JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 7, 1889. 
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not be sown earlier than April. Little plants grow rapidly when 
they are in good ground.—R. P. B. 
RAISING SEAKALE. 
I do not know how long your correspondent “ J. G.” (page 144) has 
been taking the Journal; however, he advises exactly the same 
method of treatment as practised and recommended by myself in these 
columns about eight years ago, though his treatment varies from mine 
in planting He says he plants in rows 2 feet apart, while 1 consider 
20 inches ample. A method practised in the market gardens near 
London is worth copying. The land there it is well known is always 
well enriched with manure. Cabbages are planted in autumn for pull¬ 
ing early before the hearted Cabbages come in ; Seakale is planted 
between the rows in March, the Cabbages affording some protection 
until the Seakale is started. The Cabbages are of course removed 
before the Seakale is grown sufficiently to be injured by the other 
crop.—J. PlTHERS. 
NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 
The adjourned annual general meeting of the above Society was 
held in Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, on Thursday, February 28th 
last, at 7 P.M., E. C. Jukes, Esq., in the chair. The principal business 
was the election of President and Vice-Presidents, which had been 
postponed to permit the Sub-Committee and Secretary to communicate 
with several gentlemen with regard to filling these offices. The results 
of these applications were highly satisfactory, and it was proposed by 
Mr. L. Castle, seconded by Mr. B. Wynne, that Lord Brooke, M.P., 
Easton Lodge, Dunmow, Essex, be elected President, which was carried 
unanimously. Mr. W. Holmes then proposed that the following gentle¬ 
men be elected Vice-Presidents—namely, the Earl of Lytton, Lord 
Ebury, Sir Edwin Saunders, Sir Guyer Hunter, Dr. Robert Hogg, 
J. Wormald, Esq., and E. Sanderson, Esq. This resolution was also duly 
seconded and carried. 
The Trustees’ account of the Reserve Fund to December 31st, 1888, 
was next submitted to the meeting by Mr. Starling, from which it 
appears that £98 3s. 5d. is standing to the Society’s credit in Consols, a 
total sum of £113 Os. fid. having been expended in their purchase. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SARAH OWEN. 
I consider this variety sent out last year one of the finest Japanese 
yet introduced, and predict it will take a leading place both as an 
exhibition flower and for home decoration. Being a sport from Madame 
J. Laing, it is of good habit and a most desirable colour—gold bronze 
shaded with rose, quite distinct from any kind I am acquainted with. 
We grew two plants of it last year. Although I did not get the cut¬ 
tings till late in the season they each carried four flowers, fit for 
exhibition, and were much admired by all who saw them.— Edwin 
Beckett. 
PREMATURE BUD FORMATION. 
Like Mr. Doughty, I find early bud formation very prevalent this 
season, and indeed it is the general complaint in this locality. The 
sorts most given to it with us are the whole of the Queen tribe, which 
are by far the worst; the Rundle type, C. Gibson, Princess Beatrice, 
Jardin des Plantes, Lord Wolselev, Prince Alfred, Refulgens, Triomphe 
de la Rue des Chalets, E. Molyneux, and those already named in the 
Journal. Great care was taken in the selection of cuttings. It is not 
unusual to find a few show buds at this early season, but never to such 
a large extent as this year. I agree with Mr. Doughty when removing 
the bud in taking back the shoot two or three joints below, and I would 
advise keeping them in a genial temperature until they commence 
growing freely. When this is carried out I have found them little the 
worse at flowering time, but if kept in a cold frame they become hard, 
and much valuable time is lost.— Edwin Beckett, Aldenham House 
Gardens, Elstree, Herts. 
Mr. Doughty’s note under the above heading, p. 178, will doubtless 
prove interesting and instructive to many young growers of Chrysan¬ 
themums, and with the same object in view I have much pleasure in 
giving my experience. With me the following varieties have shown 
buds this season, been pinched back two or three joints, and the 
majority made a satisfactory start into growth again—viz., Princess of 
Teck, Mrs. N. Davis, John Salter, Jardin des Plantes, Empress Eugenie, 
Mrs. Shipman, Barbara, Empress of India, Lord Alcester, Bronze 
Queen, Alfred Salter, Princess of Wales, Lady Trevor Lawrence, Meg 
Merrilies, Ralph Broclrlebank, Criterion, and Duchess of Albany. Last 
year we had about half of the above showing buds prematurely, and 
although I cannot say that the circumstance made much difference in 
the size and quality of blooms produced in November, I must say that I 
would much rather have young plants that did not show these early 
buds. The cause of buds showing so early is, in my opinion, early 
propagation. In this theory I am supported by the fact of this year’s 
young plants having been propagated a fortnight earlier than those 
of last season. When a young plant that has been pinched back 
throws up a shoot from the base I prefer to retain the latter, and think 
it produces a better bloom than the original shoot or cutting.—J. H. 
