JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
171 
February  20,  1902. 
(The  actual  num¬ 
ber  of  4-inch  piping 
in  the  range  re¬ 
quired  to  be  heated 
is  1,900ft.)  All 
the  pipe  joints  are 
made  witli  very 
best  indiarubber 
rings,  and  are 
found  to  answer 
admirably.  These 
are  an  advantage 
over  the  ordinary 
rust  joint,  as  they 
can  be  taken  to 
pieces  at  any  time 
if  required.  Each 
hot  water  circula¬ 
tion  is  properly 
controlled  by 
valves,  so  that  the 
heat  can  be  regu¬ 
lated  to  a  nicety. 
All  the  roof  and 
side  ventilators 
are  worked  by 
simultaneous  iron 
gearing,  with  levers 
placed  in  the  most 
convenient  posi¬ 
tions.  The  iron 
staging  is  of 
Richardson  and 
Co.’s  special  con¬ 
struction,  w  i  t  h 
angle  iron  running 
all  round,  sup¬ 
ported  upon  cast- 
iron  legs  of  good 
pattern ;  the  tops 
of  the  stages  are  formed  with  galvanised  corrugated  sheets 
specially  made  for  the  purpose,  with  corrugations. 
The  plans,  however,  speak  in  their  own  favour.  The  idea  of 
having  only  two  doors  for  ingress  or  exit,  and  the  houses  all  so 
compact,  may  be  designated  as  uncommon,  if  not  altogether  new, 
and  on  this  account  should  prove  interesting  to  those  who  con¬ 
template  building  on  an  economical  plan.  We  learn  from  Mr. 
Eason  Wilkinson,  principal  of  the  Swanley  Horticultural  College, 
that  the  houses  are  now  being  properly  stocked,  and  a  formal 
terrace  garden  is  being  laid  out  from  the  front  of  them  down  to 
the  Rose  garden  that  was  planted  a  little  over  two  years  ago. 
It  niay  interest  old  students  to  know  that  the  old  Mushroom 
houses  running  by  the  wall  in  front  of  the  vineries,  peacheries, 
and  greenhouses  have  been  renewed  and  converted  into  a  suit¬ 
able  potting-shed. 
With  reference  to  the  view  of  the  two  conservatories  and 
band  stand  erected  by  Messrs.  Richardson  and  Co.  in  Newport 
Public  Park,  we  need  only  add  that  many  other  public  parks 
throughout  the  kingdom  could  be  much  improved  by  the  addition 
of  such,  or  similar,  conservatories  as  are  shown  on  page  169. 
The  new  catalogue  of  the  above  firm  may  be  had  gratis  by  all 
who  purpose  the  erection  of  glass  houses. 
A  Distinguished  Florist. 
The  death  of  Dr.  Charles  Stuart,  Chirnside,  Berwickshire, 
was  announced  in  the  daily  newspapers  of  the  14th  inst.,  though 
the  exact  date  of  his  death  and  his  age  were  not  given  ;  but, 
seeing  that  he  and  Mr.  James  Dobbie  were  competitors  in  the 
Pansy  classes  at  Berwick-on-Tweed  Flower  Show  about  1846,  he 
must  have  reached  a  ripe  old  age.  Dr.  Stuart  had  been  an 
enthusiastic  florist  all  his  life,  and  he  was  also  an  ardent 
naturalist.  The  Pansy  was  one  of  his  earlier  loves,  but  he  pur¬ 
sued  with  considerable  ardour  the  improvement  of  other  subjects, 
and  was  tbe  raiser  of  Aquilegia  Stuarti,  a  dwarf-growing  blue- 
flowered  hybrid,  which  is,  unfortunately,  somewhat  difficult  to 
cultivate.  Of  late  years  Dr.  Stuart,  had  taken  the  Polyanthus 
in  hand,  and  especially  the  gold-laced  seotion,  and  had  been 
successful  in  raising  a  few  fine  varieties,  one  or  two  of  which  at 
least  were  named,  and  probably  distributed.  Other  hardy 
flowers  w'ere  taken  in  hand  by  him  and  successfully  cultivated 
and  improved.  But.  the  main  work  of  his  life  during  the  past 
thirty  years  was  the  development  of  the  bedding  Viola. 
