190 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
Harelip,  1901. 
Certificated  Plants. — No.  7. 
The  very  fine  hybrid  Clematises  so  largely  cultivated  in  the  present 
day  we  owe  to  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  One  of  the 
earliest  hybrids  obtained  was  C.  Hendersoni,  raised  at  the  Pine  Apple 
Nurseries  in  the  Edgware  Road,  but  the  parentage  is  not  known  with 
certainty.  One  or  two  seedling  varieties  were  raised  on  the  Continent, 
but  it  was  not  until  Mr.  Isaac  Anderson-Henry  of  Edinburgh 
commenced,  in  1855,  by  crossing  the  spring-flowering  C.  patens  with 
C.  lanuginosa  that  the  work  of  hybridisation  was  scientifically 
attempted.  The  first  result  was  C.  regina,  which  received  a  certificate 
of  merit  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  1862.  Mr.  Anderson- 
Henry  raised  several  others  from  the  same  cross.  This  raiser  was 
followed  by  Mr.  Thomas  Cripps  of  Tunbridge  Wells,  who  operated  on 
C.  lanuginosa;  Mr.  Charles  Noble  of  Bagshot  crossed  C.  Standishi 
and  C.  Fortunei  ;  the  Messrs.'  Baker  of  Windlesham  followed  with 
C.  lanuginosa  X  Standishi,  and  excellent  results  followed  from  each 
attempt. 
But  it 'was  when  Mr.  Geo.  Jackman,  of  Woking,  using  the 
results  of  6ome  of  the  foregoing  crosses,  obtained  C.  Jackmanni  and 
C.  rubro-violacea  that  the  great  results  came.  These  two  were 
awarded  certificates  of  merit  in  1863.  The  spring  flowering  group 
represented  by  C.  patens  has  received  numerous  accessions;  C. 
lanuginosa  represents  the  early  summer  flowering  varieties,  of  which 
there  is  now  a  large  group ;  C.  Jackmanni  and  its  allies  are  profuse 
late  summer’blooming  varieties.  There  are  several  charming  double 
forms,  and  of  late  years  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Jackman  &  Sou, 
the  Texan  C.  Yorna  coccinea,  with  its  singularly  distinct  blossoms,  is 
now  the  progenitor  of  an  interesting  group  of  free  flowering  varieties 
obtained  by  means  of  seeds. 
The  Imantophyllum. 
Imantophyllum  (Clivia)  miniatum  came  from  Natal  in  1854,  and 
the  earliest  improvement  was  concinnum,  shown  by  Mr.  B.  S.  Williams 
in  1864  and  aw  arded  a  certificate  of  merit.  Since  then  several  seedling 
varieties  have  put  in  appearance,  and  any.  advances  made  upon  the 
type  have  been  in  the  size  of  the  blooms  and  in  depth  of  colour,  from 
yellow  to  coppery  orange.  But  as  the  genus  is  limited  to  shades  of 
yellow  to  orange,  but  little  variation  is  possible.^  It  is  yet  a  showy 
greenhouse  subject  in  spring  and  summer.} 
*  The  Coleus.  _ 
The  Coleus,  once  so  popular,  has  had  very  few  notable  additions 
made  to  it  of  late,  only  three  or  four  varieties  having  been  certificated 
since  1880.  Once  a  popular  bedding  plant,  it  is  now  not  often  used  in 
that  way,  and  only  rarely  is  it  grown  for  exhibition  purposes.  The 
latest  introe  uction,  which  appeared  just  at  the  close  of  the  last 
century — Coleus  thyrsoideus,  Veitch — promises  to  make  a  valuable 
blue-flowered  plant  for  winter,  the  thyrses  of  bloom  being  constantly 
reinforced  by  other  blossoms  as  the  decaying  ones  fall.  The  foliage 
has  no  special  beauty ;  the  leaves  are  green  and  much  laciniated. 
The  Dahlia. 
The  list  of  certificated  Dahlias  is  a  very  long  one,  but  the  great 
majority  of  the  awards  have  gone  to  the  Pompon,  single,  and  Cactus 
varieties,  and  but  few  comparatively  to  the  Show  and  Fancy  types. 