Mr. J. Doughty complains of the early forming of buds amongst 
his collection at page 178, nor is he alone in his trouble. He mentions 
Jardin des Plantes, Princess of Wales, and its sport Mrs. Heale are 
sadly addicted to this habit, and I suspect Yiolet Tomlin and Miss 
Haggas will be the same way inclined. The best cuttings I have found 
are produced from late-struck plants, confined to 5-inch pots, and not 
allowed to flower. Ours are strong and healthy, showing no signs of 
bud formation. The varieties showing bud here are Mrs. Norman Davis, 
Barbara, Jeanne d’Arc, Lord Wolseley, Prince Alfred, Refulgens, and 
Venus of incurved sorts; while of Japanese the most conspicuous are 
E. Molyneux, L’Adorable, Marguerite Marrouch, M. H. Elliot, Soleil 
Levant, and Triomphe de Nord, but the last-named is subject to this 
freak ; and Fleur de Marie of the Anemone class are also forming buds. 
My experience is that in most cases the buds are formed upon stem 
cuttings. The further from the pot the cuttings are produced the more 
likely are the plants to form the premature bud. Suckers do noc, as a 
rule, form this bud, though these cannot always be obtained. As Mr. 
Doughty remarks, I do not think so much injury as might be imagined 
arises from this bud formation if removed in time. I agree with him in 
taking the shoots well back. I have found Elaine .troublesome, but at 
the time of flowering I did not find any material difference between the 
two, though those that were pinched back might have been a few days 
later in blooming.— Notts Grower. 
CUTTING DOWN CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
“Notts Grower” warns growers against cutting down Chrysan¬ 
themums after they have had their final shift, the objection being they 
are so liable to be damaged by wet. Would he kindly give his experience 
on the point 1 I cut down two-thirds of my plants last season, but only 
one variety, Le Sceptre Toulousaine, suffered from the cause indicated, 
proving there is not so much to fear provided the plants have been well 
treated and potted, as I advised, three weeks previous to being cut dowri. 
Comte de Germiny “ Notts Grower ” finds to succeed well under the 
system. With me it has never been so good as plants grown on the 
orthodox method. My endeavour was to give growers who have had no 
experience in cutting down some broad lines to guide them, without 
giving a list of varieties resembling Comte de Germiny, Grandiflorum, 
and Golden Dragon. A few may be cut down, while of such as 
M. C. Audiguier, Belle Paule, Criterion, and Mdlle. Lacroix, the whole 
stock may be cut over with excellent results. I trust we may have cut¬ 
ting down Chrysanthemums freely discussed. There is no doubt but the 
height has been a serious drawback to Chrysanthemums as decorative 
plants. While being thankful for the recent dwarfer introductions, we 
should be sorry to part with varieties which have proved themselves so 
useful in the past. We are glad to find that they lend themselves so 
readily to the cutting down system.—W. D., N. B. 
AN AMERICAN CHRY3AN EMUM CATALOGUE. 
A CATALOGUE issued by an American firm that makes a specialty 
of Chrysanthemums, presents an example of the manner in which 
literary matter is appropriated on the other side of the Atlantic. 
Definitions and descriptions have been taken bodily and word for word 
from the National Chrysanthemum Society’s new catalogue, without the 
slightest acknowledgement. The Society named spent nearly £40 in the 
production of their catalogue, the preparation of which occupied a 
committee of specialists for some months, but it was not expected that 
any tradesman would adopt their work as his own, as in this instance.—C. 
WINTER CUCUMBERS AND VENTILATION. 
Mr. Ward is anxious that the readers of the Journal should judge 
of the soundness of his views on this subject, and the fair manner in 
which he deals with the writing of his critics. I am willing they should 
do so, and I will give some of the sentences as I wrote them and as Mr. 
Ward reproduces them. First, let me say that I do not consider it fair 
to any man to pull to pieces his calendarial writings. Mr. Ward 
evidently thinks he has a weak case when he is anxious to draw Messrs. 
Baillie, Burton, and Colman into a discussion in support of his views, 
or to introduce what they write in a contemporary for me to attack,, 
which I shall not do. 
If we turn to page 13 Mr, Ward says, “ Notwithstanding the full 
and repeated instructions given to young men on this very important 
detail, it is hard for them to discriminate how and when to give air on 
two consecutive days.” I agreed with him on this point, (see page 72), 
and gave reasons. He will, I think, in all fairness, either withdraw that 
statement, or admit it bears the interpretation that I put upon it— 
—namely, that young men cannot carry out as the chief wishes this 
“ chink ” of air business. Readers do not care much for hunting out. 
old papers for comparison, and therefore I crave the Editor’s permission 
to give again the last paragraph but one on page 135. He says, I fail 
“ to adduce any practical reason showing why they cannot do so if they 
try, and provided the head gardener writes on the label attached to 
the thermometer in each house the temperatures he desires to be kept up 
therein day and night under stated conditions. Without some guide 
of this sort young men cannot be expected to always remember the 
