511 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 10, 1885. 
forming a clump about 2 feet across, and this in three seasons’ growth. 
The flowerstalks rise to a height of 12 to 18 inches, heavily tinged with 
purple, and bear one to three flowers on each, which in the bud state are 
extremely chaste and beautiful, of a pale pink or blush, the flowers white 
inside when expanded and rose outside. The flowers are very large when 
fully expanded, sometimes nearly 6 inches across, and very persistent. 
The leaves are large, deep or purple-green, the footstalks purple and 
mottled, and of great substance, being thick and leathery. It certainly 
ought to be in every garden, as also the lesser, but equally floriferous, 
H. niger angustifolius. 
Snowdrops, Winter Aconites, and Crocuses are well above ground ; 
even Daffodils are peeping, and Snowflakes are high above ground, so 
that we shall not be long ere we are again gladdened by the harbingers of 
spring, as we are by the Hellebores before the winter has well set in. The 
Lily of the Valley—like flowers of the Arbutuses and the Laurustinus, are 
aho beautiful.—A. 
WHITE PLUME CELERY. 
My thanks are due to “ Kitchen Gardener " and Mr. R. Gilchrist for 
obligingly answering my question respecting the above. Judging from the 
Acknowledgment made by “Kitchen Gardener” and the information 
supplied by Mr. Gilchrist, it is evident White Plume can only be described 
as a fine-weather Celery and totally unsuited for winter use. True, as 
“ Kitchen Gardener” says, Celery is wanted from September to Christmas ; 
but in this part of Yorkshire during the past eight years we have had as 
much as 20° of frost and 2 feet of snow on the ground before the 6th of 
December. It is against such winters as these we must guard, and not 
those that do not set in until the advent of the new year. 
Most vegetable novelties find their level upon horticultural exhibition 
tables. During the last autumn it was my privilege to examine and pass 
judgment upon some scares of Celery exhibits, but not once have I seen 
a sample of White Plume placed in competition with other sorts. “ Kitchen 
Gardener ” admits that it is inferior to others for salading purposes, 
therefore its cultivation must be upon a limited scale. 1 thank him for 
the offer of a pinch of seed. If it is his own growing I will with pleasure 
accept the same, but if it has to be purchased for me I must beg to 
decline. 
We have to keep up a constant supply of Celery for salading purposes 
from June until April. Hitherto our Alpha and Omega has been Sand¬ 
ringham White as supplied by Messrs. Veitch & Sons. If anyone can 
name a better sort the information will be gratefully received by— 
J. McIndoe, 
NOTES ON CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Chrysanthemum Gullingfordi. —Seeing several notices in your 
Journal respecting the present controversy as to whether this is to be classed 
as Japanese or reflexed, I am strongly in favour of the former, in support of 
which I wish to draw attention to the fact that it so much resembles Pere 
Delaux as to leaf, habit of plant, the size and colour of bloom, that we 
are led to imagine that if one is Japanese then assuredly so is the other. 
In fact, I imagine it is a seedling from Pere Delaux. I have some thirty 
Culiingfordi in 9-inch pots. The foliage and habit of the plants is all that 
can be wished for, but the blooms, I think are too late, as I fail to see the 
remarkably brilliant colour they are said to have.—F. C. Barker. 
Cullingfordi. —In reference to my notes (page 493) on the variety 
'Culiingfordi, in case there should be any misapprehension on the subject, 
I should like to state that at the time the committee meeting of the 
Kingston Chrysanthemum Society was held, when the decision was arrived 
at to recognise the above as a Japanese variety, they were not aware that 
the National Chrysanthemum Society had also held a meeting the day 
previous, at which the same subject was discussed and an adverse deter¬ 
mination arrived at. Not that it would have influenced the Kingston 
Committee, as the decision was arrived at almost unanimously after con¬ 
sidering the whole merits of the variety as it was known to them. But I 
should not have asked for your opinion on the subject, nor could I have 
expected you to give it, in view of the perplexities of the case, had I been 
cognisant of the above. I merely sent tbe two varieties to show what we 
considered a typical reflexed in Sulphur Gem, which is truly described as 
of the Annie Salter type, and how the above variety is far removed from 
it when fully expanded, however the young flowers may favour the reflexed 
type. The Japanese are so mixed by intercrossing that it takes two or 
three years’ cultivation to get at their true characteristics. I have been 
asked by many how it was the variety was not awarded a certificate at 
the Crystal Palace as well as at Kingston, having exhibited it at both 
places, hence my reference to it in my last note.—C. Orchard. 
Judging Chrysanthemums. —In reference to the recent notes on 
judging the judges, 1 would mention an instance that calls for comment 
at the recent Chrysanthemum Show at Bristol—viz., in the principal class 
for cut blooms, twenty-four distinct varieties, the first prize being awarded 
to a stand containing blooms labelled Empress of India and Mr. Cunning¬ 
ham, which are generally known to be synonymous ; and although the 
judges, when appealed to, admitted that they were identical, they never¬ 
theless by some inexplicable reason failed to disqualify on that account. 
