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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER \ 
May  2,  1991. 
Some  Useful  Annuals. 
Annuals,  which  not  only  make  an  attractive  display  in  beds  or 
borders,  but  also  furnish  material  for  cutting,  are  usually  the  most 
appreciated,  and  are  far  more  useful  than  some  of  the  weedy  subjects 
which  cannot  be  used  for  the  latter  purpose.  Where  space  is  restricted, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  make  the  most  of  that  available,  a  select  list  of 
the  best  annuals  which  will  meet  the  two  requirements  mentioned 
above  ought  only  to  be  grown.  A  knowledge  of  what  is  suitable  to 
meet  these  general  requirements  can  only  be  gained  from  experience  in 
growing  a  varied  assortment  from  time  to  time  of  hardy  and  half- 
hardy  annuals.  As  the  present  is  an  appropriate  season  for  drawing 
attention  to  these  generally  useful  flowers,  a  few  notes  indicating 
what  I  have  found  valuable  for  the  purpose  of  garden  decoration 
and  cutting  to  place  in  vases,  glasses,  and  nosegays,  may  be  of  service 
to  some  readers. 
The  half-hardy  annuals  include  a  good  selection  of  species  which, 
as  a  rule,  require  to  be  sown  under  protection  during  April,  and 
afterwards  pricked  out  when  quite  small,  in  order  that  they  may 
strengthen  and  develop  a  bushy  and  branching  habit,  which  euables 
them  to  be  more  floriferous,  and  to  bear  flowers  of  a  substantial 
character.  French  and  German  Asters,  Quilled  Asters  Comet, 
Chrysanthemum-flowered  and  single  Asters,  are  all  useful.  The 
dwarf  or  Tom  Thumb  double  Scabious  proves  very  attractive,  both 
when  flowering  on  the  plants  and  as  cut  blooms  for  various  purposes. 
The  colours  are  various  and  extremely  rich,  ranging  from  pure  white, 
pink,  and  cherry  red  to  purplish  black,  indeed  some  of  the  colours  are 
unique,  and  se  dom  found  among  other  flowers.  It  is  important  that 
the  plants  in  their  early  stages  be  grown  sturdily,  so  that  fairly  strong 
flower  stems  may  be  produced.  The  Scabious  commences  to  bloom 
early,  and  continues  a  considerable  time.  The  earliest  plants  are 
produced  from  sowing  under  glass,  and  pricking  out,  finally  planting  at 
end  of  May ;  but  seed  can  be  sown  outdoors  now  in  drills,  thinning 
the  plants  gradually  to  a  foot  distance  apart.  Astors  may  also  be 
treated  in  a  similar  way. 
Zinnias  are  exceptionally  useful  annuals,  a  good  strain  of  seed 
producing  some  striking  colours.  If  grown  in  good  soil  and  with 
plenty  of  room  the  plants  grow  very  sturdy,  and  need  little,  if  any, 
support.  Flowering  continues  throughout  the  season,  and  is  usually 
plentiful  in  autumn.  Seed  may  be  sown  now  outdoors  on  a  warm  and 
sunny  border.  There  are  both  dwarf  and  tall  varieties  The  latter 
are  the  best  adapted  for  cutting,  the  height  reached  being  2  feet. 
Salpiglossis  are  superbly  and  richly  marked  flowering  annuals  which 
make  an  attractive  bed,  and  can  be  employed  for  cutting,  though  they 
are  rather  fleeting  in  character  when  used  for  the  latter  purpose  ; 
nevertheless  they  afford  a  change,  and  may  be  renewed  as  the  flowers 
continue  to  be  produced  on  the  plants.  Seed  may  be  sown  now  on  a 
sunny  border.  French  and  African  Marigolds  are  somewhat  common, 
but  they  are  found  to  be  very  useful  in  autumn.  Sow  thinly  in  boxes 
under  glass  now,  or  outdoors  at  the  end  of  May. 
