January  2,  1902. 
■  loriRNAL  OF  HORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Certificated  Plants. 
In  taking  up  the  dropped  threads  of  the  record  of  certi¬ 
ficated  plants — after  a  long  interval  in  respect  of  which  I 
offer  ray  aiwlogies  to  the  editor — I  have  to  deal  with  the 
numerous  body  of  Lilies  which  have  received  awards  from 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  during  the  past  half  century. 
Lilies. 
It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  during  the  eight  years  the 
National  Floricultural  Society  was  ir  existence  Lilies, were 
produced  at  its  meetings  only  during  the  last  two  years  of 
its  operation,  and  they  appeared  to  be  forms  of 
L.  spev'osum.  With  the  introduction  of  L.  auratum,  by 
Messrs.  V^eitch  and  Sons,  in  1862,  which  was  awarded 
a  Silver  Knightian  Medal  when  first  exhibited,  the 
interest  in  this  stately  flower  became  greatly  stimulated. 
L.  neilgherrense  was  exhibited  by  the  same  exhibitors  in 
the  ’mar  following.  a'M  obtamed  a  Second  Class  Certificate. 
This  was  followed  by  L.  nigrum  (probably  a  doubtful  species) 
(S.C.C.),  from  Messrs.  Backhouse  and  Son,  in  1865  ;  by 
L.  auratum  splendidum  in  1866,  which  was  awarded  a  First 
Class  Certificate  in  1866  when  shown  by  Messrs.  Cutbush 
and  Son  :  and  the  same  award  was  made  to  L.  Thun- 
bergianum  var.  when  shown  by  Mr.  G.  F.  Wilson  io  1867. 
By  1872  some  varieties  of  L.  auratum,  with  L.  califor- 
nicum,  L.  canadense  flavum,  L.  Leichtlini,  L.  longiflorum 
albo-marginatum,  L.  Thomsonianum,  L.  Wilsoni,  and  two 
varieties  L.  tigrinum,  viz.,  flore-pleno  and  splendens,  had 
also  received  awards.  Some  of  these,  no  doubt,  have  gore 
the  way  of  other  plants,  and  become  lost  to  cultivation.  By 
1884  a  considerable  number  had  been  recognised  by  t  ie 
Floral  Committee  (R.H.S.).  Among  them,  forms  of  L.  Thun- 
bergianum,  L.  Hansoni,  L.  Humboldti,  L.  martagon  dal- 
maticum,  L.  pardalinum  Robinsoni,  forms  of  L.  speciosum, 
L.  Szovitzianum  pallidum,  L.  Wallacei,  and  L.  Washing- 
tonianum  were  the  best  known  among  them.  A  good  share 
of  the  honours  bestowed  on  new  forms  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Mr.  G.  F.  Wilson,  who  during  the  seventies  was  very  active 
as  an  exhibitor.  During  the  three  years  following, 
L.  auratum  rubro-vittatum  and  L.  Parryi  were  the  only 
two  certificated.  The  last  named  is  considered  to  be  one  of 
the  most  distinct  and  beautiful  of  all  the  Lilies,  and  dis¬ 
penses  a  powerful  perfume  like  that  of  L.  auratum. 
Since  1887  such  fine  forms  as  L.  Bolanderi,  L.  concolor, 
L.  Dalhansoni,  a  hybrid  between  L.  dalmaticum  and 
L.  Hansoni  ;  L.  Henryi,  L.  japonicum  Alexandrse,  and  L.  jap. 
Colchesteri,  L.  Marhan,  a  hybrid  between  L.  martagon 
album  and  L.  Hansoni  ;  L.  martagon  album,  L.  nepalense, 
L.  pardalinum  luteum,  L.  rubellum,  L.  speciosum  album 
novum,  and  L.  Wallichianum,  have  all  gained  honours. 
Since  the  publication  of  the  list  under  notice  Messrs. 
