February 4, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
83 
habit of growth and other characteristics of the sorts they 
submit for certificates; not so the Committee, who, if the fruit 
happens to be distinct in appearance and good in quality, honour 
it with a certificate. When the seed is distributed each packet 
may contain several forms, and the cultivator is disappointed 
accordingly. The fruit, not the variety, awarded the certificate 
may have been the result of an accidental cross owing to the 
close proximity of other sorts, and as a consequence the official 
recommendation may after all prove misleading. Those who 
save seed for distribution especially ought to most carefully 
guard against this. No other variety ought to be in the same 
house, then we should hear fewer complaints of certain varieties 
not being at all equal to the glowing descriptions. As it is, 
plenty of gardeners have discontinued purchasing Melon seeds, 
preferring rather to procure them from friends who can supply 
them true to name. Further, those who, like myself, have been 
fortunate enough to obtain good stocks of certain reliable sorts, 
carefully preserve and continue to annually sow a few seeds 
from the same packet. We do not rely, however, upon old seeds, 
new seeds being the most likely to give the strongest plants. 
Longleat Perfection, a new variety obtained by Mr. Pratt at 
Longleat from a cross between Eastnor Castle and Hybrid 
Cashmere, is undoubtedly distinct and first-class in quality. 
As only this novelty and its two parents are cultivated at 
Longleat, there is not much danger of the stock becoming 
deteriorated, and I have not the slightest doubt it will figure pro¬ 
minently on prize lists throughout the country. I should say it 
will not succeed well in frames, neither must it be closely 
stopped in houses where canker is apt to be prevalent No 
comparatively new variety equals Hero of Lockinge for all 
purposes, this well-known sort being alike suitable for frame and 
house culture, while the fruits are handsome enough for collections 
of fruit, and good enough to win prizes in the classes provided 
for Melons It keeps and travels well, and provided the plants 
carry a good crop the fruits are of the right size to please the 
fruiterers. The latter, with whom too many gardeners now 
have business, do not thank them for sending large Melons, those 
ranging from 2 lbs. to 3 lbs. usually selling the most readily. 
Eastnor Castle, when it can be obtained true, is a free-bear¬ 
ing sort, the fruit being large, handsome, and of the best quality. 
As a rule, spurious forms only can be obtained, and the fruits of 
these are usually large and ugly. Webb’s Woodfield also 
possesses some of the characteristics of Victory of Bath, from 
which it was doubtless obtained, but with us the fru’ts were 
somewhat rough in appearance —were much too large, in fact. It 
has been a favourite variety with exhibitors in the west of 
England, and several first prizes were awarded to it. I intend 
to grow it again. Golden Perfection is one of the prettiest 
Melons in cultivation, particularly good for collections, and 
sometimes being also of good quality. William Tillery appears 
to be losing ground, but I do not think it would have done so if 
it had been kept true. Burghley Pet is the favourite sort 
with a gentleman near here. It is a heavy cropper, and the fruits 
small in size, are handsome, heavy, and good in quality. This is 
well worthy of a trial either for marketing or where small fruits 
in plenty are required. The old Golden Queen, if it can be 
procured true to name, is one of the best for frame culture, and 
a capital sort for the market. 
Among scarlet-fleshed varieties Blenheim Orange is still pre¬ 
eminent, and I should say it would be impossible to raise one 
more serviceable. I am constantly recommending it as the best 
companion for Hero of Lockinge, whether for pot, house, and 
frame culture. It is one of the first to ripen, and after it has 
been kept for three or four days in the fruit room it is greatly 
improved in quality, winning prizes innumerable. The largest 
and most handsome fruits of this I have yet seen were in 
a gentleman’s garden at Frome. It has largely superseded 
Read’s Scarlet Flesh, although the latter is by no means to be 
despised, and is still grown by a few. Scarlet Premier rather 
disappointed me, the quality not giving satisfaction. It is free- 
bearing and handsome, but on the whole not so good as Lune- 
field Hybrid, a variety somewhat resembling Premier, raised by 
Mr. E Burton, the gardener at Lunefield, Kirkby Lonsdale 
We found this novelty all that the raiser informed me it would 
be—viz., free-bearing, of good weight, or from 4 lbs. to 6 lbs , thin- 
skinned, and fine-flavoured, it was the most profitable of all the 
Melons fruited in pots early last season Sutton’s Masterpiece 
is 'also a first class scarlet-flesh, and good for all purposes, 
As a rule green-fleshed varieties are preferred by judges at 
horticultural shows to the scarlet-fleshed, but I am inclined 
to think prejudice has something to do with it, as I have tasted 
the last-named and Blenheim Orange e^ual to any green-fleshed 
variety in general cultivation. 
