568 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ Deoember 59,1887. 
and Mdlle. Lacroix are quite indispensable sorts. I very much like 
Fleur du Marie with a soft yellow when opening ; Timbale d’Argent, 
bright green centre in the same staee ; and M. Astorg and Ethel, which 
often show black centres when opened. These are not profitable, but 
they are pretty. Mary Anderson is a beautiful single white with yellow 
centre. 
It is curious that varieties do not succeed so well in some places as 
others. I have noticed this repeatedly ; but there are any number of 
beautiful sorts to pick from, and it would be a difficult matter to get up 
an Index Expurgatorius of these beautiful flowers, most sorts having 
some good point to recommend them, and most a good many.—B. 
JUDGING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Having some years’ experience at our local and other Chrysanthe¬ 
mum shows, I beg to add myitestimony in favour of Mr. Wright’s system. 
At our local show this year the competition for twenty-four incurved, 
and the same number of Japanese cut blooms, was very close, and utterly 
impossible to fairly decide except by “ pointing,” that is by agreeing to 
set a defined numeral value on every cut bloom and then adding the 
totals. If this system was adopted generally no such result would be 
likely as that referred to at Manchester—viz., “ six equal prizes in five 
classes.” Most judges know that except in the more evenly balanced 
classes “ pointing ” is unnecessary, a glance sometimes showing where 
merit lies. If this were not so, time in those short winter days would 
be insufficient. 
“ EARLY ” VARIETIES LATE. 
This was, in my experience of certain varieties, a peculiarity of the 
past season, in regard to plants grown outdoors against a protected 
south wall, and also indoors. Pynaert Van Geert, Henri Jacotot, Simon 
Dclaux, and Fleur Etc, that are often in bloom mid-October, are now 
blooming with ordinary treatment with me, while Mandarin is only 
gone. M. Mousillac and Margaret Marrouch again are not quite ex¬ 
panded, and keeping company with Lady Matheson, Pelican, Ethel, 
Brazen Shield, Hero of Stoke Newington, and Princess Teck, which may 
fairly be considered late varieties, while I have seen the former in bloom 
the first week in November. As I mentioned Lady Matheson and 
Brazen Shield, I should like to ask some reader who has grown them, if 
they think they can be classed as Japanese ? I am looking forward to a 
new edition of the National Society’s excellent catalogue, with sub¬ 
divisions of the Japanese section into groups, such as incurved, reflexed, 
general time of blooming, size, show or decorative, tesselated, and 
soon. 
NEW VARIETIES. 
Of those of last season that came under my notice, Carew Under¬ 
wood for show purposes is certain to be largely grown. It was splen¬ 
didly shown, both here and in Waterford, from Kilcronagh. Martha 
Harding I accidentally lost the best buds of, but it seems a fine variety, 
and has been commended by many growers. Avalanche, after Mr. 
Molyneux’s opinion, “ the finest white Japanese Chrysanthemum in ex¬ 
istence,” hardly requires further testimony. For some reason the season 
seemed not favourable to Maiden’s Blush or Phoebus, yet few large 
growers will care to be without both. Of Ralph Brocklebank, Mr. and 
Mrs. H. Cannell, Edwin Molyneur, Mrs. J. Wright, M. H. Elliot, 
Bertha Flight, and Lady T. Lawrence, with others I have had re¬ 
cently fine blooms from Swanley, and apart from the fact that all those 
have received first-class certificates, if I remember rightly, there can be 
little doubt that they are destined to become standard varieties. Car¬ 
ter’s Bronze Queen, also Mrs. Norman Davis and Lord Eversley, 
both sports from Princess Teck, are I believe the only real additions to 
the incurved, while Amy Furze (doubtfully) is the solitary reflexed ad¬ 
mitted. There are to be still added such new certificated varieties as 
Agnes Flight, Mr. C. Orchard, Edouard Audiguier, Macaulay, Duke of 
Berwick, Mr. Garnar, Album Fimbriatum, and J. Collins.—W. J. 
Murphy, Clonmel. 
AMY FURZE) CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
I BEG to thank “ A Judge ” for his reply. My principal object in 
writing was to point out the anomalous position held by Amy Furze. 
That some confusion existed and does exist is admitted by “A Judge ” 
in his reply. That being so, should the National Chrysanthemum 
Society think proper to provide a class for reflexed Japanese it will, I 
presume, have a similar effect to that proposed by myself—namely, 
placing such varieties as Elaine and Dr. Macary, as well as the variety 
under discussion, in a more satisfactory position. I should like to see 
all new varieties thoroughly tested before being certificated, and when 
classed be judged on their merits as flowers, and not as now, when the 
variety in question is (according to “A Judge,” page 499) a reflexed 
during early maturity, and a Japanese when in its prime. May I ask 
do flowers of Dr. Sharp and Cloth of Gold answer to the required 
standard by the quotation from !< An Experienced Judge” (pag-i 546)? 
and if they do not, do they also lose points ? When I turn to my 
schedule I find a class for reflexed, when to a catalogue a list of re¬ 
flexed, but nowhere the hard-and-fast line insisted on by “A J udge,” 
and confirmed by “An Experienced Judge” on pace 546. Will either 
of those gentlemen kindly give your readers a short list of varieties 
answering to this standard ? by so doing he will greatly oblige others 
who are deeply interested in this matter, as well as myself. It would be 
very interesting, and not a little instructive, as showing the unanimity 
of opinion (which “A Judge” seems to assume exists), or otherwise of 
judges generally, if exhibitors who may here set up good flowers of Amy 
Furze have had their position strengthened or weakened thereby. I 
have a notion that judges, like other men, have each their peculiarities 
or leanings which in time become well known, so that some very 
shrewd and successful exhibitors, acting on the old adage, “ to be fore¬ 
warned is to be iorearmed,” cater accordingly.—T. W. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM MRS. J. WRIGHT. 
