188 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 8,1894. 
Highgate and District Chrysanthemum Society. 
The annual general meeting of the above Society was held on the 
28th ultimo, R. Gaokell, Esq., the President, presiding. The draft 
report and balance sheet were read and adopted, also votes of thanks 
passed to the President, Vice-Presidents and subscribers. The election 
of officers was then proceeded with, P. Hart, Esq., being elected 
President; Mr. McKerchar, Treasurer, and Mr. W. E. Boyce, Archway 
Road, Highgate, Secretary. The meeting closed with a cordial vote of 
thanks to the Chairman for presiding. 
Stopping New Chrysanthemums for Timing Buds. 
I AM much surprised that there is not more advice given through 
the medium of your valuable paper upon this very important point in 
Chrysanthemum culture. Many persons like myself are anxiously 
looking out for some reliable information as to the most suitable time 
for stopping the plants and taking the buds. Would the successful 
cultivators who had the privilege of growing some of the new varieties 
last season kindly give us their experience as to the treatment and 
peculiarities, if any, of the undermentioned varieties, also any others 
that may require special cultivation? for now is the time that such 
knowledge should be forthcoming, which would certainly be most 
valuable to the majority of Chrysanthemum growers. Baron Hirsch, 
Robert Owen, William Seward, Waban, Mdlle. Th^rese Rey, G. W. Childs, 
Lord Brooke, Charles Blick, Golden Wedding, Enfant des Deux Mondes, 
Florence Davis, Col. W. B. Smith, Miss Dorothy Shea, and William 
Tricker.—G. W, R. 
Mrs. Alpheus Hardy. 
The cause of this variety standing so low in the selected lists is the 
diflSculty cultivators find in producing satisfactory blooms, owing to its 
delicate constitution. Where one grower succeeds there are scores who 
entirely fail to grow it. In the former case the suitability of the soil to 
its requirements may have more to do with its success than is generally 
supposed. In the first place, it is shy in producing cuttings, it is 
weakly at the best of times, very subject to attacks of mildew and 
insect pests, and, worse than all, the flowers are so liable to premature 
decay about their base before the centre of the blooms expand fully. 
Again, the novelty of its hirsute appendage has worn off somewhat, 
now that it has become quite common in so many varieties. 
I cannot agree with Mr. Rainton (page 93) as to the extreme white¬ 
ness of its florets, for, as a rule, it is inclined to be rather “ dingy ” in 
its colour, although in some instances it is different. When we consider 
also the main object of the election—information for beginners—I am 
not surprised to find Mrs. A. Hardy occupying so low a place. 
In my opinion the hirsute varieties as a whole are not destined to 
occupy a foremost position. We want something more than the novelty 
of a few hairs upon the reverse side of the florets, for they can hardly 
be called useful, and that is a point not to be lost sight of even in 
exhibition varieties of Chrysanthemums.—E. Molyneux. 
Chbysanthemuming. 
The note by our facetious friend, “ E. K., Dublin" (page 168), 
brings to my memory two amusing anecdotes that were related to me 
when in Ireland in November last, and which brought some trouble and 
inconvenience to the person implicated, who was an enthusiastic 
amateur. He had so crowded his small greenhouse with plants that he 
had the greatest difficulty in getting inside to attend to them. One night, 
perched on the top of some tall steps searching for earwigs, the steps 
fell, precipitating him to the bottom amongst the pots and extinguishing 
the light, thus creating such a “ rumpus ” that he was so frightened as 
to be unable to find his way out, commencing to shout “murther” as 
only an Irishman can. 
The same individual appears to have had extremely bad luck in his 
midnight peregrinations. Having had some exceptionally tall plants 
bearing extra fine blooms almost touching the glass, his enthusiasm 
carried him so far that he mounted on to the top of the roof about twelve 
o’clock one night to better inspect the blooms from above, and whilst 
steathily crawling along the ridge he was observed by his neighbour— 
an elderly female—who suspected him of felonious intent, as the local 
show was near at hand ; so suddenly popped her head out of the window 
overlooking the greenhouse and commenced to belabour our enthusiast 
with both tongue and the proverbial blackthorn, that our friend in his 
anxiety to rid himself of the unpleasant visitation, had the misfortune 
to slip through the glass, smashing his adored blooms in the descent. 
“ Moral,” said he, “ never go ’Mum admiring by lamp light at twelve 
o’clock at night again on the roof of your greenhouse, and within easy 
distance of a real ‘ Irish blackthorn.’ ” 
So strongly smitten with the fever was this individual, and 
hearing that oyster shells were good for mixing with the compost and 
for drainage, he quickly made himself acquainted with every person 
in the neighbourhood for miles around who was in the habit of eating 
oysters.—E. M- 
Rooting Chrysanthemum Cuttings and Stopping the Plants. 