The  modern  improvement  of  the  Show  and  Fancy  Dahlias  extends 
over  a  period  of  fifty  years.  These  types  were  very  popular  as 
exhibition  flowers  up  to  within  the  last  twenty-five  yearB,  and  then 
the  interest  in  them  declined.  But  little  improvement  has  been  made 
within  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  and  new  varieties  are  now 
somewhat  slowly  produced.  Next  to  the  Show  and  Fancy  Dahlias, 
the  Pompon,  or  as  it  was  at  first  termed,  the  Liliputian,  Dahlia  is 
the  next  oldest  type  in  cultivation,  and  dates  back  to  1808,  when 
Hartweg  obtained  a  double  form  from  the^eingle-flowered  Dahlia 
coccinea. 
The  first  Pompon  Dahlias  were  of  continental  origin  and  of  tall 
growth,  but  when  the  English  florists  took  the  flower  in  hand  the 
work  of  improvement  was  rapid,  many  beautiful  varieties  having 
originated  at  the  Royal  Nursery,  Slough;  also  with  Keynes,  Seale, 
West,  Cheal,  and  other  well  known  raisers.  The  leading  varieties  are 
now  of  dwaif,  compact  growth,  and  very  free-blooming.  For  border 
decoration  and  cutting  pui poses  they  cannot  be  surpassed;  and  so 
perfect  in  form  and  finish,  and  withal  so  varied,  are  the  newer  varieties, 
that  perfection  is  well-nigh  reached. 
It  was  the  introduction  of  the  Cactus  Dahlia' — Dahlia  Juarezi — in 
1F80  which  gave  so  great  an  impetus  to  the  estimation  in  which  the 
Dahlia  is  now  held.  That  interesting  stranger,  frowned  upon  at  first 
by  some,  became  the  progenitor  oi  a  numerous  race,  and  at  the 
beginnirg  of  the  twentieth  century  new  varieties  are  very  numerous 
indeed,  and  a  gi eater  number  of  novelties  will  be  sent  out  in  the  spring 
than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  flower.  The  character  of  the 
type  has  much  changed  since  the  introduction  of  the  Cactus  Dahlia ;. 
shapes  and  colours  undreamed  of  ten  years  ago  have  been  developed  to 
an  astonishing  degree.  Improvements  in  the  habit  of  growth  are 
grea'ly  needed,  and  when  these  are  attained  the  Cactus  Dahlia  will  be 
the  flower  of  the  future.  It  is  now, [even  withl  drawbacks  oE  habit, 
immensely  popular. 
In  1882  the  single  Dahlia  coccinea  and  D.  luteawere  reintroduced, 
and  with  them  one  or  two  old  single  varieties  in  cultivation  in  1830, 
one  in  particular,  named  Paragon.  The  reappearance  of  this  type 
was  as  warmly  welcomed  as  that  of  the  Cactus,  and  seedlings  were 
raised  in  numbers,  and  for  a  time  became  very  popular.  Improve¬ 
ments  with  the  single  type  will  always  be  associated  with  the  late 
Mr.  T.  W.  Girdlestone,  who  threw  himself  into  the  work  with  great 
ardour,  and  obtained  a  strain  of  single  Fancies  of  great  beauty. 
Messrs.  Cheal  &  Sons  and  others  were  also  active  raisers.  But  the 
fleeting  character  of  the  blossoms  has  told  against  the  employment  of 
the  single  Dahlia  in  gardens,  and  a'so  for  cutting  purposes,  and  the 
area  of  its  cultivation  has  become  greatly  circumscribed. 
Mr.  Girdlestone  abo  originated  a  singularly  dwarf  growing  strain 
known  as  Tom  Thumb.  Another  development  with  the  single  Dahlia 
is  seen  in  the  single  C.ictus.  This  originated  with  the  late  Mr.  E.  J. 
Lowe,  some  twelve  years  ago,  and  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Dobbie  and 
Co.  of  Rothesay  the  varieties  have  considerably  extended.  They  appear 
to  be  less  lugacious  in  a  cut  state  than  the  single  varieties  of 
D.  coccinea,  and  there  are  some  very  pretty  varieties  among  them. 
There  is  also  a  group  of  dwarf  growing  free-flowering  Dahlias  known 
as  bedding,  and  they  are  very  useful  in  prolonging  the  late  summer 
display  in  the  flower  garden. 
