THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



now be very good indeed to beat the fine varieties already in cultivation ; but 

 my object in crossing with the Trebbiano is to try and get good flavour of Grapes 

 combined with good keeping qualities. 



Welbech Gardens. William. Tillery. 



THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 



That the Chrysanthemum is rapidly making headway among the floricul- 

 tural public there cannot be any doubt ; and deservedly so, for I know of 

 no flower at this time of the year that can urge more powerful claims upon 

 our attention, or more amply repay us for that attention, than this gay 

 autumnal beauty. The great variety of form and colour, the long period 

 ifc remains in bloom, its adaptability either for the flower garden, conservatory, 

 greenhouse, or cottage window, make it alike desirable to every class of the 

 floricultural community. < 



The Royal Horticultural Society will have no reason to regret having 

 taken this flower under its fostering wing. The recent Exhibition must be 

 considered without doubt a decided success ; and not the least gratifying is 

 the fact that we have, among the exhibitions this year, some fresh blooms, from 

 which I think we may fairly look forward to some very decided advance. 



Takin°- a retrospective view of the Chrysanthemum for the past ten years, 

 I am decidedly of opinion there has been very little, if any, improvement 

 either in the cut flowers or specimen plants. This jear, however, the collection 

 that took the first prize in the amateurs' class of six plants gave unmistakeable 

 evidence of a step in the right direction, which all other exhibitors will do 

 well to follow. "Defiance," in this collection, was the nearest approach to 

 perfection that I have yet seen. 



The exhibitors of Pompon varieties are in my opinion altogether abroad in 

 their mode of training. I contend that the spiral or pyramidal plants, as well as 

 those immense table-top specimens, are alike objectionable ; and I have no hesi- 

 tation in stating that any exhibitor coming into the field with a half dozen nice 

 compact plants^ grown in the style, say, of Turner's Fancy Pelargoniums, (I 

 know of no better model for a Pompon), will assuredly take precedence, to 

 the perhaps no small surprise of our present exhibitors. 



The exhibition of standards, whether Pompons or large-flowering varieties, 

 might I think be dispensed with ; they were by no means a desirable feature. 



The cut flowers were very effective, as they always are when staged in long 

 rows of three flowers deep, and certainly are in no way inferior to the Dahlia. 

 Dark flowers of good quality were scarce, and in this particular the Exhibition 

 at the Garden was by no means an exception. Incurved flowers are evidently 

 the favourites, and I think very properly so ; for although, in some instances, 

 we lose brightness of colour by having the under instead of the upper part of 

 the petal exposed to view, yet upon the other hand their form is more beauti- 

 ful, and, without doubt, last in perfection as long again as reflexed flowers, and 

 when grown for decorative purposes this is of some importance. 



Although reflexed flowers and incurved flowers are apparently so distinct, I 

 quite think it possible to produce nearly all the varieties incurved, excepting 

 only those short or shell-petalled kinds. Take, for instance, Annie Salter, the 

 most perfect type of a reflexed flower. This can be made to incurve as perfectly 

 as a Plutus, and this is not unfrequently attributed to dressing ; but I am of 

 opinion that no amount of dressing could produce those large incurved flowers 

 we now see exhibited, although the disappointed exhibitor too frequently 



