uly 4, 1908. 
THE QAR&&MNQ WORLD. 
445 
Unongst the dark blue varieties, Coun- 
. or \\ aters took the leading position, 
Lt Jubilee does not seem to differ much. 
Jmy, from it. Another dark blue which 
es the fancy of many is Admiral of 
Blues, which has a round flower of 
, id substance and rich colour, though 
plant is inclined to be tall. True 
ie is notably dwarf in habit, but for 
■ility of flower, it is somewhat out- 
- ssed at the present day. Another old 
: ourite was Archibald Grant, also 
•her tall in habit. 
Vmongst varieties not classed in the 
jive, several fancy flowers can hardly 
overlooked in bedding arrangements. 
t iongst these was a crimson-bronze 
. riety named Glencoe, which has some 
[ rit, but is rather a tall grower. It 
• ,y, however, give rise to something bet- 
’ The old William Neil is still a good 
i, e Viola, though several others recall 
; but lack the purity of shade. The 
[ ire modern ones are, however, larger. 
, .ery charming fancy flower is Mrs. Chi- 
t ester, of large size "and white, more or 
!s shaded with light blue. In sunny, 
nosed positions and in a dry soil it is 
: t to lose colour, but in cool aspects, 
Hugh well exposed to light, it is a 
(arming flower, and blooms quite con- 
i uously through the season. There is 
: 11 an opening for a good crimson bed- 
i lg variety. 
-- 
Rhododendron 
MINNIE. 
Where Rhododendrons succeed in the 
tural soil, or in soil artificially made up 
r them, the owner and grower are always 
3ured of success by planting Rhodo- 
ndrons which flower in June. No doubt 
tododendrons which bloom at Christ¬ 
as would be highly prized, but at that 
ason of the year they run a great risk 
being destroyed by a night’s frost oc- 
rring after a mild time and bringing 
e Rhododendrons into full bloom. Usu- 
'ly those varieties which will bloom at 
at season of the year, provided the win- 
r is mild, owe their origin to some of 
imalyan species. Those who have 
enty of space at command can risk a 
tie with these early flowering varieties, 
irticularly in mild districts towards the 
:st of Britain where these early flowering 
rieties are to a certain extent assured 
■ being within the influence of the Atlan- 
:. On the other hand, the June flower- 
g varieties are practically safe in all 
irts of the country. 
The accompanying illustration shows a 
uss of Minnie so as to get some idea 
the character of the blooms. Each 
>wer is white, with a large blotch made 
p of orange spots just under the upper 
irt of the flower. The variety is, how- 
■er, free flowering, and when growing 
gorously in soil that suits it the truss 
its to be of great size. We had the 
iriety photographed in the Botanic So¬ 
fty's Gardens, Regent’s Park, in the 
*rly part of June, when a fine display of 
hododendrons was made by Messrs. 
>hn Waterer and Sons, American Nur- 
■ries, Bagshot, Surrey. 
The glowing sun—the cloudy sky, 
The dry days and the showers, 
We need alternate to supply 
Our wealth of summer flowers. 
Baynton-Taylor. 
The poets call June “the month of 
Roses,” but the Rosarian knows that the 
last week in June and the first fortnight 
in July are the limits of the season in 
which Roses are at their best. A few 
flower earlier, and some flower in the 
autumn only, and some again later on, 
but, broadly speaking, the three weeks 
referred to are the time for Roses. 
Taking Notes. 
Now, whilst Roses are at their best, we 
must prepare for the next season. Some 
Roses do not come true to colour in cer¬ 
tain soils, whilst others do better. Some 
fail in foliage, others flourish. Some 
Roses do badly in one garden, whilst do¬ 
ing well in another. Now, then, is the 
time to weed out failures and to carefully 
note those which do well in your garden, 
so that they may be selected for future 
growing • whilst those which do not suit 
your particular garden may be avoided. 
Now, too, is the time to compare col¬ 
ours so that next year you may be able to 
arrange your plants so as to make the 
best possible display. The descriptions 
given in books and catalogues are given 
in good faith, but what suits the gardens 
of the writers may not suit your garden; 
therefore to be a successful grower, you 
must make careful observations and re¬ 
cord them for future guidance. 
Cutting Flowers. 
It is a good plan to cut Roses with long 
stems, as this stimulates the portion of 
stem left to produce more flowers. We 
must remember that flowers are the result 
of a determined reproductive impulse on 
the part of the plant to create seed; there¬ 
fore, if you allow seeds to form and ma¬ 
ture, the supply of flowers will be but of 
short duration. But if you cut them early 
they will go on producing more flowers ; 
therefore if you want flowers, do not give 
them any chance of seeding. If you do 
want seeds you will find the earliest 
flowers produce the best and strongest. 
The best time to cut flowers is just before 
they are fully open. Cut them early in 
the morning, or failing that, late in the 
evening, as then they last much longer 
than if cut at any other time of the day; 
about six o’clock in the morning Roses 
