MO^^THLY SUMMAEY. 703 



"Watched the old plants for years, to pounce upon a good sport from 

 which to breed, for it is a curious fact with chrysanthemums, 

 that it is not from seed alone that new varieties are obtained 

 they are also got from suckers. There is a beautiful variety in 

 the present collection, called the Queen of England, from which 

 no less than four different kinds have been obtained by suckers. 

 The mother plant is a pale blush, — one of her off-shoots is 

 yellow (Golden Queen), — another pure white (White Queen) 

 a third, pink (Alfred Salter) and a fourth, reared by Messrs. 

 Downie & Laird, of Edinburgh, and called the Striped Queen, is 

 speckled. The great point at which Mr. Salter has been labouring 

 is to obtain brilliant colour and good form for the flower, and 

 a compact, dwarf, strong-growing habit for the plant. When 

 we call to mind the dingy dull red with which Mr, Salter had 

 to start, and remember that he has had no extraneous help from 

 allied species, but that the brilliant and vivid colours now shown 

 have been all obtained by watching for a flower with a colour a 

 little brighter than its neighbours, and breeding from that, and 

 growing its seed in the climate which produces the most glowing 

 colours (another point only learned by long experience), we can- 

 not fail to accoi'd our admiration to his skill and perseverance. 



The small pompones may be said to be a race created by Mr. 

 Salter, They are all the produce of the small Chusan daisy 

 sent by Mr. Fortune, tpany years ago, from China, crossed with 

 small varieties of the Chrysanthemum, also obtained from China. 



The pompones are disposed in the centre of the space of ground, 

 the large flowering Chrysanthemums round the exterior. Some 

 ▼ery fine varieties of the latter, which are there exhibited, have 

 been raised in the Channel Islands, the climate of which seems 

 peculiarly adapted for the growth of this flower. 



Memoranda for November.— On the 7th of November there 

 will be a meeting for the election of Fellows. On the 11th a 

 Chrysanthemum show will be held, and the Fruit and Floral Com- 

 mittees will meet on the same day. 



