310 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ tober 8,1891. 
Bevan, Esq., New Barnet, for Cypripedium Sanderianum, which has 
been previously certificated. 
CERTIFICATED PLANTS. 
Chrysanthemum Miss Watson (Messrs. Cannell & Sons). — A 
Japanese in the way of Elaine, but clear soft yellow in hue, large, 
well-formed, and beautiful ; and 
Dahlia Princess Christian (Messrs. Cannell & Sons) a Decorative 
variety with broad, pointed petals, colour brilliant rose suffused with 
carmine. (Received awards of merit.) Messrs. Pitcher & Manda 
received a similar award for Carnation Lizzie McGowan, a free-flowering 
variety with pure white fringed flowers good in every respect but 
fragrance. Mr. R. Owen received a similar award for Chrysanthemum 
Madame Edouard Lefort, a Pompon with distinct bronzy yellow flowers. 
This was part of an attractive display of these flowers. 
First-class certificates were awarded to 
Ixora Duffii (Mr. Bain, gardener to Sir Trevor Lawrence).—A grand 
head of a fine species, being quite 9 inches in diameter, colour bright 
red. 
Asparagus retrofractus arboreus (Mr. Bain).—A most graceful and 
pleasing species, the colour a soft light green. 
Lcelia Perrini alba (Baron Schroder).—A lovely variety with very 
large flowers, sepals and petals pure white, throat faintly tinted with 
lemon. 
Conifers. 
The display of Conifers far exceeded that of cut flowers in extent 
and interest. Adarge portion of the conservatory was occupied by them, 
one whole tent, a portion of another, and in addition there was what 
might be termed a “ Conifer garden,” several large groups being plunged 
in cocoa-nut fibre refuse out of doors, ranging from 1 foot to 10 feet in 
height, and the various forms and hues contrasted and blended. 
There was one class for Conifers, in w'hich the Yeitch Memorial 
medal and £5 were offered as first prize, silver Knightian medal and 
£2 10s. as second, and £1 10s. as third. There were only two collections 
in competition, but both were fine ones, and that from Mr. A. Harding, 
Peterborough, was really remarkable. He had some grand specimens, 
and many of exceptional interest. The following constituted his splendid 
collection:—Abies grandis, Pinus macrocarpa, a very fine example; Torreya 
myristica, Biota aurea, Cephalotaxus Fortunei, Taxus baccata fastigiata, 
T. b. aurea, Thuiopsis borealis, Taxodium sempervirens, Taxus baccata, 
Pinus JefEreyi, also very fine ; Abies Nordmanniana, Juniperus chinensis, 
Cedrus atlantica, Pinus sylvestris, Abies Douglasi, Cupressus Lawson- 
iana, C. macrocarpa fastigiata, Biota pendula filifera, Pinus monticola, 
Larix europrea, Pinus Laricio, Wellingtonia gigantea, Pinus austriaca, 
Cedrus Libani, Pinus excelsa, Juniperus excelsa, Cedrus deodara, 
*Retinospora plumosa, a Pinus species, Thuia gigantea, Libocedrus 
decurrens, Taxus adpressa, *Thuiopsis dolabrata variegata, Pinus muri- 
cata, Araucaria imbncata, Abies species, very handsome, at first thought 
to be Webbiana, but afterwards distinguished from that; Abies Morinda, 
Pinus ponderosa, *Salisburia adiantifolia, Cupressus sempervirens, Abies 
cephalonica, A. bracteata, A. lasiocarpa, A. amabilis, Cupressus Lawson- 
iana variegata, Juniperus hibernica, Cupressus Lawsoniana erecta, and 
Retinospora plumosa. All but the last seven, and those marked with an 
asterisk, had cones. 
Mr. Crasp, gardener to Lord Wimborne, Canford Manor, Dorset, also 
had a fine collection, and was placed second, ^.bies Pinsapo, Cedrus 
atlantica, Cryptomeria japonica, Abies nobilis, splendidly coned, and 
Cunninghamia sinensis were exceptionally fine. 
