February 2, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
79 
NEW IMPERIAL 
PflEOgY- 
QUEEN ALEXANDRA. 
Cepgrig't, K. i: S. 
New Imperial Facony Queen Alexandra. 
Victor was the result of crossing two 
varieties and selecting the best types dur¬ 
ing a period of several years. The raiser 
has selected a type characterised by 
numerous large bunches of fruits of very 
moderate size. These are perfectly 
smooth, bright red, very solid and excel¬ 
lent in flavour. The size of the fruits 
may be guessed from the fact that each 
bunch bears from 12 to 25 fruits. Toma- 
tos that are notable for their great size 
are only produced in small numbers. 
The accompanying illustration will, there¬ 
fore, give an exact idea of the size and 
general appearance of this new Tomato. 
Those who are fond of Tomatos for 
dessert purposes will find this an e'xcelient 
one, as preference is given to Tomatos 
of moderate size for table. The flavour 
is also superior in small solid-fleshecl 
varieties by comparison with fruits of 
large size, which are almost invariably 
coarse in flavour and seldom find cu.ti- 
vators at the present day. Fruits of small 
or moderate size are also more suitable 
for outdoor cultivation than those which 
must have glass to bring them to perfec¬ 
tion. Notwithstanding, this variety is 
suitable either for outdoor or indoor cul 
ture. The illustration was kindly placed 
at our disposal bv Messrs. -Dickson, Brown 
and Tait, 43 and 45, Corporation Street, 
Manchester. 
/ -f++“— 
Rose Etoile de France. —The velvety 
crimson colour of this Hybrid Tea Rose 
is very handsome, but hitherto the plant 
has been rather uncertain in our climate. 
A coloured plate of it appears in the De¬ 
cember number of Rosen Zeitung. 
A NEW STRAIN OF 
CENTAUREAS. 
A considerable number of Centaureas 
are cultivated and appreciated by culti¬ 
vators of plants, but a few of the more 
popular ones are annuals. To this group 
belongs a new strain of Centaureas which 
M essrs. Jarman and Co., Chard, Somerset, 
have been developing for some years past 
and bringing before the public. Several 
of the varieties have received distinct 
names, but as far as form is concerned, 
these may all be represented by the ac¬ 
companying illustration placed at our 
service bv .Messrs: Jarman and Co. 
The varietv named The Bride has white 
flowers, while those of The Bridegroom 
are heliotrope, The Bridesmaid lernon- 
vellow, and Honeymoon golden-yellow. 
An award of Merit was accorded the 
strain by the R.H.S. in 1905, and First- 
class Certificates have been accorded by 
various important societies' in different 
parts of the country. The value of this 
-train of Centaureas is therefore attested 
by a large number of people who have 
seen them. 
These flowers are particularly well 
suited for cultivation by amateurs, as it is 
only necessary to sow them in well-pre¬ 
pared soil at the beginning of April to 
get a fine display during the latter part 
of summer and autumn. They are also 
well adapted for table decoration or for 
decorative work in the cut state. For 
a succession, seeds may also be sown dun 
mg-May and June. 
Most of the species of Paeony known to 
science are in cultivation, and where un¬ 
improved are spoken of as single Paco- 
nies. Several of them now include 
double forms grown in gardens, but none 
of them have been multip.ied to such an 
extent as the double forms of the Chinese 
Paeony (Paeonia albiflora) native to 
north-eastern Asia. For many years 
past Messrs. Kelway and Son, Langport, 
Somerset, have been busy on this species, 
and have raised not only beautiful double 
varieties, but quite recently they have de¬ 
veloped a beautiful new strain of single 
Paeonies under the name of Kelw-ay’s Im¬ 
perial Paeony. The general characteris¬ 
tics of this strain are that the outer petals 
are broad, overlapping, and thus retain 
their original form. The centre of the 
flower, however, is filled up with very 
numerous sma.l and short petals, de¬ 
veloped from the numerous stamens 
which are such a feature of single 
Paeonies. 
One of the most handsome of these 
Imperial Paeonies is Queen Alexandra, 
which has broad outer petals, slightly 
crisped, but on the whole nearly flat, with 
smooth edges and pure white. The out¬ 
line of the flower is such that it has been 
compared to a Water Lily, both for size, 
shape, and snowy purity. The centre is 
filled up with a mass of golden stamens, 
transformed into tiny petals, so that the 
flower is, in a sense, double, though the 
inner petals are so short as to give the 
impression of a single flower when seen 
from a short distance. The enlarge¬ 
ment of the stamens makes the centre 
fuller, and the contrast, therefore, very 
Jarman and Co. 
New Strain of Centaureas. 
