September  10,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
249 
leaved  Aralia  of  elegant  drooping  habit,  recommending  itself  for  decora¬ 
tive  purposes  (first-class  certificate). 
Begonia  odorato  rosea  plena,  (W.  Bain).— A  scented  variety,  the 
colour  of  which  is  given  in  the  name  (award  of  merit). 
Campanula  Balchinensis  (Balchin  &  Sons). — This  is  a  charming 
plant  of  compact  habit,  with  foliage  a  pleasing  variation  of  green  and 
white,  and  flowers  pale  delicate  blue  (award  of  merit). 
Cattleya  Euphrasia  (Veitch  &  Sons). — A  hybrid  between  C.  superba 
and  C.  Warscewiczi.  The  petals  and  sepals  are  rich  rosy  purple,  the 
lip  deep  purple  with  canary  yellow  throat  (award  of  merit). 
Cattleya  hicolor  Lewisi  (E.  Ashworth). — Pale  green  in  the  sepals 
and  petals,  delicately  flushed  lip,  and  a  purplish  crimson  throat  is  the 
colour  of  this  Orchid  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Fantasy  (Burrell  &  Co.). — This  is  a  pretty  scarlet  Cactus 
variety  with  medium  sized  flowers,  the  petals  of  which  are  curled  and 
narrow.  The  variety  is  very  distinct  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Mabel  (G.  St.  Pierre  Harris). — A  Show  bloom  of  good  form  ; 
the  predominating  colour  is  rosy  purple,  indiscriminately  dashed  with 
crimson  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Daniel  Cornish  (J.  T.  West). — A  Show  variety  of  great 
merit.  The  colour  is  a  deep  cherry  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Iona  (C.  Turner). — A  Cactus  of  fine  form  and  size.  The 
•colour  is  salmon  red  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Dagmar  (C.  Turner) — This  Pompon  is  almost  black  in 
colour  and  of  perfect  form  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Adrienne  (C.  Turner). — Bright  red,  occasionally  tipped  with 
yellow.  This  belongs  to  the  Pompon  section  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Guinevere  (C.  Turner), — Clear  yellow  with  red  edges  is  the 
hue  of  this  Pompon  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Fhryne  (C.  Turner). — A  Pompon  with  yellow  flowers,  edged 
with  brick  red  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Polly  Eccles  (T.  W.  Girdlestone). — Of  perfect  form,  this 
.flingle  is  peculiar  in  colour.  The  shade  is  yellowish  buff  flushed  at  the 
•ends  of  the  petals  with  red  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  8.  D.  Jeannette  (T.  W.  Girdlestone).  —  The  petals  of  this 
single  are  white  in  the  centre  with  scarlet  edges  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Folly  (T.  W.  Girdlestone). — A  decorative  single  variety  of 
great  beauty.  The  shades  of  colour  in  the  flower  are  white,  pink,  and 
bright  red  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Naomi  Tighe  (T.  W.  Girdlestone). — Yellow,  flushed  slightly 
with  red,  is  the  colour  of  this  perfectly  formed  single  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Trilby  (T.  W.  Girdlestone). — A  decorative  single  of  great 
beauty.  Each  blackish  crimson  petal  has  a  white  blotch  near  the  tip 
(award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Harry  Stredwich  (J'.  Cheal  &  Sons). — A  rich  dark  velvety 
crimson  Cactus  variety  of  splendid  form  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Mrs.  Leopold  Seymour  (J.  Cheal  &  Sons). — The  shades  of 
colour  in  this  flower  will  insure  its  popularity.  The  centre  is  clear 
yellow,  while  the  outer  petals  are  tinted  with  purplish  rose  (award  of 
merit). 
Dahlia  Airs,  Gordon  Sloane  (J.  Cheal  &  Sons). — Brick  red  is  the 
colour  of  this  fine  Cactus  Dahlia  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Cycle  (Keynes,  Williams  &;  Co.). — Fiery  crimson  is  the  shade 
of  this  Cactus  Dahlia  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Flossie  (Keynes,  Williams  &  Co.). — Belonging  to  the  Cactus 
section,  the  petals  of  this  variety  are  rather  flat.  The'hue  is  deep  salmon 
red  (award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Cinderella  (Keynes,  Williams  &  Co.). — This  is  handsome  and 
distinct.  The  colour  is  reddish  purple,  deepening  towards  the  centre 
(award  of  merit). 