But the extraordinary part of the matter is, that although the National 
Chrysanthemum Society’s certificate was offered for twenty-four distinct 
varieties, it was awarded to an exhibit that contained blooms which 
members of that Society do not consider distinct. If such inconsistent 
proceedings are allowed to occur, I fear for the interests of the Society 
that employs such judges to perform that operation which is of the most 
vital importance in regard to the welfare of any Society. I call atten¬ 
tion to this instance in the hope of inducing some such arrangement being 
made in the Chrysanthemum schedules as in the Rose schedules, in which 
a list is inserted, and those varieties which on the authority of the 
National Society are identical being bracketed together.—M. C. 
FEU IT AND PLANT HOUSES. 
(Continued from page 4SS.) 
Ventilation is very important in the cultivation of fruit, 
flowers, and plants. To keep a house closed from autumn to spring 
says nothing for the non-ventilation theory, as it is in the winter 
season when growth is most sluggish. But try the non-ventilation 
system in a house where forcing operations are carried on, as that 
of a Peach house or vinery, and in another change the atmosphere 
at least once a day by careful and judicious ventilation in the early 
part of the day if possible, contrasting the results with those of the 
former. The atmosphere is being continually changed by the 
crevices in the woodwork and laps of the glass, some may say, 
which I readily grant it is in only too many cases to the discredit 
of the builder. I believe fresh air to be as necessary for vegetable 
as it is for animal life, but draughts, heats, and chills are similarly 
injurious to health, differing only in intensity. 
It cannot be too strongly insisted upon that all horticultural 
structures must be impervious to wet, resisting the influence of 
cold air, and the escape of warm air. The prevention of heat 
radiation has been sought in two ways. First, by double glazing, 
of which I have no experience, and only know that its advocates 
have long been silent respecting it. Besides, in double glazing we 
get a vacuum, the most effective of non-conductors, so if we pre¬ 
vent radiation outwards we stop the passage of heat inwards. 
Second, the best preventive of radiation is what we use for 
shading—non-conducting. 
The theory of ventilation rests upon the fact that heated air 
rises to the upper portion of a house, and when a sash is opened in 
the roof the warm vitiated air rushes out, and the cold fresh air 
comes in. This is sufficient to cause what we term a circulation of 
ah-, and produces evaporation, prompting the elaboration of the 
sap, which the horticulturist is so anxious to have effected as much 
as possible under the influence of sun or light. If the current is 
strong the evaporation will be in proportion and excessive ; the 
consequence is a check, which may also be induced by a sudden 
rush or influx of cold air stagnating the sap. The object of venti¬ 
lation is to aid vegetation in the elaboration and assimilation of the 
sap, to give solidity to the wood and foliage, to perfect parts 
essential to the production of flowers and fruits, which it can never 
do when kept in a close atmosphere, and equally disastrous is a 
sudden cooling of the atmosphere. Therefore, whilst we want 
means to let out the heated air Or prevent its accumulation at a 
certain point in excess of other parts of the structure, we need 
means to prevent the ingress of cold, to secure a circulation, a 
change of air of a bracing rather than chilling description. If any¬ 
thing were better contrived to secure a chill I know not what it is, 
unless it be the opening of both top and front ventilators at once, 
so as to produce a thorough draught, than the system that obtains 
of ventilating by the top lights raised by crank and lever movement 
—an aperture the whole length of the house. True they are on 
the south side of the house, the warmest, and be it said the point 
from which the wind most prevails, so that if we let out the heat 
on that side we certainly have the cold driven in most frequently, 
it coming in gusts through the aperture that injures or cripples the 
foliage in a serious and often fatal manner. Ventilators so con¬ 
trived that the air entering falls directly upon the plants or foliage 
is not true ventilation. When hot air is let out its displacement must 
be effected in the gentlest and most subtle manner, for effecting which 
various expedients have been resorted to, such as passages made 
in the back walls of vineries, which, whilst allowing the hot air 
to pass out, would prevent the ingress of cold in a ruinous degree, 
and which unfortunately are obsolete. There are few contrivances 
in these days to prevent chills such as were frequent in all our old 
vineries both at the back or upper part of the house, and also in 
front, so that the air would pass over the surface of the heating 
medium, and be considerably modified before mingling with the 
general atmosphere or acting on the plant foliage. 
We have sliding lights, every other opening at top—if a span on 
both sides alternately, and similar provision at the front or sides. 
This is much better than raising the lights by crank and lever 
movement, which is only making an opening or passage for the 
wind to be driven in proportionate to its velocity. It is a 
ready means of ventilation, and available even when the weather is 
wet, yet it is the worst form conceivable, albeit its fault may be 
considerably reduced by having the ventilation on both sides of the 
