550 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 247. 



unloads his llowcrs, in company with numerous others of liis 

 kind, just before the judges are ready to act and after the com- 

 mittee has about conckided that there will be nothing to show. 

 There is no possible doubt that with a few hours' study such a 

 competent committee as managed the late show could pro- 

 duce an ideally attractive effect even with the incongruous 

 material, and I have no desire to criticise when there was so 

 much to commend. It might be suggested, however, that the 

 almost primary want of a Chrysanthemum-show is a wealth of 

 foliage-plants to which one could turn one's eyes for rest. Of 

 these we can scarcely have too many, and if the masses of 

 flowers could be broken with them it would seem especially 

 desirable. As no one was ever discovered at a show looking 

 at those floral mops known as plants grown to single blooms, 

 it might be well to drop these from future schedules and de- 

 vote the money to the encouragement of the growth of plants 

 furnished in a fairly natural way. Such plants have been 

 known to give an impetus to the culture of the Chrysanthe- 

 mum in gardens, and this seems a point to aim at in a flower- 

 show. 



The Chrysanthemum is such a sturdy and lasting flower 

 when grown without heat that it was a pleasure to see the 

 flowers in the Garden this season usually lasting their normal 

 time, in striking contrast to those of last year. The season has 

 been without strong frosts and very dry, and, apparently, no 

 fire-heat had been used by most of the growers, a practice 

 which should be universally followed. A soft, flabby Chrys- 

 anthemum is a miserable object, quite out of character, it 

 naturally being one which appears at its best in the open un- 

 der a clear sky, sparkling in frosty air. 



E.xcept in mere size, there does not seem often any material 

 improvement in these flowers. Occasionally there is a new 

 type more or less attractive, but we get no better colors than 

 we have had for some years. Whites and yellows we have 

 always had in abundance of every possible shade, while satis- 

 factory pinks are, as ever, few and far between — none to-day 

 better than Bouquet Fait in color. For grace and refinement, 

 it seems to me that the ordinary grower need not search en- 

 tirely among the latest productions. Some of the modern 

 kinds, while very useful for the exhibitor, are not desirable for 

 those who grow their flowers to less size, and often under rude 

 conditions or some exposure. These kinds, naturally, have 

 great substance and very numerous petals. Under ordinary 

 culture they are not attractive, and they are specially subject 

 to blight from the first breath of frost. 



Every one must regret the absence from the shows of the 

 attractive Pompons and the more fanciful varieties, as the 

 Anemones, which are still enjoyed in many gardens. 



Elizabeth, N. J. J. N. G. 



A Rare Plantain. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Plantago media was recently found in Framington, 

 Maine. The local botanist who found it, not being able to 

 identify it, sent it to Merritt Fernald, of the Harvard Herbarium, 

 who classified it as above, and stated that so far as known it 

 had only been found in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York. 

 This is, therefore, an addendum to the newly published edition 

 of the " Portland (Maine) Catalogue "of plants, which, of course, 

 does not menfion this species in its list of Plantains. 



Fi-amington, Maine. If, P, Keyes. 



Exhibitions. 



Boston Chrysanthemum Exhibition. 



'X'HE growers of Chrysanthemums hereabout may well feel 

 ■'• proud of their conspicuous success. The latest products 

 of their skill showed evident progress ; and, although the ex- 

 hibition was not so extensive in some departments as that of 

 last year, the quality of the plants and flowers was distinctly 

 better. 



Competition was keenest in the class of specimen plants. 

 Mr. T. D. Hatfield, gardener to Walter Hunnewell, Esq., has of 

 late years been a frequent winner in this field, and he again 

 took the leading prizes. His twelve plants were excellent in 

 every particular, and included specimens of Empress of 

 Japan, Etoile de Lyon, Frank Hatfield, Garnet, G. Daniels, 

 John Laing, Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. Fottler, Tupelo, V. H. Hallock, 

 White Cap and W. H. Lincoln. Mr. Coles, gardener to Arthur 

 Hunnewell, Esq., of Wellesley, was second in the same class 

 with a group of neat, well-furnished specimens, and Mr. Ken- 

 neth Finlayson, gardener to Dr. C. G. Weld, of Brookline, third. 



The first prize for six plants of Japanese varieties was also 



taken l>y Mr. Hatfield, with Cullingfordi, Ivory, Louis Boehmer, 

 Miss Annie Manda, Mrs. Walter Baker and Walter Hunnewell. 

 The specimen of Louis Boehmer was the finest plant in the 

 hall, and the best ever seen of this particular variety. 



Mr. Atkinson, gardener to John L. Gardner, Esq., of Brook- 

 line, received first prize for a group of plants arranged for 

 effect, and Mr. William H. Elliott, of Brighton, was second. 

 Nathaniel T. Kidder, Esq., of Milton (Mr. William Martin, gar- 

 dener) ; Dr. C. G. Weld and Francis B. Hayes, Esq., of Lexing- 

 ton (Mr. James Comley, gardener), also showed prize-winning 

 groups. 