Dahlia  Starfish  (Keynes,  Williams  &  Co.). — Rich  orange  scarlet  is 
the  colour  of  this  elegant  petalled  Cactus  variety  (award  of  merit). 
Dracaena  Warreni  (R.  Offer). — A  fine  seedling,  resulting  from  a  cross 
between  Dracaenas  Gladstoni  and  vivicans.  The  leaves  are  narrow  and 
slightly  curling,  and  the  habit  of  the  plant  is  very  graceful  (award 
of  merit). 
Gladiolus  Apollo  (J.  Burrell  &  Co.)  — Delicate  rosy  buff  is  the  hue 
of  this  Gladiolus.  The  flower  is  of  exquisite  shape  (award  of  merit). 
Gladiolus  Painted  Lady  (J.  Burrell  Sc  Co.). — The  name  well  conveys 
the  style  of  the  rose  and  white  colour  of  this  flower  (award  of  merit). 
Gladiolus  Alicia  (J.  Burrell  &  Co.). — A  superb  variety.  The  flowers 
are  just  tinged,  and  have  a  purple  flake  on  the  lower  portion  (award  of 
merit), 
Ilelianthus  Wantage  Star(W.  Fyfe). — A  free-flowering  yellow  Helian- 
thus  of  moderate  size  (award  of  merit). 
Lobelia  Carmine  Gem  (W.  Bain). — In  height  this  plant  attains 
almost  .S  feet,  while  the  name  implies  the  colour  (first-class  certificate). 
Loelio- Cattleya  Clive  (N.  C.  Cookson). — This  is  a  fine  variety 
derived  from  Laelia  prmstans  and  Cattleya  Dowiana.  The  colour  of  the 
sepals  and  petals  is  rich  rosy  purple,  but  the  feature  of  the  flower  is  in 
the  lip,  which  is  large,  of  a  very  deep  purplish  maroon  shading  deeper 
towards  the  throat,  which  is  yellow  thinly  veined  with  crimson  (first- 
class  certificate), 
Lcrlio-Cattleya  Charles  Darwin  (C.  L.  N.  Ingram). — This  is  the 
result  of  a  cross  between  Laelia  Turner!  and  Cattleya  maxima.  The 
colour  of  the  sepals  and  petals  is  delicate  purplish  rose,  with  lip  of 
deeper  shade  and  markings  of  golden  yellow  in  the  throat  (first-class 
certificate). 
Lcelia  elegans  Owenice  (Thos.  Statter). — A  fine  flower,  with  sepals 
and  petals  dull  rosy  purple,  and  lip  of  a  deep  rich  shade  of  the  same 
colour  and  white  throat  (award  of  merit). 
Maxillaria  striata  grandijlora  (F.  Sander  &  Co.). — The  sepals  and 
petals  of  this  Orchid  are  yellow  striped  with  brown,  while  the  lip  is  white 
edged  with  purple  (award  of  merit). 
Miltonia  Moreliana  Dulcote  variety  (W.  Cobb)  — While  resembling 
the  type  in  colour  this  variety  is  a  distinct  improvement  both  in  size  and 
substance  (first-class  certificate). 
Polypodium  neriifolium  cristatum  (Veitch  &  Sons). — A  finely  crested 
form  of  Polypodium  neriifolium  (first-class  certificate). 
Renanthera  Lowiana  (B.  S.  Williams  &  Son).— The  colour  of  this 
Renanthera,  save  for  occasional  yellow  markings,  is  reddish  brown  (first- 
class  certificate). 
PENTSTEMONS. 
Thk  attention  and  admiration  accorded  to  Pentatemons  of 
late  years  have  led  to  the  introduction  of  scores  of  varieties 
more  or  less  distinct  that  have  been  given  names.  With  these 
plants  as  with  all  others  the  demand  has  created  the  supply,  for 
should  horticultural  favour  have  a  strong  tendency  in  some 
particular  direction  we  may  be  sure  that  the  hybridist  will  be  at 
work  to  secure  large  and  improved  supplies  to  meet  the  demand. 
Sometimes,  however,  the  hybridist  will  have  a  supply  which  by 
the  beauty  of  its  varieties  enforces  attention,  admiration,  and 
popularity.  Whether  the  demand  created  the  supply  or  the  supply 
the  demand  in  regard  to  Pentstemons  we  are  not  prepared  to  say, 
but  certain  it  is  that  of  late  the  demand  has  been  very  much 
stronger  than  it  was  a  little  while  ago,  when  a  few  plants  only 
would  be  seen  in  a  garden,  whereas  now  beds  of  them  are  noticed 
with  a  pleasing  frequency. 
