310 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  9,  1903. 
couM  be  obtained,  and  it  was  also  placed  upon  the  tombs  of 
maidens.  The  Rev.  H.  Friend  has  pointed  out  that  it  received 
the  popular  name,  not  by  comparison  to  a  drop  of  snow,  rather 
because  it  resembled  pendants  worn  in  the  ear ;  indeed,  one 
local  name  discoverable  is  that  of  ‘‘  Ladies’  Eardrop.”  It  is  one 
of  the  numerous  flowers  associated  with  the  Virgin  Mary,  yet 
about  it  clings  a  suspicion  of  ill-luck,  for  there  are  places  where 
people  avoid  bringing  into  the  house  the  first  Snowdrop  that 
they  see  in  bloom.  Though  we  regret  to  have  to  note  the  fact, 
it  is  as  well  we  should  add  here  that  there  is  an  acridity  about 
the  plant,  and  persons  have  had  the  skin  inflamed  from'  handling 
the  bulbs. 
But,  in  reference  to  the  Virgin  and  her  floral  record,  it  is 
remarkable  how  large  is  the  list  of  plants  that  have  her  name 
attached  to  them,  testifying  to  the  regard  in  cvhich  she  has  been 
held  through  many  centuries.  Most  of  these  have  white 
flowers;  a  few  are  coloured,  such  as  the  Daffodil,  or  Lent  Lily, 
ancl  the  Marsh  Marigold.  These  and  several  other  plants  of  the 
springtide  which  are  dedicated  to  the  Virgin,  notably  the  Lady’s 
Smock  or  Cuckoo  flower,  and  the  early  Orchis,  have  been 
thought  to  suggest  an  old  traditional  belief  that  the  birth  of 
Christ  occurred  in  the  budding  season.  The  humble  Lily  of  the 
Valley  was  dedicated  to  her,  and  the  larger  white  garden  Lily, 
also  Roses,  both  i-ed  and  white.  No  doubt  plants^once  sacred 
to  Venus  or  Juno,  to  the  Bertha  and  Freyga  of  northern  lands, 
were  passed  on  to  the  Virgin.  It  may  be,  too,  that  in  the  case 
of  some,  “  lady  ”  as  part  of  the  name  refers  to  the  sex  generally, 
not  an  individual. 
Even  in  the  unpromising  month  of  January  it  was  possible 
to  find  a  flower  as  a  memorial  of  a  saint ;  thus  the  Laurustinus 
was  dedicated  to  an  Irish  abbess  of  the  sixth  century,  whose 
festival  fell  on  New  Year’s  Day ; 
“  AVhether  the  weather  be  snow  or  rain, 
We  are  sure  to  see  the  flower  of  St.  Faine.” 
Not  sure,  perhaps,  but  the  Laurustinus  takes  advantage  of 
mild  winter  days,  upon  which  it  opens  a  few  blossoms.  So 
does  the  common  Dead  Nettle,  which  was  assigned  to  St.  Vin¬ 
cent.  and  might  serve  for  other  anniversaries,  though  not  an 
attractive  flower.  In  Germany  the  Christmas  Rose  (Helleborus 
niger)  was  called  the  flower  of  St.  Agnes,  and  displayed  on  her 
festival,  January  21.  Though  not  connected  with  any  particular 
person,  it  was  the  custom  formerly  to  display  twigs  or  boughs 
of  Box  in  churches  from  Candlemas  to  Easter.  To  the  shrine 
of  St.  Valentine,  where  one  existed,  a  fit  offering  was  the 
blossoms  of  the  early  Crocus.  St.  David’s  Day  introduces  March, 
and  the  Leek,  also  the  national  emblem  of  Wales.  Shake¬ 
speare  dates  this  from  the  battle  of  Cressy  ;  some  connect  it  with 
a  victory  of  the  Welsh  about  the  year  640.  What  is  the  link 
joining  it  to  Kiirg  David  is  a  iruzzle  to  discover. 
