156 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r February 21, 188 ft. 
sidered the weak points of Mr. Hilton’s arguments. Possibly many 
readers of the Journal have not quite overlooked the fact that my 
opponent took up this subject as a critic, and in trying to disprove my 
statement that some varieties of Grapes colour quite as well in dull 
seasons as in bright ones he has shown us that during a season so ex¬ 
ceptionally dull as that of 1888 he succeeded in growing well finished 
Grapes, although they were unavoidably started later than he con¬ 
siders was good for their well-being. Surely this points to the conclusion 
that had they been started under more favourable conditions they 
might reasonably have been expected to finish as well as in brighter 
seasons, provided the elements under control were regulated in accord¬ 
ance with the weather.— H. Dunkin. 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 
A meeting of the Sub-Committee entrusted with the revision of 
the rules and regulations was held in Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, on 
Monday last at 5 P.M., when the task of bringing tbe various regulations 
into harmony with the new rules of the Society was satisfactorily 
accomplished after a prolonged and careful discussion. Subsequently a 
meeting of the General Committee was held, when it was announced 
that Lord Brooke had signified his willingness to become President of 
the Society, and a list of gentlemen who had been requested to take 
the office of Vice-Presidents (some having accepted) was also read. 
Letters from the Bev. W. Wilks (Secretary of the Boyal Horticultural 
Society) and Mr. Holmes’ replies thereto, in reference to the proposed 
Chrysanthemum Conference at Chiswick next November. Mr. Wilks 
stated that the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society wished the 
National Society to co-operate with them in the scheme if possible, but 
after the proposition had been submitted to the Committee it was 
decided that the National Chrysanthemum Society could not enter into 
any fresh engagement for the present year, as it had already been sug¬ 
gested that conferences should be held at the September and January 
shows, with possibly one at Hull. The following members were elected 
to fill the five vacancies on the Floral Committee :—Messrs. E. Sander¬ 
son, Lewis Castle, J. P. Kendall, C. Swift, and J. Wruht (Temple 
Gardens). The dates of the meetings of this Committee are as follows : 
—September 11th, October 9th and 23rd, November 12th and 26th, 
December 11th, 1889, and January 8th, 1890. Autumn and midwinter 
shows will be held on September 11th and 12th and January 8th and 9th. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM AMY FURZE. 
Me. Molyneux’s advice is very good, but it has already been 
anticipated by the Committee of the Havant Chrysanthemum Society, 
Schedule 1888. The rule runs thus—“ Chrysanthemum Amy Furze and 
Madeleine Tezier, syn. Mdlle. Madeleine Tezier, will be only recognised at 
this exhibition as reflexed varieties, either as plants or cut blooms,” and 1 
think it right. It makes it easier for the judges, no matter which way 
they lean themselves, and is fair to the exhibitors ; and the above 
Society not being affiliated with the N.C.S. is perfectly at liberty to 
adopt the above varieties in the reflexed section. I am of opinion that 
where the committees of Chrysanthemum Societies are largely composed 
of practical gardeners they are not so liable to err as amateurs in the 
preparation of schedules, unless the latter make a specialty of Chrysan¬ 
themums. There is another variety which would make a telling variety 
in a stand of reflexed— i.e., W. Holmes. With moderate cultivation it is 
purely reflexed, but I find the larger the blooms the more apt they are 
to show the centre ; and the petals round the centre stand upright or 
slightly incurve, and it is not every society that can afford a separate 
class for Japanese reflexed. — Southernee. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM EDWIN MOLYNEUX. 
I WAS glad to see Mr. Doughty correct the statement in the Journal 
on page 49, that the above-named Chrysanthemum had suffered from 
scalding, as I had many times been told, and knew from experience, 
that this was one of the best “ keepers ” we have, and not at all liable 
to either scald or damp ; in fact, someone said to me once, when speaking 
of the retentive qualities of this Japanese variety, “ Why, you may 
throw Molyneux into the river, and he wouldn’t damp then.” This 
variety combines all the qualities needed to make it a favourite, and I 
shall be surprised if it does not head the list of varieties exhibited next 
season.—A. 
LATE-FLOWERING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
These are quite as much, if not more, appreciated and useful 
when they can be grown to flower in December and January, as when 
flowering at the usual time. By a careful system of treatment many of 
the midseason varieties may be had in or be made to prolong their 
flowering later than November, but it is the naturally late flowering 
sorts that are the most valuable, as they are so necessary to fill up a 
blank caused by the bulk of the general collection losing their blooms. 
