463 
March 16,1901. THE GARDENING WORLD 
SWEET WILLIAM CANNELL’S 
PERFECTION. 
Only those who have grown Sweet Williams for a 
number of years aDd closely studied them when in 
bloom, can form any comprehensive idea of their 
variability and beauty. Most gardens possess Sweet 
Williams (Dianthus barbatus) in greater or less 
numbers, and they are peculiarly a flower of the 
cottage garden ; but notwithstanding this evidence 
of their all but general cultivation, we know that 
new and unexpected pleasure awaits those who avail 
themselves of strains from different sources, as 
various raisers develop their own strains along 
particular lines. At our desire Messrs. H. Cannell 
& Sons, Swanley, Kent, have lent us the accompany¬ 
ing illustration of their strain named Perfection. 
Twelve flowers, representing as many varieties, have 
been selected to represent the variability of this 
strain from seed. No. i has a white centre surrounded 
by a dark zone and a broad white margin. No. 2 
is pale in the centre, with a narrow white ring 
around it, then a. dark zone, and a white border, 
more or less striped or flaked. Very handsome is 
No. 3, with its well defined zones, which from a 
florist’s point of view is marred by the toothed 
margin, otherwise it would be perfect. The margin 
of No. 4 comes up to requirements, as does 
that of No. 5, but in the latter the margin of the 
dark central area is defective as a florists' flower, 
though it would find many admirers for garden 
decoration. No. 7 is similar to the last except being 
paler in colour. Both the margin and the zone in 
No. C are toothed. In No. 8 we have a pale centre 
and a shaded margin as in an alpine Auricula. In 
No 9 a middle zone.of spots will be observed such 
as is characteristic of various other species of 
Dianthus, but particularly D. callizonus. No. 10 is 
a variation upon No. 8, being paler in colour. Nos. 
11 and 12 have each a white eye, dark zone, pale 
border and entire margin closely resembling alpine 
Auriculas. All these variations turn up in a packet 
of seed and furnish no end of interest to the 
cultivator while watching them expand. 
-- 
DICKSONS’ SUPERB PANSIES. 
The above is a name given to a strain of Pansies 
selected by Messrs. Dickson, Chester, who lent us 
good Pansies from seed it is necessary to develop a 
good strain by continual selection of the best from 
which to save seed. Bad ones must not be tolerated 
amongst them otherwise insects by inter-crossing 
them tend to degenerate the whole stock. As a 
result of the work of cultivators the strains of Pansies 
that can be raised from seeds have been greatly im¬ 
proved, and will continue to be so, provided the 
such, but~merely as [beautiful flowers for garden 
decoration, and which may be raised in quantity, 
with a minimum of trouble, by means of seeds. Now 
is the time to sow seeds in frames, to be planted out 
later on for summer and autumn blooming. For 
spring planting the seeds should be sown in August 
and protected in winter by pricking out the seedlings 
in cold frames, in specially prepared soil 
raisers consistently follow the course they have been 
pursuing in the past. Dicksons’ Superb Pansies 
have been selected for size, quality and variety of 
colour. Some of them are seifs ; others have a 
COCKADE ASTER REINE DES ROSES. 
The groups, sections or strains of the China Aster 
(Callistephus hortensis) are now almost, if net 
altogether, more numerous than the colour varieties, 
Dianthus[[barbatus (Sweet William Cannell’s Perfection). 
Dicksons’ Superb Pansies. 
the illustration herewith to exemplify our remarks 
anent the same. Great progress has been made 
amongst these popular flowers within the last decade, 
and many cultivators and raisers have been endeav¬ 
ouring to improve them by working upon special 
strains. To maintain the identity of particular 
varieties it is necessary to take cuttings; but this 
means of propagation is limited in scope. To raise 
distinct edging of some paler hue than the ground. 
In others again the feature consists in the large, 
richly coloured blotches on the three lower petals, 
and which serve to glorify the paler ground colour of 
the rest of the flower. Striped ones are now of 
common occurrence and come more or less true to 
type from seed. None of them come within the 
category of florists’ flowers, nor are they intended for 
as the latter really run through all the sections to a 
greater or less extent. The section known as the 
Cockade or Crown Aster is not far distant from the 
strain called Victoria Asters, but it differs markedly 
from a a horticultural point of view in having a 
broad white centre to all the varieties, sur¬ 
rounded by a broad band of some other colour such 
as rose, purple, red, crimson, light or dark bluej 
