498 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 301. 



snow disappears in all suburban regions great numbers of peo- 

 ple are seen -wandering over vacant lots and by road-sides 

 watching for the first signs of its growth. It is usually not dif- 

 ficult to get a basketful, for the Dandelion is the most per- 

 sistent of weeds. Although rarely cultivated in this country, it 

 is extensively grown in England, and particularly in France, 

 where varieties have been improved by selection. These im- 

 proved kinds are grown just as Carrots and Salsify and other 

 roots, and being perfectly hardy, Ihey can be always trusted to 

 produce a crop of spring greens, but they can be blanched if it 

 is preferred. It is most esteemed, however, as a salad-plant, 

 and good varieties of it resemble the finest sorts of Endive. 

 If the roots are dug in the fall and stored in a cool place they 

 can be as easily forced in the winter-time as Sea-kale. The 

 roots should be set some three inches apart in pots or boxes, 

 with the crowns just above the soil. After a good soaking of 

 water is given to settle the soil around the roots, they should 

 be placed in a Mushroom-house or in a cellar where the tem- 

 perature is kept at about sixty. In the absence of such a con- 

 venience, pots may be set under the bench of a greenhouse or 

 any other warm position, with the crowns covered by inverted 

 pots to exclude the light. By successive plantings a conve- 

 nient supply can be had during the winter and spring. 

 Dongan Hills, N, Y. IVm. Tricker. 



Correspondence. 



Chrysanthemums at the Exhibitions. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — As a practical matter it would be well if more encour- 

 agement were given at the shows to plants which, for lack of 

 a better term, may be called naturally grown. By these I mean 

 plants grown from spring cuttings and worked along into, say, 

 eight-inch pots and cut back only once, perhaps, in the case of 

 tall-growing kinds. Such plants, well -cared for, will break 

 freely, and in the fall, being properly disbudded, will give from 

 twelve to twenty-four good flowers, as large as necessary or 

 desirable, and, if the gardener exercises some restraint on him- 

 self, will bloom in a pleasing way at varying heights, and not 

 appeal to two senses by their resemblance to a glowing mush- 

 room. Such plants have an educational value in a show as 

 they are examples of what a private grower generally finds 

 most useful — a plant occupying a minimum of space and giv- 

 ing a maximum of results. Anything which will lead more 

 people into the cultivation of flowers is of the first importance 

 at exhibitions. 



For my own use, while a believer in quite thorough disbud- 

 ding of Chrysanthemums, I prefer not to disbud a large plant 

 uniformly, thinking that one which carries an assortment of 

 flowers produced by disbudding to one, two and three flowers 

 on various stems, is the most pleasing and also most useful. 

 Mr. Roehrs had a collection of nicely grown little plants at the 

 New York show, which were in six-inch pots and fairly well 

 furnished with flowers. These, however, were only an ap- 

 proach to my ideal. In a pot one size larger one could secure 

 many times the result and effect. As we have had a warm 

 season this year, the flowers have shown the advantage of hav- 

 ing escaped the usual amount of fire-heat by being firmer and 

 more lasting. It is the unfortunate feature of this fine, hardy 

 plant that it flowers at a season when some fire-heat is neces- 

 sary for its protection, if it is to be grown to mammoth size. 

 Nothing puts these flowers out of character so soon as heat, 

 while glass seems to have a surprisingly slight effect in im- 

 proving their color. 



To one who examined critically a great many white flowers 

 at the recent show nothing was more surprising than the 

 scarcity of a pure white color among them as seen in daylight. 

 Almost all the whites showed a trace of pink, green or some 

 degrading color. In respect to purity the Queen was the pre- 

 mier flower shown here. One hesitates to speak about the 

 new Chrysanthemums and offer an opinion as to what gains 

 have been made in recent years. There are a great many 

 flowers certificated, and one cannot judge harshly the owner 

 who thinks a plant at a dollar a vast improvement on one at 

 ten cents. Beauty of form is a matter of opinion, and we will 

 put that aside. In color we have gained some good dark 

 crimsons in shades not previously had in such flowers as 

 George W. Childs and Emily Ladenburg. In yellows we have a 

 larger number, but no better shades than old Thunberg or 

 Golden Dragon ; we have more whites, but no purer tones. The 

 old Bouquet Fait was a pink hard to excel, but we have larger 

 flowers now. When it comes to size, the ancients were no- 

 where, apparently, but really no one knows how large many of the 

 old varieties could be grown. They have never had a chance. 



