82 
THE OARDENINO WORLD. 
February 8, 1908. 
bright orange scarlet, very large, and in¬ 
clined to the wavy form, while the wings 
are bold and well opened, of a slightly 
deeper colour, giving the whole flower a 
verv brilliant appearance. This is un¬ 
doubtedly a splendid variety, is perfectly 
fixed and stands the sun well. 
Messrs. W. A. Burpee and Co. 
Two Spencer varieties that we find in 
most lists are Burpee’s White Spencer and 
Burpee’s Primrose Spencer. They come 
to us with a great flourish of trumpets, but 
must be falcen somewhat on trust. They 
are supposed to be almost identical with 
Etta Dyke and Clara Curtis, and if such 
is the case in another year they must ap¬ 
pear under these names. Both are strong 
growers, the standards and wings being 
decidedly waved, and are well worth 
growing. 
Both are said to be quite fixed, and Mr. 
Burpee must have great faith in them, as 
he is offering valuable prizes for bunches 
of them at London, Dublin, Ulverston, 
etc. 
Another variety being sent out by Mr. 
Burpee, but which I have not seen cata¬ 
logued by any seedsman in Britain, not 
even Mr. Mackereth, is Burpee’s Apple 
Blossom Spencer, an exact reproduction 
of the popular old Apple Blossom, but of 
enlarged size and true Spencer type. 
Mr. Henry Eckford. 
Mr. Eckford has listed 12 novelties, five 
of which are offered exclusively by him- 
self. They are all of the grandiflora type, 
strong growers, offered at reasonable 
prices and illustrated on the covers of 
his catalogue, so that readers by procur¬ 
ing it will be able to judge for themselves 
as to the merits of the different varieties. 
They are: — 
Mima Johnston, a charming bright rose 
carmine, with upright bold standards 
slightly shaded salmon, and soft rose 
wings. 
H. J. R. Digges, a bright claret shaded 
maroon, a splendid flower that will be¬ 
come popular with everyone who is fond 
of dark flowers. 
James Grieve, a fine three-flowered sul¬ 
phur self, with a bold upright standard, 
and is announced as the nearest approach 
to a yellow. 
Purple King, a fine bold expanded 
giant purple, shaded indigo. 
May Perrett, a lovely shade of ivory 
tinged with buff, quite unique, and sure 
to become a great favourite. 
Mr. Eckford is sending out the white 
and primrose Spencers under the names 
of White Waved and Primrose Waved. 
Messrs. Dobbie and Co. 
Messrs. Dobbie and Co. have surpassed 
themselves this season, and are sending 
out the finest set of novelties; they have 
ever done, five of which are their own. 
They are The Marquis, which received 
an Award of Merit at the N.S.P. Society’s 
Show at Ulverston in 1906, and which was 
confirmed in London in 1907. It was also 
awarded First Class Certificates at Car¬ 
diff, Southampton, Luton, etc. When 
shown by Mr. Bolton under the name of 
Queen of Norway, which is synonymous, 
it received an Award of Merit from the 
N.S.P.S. at London in 1906. Mr. Bolton 
has decided to rename his Queen of Nor¬ 
way The Marquis. (This is surely the 
wrong way about and is departing from 
former precedent, as Queen of Norway 
was first shown, and should have had pri¬ 
ority of name.) This is a splendid variety, 
practically fixed, and may be described as 
a rosy heliotrope self of the finest Spen¬ 
cer formation, a very strong grower, and 
very often carrying four flowers on long 
stems. 
Princess Victoria is another charming 
Spencer, midway between The Countess 
and Mrs. H. Sykes. At the Holland Park 
Show this Pea attracted the attention of 
Her Majesty Queen Alexandra and also 
the Princess Victoria, and at their joint 
request was named Princess Victoria. It 
has received the following awards;— 
Award of Merit, N.S.P.S. ; Award of 
Merit, R.H.S. ; First Class Certificates at 
Wolverhampton, Luton, Handsworth, 
Dunfermline, etc. 
Princess Victoria and The Marquis are 
illustrated on the front cover of the 1908 
catalogue. 
Menie Christie is another giant Spencer 
with purplish-carmine standards and rosy 
magenta wings. 
Prince Olaf, grandiflora type, is an¬ 
other variety that received the hall mark 
of the N.S.P.S., after trial at Reading. 
The ground colour, both of the standard 
and wings, is white marbled with clear 
blue. 
Although striped flowers are not so 
popular as seifs, this variety is well worth 
growing. 
Dobbie’s other novelty is Hannah Dale, 
also of the old type, a rich maroon self, 
the wings, if anything, being a shade 
lighter than the standard. 
Mr. C. W. Breadmore. 
From Mr. Breadmore, who had such a 
successful show season, we have a long 
list of novelties, and among them three ol 
the very best of the year, namely, Audrey 
Crier, Etta Dyke, and Elsie Herbert. 