Among  the  hardy  annuals  may  be  mentioned  the  annual  Chrys¬ 
anthemums,  of  which  there  is  a  good  selection  of  varieties,  double 
and  single  ;  Cornflowers,  Coreopsis,  Eschscholtzia,  Mignonette,  and 
Nasturtiums.  Sow  all  these  in  drills  about  a  foot  apart,  and  thin  out 
the  seedlings  to  9  or  10  inc  es  or  more,  and  the  result  will  be  that  the 
plants  will  flower  profusely  throughout  the  summer.  Sweet  Peas  are 
a  hardy  annual,  and  are  indispensable  ;  but  sow  in  drills,  like  culinary 
Peas,  and  afford  sticks  to  support  the  growths.  Sweet  Peas  amply 
repay  for  the  attention  given  them. — E.  D.  S. 
A  Scliednle  Blander. 
The  Shrewsbury  Show. 
It  is  no  new  thing  for  the  compilers  of  prize  schedules  to  make 
mistakes,  but  of  late  years  there  has  been  a  marked  improvement  in 
this  respect,  inexperienced  framers  consulting  the  judges  known  to 
them  before  re-arranging  or  altering  their  prize  lists.  This  being  the 
case,  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  serious  blunder  is  somewhat 
surprising,  especially  when  found  in  the  prize  schedule  of  the 
Shropshire  Horticultural  Society,  whose  summer  shows,  annually 
held  in  Shrewsbury,  stand  in  the  same  relation  to  many  gardeners 
as  does  Mecca  to  the  devout  followers  of  Mahomet.  It  is  the  one 
show  where  really  valuable  prizes  are  offered  and  won  by  exhibits 
worthy  of  the  occasion.  .Esp  daily  are  the  Grape  classes  at  these 
shuws  attractive  to  gardeners,  who  never  fail  to  appreciate  the  merits 
of  the  magnificent  examples  invariably  staged,  and  we,  that  is  to  say, 
numerous  Grape  growers,  have  gradually  been  converted  to  the 
opinion  that  nowhere  else  can  such  large  quantities  of  superior  Grapes 
be  seen  in  competition.  This  being  so,  it  behoves  the  members  of 
the  committee  to  do  all  they  can  to  keep  the  lead  they  have  gained, 
and  in  particular  to  avoid  setting  bad  examples;  vet  they  (through 
their  advisers,  no  doubt),  have  made  an  extraordinary  blunder  on 
page  17  of  the  prize  schedule  for  the  next  summer  exhibition. 
Valuable  prizes  are  offered  for  twelve  bunches  of  Grapes  in  four  or 
more  distinct  varieties,  but  not  more  than  four  bunches  of  any  one 
variety.  Each  bunch  is  to  be  judged  on  its  individual  merits,  and 
points  awarded  as  per  R  H.S  code.  So  far,  good  ;  but  why  not  be 
also  guided  by  this  same  code  in  the  matter  of  synonyms  ?  or  do 
the  Shrewsbury  authorities  presume  on  their  position  to  the  extent 
of  trying  to  improve  on  the  laws  laid  down  by  the  R.H.S.  experts  ? 
In  the  R.H.S.  code  Bowood  Muscat,  Charlwood  Muscat,  and 
Tyninghame  Muscat  are  considered  synonymous  with  Muscat  of 
Alexandria,  but  the  Shrewsbury  schedule  framers  “go  one  better,” 
and  include  Canon  Hall  Muscat  in  the  same  category  They 
borrowed  the  wording  of  the  rule  largely  from  the  R.H.S.  code, 
but  made  a  serious  mistake  in  adding  Canon  Hall,  which  no  Grape 
grower  of  experience  would  think  of  condoning.  In  order  that  there 
shall  be  no  misunderstanding,  I  will  quote  the  Shrewsbury  schedule 
paragraph  in  full.  “For  the  purpose  of  this  competition,  Bowood 
Muscat,  Charlesworth  Tokay,  Tyninghame  Muscat,  and  Canon  Hall 
cannot  be  shown  as  distinct  varieties  with  Muscat  of  Alexandria. 
Gros  Maroc,  and  Cooper’s  Black  are  also  considered  synonymous.” 
The  italics  are  mine. 
