NoTember 22, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
469 
Chrysanthemum Plant Groups, 
To Mr. W. Wells is largely due the newly aroused interest taken 
in the more pleasing construction of Chrysanthemum groups at 
shows. His small and very informal arrangement at the Royal 
Aquarium show in October, and his far larger and more attractive 
combination at the Crystal Palace recently, evidenced breaks away 
from the common group form with its solid wall-face of flowers, that 
there is now some hope the beginning of the end of these abominations 
is at hand. I have often felt so ill-disposed towards these heavy 
bizarre solid built banks of plants as to wish for a basket of half bricks 
to heave at them, if only for the sake of destroying that stolid formality 
that renders them so much alike and so intolerable—every bloom turned 
the same way, every plant severely relegated to its place, and if not 
high enough then set upon pots to fit into it, and then this sort of thing 
is by growers thought to be tasteful and artistic. I cannot look upon 
one of these abominations without feeling a shudder run through me. 
It is really marvellous that Chrysanthemum show committees should 
continue to encourage as well as tolerate such things. 
Probably a sense of taste in plant arrangement never enters into the 
minds of people whose souls seldom soar above a prize list. I am 
far from admitting that Mr. Wells’ Crystal Palace group was as good or 
as tastefully arranged as it might have been. Some of the flowers would 
have looked better if set up a little higher, so that anything like an even 
or formal surface be avoided, and it finished off too abruptly in the 
front. Yet it was so pleasant to find nothing whatever in it of the old 
horror, plant and flower faces built up with line and plummet. Why 
with such great scope as the cut flower classes present for the produc¬ 
tion of size and quality of flowers should that misleading term 
“ quality of flowers,” ever be introduced into the conditions for these 
groups? We have myriads of the most beautiful Chrysanthemums 
conceivable that produce flowers too small for boards, and yet are 
charming beyond all others when grown for grouping. It is these 
which decorative groups should be specially framed to encourage. 
Crowding huge, stiff, formal flowers into one flat face are things to be 
avoided by group arrangers. Will judges elsewhere have the courage 
shown at the Aquarium in October, and at the Crystal Palace last week, 
and go for groups that show taste, elegance, refinement in grouping, 
rather than the old stereotyped abomination? What a mistake it is to 
introduce so many colours. 
Really some growers seem to think the more their group faces are 
thickly studded with variety in colouring the better the effect. That 
is a great blunder. But few colours or many, the greater error to avoid 
is the formal arrangement. I observe that the National Society have 
taken out of their November show the huge groups formerly shown by 
trade growers ; that is a great relief. Also that the groups for private 
growers must now include foliage plants and be arranged for effect; 
that is a capital change in the right direction, and writing before the 
show I can but say that the arrangement of these groups will, I am 
sure, be scanned with exceeding interest. Would that other societies 
would copy the conditions. I have an earnest hope that trained Chrys¬ 
anthemum plants may soon follow suit. I have never seen in the finest 
trained plants ever shown anything so beautiful as was a large clump of 
an ,old white Pompon, seen in a Middlesex cottage garden the other 
day.—A. D, 
Chrysanthemums at Chilwell Nurseries, 
Messrs. J. R. Pearson & Sons, whose successes at Hull and other 
shows have attracted so much attention recently, have again made an 
imposing exhibition of Chrysanthemums at their Chilwell Nurseries, 
Beeston, Nottingham. This collection comprises a large number of 
varieties, all which are good of the older kinds, while all the newer ones 
and a large number of seedlings have a fair share of attention. A large 
span-roofed house, 100 feet long by 30 feet wide, is filled with them. A 
bed of dwarfer varieties is arranged down the centre, with sloping 
banks on each side. At the entrance stands the silver cup won at 
Leeds this year, and doubtless since my visit other trophies have been 
added. 
This exhibition of Chrysanthemums viewed as a whole from the 
entrance presented, as may readily be imagined, a very imposing appear¬ 
ance. It was certainly thoughtful of the Messrs. Pearson, or their 
grower (Mr. Leadbetter of Liverpool fame), to arrange conspicuously 
leading varieties near the margin of the walks, so that they could be 
seen at a glance, the name in each case being written on cardboard, and 
attached just below the flower. 
The flowers have suffered terribly from damp, although the roof was 
shaded Inside with No. 3 tiffany. They had suffered more in this large 
structure, which must contain an enormous amount of moisture, than 
in a lengthy new house mainly filled with incurved varieties from which 
the public were excluded. It is a mistake to suppose that the exhibition 
to which the public had free access was entirely composed of large 
flowers. Such was not the case, for one corner was devoted to the best 
of the singles, amongst which Miss Mary Anderson was very striking. 
