October 30, 1890. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
389 
October bloomers, such as Madame Desgranges and its sports, 
G. Wermig and Mrs. Burrel, Alexander Dufour, Isidore Feral, 
M. Pynaert Van Geert, Simon Delaux, Soeur Mblanie, the very free and 
useful Elsie, and many others, I am cutting already others, such as 
Elaine—never finer, Lady Selborne, William Holmes, Sasur Dorothee 
Souille, Emperor of China, the hardiest Chrysanthemum in existence ; 
L’Or du Rhin, James Carter, Amy Furze, M. Lacroix, and that splendid 
acquisition for any purpose, Avalanche. I should have named also 
M. Freeman, James Salter, and Bertie Rendatler, without including 
Pompons, which anyone can make a selection from, but I give a 
preference to fine varieties like those named. I must not be understood 
as confining my admiration to those early bloomers. I have 150 
varieties, without including those in pots, in my greenhouse, and some 
varieties, like Goldfinder, Ceres, Ethel, and W. G. Drover 
bloom as late as January ; but then I have erected over 
them a canvas-covered framework on hinges, that is 
raised by day and dropped down at night, which fairly 
answers its purpose, and gives me cut flowers for myself 
for wreaths, for church decoration, and for my neigh¬ 
bours, over Christmas.—W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
March ; it was, however, passed^by the Committee. Mr. T. Laxton. 
showed a white-skinned Jerusalem Artichoke, which is to be tried when, 
cooked, and samples of the Chou de Bedford, which was thought to be 
no advance on Couve Tronchuda. Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, sent fruits of 
Grange’s Winter Pearmain Apple and Nouveau Poiteau Pear, for which 
cultural commendations were awarded. Mr. Colbourn, Woolhampton, 
exhibited handsome fruits from a second crop of Strawberry Noble 
(vote of thanks). Mr. Hunt, Ashtead Park Gardens, exhibited samples, 
of a medium-sized Apple, named Ashtead Park Seedling, but no award 
was made. Mr. Wythes, Sion House Gardens, Brentford, sent even 
specimens of Cheltenham Green Top Beet (vote of thanks), and from. 
Messrs. Carter & Co., High Holborn, came an excellent sample of Extra- 
Early Autumn Giant Cauliflower (vote of thanks). 
FIG. 51.—SIR. JOHN laing (See page 382). 
Floral Committee. —Present: W. Marshal 1 , Esq., in the chair, 
and Messrs. Herbst, R. Dean, B. Wynne, G. Nicholson, Lewis Castle, 
H. B. May, T. Baines, C. Jefferies, H. Turner, H. Cannell, C. Noble, 
J. Fraser, G. Paul, and the Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain. 
From Messrs. J. Cutbush & Sons, Highgate, came a beautiful 
collection of Pernettyas, the plants compact and loaded with berries, 
the varieties rosea, atro-purpurea, rosea macrocarpa, alba, and purpurea 
being the most noticeable (silver medal.) Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, sent 
some good varieties of Pentstemons of bright colours, and an award of 
merit was granted for the strain. Messrs. H. Canned & Sons, Swanley, 
contributed a large and handsome collection of Chrysanthemums, 
several of which were distinguished by awards of merit. Mr. Bridger, 
Penshurst Place Gardens, Tunbridge, showed plants of a border Car¬ 
nation named Saccharina, flaked with rose on a yellow ground, and 
very free. Mr. G. Wythes had a stand of Chrysanthemum blooms very 
tastefully arranged with Fern fronds, small Palms, &c., for which a 
bronze medal was granted. Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead, sent several 
new Chrysanthemums, and two obtained awards of merit. 
It is not often that flowers of the Jerusalem Artichoke, Helianthus 
tuberosus, are seen in gardens or at shows, but Mr. A. Harding, Orton 
Hall Gardens, sent some small yellow flowers of the ordinary composite 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
October 28th. 
The Committee meeting in the Drill Hall on Tuesday last was not 
very well attended, owing probably to the keen weather. Chrysanthe¬ 
mums constituted the chief attraction amongst the exhibits, and in the 
afternoon Dr. M. T. Masters delivered an excellent lecture on “ Trees 
and Shrubs for Towns,” in which he reviewed in an able manner the 
principal points connected with this wide and important subject. 
Fruit Committee. —Present: Sir C. W. Strickland, Bart., in the 
chair, and Messrs. J. Lee, T. F. Rivers, P. Crowley, J. Cheal, J. Mclndoe, 
T. F. Saltmarsh, G. W. Cummins, G. Wythes, J. Hudson, W. Warren, 
and Dr. Robert Hogg. From the Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, came 
collections of Potatoes and Endives that have been tested there. Mr. 
William Smythe, Basing Park Gardens, Hants, sent a seedling black 
Grape with round black berries, which, it was stated, kept well until 
TAKING CHRYSANTHEMUM BEDS. 
I may be rather late in expressing my views on this 
subject, but I have been led to pen these few remarks, 
as I find that growers still look for guidance. The 
“ mystery ” of bud taking, for such it is, as explained 
by some is very intricate. We are supposed to take a 
variety by a certain date to produce good blooms, and 
if th’s is not done it is hopeless to expect success. This 
is very perplexing to small growers, as they are at a loss 
what to do. For instance, many this season let the 
crown bud go as a supposed “ freak,” with the result 
that the next is a terminal ; the blooms then, besides 
being late, are small and of little use for the exhibition 
board. The crown buds this season have generally 
shown early, and in our case these commenced in the 
last day or two of July, and by the first week in August 
numbers were showing. Acting upon the results of 
other seasons we took the crown buds as they appeared, 
and in a few cases allowed the shout to run on to the 
next bud. The result is that the blooms from the crown 
buds are very good indeed, and likely to be in the second 
week in November, whereas the others are much smaller. 
During the last week in July that superb variety 
Boule d’Or was showing; these were all taken, the result 
being that the blooms are likely to be very good indeed 
in every instance. About the time these were taken 
I read from the notes published at the time by one of 
our large growers, that the date would be too early for 
good results. I felt that we had made a mistake, but 
subsequent results reveal the fact that we were right. 
With many other varieties the results are the same. We 
are not exhibitors, but aim to have a good home show. 
From experiments with early varieties, rather too early 
for some exhibitors, I find that by topping the plants 
about March, and then running up a single stem, that 
the natural break is thrown much later. If buds are 
to be kept back, the plants must be manipulated upon 
during the early stages of their existence, either by later 
propagation than is usually practised, or by topping. In 
no other instance can the crown buds be made to show at 
certain dates or thereabouts. Small growers are in a 
maze with these published dates. When their buds show, 
if they are not about the time, they allow them to go 
by, the result being small blooms and late. It was only 
the other day that I saw a splendid lot of plants which 
had been allowed to run past the crown, and now the 
grower is bewailing his loss, as he can now see by what 
few crown buds that were taken the excellent results he would have 
had if all had been served the same.— A. Young. 
