5 Ge) 
Roses. 
=eS08= 
MILDRED GRANT. 
Messrs. A. Dickson & Sons, who, of 
late years, have taken the premier position 
as the introducers of new Roses of superior 
merit, have eclipsed all their previous 
efforts in the production of the Hybrid Tea 
Rose, Mildred’ Grant, which created a 
great sensation when first exhibited, and 
has maintained. its popularity ever since. 
It has yet to be proved in South Australia, 
as it was only obtainable here last season, 
but, as most of the Hybrid Teas succeed 
well here, rosarians look forward witha 
considerable amount of interest to the 
debut of this high-class Rose. 
The description of the raisers may be 
interesting —Of the many grand Roses 
that we have succeeded in raising and 
distributing, this truly magnificent variety 
stands out pre-eminent, and we can say 
without fear of contradiction that it is 
without a compeer. 
' Mildred 
. Never in the history of rose growing and 
‘rose exhibiting has any other variety ever 
obtained such unlimited praise and admira- 
tion. The blooms are of enormous size and 
substance, with high pointed centre, and last 
long in good condition. ‘Ihe petals which 
are of unusual length, are perfectly shell- 
shaped and very massive. The growth is 
robust, vigorous, and absolutely distinct, 
every shoot being crowned by a flower-bud 
which is carried on a perfectly erect and 
very stout flower stem. The foliage, which 
is light glossy green, is most striking and 
attractive, Altogether this is the grandest 
variety ever raised, and may be termed the 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Rose of the Century. Color silvery-white, 
edge of petals shaded and bordered with pink. 
Awarded gold medal National Rose Society 
July, 1899; best rose in show, silver medal, 
Bath, 1900; best Hybrid Tea rose,’ silver 
medal, Crystal Palace, 7th July, 1900; best 
bloom, Manchester, silver medal, 14th July, 
1900 ; best Hybrid Tea, Nation Rose Society, 
Birmingham, silver medal, 18th July, 1900; 
best, Hybrid Tea rose, Richmond, silver 
medal, 26th June, tgo1 ; best Hybrid: Tea 
rose, Windsor, silver medal, 29th June, tgot ; 
best Hybrid Tea rcse, silver medal, Juner 
Temple, 4th July, rg01 ; and numerous other 
first prizes. 2 
It may be mentioned that Messrs. Dickson 
and Sons introduced to the rose world the 
undermentioned Hybrid Teas, and “Teas 
which have proved some of our most reliable 
roses, both for exhibition and the garden— 
Belle Siebrecht, Bessie Brown, Gladys Hark- 
ness, Killarney, Liberty, Shandon, Lady 
Mary Corry, Ethel Brownlow, Mrs. E. Haw- 
ley, and Muriel Grahame. At the National 
Rose Society’s Exhibition at the Temple 
Gardens, London, in July last, the silver 
medal for the best H.T. and Tea Roses 
respectively were taken by Bessie Brown and 
Muriel Grahame. 
Grant. | 
ROSE MARIE LAVALLEE. 
Superlatives are greatly abused froms of 
speech. But for the benefit of those who 
grow climbing Roses it is worth saying that 
a Rose named Marie Lavalee was this year 
by far the most brilliant.and conspicuous 
of some hundreds of different Roses on a 
pergola 150 yards long. I believe I got it 
from Nabonnand, but as I have not his 
catalogue I cannot be sure. I think it is 
offered by Guillot as Marie Levalley; I 
have not yet seen it in an English cata- 
logue—A, K. Butiry, Ness, Neston, Che- 
shire. 
SEPTEMBER 7, 1903. 
MAGNOLIA STELLATA. 
Is there some sunny sheltered spot in. the 
garden where can be planted a dwarf shrub 
for spring effect? If there is, nothing more 
beautiful can be chosen than Magnolia 
stellata. Dazzling white, each shrub is a 
mass of blossom. And such blossom !— 
beautiful, narrow petalled, starry flowers 
of large size almost covering the dark stems 
before yet a leaf has appeared. The whole 
has a truly Oriental appearance, and we 
hardly need to be told that the shrub has 
come to us from Japan. In height it does 
not generally attain so much as 5 ft., but 
it is of fine branching habit. I have been 
told that these shrubs should always be 
‘planted in the spring rather than the 
autumn. They are grand subjects for dis- 
tant effect, and are very beautiful when 
massed. I saw such a group this spring 
with all the ground beneath a carpet of 
Scilla Sibirica; the combination made a 
beautiful garden picture. 
Sa 
FRITILLARIA ASKABADENSIS. 
None of the Fritillarias are quite so 
stately and beautiful-as F. imperialis, the 
Crown Imperial. But F. Askabadensis is 
certainly an exceedingly charming variety, 
of somewhat similar habit, though the 
flowers are freer and looser. In height 
it attains 2 ft., and is equally adapted for 
culture in the rock garden or the perennial 
border. Moreover, the two flower at the 
same time, and the pale buff flowers of F. 
Askabadensis grown as a near neighbor of 
F. imperialis rubra make a pleasing effect. 
Like the older form, F. Askabadensis 
flourishes ina rich, loamy soil. I am 
rather curious to know if this plant is gene- 
rally in cultivation. I have searched some 
of the best known catalogues of growers 
who make a speciality of hardy plants, and 
van find no mention of it. 
PEGE ESOS 
THE POISONOUS HOMERIA. 
TO THE EDITOR. 
Sir—The specimen of a plant you sub- 
mitted to me is Homeria collina, of Ventenat, 
variety miniata, hails from South Africa, it 
being first described from thence in 1799, 
and belongs to the order Irideae or Sword 
Lilies. Like all its relatives, it is un- 
suitable as food for all kinds of stock, and 
acting like poison when eaten, through . 
causing virulent inflammation of parts of the 
stomach and the intestines, in many cases 
resulting in speedy death both for man and 
beast, but with a difference in symptoms 
according whether the foliage is eaten, or 
the tuber. In the first case excessive 
looseness, in the other excessive constipation 
resulting. In March, 1893,° Mr. D. 
McAlpine, Government Vegetable Patholo-, 
gist, Victoria, published an exhaustive des- 
cription of this plant under the title 
“ Report on a poisonous species of Homeria, 
causing death of cattle feeding upon it,” and 
illustrated by a large coloured plate, con- 
