392 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[October 6, 1888. 



from Barbary. It was no doubt much inferior to 

 ■the fine type grown in the present day, which is 

 represented by a large white Daisy-like flower, 

 having a yellow ring round a dark disc. The dark 

 disc is a leading feature in all the varities of C. 

 carinatum ; it is like the human eye, giving life 

 and expression to the blossom. In Burridge's 

 Chrysanthemum (C. Burridgeanum) we get still a 

 alight yellowing round the disc ; but added thereto 

 .and farther from the centre, is a zone of bright 

 crimson — a charming variety. In the Sultan and 

 .atro-coccineum we get two varieties, one with a 

 broad margin of maroon crimson, and the other of 

 orange-crimson, stretching away in each case 

 from the zone of yellow round the dark disc to the 

 petal edge — both very showy and striking, but vary- 

 ing from seed. Lord Beaconsfield is in the same 

 way, but with the margin striped with gold, and a 

 slight edging of the same. W. E. Gladstone has a 

 margin of crimson and violet, but the seed progeny 

 varies greatly in character. One variety has an 

 entirely gold margin to the dark disc, while 

 another, named venustum has the usual golden 

 ring round the disc, then a very slight one of red- 

 dish-purple, and the margin mottled white and pale 

 rosy-purple. One particularly striking variety is very 

 large, with abroad pale crimson zone Ailing up pretty 

 well half the space between the disc and the petal 

 edge, the remainder buff, slightly will come true tinted 

 ■with orange. The typical variety, carinatum, comes true 

 from seeds, and any one of the others is certain to 

 give a variable progeny. If a packet of seeds of 

 newest varieties in mixture, be sown, and the plants 

 put out in a bed of good soil, wide enough to allow 

 ample room for the plants to develope, they would 

 afford a striking mass, surprising on account both ot 

 their beauty and variety. The richer the ground, 

 and the larger the space afforded each plant, the 

 finer will be the individual flowers, and the more 

 brilliant the colours. And these annual Chrysanthe- 

 mums are remarkably persistent bloomers : Mr. 

 Roberts cuts hundreds of blossoms from his beds, 

 which, by the way, are greatly esteemed for house 

 decoration, while they go on flowering freely from 

 strong growths. There is every prospect they will 

 go on furnishing an abundance of flowers until the 

 autumnal frosts lay the plants low. B. D. 



DAHLIAS CHANGING COLOUR. — Let me assure 

 " Old Subscriber " that there must be a mistake 

 somewhere about his Dahlias changing colour as he 

 describes it. Either the roots or cuttings got mixed 

 by accident, or by some mischievous person. I have 

 grown and flowered Dahlias by the ten thousand for 

 many years here at Woking, but never found them 

 to vary like that nnless propagated by seed, from 

 •which latter, as is well known, you get pretty nearly 

 as many varieties as plants. However, amongst five 

 thousand seedlings from good sorts, which I raised 

 one year, I only got one which was an improvement. 

 They generally all turn out inferior to the parent. 

 I had better luck with sports, as, for instance, a few 

 years ago, I noticed on one of my Dahlia Juarezi a 

 flower which was streaked with orange-scarlet. By 

 singling it out and propagating it by itself I succeeded 

 in time in getting a plant which produced nothing but 

 orange-scarlet flowers, while retaining all the shape 

 and characteristic growth of the parent. It proved 

 .constant, and 1 disposed of the stock of it to Mr. 

 Thomas Ware, of Tottenham, who I see is showing 

 it this season as Cactus Dahlia Brofessor Baldwin. 

 I believe it to be the only other real Cactus Dahlia 

 besides D. Juarezi. I may add that I am at the 

 present time following up another sport of the same 

 variety, which produces flowers of a beautiful purple 

 colour ; but I have not succeeded in fixing it as yet. 

 Gustav Wermig, Woking. 



