October 21, 1886. 1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
869 
agreeably diversified, everything denoting the exercise of much thought 
and well applied effort in the general management. It is seldom that 
finer plants of Chrysanthemums' are seen than here ; vigorous yet short- 
jointed and firm, with splendid deep green foliage, bold swelling buds, and 
large expanding blooms. If they “ finish ” well they must be fine ; 
indeed some are fine now, the “ Rundle family ” being large enough for 
good stands, in which they are not often seen in these days of big blooms. 
A deep lilac Anemone Japanese variety, “Margaret Solleville,” is much 
prized ; Madame Lacroix excellent, Princess Beatrice of unusual depth; 
Refulgence, large, full, and rich; Princess of Wales, just “ coming,” as 
Mr. Molyneux would like to see; and the Royal group—the “Queen 
family,” including the new Bronze Queen, with buds large enough for 
anything, but some of them not opening kindly,the centres crumpled and 
unyielding. This is from no lack of vigour nor enfeebled root-action, and 
the circumstance is not easy to account for, the hot sun of the early days 
of the month having perhaps had some influence in the matter. Soot 
appears to be a stimulant much relied on in supporting the plants, and 
their condition affords conclusive evidence that they enjoy the fare pro¬ 
vided. They are strong enough without being “ frothy ” for developing 
very large blooms, but, as before indicated, the test will be in finishing 
them. Let us hope they will finish well, because good cultural attention 
has undoubtedly been bestowed in their production. 
THE KINGSTON NURSERIES. 
“ Jacksons of Kingston,” is a familiar name in the Chrysanthemum 
world, several new and valuable varieties having been distributed from 
this establishment, and the proprietor of the nurseries, for there is more 
than one, is the esteemed Secretary of the Kingston Chrysanthemum 
Society, which has done so much in inciting public interest in the flower, 
and in promoting high culture, as well as stimulating other societies to 
offer generous prizes for the attainment of the same object. Four or 
five hundred plants are grown in the home nursery annually and arranged 
in the show house, which is 50 or 60 feet long. The nature of the 
structure renders dwarf plants indispensable, and they are dwarf, numbers 
of them not exceeding 2 feet in height. This is the result of cutting down 
in June, and of a check the plants received after their final potting. The 
blooms are consequently somewhat late, and not, perhaps, quite so fine as 
usual ; yet not a lew will be good, and a bright and attractive display will 
be produced in the course of a fortnight or three weeks. Very good now, 
or promising, according to the stage of the expanding blooms, are Moon¬ 
light, a new American variety, sulphur yellow, soft and clear ; Hon. John 
Welsh, crimson purple ; Lord Byron, bronzy red ; Frizou, a beautiful 
clear canary yellow, excellent for decorative purposes ; L’lsle desPlaisirs, 
very rich; Madame Lacroix, John Salter, Lady Selborne, Martha 
Harding, and Pelican, which is expected to prove an acquisition. The 
value of Alexander Dufour planted out for affording a wealth of floriferous 
purplish crimson sprays for cutting is very apparent, the plants being 
dwarf, bearing innumerable small blooms, which are excellent for 
associating with white flowers in vases, and for other decorative purposes. 
Grown in this natural way Alexander Dufour is a miniature Japanese, 
and would undoubtedly be useful in many gardens and familiar where 
such flowers are in demand for decorative purposes. No one can visit 
this nursery without admiring the speoimen Heaths of various sizes ; 
it is wonderful how clear and healthy they are in the middle of a town, 
and it can only be by consummate skill and unremitting attention that 
this high standard of excellence can be maintained. Camellias, too, 
astonish by their floriferousness, a dozen buds in a cluster in many 
instances, and also in the axils of the leaves of the young growth. To 
free growth for a time, then a rather sudden check, is attributed the con¬ 
dition of these very noteworthy plants. A general look round the 
nursery adds to the pleasure of a visit to the Chrysanthemums. It may 
be mentioned that a good opening will be afforded to new exhibitors at 
the Kingston Show this year, some of the past prizewinners in the group 
classes having left the neighbourhood, and Mr. Molyneux thinks he has 
done enough in the “big cup” class. There will also be room to win 
also in the specimen plant department. 
