September 22, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
2G5 
An Old Grower on the Early Varieties. 
In our report of the Show of early Chrysanthemums at Leicester 
last week we referred to the paper on this valuable section read by Mr. 
W. K. Woodcock of Barkby Road, Syston, an old and experienced 
grower, and we now have pleasure in publishing it. After a few appro¬ 
priate introductory remarks the author proceeded as follows :—In a 
paper read by Mr. W. Piercy before the National Chrysanthemum 
Society on September 11th, 1889, it is recorded that as far back as 1817 
the London Horticultural Society offered a medal for early flowering 
Chrysanthemums, with what success is not now known, but the fact of 
such a medal being offered points to the probability that some were even 
then known and grown. It is also stated that Mr. Broome, then of the 
Temple Gardens, and one of the foremost cultivators, published in 1858 
a little book upon the Chrysanthemum, in which he mentions thirteen 
sorts, amongst them being two which are still cultivated—viz., Dr. Bois 
Duval (which has two other names, Little Bob and Scarlet Gem) and 
Frederick Peld, the latter still being one of the very best in its 
colour. 
One of ithe first to take up their cultivation in earnest was the late 
Mr. Alfred Taylor of Fencote, Bedale, Yorkshire. In the “ Gardeners’ 
Magazine ” for December 6th, 1873, he gives a report of the trial culture 
of a number of varieties, more or less early, and states that six varieties 
proved quite a success—viz., Jardin des Plantes (resembling Little 
Bob), Little Bob (maroon crimson), Illustration (pink), Scarlet Gem 
(scarlet), Gold Button (semi-double, white with yellow centre), and 
Mexico (white). Another of the pioneers in their culture was the Rev. 
F. Freeman, Vicar of Wickersley, Rotherham, and formerly of Middleton 
Vicarage, Leeds, who by his writings upon the subject in the paper 
named, caused much interest to be felt in them, and gave considerable 
impetus to their culture. I myself first became acquainted with summer 
flowering Chrysanthemums in 1881. I was then in charge of the Finsbury 
Park Nurseries, which comprised a small florist’s nursery, with a con¬ 
siderable jobbing business attached, and made the acquaintance of 
George Martin of Stoke Newington, who had a similar nursery and 
business, and who made somewhat of a speciality of their culture, 
selling large numbers of them, dwarf sturdy plants in 48-size pots, 
flowering freely, in August and September. The sorts he then grew 
were Mammon (still one of the best early whites), Precocity, Jardin 
des Plantes, Illustration, Fred. P616, and Madame Piccol (Mr. W. Piercy 
is a red sport from the latter.) 
In 1882 I returned to Sheffield to take charge of Oakbrook Gardens, 
and. there found, in a neglected condition, stock plants of most of the 
varieties named above, which I at once set about cultivating in the best 
manner I could. In 1883 I received from my old friend, John Thorpe, 
formerly of Leicester, but then of Queens, New York, U.S.A., a large 
consignment of new American varieties, one portion of these being for 
Mr. Cannell, another portion for Mr. W. Bull, a third portion for Mr. W. 
Piercy, and the remainder for myself. The forwarding by me of Mr. 
Piercy’s portion of the consignment led to a correspondence between us, 
which ended in his adding largely to the collection I then had. Amongst 
the varieties Mr. Piercy then sent to me were Salter’s Early Blush, a 
very early and excellent dwarf free-flowering pink ; Lyon, an excellent 
early dark Pompon; Fiberta, a charming yellow Pompon ; St. Crouts 
and White St. Crouts, the latter a sport from the former. Mr. Piercy 
received the first-named in 1878 from a Mr. Kelman of Crouts, Guernsey, 
and hence it was named by him St. Crouts, but I believe it had 
previously been found by the Rev. F. Freeman in the gardens of 
Saddington Rectory, Leicestershire, and grown by him under the name 
of Saddington, so that it is now occasionally met with under each of 
these names. I also received Mrs. Cullingford, one of our most useful 
early whites ; La Petite Marie, a very dwarf free-flowering white ; 
Mdlle. Jolivart, an excellent white Pompon, imported from France in 
1881; and Flora, which had only that season been sent out by Mr. 
Ware of Tottenham under the somewhat paradoxical name of “Early 
Late Flora.” 
Madame Desgranges I had obtained a year previously from Mr. 
