1870.] GARDEN RECORDS. 129 



side circles were similarly planted — viz., a plant of Echeveria sanguinea in the 

 centre, with some medium-sized plants of Echeveria secunda glauca round it, 

 and encircled with Sempervivum tectorum as before ; the whole carpeted with 

 Saxifraga hypnoides minor, and outwardly edged with Echeveria secunda glauca, 

 as in the case of the centre grouping. Above this excellent piece of mosaic was 

 a fringe of plants forming a raised background : first came Adiantum cuneatum ; 

 then a line of handsome forms of Beta chiliensis ; next this a line of the silvery 

 Centaurea candidissima ; and behind, in the remote background, a mixture of 

 large-growing Ferns, standard plants of Centaurea gymnocarpa, and Tanacetum 

 elegantissimum. Another interesting feature in this house was a plant of Dahlia 

 imperialis growing in a pot, and about 7 feet in height. This Mr Alfred Salter 

 had grafted on a stock of one of the Lilliputian varieties in the previous spring, 

 and had quite succeeded in his design — that of reducing the height of this grand 

 autumnal-flowering species, while a more branching habit had also been im- 

 parted. There were a great many buds on the plant on the occasion of our visit, 

 but whether there would be sufficient warmth in the house (there not being 

 the aid of artificial heat) to produce flowers at that time of the year was a 

 matter for doubt. 



The lovers of the Chrysanthemum look mainly to Messrs Salter & Son for the 

 production of new varieties, or, at least, for keeping up the supplies of new flowers 

 annually distributed. We saw these new flowers, and the following are the de- 

 scriptive notes we made of them. We commence with the new large-flowering 

 varieties as follows : Beauty of Stoke, amber-yellow suffused with red, which 

 deepens in hue as the flowers age — large, full, and finely incurved ; Duke of 

 Edinburgh, rosy lilac, with paler centre — very large and finely incurved ; Globosa, 

 dark Indian red, with very broad evenly incurved petals — compact habit and of 

 unusual dwarf growth ; Marginata, an anemone -flowered variety, colour rosy 

 lilac, the guard petals edged with a deeper colour — very novel ; Meyerbeer, pale 

 rosy chocolate, lighter towards the centre, remarkable for its very broad incurved 

 petals ; Miss Hope, delicate lilac, paling off to white in the centre — a fine in- 

 curved flower ; Mrs Wreford Major, pale ground, with lines and dashes of dark 

 rose, of compact growth and dwarf habit — an excellent variety for the decoration 

 of the conservatory ; Norma, waxy white, with short stiff petals, flowers very 

 double — habit exceedingly dwarf ; Ondine, cream, tipped with rosy lilac, and 

 buff centre — finely incurved ; and Princess Louise and Virginalis, both anemone- 

 flowered varieties, the former with pale-blush outer or guard petals, with a high 

 centre of a pale lilac hue ; the latter white, and somewhat late in blooming. 



It is very difficult indeed to describe that curious, but deeply-interesting group 

 of Chrysanthemums, the Japanese varieties. There are so many different types 

 of flowers, that though attempts have been made to classify them, the tendency to 

 variation on the part of many of the new flowers seems to upset what had been so 

 well done. Although of a distinct type from the Chrysanthemums in general culti- 

 vation, no difference of soil or treatment is necessary ; a warm situation and good 

 management is all that is required to secure a succession of flowers from Novem- 

 ber until January or February. As a general rule they bloom later and remain 

 longer in bloom than the ordinary kinds, and they serve the important end of 

 keeping our conservatories gay at a season of the year when flowers are very 

 scarce. But to our descriptive notes of the new varieties : — Aurora, bright 

 orange yellow, the flowers composed of a mass of straight, sword-like petals ; 

 Chang, purplish red, the outer surface pale amber, petals very long and curiously 

 twisted, flowers of great size ; Colonel Henery, deep golden yellow, the flowers 

 composed of long, stiff, and somewhat narrow petals : this is regarded as one of 



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