HORTICULTURE 



October 28, 1905 



4s. 6d. a dozen. Boronias of exceptional merit made 

 from 8s. to 12s. a dozen. The lots were principally 

 bought for the Covent Garden trade. Unless prices in 

 the future show a material improvement on the market 

 the jnirchasers will not receive any margin of profit, 

 after allowing for the expense of carting, growing on, 

 and delivering at Covent Garden. The nurserymen who 

 have been holding these sales are certainly on the right 

 side, for they have made good prices without running the 

 risk of facing the constant fluctuations of the open 

 market. There have been general complaints of the 

 unusual slackness of business in the floral line this 



in his treatise, under the heading of "Summer Flowering 

 Pompons," gave a selection of thirteen varieties, the 

 majority of which bore French names. 



EARLY CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



The show of early varieties, arranged by the National 

 Chrysanthemum Society at the beginning of October, 

 was the best exhibition of the kind held in this country. 

 It indicated that the cult of the chrysanthemum is 

 increasing in popularity in Britain, thanks to the 

 efforts of the Society and of Messrs. Cannell, Jones, 

 Davis, Godfrey, Wells and other leading trade growers. 

 The fame of Mr. Wells of Merstham is well known in 

 the United States where he numbers several customers. 

 There were not many novelties exhibited for certificates ; 

 the list will probably be more extensive at the next show 

 in November. Mr. Wells' new introductions were 

 Goacher's Pink, a floriferous variety which is seen to 

 advantage early in September — its habit resembles the 

 well-known Goacher's Crimson — and Harry, a dwarf 

 free-flowering variety, with blooms of a reddish crimson 

 tint. Messrs. E. H.' Bath, Ltd., of Wisbech, had a new 

 bloom of the decorative type, named Perle Chailonnaise. 

 This has medium sized flowers of a salmon-buff hue. Mr. 

 H. J. Jones, of Ryecroft Nurseries, Lewisham, who has 

 put a large number of useful varieties in commerce, 

 showed Money-maker — an appropriate name for a mar- 

 ket variety — with pure white blooms, and Maxim, a 

 decorative "mum" with reddish crimson tinted blooms. 

 Each of these new-comers received a certificate from the 

 Society. 



AN HISTORICAL REVIEW 



The conference held in connection with the exhibition 

 proved a very popular feature of the proceedings. 

 Amongst the papers read was one by Mr. C. Harman 

 Payne, throwing considerable light on the origin of the 

 early-flowering varieties — a subject to which little atten- 

 tion had hitherto been given. Mr. Payne defined an 

 early flowering variety as referring to that section of 

 chrysanthemums descended from C. indicum or C. 

 sinense, which, grown in the open-air, will bloom with- 

 out disbudding before the ordinary exhibition varieties 

 come into flower. Going back to the year 1850 Mr. 

 Payne referred to the distribution by M. Miellez. of 

 Lille, of some varieties that bloomed in the beginning 

 of August, and others that followed in September and 

 October. It is not until two years later than any record 

 can be found of the first early-flowering chrysanthemum 

 making its appearance in England. About the same 

 time M. Ijebois and M. Pele engaged in the work, and 

 raised many novelties, both of the ordinary November 

 flowering and the Pompon type. In 1853 a description 

 of a new early variety named Hendersoni was published 

 and this the first of its kind was followed by Annie 

 Henderson, a dwarf variety of bright canary yellow, 

 blooming in the month of August. Some of the earliest 

 growers. to take up the new race were Messrs. E. G. Hen- 

 derson and Son, Mr. John Salter, Mr. Samuel Broome, 

 Mr. John Dale. As far back as 1858 Mr. .John Bronme, 



>t>y, adi*^. 



London, England. 



The Iris 



In consequence of the introduction of the new Jap- 

 anese species, the old-fashioned flag family is now com- 

 ing to the front, and will take its place among the most 

 beautiful decorative flowers. 



The Iris is interesting as a flower, being the type of 

 the great natural order Iridacee. The generic name of 

 the iris family is derived from that of the rainbow, 

 probably because all its colors are represented in its 

 numerous species and varieties. The yellow iris or 

 water flag abounds in the shallow waters and streamlets 

 of Great Britain and the continent of Europe; it is nat- 

 urally a semi-aquatic, requiring water for its growth, 

 but sunshine to bring its golden blossoms to perfection. 

 On the contrary the I. Germanica requires dry, warm 

 soil but with sunlight also. 



One of the advantages that the iris possesses is that 

 it is so easily grown, requiring no more care than any 

 ordinary vegetable crop and is as suitable to the garden 

 of the cottager as it is to the flower garden of the 

 millionaire. In large establishments the iris is accept- 

 able on account of the succession of flowers the various 

 species afford during the summer season. I. Persica 

 and pumilla, dwarf growing species with intensely 

 bright purple and light blue flowers, commence the pro- 

 cession. These are followed by the Siberian iris which 

 is in direct contrast to them, as to habit of growth ; it has 

 tall, slender leaves and flower stems and its flowers are 

 numerous and beautifully colored. They may be 

 described as violet blue veined with white. The plant 

 grows in clumps and does not like to be disturbed by 

 transplanting; indeed that is the case with all but the 

 bulbous species and it is better, when a new plant is 

 wanted, not to dig up the clump to separate it, but to 

 cut off a portion with a sharp spade. The Spanish 

 iris is a great favorite in the flower markets of London 

 and Paris and deserves more attention from American 

 florists. 



The Japanese are no more celebrated for their prow- 

 ess in war than for their advancement in the arts and 

 tastes of peace, and it should be a matter of gratitude 

 to the great Supreme Ruler of events that the United 

 States and its noble President have been made instru- 

 mental in putting a stop to the late bloody and disas- 

 trous conflict. As to floriculture it is doubtful whether, 

 in some respects, the Japanese are not at the head of the 

 class. They certainly perform feats of horticulture 

 which haye not been attempted by western horticultur- 

 ists, and, beside this, have given us examples of taste in 

 the natural arrangement of floral decorations which we 

 may copy with advantage. Following the course of 

 Nature, they do not crowd their cut flowers into bunches 

 which we call bouquets, but place them in such position 

 as regards each other as to show the beauty of each indi- 

 vidual. The final touches are wliat give effect to the 

 whole, and it is in close attention to these details that 

 the true artist excels. I have, it may seem, digressed 



