440 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  12,  1903 
Notes  on  5ome  of  the  Newer  Roses. 
{Continued  from  page  42d.) 
{The  Hose  Analysis.) 
Continuing  with  the  Hybrid  Teas,  in  the  order  of  merit  in  Mr. 
Mawley’s  list  of  the  newer  Roses,  after  Mildred  Grant  we  come 
rightly  to  Bessie  Brown,  which  was  sent  out  before  1900,  and  is  now 
no  doubt  pretty  well  known  to  all  exhibitors;  and  then  to  Florence 
Pemberton,  which  (as  I  have  before  noted)  was  only  sent  out  this 
year,  and  could  hardly  be  rightly  voted  on  by  amateurs  with  much 
confidence,  and  next  to  Alice  Lindsell.  Of  this  I  can  say  nothing,  as 
I  have  only  seen  one  bud,  which  I  have  at  present  in  my  garden  on 
a  “  run  out  ”  budded  stock,  which  I  fear  will  hardly  now  come  to 
perfection. 
Next  comes  Duchess  of  Portland,  which  gained  the  Gold  Medal 
for  Messrs.  Dickson  at  Birmingham  in  1900,  having  been  previously 
shown  at  the  Crystal  Palace.  At  that  time  it  seemed  to  me,  I 
confess,  to  be  rather  too  much  like  Kaiserin  Augusta  Victoria  in  the 
flower,  though  distinct  in  wood  and  foliage.  On  further  acquaintance 
1  have  no  doubt  it  is  distinct,  that  is,  an  expert  would  readily 
distinguish  between  good  strong  representative  blooms  of  each 
variety,  and  would  name  them  correctly.  But  when  grown  weakly, 
as  the  flowers  would  often  be  in  the  garden  of  one  who  is  not  an 
exhibitor,  it  is  certain  that  such  a  one  would  find  them  so  much 
alike  to  his  eyes  that  it  would  not  be  worth  his  while  to  have  both 
varieties.  This  is  not  meant  to  detract  from  its  merits  or  desirability 
as  an  exhibition  Rose,  nor  yet  to  assert  that  it  is  not  as  good  or  better 
than  the  other,  but  merely  that  the  ordinary  gardener  who  wants 
especially  distinctness  in  colour  svould  hardly  find  it  worth  his  while 
to  have  both. 
The  descriptions  of  the  colours  of  Duchess  of  Portland  and  Kaiserin 
Augusta  Victoria  are  so  worded  as  to  imply  that  the  former  has  more 
of  yellow  in  it  than  the  latter.  I  have  lately  had  the  opportunity  of 
comparing  them  both  with  a  new  Rose  not  mentioned  in  the  list, 
Perle  von  Godesberg  (Schneider  or  Lambert  {?),  1902),  which  is  spoken 
of  as  a  golden  yellow  sport  from  Kaiserin  A.  Victoria.  I  had  a  good 
bloom  of  it  a  short  time  ago  from  a  strong  “  run  out  ”  shoot,  and 
comparing  it  with  two  ordinary  autumnal  flowers  of  the  other  two 
varieties,  it  seemed  to  me  that  Duchess  of  Portland  was  a  little  (but 
only  a  very  little)  more  yellow'  than  Kaiserin  Augusta,  but  rather 
larger  and  a  little  different  in  shape,  and  that  Perle  von  Godesberg 
was  a  trifle  the  yellowest  of  three,  but  identical  with  Kaiserin  in 
every  other  respect ;  and  that,  to  the  ordinary  cultivator,  if  not  grown 
strongly  all  three  varieties  would  be  practically  white.  I  gather, 
however,  from  Paul  and  Son’s  new  catalogue  that  Perle  von  Godesberg 
is  “  variable  in  colour,  sometimes  almost  orange,  sometimes  almost 
creamy  white.”  As  to  Duchess  of  Portland,  it  is  well  worth  growing 
by  an  exhibitor,  but  I  should  not  give  it  nearly  so  high  a  place  ;  I 
would  put  certainly  Lady  Moyra  Beauclerc,  and  I  think  also  Mamie, 
above  it ;  in  fact,  these  two  would  come  here  in  my  list  of  H.T.’s. 
Papa  Lambert  comes  next  in  Mr.  Mawley’s  list  (which  of  course 
I  ought  not  to  call  his  list,  as  it  is  the  result  of  an  election),  and  a 
splendid  Rose  it  is,  as  I  have  seen  it  in  nurserymen’s  stands,  but  not 
in  my  own  garden,  either  as  cut-back  or  maiden  ;  and  this  is  well 
confirmed  by  the  election,  as  it  obtained  123  points  from  nurserymen 
and  only  88  from  amateurs.  It  is  of  fine  robust  growtli,  and  i  can 
quite  believe  it  was  merely  bad  fortune  that  I  did  not  get  a  single 
good  bloom  of  it  from  six  or  eight  standard  plants,  maiden  and  cut¬ 
back;  perhaps  it  is  better  as  a  dwarf. 
