742 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[Decrmper 21, 1895. 
EDITORIAL NOTICES. 
Advertisements should be bony to the PUBLISHER. 
Local News.—Correspondents greatly oblige by sending 
to the Editor eo lattes of local events likely to be 
of interest to which it i 
or 
Illustrations. 
photographs or drawings, switable for reproduction in these 
flowers 
illustrations, wnless by special arrangement 
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK, 
MONDAY, 
SALE: 
ЕС 234 Plants, Roses, Hardy Bulbs, &с. 
ai at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
9 AVERAGE 558 FOR THE ENSU- 
NG WEEK, DEDUCED FROM THE OBSERVATIONS 
OF FORTY-THREE YEARS, AT CHISWICK.—38 4°. 
As our tastes and interests are 
varied, equally so is the standpoint 
from which we individually view the Christmas 
With all its inconveniences, the season 
merce, During 
Christmastide. 
experiences in preparation for the festivities 
more com tes for this. At Christmas 
we all seem to gain, and all to lose, If we 
receive more than usual, we also spend more, and 
the manifestation of spending power is greater 
than occurs at any other part of the year. So 
far, therefore, as we can see, the observance 
this festival is not likely to be diminished, 
though naturally the methods by which it is 
celebrated will alter slightly with every decade. 
е noisy, riotous scenes and indulgences that 
characteristic of the season, do not 
now obtain in the same degree, and we have 
reason to be thankful that the case is so, and 
that the money once expended in such a manner 
is now free to purchase more rational comforts, 
a e can be given to the pursuit of more 
reasonable methods of оу. 
as from our own par- 
ticular standpoint, we find that the resources 
of ture are more and more freely drawn 
upon. Every class of the public spends more 
of its money upon plants and flowe The 
custom of associating the Misleto, the 
Holly, and other berried plants with Christmas, 
has bee --— a 
J od — 
AC m М . 
‘to decorate our homes or our churches, 
evergreens even, there was not the variety at 
the commencement of the century that we have 
now, owing to the introduction to this country 
of species and varieties of Conifers, peculiarly 
suitable for Christmas trees, &c. As long as 
the season has any charm for us, we are not 
likely to despise the Misleto, Holly, and an: 
т. for centuries have been 
its observance, I Indeed, berried plants of all 
з appeal to us in December with quite 
s. bet em © We continue to welcome 
: боо, ыны ies are not the less able 
pplemented in our de- 
corations by a variety of ү Ane flowers that 
we, by reason of our hot-houses, are enabled to 
enjoy at atime when formerly they were not pro- 
curable. When we think of what has been ac- 
complished, of the advantages we possess that our 
forefathers knew nothing of, though we see little 
to boast of, there is plenty to interest—and even 
to astonish us! 
Half a century ago the amount of “ glass” in 
our gardens was small, only the largest of them 
р facilities for the growth and production 
of exotic plants and flowers, and the forcing of 
these in December was but little practised, and as 
little understood. The str des made since then 
have been rapid and long, the increased facilities 
for the production of flowers has encouraged the 
desire for them, and the demand and supply have 
both increased at a prodigious rate. It is little 
exaggeration to say that now we cover half our 
gardens with glass, and we gather some of the 
choicest of our flowers at Christmastide. 
Снвізтмаѕ PLANTS, 
Of flowering plants we now obtair, in речни 
і o Chrysanthemum”, four the 
Heaths wee 
Co., of Clapton, and M 
& Sons, Highgate, for distribution to gardeners 
only, have, for a number of years past, been taken 
in hand by the market growers, and they have 
n t 
m — October; Е hyemalis and E h. alba may 
n the market, but not in great quantity, nor 
Bate ie seen many p'ants of it in flower when 
visiting some of the market nurseries during the 
past week, What are now to be bought have been 
specially kept back for this week's sale, E. Wil- 
moreana, & larger and more showy plant than E, 
hyemalis, cannot be had soon enougb, but comes in 
nicely during the earlier months of the year. 
