5 2 4 



GA RDENERS MA GA ZINE. 



August 



Chrysanthemums. 



VARIOUS HINTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 



If I were asked to which class of devotees of the " golden flower " belongs 

 the greatest credit for their productions, I should unhesitatingly reply, 

 the amateurs. Because, amongst this section of growers, one meets with 

 men who have every unfavourable circumstance to overcome, and who 

 are at all possible inconvenience in the cultivation of their plants, and yet, 

 in spite of these drawbacks, the keenest enthusiasm and great thorough- 

 ness in details of cultivation appear. The true nature of Englishmen is 

 seen in this persistence in the face of difficulties, and the ultimate success 

 which attends such application is productive of so much the greater 



satisfaction. One is proud to have made friends amongst such men, and 

 the " same touch of nature " which gives gardeners such an easy intro- 

 duction to each other is invariably productive of mutual good. The many 

 enquiries and siftings as to the causes of this or that failure or peculiarity, 

 and frequent comparing of notes, is certain to give a stimulus to gardening 

 by making the methods of cultivation more intelligible and simple. 

 Chrysanthemums have done a great deal through the enthusiasm created 

 by their beautiful blossoms to stimulate a general love of flowers, and the 

 energy and devotion which is now applied to this recreation for spare 

 hours by business men will do something towards the fulfilment of Dean 

 Hole's lately expressed wish for "more beautiful gardens." 



The month of August should find pots well filled with rcots and top 

 growth rapidly progressing. Following previous advice with regard to 

 feeding, we may now give the plants a top-dressing of rich compost to 

 encourage further root action on the surface, and so strengthen and 

 assist the building up of the buds, which are now appearing ; n various 

 stages. A soil mixed as for potting, but with the addition of about one- 

 twentieth part of the bulk of one of the several excellent artificial 

 manures is very suitable. It may be applied after the surface has been 

 just lightly stirred over, and be pressed on firmly with the hands. 

 Sufficient space must be allowed to ensure a proper quantity of water 

 being given ; that is, not less than one inch clear below the rim of the 

 pot. If this is disregarded, and the pots are overfilled, the consequence 

 will probably be that the lower roots will suffer from an insufficient 

 supply of moisture, especially so if the pots do not stand level. In about 

 ten days roots will be freely running through the new soil, and during 

 this time no liquid manure will be required, and all water should be 

 given through a fine rose to prevent washing away the surface before it 

 becomes consolidated. The removal of suckers from the base and all 

 lateral shoots as they appear on the stems will need attention ; the 

 prompt pinching away of these all tends to promote a more satisfactory 

 development of the main stems. 



The " taking " of flower buds will prove the most interesting occupa- 

 tion during the remainder of this month™ It is too late now to allow 

 growth to go on again from any bud showing in the points, but notes 

 taken carefully of the dates at which these buds appear, and supplemented 

 later on with their successful development or otherwise, will prove most 

 useful data for future seasons in the management of the plants. Very 

 forward buds may be retarded a few days by leaving the surrounding 

 young shoots until they are two inches long. If one or two of these 

 growths are left some few inches below the bud they serve as a kind of 

 safety valve for the energies of the plant, and thus prevent, to a certain 

 extent, the early buds from being forced into a coarse, abnormal size, 

 from which good blooms rarely result. It is the too early taking of buds 

 on Madame Carnot which has frequently led to disappointment. 

 August 20 is quite early enough for this, and from thence onward to the 

 end of the month is the best time. Those who have been anxious about 

 the leaves of this variety turning yellow below the "break" shoots will, 

 ere now, have found that the trouble soon ends. I have not met with a 

 grower whose plants have entirely escaped this peculiarity, hence there 

 is some consolation in the fact that we are all "in the same boat." 

 i^ater growth has never suffered with us, and blooms of first-rate merit 

 are produced on plants which have lost foliage in the early part of summer 

 through this weakness. 