WARREN HOUSE. 
Warren House, Coombe Warren, near Kingston, is the beautiful suburban 
residence of Lord Wolverton, whose gardener, Mr. G. Woodgate, is com¬ 
petent in many things besides growing Chrysanthemums. Of these be 
grows about four hundred plants, and grows them well. They are chiefly 
in 7 and 8-inch pots, and now arranged in three-quarter span-roofed 
houses, the plants ranging from 3 feet to 7 feet high, clean and healthy, 
with the buds unfolding kindly, and fresh well-finished blooms will pro¬ 
bably be ready at show time. Among the more promising are Novelty, 
Pelican, Mrs. Shipman, Lady Hardinge, J. Delaux, Thomas Mahood, 
Mons. Tarin, M. Desbireux, Val d’Andorre, Safranum, L’lncomparable, 
Venus, Jeanne d’Arc, Piince of Wales, Margot, Marguerite Marrouch, and 
John Laing, most or all of which will develope good blooms, some not 
improbably very fine. Mr. Woodgate has never had a more satisfactory 
collection, and as he knows how to finish the blooms and stage them to 
advantage, he will almost certain be “ in ” in some of the classes in which 
he may compete. Great improvements have been carried out in the 
gardens and pleasure grounds by Mr. Woodgate since the acquirement of 
the estate by the present owner. In the, summer splendid standard and 
pyramidal Bays are arranged on the terraces, and the Japanese garden 
formed and planted by the late Mr. James Veitch contains such Conifers 
and shrubs as are not seen every day. The grounds overlook the Coombe 
Wood Nurseries of Messrs. Veitch, perhaps the most beautiful in their 
way in the kingdom, rich in ornamental trees and shrubs, and withal in 
such high keeping that shrubs have been removed that obstructed the 
view to whit is undoubtedly a picturesque feature in the landscape as seen 
from the pleasure grounds of Warren House. Mr. Woolgate is to be con¬ 
gratulated on lrs Chrysanthemums and the gtrdens generally that he 
manages so well. 
COOMBE RIDGE. 
Coombe Warren was the original name of the delighiful residence 
now the property of W. Middleton Campbell, Esq., where Mr. C. Orchard 
has for several years practised so successfully as a Chrysanthemum 
grower and general gardener, and where he is still engaged discharging 
his duties sonscientiously and well. It is questionable if any cultivator 
in the kingdom has a more intimate knowledge of Chrysanthemums than 
Mr. Orchard has ; he knows all the varieties, and has their origin and 
peculiarities at his fingers’ends, so to speak. Hj grows the plants for 
home adornment, and exhibits them in groups, rather than cutting the 
blooms for arranging in stands. He has during the past year arranged 
some of the best groups that have been seen at exhibitions, these groups 
oombining excellence of culture in the plants, and a tasteful association 
of colours of the blooms. His plants this year in excellent condition, 
dozens of them not exceeding 2 feet in height, as clean and healthy a3 
plants can be, and four to six buds on each just showing their colours. 
The dwarf plants are later than the tall, it being found that the blooms of 
the former develope more quickly after the florets commence unfolding 
than these do on stems 2 or 3 feet higher—a rather interesting point in 
culture. There will be a rich display of Cullingfordi at Combe Ridge, 
and amongst others the following are advancing in a highly satisfactory 
manner Jupiter, Mons. Tarin, Martha Hirding, Frizou, J. Delaux, 
Madame Lacroix, Henri Jacotot, Mens. J. Laing, Madame Laing, 
L’Ebouriffee, Madame de Sevin, and Fernand Fdral. Belle Paule has 
shown its weakness in the buds failing to set and swell freely, and 
seems to be about the only faulty variety in this choice and admirably 
grown collection. Mr. Orchard appears to grow Apples as well a3 he 
grows Chrysanthemums, the gardens containing a number of model 
trees, not precocious pigmies, but splendid free pyramids, 12 t) 18 feet 
high, and the fruit from them is remarkably fine. The opinion prevails 
to some extent among persons who fail to grow Chrysanthemums well that 
those who succeed with them above their fellows can grow “ nothing else.” 