There have been at least four thousand varieties of Chrysan- 

 themums put into cultivation in the last fifteen years, though 

 many of them have had small distribution. When we remem- 

 ber how few persons have been growing these large blooms, 

 and how small the number of varieties experimented with, it 

 is plain that all the facts about the various kinds are by no 

 means understood. 



It will not be disputed that we are making gradual and 

 steady gains in good forms, mostly in American seedlings, 

 with occasional Japanese importations, and a still rarer Euro- 

 pean one. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that the mania for 

 new things has led to such a rapid discarding of good and well- 

 proved old varieties, many of which do not seem to survive 

 even in florists' catalogues. I presume, however, that num- 

 bers of these still remain as established favorites in quiet gar- 

 dens, where the pulsation of the flower-show never beats. I hope, 

 also, that in these quiet places there are many of those quaint, 

 dainty forms — freaks, if you will — which help to distinguish the 

 Chrysanthemum as one of the most remarkable plants for 

 variation of form, coloring and general effectiveness. There 

 does not seem a possibility that it will ever occupy a less 

 prominent place in the affections of flower-lovers. It is unique 

 and invaluable in that it flowers at a time when other flowers 

 are scarce, and blooms at that dull season so abundantly as to 

 fill the wildest desires for flowers and color. ~ ^ , 



Elizabeth, N. J. / • -iV. Gerard. 



Notes from Northern California. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Early November brought some sharp frosts to cut 

 down tender plants like Cannas, but the fall bloom of our 

 Roses has been uncommonly good and they are still bloom- 

 ing freely. One is reminded every season that each Rose has 

 its likes and dislikes, and the favorite now may disappoint us 

 next year. I admire Madame de Watteville, but from several 

 strong bushes I have not had a really good specimen flower 

 this year. Puritan I have thrown away after a long trial, and 

 Waban refuses to be a success here. Madame Hoste is admi- 

 rable and stands the heat wonderfully well, as did the Vis- 

 countess of Folkestone. Paul Neyron never blooms freely, 

 but it can always be counted on to produce a few fine flowers, 

 and the new Rainbow has taken a high rank. The two most 

 satisfactory Roses this summer with me have been a large 

 plant of Cloth of Gold, and another of William Allan Rich- 

 ardson, trained on trellises. Their early bloom was perfect, 

 and there has hardly been a day since when fine Roses could 

 not have been picked from both of them. On this 9th of No- 

 vember the Cloth of Gold has perfect flowers of the largest 

 size. From late sowings of Sweet Peas we are still getting 

 fine flowers. Anemone Japonica is our most beautiful and 

 useful white flower at this season, and what a splendid flower 

 it is for shady places. Pansies which have lived through the 

 summer heat are now flowering freely. Those from seed 

 sown in late summer will give a good account of themselves 

 all through the winter. 



I have been reading with interest the discussions in your 

 columns as to the feasibility of growing Dutch Bulbs for mar- 

 ket in the southern states. I am one of the dreamers who 

 believe that it will be done here in the near future in Califor- 

 nia. Narcissi could be grown even now cheap enough to com- 

 pete with imported bulbs, and there is every reason to sup- 

 pose that the quality would be superior. My experiments lead 

 me to believe that the drawback to success is not that of soil, 

 or climate or expensive labor, but a lack of skill, which we 

 shall acquire in time. Californian horticulturists have accom- 

 plished so much in the short history of this state that we may 

 be pardoned for our readiness to attack any new problem. 



Ukiah, Calif. Carl Purdy. 



Mid-November in a Michigan Garden. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — We hardly expect to find much in our garden at this 

 season, but on the morning of the 14th we gathered some 

 Sweet Alyssum, some Pansies and some Mignonette, which 

 made a nosegay whose fragrance could not have have been 

 excelled at any time of the season. But, although flowers are 

 rare, and although, as I notice in my daily rides, the woods 

 have lost their glory, our shrub borders are still making beau- 

 tiful pictures with their rich and ever-changing colors. A 

 mass of Spiraea Thunbergii now shows marvelous harmonies 

 in brown, red and yellow, with subtle changes as the sunshine 

 filters through the fine leaves. Near by, Berberis Thunbergii 

 is a mass of glowing scarlet which lightens up the whole bor- 