It may not be generally known that this very fine new Japanese 
Chrysanthemum is capable of producing late blooms. About the middle 
of November I cut two large blooms from one plant. Upon the. stems 
bearing: blooms cut I noticed at each leaf for about 1 foot 6 inches 
down the stem flower buds were formed, which by their appearance pro¬ 
mised to yield flowers later on, consequently the plant was given some 
assistance in the shape of liquid manure occasionally. The result was a. 
number of beautifully developed flowers more purely white (if it were 
possible) than larger flowers produced at the ordinary time—middle 
of November. These late flowers were cut on Christmas day.— 
E. Molyneux. 
PRIMULA SINENSIS. 
Chinese Primulas have never been so diversified in the colours 
and forms of their flowers, nor so well grown as they are at the pre¬ 
sent time, but it must be remembered that over sixty years has been 
required to bring them to their present state of perfection. In private 
gardens, nurseries, and market gardens Primu’as are now almost in¬ 
dispensable in the winter months, and the enormous number of 
plants raised every year from seed would be astonishing if the total 
could be known. Yet their popularity is still extending, owing, in a 
great measure, to the continued efforts of hi bridisers to improve the 
quality of the flowers and increase the number of distinct and meri¬ 
torious varieties. The trade growers have paid such close attention, 
to the plants, and have exhibited such admirable examplts of their 
skill, that the general system of culture has been greatly improved. 
The long drawn plants with loose straggling umbels of flowers that 
were at one time characteristic of the Chinese Primula are now rare 
esc- ptions, and compact specimens with sturdy well developed foliage 
and dense trusses of flowers just rising above the leaves are the rule. 
Though many now well-known Chinese plants were introduced 
before the close of the eighteenth century, yet this Primula does not 
appear to have been brought into cultivation here until 1821. In .that 
year an illustration was published in the “ Botanical Register” (t. 539), 
under the name of Primula pnenitens, which Mr. Sydenham Edwards 
said was “ drawn from a plant (we believe the on'y one in the country) 
which flowered last March in the collection of Mrs. Palmer, at Bromley, 
Kent. It had been brought by Capt. Rawes from the gardens at Canton, 
where it probably found its way from some more northern quarter of 
the Chinese Empire, none of the genera having, we believe, been ob¬ 
served as native of the levels of so low a latitude. Samples in a dried, 
state had been previously transmitted by Mr. Reeves, a gentleman in 
the employment of the East India Company at Canton.” He farther 
observes that the name sinensis by which it had been mentioned by Mr. 
Sabine would have been adopted, but Loureiro in the “ Flora Cochin- 
chinensis ” had previously described a Primula under that name. Four 
years later—namely, in 1825, a figure also appeared in the “ Botanical 
Magazine” (t. 2564) under its present accepted title, with a reference 
to Hooker’s “ Exotic Flora,” where it was also described as Primula sinensis. 
In both the illustrations noted the trusses depicted are large and loose, 
two whorls of flowers on slender pedicels 24 inches long, five to. seven 
flowers in a whorl. The corollas are 1J inch in diameter, rosy crimson, 
but not of good shape as it is understood at the present time, the spaces 
between the lobes being wide. As early as that the variability had been 
remarked, especially in number of teeth in the calyx and the variously 
jagged margin of the corolla, and some doubts had been entertained as 
to whether it was properly classed in the genu3 Primula. Dr. Hooker, 
however, thought there were “ two distinct varieties,” though others 
attributed the variations noticed to the effect of cultivation. 
The plant was welcomed by both nurserymen and amateurs, but it 
became especially popular on the Continent, and in 1826 is repeatedly 
mentioned as a general favourite in France and the Netherlands. About 
that time a large collection was grown at Chiswick, as well as by the- 
leading metropolitan nurserymen, so that it was soon a familiar plant in 
greenhouses. Two or three varieties only are mentioned in lists for some 
years, and though many forms must have been occasionally raised, no 
effort was made to fix them. After the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society was instituted in 1859, the number rapidly 
advanced, and from then up to 1884 no less than fifty-three were 
honoured with certificates. From the latter date until 1887 twelve 
varieties were certificated—a much larger proportion in the time ; and 
as half these were from one firm (Messrs. Sutton & Sons), it is an indi¬ 
cation that they possessed some special qualities. 
In their nursery and seed trial grounds at Reading, Messrs. Sutton 
and Sons have now a fine representative collection of Chinese Primulas, 
to which a few notes may be devoted, as showing the types and the-, 
extent of variation now obtained. They can be conveniently classed in. 
three large groups :—1, Plain-leaved varieties ; 2, Fern-leaved varieties ; 
and 3, Ornamental-leaved varieties ; each of which can be subdivided. 
into the forms with single and double flowers. 
Plain-leaved Primulas.— These form the original type of P. sinensis, 
with the leaf blade palmately lobed or nearly circular in outline, and 
as they radiate regularly from the centre of the plant they form quite a 
rosette of foliage with the trusses of flowers rising from the centre. The 
single varieties comprise Giant White and Alba magnifica as the most 
