October 24 , 18S9. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
359 
made 2s. 6d. each of the cocks in spring, which paid better than wasting 
powder and shot and spoiling fruit trees by shooting into them.— 
J, Hiam. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN HAMPSHIRE. 
Dueing the past few years the establishment of Messrs. W. & G-. 
Drover at Fareham has become well known for the cultivation of 
Chrysanthemums for exhibition. Yet it cannot be said that their con¬ 
veniences are of the best kind for the summer growth and autumn 
flowering of the plants. The space for the former is limited, and for the 
latter use is made of Rose and other houses, wherein numerous other 
plants are grown during the summer to meet the cut flower demand. 
Last year the members of this firm succeeded in carrying off the hand¬ 
some silver claret jug value £25 and a cash prize of £6 given by the 
Portsmouth Chrysanthemum Society with a splendid stand of blooms. 
This prize they have to win again, which will be their main object this 
year. Judging from the appearance of their COO plants at the present 
time they will, to use exhibition phraseology, be hard to beat. The 
growth this season is tall, especially in the “ Queen ’’ family and 
Princess of Wales. It is to the latter only the exception can be 
taken on account perhaps of “softness.” The plants are strong, well 
furnished with leaves and buds, which are opening “ kindly ” and devoid 
of coarseness. The present bright weather will do much toward bring¬ 
ing on the late plants, which will need all the time available to insure 
perfect development by the required dates. The varieties most pro¬ 
mising at the present time are Boule d’Or, Golden Dragon, very fine ; 
Ralph Brocklebank, Jeanne Delaux, always good here ; M. W. Holmes, 
M. Freeman, Avalanche, very early ; Novelty, most promising ; Reful¬ 
gence, Jardin des Plantes, rich; Lord Alcester, and John Salter. 
Several new French raised varieties are on trial, which by their present 
appearance do not promise anything extraordinary. 
ROOKSBURY PARK. 
In the Chrysanthemum world this is a new name, but the name of 
the cultivator there is not new, for he is a younger brother of Mr. Moly- 
neux of Swanmore Park, who is looking forward, no doubt anxiously, to 
making his debut as an exhibitor on his own account; and as he has had 
much experience in this when at Swanmore, where he served as 
foreman six years, the “ business ” will not be entirely new to him. 
Circumstances at present do not admit of his growing a large number of 
plants, neither is the convenience for housing the plants quite of the best. 
Most of the plants are standing in a large and lofty conservatory 
adjoining the mansion. In this position they are far from the glass. The 
roof is 30 feet high, although through the side they obtain ample 
light. The plants are arranged in a sloping bank 100 feet long, and 
being backed up with specimens of Camellias nearly 20 feet high and 
■other plants which reach the roof, an excellent effect is produced by the 
glowing colours against the dark green background. One thing which 
specially struck me was the intensity of the colours. Princess Beatrice, 
for instance, was a true rose pink, not that washed-out lilac tint so 
•often seen. The plants are not so much characterised by a great thick¬ 
ness of stems as they are by their complete maturation. This and a 
hilly situation may have much to do with the intensity of the colours. 
Many varieties are now expanding their blooms, and are evidently well 
■“ timed.” Especially good was the promise of blooms of such varieties 
ns Prince Alfred and its sport Lord Wolseley, which are already deeply 
built, an essential point of quality. Novelty, capital; Refulgens, fine ; 
Princess of Wales and Mrs. Heale, very good ; Lady Hardinge, Mrs. W. 
Shipman, and Jardin des Plantes were conspicuous amongst the incurved 
varieties. Japanese were represented by large expanding blooms of 
Frederick Marrouch, a deep orange yellow, capital for back lines ; Belle 
Paule, equally good ; Baronne de Prailley, Sunflower, Ralph Brockle¬ 
bank, substantial blooms of Avalanche gradually developing, and later 
•ones of Edwin Molyneux and M. Astorg, the latter a silvery white, in 
which the florets have an elegant drooping character. Taken as a whole 
the prospect is encouraging, although Mr. N. Molyneux is anxious to 
«ee how the blooms will develope in such roomy and lofty quarters. 
SWANMORE PARK. 
A note respecting the prospect of the Chrysanthemum season in 
Hants would hardly be complete without a mention of the Swanmore 
plants. Mr. Molyneux, by the publication of his book, has done much in 
■extending the growth of Chrysanthemums for the production of large 
blooms, and although he is not such a prominent exhibitor he is still a 
large grower, turning his attention to bringing out the latent qualities 
•of new varieties. For example, the finest of all the white varieties of 
the Japanese section, Avalanche, first expanded there in its proper 
form two years since. Last year brought out another sterling novelty, 
Mrs. Falconer Jameson, this, like the former, being one of Mr. Cannell’s 
seedlings. This season proves the variety to be one of the best of its colour 
and kind in existence, coupled with dwarf growth, 3 feet high. The 
blooms measure 7 inches across, 5 inches deep, perfectly solid in build; the 
florets are strap shaped, and have a semi-weeping character ; the colour 
is a peculiar mixture of chestnut, bronze, and yellow, the reverse is pale 
gold. This year several American varieties promise well, Puritan, a 
pure white incurved Japanese, being worthy of especial notice. So is 
Sokoto, a new style of yellow. M. Bernard, a dwarf growing variety, has 
amaranth surface florets, having a silvery reverse. Mdlle. Louise Leroy 
has the same style of flower as Avalanche in its formation, but 
having the faintest touch of blush pink on a white ground. Many 
other new varieties, both named and otherwise, are under trial, including 
several English raised sports from incurved varieties which need more 
time to determine their quality. All sections have an equal chance, one 
not being neglected at the expense of the others. Mr. Molyneux has an 
especial fancy for single varieties and Pompons, of which there is a 
capital collection now commencing to unfold their blooms. Bush grown 
plants covered with bloom of Lady Selborne evidently find favour. 
