I 



44 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



January 20, 1912. 



place in this instance to the ricli glau- 

 cous colouring which is noticeable on the 

 upper surface. The arrangement of the 

 leaves on the branches also differs some- 

 what from that of other Hemlock spruces, 

 and is more suggestive of that of the Doug- 

 las fir. T. Pattoniana is found wild in the 

 mountains of California, and is well worth 

 planting in any garden where the climatic 

 conditions are not too dry or too severe. 

 It is not stHMi at its best in the vicinity of 

 manufart iiring towns^ for the deposit of 

 dirt on its iea'/es detracts greatly from its 

 appearance. 



Asiatic Species. 



T. Brunoiiiana, the J ixlian Hemlock 

 spruce— This is a native of the central and 

 eastern Himalaya, and is one of the more 

 tender kinds. 'It, however, thrives satis- 

 factorily in D(*vonshire, Cornwall, and other 

 places where similar climatic conditions 

 prevail. At its best, in the Himalayas, it 

 is stated to grow upwards of 100 feet high, 

 with a girth approaching 20 feet. In tliis 

 country the best trees are not more than 

 60 feet high, but tliero are really good ex- 

 amples to bo found here and there, where 

 the graceful widespreading branches clothe 

 the trunk to the ground. Such a specimen 

 is to be seen at Strete-Raleigh, near Exeter. 

 The leaves of this species are longer than 

 those of other kinds, the larger ones being 

 rather more than an inch long. The sil- 

 very lines on the under surface are verv 

 conspicuous. When growing freely it is one 

 of the most ornamental kinds. 



T. diversifolia is one of two Japanese 

 Hemlock spruces. It occupies the more 

 northerly parts of the empire, and, accord- 

 ing to Sargent's ''Forest Flora of Japan/' 

 p. 80, forms an <'xtensive forest on the 

 Nikko MountaiiiN n[» to an altitude of 

 5,000 feet. A picture cuconipanying Sar- 

 gent's description repre^^ents it as a large 

 timber tree, but in England, where it is 

 not common, it is only known as a bush of 

 less commanding presence' than the other 

 Japant\se species. In addition to its less 

 vigorous habit, it may be distinguished 

 from the southern Japanese Hemlock 

 spruce by its smaller leaves and ii'airy 

 branches. Tlic leaves are of two distinct 



those of the upper rank being a 



sizes 



quarter of an inch, or less in length, whilst 



the lower leaves are up to half an incli 

 long. ^ 



T. Sieboldi, the second of the two ,species, 

 is found in the more southern narts of 



Japan . 



parts 



In this country it grows into a 

 large, handeome bush^ or small tree, with 

 eonu'what of the appearance of the yew. 

 Its branches are, however, lighter and the 

 foliage is less sombre-luieil, therefore, it 

 might wrll be substituted for that tree in 

 phufs wiicir the dark leaves of the yew- 

 arc (»l)jt (*ti()Mable. It has ample leafage, 

 tlic io;ivr. iM'ing half to three-quarters of 

 an inch long^ and very silvery on the 

 utidcr surface. The more vigorous habit, 

 larger leaves, and hairless br<anches sepa- 

 ^•ate it from T. diversifolia. When cones 

 are obtainable they also offer a distinguish- 

 ing character, for those of T. Sieboldi are 

 larger than those of the other kind. 



T. Yunnanensis. — Thi^s is of comparatively 

 recent introduction, as it Jias only been in 

 cultivation for a few years. Originally col- 

 lected in Yunnan by Father Delavay, a 

 Fren<-li mis-ionary, it was named by M. 