In my case more than the usual supply of cut flowers is needed at 
Christmas and in the new year, and many blooms had to be cut that I 
considered were not at their best, but by growing a good number of 
plants I was able to meet the demand and had a fair supply of flowers 
up to the last week in January, when I cut the last blooms of Ethel, 
Princess of Teck, White Venus, Golden Gem, and Virginale ; but just 
previous to that I had other sorts equally good—viz., Hero of Stoke 
Newington, Golden Dragon, Thunberg, Phidias, Comte de Germiny, 
Miss Marechaux, H. Waterer, and Mrs. Charles Carey, this last with 
Princess of Teck were useful late varieties. I notice that the yellow 
flowers last longer in perfection either on the plant or when cut than 
most of the others, Peter the Great and Ralph Broeklebank particularly 
so. My plants have not been grown on the single stem and large bloom 
plants, but in the bush form, and to gel all the flowers I could, there¬ 
fore but one thinning of the buds was made, except upon weakly plants. 
I. however, followed the dictum of Mr. Molyneux, and gave them 
special treatment for the purpose of late flowering ; therefore, when the 
plants were housed these were kept separate from the others by having 
a house to themselves, and by a very careful system of retarding the 
desired object was obtained. 
Here I may mention that retarding the flowering period of some 
and advancing that of others calls for very careful attention, more so 
than at first appeal's, for while the former may be opening their buds 
too fast and will need to be kept further from the glass, the latter will 
apparently be slow to move, and will require elevating near the glass, 
and light. For any of them a moderately dry position is necessary, and 
a house where condensed moisture may be soon dried up by very gentle 
fire heat in wet dull weather, besides very careful watering and venti¬ 
lating. My plants had the whole of a large early vinery to grow in, 
facing due east, consequently no sun shone on them after midday, and 
when the weather was mild they had ventilation day and night.— 
Thomas Record. 
NEW FRENCH CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Among the Chrysanthemums offered by De Reydellet the following- 
descriptions read well:— 
M. Robert Orocn. — Incurved, large bloom of perfect form, exceed¬ 
ingly double, brilliant deep rose, lighter at all the points and at the 
centre. 
Ville de Gand.— Hybrid, large bloom, exceedingly double, florets 
lightly reflexed ; tender rose, passing to creamy white at the centre ;. 
plant of good habit, 
Ville d'Anvers. —Hybrid, large bloom, lightly incurved towards the 
centre, broad florets of a lively rose, passing to white at the points and 
centre. As soon as the bloom is developed half of the florets are 
reversed towards the middle, giving the flower the appearance of a 
Cockade Aster. 
Massalia. —Japanese, large, very double bloom, florets broad, of the 
most beautiful shining red, reverse bronze, producing a fine effect; some 
florets are reversed on the centre ; flowering early and for a long time 
in succession. 
Two late varieties are Gloire des Blanches, Japanese, with broad flat 
floret, silvery white flower, large and double ; and Saladin, Japanese,, 
large golden yellow bloom, with spiral centre, backs of florets slightly- 
silvered, habit good. 
Triomphe d'Anzin .—Japanese Anemone from imported seed, outer 
ligulate florets white, the others well developed with lively rose throats 
and gilded points—tips.—B. 
CUTTING DOWN CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
In reply to “ G.,” who does not appear to be sure that he under¬ 
stands what I mean, but does not hesitate to say that my closing state¬ 
ment on page 115 “is very sweeping,” I may say that I consider the 
kind of plants I alluded to stand self-condemned as decorative plants, 
and also as plants grown for the purpose of producing exhibition- 
flowers. Further, in response to “ G.’s ” very solicitous request, and as 
an endeavour to earn his hearty thanks, and those of all lovers of the 
Chrysanthemum, of which he has so generously assured me, I respect¬ 
fully recommend him to obtain and carefully read and digest a book 
written by Mr. E. Molyneux on “ Chrysanthemums and their Culture,” 
who will tell him how to produce “ the finest specimens in their respec¬ 
tive classes and on pages 53 and 54 he will find a list of 168 varieties 
of the best Chrysanthemums in cultivation when that book was first 
written ; and he will find that 139 varieties of the total number are- 
varieties that need not be more than 6 feet high, and only seven that r 
according to Mr. Molyneux, need be more than 7 feet high.—J. Udale. 
DWARF CHRYSANTHEMUM \ 
Mr. D. Thomson, in his article on “ Gardening Past and Present,’” 
alludes to the want of varieties of Chrysanthemums of a dwarf habit, 
and I cannot think he has seen the recently introduced varieties which' 
possess a dwarf habit. This feature characterises many of the best of 
recent introductions, especially in the Japanese section. I wi 1 run 
through some of the names of dwarf growing varieties. Avalanche 
heads the list in point of quality and usefulness alike. When the plants- 
of this variety are allowed to assume a natural habit of growth—that is- 
without topping the leading stem, or in any way checking a free growth 
so as to induce dwarfness, blooms as fine as it is possible to wish for in. 