Dr.  Stuart  was  most  systematic  in  all  his  efforts.  Every 
cross  he  made  was  from  carefully  selected  parents,  with  a  view 
to  definite  results.  He  may  be  said  to  have  commenced  in  1874 
when  he  took  pollen  from  a  garden  Pan.sy  named  Blue  King,  at 
Span=roofed  Range  of  Plant  Houses  at  Swanley  Horticultural  College. 
that  time  a  popular  bedding  variety,  and  crossed  Viola  cornuta 
with  it,  a  species  the  late  Mr.  John  Wills  had  assisted  to  make 
liighly  popular.  Something  like  a  dozen  seedlings  resulted. 
They  were  all  blue  in  colour,  and  they  had  a  tufted  habit  of 
growth.  A  pink  seedling  Pansy  was  crossed  on  to  the  blue 
seedlings  ;  the  result  was  more  variety  in  colour,  but  the  same 
tufted  habit.  The  most  promising  from  this  cross  were  sent  to 
the  Chiswick  Gardens  of  the  R.H.S.,  and  an  invitation  was  sent 
by  the  raiser  to  send  the  best  of  their  productions,  in  order  to 
afford  a  test  by  comparison  as  to  how  his  seedlings  would  thrive 
in  a  southerly  clime.  When  the  plants  were  inspected  by  the 
Floral  Committee  of  the  R.H.S.  in  1875  six  First  Class  Certi¬ 
ficates  of  Merit  were  awarded  to  some  of  them.  Unfortunately 
the  names  of  these  plants  do  not  find  a  place  in  the  record  of 
plants  certificated  at  Chiswick  between  1872  and  1884. 
Later  on,  Dr.  Stuart,  was  advised  to  endeavour  to  eliminate 
the  rays  round  the  eye  of  the  flower,  but  it  was  ten  years  before 
he  found  a  perfectly  rayless  Viola  among  his  seedlings.  “  In  the 
year  of  the  Queen’s  Jubilee,  while  walking  round  the  seed-bed, 
I  saw  what  I  had  been  seeking  for,  in  a  pure  white  rayless  self.” 
It  was  propagated  and  named  Violetta,  a  charming  miniature 
Viola,  very  hardy,  the  perfume  very  sweet,  almost  resembling 
that  of  Viola  odorata.  By  crossing  Violetta  on  to  a  white  self 
with  a  few  rays,  the  well-known  variety  Sylvia  was  obtained. 
Sylvia  cirossed  with  a  Peacock  Pansy  produced  Border  Witch,  a 
singular  flower,  which,  in  its  best  dress,  in  moist  weather,  is  very 
striking.  In  addition  Dr.  Stuart  raised  Bridal  Wreath,  Blush 
Queen,  Blue  Gown,  Florizel,  Rosea  Pallida,  and  many  others. 
The  miniature  section  was  the  creation  of  Dr.  Stuart.  He  gave 
refinement  and  high  quality  to  the  Viola,  and  the  low-spreading 
tufted  growth  was  always  favoured  by  him.  While  on  a  tour  in 
Ireland  some  years  ago  he  found  in  Connemara  a  new  species  of 
hardy  Heath,  which  the  Botanical  Society  of  Edinburgh  named 
in  his  honour  Erica  Lekalis  Stuarti. — R.  D. 
An  Obserycr’s  Notes. 
Undtr  this  heading 
there  are  many  short 
readers  might  send. 
inUretihig  notes  our 
February  21-27. 
Plants  dbdicatbd  to  each  day. 
21 
22 
23 
Fri. 
Sat. 
Sun. 
Mon.  24 
Tu.  25 
Wed.  26 
Thrs.  27 
Lesser  Periwinkle  blossoms. 
Earthworms  lie  out. 
Ring-dove  coos. 
Gooseberry  leaves  open. 
Red  Currant  leaves  open. 
Alder  flowers. 
Ci'ows  commence  nesting. 
Common  Daisy. 
Apricot. 
Royal  Fern. 
Peach. 
Lesser  Periwinkle. 
Lungwort. 
Purple  Crocus. 