 Franchct, and described in the 'Monrna' 

 de Botanique.'' Other travellers suhsi'- 

 quently gathered specimens, notablv Hmry 

 in Swchuan, Pratt on Mount Omi. and 

 \\ ilson in Hupeh. The latter collector w a s 

 the firfit to send good seeds home, and from 

 them Messrs. Voitch were able to ,raiso 

 plants. Tlie brnm-lies are hairy as in T 

 diversifolia, but it differs from that speci 



by its longer leaves, for the larger ones are 

 quite three-quarters of an inch long, land by 

 the ends of the leaves being usually entire, 

 whilst those of both the Japanese kinds are 

 distinctly notched. The silvery marks on 

 the under-sides of the leaves are also less 

 well defined than in the kindred species 

 from Japan. 



Pictures of the cones show them to be 

 rounder than those of T. diversifolia, 

 though they are very similar in size. So 

 far as can be ascertained at present, it is 

 quite hardy, but it is only likely to form 

 an ornamental bush or small tree, in fact, 

 it does not appear as if either of the 

 Asiatic Hemlock spruces will ever be of any 

 value in this country as forest trees. It 

 might, however, be possible to use the 

 stronger of the Japanese kinds as a hedge 

 plant. W. D. 



THE DECLINE OF BIG 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS- 



This is the headline under which Mr. Moly- 

 neux deplores the loss of a few eld and 

 good exhibitors of the noble autumn flower. 

 One wonders in reading his communication 

 whether your excellent correspondent is be- 

 coming a little conceited Cno oiTt.nco 



in- 



tended) because he and a few other exhibitors 

 feel that they have had enough of it, and 

 that there are no younger growers capable 

 of taking up the running. Whether that 

 ]>e the case or not, I could point to many 

 who grow and show blooms quite equal to 

 those which are seen at the National or other 

 big shows, and the societies at which they 

 compete were not started at the time when 

 Mr. Molyneux was busily engaged in win- 

 ning cups and other prizes. I should say 

 there are three times the nnmber of shows 

 held now a^^ compared with those held in his 

 exhibition days, and each local society ob- 

 tains the best flowers from its members, and 

 as each grower can compete in several classes, 

 a magnificent display is the result. Now if 

 we combine three of these local shows, I 

 have no hesitation in saying that the flowers, 

 both in quantity and quality, would equal 



either of the big showri^held^at the present 

 time. 



before these local societies were 



Bnt 



s. I wonder how many chrysanthe- 

 ieties there are in Surrey? Let us 



used 



big shows. 



mum socie _ 

 mentally, of course, take just one exhibit 

 from each of these, and place them side by 

 side at the N.C.S. Exhibition at the Crystal 

 Palace. If this were done, the several exhi- 

 bits would be found as strong a class any 

 set of judges need ask for. I would like to 

 ask Mr. Jefferies (who was one of the judges 

 at Eeigate) what kind of exhibition three 

 such shows as the one at Eeigate would make. 

 (Ask him for his opinion, Mr. Editor.) At 

 Eeigate provision was made for boards and 

 vases, and I believe the society has a ten 

 guinea cup to be competed for ^in 1912. 



Another point, and it is a very important 

 one, when a gardener takes flowers to com- 

 pete at a three days' show, practically a week 

 IS spodt, and the employer cannot enjoy the 

 flowers, for few employers will go to a big 

 show twenty miles from home. Moreover, if 

 there are, say, twelve exhibitors, and about 

 four prizes, eight of the twelve derive so 

 little satisfaction from the competition, that 

 they make up their minds to exhibit only at 

 the local shows, and a reduction in the com- 

 petitors at the big exhibitions follows as a 

 matter of course. 



Then there are the vase classes, and with 

 reference to them I would nay, let any of 

 those non-competing members of the conimit- 

 tocs vvlio would like to see the boards 

 K;uuslH>d from the tables try their hands at 

 exhibiting blooms in vases. I will only sug- 

 gest they should do this for one year, and 

 make a journey to a show involving three or 

 four changes, and, it ujuv be, a drive across 

 Ijondon. 



Now with regard to varieties, I would tu.k 

 Mr. Molyneux not to throw Mine. C. Audi- 



guier and sncli-like varieties, that attained 

 a height of thirteen feet and produced blooms 

 that a six-inch space would comfortably 

 accommodate. These would surely not com- 

 pare with blooms that require nine inches 

 square, as in the case of the present-dav 

 varieties. Such comparisons would indeed 

 be odious. 



