THE 



GARDENERS 



7 



MAGAZINE. 



SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1898. 



SOCIETY. 



rr r n N A L CHRYSANTHEMUM 



NA T I U « A royal AQUARIUM, WESTMINSTER. 

 EARLY WINTER EXHIBITION. 

 December 6, 7, and 8, 1898. 



Schedu'* of Prizes from- RlcHARD Dean> y.M H., Secretary. Ealing, London, W. 



Q 



from it, reinstated in the position so worthily occupied judges must give 

 proper importance to high quality and exhibitors adopt a more rational 

 course of culture. 



TTcctrFTARIES OF FRUIT SHOWS, &c— judging of fruits, 



T° ,,nwVRS and VEGETABLES, by Stephen Castle, F.R.H.S., Consulting 

 1 iLOWfcKa a Horticultu rist, Bottesford Vineries, Notts. 



Terms on application. Telegrams, " Grapes," Bottesford. 



T^TmvnmAL correspondence 



OHisrc T.TST of PRIZES apply T. H. Sm 



£• n^ncrham First Examination Paper ready November 5. Join early for the whole 

 Heath, dV^ 11 '^'" 1 • , 



H^lumn at One Shilling per line, the minimum cha 

 Bt -.! Office, u3 and 140, Aidersgate Street, London, E.C. 



NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. 



LEAVES. 



Now that the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs have fallen, or are 

 in the process of falling, we may well devote a little consideration to 

 their innate beauty, while we recall the two phases of their outward love- 

 liness which have been enjoyed by us in summer and autumn. We may 

 indeed say three phases, for the spring development has its own peculiar 

 loveliness, which is as distinct as possible from the other two, though it 

 grades into the maturity of summer verdure without that comparative 

 suddenness of change witnessed in the autumn. In the spring we see 

 the leafless branches and twigs of deciduous trees breaking forth into an 



Owing to continued increase in circulation, the " Gardeners' Magazine " infinite variety of buds, every species having its own peculiarities, both 

 now goes to press on Wednesday. No advertisement can be guaranteed in the protecting shields which have guarded the latent bunches of 

 insertion, or altered, unless received before Four p.m. on that day. 



NOTES OF THE WEEK. 



themu 



incipient leafage all through the winter, and in the method by which this 

 shield is broken through as its contents burst it to greet the cheery 

 glimpses of the sun. It is then that the utmost delicacy of verdure is 

 seen, when first the tiny leaves, which, small as they are, usually display 

 on examination all the detail of the matured leaf, at which stage they 

 THOSE who fully appreciate the charms of the incurved chrysan- arnve b y the expansion and multiplication of these little formative cells, 

 in its highest attribute of beauty can hardly have observed Thus the horse chestnut has no sooner spread its plumage out, freed 



DO CHRYSANTHEMUMS WEAR OUT ? 



otherwise than with feelings of regret the inferior position which the fr . om its shm Y black husk, than it is seen to expand and inflate itself pre- 



cisely as do the wings of butterflies and moths on emerging from the 

 chrysalis. Other forms of leafage act in different ways, and emerge as 



Queen of England and the varieties that have originated from it as sports 

 have occupied at the exhibitions held this season. A few years since 



these varieties so greatly predominated in the stands of incurved blooms mere P oints of growth which do all their elaboration afterwards, and 



that it was feared they would check the cultivation of the smaller but betw een these two extremes lie all grades, each one with beauties of its 



beautiful forms that had for so many years given pleasure to those who own - Under A P ril sunbeams and showers one and all speedily transform 



had a predilection for the section. Now they have fallen so low in the their P artlcular skeleton of boughs and branchlets into a vast community 



favour of exhibitors that they are sparingly shown, and so inferior in size of llv,n S and breathin S and hardworking individuals which we call 



as to be invariably given a place in the second or front row, instead of in leaves > and ]t 15 the functlon of these individuals to extend the empire of 



the back row, where until recent years they were almost invariablyifound. their P a rticular species both by strengthening the constitution of their 



The paucity and inferiority of the blooms of the varieties forming the own community, the tree or shrub which bears them, and by sending out 