Of  Gladys  Harkness,  the  next  on  the  list,  I  have  one  bloom  very 
nearly  out,  but  I  can  say  nothing  of  it  at  present  except  that  it 
certainly  is  not  white,  and  that  is  something  to  say  of  a  H.T.  now-a- 
days.  .Lady 'Moyra  Beauclerc,  the  next  on  the  list,  is  a  very  fine 
Rose  indeed,  in  my  estimation.  I  won  the  Silver  Medal  as  best  H.P. 
or .  H.T.  with  it  at  Norwich  this  year,  and  exhibited  it  with 
success  at  almost  every  show.  It  is  very  fine  indeed  in  shape,  large, 
and  of  beautiful  colour,  which  is  brightest  in  the  half-developed 
blooms.  I  am  surprised  it  did  not  gain  the  Gold  Medal,  which  has 
been  given,  at  times,  to  far  inferior  Roses.  I  have  only  grown  it  at 
present  as  a  standard,  and  expect  that  as  a  dwarf  the  shoots  require 
to  be  staked,  for  though  the  growth  is  not  weak  it  is  rather  slender 
and  the  blooms  pendulous.  It  is  a  Rose  which  exhibitors  cannot 
afford  to  be  without.  Edith  D’Ombrain,  the  next  on  the  list,  has  not 
yet  bloomed  with  me,  so  I  cannot  speak  of  it. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice  how  prepotent  (as  breeders  would  say)  is  the 
strain  of  Baroness  Rothschild  (to  w’hich  both  Mabel  Morrison  and 
Merveille  de  Ijyon  belong) ;  both  Her  Majesty  and  Robert  Scott, 
especially  the  latter,  show  it  plainly.  The  latter  would  have  been 
very  much  improved  if  it  had  gained  only  a  little  more  of  the  very 
pointed  shape  of  its  parent,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant;  it  is  of  better  form 
than  Merveille  de  Lyon,  but  much  w’anting  in  tho  elegance  of  form 
which  is  the  charm  of  most  of  the  new  H.T.’s.  Nevertheless,  it  is 
often  good,  requiring  hot  weather  and  impatient  of  rain,  but  very 
free-flowering  and  a  good  autumnal. 
Liberty  (A.  Dickson  A  Sons,  1900)  is  another  new  H.T.  which  is 
not  unfrequently  show'n  by  nurserymen,  though  amateurs  will  seldom 
get  it  large  enough  for  that  purpose.  It  has  also  with  me  not  proved  a 
very  good  grower  ;  otherwise  it  would  have  been  a  splendid  Show  Rose 
indeed — magnificent  in  form,  a  good  laster,  and  of  that  splendid 
bright  crimson  colour,  which  is  just  what  we  are  wanting  in  H.T.’e. 
A  larger  and  strong-growing  Liberty,  if  you  please,  Messrs.  Dickson. 
— W.  R.  Raillem. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Peculiar  Plant  Names. 
Other  than  the  name  known  to  the  botanist,  a  plant  or 
flower  bears  many  a  common  name,  quite  sufficient  for  the 
ordinai’y  individual.  It  is,  no  doubt,  better  to  be  able  to 
correctly  name  a  plant,  but  as  so  many  have  such  long  and  un¬ 
pronounceable  designations,  it  is  little  wonder  the  common  ones 
are  oftener  used,  even  in  the  best  nurseries  and  gentlemen’s 
gardens,  these  being  more  easily  committed  to  memory. 
There  are  many  familiar  plants  bearing  a  number  of  names 
with  which  the  reader  may  be  unacquainted,  because  in  many 
instances  the  names  are  local.  Some  of  these  names  are  most 
curious,  sufficiently  so  to  make  one  wonder  how  they  were  origi¬ 
nated,  as  there  is  not  always  anything  in  the  growth  or  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  plant  or  flower  to  suggest  a  cause  for  so  naming  it. 
For  example,  in  the  Bone-flower,  “  Apes-on-Horseback,”-  how 
many  would  recognise  the  common  double  Dai.sy — Beilis  perennis  ? 
Then  the  pretty  and  ea.sily  grown  Sax-ifraga  sarmentosa,  so  useful 
for  a  hanging  basket,  is  known  also  as  Creeping  Sailor,  Kenilworth 
Ivy,  Mother-o’-Thousands,  and  the  Wandering  Jew. 
