496 



ttORTlCULTURt 



November 10^ 1906 



which are grown for size will be rejjlaced by smaller 

 ones and by those whicli will show more of the nature 

 habit and shape and fonn of the original flowers. Na- 

 ture studies are and will play a strong hand in this. 

 When a person begins to study and love nature very 

 soon mere size of flowers does not count so uuieli. Very 

 often nature shows her finest work in the very smallest 

 of flowers. And this reminds me that the present is the 

 time when the ungi-aceful, long, broom handled, mop 

 headed chrysanthemum makes its appearance. There 

 is no 23lant that the gardener and florist has disfigured 

 as much as the chrysanthemum. These flowers always 

 remind me of a gross, over-fed man who is all out of 

 shape and proportion. The man who will begin to 

 grow- flowers of a smaller size with more than one flower 

 to a stem, giving attention to gracefulness and other 

 qualities which will produce more pleasing effects, will 

 very soon find plenty of customers for his goods. 



British Horticulture 



SOME NEW CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



Several useful novelties attracted attention at the 

 National Chrysanthemum Societj''s October show at 

 the Crystal Palace. Messrs. Lowe and Shawyer secured 

 a first class certificate for Mrs. J. W. Scott. This is 

 an ivory-white, full flowered variety, and in every way 

 adapted for market work. It has already been on sale 

 at Covent Garden market, where some first-class qual- 

 ity blooms have made 4 shillings a dozen. Mr. H. J. 

 Jones has added to his long array of good things by 

 introducing a new ■ white decorative variety. Tapis de 

 Neige. This was shown as a naturally-grown pot plant, 

 and was about 2 ft. fi in. in height. Hector, a new 

 decorative variety with narrow florets of a soft pink 

 shade, was shown by Mr. G. Bowness. Messrs. W. 

 Wells & Co. showed Dorothy Goldsmith, a seedling 

 from Mrs. F. W. Vallis. The florets are of consider- 

 able length, the tint being sulpliur-yellow. The whole 

 of the new varieties were granted first class certificates. 

 The next show of the Society takes place in the first 

 week in Novembpr, and tliis is usually the largest of 

 the series arranged. There is every indication that the 

 eult of the chrysanthemum is as popular as ever in this 

 country. In addition to the three shows of the Na- 

 tional Society in London minor exhibitions at this sea- 

 son take place in all parts of the provinces, where the 

 utmost enthusiasm ])rovails among the amateur and 

 professional growers. 



AilETilCAN GOOSjaSERRT MILDEW. 



At present English growers have been able to ward 

 oft' an invasion of llie .\nierican gooseberry mildew. 

 In a paper recently read before the National Fruit 

 Growers' Federation. T'rof. Salmon, of tJie South East- 

 ern Agricultural College, crmtended that unless imme- 

 diate and resolute measures were taken the gooseberrv 

 plantations in England would, be annually subject to a 

 iilisensp whicli will ]>rove even more ruinous than big 



bud has been to the English black currant crops. The 

 disease, the Professor stated, occurred for the first time 

 in Europe in Ireland in 1900. It is now widespread 

 over Ireland in hundreds of gardens in no less than 14 

 counties. In many cases the gooseberry crop has been 

 annually destroyed. On the Continent the disease has 

 broken out in Russia, Norwa}', Sweden, Denmark, Ger- 

 many and Austria-Hungary. Prof. Salmon suggested 

 the following precautions: The temporary prohibition 

 of the uncontrolled importation of gooseberry bushes; 

 the eradication of the disease in Ireland by the employ- 

 ment of legislative measures similar to those now in 

 force against certain contagious diseases of animals; 

 the circulation of a leaflet fully describing the disease 

 and warning gooseberry growers in England of the great 

 danger incurred in olitaining any gooseberry bushes 

 from Ireland. 



>t>V. C\di»:^. 



Ncrinc 



This is another elegant class of bulbous plants be- 

 longing to the order Amaryllideae and also from the 

 Cape, popularly known as the Guernsey lily. These 

 plants begin to flower in September continuing well 

 into late fall according to varietal trait. Some varie- 

 ties are earlier flowered than others and, like the Bella- 

 donna lily, many of them flower before the foliage ap- 

 pears ; they also make and complete their growth during 

 the summer period as the Belladonna does; in fact their 

 whole requirements are so similar that the treatment 

 accorded one will suit the other, barring minor details. 

 It must be borne in mind that the nerines are less robust 

 in build and character than the Belladonna, and logi- 

 cally require less pot-room, as well as head-room. They 

 are somewhat less docile to frecjuent repotting or root 

 disturbance, good results being obtained from plants 

 undisturbed for years. When a number of bulbs in one 

 receptacle is preferable to one in a small pot, moder- 

 ately deep pans are better than standard depth pots; 

 this is of snudler consequence, however, where the 

 stronger kinds are concerned, such as Fothergillia, F. 

 nuijor. corusca major, Meadowbankii, and others. 



In large quantities it is possible to make an otherwise 

 comparatively dull season in the greenhouses at least 

 quite" gay with these brilliant flowered plants. Dotted 

 picturesquely amongst adiantum ferns they look ex- 

 tremely pretty; they are equally effective for cut flower 

 decorations accompanied with such foliage or its equiv- 

 alent in gracefulness, their brilliancy as well as quaint- 

 ness of form suggesting at once something beyond the 

 ordinary staple of flowering material. 



Of late years the hybridizer has taken them in hand 

 and has accomplished great strides so far as blending of 

 forms, color and shading is concerned, but it is doubt- 

 ful in my mind if any of the newer creations can come 

 up to the older standbys, such as cited above, with the 

 addition of the better forms of N. sarniensis, particular- 

 ly as regards robustness and freedom of growth, as well 

 as brilliancy of coloring. Nevertheless, variety is the 

 spice that lends interest, let it be plants or any other 

 goods, therefore we are in duty bound to recognize the 

 efforts of the hvbridizcr. 



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