484 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 17, 1886. 
Gunnera scabra and G. manicata are giants, and rejoice in abundant 
supplies of moisture in Bummer time, and in winter must be kept compara¬ 
tively dry. Moisture seems tbe one thing needful to the free and full 
development of these plants, though I remember one particular instance 
of a giant specimen of G. scabra planted in light sandy soil of only mode¬ 
rate depth, situate on a deep bed of gravel. In winter this plant was 
protected by a deep covering of bracken and its own giant leaves, and 
each summer attained a diameter of 12 feet or more, the individual leaves 
being 4 feet to 5 feet across. It is a plant of giant proportions, and 
suited for isolated p isitions on the lawn and in moist shady positions, as 
it comes from the deep shady ravines of the Andes. Not less gigantic is 
G. manicata, both species being as remarkable in their immense columnar 
spikes of flowers as in their unique foliage. 
In Helianthus orgyalis we have the most graceful of its genus. It 
attains 8 feet or 10 feet high, the stems being thickly furnished with 
linear lanceolate gracefully recurved leaves. Its flowers, however, are 
very small, and to this fact may be traced its somewhat sparse distribu¬ 
tion. It is, nevertheless, a very distinct and pleasing plant for the large 
border, for the shrubbery, or for positions on the lawn. 
The Cow Parsnip or Heracleum have been called the giants of Siberian 
vegetation, and while probably too coarse for the lawn or the border it is 
admirably adapted lor naturalising in woodlands or semi-wild places, or 
here and there in large shrubberies. U. giganteum is, perhaps, the finest 
of the genus, growing about 12 feet high and having immense heads of 
white flowers, and is remarkable for its free growth and development. 
We have next a very fine plant in Senecio japonicus, also known as 
Erythroehasta palmatifida. It is quite distinct from all else and grows 
about 4 feet high, with large distinctly palmate leaves on petioles 3 feet 
in length, and having lax panicles of golden yellow flowers. The Goat’s- 
beard Spiraea, S. aruncus, is likewise a very ornamental plant in foliage 
and flower, the latter composed of innumerable small white flowers in 
-long feathery plumes. It delights in abundant moisture. And to conclude 
the list of these useful decorative plants I may mention Symphytum 
officinale variegatum, whi-h forms handsome tufts of beautifully variegated 
leaves. Its flowers are of but little moment, but which is fully compen¬ 
sated for in the rich golden which its leaves assume in spring, and which 
it retains throughout the summer. Such, then, are a few of these useful 
subjects which I am sure would find many more admirers than they do 
now, provided they were brought more to the front so that their beauty 
may be fully realised.—J. H. E. 
RUSHING INTO PRINT. 
Under this heading you have permitted “ Head Gardener,” in your 
last issue, to make allusions to me in connection with the premium case 
and the gardener concerned in it. Of the latter it is said that his 
“ identity may be guessed by many.” Most likely it will if his actions 
are reflected in what I and others have written, but not otherwise, and 
as far as I am concerned not half a dozen persons are wiser than they 
were before anything was written respecting him. I did not even supply 
the Editor of the Journal with his name. Your correspondent does not 
admire my conduct in the affair, neither do I admire unjust or mean 
actions, and to publicly denounce them can have no terror but to evil 
doers. My motto has been, “ Do to others as you would like to be done 
by.” Your correspondent’s objection of the steps I took in this matter 
leads me to state that judging from the gusto with which he has related 
what seems to be a paltry incident that occurred twenty years ago, and if 
true it appears injured no one, he would not hesitate to “pillory” any¬ 
one he thought fit.—W. P. R. 
[According to our correspondent’s standard of probity “ Head Gar¬ 
dener ” was justified in relating the peculiar “ incident” referred to, and 
-which is described on page 419. It is quite true that “ W. P. R.” did not, 
as he ought to have done, supply us with the name of the gardener 
whose action he criticised, though it was known to us before we pub¬ 
lished his letter, neither did he supply the name of the young man on 
whose behalf be wrote, and thus relieve us of the necessity of obtaining it 
from another source. On the question of premiums generally, we fail to 
see what a gardener has to gain by discharging a young man who per¬ 
forms his duties satisfactorily, and who is at the same time willing to 
meet his obligations.] 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
( Continued from page 461.) 
FIRST BREAK. 
There is no exact time when the plants make their first break, 
as so much depends upon various causes—viz., variety, time the 
plants were struck, and the locality in which they are grown; all 
these tend to alter the date of the “ first break.” If the plants 
were rooted about the time advised many will show their first 
fiower during the early part of May and others early in June. 
Many plants are spoilt at this stage of then- growth through want 
of attention, or in some instances a lack of knowledge to know how 
to treat them at this important period. The “ first break ” is 
caused by the formation of a flower bud in the point of the young 
growing stem, this bud causes other branches to start from the 
axils of the leaves below the point where the flower bud formed. 
On plants of some varieties as many as ten additional growths will 
spring from the one stem, and a lesser number from other varieties. 
These would all in due time grow and produce flowers, but the 
object of growing the plants to produce large blooms necessitates 
that the number of growths on each plant be limited to three. 
The annexed engraving, fig. 89, is intended to illustrate a plant 
having just made its first break. In the point of the shoot can be 
seen the flower bud. This and all other shoots which have dotted 
linjs through them are intended to be removed; the three stems 
which show no dotted lines at the top of the plant just below the 
flower bud and above those branches which are marked to come out, 
are to extend their growth, and in time produce flowers. The 
shoots which are retained should as fast as they grow be carefully 
tied to the stakes, as represented by fig. 80, p. 460. From this time 
all side shoots which spring from the main stem must be carefully 
rubbed out as fast as they appear. The removal of all superfluous 
growths concentrates the whole energies of the plant to the three 
stems retained until the next break takes place. 
“ TAKING ” THE BUDS—CROWNS. 
If there is one detail in the cultivation of Chrysanthemums for 
large blooms that is of more importance than any other it is 
“ taking the buds.” Some persons may think this means pinching 
off the flower buds, but that is not so ; it is the removing the growth 
shoots which form around the flower bud. These shoots are 
caused by the formation of the flower bud in the points of the 
branches. These are taken off, thus throwing the whole strength, 
so to speak, into the development of the bud retained. Experience 
with the different varieties will only thoroughly teach beginners in 
their cultivation the proper time to “ take” the buds. If the buds 
are not retained at the right time for each variety it is useless to 
expect flowers of first-class quality. It is not a particular day of 
the month that all buds must be “ taken,” but the state of each 
individual plant must be considered when the wished-for bud 
appears, therefore no hard-and-fast line can be laid down as to the 
time when every plant shows its proper bud. As a general rule 
what is known as the crown bud is the one selected for producing 
the best blooms, but in some instances this particular form of bud 
will not produce the best results, as a difference of nearly a month 
must elapse between the “ taking ” of the correct bud on plants of 
some sorts and of other varieties. A close observance of the 