Buds of incurved varieties are equally troublesome, if not more so, to 

 secure just at the proper time. Many of the old sorts, such as Queen of 

 England and its sports ; Princess Teck with its several offsprings ; Lord 

 U olesley, Prince Alfred, and others, must be timed for the last week of 



^?i° nt j\ 0thers o{ the newer introductions require to be taken by the 

 middle of August, as also do those of sports from Princess of Wales. 

 Many of those introduced during the past few years have much of the 

 Japanese habit of growth about them, and if allowed to go on to a late 



rwv? re r e X t0 co ^ ver y thin and small; Mrs. R. C. Kingston, 

 uuchess of Fife and J. Agate are instances. The pink sport from 

 Madame Carnot has a slightly different habit in growth from its parent, 

 ZL5 u' a ? d k as exhibi ted no tendency to disease so far. It is 

 w£ h °P, ed , th,s J ma y P^ve as fine in form as its parent, and Mr. 

 of ^his *5 W ° f US d,sunct *ess of colour. The stock is in the hands 



who is K^ing it a good trial, and will, doubt- 



dwarf m °hX lh l^tswor 5 th n0 t tieS arC SCVeral ° f ^P^"^ *urdy and 



G«*g^ Admiral, HeUe of Castlewood, 



are very noteworthy Th at » and Souvenir de Madame E. Rosette 

 Ktower, but this will not SLSffe. ^ Molyncux is quite a tall 

 blossoms. H event its being largely grown, so good are the 



P«ts is only neces^? g troubIes °nie, and the caution to destroy these 

 itttriT f w» it ' 9 z*rY 59 new cultivator* Wh«** KamW ct^w 



putty, otherwise, if a hollow space is left it formsThi^ ^ — " 

 insects. Occasionally green caterpillars and a na e P for ^ 

 larger than a full grown aphis, will be found • the lan^ fly ' 

 chievous in its attacks on the tender growths and mtSV 8 Very ro « 

 hand. Mildew will doubtless make its appearance d S £ ^ { b X 

 the under sides of the foliage of certain .varieties Th g thls . m k ontl > <m 

 drooping leaves are most susceptible, and shouid be llw 5*^ 

 quently, so that the least attack mav be checked hv a t . xamine <i frt- 

 of sulphur This is a certain remedy, and may ^7^^ 

 the plants lightly, as a preventive. Those sorts which make L r T i ^ 

 leaves may have a very few removed from the parts of th ^ C 

 crowded this will admit of better maturity of the stem, and LbJarfS 

 attacks of mildew. "upward off 



Trent Park Gardens. W H t 



Strawberries at Maidstone. 



Through the kindness of Mr. George Bunyard, I have recently had the 

 pleasure of inspecting and comparing the firm's very large collection ofstrawberm* 

 comprising several acres in splendid condition and culture. We all know thisfim 

 to be second to none as regards fruit tree culture, but perhaps it is not geneah 

 known that Mr. Bunyard has one or two hundred acres of land on the opr>* I 

 side of Maidstone to the fruit-tree nursery, devoted Iprincipally to the gromhd 

 runner strawberries, an immense quantity of all the best peas for seed (all stickcdL 

 beans, and one quarter of sixty thousand Superlative raspberries. Bearing in mind 

 that it is not every gardener, and others interested in strawberries, who can spue 

 the time to make such examination, I have thought that a few notes jotted dowa 

 at the time might possibly be of service and interest to your numerous readen. 



To see the many varieties growing side by side, and note their various charac- 

 teristics is most interesting. 4< What a grand grower and cropper that one is," vm 

 my first exclamation on entering the grounds. " Yes, that's Royal Sovereign. We 

 have been gathering from these plants for the last fortnight," was the reply, mi 

 to judge from the crop of half-ripe and green fruits swelling, it struck me that 

 another fortnight would not exhaust the crop. Of course, I had to taste 

 it, and although not quite equal to such varieties as Dr. Hogg and The 

 Countess, still I have no hesitation in saying that I should consider it the 

 best all round strawberry grown. Thousands of runners of this variety are layend 

 into small pots annually for forcing and general purposes, as customers find that 

 these plants, grown at such a high elevation, and open to all points of the 

 compass, are so sturdy, and thus better able to stand the rigours of a K?tic 

 winter. La Grosse Sucree was good ; this, from my own personal experience, I 

 find one of the best for forcing, but Edward Lefort struck me as being an improve- 

 ment upon it. This latter has received a first-class certificate R.H.S. Latest d 

 All is a misnomer as regards name ; this was raised from British ( ». )uc ^ n ""J*'r» 

 fine appearance, good flavour. To prolong the season this should be tried uadrr 

 a north wall ; a very desirable sort. 