Mr. C. Herrin, gardener to Lady Fortescue, Dropmore, Maidenhead, 
had a good collection, not for competition, including some splendid 
cones of Araucaria imbricata and ripened seeds, Pinus insignis, Abies 
nobilis, Cedrus Libani, Cupressus Goveniana, Thuiopsis borealis, Cedrus 
Libani argentea, Abies Douglasi, A. Brunoniana, and others. There 
was an enormous cone of Pinus Lambertiana in Dr. Masters’ collection 
of dried cones. 
From the Royal Gardens, Kew, came a very extensive collection of 
sprays of Conifers, showing the colour of the branchlets and the 
character of the growth, and was highly instructive. Taxodium dis- 
tichum pendulum, Sequoia sempervirens gracilis, S. gigantea pendula 
nova, many forms of Taxus baccata, including pendula, fastigiata varie¬ 
gata, argentea, Dovastoni, Sieboldi, horizontalis elegantissima, Washing- 
toni, Cephalotaxus pedunculata, C. Fortunei, Pinus pungens, P. Pinaster, 
Pinus sylvestris, and several varieties of it, Cedrus atlantica glauca, 
Larix europsea in many varieties, Pinus alba, Picea excelsa in many 
varieties, a fine collection of Junipers and also of Cypresses, including 
Cupressus torulosa, C. Benthami, C. arizonica, and C. Lindleya were in¬ 
cluded. An interesting collection of Conifers came from Stuart 
Fotheringham, Esq., including Cedrus deodara, C. Libani, Taxus baccata 
aurea, Cupressus Lawsoniana erecta viridis, Juniperus recurva, Thuja 
gigantea, Abies pectinata, A. Douglasi, and others. Messrs. R. Yeitch 
and Son of Exeter, Colonel Parker, Cambridge, and Lord Kinnaird, 
Rossie Priory, Perthshire, showed various specimens, some coned. Sir 
Patrick Murray, Ochtertyre, Perthshire, had a large collection without 
cones ; and Messrs. Dicksons, Limited, Chester, also had a grand 
display. H.M. the Queen, Balmoral, had a large collection, in which 
Abies nobilis glauca, Abies nigra, A. Douglasi, and A. balsamea were 
very good. 
Amongst other interesting collections were those of the Duke of 
Sutherland, from Dunrobin, Sutherlandshire ; Mrs. Malcolm Patton, 
The Cairnes, Perthshire; W. H. Maxwell, Munches, Kirkcudbright¬ 
shire ; Earl of Hopetoun, Linlithgowshire ; Earl of Mansfield, Scone, 
Perthshire. Colonel Tremayne, Carclew, Cornwall; Duke of Buccleuch. 
Drumlanrig, Dumfriesshire; W. Nicholson, Esq., Alton, Hants; Mrs, 
Ford, Pencarrow, Bodmin ; R. G. Lakes, Esq , Trevarrick, St. Austell ; 
W. Gunn, Esq,, Nutwood, StrathpefEer ; C. J. Lucas, Esq., Horsham; 
Sir T. Dyke Acland ; and T. S. W. Cornwallis, Esq., Maidstone. 
Unfortunately heavy and continued rain seriously militated against 
a full inspection of the outdoor groups, as these were of special 
interest, and would have well repaid a close study. Disposed in groups so 
that the habit of the plants, the graceful character of the foliation, and 
the different hues were well brought out, they could not fail to be 
most instructive. Some more detailed reference will be made to them 
than can be given now. 
Large groups came from Messrs. W. Barron & Sons, Elvaston 
Nurseries, Borrowash, Derby; Messrs. Dicksons, Limited, Chester ; 
Mr. Anthony Waterer, Woking ; Messrs. Paul & Sons, Cheshunt; 
Messrs. Jefferies & Son, Cirencester ; Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea ; 
and Messrs. C. Lee & Sons, Isleworth. Messrs. Paul also had a display 
of small compact Conifers recommended for rockwork. 
