November 12,1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
409 
prove equally vigorous, and he was able to save only one, which, at the 
time when his report was written, had formed a fine clump of twenty 
shoots with long ribbon leaves. “ I believe,” he says, “ that we may 
with reason cherish the most sanguine hopes from the propagation of 
Sugar-cane from seeds—more especially if wc try an intelligent system 
of cross-fertilisation of the varieties we possess—rather than by planting 
cuttings, which maintain without appreciable alteration the respective 
characteristics of the parent plants. Thus we shall be able to supple¬ 
ment the weak points in our best varieties of Sugar-cane by crossing 
them with others which are remarkable for the qualities it is intended 
to infuse into them, and we shall moreover obtain, by a process of 
selection, a cane rich in saccharine matter, which will enable us to com¬ 
pete successfully against the highly improved sugar-beet.”— (Nature.') 
- Dahlias for Cutting. —Having observed in many gardens 
that no Dahlias are grown, I wish to call the attention of readers to the 
tact that where large quantities of cut flowers are required I would 
advise gardeners to grow plenty of the above, especially the Pompon 
and Cactus varieties. The show varieties arc very handsome, but except 
for exhibition and large vases they are not so useful for cutting a 3 the 
■others. I have this year for the first time grown some of them, and am 
so satisfied that I intend to grow many more another year. Among 
the Pompons I have a pure white variety known as White Aster, and it 
can be used in every possible way as a cut flower, for buttonholes, 
bouquets, wreaths, &c., and I must say I do not think there is a better 
or more useful outdoor summer flower grown for the purposes above 
mentioned. Some time ago I witnessed a fine show of Dahlias of all 
•classes at Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co. of Salisbury, and they have 
this year some splendid new varieties, especially among the Pompons 
and Cactus. This year they planted out many thousands of seedlings, so 
that out of such a number there will be some good sorts for next year. 
Among the Cactus varieties I observed Kyneritli, Baron Schroder, 
Catherine, Lancelot, and Viscountess Folkestone as being very fine in 
•colour. Also among Pompons, Phoebe, Leila, Whisper, Achilles, and 
Darkness. Among show varieties, Queen of the Belgians and Hon. Mrs. 
P. Wyndham and W. H. Williams are splendid varieties.— Visitor. 
- Potato Disease Experiments, —We have a letter from 
Mr. Whitehead Cousins for which it is impossible to find room this 
week. He states he is a Potato dealer, middleman, and experimentalist, 
and asks who our reporter of the Reading experiments is. He is neither 
.a “ dealer nor a middleman,” but a grower of Potatoes of many years’ 
experience both for home use and commercial purposes in more than 
•one district. Another letter before us suggests that Mr. Whitehead 
Cousins has in view “the floating of a company for sprinkling Potatoes 
with copper.” Is this so? We know it has been effective in some 
■experiments, but not in others. It is right that both failures and 
successes be recorded. The Potato supply has been both good and 
cheap during the past few years. It is only during occasional wet 
summers that anti-disease dressings will be needed. In a very large 
collection of varieties, where the Bouillie has been used under 
scientific authority for public instruction, no benefit whatever will be 
seen to have resulted when the report is published. 
- The Times recently published an interesting article on “ Our 
Position with regard to Rainfall,” compiled from the statistics 
published by Mr. Symons and the Meteorological Office. The rainfall 
■during the month of October was so heavy that in many places the 
amount up to the morning of the 18th was in excess of the average for 
■the whole month. In London this excess amounted only to 03 inch, 
while at Valentia Island and at Stornaway it amounted to nearly 2 and 
3 inches respectively, and the amount which fell during the next few 
days has greatly increased the excess. But for the ten yeara ending with 
1889 the rainfall over the United Kingdom differed only by 1 per cent, 
from the average of the last fifty years. The values for the present year, 
■up to the 18th instant (as shown by the last Weekly Weather Report 
then published), were rather in excess of the average over the southern, 
midland, and western parts of England, and the north of Scotland, 
while in the remaining districts there was still a deficiency. For the 
whole period since the end of 1889 there was only one district, viz. 
Scotland (N.), in which the total fall was in excess of the average. In 
Scotland and the midland and south-western counties of England, the 
deficiency was still very large. The question is asked—Are we likely to 
have in the years immediately advancing more or less rain than during 
the last few years? While the question cannot be answered with 
absolute confidence, the grouping of years into decades or other regular 
periods eliminates most of the non-periodic variations, and shows whether 
any secular alterations are taking place. There is no doubt that since 
1887, at all events, the rainfall over England ha3 been much below the 
average; and a consideration of all the facts leads to the conclusion 
that such a period of scarcity is very likely to be followed by one of 
abundance, and that the coming few years will probably be more rainy 
than those recently experienced, although possibly the increase will 
not occur in the summer months—at a time when it would be most 
noticed. 
