January JO, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
51 
allowed to show in 16-size pots instead of being bound to 24’s. This is 
likely to conduce to the welfare of the exhibition in seasons to come. At 
the National Chrysanthemum Society’s early show there is no restriction, 
though it may be taken for granted that larger than 16-size would not be 
used. If these larger pots were had at the Crystal Palace some might 
show there who contemplated showing at the National Society’s Show, 
the same plants in some cases doing double service. There is one little 
thing to mention in connection with this Crystal Palace Show, as I shall 
not here mention the new sorts we were able to put up for the first time. 
It was that on the second day of the exhibition Mr. Davis of Camberwell 
brought one flower of the new American variety Mrs. J. R. Pitcher. This I 
believe to have been the first flower shown in public in this country, and 
I put it on record because I think it will in years to come prove one of 
the grandest early Chrysanthemums ever grown. The next thing to 
notice is the first early show of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
at the Aquarium, Westminster, held on the 9th and 10th of September. 
It has been said that this was a fortnight too early, but I should rather 
say a week, or the middle of the month, not only for the season, but 
supposing the Palace Show to be held when it is, it would allow more rest 
for those concerned between the two shows, as well as be likely to permit 
other plants to come to perfection for the purpose. The grand feature of 
this show was the banks or groups of flowers, the first prize for which was 
justly given to Mr. Davis of Lilford Road, Camberwell, and I believe this 
was the finest bank of early flowering Chrysanthemums ever exhibited in 
this country. It contained plants of the new red sport of Lyon, Alice 
Butcher ; plants of Mrs. J. R. Pitcher, which latter were the first plants 
shown in England. It also contained a plant in bloom of the new 
crimson William Holmes. This attracted much attention owing to its 
striking colour and large bloom. The second and third prizes went to 
Mr. Stevens of Putney, and Mr. Wright, gardener to the Inner Temple, 
both of whom put up grand banks of flowers, whose, only failing was 
rather too much of Mauame Desgrange. We want more colour, and 
should the new sort, William Holmes, prove early enough, it will till the 
vacancy so obvious in the crimson line. It has again been repeated that 
these early sorts are not wanted, and I can only say that people do not 
generally buy what they do not want, and they buy these because they 
will do what no other flowers or plants will. In the open ground alone 
they will produce such masses of flowers with such little labour ; more¬ 
over, they last in water more than double the time of many cut blooms, 
Dahlias, to wit, last no time thus; besides, for town and suburban growing 
I think they have no equals. It should be remembered, too, that such 
plants as Gladioli, &c., produce only one spike of flowers and are done, 
while the Chrysanthemum Flora will continue blooming for months. 
Where, too, are their equals for harvest festivals ? All this some people 
know and others do not, hence these remarks. 
At this Aquarium show Class 6 was for collections of cut Chrysanthe 
mum flowers, and both Mr. Davis and myself considered that the main 
use of this class was to induce exhibitors to send as many varieties as 
possible to represent the condition and advance of this culture, and he 
exhibited by far the very best collection in this respect, showing twenty- 
four varieties with their names, of which ten were new, in fine state. 
I was able to show nineteen, of which nine were new. All these had 
their names attached. Tbe first prize was given to a row of about one 
dozen blooms of Madame Desgrange, with a few bunches without names 
I will now try to do what I have done in former years—namely, to 
point out the new sorts of this season, and say a word or two on those not 
sufficiently developed of last season and of most merit. I am well aware 
that though so much has been written, many in trade, as well as others, 
do not really know the merits of the new varieties, or I should not receive 
the catalogues I do from promising establishments in which the poor old 
sorts figure where the new ones should have place instead. Last season’s 
good opinion of Blushing Bride is fully borne out this. It is a fine thing. 
Piercy’s Seedling is again iust as good as its first season. Roi des 
Precoces is rather later, and on October 5th was not out. Jeanne Cousinifj 
has surpassed itself. It is very good indeed, but not so robust as some. 
It is tbe colour of Madame Piccol, but a better flower and earlier. 
Toreador does not so much resemble Frederick Pel6 as I thought last 
time. It is a downright good red, in many respects the very best red 
early Pompone ; it renders Pompone Toulousain unnecessary. I regard 
it and my Mr. Piercy as the two best reds up to last season. I have come 
to the conclusion th it Mignon is not Fibeita. It is better by not being 
so tall, easier to propagate, and earlier. I may mention here, too. that 
Salter’s Early Blush is coming much into favour for large quantities of 
cut flowers, for where grown in the open garden in a rough way it does 
admirably. 
Mrs. J. R. Pitcher .—Amongst the discoveries of this season I put as 
the first Mrs. J. R. Pitcher. This was sent to me last season by Mr. 
Thorpe, of the firm of Hallock, Son, & Thorpe, of Queen’s, New York, 
U.S.A., but being packed in wooden boxes, they came so dried 
that they barely lived, and were a long time before they grew strongly, 
which they did at last, but when the end of the season arrived and no 
bloom appeared, I concluded they were late sorts, and gave them all away. 
Among others part was given to Mr. Ware of Hale Farm Nurseries, 
Tottenham, Essex, and upon a visit there on the 23rd of July it was in 
bloom. These plants were said to be spring-struck cuttings, and if that 
was so, then it is one of the early as well as best sorts. It grows about 
3 or 4 feet high, with leaves a good like Madame Desgrange, of 
which it appears to be a seedling. The flower is a slight blush in the 
open, but a delicate white under glass. It is quite unlike Madame 
Desgrange in appearance, and is slightly incurved; very effective and 
beautiful. Probably it will come to be as generally grown as Madame 
Desgrange. 
