NoTember 9, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
423 
than any of the others, owing no doubt to the low-lying situation where 
the plants have been grown. About 400 plants are grown here for the 
production of large flowers, also a good number of bush plants.—W. S. 
Chrysanthemums at Maidenhead. 
A FEW days since I paid a visit to Mr. R. Owen’s nursery at Castle 
Hill, Maidenhead, to look over his collection of Chrysanthemums, and 
note a few of his most promising varieties. Several houses are filled 
with seedlings, and others with older and established named kinds. The 
whole stock is in a very flourishing condition ; good culture, together 
with the healthy and open position of the nursery, having much to do 
with the sturdy and robust state of the plants. 
Japanese varieties predominate, but a fair proportion of incurved, 
Anemones, and Pompons are also grown. On entering the first house 
Golden Avalanche was one of the most prominent to catch the eye, a 
seedling from the well-known white, having the dwarf and sturdy habit 
of the parent. A very fine seedling white, named Beauty of Maiden¬ 
head, is of large dimensions, long, waxy petals, the points incurved. 
James Myers is of a distinct rosy fawn colour, difficult to describe, and 
very good. W. H. Fowler is a good yellow, already exhibited. 
Viscountess Hambledon I noted was carrying some large blooms, and 
Mrs. Dene is another fine Japanese, colour silvery pink. Beauty of 
Exmouth is strongly in evidence, beautiful flowers on dwarf plants. 
Thomas Hewitt is another new variety, and in an adjoining house I 
observed a promising hirsute variety of a bronzy yellow colour, not fully 
open. It is impossible to mention all, and many seedlings have not yet 
received names. Many plants of Charles Davis, the sport from Vi viand 
Morel, were in bloom, but corresponding in colour or petal with those 
certificated on October 11th, the flowers apparently being from terminal 
buds, and all of a bronzy red colour, and very little of yellow in it. 
Presumably the crown bud of strong plants produces the yellow flower, 
and one may still ask. Where is the real yellow Viviand Morel 1 The 
same remark applies to the so-called white sport Mrs. Wells ; the 
terminal flowers are not pure white. 
Of incurved varieties Brookleigh Gem was conspicuous ; it is a lilac 
sport from Jeanne d’Arc, the flowers equalling that variety in size. Baron 
Hirsch is decidedly the greatest acquisition in this class, and will be sure 
to find a place in most prizewinning stands. Robert Petfield, a seedling 
from Princess of Wales, certificated, but not sent out yet, is of a silvery 
lilac colour, the type of its parent. Several exhibition blooms are now 
open. Lord Rosebery is an incurved of a dark plum colour, and a 
seedling partly expanded promised to equal in colour the well-known 
Jardin des Plants. 
Growing outside was an interesting display of October and early 
flowering kinds, an unusual show for the end of the mouth, several of 
the Japanese being worthy of mention — namely. Lord Hawke, rich 
claret; Harvest Home, chestnut red and gold ; Golden Shower, very free ; 
Snowflake, white ; Gold-mine, bronze and gold ; Profusion, these were 
all raised at Castle Hill. Others very good wmre the Pompons, ineluding 
Inimitable, Pomponium, Madame Edouard Lefort, Viscount Clicquot, 
Souvenir de Louis Ferie, M. A. Herlaut, and La Vierge.— Visitor. 
At THE Royal Gardens, Windsor. 
The collection of Chrysanthemums at the Royal Gardens, Windsor, 
may be truly termed a royal one, comprising, as it does, all the latest 
introductions, and many of the best of the older varieties. There are 
in all upwards of 4000 plants grown, and Mr. Thomas, the well known 
gardener, estimates that he will have almost equally as fine a display at 
Christmas as he has now. The display is a magnificent one, rich in 
colour, and splendid flowers. The plants are not arranged in one 
structure, but are placed in almost all the cooler houses in the gardens. 
Some are in full bloom, while others are only just showing their buds. 
Amongst these latter must be mentioned a number of small plants in 
6-inch pots grown from cuttings rooted in strong heat during the month 
of June, and which are now sturdy little specimens. They will come 
in admirably for decorative purposes and for supplying cut blooms, though 
for this latter purpose Mr. Thomas has a large number of plants planted 
out in a border. All the plants are well grown and carrying stout 
foliage, in almost all cases right down to the pots. Flowers are nume¬ 
rous, and as has been said before, highly coloured, there being an 
average of half a dozen blooms to each plant. This remark applies of 
course to the large flowered sections, and not to those grown for purposes 
of decoration or for affording a supply of cut flowers. 
From amongst the varieties in bloom at the present time a few of the 
very best have been selected and are mentioned here. Immediately on 
entering the structure in which the earliest plants are shown is a 
superb bloom of Wm. Seward of exceptional size and perfect form. 
Avalanche, though an old variety, holds its own well with some of the 
later introductions as also does the bright yellow Sunflower. Colonel 
W. B. Smith is represented by several grand flowers, the colour in many 
being a rich old gold. A beautiful variety is found in Brocklebank 
Improved, the colour of which is a charmingly delicate straw. J. W. 
Penny is a chaste flower with narrow pure white florets which render it 
most attractive amongst its more substantial looking neighbours. Some 
grand flowers of the well known Baron Hirsch are prominent, and the 
game may be said of the claret-coloured R. 0. Kingston. Puritan is a 
very beautiful variety which is deservedly popular, as also is Gloire du 
Rocher, of which there are some exceptionally good examples. Chas. 