The  sigirificance ,  of  .some  names,  however,  is  both  obvious 
and  curious ;  the  Veronicas,  for  instance,  oire  or  other  of  our 
native  Speedwells  being  supposed  to  show  upon  its  petals  a 
re.semblance  to  the  marks  impressed  upon  the  sacred  handker¬ 
chief  of  Veroirica.  Fancy  saw  in  the  flower  head  of  the  Cowslip 
the  appearance  of  a  bunch  of  keys,  which  made  the  plant  sacred 
to  St.  Peter.  Another  plant  assigned  to  him  is  the  Yellow 
Rattle,  and  amongst  the  St.  John’s  Worts  the  square  Hypericum 
angulare  is  named  after  Peter.  Most  of  the  St.  John’s  Worts 
were  considered  to  have  healing  virtues,  also  the  power  to  keep 
off  evil  sioirits,  and  protect  from  lightning.  St.  James  was  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  a  patron  of  horses ;  perhaps  he  thus  became  patron 
of  the  Ragwort,  Groundsel,  and  Shepherd’s  Purse,  familiar  weeds 
of  the  wayside. 
The  Rose  is  now  the  flower  mostly  displayed  on- St.  George’s 
Day,  April  23;  but  originally  this  eras  the  blue  flower  of  the 
Wild  Hyacinth,  which  opens  about  that  date,  and  w-as  gene¬ 
rally  called  the  Harebell.  Upon  St.  Barnabas’  Day  the  clergy 
used  to  wear  wreaths  made  of  Roses  and  Woodruff.  By  Avay 
of  contrast,  perhaps,  there  was  St.  Barnaba.s’  Thistle,  the 
Centaurea  solstitialis.  To  St.  Dorothy  the  Hyacinth  was  also 
dedicated.  The  Daisy,  or  Marguerite,  of  olden  time  was  the 
flower  of  one  of  the  saints  so  named,  there  being  much  specula¬ 
tion  as  to  whom  it  belongs.  Queens,  besides  saints,  have  had  it 
for  their  memorial  flower,  notably  Margaret  of  Anjou.  It  is 
pres.umed,  how’ever,  that  it  was  first  assigned  to  St.  Margaret 
of  C’ortona.  St.  Robert’s  anniversary  was  seldom  ob.served  in 
England ;  he  gave  name  to  the  Wild  Geranium,  the  Herb 
Robert  of  many  virtues.  Some  say  that  Sweet  William  is  a 
corruption  of  St.  William;  June  25  evas  his  day,  but  there  are 
three  of  that  name,  one  being  of  Rochester.  Hence  it  has  been 
thought  the  original  Sweet  William  w’as  the  small  red  Pink, 
found  wild  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  city. 
Great  was  the  esteem  in  which  the  Avens,  or  Herb  Bennet, 
was  held,  owing  to  its  connection  with  St.  Benedict;  he  was 
patron  also  of  two  very  different  plants,  the  Great  Valerian  and 
the  Hemlock.  To  St.  Bartholomew  the  .showy  Sunflower  is 
appropriated,  and  the  bitter  Chamomile  belongs  to  St.  Anne. 
The  fragrant  Marjoram  and  the  Thyme  were  gathered  on  St. 
Luke’s  Day.  and  used  for  divination,  and  St.  Swithin  owns  the 
small  Cape  Marigold  (Calendula  pluvialis).  The  curious  Nigella 
i'^,  like  the  Catherine  Pear,  associated  with  the  martyred  saint 
of  November  25. — J.  R.  S.  C. 
New  Roses  of  1902 — Hybrid  Teas. 
[Continued  from  2>age  137.) 
One  of  the  most  remarkable  developments  that  have  takei^ 
place  amongst  rosariaiis  of  late  years  has  been  the  favour  witli 
which  tlie  class  known  as  Hybrid  Teas  has  been  received.  It 
was  in  the  year  1873  that  it  was  announced  by  Messrs.  Paul 
and  Son,  of  Cheshunt,  that  they  had  raised  a  new  claimant  for 
favour,  and  which  they  named  (Jheshunt  Hybrid.  It  is  not  the 
result  of  any  artificial  hybridisation,  but  a  chance  seedling,, 
and  as  it  is  very  vigorous  in  constitution  and  quite  hardy  and 
suited  for  a  pillar,  it  was  received  with  much  favour.  Its- 
colour  was  not,  however,  altogether  pleasing,  as  it  had  a  good 
batch  of  magenta  in  it,  which  is  sure  to  develop  into  an 
unpleasant  shade  of  colour,  and  as  the  blooms  die  off  become 
positively  ugly  ;  nor  did  it  give  rise,  as  was  hoped  for,  to  a  new 
class,  and  \vhen  it  was  determined  to  make  a  class  of  Hybrid 
Teas  by  the  National  Rose  Society  it  could  only  be  done  by 
putting  into  it  some  Roses  which  have  always  been  heretofore 
classed  as  Hybrid  Perpetuals.  Thus  La  France,  a  universal 
favourite,  which  wms  shown  every  where  as  a  Hybrid  Perpetual, 
is  now  admitted  into  this  class  ;  and  Lacharme’s  Rose,  Capt. 