- A Greek gardener lately expressed the opinion that Oranges, 
Figs, Olives, and Grapes grown in Australia are inferior to those 
grown at Smyrna and Athens. This having been brought to the 
attention of the Department of Agriculture, New South Wales, letters 
were addressed to the British Consuls at Naples and Marseilles asking 
for a consignment of the best varieties of Grapes, Figs, and Olives 
grown in Italy and France. On receipt of these cuttings, experiments 
are to be carried out at the most suitable of the experimental stations 
about to be established throughout the colony, with a view to the 
propagation of the fine?t varieties of the respective fruits. With the 
same object in view application has been made to Mr. Hardy, of South 
Australia, for a number of cuttings of various Vines he has cultivated, 
and to Sir Samuel Davenport, of Beaumont, South Australia, for 
cuttings of the Olive and Fig trees grown by him. The whole of these 
cuttings will go to form the standard collections of all the different 
kinds of fruit which it is intended to establish at each of the experi¬ 
mental stations. 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY, ROYAL 
AQUARIUM.—Nov. 10th, 11th, and 12th. 
The National Show of the present year, which, as may be gathered 
from the dates, extends over to-day (Thursday), may be classed as 
about on an average with the majority of its predecessors. Cut blooms 
are extensively shown, and the general quality is excellent. Groups are 
little if at all below the usual strength, specimen plants about the 
average. The awards in the principal classes were as follows :— 
Groups. —The first prize for a group of Chrysanthemums over a space 
of 100 feet fell to the Palace victors, Messrs. Reid & Bornemann, Syden¬ 
ham, who have come to the front very rapidly this season. The arrange¬ 
ment was a very handsome one, the plants being healthy, and carrying 
fine blooms admirably displayed. This firm greatly strengthen their 
arrangements with dwarf plants well clothed with foliage, and bearing 
very large flowers. Being leafed from top to bottom no bare stem i3 
shown at the front of the group. A few of the most telling varieties 
were Stanstead White, Etoile de Lyon, E. Molyneux, Avalanche, Sun¬ 
flower, Mons. Bernard, and Val d’Andorre. Mr. Geo. Stevens, St. John’s 
Nursery, Putney, was second with a group of taller plants, well arranged 
in his well-known style ; and Mr. N. Davis, Camberwell, was third with 
an arrangement somewhat in the style of the first prize one, but not 
carrying such good flowers. Messrs. Reid & Bornemann also won with 
a smaller group of dwarf plaits. 
Cut Blooms. —The principal class for incurved was that for forty- 
eight bloom3, and Messrs. W. & G. Drover, Farelram, followed up their 
Palace success by securing the first prize. Their blooms were remark¬ 
ably fine, being large, solid, and admirably finished. The varieties were 
as follows—Back row : John Lambert (2), Empress Eugenie, Lord 
Alcester (2), John Doughty (2), Queen of England, Empress of 
India (2), Alfred Salter (2), Golden Empress (2), Violet Tomlin, and 
Queen of England. Middle row : Mrs. S. Coleman (2), Lord Wolselev, 
Princess of Wales (2), Nil Desperandum (2), Mis3 Haggas (2), Violet 
Tomlin, Jeanne d’Arc, Princess of Teck, Robert Cannell, Mrs. Heales, 
Lady Carey, and Beauty. Front row : Lady Hardinge, Jeanne d’Arc, 
C. Gibson (2), Mrs. N. Davis (2), Lord Wolseley, Lady Dorothy (2), 
Hero of Stoke Newington, Mrs. W. Shipman (2), Princess of Teck, Mrs. 
Heales, Lady Carey, and Empress Eugenie. A few of the front row 
flowers were somewhat weak. Mr. Doughty, gardener to Mrs. Tomlin, 
Cranbrook, was second, but some distance in the rear, his flowers 
running somewhat small. They were well finished and in good con¬ 
dition, a grand bloom of Mrs. S. Coleman, Empress of India, Princess of 
Teck, Golden Empress, and Queen of England being the best. The 
third prize went to Mr. R. Petfield, gardener to A. J. Thornhill, Esq., 
Buckden, for a good, but somewhat uneven, stand ; the fourth to 
Mr. W. G. Ray, Teynham, Sittingbourne ; and the fifth to Mr. Agate, 
Havant. Mr. C. W. Knowles, gardener to Mrs. Egerton, Roehampton, 
who quite swept the board at Wandsworth, demonstrated his ability 
still further by winning in the class for twenty-four. His flowers were 
small, but very neat and fresh. Messrs. Myers, gardener to the Earl of 
Sandwich, Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon, and A. Ive3, gardener to E. C. 
Jukes, Esq., High Barnet, were second and third. Mr. Shoesmith, 
gardener to M. Hodgson, Esq , Shirley, won with twelve, one of the best 
stands in the Show, the flowers being large and substantial ; Mrs. S. 
Coleman, Princess of Wales, Violet Tomlin, and Mrs. Heales were 
splendid. Mr. Douglas, gardener to Mrs. Whitbourn, Ilford, was second 
with smaller, but well-finished, flowers; Mr. W. H. Lees, gardener to 
the Duchess of Montrose, Newmarket, was third. 
