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The Musk: Harrison
A very pleasing surprise was afforded to the horticultural public a few years since by Messrs. Harrison, of Leicester. Not many of the ambitious florists thought the common musk worthy or capable of improvement; but one fine morning the habitues of the floral gatherings at South Kensington were confronted with a batch of several dozen plants of a new and fine variety of this humble plant, and this, which was called "Harrison's Musk," soon acquired immense popularity, and in one respect attained to a position which we will venture to speak of as unique. Mr. Cannell, the florist, of Swanley, in Kent, advertised that all plants ordered of him would be sent to the customers packed in Harrison's musk! Imagine Mr. Streeter advertising that diamonds and rubies ordered of him would be sent home packed in gold dust! And yet, in its way, this was somewhat of a parallel case.
Harrison's musk is a replica of the common musk, but on a very large scale. It is the evident result of a cross between the common musk and a larger growing mimulus, such as M. lutens. It is as hardy as the older plant, more robust in every way, and very much more showy, while, fortunately, it is richly scented. These two varieties of musk are not only useful as pot plants and to fill odd places in borders, but they may be advantageously employed as bedding plants under some circumstances. When it is desired to place a bed of musk in a conspicuous position, it may be enriched by planting some more attractive flowers with it to which the musk will form a groundwork. Such plants as gladioli, liliums, and the scarlet linum may, with advantage, be planted in beds of musk, which will form a rich surface like golden moss beneath their gay flowers, and make amends for their comparative poverty of leafage. We often see a disproportionate surface space of bare earth amongst gay flowers, but this might always be easily clothed with musk or mignonette, or some other fragrant plant of somewhat humble character. When musk is planted out it may be left for several years, as, although it dies down in autumn, the roots live in the ground and produce a new growth in spring; but after three or four years' occupation of one spot, it is advisable to root out the musk and plant it in fresh rich soil, for it does not maintain a sufficient vigour to be useful when living in the same soil for several years.
