244 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 19,18£9. 
and to Mr. Elliott of Jersey, with no better results. The seeds, under a 
strong glass, were seen to be infertile. I then proposed to send the 
early sorts to the south of France and Algeria, and the Rev. F. Freeman 
sent some to Ohio, U.S.A. In the meantime I was on the look out for 
some early single sort. This, through the craze for single flowers, I 
procured by the kindness of Mr. W. H. Cullingford, who grew a loc of 
seedlings from seed he had from Mr. Hartland of Cork, Ireland, and 
named Hartland’s Marguerite. It was a great, tall, profuse blooming, 
nearly single, white Pompon, and I had plenty of seed from it the first 
season. From this seed the next year I selected two dwarf plants of the 
best character, and from the seed of these I have now some real beauties. 
I still have one of these, which I call Seedbearer, which even in last 
year’s bad season perfected good seed. 
When I first grew the seed of Hartlrnd’s Marguerite it was with 
immense surprise I saw that instead of the plants being all alike they 
were nearly all different from the parent, though there was a family 
likeness in some of them. Last season I again grew the seed of these 
two selected plants separate, and have as their descendants Goldsmith, a 
fine early yellow Pompon, which will bloom twice in one season ; Clara, 
good early white Pompon ; Miss P. Broughton, late white Pompon ; 
White Lady, lovely early white Pompon ; Dod’s pretty little yellow 
dwarf Pompon, and others. Besides these, the year before last I had 
■good seed from Salter’s Early Blush, from which I have raised an 
advance on it I have named Jacintha. We have also from the seed of 
these two seedlings, among the plants grown at Mr. Ware’s nursery last 
season, a very beautiful dwarf white Pompon named Duchess of Fife ; 
it is about a foot high, and was in bloom August 12th. The flowers 
resemble Mdlle. Marthe. It is entirely different from all others. We 
had also from this same lot of seedlings grown at Mr. Ware’s the most 
beautiful early yellow Pompon in cultivation. We have named this 
Golden Shah. The colour is the very finest deep yellow, very bright; 
the flowers are 2| inches across, deep, full, and reflexed. The plant 
grows 2 feet high, with slender but strong habit; the foliage very spare 
indeed, and each flower has a good long stalk, so that every bloom can 
come out, which renders it very good for cutting purposes, besides giving 
the plant a very elegant appearance. It is a very rapid grower. Thus 
two plants raised from cuttings in March 24th were in full bloom by 
July 25tb, and two more struck on May 24th were in full bloom July 
29th. It stands rain wonderfully well for so delicate a flower, and it is 
certainly the very finest early English seedling up to this time, as well 
as being the best early Pompon, English or foreign. It is remarkable 
also as being raised from seed saved at Forest Hill, and only two 
generations from the poor white Hartland’s Marguerite, which was 
nearly single. All this is not only good as regards Chrysanthemums, 
but very W’onderful as an illustration of vegetable physiology. I regard 
it as a revelation in itself worth having, apart from the gain of such a 
plant. 
The greatest and earliest friends and helpers in what I may call the 
modern history of these sorts, which began in England about 1868, are 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd ; Mr. Watson, sen., now of Bowes Park, Wood 
Green, Middlesex ; Mr. N. Davis of Camberwell; Mr. W. H. Head of 
the Crystal Palace ; and the Rev. F. Freeman. I have to thank all 
these gentlemen and many others for their friendly help, and also the 
members of the horticultural press, not forgetting Mr. Libby of New 
York. 
We now want a few more enthusiastic amateurs, and any spare 
money we can get, for these are the things to help on the progress of 
these early varieties, which appear capable of boundless extension. 
[By Mr. T. Tnrton, Maiden Erleigh 
Conference, St. Stephens’ 
Gardens, Readme. Read at the Chrysanthemum 
Hall, Westminster, September 11 th, 1889.J 
Having been successful now for several seasons past in obtaining 
a good display outdoors with the early Chrysanthemum, and complying 
with a request from Mr. A. Dean, I send a few notes respecting our 
method of growing them. This, however, is so simple that a very few 
words will suffice to explain it. 
I irst, as to raising the plants, let me say it is solely to the generous 
treatment given the cuttings that I attribute our success. But here 
I must explain that we force a great quantity of Asparagus through 
the spring in frames on hotbeds. It is there we raise our plants, by 
dibbling in the cuttings early in February among the Asparagus. The 
moist atmosphere from the dung keeps the cuttings fresh until they 
emit roots, which does not take more than a fortnight. They are then 
placed into small sixty sized pots, and returned to the frame. There 
they quickly take to the new soil, and are soon growing apace. We 
stop the plants once only, which is done at this stage, and as soon as 
they have started they are hardened, and in due time are shifted into 
forty-eight sized pots. In these they make strong plants, and are placed 
out in the first favourable weather we have in May. 
Respecting the names of the varieties we grow, I should like to class 
them in three sections. 
Section I. comprises those which are in flower with us from the 
beginning of July. They are Mr. W. Piercy, colour brick-red ; Precocitc, 
yellow; St. Mary, white; Madame Jolivart, blush-white: Nanum, 
creamy-white ; Madeline. Davis, yellow ; St. Croutes, pink ; and White 
4 routes, white. Anastasio, a light purple, we have had good only once 
or twice, and as it is not flowering at all this season it will now be 
discarded. 