Six admirable examples of superior cultivation were exhib- 

 ited by Mr. Alexander Montgomery, of the Waban Rose Con- 

 servatories, Natick. The variedes were Domination, E. D. 

 Adams, E. G. Hill, Hicks Arnold, Mr. H. Cannell and W. H. 

 Lincoln. These plants were not entered for competition, but 

 they showed a promising departurefrom the prevalent method 

 of training, the branches being tied to wire hoops, making 

 beautiful broad specimens of semi-globular form. Groups of 

 plants were also furnished by the Bussey Institution, S. C. 

 Lawrence, Esq., of Medford (Mr. Keith, gardener) ; Mrs. M. S. 

 Walker, of Waltham, and Miss Mary T. Goddard, of Newton. 



Mr. Coles secured first prize for a specimen plant of an in- 

 curved variety, with Mabel Ward. Mr. Hatfield was first with 

 A. G. Ramsay as a specimen Japanese kind, and a like honor 

 was conferred on Mr. Coles' Savannah, a specimen Pompon. 

 Yellow Ball, a fine plant of which was exhibited by Mr. Hat- 

 field, is a good variety for decorative purposes. The plant 

 was raised by H. A. Gane, of West Newton, and is of very dis- 

 tinct habit and well adapted for specimens, as it is so sturdy 

 that it needs no stakes. It carries handsome flowers of deep 

 orange, and is also excellent for cut flowers. 



The greater part of the plants were arranged on the upper 

 floor of Horficultural Hall, and the effect of the grouping could 

 have been materially improved by the introduction of a few 

 Palms, Ferns and other foliage-plants. The glare of color was 

 too dazzling to please, and no arrangement of the plants, so 

 stiff and formal as they usually are when grown for exhibition, 

 can have a pleasing effect without the aid of some greenery as 

 a foil to the color and some graceful foliage to relieve their 

 harsher outlines. 



A similar lack of toning material was even more evident in 

 the lower hall, in which the cut blooms were regularly dis- 

 posed in vases. The most beautiful object here was an im- 

 mense vase filled with flowers of the finest quality, representing 

 a large number of the choicest varieties, from Mr. J. Brydon, 

 gardener to John Simpkins, Esq., of Yarmouthport. Messrs. 

 Montgomery, of Waban, and E. A. Wood, of Newton, sup- 

 plied an abundance of cut flowers, which carried off most of 

 the best prizes. Messrs. Brydon, Galvin Brothers, of Boston ; 

 James Wheeler, gardener to Jos. H. White, Esq., of Brook- 

 line, and Laurence Cotter, gardener to C. V. Whitten, Esq., of 

 Dorchester, were among the most successful competitors, and 

 some e.xcellent flowers, of the leading varieties, were exhib- 

 ited by Mr. A. H. Fewkes, of Newton, and Mr. Hatfield, the 

 latter's bloom of Etoile de Lyon being without a rival in the 

 show. Mrs. Jerome Jones, as seen at this exhibition, is a very 

 attractive variety, and it is likely to be one of our most popular 

 Chrysanthemums. 



Seedlings were quite numerous, and comparatively few of 

 inferior quality now find their way to the exhibition tables. Mrs. 

 F. L. Ames, a very large, partially reflexed flower, from Messrs. 

 Pitcher & Manda, of Short Hills, New Jersey, was awarded first 

 prize as the best yellow. Mr. Brydon's Snowflake, large pure 

 white, with straight florets, was the best of its section, and it 

 was honored accordingly. The best pink, Carrie Bell, of an 

 exquisite tint, was contributed by Mr. J. Eaton, Jr., of New 

 Bedford, and the best red, Oxblood, by Mr. G. B. Gill, of Med- 

 ford. Clarence, a large orange-red, exhibited by Mr. Eaton, 

 was the best of any other color in compefition. A certificate 

 was given to Mr. C. D. Kingman for Nemasket, a large and 

 very perfect flower of pure white color, with a slight tinge of 

 pink in the outer florets. 



Some very promising unnamed varieties were exhibited by 

 Mr. Hatfield and the Messrs. Pitcher cS: Manda, and there were 

 a few exceptionally good named kinds in the New Jersey 

 firm's lot, notably Miss Madge Clarke, deep pink ; Mrs. Henry 

 Graves, pale pinlc ; Mrs. Leslie D. Ward, orange-yellow ; Mrs. 

 Walter Cutting, creamy white, tipped pink, and Mrs. W. P. 

 Hinzay, bright red. Mrs. J. W. Crouch, exhibited by Messrs. 

 E. G. Hill & Co., of Richmond, Indiana, is a good incurved 

 flower of purplish color. 



The principal miscellaneous exhibits were Carnations, Be- 

 gonias and Strelitzia Reginae, from various parties, Roses from 

 the Waban conservatories, and a vase of the new Rose, Ameri- 