г. Sweet, of oe - known a: one of the 
st Heath-growe rket, and his plants are 
ictures of vert sut, compact, shapely, and 
wit 
covered abundance of bloom. Messrs 
ày vh Mr. J. Е , Messrs, regory 
Evans, Sidcup, Мг. Ladds, Swanley, Mr. E. R chford, 
а wn them large 0 
recently noticed at Messrs. Hugh Low 
sery a quantity of E. melanthera, which had been 
forced into flower, the blooms being white, instead 
the light purple they usually are when — 
spring. It howeve r, fors 
esiti forcing, and the plant is less popular i in spring 
used to be, though Mr. Sweet has been selling 
plants of Е. melanthera with better-coloured flowers, 
ost of the varieties are pretty and effective plants 
to put into vases, and obtained through the market 
they are very cheap, but they are little understood by 
many who buy them, and ша? ae з bio 
in 
window 
with the points о "t their iocis qe aee hopeleely 
down, languishing for water. 
Solanum capsicastrum is essentially a owhiter 
plant, and many—almost all—market- ые wers cul- 
tivate them but we have never seen so fine 
any so 
& by Messrs. J. & J. Hayes, Edmonton. 
Their plants are remarkable for the small sizə of the 
foliage, and the extra large sizə of the berries, They 
grow them in thousands, and were amongst the firat 
to cultivate a large number annually pe 3 
Mr. E. Rochford, Cheshunt, raises 0 
plants annually. S»lanums sell more * than 
other plants during the present week and part of 
next; but, as several growers have remarked to the 
writer, “Come Boxing-day, and buyers won’s look at 
Primulas are are pretty and useful for warm rooms, 
but are too delicate — in draughts or cold 
places at this season. They have long been market 
plants; bat we are inclined to think the trade in 
them is less than formerly. Messrs, Williams and 
others are selling very well-grown and pretty plants 
in several bere 
Cyclamen.—A more popular and a hardier plant 
is the Ойды. pea ipie m as the foliage is less 
liable to  ipjary. There 
forced into bloom during 
h 
will be Panty i in England next year, for we have 
w that since the letter from чыр 
di appiieet 1 in these pager, one firm 
least has адыны itself of a good * of oe 
from first-rate Garman collections. As to whether 
the blooms will be so much better than ч а е 
as Messrs, Sutton's or Messrs. Williams', our Ger 
ical. 
— red and white, white Marguerites about 14 
inches high, in 5 inch potr, and literally covered 
with blossomr, and Mignonatte. In addition, there 
is the usual large and varied supply of well-grown 
foliage plantr, Palme, Ferne, Dracenar, Asparagus, 
Smilax n &е. 
ce of Cannas will make a valuable and 
distinct additio on to the flowering plants that may 
be had in bloom during the pres ntb. Messrs 
ucceed in obtaining flowers 
throughout the year, and are able to exhibit them in 
fair quantity at the present date. Of course, they 
are unsuitable for market work, but a group of them 
in flower at this season in our conservatories would 
be the most lovely and striking addition to zonal 
Pelargoniums and the like, than we have had for 
years, 
Cur Frowers. 
Of cut flowers there is much € T— than 
E ack 
at least, the supply in this —€—— = is not 
exceptional. For instance, a visit he large 
establishment of Mr. George May’s, ^ es Ted- 
to cut. Hare is the largest and best collec 
tion of Eucharis plants we have ever seen, — 
during the same week last year, Mr. May was 
marketing scores of dozens of blooms each day. He 
will have plenty later though, and they pro- 
mise to be of excellent — Abundance 
of Bouvardia blooms may be seen in the market. 
hand is proved by the following list, moat of 
which are in the market in considerable quantity : 
—Chrysanthemums of late sorts, such as L. 
ning, Princess Blanche, Princess Victoria, and 
W. Lincoln, a variety which can be had 
early or r late; Lilium lancifolium, L. longiflorum, and 
L. I. Harrisi; Roses, Carnations, Eucharis, Cyelamens, 
Lapagerias, douvle Primulas, Azaleas, especially the 
capital white one, Deutache Perle; Richardiar, Camel- 
lias, Taberoses, Gardeniar, Pancratiume, Freesias, 
Roman Hyacinths, Talips, Lilies of the Valley, 
yellow and white Narcissur, and Violets, The Nar- 
cissus is imported from France, so also are numbers 
of Violets, the former may be forced into flower here 
by this date, but they come very much less kindly. 
In addition to these, a good supply of Rose 
