412 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 6, 1884. 
the safe side with pot plants we use Clay’s fertiliser liberally. I would 
advise all who have not done so to give the winter system a trial to wall 
fruit, bush fruit, Strawberries, R)ses; lastly, but not least, to specimen 
evergreens, and they will soon show signs of improvement.— Lathyuus. 
I THINK I had now better leave “Thinker” to the verdict of your 
readers. He does not attempt to deny that the practice he condemns as 
fraught with destruction is in common operation among farmers and 
gardeners every day without any damage happening afterwards, and that 
is about all I have advanced. “He had almost forgotten ‘Non-Believer,’” 
“ Thinker ” assures his readers this week. If the said readers can credit 
that statement, after reading the four and twenty paragraphs devoted by 
him to “Non-Believer’s” four or five, let them. I observe “Thinker” 
has parted with “the horse” on which “his case theoretically” was 
saddled. That theory was simply this, and it is too go.d to be lost sight 
of so soon :—If a horse when thirsty drinks so much water containing so 
much arsenic, it may die; therefore if a Chrysanthemum gets so much 
guano (which is not a virulent poison, but a food) diluted in water it will 
drink of it till it dies also.” The facts are that we do know that a horse 
will die if it gets a sufficient dose of poison ; but neither “ Thinker” nor 
anyone else ever saw a Chrysanthemum killed by being watered with 
guano water at ordinary strength when it was dry—no, nor even injured. 
I must say to “Thinker” what Dr. Johnson said to his loquacious 
interlocutor, “ My friend, you are wrong.” Here ends my contention on 
this subject.— Non-Believer. 
AMONGST THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Most of the pubic exhibitions of Chrysanthemums in and around 
London are now in their best condition, and intending visitors should 
choose the first opportunity of inspecting them. There are still, of course, 
many fiowers to expand, and some of this year’s novelties are scarcely 
sufficiently advanced to permit a correct estimate of their value being 
formed. All the earlier sorts are, however, in their true characters, and 
some decided improvements have to be chronicled. 
FINSBURY PARK. 
Apart from the nurserymen’s and amateurs’ collections, that in the 
Finsbury Park is unquestionably the largest and best in London, and for 
several years has attracted thousands of visitors during the few weeks the 
display is open to the public. This season the plants and blooms are even 
better than usual, the former nirre healthy and better clothed with foliage, 
and the blooms larger, cleaner, and brighter. The commodious exhibition 
house erected to accommodate the plants is 100 feet long and 18 feet wide, 
and contains 1400 specimens, the majority 3 to 6 feet high, with a few 
exceptions of the IMadame C. Audiguier type, reaching to nearly 8 feet. 
They ate arranged to form two sloping banks with a path down the centre 
margined with Pompons, amongst which the charming White Soeur 
Melanie predominates. Much taste has been displayed in the arrangement, 
the bright and quiet colours being well proportioned and intermixed to 
produce a uniformly beautiful effect. 
A large number of varieties are included, representing all the best of 
the older forms and most of the Continental and English varieties. The 
latter chiefly compiise those raised by Mr. Alfred Salter and being sent 
out by Messrs. J. VTitch & Sons, Chelsea, and several are likely to take a 
foremost position amongst the most favourite varieties for decorative pur¬ 
poses. One of the be-t of these is Annie Holborn, a Japanese variety 
with blooms of large size, the florets flat and spreading, yellow with 
numerous red dots. It is a substantial handsome flower, and the plant is 
of good habit. Another of a simi'ar type, but with smaller blooms, is 
named Distinction, the florets being broad, yellow tinged with deep red, 
w'ell meriting its name. Of the Con'inental varieties, all of which are 
Japanese, the following are noteworthy:—Mons. Boyer, a pretty and 
delicately coloured form, the florets fluted, erect, and spreading, of a clear 
bright rose tint, very fresh and distinct; Helvetie, a most floriferous 
variety, with blooms of medium size, the florets mostly fluted or occasion¬ 
ally rearly flat, of a fine lich rosy purple colour. This will probably 
become a favourite decorative vari tj’, but the blooms appear to be tather 
small for exhibition. Richard Larins has flat florets of a rosy crimson 
hue t'pped with white, full and good. Source d’Or is a very beautiful free 
variety, with medium-size blooms, the florets fluted or thread-like, and 
blight yellow. Margot, recently certificated, is in capital condition at 
Finsbury Park as elsewhere, the broad fluted and recurved florets being 
•of a rosy salmon tint, yellowish or nearly white in the centre. It is a 
subslantial hpiidsome variety, that would show well on an exhibition 
board. Of older varieties amongst the Japanese, which are now chief 
favourites with the public, the fo lowing are especially good:—Comie de 
Germiny, James Salter, Striatum, La Frisure, Bras Rouge, Rosa Bonheur 
L'Incomparable, J. Delaux, and La Nymphe. 
Amongst the incuived there are s ime excellent blooms of the leading 
show varieties, such as Prince of Wales, Alfred Salter, Golden Beverley, 
uncommonly fine; George Glennj^, Mrs. G. Rundle, Empress of India, and 
Queen of England. Mr. Orchard's Lord Wolseley keeps its character well 
as a handsome bronze Prince Allfred ; and Lord Alcester is just a shade 
lighter than Golden Empress of India. Bendigo, however, as grown at 
F.nsbury Park is identical with Mabel Waid. In reflexed flowmrs King 
of the Ciimsons takes the foremost place both in size and richness of 
colour, while among the Anemones some remarkable blooms of Gluck are 
notable, large, clean, and clear in colour, such as, indeed, are not likely to 
be surpassed at exhibitions this season. In all about 400 varieties are 
I grown, and the condition of the plants is sufficient evidence of the care 
exercised in their culture. 