In  the  days  of  not  very  long  ago,  the  plants  were  raised  from 
seeds,  and  of  course  the  colours  of  the  flowers  were  varied.  Then 
as  the  flowers  were  taken  in  hand  by  the  hybridiser  whose  labours 
resulted  in  the  widening  of  the  range  of  colour  with  a  correspondent 
increase  in  the  size  of  the  individual  bloom  and  spike,  it  was 
found  necessary  in  order  to  perpetuate  with  certainty  some 
particularly  good  form,  cuttings  had  to  be  resorted  to,  as  seedlings 
so  frequently  reverted  to  their  immediate  or  even  their  remote 
parents.  Notwithstanding  the  increase  of  labour  necessitated  by 
the  propagation  by  cuttings,  the  flowers  continued  to  grow  more 
and  more  popular,  and  the  number  of  named  sorts  extended  in  a 
really  astonishing  manner.  The  improvement  of  these  in  all 
respects  over  the  flowers  from  the  seed  mixtures  is  known  to 
almost  all  gardeners,  both  amateur  and  professional,  and  the 
hybridists  have  been  freely,  if  not  publicly  thanked. 
That  those  working  for  forms  sufficiently  distinct  for  naming 
have  not  gone  so  far  as  possible  is  proved  by  the  strain  that  has 
been  worked  up  by  Mr.  W.  Bain,  gardener  to  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence, 
Burford  Lodge,  Dorking.  True,  we  did  not  see  them  at  home  ;  on 
the  contrary,  we  found  them  in  the  beds  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  at  Chiswick,  where,  under  the  eye  of  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright,  they 
have  grown  and  flourished  to  a  remarkable  degree.  Whether  they 
are  grown  better  by  Mr.  Bain  the  writer  is  unable  to  say  ;  but  if 
so  they  must  be  just  as  near  perfect  as  anything  can  be.  At 
Chiswick  the  plants  are  splendidly  strong  and  sturdy,  and  producing 
large  numbers  of  flowers  of  immense  size,  substance,  and  superb 
colours.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  intensely  hot  weather  that 
we  have  experienced  the  plants  have  not  had  a  drop  of  water,  a 
fact  that  speaks  well  for  the  innate  strength  of  the  strain,  for,  as 
has  been  said,  the  growth  is  strong  and  sturdy. 
This  collection,  which  is  of  sufficient  merit  to  grace  any  garden 
in  the  United  Kingdom,  has  been  raised  entirely  from  seeds  sown 
early  this  year,  and  as  it  stands  in  these  gardens  side  by  side  with 
the  finest  named  varieties  extant,  its  superiority  is  marked  to  an 
extraordinary  degree.  Not  only  are  the  flowers  decidedly  larger 
and  more  substantial,  but  the  range  of  colour  is  infinitely  wider  and 
more  diversified.  There  is  an  exquisite  delicacy  in  the  shades  and 
in  the  venation  of  the  throat  of  the  blooms  that  one  would  seek  in 
vain  amongst  the  best  of  the  named  forms.  Again,  we  perceive  a 
habit  and  floriferousness  that  in  combination  prove  the  excellence 
of  the  strain,  and  the  advance  it  is  over  existing  varieties.  If  it 
were  so  desired  the  plants  are  of  such  habit  of  growth  a.s  would 
readily  permit  of  hundreds  of  the  very  best  of  cuttings  being  taken 
and  inserted  for  another  year’s  flowering.  The  probabilities  are 
that  Mr.  Wright,  with  his  usual  foresight,  will  take  sufficient  to 
insure  a  bed  or  two  for  the  gardens  next  season,  for  they  are,  even 
amongst  the  many  interesting  plants  now  in  flower,  the  best  of  the 
whole. 
Unfortunately,  the  seeds  of  this  strain  are  not  procurable  from 
ary  of  our  seedsmen,  and  it  is  a  matter  for  extreme  regret,  as  they 
vcould  not  but  be  ornaments  where  they  were  grown,  and,  moreover, 
they  come  so  good  from  seeds  as  to  render  the  taking  of  cuttings 
entirely  superfluous.  For  this  latter  reason  alone  they  would  be 
welcomed  by  both  professional  and  amateur  gardeners  amongst 
whom  frame  space  in  the  winter  months  is  never  over-abundant. 
Perhaps  the  future  will  bring  the  seeds  into  the  hands  of  the  dis- 
