104 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ FeVuiary S, 1891. 
S. reflexum has flat heads of yellow flowers with a tinge of green, 
and ihould always be planted below the level of the eye, a position 
suitable for most of the genus. A finer species of similar character, 
but with larger tufts of lighter green leaves, which do not become 
purple in winter, is S. grandiflorum. This has larger and brighter 
heads of flowers. For some time I considered this only an excep¬ 
tionally fine form of S. reflexum, but it is grown in the Edinburgh 
Botanic Gardens under the name of grandiflorum, and has as much 
claim to the rank of a species as many other plants. 
A few plants of these two kinds planted as part of a mixed 
edging to my garden walk created quite a sensation in June and 
July, 1889, the dry season suiting them exceptionally well. A very 
neat little species, which is commonly grown as S. glaucum, is 
largely used for carpet bedding. For this purpose it is not 
intended to flower, and consequently its beauty is not fully 
realised. The tufts of glaucous milky green, only rising about a 
quarter to half an inch above the soil, are very pretty, but I think 
the beauty of the plant is only properly seen when the little 
pinkish-grey flowers are so fully expanded as to conceal the leaves 
entirely from view. I have seen this greatly admired, even by 
people whom you could hardly expect to admire a flower of such 
modest beauty. There seems some confusion as to the true name 
of this species, and possibly several species are in the trade under 
the same name. According to the “ Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary” 
S. glaucum is yellow, and has for a synonym the title of S. Ander- 
soni, and I am inclined to think the crue name of what is generally 
grown as glaucum is corsicum. Another pretty well-known species 
is S. Lydium, a very dwarf plant with lively green leaves, which in 
dry weather or when starved become of a bright coral red. This is 
a native of America, and was introduced in 1849. It is said to have 
pinkish-white flowers, but although I have grown it for five years 
it has never bloomed with me. S. brevifolium, a native of the 
south of Spain, is in my opinion one of the prettiest of the dwaif 
tufted species ; at all events, so far as the colour of the foliage is 
concerned. The leaves are of a creamy colour, which afterwards 
become beautifully coloured with red in autumn. This species 
should be grown in peat. The flowers are white in July and 
August. There are several other dwarf tufted species which are 
very interesting, but there are so many others to note that I must 
reluctantly pass them over. I will continue the subject in a future 
issue.—S. Arnott. 
I ENCLOSE a bloom of Chrysanthemum Mrs. F. Thompson from a cut- 
■down for your inspection. I have been cutting Chrysanthemums up to 
the present time, and still have a few left. On New Year’s day I cut 
seven large blooms of Mr. H. Cannell, also Thunberg, Belle Paule, 
Mdlle. Lacroix, and Princess Teck, all larger and better than the one I 
have sent. I think societies should encourage Chrysanthemum shows 
for later dates. As you are aware nothing is more useful at Christmas 
and the beginning of the year. With exhibitors like myself who 
have limited room to prepare for the shows, as soon as the show is 
over the Chrysanthemums, are over also, whereas if societies were to 
encourage later dates exhibitors would grow and manage their plants 
accordingly. Then how useful they would find them for decoration. I 
know several gardeners who had not one bloom the first week in 
December.—J. E. P. 
[The bloom sent wss a fine one, and a supply of such examples 
would be found useful at this time of year. It might be advisable to 
try a December Show, but the Exhibitions of the National Society in 
January have not been very satisfactory.] 
Chrysanthemum Golden Gem. 
For blooming in January and February there are very few, if any, 
Chrysanthemums that can equal Owen’s Golden Gem, and I know of no 
other variety that so readily adapts itself to late blooming. Its colour 
is of a deep bronzy yellow, and possesses a fine substance. When 
allowed to grow naturally, with the exception of pinching the shoots 
two or three times during the growing season, it produces terminal 
clusters of three or four blooms, that can be used for ladies’ wear without 
any artificial arrangement, all that is required being to add two or three 
small Fern fronds, and the bouquet is complete. Ladies possessing 
cultured taste admire -n informal spray such as this much more than 
one treated in a more unnatural manner. For vase filling too the same 
pleasing and natural features are presented as in the purpose previously 
mentioned, and are easily and quickly arranged in vases of any kind. 
Chrysanthemums are much valued at this season for any purpose, and 
those not having grown the variety under notice should not allow the 
cutting season to pass without adding it to t’neir collection, however 
select it may be. It has the additional merit of being a dwarf sturdy 
grower, which alone is of great worth, when they are employed for 
conservatory decoration in pots-—W. S. 
Late Chrysanthemums. 
Mr. Robert Owen, Maidenhead, sends us a bloom of Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Mrs. Hugh Graham, which he says is from a plant 3 feet high, 
and bearing three other blooms not so far advanced. It is a Japanese 
with broad incurving florets, white, with a sulphur tinge in the centre, 
possibly due to age. Golden Gem is a Japanese reflexed, with 
medium size blooms golden bronze, the centre reddish. It is bright, 
effective, and free, undoubtedly useful, and we recently saw a large stock 
in a market establishment, where it is valued as a naturally late variety. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society. 