E. Shea is a refined looking flower of a pale lemon yellow tint, and Annie 
Clibran may be placed amongst the first of the pinks. Hairy petalled 
varieties are not numerous but of unusual quality, more especially of 
the Louis Boehmer type, of which the white variety is decidedly the 
best. Excelsior is a pleasing variety with bright magenta florets, 
having a silvery reflex. Bouquet des Dames appears to be unusually 
good everywhere this season, some blooms at Windsor being perfect 
in their symmetry. 
Miss Anna Hartzhorn is represented by some superb flowers, as also 
is Comte de Germiny, which is, however, rather paler in colour than it 
is generally seen. Duchess of Devonshire is a really fine flower, which 
should become popular, the blooms having a delicately refined appear¬ 
ance which is most pleasing. The colour is a charming shade of pink. 
Primrose League is a superb variety, the outer florets being nearly 
white, a centre of pale primrose ; the flowers are large in size, and 
of a handsome shape. Condor, with its broad pure white florets, is 
deservedly popular, as also is Edwin Molyneux. A pale lemon-coloured 
variety, named Emily Dale Improved, is very beautiful ; and W. A. 
Manda, with its bright yellow hairy petals, is amongst the most showy. 
Wm. Tricker is to be seen in perfect form, as also are Gloriosum, G. W. 
Childs, and Richard Parker. An attractive variety is to be seen in 
Moonlight, which is white, tinged with sulphur in colour. Madame 
J. Laing is a bright rose coloured flower of splendid shape, and the 
bronze blooms of the well-known Lord Brooke were very fine. A good 
salmon-tinted kind is Lilian B. Bird, and for a brick red Masterpiece 
will be difficult to supersede. A curious flower is seen on a plant of 
Madame R. Owen, one half being pure white, and the remainder deep 
lilac. The bloom was perfect in shape, and others on the plant had 
retained their normal eolour. Amongst the numerous others noticed 
were Ada Spaulding, Mr. A, H. Neve, Edwin Lonsdale, Mdlle. Mari : 
Hoste, Mrs. Heale, Madame Cabriol, Eynsford White, F. A. Davis, and 
Robt, Cannell. A large flower of Viviand Morel measured 13 inches 
diameter, which will serve to illustrate the admirable manner in which 
the plants have been grown. It must not be thought that those above 
mentioned represent the varieties eultivated at Windsor, for such is 
not the case. There are dozens of others perhaps equally as good, but 
of which special mention cannot be made.— Nomad. 
Early and Semi-Early Flowering Chrysanthemums. 
Notwithstanding the admitted general depression in trade, the 
progress of the Chrysanthemum is great, and the early and semi-early 
varieties enjoy their full share in this advance. The summer of 1893 has 
been one of such exceptional length and sunshine that it is a chance if 
many persons will see the like in England again. Its effects on all 
vegetation has been most marked, not only due to its length and bright¬ 
ness, but by its long period of absence of rain. Where Chrysanthemums 
have been planted in the open gardens or fields where they could not be 
sufficiently watered, their flowers, even after the rain did come, have 
frequently proved abortive, and even in many cases where they were 
grown in pots and sufficiently watered and manured the blooms have 
come with what growers call a “ weedy eye.” I have noticed this 
particularly in the two crimson sorts—viz , Roi des Prbcoces and Ruby 
King, which latter, in most seasons, quite fills up and covers any slight 
weedy eye that does exist. It seems, like many other cases in which 
Nature appears to fear for the existence of the race, that extra effort is 
made for its perpetuation, though, as far as I can see, this has not 
been a good season for the growth of seed in this country of the 
Chrysanthemum. 
Another curious result of the season has been that in July many 
varieties came into bloom that should in usual seasons have been a month 
later. Thus at the end of July I had twenty-two sorts in bloom, and 
at the end of October some were only then in flower that in ordinary 
years would have done so a month before, so that in July the season was 
a month in advance of usual summers, and at the end of October it was 
in some cases a month behind. Then some varieties have bloomed twice 
in the season. White Lady, Strathmeath, and Dodo did so, and Blushing 
Bride has even bloomed three times. Of course in all these cases I am 
speaking of plants grown naturally, not disbudded or cut down in any 
way. Many plants through their thorough ripening and maturity have 
produced vast masses of flowers, even more than they usually do. 
At the first Show at the Aquarium at Westminster on September 6th 
the most striking feature as regards early flowering Chrysanthemums 
were two exhibits of twenty-four bunches in twenty-four varieties. 
These exhibits were quite typical of two different modes of growing, 
and equally meritorious in their way. The blooms in one stand were 
probably grown entirely in the open air and naturally, while those in 
the other exemplified disbudding and finish under glass. Certifieates 
were awarded on that day for a variety named Mr. Barlow, and for a 
new yellow kind named Edwin Rowbottom. I do not mention here 
the many other varieties exhibited at this and the second Show, because 
many were merely late varieties, grown early by taking the first bud or 
other means. At the second Show at the Aquarium on October the 11th 
a plant of Lady Fitzwygram, the new white early sort, was exhibited, 
also several plants of Ryecroft Glory, the new yellow. A group, mostly 
composed of Piercy’s Seedling, was likewise exhibited. 
It may perhaps be well here to mention that the splendid early 
October variety Comtessse Foucher de Careil has become one of the 
greatest market varieties sold in various forms. Fine plants have been 
exposed for sale in 48-size pots. It has been called Source d’Or, but 
the latter variety c.annot be had nearly so early, neither is it so 
manageable a plant, being very tall and much less profuse in flowping. 
Gustave Grunerwald, not Grundelwald as I have seen it spelt, is the 
name of the Emperor of Russia’s gardener at the Gatschine Palace in 