Christy,  is  added  to  it,  although  it  has  now  ceased  to  be 
regarded  as  an  exhibition  Rose. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  class  has  many  charms,  not 
the  least  of  these  being  its  joerpetual  blooming  character, 
which  it  derives  from  its  Tea  parentage,  and  no  greater  proof 
can  be  adduced  of  its  popularity  than  the  fact  that  Messrs. 
Alexander  Dickson,  of  Newtownards,  have  for  some  years 
turned  their  attention  to  this  class,  and  are  this  year  giving  u.s 
the  result  of  their  efforts  in  the  new  Roses  which  they  are 
offering  to  us,  four  of  them  being  Hybrid  Teas ;  and  they  have 
given  us  such  fine  Roses  in  the  Hybrid  Perpetual  class,  for 
which  they  have  obtained  so  many  gold  medals,  that  we  may 
eagerly  look  for  the  result  of  their  skill  and  intelligence  in  the 
class  with  which  they  are  now  occupied.  The  foreign  raisers 
have  also  caught  the  infection,  and  are  offering  no  less  than 
forty-one  new  varieties;  none  of  them  have  been  seen  on  this 
side  of  the  Channel,  and  wm  must  trust  to  the  raisers’  descrip¬ 
tions.  They  are  as  follows  : — 
AhU  Andre  Reitter  (Welter). — A  large  full  flower,  wed 
formed  and  opening  well,  light  carmine  rose,  free  flowering. 
Adolphe  van  den  Heede  (Welter). — Large  full  semi-double 
flower,  good  shape,  yellow  saffron  orange.  This  is  a  good 
flower  for  forcing  and-tjutting, 
Aimee  Cochet  (Soupert  et  Netting). — Magnificent  pointed 
bud,  flower  very  large  and  very  full,  held  on  a  long,  firm  foot¬ 
stalk,  the  petals  round  and  very  firm,  flesh  colour  witli  a 
peach-rose  centre,  a  cross  between  Souvenir  de  Mme.  Eugene 
Verdier  and  Caroline  Testout. 
Audenken  der  Joh.  ilfermy  (Hinner). — Very  large  full  flower 
solitary,  on  an  erect  long,  firm  footstalk,  good  shape  and 
cai  riage,  light  satiny  rose  touched  with  porcelain  w’hite,  very 
sweet ;  a  good  kind  for  forcing. 
Apothdeer  George  Hof er  (Welter). — Beautifully-shaped,  large, 
full  flower,  with  a  long  bud  upon  a  long  firm  footstalk,  shining 
red  purple.  Cross  between  Caroline  Testout  and  Madame 
Lambard. 
Bernard  Hdhnel  (Welter). — Long  bud,  opening  easily,  flower 
very  large  and  full,  growing  singly  on  a  long,  firm  footstalk, 
peach-rose  shaded  lightly  with  yellow.  Cross  between  Clara 
Watson  and  Lady  M.  Fitzwilliam. 
Climbing  Caroline  Testout  (Chauvry). — ^A  sport  of  Caroline 
Testout  and  the  same  colour.  A  good  variety  for  pyramids. 
Conrad  Strassheim  (Soupert  et  Netting).  —  Large,  long 
bud,  a  very  large,  full  flower,  with  firm  round  petals  ;  flower- 
carried  on  a  long,  firm  footstalk,  the  inside  of  the  petals  lightly 
coloured  with  rose,  the  outside  being  carmine  rose,  the  centre 
bright  rose,  keeping  its  colour  even  in  great  heat.  An  excel¬ 
lent  variety  for  decorative  work,  forcing  and  cutting,  flowering 
until  frosty  weather  ;  very  sweet.  Cross  between  Caroline 
Testout  and  Charles  Darwin. 
Edmond  Dashayes  (Bernaix). — Full,  large  double  flower, 
imbricated  creamy  white,  flesh  coloured  in  centre,  very  free 
flowering. 
Eugenie  John  Harlitt  (GeschwinI). — A  full,  large,  solitary 