Wallace  and  Co.,  of  Colchester  (who  had  already  received 
awards  for  several  novelties),  have  introduced  others,  and 
the  Lily  Conference,  held  in  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society’s  Gardens  last  year,  helped  greatly  to  classify  the 
Ldies  on  a  scientific  basis,  which  was  much  needed  to  abate 
tne  confusion  which  had  existed  up  to  that  time. 
Lobelias* 
Two  groups  of  the  Lobelia  can  be  classed  as  popular 
garden  plants — the  dwarf,  compact  bedding  forms  of 
L.  erinus  ard  the  varieties  of  L.  cardinalis  and  L.  fulgens. 
By  comparing  the  tall  and  loose-habited  L.  erinus  with  the 
latest  selection  of  the  L.  erinus  pumila  section,  some  idea 
may  be  formed  of  the  good  work  accomplished  by  means  of 
careful  selection.  Several  awards  were  made  to  varieties, 
especially  during  the  sixties  and  seventies,  for  the  bedding- 
out  fever  raged  furiously  then,  and  the  dwarf  Lobelia  was 
in  great  demand  as  an  edging  plant  and  as  a  front  line  to 
ribbon  borders.  It  is  much  employed  still,  but  the  advance 
made  upon  the  best  of  the  dwarf  bedding  types  of  late  years 
is  so  slight  that  new  varieties  are  few  and  far  between.  In 
addition  to  the  blue,  white  as  found  in  the  blossoms  of  Snow¬ 
flake,  purple  in  Carter’s  Prima  Donna,  and  an  approach  to 
carmine  in  the  Kermesina  of  the  same  firm  attest  to  the 
fact  that  colours  other  than  blue  are  in  demand. 
Both  L.  cardinalis  and  L.  fulgens  have  appeared  in 
striking  varieties  of  diverse  shades  of  colour,  though  for 
bedding  purposes  the  scarlet  and  crimson  varieties  take  the 
lead.  We  see  them  in  our  pubhc  parks  during  summer  and 
autumn,  and  alw’ays  in  attractive  character  and  pleasing 
combinations.  There  are  forms  of  L.  fulgens  with  leaves 
11 
approaching  crimson  in  colour,  and  thus  the  usefulness  of 
their  service  as  bedding  plants  is  enhanced.  It  is  possible 
to  imagine  what  a  brilliant  spectacle  is  presented  to  view 
in  the  early  autumn  months  among  the  swamps,  ditches,  and 
low  grounds  throughout  the  Northern  States  of  America 
when  this  species  is  seen  throwing  up  its  brilliaM  and  showy 
plumes.  A  form  of  the  slender-growing  L.  tenuior — a  green¬ 
house  herbaceous  perennial — received  an  Award  of  Merit  a 
few  years  ago  under  the  name  of  grandiflora.  The  species 
is,  however,  very  rarely  met  with. 
Lunarla,  Lupines,  and  Lychnis. 
The  old  Honesty  (Lunaria  biennis)  came  to  the  fore  some 
ten  years  ago,  an  Award  of  Merit  having  been  made  to  a 
plant  of  the  old  red  form  having  variegated  foliage.  It  is 
a  plant  well  deserving  a  wider  culture  than  is  given  to  it. 
The  Honesty  is  a  hardy  biennial  of  great  value  for  its 
freedom  of  bloom  in  spring,  when  it  forms  dense  pyramids  ; 
and  it  is  of  decorative  value  after  the  plant  has  perished  in 
the  transparent  silvery  sheaths  of  its  seed  pods,  as  they  are 
preserved,  arid  are  found  useful  in  winter  decorations  and 
for  exhibiting  with  autumn  foliage  and  berries. 