Queen group have naturally been much discussed by the more observant far and Wlde their lltt,e ambassadors, the seeds, to form colonies abroad, 



of those who take an interest in chrysanthemums, and a considerable AU this 1S done bv the ,eaves > wh,ch we t0 ° often re *>' ard as mere 



difference of opinion has found expression. It has been suggested to us 



appendages to the plant, just as we regard the coral insects as mere 



that the decline in their popularity is due to their having been superseded frin S es t0 the reefs thev construct and maintain. The flowers are nowa- 



by more recent introductions. Were we to accept this view of the case da y s recognised at the.r true value as leaves which have modified them- 



as correct we should require some explanation of the small size and in- selves in a myriad ways to fulfil the general purpose aforesaid, propaga- 



feriority of the blooms staged even by successful exhibitors; but, tion > and in 50 doin K have enriched the world with a beauty of colour 



with one or two exceptions, the newcomers are so distinct that no proper and form which, though appreciated by man, is by no means designed 



comparison can be instituted. Being unable to admit that they have P a rticularly for his delectation, except ,n so far as he has had a hand in 



been superseded, we:must look for some other cause, and some, whose selection > as welI n as h " S and b * et,eS ' and 50 forced h« tastes into 



recognition as well as theirs. In all ways leaves are wonderful. If we 



pick up and study one of the dead ones now scattered around us — it 



matters not to what species it may belong— we cannot fail to be struck 



•pinions are deserving of respectful attention, regard the degeneracy of 



a 1 * * a 



we varieties in question as simply a case of wearing out. They contend 

 that as varieties are artificial productions, and can only be propagated 



by means of cuttings and division, they gradually lose their vigour* and h Y * he delicate and f"^" 1 displayed in its structure, 



eventually perish from loss of vitality. But there is no evidence forth- 

 coming in support of this opinion that will bear the test of careful 



and, taking up one after another, the variety of plan will also appeal to 

 us as equally astonishing. The tiniest blade of grass and the most 



know, of course, that varieties of the chrvsao.hemum, f ™" X 2S?*.3 ~ ^± 3 



» of other plants raised from seed saved from the same parent, will 

 differ materially in constitutional vigour as in other points. We are also 

 Wly aware that those with a weakly constitution will succumb to un- 

 ■vourable conditions more quickly than will those with a robust one. 



being distributed exactly where it is needed, and no provision omitted 

 for that subtle intercourse between cell and cell, and between that 

 particular community of cells and its supporting twig and branches, 

 trunks and roots, which is essential for the general wellbeing. Take the 



But these fern Z 4 T V T * V first leaf t0 handj scrutinise it well, and all that we have said will be seen 



« inese facts do not support the views of those who believe that nrst , 10 nd ' - ' tn _ -Li-a mQrV( .i c 

 I""- ««~ * « • - - -- - to be but a mere fingerpost to a myriad marvels. 



PEARS FOR PLANTING. 



PEARS are such delectable fruits that it is difficult to have them in 

 too great an abundance, provided the supply is so arranged as to extend 

 over the longest possible period, or, to be more exact, from August until 

 the following March. There is no dearth of early, mid-season, and late 

 varieties ; on the contrary, the number available in each season is in 

 excess of the requirements of the largest garden. There is, however, so 



"neties, hke individuals, die out at a period determined by their initial 

 2«r ; they simply show there is a difference in the constitution of 

 JJWs as of animals, and that the least vigorous of the varieties suffer 

 |hj C q " lckl y f rom unfavourable conditions than do those endowed with 

 ^* degree of vitality. It would be an easy matter to show that the 

 ^ ry of wearing out of varieties, which was first proposed by Knight at 

 end of the last century, is not based on fact ; but the scope of this 



*M tl T admU ° f thls be ' ng d ° ne * Suffice f ° r the P resent to submit 



e decline m the Queen group is not due to the introduction of 



w 111 yueen group is noc aue to tne introduction ot excess ui m*. ^ ~ „ 



2"or varieties, or to their old age, but to the unfavourable conditions great a difference in the productiveness of the immense number of 



Jfe»h,ch they have been placed consequent on the changes that of varieties in cultivation that unless the planter selects with great care he 



VPs re k i 1 o *•*■"• . . . .L tr.oe r\( «rhi/-h o emi nmnnrtinn nn V will 1'IVf 



In consequence 



varieties »» — »...*■ .. t -it • 



may fill his garden with trees of which a small proportion only will give 



uncertain 



* the arS , have been mad e in the methods of procedure. 



fcr hJT, Ue prefer ence shown by the majority of judges and exhibitors a satisfactory crop. ™ ™ r~ — ™""7" "T/;"7 



bl00f ns, the plants have received such excessive supplies of sequent on their susceptibility to unfavourable climatic conditions when 



hfot 35 t0 become in the ™™ of a few years more or less leased, the trees are in bloom, and when the fruits are passing through their 



ZSZl? ° f Course that when a pla "t kernes unhealthy a first stage, and therefore it is essential to select varieties that can be 



JJ* taken from it will carry the disease with it, and this will continue depended upon to bear a crop ,n seasons not specially unfavourable 



^ lon g as surrAc.: , ' . LU r _ jrrr— in tv. and. as a small oronortion onlv of the varieties 



successive generations are exposed to the influences which 



It is, therefore, obvious that 



•teinaii — &ei:cr;uions are e> 



,y Caused the unhealthy condition. 



rears umci a*ow M « — y 7 , » ,- m . 



that have been introduced can properly be described as first class, it is 