THE ONION SEED CROP.— It would appear that 

 the prospects of the seed harvest from Onions are 

 ■worse in this country than they have been for many 

 years, and that mainly owing to a cold and wet 

 July. The Onion, in England, is generally in full 

 bloom in July, and towards the end of August the 

 3eed is expected to be black, which is the sign of 

 ripeness. This year the middle of August was 

 reached before the Onions were well in bloom, and 

 then only in the case of isolated heads. It was not 

 until the beginning of September that the crop was 

 well in flower, and the seed matures so slowly that 

 there is reason to fear it will be in many places a 

 complete failure, as, at this late period, it cannot 

 possibly come to perfection, and the only seeds that 

 show signs or maturing are those at the top of the 

 inflorescence, instead of all round it, in the form of 



a perfect ball. It is those who planted early in the 

 season, on quick, warm lands, that are likely to 

 secure anything of a crop. In the case of those who 

 plant out the largest and handsomest bulbs to secure 

 fine seed, and which require more time to come to 

 maturity, the outlook is gloomy in the extreme, and 

 what little seed may happen to ripen will be light 

 and poor, notwithstanding the plants have been 

 cared for in every possible way. The Bedfordshire 

 growers of Onion seed are suffering also ; one of 

 them, in the neighbourhood of St. Neot's, estimates 

 his loss at £600. E. D. 



THE CAPTAIN STRAWBERRY. — This variety was 

 put into commerce as one fruiting both in the spring 

 :vnd autumn. This it appears to do, for the strong 

 runners of this year are seen to be putting forth 

 trusses of bloom. At Gunnersbury Park Mr. Boberts 

 has lifted a good number, potted them, and placed 

 them in a heated frame, in the hope that they will 

 give him a few dishes of fruit at mid- winter. D. 



Societies. 



ENGLISH ARBOBJ.CTJLTUTAAIi. 



The fourth annual excursion of the members of 

 the above Society took place on Friday week, the 

 place selected being the Chillingham estate, permis- 

 sion having been kindly granted by the Right Hon. 

 the Earl of Tankerville. Most of the members jour- 

 neyed to Wooler on the Thursday evening via the 

 new line. On Friday morning many o^ the members 

 were astir and had a ramble through the village and 

 adjoining neighbourhood. The route to Chillingham 

 by West Weetwood, Fowberry Tower, Chatton, and 

 Chillingham Barns, was an exceedingly fine one, the 

 country on each hand being well wooded and pic- 

 turesque. On arriving at Chillingham the company 

 was met by Mr. Noble, the land steward, and Mr. 

 Henderson, the gardener, who gave them a very 

 cordial welcome. Mr. Noble then acted as cicerone 

 to the party, and first conducted them to the parish 

 church. Near the church is the pleasantly situated 

 vicarage, and here dwells the Bev. Joseph Hudson, a 

 former vicar of Hexham, and who, though in his 

 ninety-seventh year, is still hale and hearty, and, in 

 fact, accompanied his choir to Warkworth on the 

 Monday previous. 



After inspecting the Castle and its interesting 

 pictures, the gardens, and the wild cattle in the park, 

 luncheon was partaken of under the shadow of Rass 

 Hill, and afterwards the majority of those present 

 ascended it. It is 1200 feet above the level of the 

 sea, and the view to be obtained from it is extensive. 

 The whole of the park was visible, and the 

 wild cattle were distinctly seen. There is a Saxon 

 camp at the top of the hill. Just adjoining the 

 camp there is a strip of natural wood, consisting of 

 Alder, Birch, and Oaks, and it is supposed to be 

 part of the old Caledonian forest. Descending the 

 hill and again entering the park Hebburn Castle was 

 visited. This was formerly a '■ peel " of the better class 

 belonging to the family to whom it gave a name. It 

 is of the usual peel type — square and massive, and 

 is a fine specimen of an old border peel. 



Leaving this interesting relic, the party journeyed 

 across the park and entered the Axes Wood, and 

 in it a nice plant of Abies nobilis glauca was 

 measured, and noted as having grown 18 inches in 

 1887, ond 30 inches in 1888. Abies Douglasii, Wel- 

 lingtonias, and Piceas were growing near, and doing 

 very well. Passing through a thicket of self-sown 

 Oaks, supposed to be 200 years old, attention was 

 fixed by Mr. Noble on a grand tree of Abies grandis, 

 40 feet high, and 4 feet 2 inches in girth 6 feet from 

 the ground. Balm of Gilead Silver Fir was also 

 doing very well, and several grand trees were 

 measured to 45 feet high. Entering The Dell, the 

 next tree measured was a splendid specimen of Wel- 

 lingtonia gigantea, 55 feet high, 7 feet 3 inches at 

 4 feet up, and 10 feet 6 inches girth at the bole. 

 Two seeds of this giant tree were sent to the Vicar 

 and given to Lord Tankerville, and two trees were 

 raised and nursed in the greeenhouses thirty- 

 five years ago, and both are living, the one 

 under notice being one. The English Oaks 

 in the front of the castle, called the Beggar's, the 

 King's, and the Quirches, were raised from Acorns 

 got from the late Lord Bagot. Passing through the 

 alpine garden a Spanish Chestnut was measured. 