Time  was  when  the  annual  varieties  of  Lupins  v/ere 
among  the  most  popular  of  hardy  annuals,  and  when  the  late 
Mr.  -  W.  'H.  Dunnett  raised  several  varieties  at  Ded¬ 
ham  from  L.  mutabilis  and  L.  subcarnosus.  But  they 
are  too  fugacious  to  be  of  much  value  in  the  garden.  The 
well-known  dwarf-growir  g  L.  nanus  is  one  of  the  very  best 
for  garden  work.  The  Tree  Lupine,  L.  arboreus,  is 
occasionally  met  with  in  old-fashioned  gardens,  and  two 
years  ago  Mr.  B.  Ladhams  received  an  award  of  merit  for  a 
pleasing  white  variety  known  as  Snow  Queen.  The 
herbaceous  fonns  of  L.  polyphyllus  are  invaluable  border 
plants  in  late  spring,  though  no  variety  has  gained  an  award 
of  late  years. 
Lychnis  Senno  (syn.  Sieboldi)  from  which  so  much  was 
expected  vdien  first  shown  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Standi^,  in 
1(:63,  and  awarded  a  Silver  Banksian  Medal  by  the  R.H.S., 
quite  failed  to  realise  the  expectations  formed  of  it.  It  was 
introduced  by  Mr.  Robert  Fortune  from  Japan,  where  it  is 
a  common  garden  plant,  and  was  figured  in  “The  Florist 
for  April  1863.  A  scarlet  self-flower,  and  a  charming  rose 
and  white  striped  variety  were  represented,  and  it  was  pre¬ 
dicted  that  ttie  latter  would  have  a  long  run  of  popularity. 
It  is  worth  cultivating  under  its  present  name  of  L.  Sieboldi 
as  a  handsome  border  flower. 
Mathlola  (Stock). 
New  varieties  of  Stocks  increase  much  less  rapidly  than 
Asters,  and  yet  they  are  among  the  most  priz:d  of  our  eaily 
and  late  summer  flowers.  The  first  to  receive  an  award  was 
an  Intermediate  named  Mauve  Queen,  shown  by  Mr.  G. 
Smith  in  1871,  but  it  appears  to  have  become  lost.  In  the 
following  year  that  most  beautiful  of  all  the  summer 
pvramidal  Stocks,  Mauve  Beauty  (Dean)  was  similarly 
honoured  ;  and  in  the  following  year  Giant  White  Bromnton 
(Dean),  represented  by  a  double  form  of  high  quality,  which 
there  is  reason  to  fear  has  become  very  scarce.  In  1879 
followed  Todds’  Crimson  East  Lothian  Intermediate,  which 
is  still  grown  ;  Veitch’s  Ten-week  Snowflake  m  1886  ;  and 
Sutton’s  White  Forcing  Ten-week  in  1896.  To-day  severM  fine 
novelties  in  Ten-week  Stocks  challenge  attention.  Princess 
Alice  and  an  improved  form  named  Grace  Darling  among 
whites  ;  Princess  May,  yello’w  ;  ard  Navy  Blue  among  shade 
of  violet.  In  Lancashire  a  very  fine  crimson  Inter¬ 
mediate  is  grown  under  the  name  of  John  Bright,  and  the 
local  growers  say  that  all  the  single-flowered  plants  should 
be  grown  a  second  year,  as  by  that  means  a  more  double 
progeny  is  secured  from  seeds,  a  w’ell-authenticated  fact 
which  doubtless  applies  to  other  Stocks  as  well.  Among 
biennial  Stocks  Benary’s  Empress  Elizabeth,  of  a  shining 
bright  carmine  colour,  is  well  worthy  of  cultivation,  be  ng 
new  and  distinct  with  a  large  proportion  of  double  flowers. 
— R.  Dean,  V.M.H. 
Cassell  s  Dictionary  of  Gardening. 
Part  VIII.  (price  7d.  net)  is  is.suecl.  A  coloured  plate  of  Tree 
Pseonias  is  provided  with  this  part,  which  extends  from  Eurycoiiia 
— a  small  genus,  of  which  longifolia,  an  evergreen  shrub,  alone  is 
worthy  of  a  place  in  gardens — to  Clrapes,  the  culture  of  Grape 
Vines  being  here  undertaken. 