The  Delphinium. 
The  fine  and  showy  Delphiniums  have  undergone  an  enormous 
advance  on  what  we  remember  forty  years  ago,  and  there  are  now 
single  and  double  varieties  of  great  beauty,  mainly  obtained  by 
Messrs.  Kelway  &  Son ;  the  combination  of  colours  in  some  of  them 
are  so  brilliant  and  striking  as  to  defy  description.  They  form 
handsome  and  stately  objects  in  the  flower  garden.  The  latest 
introduction  is  a  very  dwarf  form  of  annual  blue  Delphinium,  known 
as  Carter’s  Blue  Butterfly,  of  compact  growth  and  about  a  foot  in 
height.  This  is  one  of  the  most  notable  floral  novelties  of  the  season. 
The  Eremurus. 
That  noble  perennial,  the  Eremurus,  has  received  several  additions 
of  late,  such  as  E.  robustus,  a  species  of  magnificent  proportions,  and 
E.  Elwesianus.  Some  protection  is  necessary  in  early  spring  against 
frost  and  rain,  and  an  open  position  should  be  given  the  plants.  The 
slug  is  very  troublesome  to  cultivators,  appearing  to  find  in  the  youDg 
shoots  a  delicious  morsel.  Some  useful  additions  have  been  made  to 
the  Dogstooth  Yiolets,  also  to  Escallonia,  especially  E.  exom'ensis  and 
E.  langleyensis,  a  hybrid  between  E.  sanguinea  and  E.  Philippiaua, 
obtained  by  Messrs.  Veitch  &  Sons.  The  genus  Eucharis  has  been 
reinforced,  the  latest,  E.  Burfordiensis  (E.  Mastersi  x  E.  Sanderiana). 
— R.  Dean. 
- <•#.> - 
The  Great  B[oth  of  1900. 
The  moth  to  which  has  been  given  the  ominous  name  of  the 
Death’s-head,  Sphinx,  or  Hawk-moth,  Acherontia  atropos,  is  not  only 
our  largest  British  insect,  it  may  be  deemed  the  most  remarkable  too. 
Its  thorax  hears  skull-like  markings,  it  utters  a  peculiar  cry,  and 
sometimes  it  comes  and  goes  with  startling  suddenness.  Naturally 
this  moth  has  set  in  motion  the  pens  ot  many  entomologists  and  other 
persons  ;  its  literature,  if  collected,  would  form  a  bulky  volume.  Yet 
even  now  we  are  ignorant  of  much  of  its  economy,  and  its  doings  are 
still  invested  with  some  amount  of  mystery.  One  reason  why  the 
death’s-head  moth  has  been  so  written  about  is  the  large  amount  of 
folk-lore  attached  to  the  insect.  Go  down  into  Hampshire,  and  people 
will  tell  you  the  old  belief  that  the  mcth  was  never  seen  till  after  the 
death  of  King  Charles  I. 
Abroad,  wide  districts  have  been  alarmed  by  the  appearance  of 
a  number  of  them,  the  fancied  precursors  of  an  epidemic,  and  in 
English  counties  the  entry  of  one  into  a  house  is  thought  to  foretell 
the  dea'h  of  an  inmate.  Its  plaintive  cry  was  the  voice  with  which 
the  insect  whispered  secrets  to  the  wi'ches.  Apart  from  any  dislike  to 
it  as  a  devouring  insect,  the  caterpillar,  too,  whenever  observed,  has 
been  looked  upon  with  suspicion.  This  species  is  like  many  others 
of  its  tribe,  in  being  variable  as  to  appearance,  sometimes  hardly 
seen,  sometimes  commoner,  but  it  is  seldom  abundant  in  Britain. 
Occasionally  the  caterpillars  are  more  numerous  during  autumn, 
when  the  moths,  their  parents,  have  not  been  particularly  noticed. 
It  has  been  said  to  have  its  headquarters  in  the  west  of  Eugland, 
but  the  south-east  it  has  often^heen  its  haunt,  and  the  midlands 
