AdiU M, 186S. ] 



JOITENAL 0¥ HOKTICULTITEE AND COTTAGE GAUDENEE. 



323 



flowers ; Pompons as well as the large-flowered varieties are 

 fully considered ; and the volume concludes with descriptive 

 lists, arranged not only according to their colours, but alpha- 

 betically, and pointing out for what purpose each variety 

 is especially suited. 



We strongly recommend the volume to our readers, and 

 we will only quote one or two passages tracing the progress 

 of the flower in this country. 



"The fii-st bomi fide English seedlings were raised in 

 Norfolk by Mr. Slioi-t and Mr. Freestone nearly thirty years 

 ago. Nonpareil, Norfolk Hero, Prince of "Wales, and a few- 

 others, were the pioneers. About the same time, 1836, an 

 amateur in Jersey turned his attention to the Chrysanthe- 

 mum ; having no doubt received some plants from his French 

 neighbours, and heard of their success in saving seed, he 

 was induced to attempt it, especially as the Channel Islands 

 had long been celebrated for the production of seedling 

 plants. The result exceeded his most sanguine expecta- 

 tions, for he raised upwards of five hundred seedling Chry- 

 santhemums, which were purchased by Mr. Chandler, of the 

 Vauxhall Nursery. There are many persons who remember 

 the dclat attending his annual November exhibitions, espe- 

 cially when the Jersey seedlings became known, ior not 

 only were the flowers more beautifully incurved, but many 

 were more double, and showed far greater diversity of colour 

 than those already seen ; among them were Adventure, 

 Beauty, Calypso, Celestial, Champion, Chancellor, Countess, 

 Defiance, Eclipse, Eiegans, Enchantress, Pormosum, Goliah, 

 Hero, Imperial, Invincible, King, Lucidum, Magnet, Mar- 

 quis, Paragon, Surprise, and Topaz. Several of these still 

 remain as favourites in the conservatory, while Beauty, 

 Pormosum, and Lucidum are found in most prize stands of 

 out blooms. 



" In 1838 the author took up his residence at Versailles, 

 near Paris, and finding the climate of that city particularly 

 suited to the cultivation of the Chrysanthemum, he imported 

 from England all the Chinese varieties, besides most of the 

 Norfolk and Jersey seedlings. Shortly afterwards about 

 250 good French sorts were added, so that in 1840 this 

 collection numbered between 300 and 400 varieties. Upon 

 looking over the list of that year, it does not appear that 

 there were more than thirty with incurved florets or petals, 

 and nearly all of these were obtained since 1830. In 1843 

 seedlings began to be raised in the Nursery at Versailles, 

 and the first fruits of many succeeding years of labour 

 were in 



" 1844. Annie Salter, Madame Poggi, and Queen of the 

 Yellows. 



"1846. Cyclops, Pleur de Marie, and Nancy de Sermet. 



"1847. Queen of England, which is acknowledged by all 

 exhibitors of cut blooms to be, both as regards 

 size and perfection of form, the finest Chrysan- 

 themum extant. 



"About twenty years ago the Chrysanthemum took its 

 place among exhibition flowers. The first public show of 

 cut blooms was held at Stoke Newington in 1846 ; this 

 society is the oldest in England, and its annual exhibitions 

 axe still among the most attractive in the metropolis. Of 

 late years many similai' societies have been established, and 

 at the present time there are no less than twelve in the 

 immediate vicinity of London, besides many others scattered 

 over the length and breadth of the country." 



"In 1846 a new era commenced in the history of the 

 Chrysanthemum, for at that time Mr. Fortune brought 

 from China two small-flowering varieties, known as 'The 

 Chusan Daisy and Chinese Minimum.' These were simUar 

 in size to those now called Liliputians, and were probably 

 varieties from the true C. iudicum of Linnseus, or Matricaria 

 japonica of Koempfer, a plant of which (as previously noticed) 

 grew in 1764 in the Botanic Garden at Chelsea. These 

 would in all probability have shared the fate of their prede- 

 cessor had they remained in England, for although Mr. 