I AM pleased to see these matters receiving the attention they should 
in the pages of the Journal of Horticulture, especially at the present 
opportune time. I have long held the opinion that spring-rooted plants 
of the Queen family are thoroughly satisfactory in some localities and 
seasons, because the crown buds show much later, and moreover the 
shoots are less liable to get over - ripened as they sometimes do in 
hot seasons. My experience with the Queen family is that they 
invariably produce the finest blooms when the foliage is maintained in 
full vigour till the blooms are fully expanded. As Mr. Garnett (page 
150) points out, the absence of good examples of this family from early 
shows during the past season was generally apparent, and even at later 
ones they were not seen in really good form ; while on the other 
hand Japanese flowers were perhaps the finest on record. This, I think, 
ought to go a long way towards proving that over-ripened wood is a 
condition to be guarded against. 
In the southern counties cuttings rooted as late as the end of 
February would frequently produce crown buds too early, but in the 
midlands I believe cuttings rooted in January or February produce the 
best flowers. In the south growers must depend principally on terminal 
buds, and unless the plants are rooted early these show a trifle too late, 
and if not grown exceptionally well the flowers resulting therefrom lack 
size and breadth of floret. Against this drawback, however, we have to 
place this advantage—that terminal buds may generally be depended 
upon not to produce rough and ill-formed flowers. 
It seems to me that the best way out of the diflSculty is for southern 
growers to insert their cuttings as soon as strong ones can be obtained 
and rely on terminal buds, while growers farther north may with 
advantage defer inserting their cuttings till January or February and 
trust to crown buds. The opinion of numerous Chrysanthemum growers 
on this point would prove highly instructive.—H. Dunkin. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
A MEETING of the General Committee of Ihis Society was held on 
Tuesday last, Mr. R, Ballantine occupying the chair. The minutes 
having been read and confirmed, the Secretary announced he had 
received a letter from Sir Edwin Saunders, thanking the Society for 
re-electing him as their President. It was also mentioned that he 
would offer a piece of plate, to be called the President’s prize, for com¬ 
petition at the November Show. One-third of the Floral Committee 
retiring this year having to be re-elected or replaced resulted in the 
following election :—Messrs. Beckett, Bevan, Owen, Lees, Withy, Geo. 
Stevens, and Mease. The competition was keen, there being twelve 
candidates. Mr. W. H. Fowler, J.P., was re-appointed Chairman of the 
Floral Committee, Considerable discussion ensued upon the date of 
the floral meeting in November, and, after several propositions had 
been discussed, it was resolved to meet on the second day of the 
November Show at one o’clock. The election of the Catalogue Com¬ 
mittee was then proceeded with, Messrs. Fowler, Taylor, Jukes, H. J. Jones, 
and Harman Payne being appointed. A discussion thereupon arose as 
to the necessity for a revision of the Society’s catalogue. Some thought 
an entirely new issue should be prepared, while others considered a 
supplement might do. It was finally arranged that this and other 
subjects arising out of it should be referred to a small sub-committee to 
report upon at a future meeting. 
There were several proposals brought forward that involved a change 
of rules, and which must therefore be deferred until an annual meeting. 
Of these the question of advantages offered to guinea and half-guinea 
subscribers was the most important, there appearing also to be some 
desire to institute a degree of honorary Fellow for special services 
rendered in connection with Chrysanthemum work at home and abroad, 
and several other items which will now have to stand over until this 
time next year. Several new members were elected, and the Tooting 
and Merton Horticultural Society admitted in affiliation. 
Several complimentary votes of thanks brought the meeting to a 
close, which was a rather later one than usual. 
THE ROYAL GARDENERS’ ORPHAN FUND. 
Mr. a. Dean (page 139) has done well to call attention to the 
unpardonable neglect on the part of a very large number of gardeners in 
subscribing to the above Fund, I think his suggestion of “ crediting a 
certain number of votes to subscribers” is excellent, and would induce 
a wider support from gardeners. It is but right and fair that the 
families of those gardeners who have in their lifetime made some 
sacrifice in order to subscribe towards the Fund should have the prefer¬ 
ence of those who through selfishness or heartlessness are unaffected by 
the urgent appeals of the needy. If he is a gardener there can be no 
excuse for neglecting to contribute the small sum of 5s. a year, because 
even in ” these bad times ” he can command a salary that will enable 
him to do so with a little forethought and management. Not until 
gardeners do their level best can they reasonably expect outside help in 
the support of a Fund that is managed upon lines that are impartial and 
most economical for their special benefit. 
In " The Horticultural Directory and Year Book for 1894 ” there are 
4957 gardeners’ names published. Those at 5s. each would contribute 
the handsome sum of £1219 5s. a year, a sum, I venture to say, sufficient 
to support every orphan under fourteen years of age in the gardening 
community of the United Kingdom. 
