374 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 13, 1886. 
being caused by many deep incisions of the mouth of the corona close 
together.—C. Wolley Dod. 
MARIE VAN TIOUTTE. 
A Rose Song. 
One flower give to me, 
Ere its clear petals all unclose. 
And deepest amber melts to faintest rose 
By love’s own alchemy ! 
I care for none beside— 
Prond-souled Sunflower; Marigold; 
Nor Tulip with her jewelled mantle’s fold ; 
Nor Jonquil pheasant-eyed. 
My love! my little one! 
Flushed, breathless, with the soft sweet snow 
Of her white bosom wrought to crimson glow, 
She bends before the sun. 
Tall Lilies stufle to her, 
And with their odorous faint breath 
Tell wondrous legends, which she whispereth 
To me, her worshipper. 
In old Hellenic days 
My little Rose had lived I ween. 
Half flower, and half woman had she been, 
Yet goddess, too, always. 
And none had scoffed at us; 
If Naiad wedded mortal man, 
Calmly his life passed, like her stream it ran, 
With whispers amorous. 
And if, perchance, one day 
(Chasing wild creatures in the wood) 
Before the youth some bending dryad stood, 
And love sprang forth from play, 
They strove not to make vain 
His loving tendance of her tree ; 
And but smiled softly, and spake tenderly, 
“ The gods of him are fain !” 
But now our hearts are cold, 
And hurriedly our weary feet 
Leave the green woodland for the glaring street, 
Where all is bought and sold. 
Yea, if a poet see 
Sweet shadows passing, broken gleams 
Of fairer life than ours—“ The mad fool dreams I" 
They shout unceasingly. 
Poor dryad of to-day ! 
Some ruthhss heart had bartered sure 
Thy leafy home for zeal’s stern prison door 
Shutting God’s light away ! 
My sun-flushed amber Rose, 
How far a thought of her hath led ! 
Yet turn I loving more, where her sweet head 
Lightens the garden close. 
What reck I if she be 
Goddess, or maiden, or mere Rose ? 
The soul that loveth deeply only knows 
What she had been to me ! 
■Evelyn M. Noble. 
(Evelyn Pyne.) 
AMERICAN BLACKBERRIES. 
Much has been written from time to time anent the cultivation of 
the American Blackberries in England, and many attempts to grow them 
have been made by skilful practitioners, including Mr. Muir of Margam, 
but without success—that is, not having produced samples of fruit equal 
in size, quantity, and flavour, as is said to be the characteristic qualities 
of these Blackberries as grown in America. The fact is our climate is 
just as unsuitable for growing these to perfection as it is certain other 
varieties of fruit introduced from the same region, and except in a few 
favoured localities if is useless to attempt to grow these American intro¬ 
ductions. I have frequently seen examples of the common Brambk on 
the limestone hills in Worcestershire growing as luxuriantly and bearing 
a3 freely, and quite as large sized fruit, as I have seen in the case of 
the best grown examples of the American varieties. The many varieties 
now in the trade are nearly all identical with each other, and not more 
than a year since a varie'y was introduced from the land of brother 
Jonathan which was proclaimed by the introducers to be a marvellous 
example of vigour and productiveness, and in fact its merits were such as 
to place all previously in'rudnced varieties quite in the shade. Wishing 
to give this novelty a tr al, I was induced on the strength of the intro¬ 
ducers’ glowing descrpimn and engravings to order a dozen of “strong” 
plants, as no doubt many hundreds more besides myself were. Well, 
after waiting patiently for three months or more, the said plants arrived 
by parcel post. It. was a small bundle truly, for on opening it I found 
the “ strong ” plants consisted of little weak half-dried-up twigs, no thicker 
than a straw, and about 3 inches long. These were duly planted, but 
alas ! only two survived out of the dozen, the latter making a feeble shoot 
each of an inch long ; nor is there a prospect of my being able to get 
much better results again this year. It would be interesting to know how 
many more besides myself were treated in this manner. Surely this 
sort of thing amounts to something very much like imposition, for the 
least thing those who were responsible for the introduction of this 
so-called superior variety could have done was to have sent plants that 
were alive and possessed of nice fresh roots, so to have enabled purchasers 
the opportunity of fruiting the plants within a reasonable number of years. 
