April 6, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
fair and square adjudication upon its merits are fully within their 
rights, but cannot some of your correspondents manage to put forward 
their views as to this and other grievances without that bitterness of 
expression and those objectionable and unnecessary personal allusions 
which tend to alienate the sympathy of many who upon the main issues 
may not be disposed to differ very greatly from their views ? 
A good case is best served by a quiet statement.— Charles E. Shea, 
The Elms, Foots Cray. 
fA great truth is conveyed in motto form in the last line of Mr. 
Shea’s communication, and we shall be glad if it can be borne in mind 
by controversialists ; at the same time we believe that some of our 
correspondents did not intend to be “ bitter,” but only forcible under 
provocation. We have refrained from publishing several letters as 
unsuitable dn tone. It is just because many persons feel that the 
“ Godfrey ” case has not received “ fair and square adjudication on 
its merits” that disquietude exists. Is it allowed to continue because 
it strengthens the Society ?] 
Chrysanthemums at Earlswood. 
Although in taking what was the only course open for an honour¬ 
able man to take in relation to matters of a very unpleasant nature, Mr. 
W. Wells of Earlswood seems to have secured the enmity of certain 
members of the N.C.S. ; yet do I think that his action merits the appro¬ 
bation of every honest man, and as evidence of this I may point to the 
fact that so far from suffering in any way in his business he has 
benefited. Being in his locality a few days since I thought I would 
look in and see how Mr. Wells was progressing, and how far the Chrys¬ 
anthemum trade was developing. The jealousies and petty discords of 
the members of the N.C.S. are of no interest to me, but the progress of 
horticulture in any direction has much, and of that form of horticulture 
especially which does not feed on animosities and personalities, but 
rather upon the highest, pures*-, and most desirable of our aspirations. 
Well, I found at Earlswood house after house full as well could be of 
Chrysanthemums by tens of thousands in the rooted cutting stage, and 
many late ones yet to be rooted, whilst also the stocks of old plants 
would easily have furnished 20,000 more if needed. As it was, an 
immense number of young plants had been sent out both directly and 
through the trade, and because of the cool system of culture which 
prevails the plants are all stout and sturdy, and being well packed in 
moss suffer nothing in removal. 
It was pleasant to learn that very large numbers of the finest 
new varieties are sought after by working-class growers, who wish to 
obtain the best so soon as their price will admit ; the demand on 
Viviand Morel, for instance, yet the premier Japanese in cultivation, 
had been beyond precedent, and next year a few of the best of the past 
season will also be very popular, though none stand out of the general 
ruck in the same way that the one mentioned does. Mr. Wells, of course, 
keeps pace with the requirements of the times by securing stocks 
at once of all the best in cultivation, and to show that he is above 
personal prejudices, he speaks in the warmest terms of one dark variety 
now being put into commerce, W. Seward, as being the very finest of 
the class ever offered. His own sport from Viviand Morel, Mrs. W. K. 
Wells, pure white, and if set one of the finest whites in cultivation, has 
not received very courteous treatment; but Mr. Wells has great faith in 
it, although in putting it into commerce he has expressed his intention 
to refund a certain portion of the cost to purchasers should the sport not 
prove to be true. To my mind the fact that Viviand Morel will throw 
white flowers, and pink ones on the same plant shows that a fixed 
white sport is certain at some time or other. Tuexdor, old pot marigold 
orange, a beautiful and striking flower, and borne on very dwarf stockey 
plants, Mr. Wells regards as likely to be one of the gems of next 
season. However, time will show. The list for the present year 
handed to me of some 600 varieties is remarkable because of the almost ex¬ 
ceeding abundance of new sorts, and the absence of what a few years since 
were high-class varieties. Such honours as the nomenclature of flowers 
give are usually very fleeting, and it would seem as if the average of 
Chrysanthemum immortality was about three years. Such is fame; who 
remembering this would have flowers named after them ? 
One of the Earlswood specialties is found in seedlings, for everybody 
must now raise a number of seedlings, and Mr. Wells produces a few 
thousands yearly from his own and imported seed. I saw boxes on 
shelves of recently sown seed, where the young plants, not unlike 
Parsley seedlings, were coming up thickly, I saw myriads of others 
from last year’s seedlings, now rooted cuttings, saved from the best, and 
being tried again in that way. It would almost seem as if seedling 
raising would become to many a source of infinite trouble—a giant 
white elephant; but at Earlswood Mr. Wells has special strong partiality 
for single varieties, and these are very popular with ladies as cut flowers. 
Many of them are very beautiful ; some singularly formed sorts, that 
the florist would reject, are often the varieties that sell freely. Amongst 
some of them Sarah Wells, violet pink ; Purity, pure white ; Mrs. 
Juikes, chocolate and gold ; Alethia, deep crimson chestnut; Earlswood 
Terracotta, Crimson King, Miss Ida Bird, pure white ; Jane Wells, flesh 
colour ; Rose Queen, large rosy pink. These are but a few out of a long 
list of Earlswood and other seedlings. 
In very few nurseries can a finer show be made in the autumn of pot 
Chrysanthemums than at Earlswood, for there is a huge and very long 
span-house, the which is at the blooming time cram full of plants. A 
portion of it is devoted to the growth of Niphetos Roses, tied up to 
stakes, and which bloom here on the strong loam in great profusion. 