At the recent annual meeting of the above Society the financial 
statement was presented, from which the following particulars are 
gleaned. It appears that the total receipts during the year, including a 
balance of £19 Os. 9d. from 1889 and the amount of the reserve fund 
£95 133. 8d., are £1067 Is. 5.1. To this has to be added £41 14s., due 
from the Royal Aquarium Company for the January Show, with medals 
and tickets in hand valued at £9 Ss. 6d. The expenses include 
£521 lls. 61. in prizes at the three shows ; medals £105 19s. Id.; 
printing £71 16s. 9d. ; stamps, telegrams, &c., £45 lls. 6d. ; clerical 
assistance, collecting subscriptions, and canvassing for advertisements 
are entered in two items (one marked 1889'), the total being £70 7s. 2s ; 
and the annual dinner cost £21 15s. 4d. There is a balance at the 
Union Bank of London of £28 7s. 8d. ; and cash in hand of £18 lOs.— 
Total £1067 4s. 5J. An item also appears at the foot of the account to 
this effect, “ Due for printing catalogues, £70 16s. 8d.” 
Hull and East Riding Chrysanthemum Society. 
With reference to the report of the meeting of this Society in the 
Journal of the 26th ult. we should have stated that only one exhibitor 
used unfair means to deceive the Judges ; the others who had con¬ 
travened the terms of the schedule had done so by removing some 
plants, in the groups, out of their pots, and had thus, in the opinion of 
the Committee, unintentionally transgressed. — Edw'D, Harland, 
James Dixon, Hon. Secs. 
THE WINTER. 
The remarks in your leading article of January 22nd, on “ Present 
and Future Difficulties,” would be read no doubt by men holding 
responsible positions with far more than ordinary interest, since it 
expresses so truthfully the difficulties imposed on gardeners who have 
to meet a large demand particularly from the kitchen garden. A survey 
of this portion of the gardener’s charge since the disappearance of the 
snow is disappointing to a considerable degree, for there is a fatality 
among the Broccoli, Cabbage, Lettuce, and other plantations, such as 
few of us are accustomed to ; and many restricted in garden appliances 
will be put to their wit’s ends to know how best to cope with che 
pending or actual famine in vegetables. In some instances the rulers 
of the kitchen are not always the most considerate or reasonable, and 
will press their wants even more severely in times of scarcity ; but 
happily all are not alike. Root crops, such as Parsnips, Carrots, Arti¬ 
chokes, Salsafy, and Turnips, although indispensable, soon tire the 
palate when they have to be drawn upon frequently for the daily supplies 
without alternate change from Kales or other green vegetable ; the 
appeals for these, not only from the cook, but from the mistress im¬ 
patiently enforced, make the gardener’s position anything but pleasant. 
Swedish Turnip.®, where they are available, can be turned to good 
account where convenience exist for forcing them slightly, either in a 
light or dark place ; but in the latter case it is well to give some nocice 
at the table as to what constitutes the “ dish,” or the first supply may 
be “ passed ” on account of its colour. I remember an instance where 
the cook was summoned by her mistress to give an account as to the 
reason of the “ Seakale ” sent in being of such bad colour, when she 
explained that it was Swedish Turnip-tops and not Seakale ; but this 
happened after dinner, when her privileged dish had been rejected. 
Such an intimation, of course, will only be necessary in the case of those 
not having previously provided them. 
Broccoli that should have formed the early winter supply are killed, 
every plant, and there are very few survivors in the midseason ranks ; 
but some dwarf plants of Late Queen do not appear so badly injured. 
Cottagers’ and Scotch Kales seem the most hardy ; some sturdily grown 
dwarf Asparagus Kale suffering badly. The stems of old Cabbage 
plants are as soft as though scalded, so is Parsley that has no frame 
protection, and also are the plants left in the seed bed for filling 
vacancies in the Cabbage quarter in spring, so that it will be necessary 
to raise plants of both Cabbage and Parsley to carry on the supply in 
early summer. 
Fortunate are the owners of small gardens who laid up a store of 
Runner Beans in the autumn, for though a good deal of trouble is 
given in preparing them for table, their presence must necessarily 
cause satisfaction at a time of vegetable dearth in winter and early 
spring. In our case they have proved of excellent service in providing 
a change and diminishing the strain upon the outdoor stock. The 
process is simple in the extreme, and the expense infinitessimal ; but the 
advantages in such winters as that of 1890-91 are almost immeasurable. 
Gatherings of entirely surplus produce in summer would be the means 
of providing many winter dishes, and the quality cannot be found fault 
with when properly cooked.—W. S. 