Now  I  happen  to  have  about  a  dozen  young  Vines  of  Canon  Hall 
Muscat  growing  in  different  houses,  and  have  also  assisted  in  growing 
this  variety  in  large  private  gardens,  so  that  I  feel  fully  competent  to 
express  an  opinion  upon  its  distinctness.  From  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  the  season  no  mistake  can  be  made  as  to  its  distinctness  from 
all  other  varieties  of  Grapes,  and  the  merest  tyro  could  separate  the 
bunches  from  those  of  the  Muscat  of  Alexandria.  The  canes  are  apt 
to  be  stouter,  the  lateral  growth  thicker,  and  the  leaves  plainer  than 
those  of  the  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  while  the  style  of  bunch,  size  and 
form  of  berry,  is  equally  distinct.  Canon  Hall  is  more  difficult  to 
set  properly  many  of  the  larger  bunches,  and  these  are  of  a  great 
length  at  times,  are  all  “  tops  and  bottoms,”  the  cultivator  if  he  is 
wise,  early  removing  what  promise  to  be  such  unsightly  productions 
in  favour  of  smaller,  more  compact  “shows.”  When,  however,  seen 
at  its  best,  Canon  Hall  is  a  noble  Grape,  and  instead  of  shutting  it 
out  from  the  collections  at  Shrewsbury,  for  that  is  what  it  practically 
amounts  to,  every  encouragement  ought  to  be  given  to  growers  to 
exhibit  good  samples.  I  am  not  writing  as  an  aggrieved  exhibitor, 
as  I  cannot  possibly  compete  in  the  class  mentioned,  much  as  I  should 
like  to  do,  but  am  acquainted  with  at  least  two  succeasful  Grape 
growers  who  will  be  hit  by  the  absurd  rule  laid  down  as  to  the  non¬ 
distinctness  of  the  Canon  Hall  Muscat. — W.  Iggulden. 
Diseases  in  Plants. 
It  would  appear  that  as  gardening  becomes  yearly  more  and  more 
intense,  a  greater  number  of  maladies,  or  cases  of  disease  in  plants, 
unwelcomely  confront  and  inflict  the  labours  of  cultivators.  The  Tulip 
disease  constantly  enforces  attention  in  this  or  that  garden  where 
probably  it  had  never  been  known  previously ;  equally  the  Daffodils 
are  known  to  suffer,  and  the  poor  gardener,  who  may  have  been 
depending  perhaps  for  a  large  amount  of  his  cut  flowers  from  the  bulbs, 
in  his  anxiety  packs  off  the  crippled  subjects  for  the  friendly  advice  of 
“  The  Editor,”  or  someone  in  whom  he  trusts  for  counsel. 
It  is  our  conviction  that  a  very  great  deal  of  disease  is  present, 
seen  or  unseen,  in  nearly  all  gardens.  Our  modern  methods  of  growth 
all  tend  towards  the  greatest  acceleration — quick  returns  and  many  of 
them.  We  have  doomed  the  old  hardwoods,  favourites  of  our  fathers, 
and  fostered  in  their  place  those  genera  whose  life  cycle  is  complete 
within  the  twelve  months.  And  the  comparative  rush,  and  tear  and 
wear,  engenders  such  debility  that  our  plant  subjects  have  no  vigour  to 
thwart  the  mysterious  fungoid  germs  that  we  conclude  are  ever 
present,  subtly  hovering  over  and  around  animal  aud  plant  organisms, 
awaiting  to  presume  their  baneful  influence  upon  them. 
Yet  ‘‘  knowledge  is  power,”  and  the  molestation  of  our  unseen 
microbic  or  mycologio  foes  is  persistent ;  perhaps  the  scientific  element 
of  mankind,  since  the  awakeuing  in  recent  years,  has  also  been 
perseveringly  active  in  skilled  investigations  of  the  actions  and  mode 
of  continuity  of  the  germs  causing  disease. 
With  the  aim  in  view  of  supplying  cultivators  and  all  others  engaged 
among  plants  and  trees  with  ooncise  information  regarding  plant  diseases, 
Professor  H.  Marshall  Ward,  a  pre-eminently  qualified  mycologist,  has 
*  “  Diseases  in  Plants,”  by  H.  Marshall  Ward,  Sc.D.,  F.R.S. 
Macmillan  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  price  7s.  6d. 
