12 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c Ja „ U ar y s, isss. 
The florists’ Pink has been enthusiastically cultivated in the 
district for the last sixty years. I have beard that in America 
it is still called “the double or Paisley Pink.” It hav in Mr. 
Paul’s hands reached such a state of excellence that it would 
seem difficult on such a field to develope striking improvements 
or greater attractions. The numerous and extensive beds, the 
planting of which was just finished when 1 called, evinced a 
determination to sustain the fame of the firm as cultivators and 
exhibitors of this favourite flower. When it is stated that from 
fifteen thousand to twenty thousand Pinks are annually sent out 
from Crossfiat, and three thousand grown for stock, an idea will 
be had of the demand existing for them. 
Growers of Pansies know how much they are indebted to this 
house for leading varieties. Of Show and Fancy sorts thirty 
thousand are there propagated annually, three thousand of the 
finest in commerce are grown for stock and seed, and novelties 
are yearly selected from about fifteen thousand seedlings. The 
last are proved for two years before being offered. 
This flower, which is such a favourite in Scotland, has this 
season, as too many so well know, been nearly extirpated in some 
quarters by what I first heard attributed to the ravages of a 
maggot, and afterwards to some sort of canker. At the Edin¬ 
burgh Show, an enthusiastic Pansy-grower from the south of 
Scotland lamented in my hearing that his large stock had, 
despite his utmost efforts, been nearly all destroyed. “ But,” he 
added, “ I have already made a good fresh start.” Two or three 
who suffered losses have told me that they saw no trace of vermin 
further than can often be noticed where decay is progressing. 
Mr. Paul strongly advocates early planting when done in spring. 
He has observed that if this be delayed till the sun gains strength, 
and the plants before they are established receive a shower fol¬ 
lowed closely by bright sunshine, the tender fibres are “scalded ” 
and the plants die. He adduces the fact that where Pansies were 
placed out even as early as March, although they were exposed 
to much frost, they afterwards grew freely and continued in 
health throughout the season. In considering this we remember 
that in May we had almost the only hot weather we have had 
this year in Scotland. 
Carnations and Picotees of the best sorts, Dahlias, Pentstemons, 
and Phloxes, are largely grown in Crossflats. I also observed an 
extensive assortment of herbaceous and alpine plants, Iris ger- 
manica, &c., and in a collection of Alpine Auriculas some showing 
flower seemed of high merit. I would not omit a very large and 
attractive bed of Auricula-eyed Sweet William of high excel¬ 
lence, to which I know Mr. Paul has for years been devoting 
attention. 
From Paisley I started for Itothesay by the shortest route, thus 
economising time, although thereby missing on this occasion 
much of the beautiful scenery of the Clyde. Itothesay is well 
known to enjoy a very mild climate. I well remember being 
struck long ago by the Hydrangeas and Fuchsias that attain such 
dimensions there. On arriving I found a car just starting for 
Mount Stewart, the possession of the Marquis of Bute. It was 
one of the few lovely days we had this autumn in Scotland, and 
the walk through the grand woods of Mount Stewart was delight¬ 
ful. The stillness that prevailed elsewhere was broken by the 
harsh clank of machinery and the din consequent on the erection 
of a new mansion. I cannot say that I admired the heavy style 
of the large structure, nor the dull look of the red-coloured stone 
which is being used. The quantity of white marble which is to 
be employed in the interior will raise the whole cost to an almost 
fabulous amount. Turkeys were to be seen in the woods in con¬ 
siderable numbers, evidently free from the usual surveillance and 
care. Many visitors to Bute are not aware that in the Mount 
Stewart policies the uncommon sight can be obtained of beavers 
and kangaroos that have been introduced, and are evidently 
thriving well there. I saw a large number of the latter in an en¬ 
closed space adjoining the house. The beavers are further to the 
west. I hastened back to Rothesay with another object in view. 
Mr. Dobbie of Rothesay has a well-deserved fame for his 
strains of several vegetables and florists’ flowers, and I can testify, 
both from my own experience and that of others, to their excel¬ 
lence. I fortunately found Mr. Dobbie at home and spent half an 
hour in the ground attached to his warehouse in the town. I 
had previously been told by a friend who had called some 
time before, that I should be disappointed by the limited extent 
of the place. But my informant had failed to learn that this is 
but one out of upwards of a dozen such held by Mr. Dobbie 
throughout Bute and at Renfrew. This distribution of his grounds, 
while doubtless entailing considerable inconvenience, secures the 
purity of his various seeds. Here were in considerable numbers 
Show and Fancy Pansies, French and African Marigolds, Antir¬ 
rhinums and Quilled Asters of first-rate quality. All of these 
Mr. Dobbie has long made specialities. A collection of Phloxes 
and a bed of Auricula-eyed Sweet William were blooming well ; 
some of the latter, of dwarf habit, with trusses of at least the 
ordinary size, had the pips of beautiful form and colour. Mr. 