On the first day a conference on Perennial Asters and Michaelmas 
Daisies was held, when the following papers were read, after an opening 
address by the Chairman, Mr. J. G. Baker:—‘‘The Genus Aster,” by 
Professor Goodale, Director of the Botanic Gardens, Harvard University, 
U.S.A.; “ Michaelmas Daisies,” by the Rev. C. Wolley Dod ; “ Perennial 
Sunflowers,” by Mr. D. Dewar ; and “ The Culture of Sunflowers,” by 
Mr. E. H. Jenkins. The Conifer Conference opened on Wednesday (see 
page 300), and is continued to-day (Thursday). 
I shall not easily forget the impression made on me by the first 
view I ever enjoyed of a Chrysanthemum exhibition. It was about four 
years ago that I visited the Exhibition at Bath that I w r as inoculated 
with the mania attached to the flower, and that the inoculation imme¬ 
diately took effect. I came out of the Assembly Room declaring that I 
had seen flowers styled Chrysanthemums from my youth up (many 
years departed 1) but had never seen a Chrysanthemum before. Some 
of those blooms cling to my memory now—notably a bloom of Fair Maid 
of Guernsey in the first prize Japanese from Marston. I invested in 
Molyneux’s book, and studied all in your columns on a flower that 
I had for years laughed at as a florists’ flower ; and of course I expected, 
with the enthusiasm of youth, to rival the blooms at that Exhibition at 
once. Well, there is much pleasure and interest in growing Chrysanthe¬ 
mums—there is an interest in watching the growth of the cuttings, 
mingled with emotion of a painful character, as the best—always the best 
and most expensive—decline and fail to root ; then there are the horrors 
of such a winter as last year, when the cold frame, with its hundreds of 
cuttings, covered with wattled hurdle and a foot of snow on the top and 
with manure on the outside round its walls, nevertheless was invaded by 
the ruthless cold, and numbers of cuttings, unrooted and rooted, reduced 
to a mass of blackish pulp. Yes, this is interest in another form. Then 
there is the interest of growth in the cuttings, the various pottings, the 
look out for enemies (and they are legion), the stoppings, the selection 
of buds before the crowning triumph of prize blooms is achieved. Then 
there is the immense variety of form and colour, of growth and foliage, 
and the kindness of Nature’s God in giving to us at an unseasonable 
time of year flowers of such great beauty that, unlike the beautiful 
queen of flowers, are so lasting in their perfections. Certain Roses, Teas 
especially, will grow and improve for two or three days after cutting ; 
but many Chrysanthemums will improve for as many weeks, and then 
continue in glory for many days. 
Two years later I thought I had learnt how to grow them. They 
filled me with delight. Friends exclaimed they had never seen such 
flowers in their lives, &c.; and with great expectations I ventured to 
compete in several classes at a neighbouring show. I found that if two 
years had made a difference in Chrysanthemums to me, it had made a 
far greater difference to the general growers since that Bath Exhibition, 
and instead of being “ easily first,” I was easily outside the triple list of 
prizetakers. I took my man Friday with me to this Show, and his 
depression was considerably greater than mine. 
We struggle on, trying to learn something about a class of plants 
which has its own particular difficulties. My Rose-growing friend, who, 
though only a Budd, manages at the Show to be in glorious full bloom, 
once said to a mutual medical friend, “ I know something about Roses ; 
but I confess, though I have grown Chrysanthemums some time, I know 
nothing about them.” Certainly, about some varieties, you never seem 
to get to the bottom of their whims and vagaries. I confess that the 
first year I grew Chrysanthemums I succeeded in growing Meg Merrilies 
better than 1 have ever done since ; the same may be said of Fimbriatum. 
On the other hand, fired with the memory of that glorious Fair Maid of 
Guernsey at Bath, I had some plants, and was rewarded by large plants 
and blooms that would not have disgraced a “single” Chrysanthemum, 
but had no claim to be even distantly related to the bloom at Bath. 
The next year I succeeded in getting some florets out of the dark centres 