A good white, we are told, is wanted to 

 beat Mrs. A. T. Miller. Well, Mrs. Gilbert 

 Drabble does this easily, but perhaps I had 

 better not say much about this variety. If 

 Mrs. G. Drabble will not surpass Mrs. A. T. 

 Miller, Queen Mary will, the blooms of the 

 latter being a pure white, while those of Mrs. 

 G. Drabble are milk white. The variety 

 dedicated to our Queen will not, however, be 

 in the hands of cultivators this spring. 



I would like to add that during the time 

 I have been in the chrysanthemum trade 

 w^e h a ve ne v e r had so many o r de r s for 

 Japanese varieties as this season. But I 

 cannot say the same with regard to novelties 

 yet. I will not make any remarks about 

 the singles, they are taking care of thcm- 

 f-elves. But the anemones, pomponrs, and ane- 

 mone pompons do not pay for the paper and 

 printing, much less defray cost of growing 

 ana stocking. The public know what they 

 like, and prizes will not make them grow 

 these sections if they do not like them. 



AV. Wells. 



CLIMBING ROSES. 



I have read wdtli interest Mr. E. Moly- 

 n3ux's additional notes (see page 953 of last 

 year's volume) on my selection of autumnal 

 flowering climbing roses (fioe p. 983). I 

 quite agree with him that Aimee Viberts 

 habit of retaining its dead blossoms so 

 long is very disfiguring to the plant. When 

 describing thi^^ rose this failing did not 

 escape me, and I omitted Flora from my list 

 of summer flowering rosets on account of this 

 defect. But Flora is only a summer bloomer 

 after all, and there ar-a many others that 

 can take her place; whereas I know of no 

 autumn blooming climbing rose that can 

 compare with xVimee Vilx^rt in hardiness, 

 vigour, and freedom of bloom. Possibly 

 Sylvia, the nsw white Wichuraiana, that is 

 said to be perpetual, may prove a substitute 

 for our old friend Aimee Vibert. As regards 

 Tausendschon, Mr. Molyneux will find I re- 

 served that for my third list of climbers, a« 

 it is neither a Wichuraiana nor an autumn 

 flowering climber. I am interested to see 

 that the form of the flowers reminds Mr. 

 Molyneux of the oleander, for in describ- 

 ing this variety in my article on summer 

 flowering roses, written before hie notes ap- 

 peared, I have noted this resemblance. 



" White Lady. " 



Hotbeds.— These 



are esisential wdiere 



required, 



early vegetables, salads, etc., are 



and so easy to construct, that no garden, 

 however small, should be without even one. 

 It i^ now known that far better returns are 

 obtained from -gentlo fccrtbeds than ev*?n 

 heated houses, besides the outlay being much 

 less, and the advantage of having a good 

 mulching material from the spent beds for the 

 later summer vegetables of various kinds. In 

 preparing the materials, choose two parts 

 long fresh stable litter and three parts leaves. 

 Well mix by turning several times to sweeten 

 before forming the bed. This should not 

 be less than four feet high, and should exceed 

 m width the frames by two feet. Place the 

 frames in position immediately the bed is 

 made. In a few days place nice prepared 

 soil m the frame to a depth required for th^ 

 intended crop. When aired or warmed 

 through, gently press the bed evenly over, 

 and sow a good type of short horn carrot, 

 Inimitable for preference, forcing turnip, 

 radishes, cauliflowers, and lettuce. If ^ 

 shortage of lettuce is feared, plants from the 

 autumn sowing fthould be ])lanted in such 

 frames, taking care to well air on all favour- 

 able occasioufi. Subsequent beds should be 

 made according to requirements. It will b? 

 necessary to line the frames with additional 

 litter' from time to time to mtiintain a 

 lasting heat,— G. Ellw^ood. 