 Fortune admired them in Chusan, they were considered too 

 small and insignificant for English taste. The French 

 opinion of them, however, was far different, for immediately 

 upon theu: introduction in 1847 into the already well known 

 coUectiou at Versailles, the little Chusan Daisy became a 

 favourite. From these two varieties have sprung aU the 

 Pompons now in cultivation. Cliinese Minimum was a dark 



double flower, and produced but little seed; while the other, 

 with its daisy-like semi-double flowers, seeded freely the 

 first year, and the result surpassed the most sanguine ex- 

 pectations ; the seedling flowers being more double than 

 the original, and from their compactness and resemblance 

 to a rosette, received the name of 'pompon,' and were 

 called Pompon Biiou, P. Chapeau Eouge, P. La Liliputienne, 

 P. Le Naiu Bebe, P. Petit Pouoet, and P. Tom Pouce." 



GAEDEN PESTS. 



The gardener is, in one respect, the most unfortunate of 

 men, for he has enemies in the earth, on the earth, and 

 under the earth. No wonder, then, that one of his mosfi 

 frequent inquiries is. How am I to get rid of such and such 

 a pest? 



Having myself, in addition to the ordinary number of 

 enemies, an extraordinary number in the shape of birds, I 

 was induced this spring to try Mr. Kivers's plan of protect- 

 ing Plum trees by worsted. I had the more faith in this 

 remedy from having often used it for protecting Gooseberry 

 bushes from sparrows in winter. I cannot, however, say 

 that it has answered my expectations witli Plums. The 

 worsted was very carefully wound round the trees, aud the 

 meshes were only about a foot square; but while the trees 

 in an angle near the house were left untouched, those further 

 off were almost entirely stripped. Leaf-buds, as well as 

 flower-buds, were eaten, and the trees no doubt were as 

 much injured as though they had been over-pruned. 



For another .enemy, the aphis, I have tried many things, 

 but flnd nothing better than the quassia water and soft 

 soap, as recommended both by Mr. P^ivers and Mr. Pearson. 

 Neither this mixture, however, nor any other, will super- 

 sede the necessity of constant vigilance. In fact daily watch- 

 fulness aud syringing with water must still remain our sheet 

 anchors. 



As to ants, neither the arsenic and treacle recommended 

 by Mr. Pearson, nor the arsenic and sugar, &c., recommended 

 by others, have ever proved of the slightest use. The ants 

 are not attracted by the mixtures, and their eyes probably 

 see distinctly the grains of arsenic, which to us appear as an 

 impalpable powder. I try to diminish their- numbers in my 

 orchard-house by disturbing them in their haunts, and con- 

 tinually pouring down boiling water, but they seem to in- 

 crease as rapidly as the boiling water kills them. — G. S. 



TKITOMA GHANDIS. 



Br this time there are few who are not acquainted with, 

 what one may call the grandeur of Tritoma uvaria glauces- 

 cens, which as a decorative plant in August and September, 

 and even on to the middle of October, has tew or no equals 

 among hardy herbaceous plants. It is equally effective 

 when used either in long-continued lines or as single speci- 

 mens in mixed borders. Any one who saw the splendid 

 masses of this plant which Mr. Lees had this year at Tyn- 

 ningham in his mixed borders, cannot fail to have been 

 struck with the efl'ect produced. 



Tritoma grandis is a plant but very little known, hut one 

 which canno: fail to be a great favourite when once its merits 

 ai-e found out. It is a stronger grower than T. uvaria, but 

 its great merit consists in its commencing to bloom when 

 the other favourite is past. For several years past we have 

 had it here in great beauty till the end of December. Last 

 year I cut basketfuls of it for decorative purposes the day 

 before Christmas, aud this year it is equally fine and late. 

 In colour it is much the same as T. uvaria, but throws its 

 immense spikes up to the height of nearly 6 feet sometimes, 

 and not unfrequeutly it throws out smaller lateral spikes 

 from the main stem. 



With Tritoma grandis and uvaria, this beautiful genus 

 may be had in full beauty for at least five months. 



There have been great complaints about Tritoma uvaria 

 being diseased, or having become degenerated in England. 

 I have observed no signs of anything of the sort in Scotland; 

 and my opinion is that in many cases the plants are starved 

 in poor hungry soils, and that such is as much the cause of 

 degeneracy as anything else. They like liberal culture, and 