At any rate, I do not intend giving any more high prices for new varieties 
of Blackberries or anything else from that quarter. I am disgusted with 
the results obtained in return for the amount of time and money expended 
in their cultivation, and I doubt not that mine is no isolated case.—A 
Kentish Gardener. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
( Continued from page 351.) 
LATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Chrysanthemums grown to produce late flowers are much 
appreciated ; indeed they are by some more highly prized than the 
bulk of those blooming at the ordinary time—viz., the middle of 
November. To have them in perfection at the end of December 
and early in January the plants require to be specially treated. In 
the extreme south of England it is not so easy to have Chrysanthe¬ 
mums late as farther north. The seasons are much earlier in the 
south, consequently the plants come sooner into bloom. Much 
may, however, be done in furtherance of this object by selecting 
varieties which are naturally late in blooming. The selection given 
in a previous issue if adhered to w r ill be found suitable. Nothing 
would be gained by naming more, as it is better to grow several 
plants of one sort which is good, than a few of many varieties 
merely for the sake of forming a large collection. 
Cuttings of varieties intended to bloom late should not be struck 
till February, and the plants should be pinched three or four times 
to induce a dwarf habit and increase the number of flower stems. 
The last topping should take place about the first week in July. 
When bloom buds make their appearance towards the end of 
September disbud for one bloom on each shoot if good sized, flowers 
are required ; but if quantity is the primary object do not disbud 
so freely. At this stage supply the plants liberally with weak 
liquid manure, occasionally watering with soot water or any other 
of the various stimulants now in use. If they can be protected 
from light frosts keep them out of doors as long as possible in 
preference to taking them inside, as keeping them out assists in 
retarding them. A thin covering of canvas stretched on poles at 
night will ward off a sharp frost. After removal inside admit air 
night and day freely when the weather is at all favourable. When 
developing their blooms if at all wet or foggy keep the atmosphere 
dr}’ by applying a little fire heat, the flowers last much longer in a 
dry atmosphere than in one charged with moisture. Nine-inch pots 
are large enough to bloom them in, and the same compost as 
advised for other varieties is suitable. 
ARRANGEMENT OF GROUPS. 
To arrange a group of Chrysanthemums for home decoration is 
much easier than arranging one for exhibition ; for this reason—the 
former groups have not to undergo the critical scrutiny of men who 
have had wide experience in judging in this branch of horticulture 
by acting in that capacity at many shows where a variety of groups 
are seen in various forms. To arrange a group for exhibition in 
the best style requires some forethought and experience, even 
allowing that the necessary material is at hand which is required. 
I will describe what I consider is the best method of proceeding. 
The prevailing fashion is now to have the groups semi-circular or 
nearly so in shape. The one adopted by the Kingston and Surbiton 
Chrysanthemum Society is 50 square feet, being deeper in width 
than length. This Society may safely take the credit of being the 
pioneers of this method of growing and arranging Chrysanthemums, 
and some of the best groups that have been seen were staged in 
competition at its shows. 
In preparing plants for the show a clear conception should be 
formed of what is required to effect the obj ect in view ; and it is 
wise for young growers not having had any previous experience to 
first arrange the plants at home on a space similiar to that assigned 
in competition ; the thread of the matter, so to speak, is then more 
clearly conceived, and the number of plants required more safely 
estimated. We will assume, then, that we are at the show and 
ready to commence operations. The allotted space to be filled is 
marked out, no matter the size—large or small, the method of 
proceedure is the same. Commence by placing the front line in 
position. Possibly some growers may think this is wrong, but it is 
not so, as may easily he found by experience. Yery often an other- 
