clouds. Doubtless this was due 
to the fact that the artificial waterings, while they 
soaked the soil, did not produce the same saturation 
of the atmosphere. The condition of the soil, 
whether rich or poor, had doubtless something to do 
with it, although hitherto no one had been able 
to find out the true reason of the phenomenon of 
sports. Mr. Stuart then briefly discussed the 
question of reversion, and mentioned the Ardwell 
Gem family as good instances in which later sports 
reverted to an ancestral type. Both Amy Barr and 
J. B. Riding would sport back to Wm. Neil, from 
which they had originated. 
A few remarks on this subject were offered at the 
close of the paper by Dr. Shackleton, and Mr. Geo. 
McLeod. 
Seedlings. 
A number of seedlings submitted by various culti¬ 
vators for the opinion of the committee received 
First-class Certificates A list of these was read 
out by Mr. R. Dean, the particulars of which are 
as follows:— 
Roland Graeme. —A large, purple, blue flower 
with darker veins and a small yellow eye. Dr. 
Stuart, Belfast. 
Argo. — A blush flower with a large yellow eye. 
Dr. Stuart. 
Lavinia. —A large lavender-blue with fine yellow 
eye. Dr. Stuart. 
Tomtit.—A charming miniature form, purple-blue 
in colour. Dr. Stuart. 
Bartholdii. —A circular, rich, purple-blue flower, 
with darker veins and a small yellow eye. Mr. D. 
B. Crane, Highgate. 
Iris is a very showy fancy variety, lavender-blue 
in colour, blotched with deep purple on the lip. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co., Rothesay. 
Hamlet is a large, very showy bloom, striated 
with rose and crimson upon a purple-maroon ground. 
Messrs. Dobbie & Co. 
Endymion. —A yellow form of medium size, 
slightly rayed. Mr. A. J. Rowberry, The Crescent, 
South Woodford. 
Mabel. —This is a pretty lavender-blue variety, 
with pronounced rays of a deeper hue. Mr. A. J. 
Rowberry. 
Pembroke. —A bright yellow self of medium size. 
Mr. W. Sydenham, Tamworth. 
Brittania.— A deep purple-blue form of large 
size. Mr. W. Sydenham. 
Election of Officers. 
The meeting then turned its attention to the making 
of arrangements for the ensuing year 1896-97, and 
the election of officers. It was moved by Mr. 
Cuthbertson, and carried by Mr. Crane 
that a Viola Conference be held in London 
in 1897, which on being put to the meeting 
was carried unanimously. A “ trial of Violas to be 
made next year in the Royal Botanic Society’s 
Gardens,” proposed by Mr. Baxter and seconded by 
Mr. Jordan, was also favourably received. Mr. A. J. 
Rowberry was unanimously re-elected to the chair 
upon the proposal of Mr. Needs, whilst a motion 
set on foot by Mr. Geo. McLeod resulted in Mr. J. B. 
Riding being asked to fill the post of Hon. Secretary 
to the Conference. Mr. Geo. McLeod, and Mr. W. 
Sydenham were re-elected Vice-Presidents, and the 
choice of the meeeting for a third Vice-President 
fell upon Dr. Shackleton. Mr. Needs takes the 
place of Mr. Cuthbertson as Hon. Treasurer. 
Votes of thanks to last years officers for their 
services, and to the Council of the Royal Botanic 
Society for its kindness, were carried with acclama¬ 
tion, and concluded the proceedings. 
-**.- 
THE MOSS ROSE.* 
The angel of flowers, one day, 
Beneath a Rose-tree sleeping lay— 
That Spirit—to whose charge is given 
To bathe young buds in dews from heaven; 
Awaking from his light repose, 
The angel whispered to the Rose 
“ Oh fondest object of my care, 
Still fairest found where all are fair, 
For the sweet shade thou’st given to me, 
Ask what thou wilt, it’s granted thee.” 
Then said the Rose, with deepen'd glow, 
" On me another grace bestow ” 
The Spirit paused in silent thought, 
What grace is there that flower had not ? 
'Twas but a moment—o’er the Rose, 
A veil of moss the angel throws, 
And robed in Nature’s simplest weed, 
Could there a flower that Rose exceed, 
—Copied from an old Garden Paper, 1844. 
--J-- 
A VISIT TO TOWN CLOSE NURSERIES, 
NORWICH. 
Having received permission to have a ramble 
through these nurseries, I availed myself of that 
pleasure during the recent holidays. Arriving upon 
the scene anyone could not but be struck 
with a gorgeous circular bed and long border 
of choice Begonias which greeted the eye of the 
visitor, showing from the start that Messrs. Daniels 
Bros, were keeping pace with others in pushing this 
popular flower to the front. The first house, the 
largest one in the nursery, visited (after passing by 
hundreds of seedling Begonias growing in the borders 
backed up by choice shrubs and perennials), was one 
which, it could soon be seen, was almost entirely de¬ 
voted to Begonias, single and double, which were a 
mass of bloom ; and the careful work of hybridisation 
was being carried out. It could be seen that here 
also, as at almost every nursery now, the chief 
object in view was to have plants of dwarf habit 
carrying erect bold blooms. 
Other houses which we visited contained all the 
new zonal Pelargoniums from Pearson and other 
noted raisers, and I can but say what a blazing 
effect they made. An unnamed salmon seedling of 
which there is a good stock made a striking display, 
and, when sent out, will I think be much in demand ; 
the colour is quite distinct and the pips very large 
and bold. Fuchsias, too, were also well grown and 
included all the newest varieties. Amongst them 
was the Princess May, with which I was wonderfully 
struck, on account of the innumerable blooms upon 
the plants. I should think this variety can claim to 
be the most profuse blooming Fuchsia at the present 
time in commerce. Passing by, mention must be 
made of the Petunias, the double fringed varieties of 
which were carrying fine blooms. I next visited a 
house where another popular coming flower, the 
Canna, was being grown with Coleus. These made 
a striking effect. Several choice seedling Coleus had 
been put aside for stock purposes and when named 
will be sent out. Chief among the Cannas of which 
a good variety is grown, Queen Charlotte I think 
was the cream. 
Next, visiting the stove and Fern houses, a large 
batch of Gloxinias, which were just going off bloom, 
and which had been hybridised, showed good pro¬ 
spects of a bountiful supply of seed. Several plants 
of Allamanda Williamsii, with Achimenes, were also 
* From the German. 