Section II. includes Madame C. Desgranges and its sport G. Wermig 
These two varieties are the most useful of all. They are in flower from 
the beginning of August until cut down by frost. It has long been my 
wish to see varieties introduced into this section of bright colour, and 
possessing the good qualities of the Desgranges type, when, I think, 
it would be difficult to imagine anything more beautiful through the 
months of August and September than a wide border, the front planted 
with varieties of this section, backed with Dahlias of the Cactus and 
single flowering varieties. 
Section III. contains La Yierge, pure white ; Lyon (hybrid Pompon), 
bright rosy purple ; Inimitable (Pompon), amber; Pomponium (Pompon), 
light orange, Alexander Dufour (Jap.), bright purple; and Roi de 
Prccoces (Jap.), bright crimson, a splendid variety. These flower 
through October. 
1 would add, as explanatory of my growing these early biooming 
Chrysanthemums in such considerable quantities, that having to supply 
flowers largely during the fishing and grouse-shooting season, in the 
summer and autumn in Scotland, I find none to travel a long journey 
so well as do the Chrysanthemums. Flowers cut here at midday and 
despatched per rail at 2 P.M. from Earley, reach their destination in 
Scotland during the following afternoon, a period of some twenty-six 
hours, often during warm weather : yet do the Chrysanthemums 
invariably arrive fresh and beautiful. That capacity to endure long 
journeys packed I attribute to their being well-matured by outdoor 
exposure and the hardness of the stems, whilst those of more tender 
flowers being moie sappy wither the sooner, To be able to send flowers 
fresh and sweet so long a journey is, in these days, a matter for con¬ 
gratulation, and shows how much gardeners owe to the introduction 
of the early blooming Chrysanthemum. 
DEVIZES CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW. 
This will take place this year on Tuesday, Nov. 12th; unfortunately, 
in some respects, on the same day as the great Show of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society at the Royal Aquarium. Some excellent plants 
and cut flowers are always seen at Devizes, and the townspeople' support 
the Exhibition by attending in large numbers. The Show forms a part 
of the programme of the Devizes Benevolent Society, which holds a 
Flower Show and Bazaar in aid of its funds in combination. The amount 
realised by the Bazaar and Flower Show is expended by the benevolent 
district visitors in various ways for the benefit of the deserving poor. 
Prizes are also offered for Primulas in pots, and some of the best speci¬ 
mens we have ever seen are grown in the neighbourhood. The manager 
and superintendent of the Show is Mr. Thomas King, Castle Gardens, 
Devizes. 
“SETTING” VERSUS “TAKING THE BUD.” 
I QUITE agree with Mr. Baker, page 183, that the term “taking 
the bud ” is a misleading one. I remember some years ago having 
a rather disagreeable demonstration of this fact. After, as I thought, 
duly explaining the method to one of my assistants, I sent him to take 
all that were forward enough. Fortunately, however, I visited him soon 
after, for I found he was really “ taking ” the buds. Yes, he was care¬ 
fully nipping out the flower buds, and leaving the wood buds. He was 
sure I told him to “ take the buds,” and how could I call leaving them 
on the plants “ taking them ?” This may be considered an extreme case, 
but it sufficiently shows the importance of using positive instead of 
negative terms. A tyro, on being told to take the buds, would not think 
of leaving them on the plants unless especial instruction was given him 
to that effect. Almost all that I have explained the method of “ taking 
the bud ” to for the first time, have declared the practice directly con¬ 
trary to their preconceived notions of it. 
The term “setting the bud,” as suggested by Mr. Baker, would be 
far more descriptive of the actual practice, and would be readily under¬ 
stood by the younger members of the craft.—J. H. W. 
NOTES AT HEADING. 
Travellers to or through Reading by the Great Western line have 
probably observed the broad stretches of flowers on the lefthand side 
just before the town is entered. They present a bright picture of floral 
beauty on a cheerful autumn day, and remind the visitor that the 
pleasant Berkshire town which has been for so many years famed for its 
biscuit-manufacturing industry can boast another of hardly less magni¬ 
tude—that of the culture and distribution of garden and farm seeds. 
Messrs. Suttons’ great establishment there is a world-famed one, and the 
huge blocks of buildings bearing their name are conspicuous even in 
c'ose proximity to the extensive and lofty manufactories of the biscuit 
trade. There is little time to take note of them before the station is 
reached, but those who think well to spend an hour or two in inspecting 
what Messrs. Sutton have to show them will be well advised. The 
great seed establishment is easily found, and courteous attention is paid 
to any visitor interested in horticulture who may call. Gardeners 
generally will perhaps not find it of special interest to wander over 
every floor of the huge warehouses, but at the trial and seed-saving 
grounds, to which they will be directed on inquiry, they will find abun¬ 
dant material for admiration and reflection. The grounds are situated 
in London Road, Reading. The outdoor portion is devoted to special 
trials of various crops, the glass—of which there are extensive ranges— 
to the culture for seed of the choice florists’ flowers for which the firm 
is so much noted. It may be said at once that no department of the 
enormous seed business reflects higher credit on the firm than this. 
Begonias, Primulas, Cyclamens, and other flowers are grown in surpris¬ 
ing numbers, and the strains—the work of many years’ careful selection 