Alice Butcher.— The second find of importance is Alice Butcher. 
This is a red sport, I call it, of Lyon, Mr. Davis, who brought it out, 
calls it Bronze. Purchasers can decide for themselves. It is in every 
respect like the original but the colour, 
Pierre Verfiel is another new and capital bright red Pompone bloom¬ 
ing in September, the colour and flower much resembling Alice Butcher. 
Grows 27 inches high; flowers 2 inches across; very profuse bloomer. 
Will bo very good for cut flowers. Better to propagate than Lyon or its 
sport. 
Red Luxembourg . —This is a bright red sport of the old Mrs. Wood, 
but as that is now better known by its new name through its new yellow 
sport, we have given it the name as above for the purpose of its more 
easy recognition. I think it is very likely this will become one of the 
most favourite reds for florists’ purposes as the colour is good. It is rather 
a deeper shade than Pierre Verfiel or Alice Butcher, and it is exceedingly 
robust, and good for rough culture and rapid propagation. 
Golden Luxemburg. —A sport of Mrs. Wood, now wrongly called 
Luxemburg. Plant as good ; robust in every way, and dwarf as the 
original, but having flowers of a bright yellow instead of dull bronze. 
This stands wet and bad weather well, and is good to cut in a wet 
state. 
L'Ami Couderchet. —One of the most beautiful early Pompones ever 
introduced. It is a very stout grower, about 20 inches high ; flowers of a 
pale primrose colour, most profuse in quantity and good in quality ; size 
2 to 2£ inches across. Excellent grower ; blooms in August. 
Mdlle. Leoni Lassali, —A very fine new ivory white, large-flowered, 
and particularly bushy plant; grows about 18 inches high. Will be 
admirable for a bedder. Blooms about 3 inches across. Begins to flower 
in July. 
Blanch Columbe. —A very goad new dwarf white, growing 18 inches 
to 2 feet high. The flowers are about 2\ inches across, wi h a very 
straight petal standing out like a star; very robust. Blooms in 
August. 
Flvcon de Neige. —There are two others of this name. One of the 
most beautiful and exquisitely white Pompones ever seeD. Grows about 
18 inches high, and has flowers 1| to 2 inches across. Blcoms in July 
and August. 
Sussex. —An English seedling. A good stout robust-growing white 
Pompone with a pale yellow centre. Blooms in September; 16 inches 
high. Flowers 2 inches across ; handsome foliage. 
Hemline. —A white small Pompone, very dwarf; 1 foot to 16 inches 
high ; flowers 1J to 2 inches across. Blooms in August. 
Canari. —This is a very good and dwarf Pompone of a yellow colour, 
like a canary bird. It very much resembles the new yellow sport of 
Petite Marie, but is very good to propagate, while Petite Marie is bad for 
that purpose. Canari has a flatter bloom, and is about 2 inches across. 
The plant grows 1 foot high. It is a little beauty. 
Petillant. —A stout-growing white Pompone. Grows 2 feet high, and 
has flowers 2£ inches across with very stout thick petals ; ivory white. 
Blooms in September. 
L' Avenir. —A very good sort, growing 2 feet high, of very good 
habit, bearing flowers 2£ inches across the colour of Madame Piccol, 
thari which it is a better plant to propagate, and of stronger constitution. 
Blooms in August. 
Gentillesse.— This is a most profuse blooming Pompone of a pick 
coleur, growing about 3 feet high, and having flowers 1^ inch across. 
A good robust grower. Blooms in August. Old plants will bloom twice 
in the season. 
Precocite Japonaise. —A very strange quaint-looking flower about 
2^ tr 3 inches across. The petals are a deep kind of pink at the base, 
shading off at the ends to nearly white. It is a good out-of-doors plant, 
about 3 feet high, and blooms in September. 
Rose d'Ete. —A new pink Pompone with a small flower. Biooms in 
September. 
E. G. Henderson et Son. —A plant of a poor thin habit with a poor 
thin flower. It is a yellow Japanese, and blooms at the end of September. 
While I write to say what is good, I may a3 well speak of what to 
avoid, This is, it should be remembered, such a very different thing to 
the general idea and practice with Chrysanthemum growers that the 
judgment would generally go against such plants as I grow. We want 
for garden, decorative purposes, and masses of cut flowers, with branches 
and plenty of leaves as well as flowers ; but we have to be often judged 
by the minds formed from exhibition plants, tall, with a few fine flowers 
at the tip, and from which most of the buds have been picked. A wrak 
plant wdl often grow good flowers that way, but such treatment is quite 
out of the question in the open garden, hence we want plants that are 
strong enough to perfect a large number of flowers. I have grown many 
plants commonly considered good, but when grown without disbudding, 
were ve y poor indeed ; not properly robust enough to stand the open air, 
far too tall to keep up, and not having the power to perfect all their buds 
into fair flowers. 
I may here mention a variety which, though perhaps it ought hardly 
to be included in the early group, it may probably come eailier 
another time, it is Mons. Cossart, a fine strong plant with good stout 
flowers, large and very fall, a kind of orange yellow, seems to bloom at 
the end of September, grows 3 to 4 feet high, blooms 3 to 4 inches acros-. 
Precocity of Delaux.—This, too, is barely early, not blooming till the end 
of September or beginning of October, but as this is its first season in 
England it may come earlier next time. It is a stout dwarf Pompone, with 