Cannell. This immensely popular variety, which, more than any other, 
has caused early flowering varieties to become generally popular and 
everywhere cultivated, was discovered growing and flowering in a lady’s 
garden in Wales in 1879 by Mr. Robert Parker, then of the Exotic 
Nursery, Tooting, Surrey, and was sent out by him in 1880. The 
following year a controversy arose as to whether Mr. Parker had been 
justified in terming it a new introduction, some stating that it was an 
old French variety, which had been catalogued by French nurserymen 
several years previous to his introduction of it, but these statements 
were, I think, never verified. As is, I suppose, tolerably well known, 
G. Wermig and Mrs. Burrell are both yellow sports from it, whilst Mrs. 
Hawkins is a sport from G. Wermig. This sport appeared in four places 
almost at the same time. More recent valuable introductions are 
Blushing Bride, imported from France in 1885 ; Alice Butcher, a very 
valuable sport from Lyon ; and Miss Davis, a pleasing pink sport from 
Mrs. Cullingford. Mrs. J. R. Pitcher w'as raised by Mr. J. Thorpe, and 
was included in the consignment I received from him in 1883, which I 
have previously mentioned. Mr. H. Jordan has in past seasons grown 
this fine variety more successfully than any other cultivator I am 
acquainted with. Grace Attick, a comparatively new variety, which 
I believe will yet become very popular, was also raised by Mr. Thorpe, 
and imported from America by Mr. Cannell in 1887, Mr. Laing receiving 
a certificate for it in 1889. It is perhaps the earliest of all to commence 
flowering; cuttings struck in March of this year commenced blooming 
in June, and will continue opening flowers until October. The flowers 
are large, pure white, and very graceful. They are most suitable for 
wreaths, bouquets, table decoration, or any other such purpose, and are 
produced so profusely as to thoroughly exhaust, and not infrequently 
kill, the plant. This variety grows freely in summer, but produces 
weakly cuttings in winter, which are found difficult to root when 
taken off. Golden Shah is an excellent early yellow Pompon, earlier 
and a much finer flower than Flora, but the plant is not such a good 
grower, nor so free in any way. It was raised, I believe, in 1889 
at Mr. Ware’s Tottenham Nursery from seed saved in England by 
Mr. Piercy. 
During the past two seasons a very large number of early flowering 
varieties have been raised in France and exported to this country, most 
of them, however, being what we term October flowering, and therefore 
scarcely ranking with those I have been commenting upon. Those 
amongst them which gave me most satisfaction last season were 
P. Radalli, a white Japanese, very similar to our old friend Madame 
Desgranges. but purer in colour ; Arthur Crepey, pale primrose, other¬ 
wise similar to the last ; and Madame Foucher de Cariel, a really good 
and useful decorative variety. The plant is a good and vigorous grower, 
but very dwarf and bushy ; it flowers very freely, and the blooms are 
of a pleasing and popular shade of colour—orange amber, or, as the ladies 
term it, terra cotta. 
(To be continued.) 
GROWING GRAPES FOR PROFIT. 
Since the publication of Mr. A. F. Barron’s book on Vines* in 1883 
it has been recognised as the standard work on Grape growing. Its 
practical and comprehensive character was quickly recognised, and its 
usefulness to all classes of cultivators was proved by the demand for 
copies, which subsequently led to the necessity for a second edition. 
This being exhausted in its turn, a third has had to be prepared, and 
has recently been issued. In the time that has elapsed since the book 
first saw the light great changes have taken place. Horticulture in 
general, and fruit growing in particular, have shared in a marked degree 
in the general progress of the world. Since 1883 there has been an 
enormous development in the culture of both indoor and outdoor fruit, 
and considering that Grape growing is to a very large extent restricted 
to glass structures of considerable dimensions, necessitating some amount 
of capital to erect and furnish, its increase is almost phenomenal. Mr. 
Barron’s splendid work has many admirable features, and abounds in 
practical information on Vines and their management, but there is no 
chapter in it so full of interest and significance as that in the new 
edition which deals with the commercial aspect of Grape-growing. It 
indicates a scale of operations of w T hich the magnitude can hardly be 
grasped from the statistics supplied, striking though the latter are. To 
those who have never entered a market establishment it requires a 
considerable effort of imagination to conjure up the picture of an acre 
of Grapes, and this represents but a small portion of some of the great 
establishments to which reference is made. We make a few extracts 
from the book on this subject as showing the marvellous growth of 
Grape culture as a business industry, leaving the salient features of this 
and other branches of culture to be gleaned from a perusal cf the book. 
Grapes and Tomatoes. 
The question as to what has led to the rapid growth of Vine culture 
for profit is one of much interest. Mr. Barron suggests a cause that 
would not have occurred to many, and supports his view with much 
force and cogency. “ It is important,” he says, “ to note the causes 
which have led to this result. Partly, no doubt, it is owing to the 
introduction into cultivation of good late-keeping varieties of Grapes. 
Chiefly, however, it is due to the Tomato. Extraordinary as it may at 
first appear, it is the great popularity and demand for Tomatoes which 
has rendered the cultivation and the present enormous supply of Grapes 
possible. Both crops requiring much the same treatment, houses 
erected for Grapes are at first cropped with Tomatoes, which, producing 
an immediate return, help the growers to tide over the first two or three 
years whilst the Vines are getting established ; in this way we are 
provided with a bountiful supply of the most luscious and enjoyable 
fruit this earth produces.” 
How the Trade has Grown. 
“ The magnitude of the trade in Grapes that has thus arisen is of the 
utmost importance, and can scarcely be over-estimated. An enormous 
amount of capital has been called into requisition, and is engaged in the 
furtherance of this trade. Directly and indirectly many thousands 
find employment, and are thus benefited by Grape-growing. We do 
not ourselves know of any industry that can compare, or which has 
* Vines and Fine Culture. By Archibald F. BARRON. London: Journal oj 
Horticulture office, 171, Fleet Street, E 0. 