In  Linaria  vulgaris  some  will  recognise  the  Toadflax,  Egg.s- 
and-Bacon,  and  Buttered  Haycocks.  Another  well-known  plant 
having  a  number  of  curious  names  is  Phalaris  arundinacea  varie- 
gata.  It  is  to  be  found  in  almost  every  garden ;  in  fact,  one  can 
hardly  pass  a  cottage  in  the  country  wuthout  finding  a  border 
of  this  pretty  Grass  in  front,  it  grows  so  profusely.  It  wull  force 
ca.si]y,  and  will  be  found  mo.st  useful  for  cutting  when  other 
foliage  is  scarce.  Almost  everyone  will  recognise  it  under  one 
of  the  following  names,  viz.  :  Ribbon  Grass,  Sword  Grass,  Bride’s 
Laces,  French  Grass,  Painted  Grass,  Lady’s  Laces,  Lady’s  Gar¬ 
ters,  Silver  Grass,  Lady  Grass,  or  Gardener’s  Garters. 
Love-in-a-Mist,  Lady-in-the-Bower,  Love-in-a-Puzzle,  or 
Devil-in-a-Bush  are  no  doubt  suggested  by  the  form  of  the  flower 
of  Nigella  damascena.  One  Avould  think  His  Satanic  Majesty 
had  quite  a  large  acquaintance  with  our  garden  subjects,  judging 
by  the  number  of  plants  coupled  with  his  name,  the  most  pro¬ 
minent  among  them  being  the  Devil’s  Apple,  or  Mandrake,  a 
poisonous  hardy  perennial  herb,  rarely  grown,  and  having 
curiously  shaped  roots.  The  Devil’s  Candlestick,  or  Catmint 
(Nepeta  Glechoma)  is  a  hardy  herbaceous  trailing  perennial, 
.suitable  for  borders,  edgings,  rockeries,  or  baskets.  Devil’s  Fig 
(Argemone  mexicana),  known  also  as  the  Mexican  Poppy,  Thistle 
Oil  Plant,  Infernal  Fig,  Yellow  Thistle,  and  Prickly  Poppy,  is  a 
very  pretty  hardy  annual  bearing  large  pale  yellow  flowers,  some¬ 
what  like  Poppies,  as  some  of  its  names  I  imply.  The  Devil’s 
Garter  (Convolvulus  .sepium)  is  the  common  garden  Bindweed. 
It  is  sometimes  recommended  for  quickly  covering  trellises,  old 
tree  stumps,  &c.,  but  for  myself  I  prefer  to' do  without  it  rather 
than  run  the  risk  of  this  weed  getting  out  of  bounds.  Among 
other  names  we  have  Devil  Wood,  0.smanthus  americanus ; 
Devil’s  Bean,  Capparis  cynophallophora ;  Devil’s  Bit,  Scabiosa 
succisa  ;  Devil’s  Herb,  Plumbago  scandens  ;  Devil’s  Milk,  Euphor- 
bia,helioscopia ;  and  Devil’s  Trumpet,  Datura  Stramonium. 
Countryman’s  Treacle  sounds  peculiar,  a  name  given  to  Ruta 
graveolens,  the  common  Rue,  used  for  medicinal  purposes.  A’^iola 
tricolor,  Heartsease,  or  Pansy  is  also  nameid  Three-faces-under- 
a-hood.  Kiss  Me,  Kiss-me-at-the-garden-gate,  Kis.s-me-ere-I-rise, 
and  Jump-up-and-kiss-me.  How  a  dwarf  growing  plant  like  the- 
Pansy  came  by  the  latter  name  is  a  puzzle.' 
'  Lady’s  Fingers  and  Foxgloves  everyone!  is  acquainted  with, 
but  I  fail  to  see  what  there  is  in  Digitalis Ipurpurea  to  suggest 
Dead  Men’s  Bells.  Jatropha  gossypifolia,  a  stove  flowering  plant, 
has  the  suggestive  name  of  Belly-ache  Bush,  and  is  also,  called 
the  Physic  Nut.  Pulmonaria  officinalis,  a  useful  little  rockery 
plant  having  prettily  marbled  foliage,  has  a  number  of  peculiar 
names,  of  which  perhaps  the  Beggar’s  Basket  is  the  most  curious. 
Other  names  for  it  are  the  Sea  Bugloss,  Jerusalem  Cowslip, 
Bedlam  Cowslip,  and  the  Virgin  Mary’s  Honeysuckle.  Colchi- 
cum  autumnale,  or  Autumn  Crocus,  Fog  Crocus,  Michaelmas 
Crocus,  and  Meadow  Saffron  is  also  called  Naked  Ladies,  no  doubt 
from  the  flowers  appearing  without  any  foliage. 
There  are  many  other  quaint  and  curious  names  I  could 
mention,  but  the  foregoing  should  be  sufficient,  for  the  present 
at  any  rate,  to  show  that  a  lot  of  interesting  and  amusing  in¬ 
formation  concerning  the  beauties  of  nature  in  our  gardens  may 
be  derived  from  a  study  of  plants  and  their  various  names. — 
J.  W.  J.,  Oswestry. 