Waterloo is one of the best late sorts; large and good; a most useful aid 

 desirable kind, planted on an east border ; we have some grand fruit left, hi 

 colour, I hear, is against it for market purposes, as it gives one the idea when 

 gathered as being stale, but when it is well known I think it will 1* m paj 

 demand. Wonderful.— Enormous cropper, excellent flavour, very mucfcl in 

 Vicomtesse II. de Thury, but struck me as being paller. Trollope s \ictom.- 

 Mr. Bunyard recommends to be planted where others do not succeed, such as m 

 or near towns ; it is a good grower and cropper. Louis Gauthier is an cnor "?* 

 cropper, blush or pale pink, of excellent flavour, and makes a very pretty «. 

 Leader was carrying a good crop, and does better than most varieties mary 

 weather ; I cannot say much for its flavour. Monarch was grand, vcr> 

 good appearance, and are worth growing, although the flavour is only iccoofl- 

 Wallruffis new, an enormous cropper, and of excellent Aavoun ^JJJ 



bears a good crop, is very handsome, bright, and one of the best. » 

 Wonder is very poor, both in appearance and flavour. King ol trie m * M »*l 

 juicy, and of excellent flavour, one well worth cultivating. Sen»Uo^|W 

 named when one sees the crop it carries ; good appearance, but pow ^^ 

 Countess and Dr. Hogg were in erand condition, the flavour of both 

 the former should be planted one foot apart in the rows and ei^tcen 

 between the rows ; these two were the very best flavoured sortsUK { 

 Auguste Boisselot is of good flavour and an enormous bearer , on k ^ 

 counted twenty-five trusses of fruit ; runners difficult to obtain, saw ) 

 a perpetual alpine, perhaps the best of its class. struck »* * 



Of course, a great many other sorts are grown, but those names* ^ 

 being amongst the best, and certainly a trial should be esxt ^ 

 forty thousand thumb pots are used annually for layering. A tno ] *> ro ^ f t 

 tion takes place several times during the fruiting seasons, ana ^ ^ 

 weakly plants are destroyed ; thus the stock is kept vigorous an ^ 

 This process of selection is an important point with the rum m ^ fl* 

 had taken us near upon two hours, and altogether I had tastea su ^ f 

 hundred varieties, when at last my guide invited me to tea, *mui, 

 I was unable to do justice to. 

 Badham Court Gardens, Maidstone. 



G. Wood* a** 



English Gardens. 



that i 



Htttl 



beauti 



tached to th*" 7T. 



In the reign of Edward I. it may be collected from ' io- 

 that the cultivation of the garden was extended to the mo 

 productions ; but the wars of York and Lancaster d«t'"> ^ * ■ 

 and gardens in general ceased to be more than P « a £ . » h 

 gardens of the rudest kind until the time of Queen bli»«* » ^ 0 

 Scotland describes the garden at Windsor Castle, wner wi*-"^ 

 Henry V., as a place set thick with trees and alleys of _na» of Noft ha->2Si 

 in each comer. Much later, in the year i$i2, the great w bo 

 whose household consisted of 160 persons, " had b«tj>n e J^ notte5 , *ndj^g£ 



cut off at a joint, or the end filled with Conquest. 



consiruciea aoout the year 1540, we hear 01 snauj v like » 



of marble, " fountains that spout water one round the o tn ^ 



which are perched small birds that stream watei oulj **} pM 



objects, but nothing of the more essential part of a gar" ^ 



grounds of this description, indeed, have existed in -» 

 Conquest. 



and 



its. 



•X 