The same may be said of a bright dwarf free early flowering yellow 
named Ryecroft Glory, a grand kind for decorative purposes and for 
cutting. Amongst dark, almost blackish crimson varieties, Wm. Seward 
stood out prominently, so also did J. Shrimpton, a very fine flower and 
good colour. Colonel Chase was noticeable, being of good form and 
delicate in colour. A variety named J. R. Pearson, after the founder of 
this firm, was perhaps more curious than useful or beautiful. It was 
produced on a bud fully 18 inches above the foliage, and had long 
drooping florets of a greenish white colour. A variety with a rather flat 
flower named Maude Pearson, is worth growing for decoration. It 
might be called an improved form of Belle Paule, although the petals 
did not droop as in that variety. Mdlle. Thfirese Rey is a grand droop¬ 
ing white form that should be in all collections. Sunflower was also 
equally good. Charles Davis is a favourite, and the plants grown had 
throughout produced good blooms, Duke of York is bright purple with 
a silvery reverse, and is destined to take a leading position amongst 
exhibition kinds. Sarah Hill was in fair condition, being a pleasing 
yellow incurved Japanese Madame C. Molin, with its bronzy yellow 
flower, was remarkably good. Eda Brass and Wilfred Marshall were both 
prominently placed. Primrose League, with its creamy yellow flowers 
of large size and substance, will we have no doubt be in many winning 
stands another year. Hairy Wonder was represented, but as seen, was 
not particularly striking. Lord Brooke, however, was grand, and the 
same may be said of The Tribune with its rather long drooping petals of 
soft primrose. Louise was in fine form, and so also was the White 
Louis Boehmer, equally as good as the type, and well worth growing. 
Good Gracious was noticeable, with white shaded pink flowers, and 
G. W. Childs stood out boldly amongst others. Mrs. H. Payne was pro¬ 
bably the finest flower in the exhibition, some of the blooms of this 
variety being fully 7^ inches in depth. C. Shrimpton and Jules Chretien 
were also worthy of note. Souvenir de Petite Amie, a new white variety, 
was really grand, and Commandant Blussett, as grown at Chilwell, 
will certainly replace Alberic Lunden. 
The above are only a few of the most striking of hundreds of others 
in the best of condition. The plants throughout were well grown, but 
the wood not ripe enough to produce first-class flowers in every instance. 
The incurved kinds displayed a want of ripeness in the growth even 
more than the Japanese, several of the flowers being large but 
flat.—W. B. 
Syon House. 
The gardens at Syon House are by no means devoted to the culture 
of Chrysanthemums exclusively, in fact about 1500 is the total number 
grown. This may sound somewhat extensive, but as several hundreds 
are grown simply for cutting from, it does not leave a great many 
for the supply of large blooms. But like everything else undertaken by 
Mr. G. Wythes, the well known gardener, they are done remarkably 
well, and numbers of blooms fit for the exhibition board could easily 
be cut. The plants are exceptionally dwarf this year, much more so 
than usual, and the wood is firm and clothed with healthy leafage such 
as one likes to see. The effects of the low lying position of the gardens 
and the long continued damp weather is perceptible here and there 
among the flowers in the form of damping, but all things considered, 
the collection has not suffered so much as might have been expected. 
About Christmas time and during the month of January there will 
be a splendid show of plants grown on the bush system, the variety 
being Duchess of Northumberland. It is a seedling raised on the place, 
and is a small-flowered Japanese variety of the Meg Merrilies type. The 
colour is creamy white, and coming as the flowers do at Christmas they 
are most useful for decoration purposes. From the thirty-six plants 
grown in large pots many thousands of blooms will be cut, and a 
journey to Syon House, to see these if nothing else, would be time well 
spent. In addition to these bush plants there are hundreds of others, 
some in only 8-incb pots, and all literally smothered with buds. Many 
of these are upwards of 5 feet through, and all are in the most perfect 
health. For the object in view—cut bloom—nothing could be better 
adapted, as they are such as to invite you to cut and come again as soon 
as you like. 
This collection cannot be termed strictly up to date, as many of the 
novelties are not included, and in fact not wanted, the older sorts being 
found to serve all the purposes required. Neither are the blooms so 
large as may be seen in many places, but what is lacking in size is 
amply made up in the excellence of the colours and the general elegance 
of the blooms. Really big flowers are not desired, or they would most 
certainly be had, as Mr. Wythes is the sort of man who perseveres when 
he has an object in view, and is generally credited with achieving what 
he sets his mind on. So much the more praise is due to him for the 
many excellent blooms that might be cut should the occasion for so 
doing arise. 
As it is obviously impossible for the whole of the sorts cultivated to 
be named, a very brief selection will be made of those that were con¬ 
sidered the best, though in this individual tastes differ to such an extent 
that one could not possibly choose for all, which is fortunate, as it would 
not do for us all to like the same thing. Japanese here, as everywhere 
else, largely predominate, though the incurved make show with such 
kinds as Golden Beverley, Mons. R. Bahuant, Robert Cannell, Mr. 
Bunn, Beauty of Hull, and Baron Hirsch. Of the first-named section 
Boule d’Or, W. H. Lincoln, and Sunflower may be mentioned as repre¬ 
senting the yellows, though there is another in the form of a sulphur 
yellow seedling which gave promise of good points. 
Avalanche and Bouquet des Dames are splendid whites that are still 
well able to hold their own, while it does not seem probable that the 
grand Edwin Molyneux will be superseded. William Tricker and Mrs. 
C. Harman Payne are both seen in capital form, and the sajne may 
safely be said of Colonel W. B. Smith, Lord Brooke, R. C.^ Kingston, 
Excelsior, and others far too numerous to mention. Considering the 
hundred and one things that must claim attention in such an extensive 
charge, the display provided by Mr. Wythes is an excellent one in every 
way, and such as cannot fail to elicit admiration and commendation 
from all who see it, 
