218 
[ March 14. 1889. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
for ripe Strawberries to be gathered in rather more than nine weeks 
from the tine of starting at this time of the year?—C. L., Ham Green, 
Bristol. 
STANSTEAD SURMISE. 
This is one of the Forest Hill seedlings which everyone should 
possess, as it is one of the very best new Japanese of last year. It is a 
strong grower, rather early to flower, but being a rare laster and pro¬ 
ducing immense blooms from either the crown or the terminal bud, I 
shall be greatly surprised if it is not frequently seen in exhibition stands 
next autumn. Visitors to Laing’s nursery just now will find plenty of 
flowers to admire. The choice forms of Cattleya Trianre and Dendro- 
bium Waraianum, the unequalled collection of Imantophyllum (Clivia), 
and the useful greenhouse climber, Clematis indivisa, with its improved 
var. lobata are all worthy of note.—II. S. 
PREMATURE BUD FORMATION. 
If there is any consolation in knowing other growers are in the same 
unfortunate “swim” as oneself, Mr. Doughty’s note, page 178, would 
be not unpleasant reading. This is the worst season I have known for 
obtaining Chrysanthemum cuttings. Many sorts generally free, Dotably 
the Queen family, have refused to give me those that are strong and 
clean. On the other band, sorts that with me have sometimes been shy, 
such as Piincess of Teck, Hero of Stoke Newington, and the other 
sports, also Meg Merrilies and Ralph Brocklebank, have been abundant. 
By-the-by, a sport from the Hero, which few appear to have grown, 
Lady Dorothy, should be added to the choicest collection of incurved 
flowers. It is an acquisition, and will become a standard variety. With 
regard to early bud formation, the most troublesome with me this year 
are Princess of Wales, Mrs. Heale, John Salter, Madame John Laing, 
Triomphe de la Rue des Chfilets. To kinds which are early to flower 
this bud may give a natural check, and, from an exhibitor's point of 
view, make the plants produce their blooms at the proper time. Still, it 
is a condition of things not to be desired. I much prefer to see the 
plant go straight away from the beginning. However, there are more 
things in growing Chrysanthemums than are dreamt of in our philosophy. 
—II. Shoeshitii, Shirley, Croydon. 
I stated on page 178 *hat plants of ihe Queen family had not shown 
any signs of bud formation ; but since that date 1 find the following 
have—Golden Empress (three plants), and Queen of England, Bronze 
Queen. Lord Alcester, and Alfred Salter, one plant of each. I agree 
with Mr. Bickett as to keeping the plants in a genial temperature until 
they commence growing freely, for I have a very strong opinion that 
when placed in a cold pit or frame after repotting and severe weather 
follows they receive a double check, which favours bud formation. Last 
season I kept them in a heated pit, so that no covering was required. 
This season, the pits not being available, I have them in a late vinery, 
1 ut with better weather, and the plants will be placed in cool pits. 
“ J. H.,” page 200, says, in his opinion premature bud formation is the 
result of early propagation. This may be so if cuttings are struck too 
early, but I do not think that is the cause in my case. I find those that 
have formed buds were inserted on December 12th with the exception 
of Violet Tomlin. Last season the whole were inserted by the 10th of 
December, and I do not recollect seeing one that formed a bud in spring. 
In my opinion the season has much to do with bud formation, but why, 
after a summer like 1888, which produced such a luxuriant growth, 
buds should be so prevalent 1 cannot say. I hope to see more on the 
subject from other growers, whose notes render the Chrysanthemum 
column of the Journal interesting and instructive.—J. Doughty. 
BLUE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
When I wrote that a true rose pink was the colour most wanted in 
“ Mums,” the flight of my imagination had not carried me so far as to 
think of a blue, although Mr. Frederick Lewis seems not to despair of 
such a result, seeing he.offers £5 and third class fare to any person 
showing a blue Chrysanthemum at the South Weald Show of 1889 ; but 
who is to judge as to what may be considered a blue? I think it 
simply ridiculous to imagine that the first attempt in that colour 
would be either a true light or dark blue, but probably Mr. Lewis 
would be quite satisfied to award the prize to the nearest approaching 
it, in which ease I do not consider this offer quite so safe as your corre¬ 
spondent thinks it is.— F. C. Backer. 
COLOUR IN CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
It is indeed a difficult matter to name varieties of Chrysanthe- 
mums of any section which possess the colour wanting, named by 
“ F. C. I?.,” page 177, a real rose pink, but the colours which are the 
more sought after still are those of bright shades, scarlet if possible ; 
still, we have a goodly number bordering on that colour, and may 
expect more at any time now when we see the new varieties turn 
out next season. The colours last named, the bright ones, are certainly 
the best for enlivening a collection either in a cut state or growing 
upon the plants, especially at a time of the year when nearly all else 
is dull both in and out of the houses. This fact makes the reds or 
brighter colours more noticeable than rose pink. Still, we may obtain 
both colours, because a great advance has been made in the production 
of varieties possessing fresh or better colours. There are some who grow 
the varieties on account of their colours’, but I presume there are many 
more who do not regard colour as the first consideration. With them 
size is first considered in the retention of a variety. It is the rage for 
size which shuts out to some extent highly coloured sorts. Take Etoile 
du Midi, Flambeau, or M. N. Davis, for instance ; these are brilliantly 
coloured, but now seldom seen, simply because they are not large enough 
for the show boards. Exhibitors know this, and that it is useless to 
trouble with varieties that cannot possibly be any benefit to themselves. 