No greater mistake can be made than that, for the possession of qualities 
requisite for growing these plants and blooms to the highest degree of 
excellence enable cultivators to excel in other things, and as a rule they 
do excel, so far as means allow, in whatever they undertake. This is 
evident in many gardens besides the one so well managed by Mr. 
Orchard at Coombe Ridge. 
MOBDEN PARK. 
When the inquiry is heard, as it often is at this season, of, “ How is 
Gibson ?” it is not the health of that renowned cultivator that is the chief 
object of solicitude, but the condition of Mr. Wormald’s Chrysanthemums ; 
therefore, when in reply we say, “ Gibson is looking well and strong,” we 
mean those plants. The grower of them looks just the stme as usual— 
always pleasant. Mr. Gibson is one of the best exhibitors in the king¬ 
dom, no one carrying his honours more modestly, and certainly no one 
losing more agreeably. “ If a man loses,” he says, “ as he must expect to 
do, what is the use of blaming judges for not knowing better? It is he 
that should try to d) better another year.” There is a good deal of 
philosophy in the observation, as it is very rarely a man who loses a prize 
and grumbles accomplishes mere than making himself uncomfortable. 
But to the plants. They are wonderfully fine, strong, and matured, the 
early ones bearing splendid blooms, and the later steadily advancing for the 
prize stands. If Mr. Gibson were to bestow the same pains in presenting 
his blooms in the best condition at the critical time that Mr. M dyneux 
does he would be a more formidable competitor than he is. The critical 
time is on the morning of the show and after the stands are arranged in 
position. He is, however, formidable enough for the majority, and if 
there is a grower in England who is content with a reasonable share of 
success that man is Mr. C. Gibson of Morden Park. H s plants range 
from 6 feet to 8 or 9 feet high, and are strong in proportion, with thick 
but not dark foliage. Some of the blooms are suffering from damp, and 
those of the Queen family are not as a rule opening kindly, but have 
“ scaly ” centres. In this he is not alone, for there are plenty of other 
persons in the same boat. Among the more promising of the incurved 
section are Princess of Wales and Cherub, very fine ; Golden Empres 5 , 
Bronze Queen, Princess Beatrice, Le Grand, Jeanne d’Arc, Nil Desper- 
andum, Lord Wolseley, and Barbara. Exceedingly fine in the Japanese 
section are Golden Dragon, White Dragon, Grandiflora, La Boule d’Or, 
Maiden’s Blush, and Comte Beauregard, while Mons. Burnet, Fernard 
Feral, I.’Adorable, Val d’Andorre, Thunberg, Criterion, Comte de 
Germiny, Marguerite Marrouch, and Madame Lacroix are developing ex¬ 
cellent representative blooms. The “ shades of evening ” prevented our 
seeing anything else at Morden Park besides the Chrysanthemums and 
their skilful grower, but we had quite sufficient compensation for several 
miles drive in what our coachman described as very “ regular weather”— 
a regular downpour of drenching rain. 
THE CAMBERWELL NURSERY.; 
Mr. N. Davis is widely known amongst Chrysanthemum growers, and 
some hundreds make an annual journey to the Lilford Road Nursery to 
inspect the great collection which has gained so much fame. Each season 
for several years past there has been a steady improvement in the display 
provided there, and this season it is even more extensive than usual. 
Several new houses have been erected and in addition to the large show 
house will be devoted to the “ Mums.” One in particular, which has been 
gay with early-flowering varieties for some weeks past, will shortly be 