INNER TEMPLE. 
Probably no establishment has done so much to popularise the Chrys¬ 
anthemum as a town plant as the Inner Temple Gardens, and therefore 
a considerable degree of interest attaches to the collection, which is 
visited during the season by great numbers of people. Mr. Newton this 
season has a pleasing display of dwarf profusely flowered plants, effec¬ 
tively arranged to form a low sloping bank with the path at the side. 
The plants are from 3 to 6 feet high, a few being as much as 7 feet in 
height, and all are healthy, well clothed with foliage, and bearing 
abundant bright blooms not generally of remarkable size, but clean and 
fresh, and being so numerous they produce a bright and beautiful show. 
Both incurved and Japanese are largely represented. Of the former there 
are many good blooms, some samples of Prince Alfred being magnificent. 
Empress of India, Golden Beverley, and all the Rundle family are good, 
with many other well-known varieties of this type. Arigena is still 
grown there under the name of Inner Temple, though it has been con¬ 
clusively proved that they are identical. The Japanese are very abundant, 
and represent some handsome varieties both new and old. The rosy 
purple Helvetia, already noticed, is flowering freely, as is also the some¬ 
what similarly coloured Rosa Bonheur is very good. L’Africaine is 
bearing some extremely large blooms, but is there named George Gordon 
in nearly every instance, an error which should have been corrected, as it 
is misleading to the public. Of newer Japanese several are in extremely 
good condition, very notable being the following :—Salteri, one of Messrs. 
Veitch’s introductions, of a deep crimson colour, the under surface gold, 
and the florets incurved in the centre. The blooms are of moderate size, 
but freely produced and very pretty. Etoile du Midi, florets flat or 
slightly fluted, recurved, bright red, the under surface and tips being 
yellow. Triomphe de St. Martin is a pretty variety, but scarcely distinct 
from Richard Larios, being similar in the shape of the florets, and the 
colour is a rosy pink tipped with white. Amongst the Anemone varieties 
Gluck and Prince of Anemones are particularly good, and numbers of 
other varieties are noteworthy. 
MIDDLE TEMPLE. 
The display in these gardens, though equally beautiful, is of quite a 
different character. The plants are much taller, and the object has 
evidently been to obtain large blooms in preference to a greater number 
of smaller ones. Mr. Wright has been successful in this respect, for he 
has some flowers of fine substance, and these are sufficient of themselves 
to produce an exhibition of much beauty. The plants are 4 to 8 or 9 feet 
high, and form a steeply sloping bank from the path up to the roof of 
the house in which they are arranged. Some of the tall-growing varieties 
are also planted at the side and trained up the roof, from which the 
flowers hang in a pleasing manner. Here, again, amongst the incurved 
varieties Prince Alfred is very fine, quite up to exhibition standard ; 
Barbara is also in good form, and all the leading varieties of this section 
are well represented. Japanese varieties are, both in numbers and 
quality, very satisfactory, imparting those rich and bright shades of 
colour to the general effect, without which Chrysanthemum shows would 
be so dull. The early and free James Salter is in first-rate condition, as 
well as its white companion. Lady Selborne, which is there very true and 
pure. Joseph Mahood, one of the Putney varieties, is flowering well, but 
its yellow narrow floret blooms have none of that red overlying which is 
usually seen. Tisiphone, as in several other collections, is not in very 
satisfactory form, but L’Africaine, also termed George Gordon, as in the 
neighbouring garden, is equally large and substantial. Amongst other 
varieties in fine form are Cry Kang, Dr. Macary, Golden Dragon, Comte 
de Germiny, The Cossack, very bright; Bouquet Fait, Angble, Margot, 
Salteri, M. Moussillac, and La Charmeuse. Reflexed, Anemone, and 
Pompon varieties are fairly good, but the last-named seem to be unduly 
neglected in many establishments. They are, however, most useful in a 
conservatory or greenhouse either for grouping or cutting, and some of 
the Anemones are similarly useful. 
MESSRS. H. CANNELL & SONS, S'WANLEY. 
An extraordinary display of Chrysanthemums is now provided at the 
“ Home for Flowers,” unquestionably the most extensive of its kind 
around London. Four span-roof houses, each 100 feet long and 12 feet 
wide, with a path down the centre, are devoted to the plants, which are 
arranged in compact dwarf banks, thus forming a continuous run of 
800 feet. As may be readily imagined, some thousands of plants are 
employed to furnish such a wonderful exhibition, and Mr. H. Cannell 
states that he has representatives of nearly 900 varieties, including all the 
best of the old forms, a considerable number of the new continental 
variety, together with the recent English-raised varieties, and an American 
race of single and semi-double forms. Great care is exercised to ensure 
the names being correct, and the stock is now being thoroughly examined 
to correct any errors that may have hitherto passed unnoticed. It 
is most difficult to perform this satisfactorily, as new varieties are 
being continually sent out, and unfortunately are not always so 
distinct from others as might be desired. So great, too, is the 
demand for novelties, that the most trifling variation will find 
eager purchasers, and it ‘s not easy to convince some that certain varieties 
are synonymous. Both growers and raisers are often misled by the 
appearance of early blooms, and it may be frequently seen that an early 
and a later flower on the same plant are so distinct that they might be, 
and possibly occasionally are, staged as different varieties. In a careful 
examination of the newer varieties some names have been discarded, 