In these days it is idle to think otherwise. Take a yellow sort again. 
In my opinion there is no variety which possesses the same shade of 
yellow as Buttercup, which does not properly belong to any decided 
section, being too small for the Japanese board, and too large for a 
purely reflexed stand. The colour of this variety is difficult to describe 
correctly ; the nearest I can get to it is an intensely bright buttercup 
yellow, deepening towards the centre as the florets unfold. 
In addition to Roseum superbum, I know of only five^ varieties 
which come anywhere near the colour named by “ F. C. B.” One is 
Madame Clos, Japanese Anemone ; when well grown the grand florets 
are especially rich in colour. Dormillon approaches near to the colour 
required, except when the blooms dcvelope from very early buds ; in 
that case an objectionable white spot often appears on the florets ; the 
bloom in itself is not of much quality, being too thin in the florets and 
“build.” Hero of Stoke Newington, under tbe best treatment, often 
produces blooms of a rich rosy pink, especially when they develope at a 
time neither early nor late. In some localities late blooms of Baronne 
de Frailly have a much deeper shade of colour than in others, and 
come near the colour desired. I have thought that the new incurved 
variety, Perle Precieuse, would come near the desired colour, but there 
is too much purple in it I fear.—E. Molyneux. 
NOTES ON POTATOES. 
LAXTON’S REWARD. 
iT'will be seen on reference to the advertisement on the front page 
of the Journal of Horticulture, March 7th, that Mr. Laxton claims this 
to be “ the best winter-cooking Potato,” and although it is a rather 
bold assertion, I am inclined to think he is right. I have had an oppor¬ 
tunity of testing its cooking qualities for three successive years, and 
each time it gave the greatest satisfaction. It is undoubtedly a genuine 
cross between the Scotch Champion and Magnum Bonum, and possesses 
some of the best qualities of both parents. In its habit of growth it 
much resembles the Champion, is quite as good a disease resister as that 
good old variety, and equally as well adapted for growing on rather 
strong land. The tubers, plentifully produced, are round, shallow-eyed, 
in this respect being a great improvement on Scotch Champion, and they 
keepwell. When cooked with an ordinary amount of care it is floury, 
mild in flavour, and evidently contains a much greater per-centage of 
starch than most varieties. I ought perhaps to add it is a yellow-fleshed 
variety, but that is no reason why it should not, as with us, gradually 
replace both the Champion and Magnum Bonum. 
KING OF THE RUSSETS AND CARTER'S SURPRISE. 
Mr. Mees, who happens to be a near neighbour of mine, reports in 
the Journal of Horticulture (page 173) that the former of these Potatoes 
was badly diseased with him, and I do not doubt his word. With us, 
and on a rather heavy soil, it resisted the disease surprisingly well and pro¬ 
duced a heavy crop, the tubers being, for the season, extra large and of 
good form. Last year it was better in quality than this season, aud the 
same may be said of numerous other varieties. It is well worthy of a 
trial, so also is Carter’s Surprise, this also being distinct and good. It is 
a heavy cropper, the tubers turn out clean, only a few being diseased, 
and the quality is good. —W. Iggulden. 
I think the suggestion of Mr. W. J. Mees a good one, and would be 
glad to know what Potatoes your different correspondents think the 
most suitable for a cold clay soil. Last year we grew twelve varieties. 
Those that proved the best were Mona’s Pride, a good cropper, very little 
disease, and excellent when cooked ; Dwarf-top Ashleaf, not such a 
heavy cropper as the former, but a fine tab e Potato, no disease, perhaps 
on account of its being lifted early ; Myatt’s Ashleaf Kidney cropped 
well, but nearly all diseased ; Veitch’s Improved Ashleaf Kidney, fair 
crop, and good for table, but rather badly diseased ; Sharp's Victor, a 
capital table Potato, but cropped very lightly here, no disease ; Main 
Crop Kidney, a first-rate table Potato, a good cropper, and only a very 
few diseased. Later sorts that succeeded were Sutton’s Abundance, a 
capital eating Potato, an excellent cropper, and very little diseased ; 
Adirondack, a good cropper ; few diseased, it was rather “sad” when 
cooked last autumn, but generally goed ; and we have some not used 
which I hope may prove better when cooked ; Scotch Champion, a 
capital cropper and an excellent table Potato, scarcely any diseased, its 
only fault being its deep eyes ; Imperator, a good cropper, but not so 
good when cooked as Champion, though no doubt the wet season had 
something to do with it ; Beauty of Hebron, cropped well, but was not 
fit to send to table, yet a friend of mine in Oxon had it in fine 
condition for table ; the disease showed itself first on this variety, but 
the haulm was at once pulled and the malady arrested; and School- 