Dobbie showed me with considerable satisfaction two rows of his 
famous Parsley. I certainly never saw better. The plants were 
wide apart, and the dwarf habit with the closeness and fineness 
of the foliage made them, even when looked into closely, seem 
adapted for table decoration rather than ordinary use. I returned 
to Glasgow satisfied that another day had been pleasantly and 
profitably spent.—A Northern Amateur. 
(To be continued.) 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
(Continued from page 584.) 
Dressing the Flowers .—Various opinions will always exist on the 
propriety of this practice. At the present time it would be useless 
for any exhibitor to stage a collection of undressed blooms against 
others of equal size and substance that were dressed. Nearly all 
societies allow flowers to be dressed, which consists, in the case of 
an incurved flower, of merely drawing out with a pair of tweezers 
all short, curled, and irregular florets from the centre of the 
flower, or in any part of the flower that they can be found. The 
centre of most flowers will be found shorter than the outsides, 
and by pulling out the short florets a more even outline is pro¬ 
duced, the remaining florets are regulated and the blooms placed 
in hollow wooden cups, in which position they are tightly 
fastened. One point may here be advanced in favour of dressing, 
that the more a flower is dressed the smaller the bloom is made ; 
therefore the more substance the flowers contain the better chance 
the exhibitor has in gaining the premier position, hence the 
success of the Liverpool growers over the growers in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of London. The incurved flowers of the former are 
always of better build and contain more substance than the 
southern growers appear to be able to obtain. 
Selection of Varieties .—The following lists comprise the best 
varieties in cultivation. Commencing with Section I., incurved 
flowers or flowers nearly always naturally incurved, the selections 
are made with a view that small growers may take the first 
twelve or twenty-four, and so on. Mrs. G. Rundle, Mrs. Dixon, 
Mr. G. Glenny, Barbara, Empress of India, Golden Empress of 
India, Prince Alfred, Prince of Wales, John Salter, Mr. Bunn, 
Princess Teck, White Beverley, Golden Beverley, Hero of Stoke 
Newington, Princess of Wales, Lady Hardinge, Cherub, Novelty, 
Inner Temple or Refulgence—for they are undoubtedly one and 
the same varietv, Refulgence being in my opinion the proper name 
—Lord Derby, Isabella Bott, Mr. Brunlees, Aurea Multiflora, Beet¬ 
hoven, Venus, White Venus, Mrs. Shipman, Beauty, Jardin des 
Plantes, Bronze Jardin des Plantes, Mrs. Heale, Lady Slade, 
Eve, Sir Stafford Carey, Queen of England, Golden Queen of 
England, White Globe, Miss Mary Morgan, Mr. Corbay, Duchess 
of Wellington, Bella Donna, Lady Talfourd, Blonde Beauty, 
Golden Eagle, Emily Dale, Golden Dr. Brock, Rev. J. Dix, 
Antonelli, Abbfi Passaglia, and Mrs. Halliburton. In choosing 
selections for specimen-growing great numbers of the above will 
be found suitable, but particularly suitable are Mrs. G. Rundle, 
Mrs. Dixon, Mr. G. Glenny, Mrs. Brunlees, Faust, Guernsey Nugget, 
Prince of Wales, John Salter, Venus, White Venus, Lady Hardinge, 
Gloria Mundi, and Lord Derby. 
Section II.—Flowers with florets which naturally reflex. The 
whole of these are very suitable for specimens, and are handsome 
and attractive when well trained, but in a good judge’s estimation 
they would not carry the same weight as equally as well deve¬ 
loped incurved flowers. The best reflexed varieties are Annie 
Salter, Dr. Sharp, Chevalier Domage, Felicity, Christine, Golden 
Christine, Cloth of Gold, Beaute du Nord, King of the Crimsons, 
Mrs. Forsyth, Mount Etna, Julia Lagravbre, Orange Annie Salter, 
Ariadne, Attraction, Prince Albert, Garibaldi, Progne and Pro¬ 
metheus. 
Section III.—Japanese varieties.—Here we will name fifty varie¬ 
ties as in the incurved section, taking the best known first in con¬ 
sideration with size.—Elaine, James Salter, Fair Maid of Guernsey, 
Fulgore, Gloire de Toulouse, Cry Kang, Bouquet Fait, M. Ardene, 
Peter the Great, Baronne de Prailly, Criterion, Madame Berthfi, 
Rendatler, Fulton, Madame Lemoine, Monsieur Lemoine, Triomphe 
du Nord, Meg Merrilees, Red Dragon, LaNymphe, Bronze Dragon, 
Arlequin (Lemoine), Comtesse de Beauregard, Grandiflora, Sarnia, 
Garnet, La Nymphe, Nuit d’Hiver, Ethel, Jane Salter, Dr. 
Masters, Pere Delaux, M. Delaux, Bismarck, Mdlle. Moulise, The 
Daimio, The Sultan, M. Crousse, Album Plenum, Arlequin (Delaux), 
Fleur Parfait, Rosa Bonheur, Riviere, L’lle de Plaisir, Hiver 
Fieur, Triomphe du Chatelet, Dr. Audiguier, Soleil Levant, Ne 