 14 feet 3 inches 4 feet up. Amongst a clump of 

 hybrid Rhododendrons a few spikes of a grand Lilium 

 giganteum, which this season yielded sixteen or 



seventeen flowers on each spike, were most con- 

 spicuous. Passing through King James' Gate to 

 My Lady's Plantation an enormous Silver Fir was 

 measured; it is 120 feet high, and 11 feet 2 inches 

 4 feet up, with a clear boll of 90 feet. This is not 

 quite so large as the famous Silver Fir at Eslington, 

 the seat of the Earl of Ravensworth, which measures 

 134 feet high, and is 15 feet 6 inches 5 feet up, and 

 is said to be 170 years old, and pronounced to be 

 the largest tree in Northumberland. Going through 

 the Horse Pasture the company came across a curious 

 old Oak, measuring 24 feet 6 feet up, and altogether 

 a curiosity. Several other Oaks and Elms were 

 measured of enormous size. 



At the dinner held at the Wooler Cottage Hotel, 

 the Chairman, Mr. Isaac Batty, Hexham, in proposing 

 " Success to the English Arboricultural Society," 

 said, when that excursion was first talked about he 

 questioned the wisdom of going to Chillingham, but 

 among the many excellent excursions they had had 

 during the four years the Society had been in 

 existence none had been so pleasant, and none so 

 enjoyable as that one, and none had been more 

 interesting than they had had that day. Though 

 there had been little of arboriculture in the strict 

 sense of the term, yet they had all the opportunity 

 of enjoying themselves according to their peculiar 

 bent. At the earliest stage of thair proceedings he 

 had had the pleasure of meeting one with whom he 

 was associated in his earliest infancy and boyhood, 

 the Rev. Joseph Hudson, the old Vicar of Hexham, 

 who now administered the affairs of Chillingham 

 parish, and who, at his great age (97), was still hale 

 and hearty. Then they had viewed the architecture 

 and heard the historic associations of the old 

 church. 



He also said, in the course of his remarks, that 

 while it was very pleasant to have these annual reunions, 

 they should not forget that their members were the 

 backbone of arboriculture in the North of England. 

 Their Society was proceeding along quietly and 

 soundly, but he thought it might go a little quicker. 

 He thought if each of them were to send to Mr. 

 Davidson two new members during the next week it 

 would help Mr. Davidson very much. He thought 

 they did not co-operate with Mr. Davidson as much 

 as they might do. They should all back him up and 

 get as many members as possible. We may mention 

 that after dinner Jacob Wilson, Esq., of Chillingham 

 Barns, was elected a honorary member of the 

 Societv. 



©intttars 



F. Arthur Dickson. — The news of the death of 



Mr. Francis Arthur Dickson, of Chester, on the 27th 

 ult., will come as a shock to a large body of friends and 

 acquaintances; indeed, his name was so well known, 

 and both he and his establishment held in such high 

 repute, that the feeling of regret at his loss will be 

 general among horticulturists. It is only the other 

 day that we mentioned the amalgamation of the 

 two renowned Chester firms, now known as Dicksons, 

 and alluded to the valuation of the stock as a 

 matter of interest from its extent and value. 

 In 1870 he was elected to the dignity of Mayor of 

 Chester. The birth of one of his children took 

 place during his year of Mayoralty, and he was pre- 

 sented with a silver cradle, subscribed for by fellow- 

 citizens and friends, the presentation being made by 

 His Grace the Duke of Westminster in the Town 

 Hall. On January 6, 1871, he was placed on the 

 Commission of the Peace for the city. He took an 

 active interest in all matters pertaining to agriculture 

 and the various agricultural bodies in Cheshire and 

 adjoining counties, but more particularly in his 

 native city ; so much so, that in 1873, on the occasion 

 of the visit of the Boyal Manchester, Liverpool and 

 North Lancashire Agricultural Society to Chester, he 

 was presented with an address by his colleagues and 

 others for his distinguished services on the local 

 committee. 



Deceased was the son of the late Mr. Francis Dick- 

 son, who was one of the founders of the original 

 firm with which his name was connected, and was 

 for a great number of years associated with his father 

 in the conduct and maintenance of the business, 

 taking a promiuent share of the labour in it until 

 some five or six years ago. A severe illness then 

 necessitated his going abroad, and he had in conse- 