Our friend, Mr. G. 'Abbey, has been successful inj raising 
several very excellent sorts, but does not appear to have made 
capital out of them, yet I feel certain if he selected his best and 
distributed them they would become great favourites, as they 
are no chance crosses, but were the result of much pains to 
secure varieties possessing good constitution and free-bearing 
habits, high quality being also duly considered. Yery few 
gardeners are so well versed in Melon lore, and his experience 
related in the Journal of Horticulture would be instructive.— 
W. Iggulden. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
(Continued from page OS.) 
SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR WEAK VARIETIES. 
Some varieties of Chrysanthemums are much weaker in con¬ 
stitution than others, consequently they require rather more care 
to develope their qualities than those of a more robust habit. Some 
of them are handsome in form, and their general good quality 
renders them in dispensable in a first-rate collection. By a judicious 
course of treatment the difficulty attending the successful culture 
of weak varieties can be overcome. For the guidance of those 
persons who do not know the varieties referred to as weak growers, 
I have compiled a list of them, and detail the method of managing 
the plants, which I commend to the special attention of the mex 
perienced. The list comprises only those which are meritorious 
and worth growing. 
As previously stated, propagation should commence with these 
as early as possible, so as to give them a long season of growth and 
to avoid undue excitement, such as forcing them in heat to make 
up for the time that is lost by striking the cuttings late. At the 
first potting from the cutting stage place the plants in 3^-inch pots, 
adding half a part more of leaf soil to the compost previously 
advised. Treat the plants in the same way as the general stock as 
regards position and watering. When they are ready for the next 
shift, which should be into 5-inch pots, the soil should be the same 
as before. From these they can be transferred into their flowering 
pots, which should be 8 inches in diameter. The soil used in pot¬ 
ting them finally should be of a lighter kind than that used for 
those of stronger growth. The following preparation is suitable : 
To three parts of half-decomposed fibry loam add one part each of 
half-decayed leaves, used in a rough state, and the materials of a 
spent Mushroom bed, half a part of wood ashes, the same quantity 
of fine ground bones, one part of coarse silver sand and charcoal 
broken about the size of Hazel nuts, the quantity to be in propor¬ 
tion to the nature of the loam, be it light or heavy. This materi¬ 
ally aids in keeping the whole porous—a point of much importance 
during the summer, when water must be applied at times copiously. 
If the loam is of a strong nature the fine soil should be taken out 
by passing it through a sieve, retaining only the fibrous parts, as 
the fine soil prevents to some extent the free passage of water from 
the roots. The pots should be very carefully drained, and the soil 
pressed firmly around the roots, but not quite so hard as in the case 
of the stronger growers, weak varieties not making roots in the 
same proportion as the others. The great point, then, is to prepare 
suitable soil, "have the pots of the right size, treat the plants 
judiciously with regard to watering in all stages of growth, and 
satisfactory results may be anticipated, if other requisite details in 
treatment are carried out. It is a good plan to stand these plants 
by themselves during the summer, as they are then more directly 
under control, and are not so apt to be o verlooked as when placed 
among the general collection. Stimulants should not be applied to 
them in the same quantity and strength as to those of more 
vigorous constitution. 
The following varieties need the special treatment indicated :— 
Japanese. —Balmoreau, Criterion, Golden Dragon, Garnet 
Agrements de la Nature, Japonaise, J. Delaux, Margaret Marrouch, 
Madame de Sevin, M. Ardene, M. Astorg, Mons. Tarin, Mrs. 
Mahood, Mr. John Laing, Sceptre Toulousain, Beauts des Jardins, 
and Mons. H. Jacotot. 
IncuPiVED. —Barbara, Cherub, Empress Eugenie, Lady Carey, 
Lady Hardinge, Mr. Bunn, Mrs. W. Shipman, Nonpareil, Princess 
Beatrice, Sir Stafford Carey, Angelina, and Lady Slade. 
Anemones. —Fleur de Marie, Mdlle. Cabrol, Madame Clos, and 
Soeur Dorothee Souille, to which may be added the two reflexed 
forms, Dr. Sharpe and Empress of China. 
HINTS ON GROWING NOVELTIES. 
Some growers of Chrysanthemums have a strong fancy for 
“ novelties,” and are induced to procure nearly all the new varieties 
as fast as they appear. I say nothing against experienced growers 
indulging in this floral luxury, but the inexperienced cultivator who 
is desirous of forming a first collection may easily err in this 
respect. He sees the descriptions of so-called novelties, and 
assumes they are improvements on older varieties. This by no 