Audrey Crier, a lovely shade of pink, 
the standards being waved and crinkled. 
When it is mentioned that this variety re¬ 
ceived the Silver Medal of the N.S.P.S. 
and also a First Class Certificate in 1906, 
Award of Merit from the R.H.S. in 1906. 
and also the Silver Medal at Ulverston in 
1907, no more need be said in its praise. 
Etta Dyke, the white Spencer we know, 
and from which we all expect so much, is 
a flower of enormous size, and received 
Award of Merit from the N.S.P.S. in 1906. 
Its doings this year will be watched with 
interest, as it has a dangerous rival al¬ 
ready in the field — Nora Unwin. 
Elsie Herbert is generally described as 
a blush Spencer, but ought rather to be 
named a Picotee Spencer, as in colour it 
is blush white with a considerably deeper 
edge. Although not quite fixed, it is such 
a lovely variety that all should grow it. 
It easily won the Gold Medal in the popu¬ 
lar vote class at Ulverston in 1907, and 
also received Award of Merit from the 
N.S.P.S. in the same year. 
Mr. Breadmore’s other novelties are:— 
Mrs. C. W. Breadmore, a lovely deep 
buff Spencer with a distinct margin of 
rose. 
Prince of Asturias, a lovely dark 
variety, the standard being beautifully 
waved and of a deep chocolate colour, 
while the wings are deep purple. 
Miss M. A. Linzie, a very large pink 
Spencer. 
Vera Jeffery, a pale pink of the waved 
type. 
Dudley Lees, a fine deep maroon. 
J. T. Crier, a fine lavender. 
Hilda Jeffery, a bicolor, delicate rose 
shaded cream. 
The last three are of-the grandiflora 
type. 
Mr. Robert Bolton. 
Mr. Bolton, who, by the way, ought to 
be congratulated on his tasty catalogue, 
has listed no fewer than 13 novelties, in¬ 
cluding six of his own. They are :—- ■ 
Clara Curtis, the giant cream Spencer 
we know, and which charmed everyone 
who saw it last year. The flowers are of 
'he largest size, and usually borne four on 
a spike. This is one of the best varieties 
in commerce, comes perfectly true, and 
should be grown by every competitor. If 
Burpee’s Cream Spencer is synonymous, 
it is a splendid variety. 
Mrs. Henry Bell, another lovely Spen¬ 
cer variety that received an Award of 
Merit from the Royal 'Caledonian Society 
in 1907. The colour is rich apricot-pink 
on a cream ground, an extra strong 
grower, and quite fixed. 
Purity, a lovely large pure white Spen¬ 
cer, synonymous, I would say, with Etta 
Dyke. 
Beauty, a splendid light blush pink 
Spencer. 
Mr. Bolton’s other two novelties are of 
the old type, both good growers and per¬ 
fectly fixed. They are :—Regina, a giant 
Black Michael, a much stronger grower 
with larger flowers, and Blackbird, an¬ 
other lovely dark variety, and absolutely 
fixed. ^ j 
Mr. W. J. Unwin. 
Mr. Unwin, whose novelties last year 
gave such universal satisfaction, is send¬ 
ing out four this year, namely:— 
Miss E. F. Drayson, a beautiful scarlet, 
after the Unwin type but larger than 
Gladys, a good bold flower of grand form. 
This colour supplies a long-felt want in 
the waved type, is quite fixed, and will be 
much sought after by exhibitors. 
Chrissie Unwin, another scarlet Unwin, 
but quite a shade lighter than Miss Dray¬ 
son, but of the same size and form; a 
most desirable variety. 
Bobby K., a beautiful Apple blossom 
blush of the largest Spencer type, some¬ 
what after the style of Mrs. Hardcastle 
Sykes, and a grand variety in every way. 
White Countess Spencer, a lovely white 
waved, synonymous with Etta Dyke. 
Messrs. Stark and Son. 
Messrs. Stark and Son are sending out 
six novelties, all of the Spencer type. 
Horace Skipper is an enormous, fine, • 
deep rosy pink self. 
Nell Gwynne, deep cream, suffused 
pink ; awarded First Class Certificate at 
Cardiff and Silver Medal and First Class j 
Certificate at Leicester. A variety well 
worth growing. 
Olive Ruffell, also awarded First Class 
Certificate at Cardiff and Silver Medal 
and First Class Certificate at Leicester, 
is a lovely bright salmon, having a gold 
blotch at the base of the standard. An¬ 
other splendid variety. 
Maggie Stark, an intensified Heler 
Lewis, which it much resembles. One ol 
the best novelties, but seed very scarce. 
Silver Wings, a beautiful variety, 
colour, white splashed with pale pink 
very dainty and pr.-tty. 
Lorna -Doone, Apple blossom blusl 
Spencer, somewhat resembles Mrs. H 
Sykes only slightly paler and smaller 
but remarkably free Bloomer. 