The Chrysanthemums are stood amongst these plants in the autumn. The 
other part of this large house is devoted to Tomatoes, the which it would 
seem are in good demand locally as anywhere else, for thousands of 
pounds of fruit are sold during the season. No doubt for all things 
grown on these Reigate slopes the pure air and abundant light and sun¬ 
shine is exceedingly helpful. The district is one famous for its many 
Chrysanthemum growers, and to the credit of the Reigate men be it 
said that they do not grow for prizes so much as for love, for their 
local autumn show has done more for our garden charities in a few 
years than any other has, national or local.—D. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
March 28th. 
Scientific Committee —Present; Dr. Muller (in the chair), Mr. 
McLachlan, Rev. W. Wilks, Mr. Wilson, Dr. Scott, and Rev. G. Henslow, 
Hon. Sec. 
Ihe Antiquity of the Citron in Egypt. —A communication was 
received from Dr. Bonavia, in which he referred to M. V. Loret’s paper 
on this subject entitled Le Cedratier dans VAntiquitt (Paris, 1891). 
That author mentions several writers from 2 b.c. to 360 A.D., and states 
that it was cultivated in the fourth century a.d. in Upper Egypt 
(Coptic, “ Ghitr4 ”), while a Citron is said to have been found in a tomb 
of the twelfth century b.c. It is also figured on the temple of 
Thothmes III. at Karnak ; fifteenth century B.c. From a drawing it 
would seem that even the “ fingered Citron ” might have been known. 
Dr, Bonavia discusses the probable source of the Citron in Egypt as being 
brought by traders through the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, for he thinks 
that all varieties originated in South China and spread westwards. The 
value of the Citron was supposed to be purely medicinal by the ancients, 
and M. Loret alludes to one use, namely, for affections of the spleen, the 
true value of which Dr, Bonavia corroborates. 
Peridermium Strobi. —Mr. Plowright sent specimens of this fungus 
with the following observations :—“ Last July I found in the garden of 
Mr. C. E. Boyes, at Oakwood House, Tottenhill, that the Currant bushes 
were affected with Cronartium ribicola, specimens of which were sent 
to the Scientific Committee, as this fungus had not previously been 
recorded in Great Britain. In the same garden were some young trees 
of Pinus Strobus, which were roughly trimmed so as to form a screen or 
hedge. On these trees must have occurred the mcidiospores of the 
Cronartium at some season of the year. Prof. Klebalm, of Bremen, 
having shown that these form the life cycle of this fungus. On March 
19th of this year I visited Oakwood House, and was pleased to find the 
Peridermium in perfection. It will be noticed on the specimens sent 
that the mycelium of Peridermium is perennial, causing a certain 
amount of hypertrophy in the affected branches, forming generally a 
fusiform enlargement of the twig. The peripheral extremity of the 
branch suffers somewhat at first, and eventually dies. The mycelium of 
the Cronartium is annual. With the heteroecious Uredinem sometimes 
the mcidiospores have permanent mycelia as is the case here, at other 
times the mycelium of the teleutospores is thus endowed as with the 
gymnosporangia.” 
Ustilago on Psamma arenaria. —“ The so-called U. hypodites which 
occurs on this Grass is doubtless a distinct species. It is not common in 
Great Britain and appears only to have been found upon the east coast. 
The specimens sent herewith are interesting as having been produced 
by a root which was transplanted from the sea coast three years ago into 
a town garden, and which still produces diseased stems. One of the 
specimens shows a curious distortion, consisting of a twisting of the 
stem within the sheath. This may be due to the fungus, although in the 
majority of cases this condition does not occur.” 
Polyanthus Blue Primrose. —Mr. Wilson exhibited a seedling from 
Oakwood Blue Primrose, with a very large flower, a Marianne North 
(pale blue), and a plum-blue Polyanthus, it being the first occasion of 
this strain assuming the umbellate form. 
Cucumber Roots Diseased. —Mr. Hurnard of Hingham sent a speci¬ 
men, which appeared to be attacked by the common “ cel worm.” It 
was referred to Mr. McLachlan for further examination. 
Fasciated Cotoneaster. —A specimen of this common malformation 
was sent by Mrs. A. Stuart of Edinburgh. Mr. Henslow had observed 
a bush in a garden at Penmaenmaur, on which nearly every branch 
was fasciated. 
Tuberculated Stem of Ailanthus qlandulosns. —Mr. Wilson brought 
a specimen having a tuberculated structure, 6 inches broad and 3 inches 
deep, issuing from around the junction of stem and root. The knob-like 
tubercles consisted of “ embryo buds ” agglomerated together. What 
the original cause might have been which produced the hypertrophied 
condition, with arrest of axial growth of the buds, it was impossible 
to say. 
Dimorphic Aralias, —Mr. Tidmarsh, Curator of the Botanic Gardens, 
Grahamstown, sent some foliage of two species of Aralia, which, he 
observes, would certainly be regarded as four species had he not known 
the plants from cuttings upwards. The leaves of A. Veitchii vvhen 
growing in a poor soil are about 4 inches long, and one-fifth of an inch 
wide. Those sent were grown in a poor soil under glass. The leaves of 
the same species planted out in a mass of fresh compost in a hothouse, 
with a moist atmosphere, and at a temperature of 60° to 90° F., were 
5 inches long, and If broad. Hence, while the former are linear, the 
latter are broadly lanceolate and tapering at the base. He also sent leaves 
of A. reticulata, which were upwards of 2 feet in length and 6 inches 
in breadth. The plant was 10 feet high, planted in the open on the 