The plants are arranged in the usual “ bank ” style, so that a capital 
view can be obtained of the blooms all through. 
I noticed the extreme dwarfness of the plants generally, plenty 
of the Queen type not being more than 4 to 5 feet high, the Tecks 3 to 
4 feet high ; the foliage is of that bronze hue generally noticeable in 
the Swanmore plants, while due regard is paid to the maturation of the 
wood, in which Mr. Molyneux is a stern believer. As showing the 
manner in which such varieties as Avalanche, for instance, is tested 
here, I noticed as many as forty blooms of this variety alone in one long 
row, and being arranged thinly among the Pompons the purity of this 
variety was much enhanced by its contrast with the deep green 
leaves of the small flowered varieties. The blooms were large and solid, 
but early. Edwin Molyneux is excellent; Sunflower is one of the 
best yellow varieties in existence, the drooping habit of its florets giving 
it a charming appearance ; M. Astorg, Mdlle. Lacroix and F. Marrouch 
are good ; Thomas Stephenson, a sport from Criterion, was considered 
not to be distinct by the National Society’s Committee from that variety, 
but is here totally different, being orange red. Violet Tomlin and 
Miss M. A. Haggas are developing blooms quite in keeping with the 
published descriptions of these grand additions to the incurved section. 
It is such varieties as these which have well formed l i joins that add 
so much to the quality of a collection. In time it will not be necessary 
for cultivators to retain many sorts at present in favour, which are 
either rough or flat. Several new singles are under trial. These,_ as 
well as the Pompons, are being grown in two ways, some for producing 
specimen blooics, and others in quantity, which will prove the adapt¬ 
ability of these sections for producing bloom in both ways. Effie is a 
large flowering variety with long drooping florets of a peculiar mixture 
of chestnut and claret, the disc being pure yellow. Many other varieties 
were promising, but not at present far enough out to determine their 
quality. Older varieties, such as the Queen family, Princess of Wales, 
and Princess of Teck, Lady Hardinge, &c., promise good blooms 
later on.— Visitor. 
EARLY CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
This season has been one of great advance in many ways for the 
early flowering Chrysanthemums, although as far as regards the 
weather it has not been so favourable as some. The spring was good, 
we did not have so many or such late frosts as in other years, but August 
was unusually cold, not having the ripening influence so important to 
it. With all the progress that has been made, Mr. Wilks, the Secretary 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, truly says they are not nearly so 
well and generally known and valued as they should be. 
The first striking event of the year was at the Rose Show, July 6th, 
at the Crystal Palace, when on entering the exhibition tent a row of 
Chrysanthemums in full bloom met the view. These were all of the 
Desgrange family, and consisted of forty-three fine plants, not with 
two or three flowers on a plant, but mostly bearing about a dozen good 
blooms, forming with other decorative plants a fine back row to the 
tables of Roses. They were exhibited and grown by Mr. W. E. Cass, 
Church Road, Norwood. Now it has been said that Chrysanthemums 
are not wanted at this time of the year, but I can truly say that there 
was no feature of that Show so striking or beautiful as this row of 
Chrysanthemums, and as a lady behind me remarked they looked better 
than the Roses. The day was very hot, and the Show being held in a 
tent with insufficient ventilation many of the Roses looked wilted and 
parched, but these plants and flowers seemed in their full beauty. It 
has been urged that they were of no use, but it should be remembered 
that they were not grown merely for exhibition but in the regular 
way of trade, were used after the show for furnishing purposes, and 
finally the flowers were cut and sold. Tolerably fair use for one set of 
plants being a sufficient reply to those who said they were no use, 
besides showing what can be done at so early a date as the beginning of 
July. 
As regards the other Shows, the Dahlia Show at the Crystal Palace 
on September 6th and 7th was the place of struggle, for Messrs. Laing 
& Sons of Forest Hill, who, for the first time came in with a very 
large group, taking first prize, Messrs. Davis & Jones of Camberwell 
were second, and myself third. I think there should be some restriction 
in these exhibits. The schedule says, eighteen plants, three of a sort, six 
kinds, in 24-size pots ; but this has hardly ever been adhered to. Me 
have always tried to exhibit plants fulfilling the terms of the rule, but 
doing much more. In this case Messrs. Laing’s group was nearly twice 
the size of Messrs. Davis & Jones’s, so that, though the latter was very 
good, it had not the size to attract the attention of the Judges. What is 
