564 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 20,18S4. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
December 11th. 
Scientific Committee.— Present: Dr. M. T. Masters (in the 
chair); Dr. Bonavia, Mr. McLachlan, Mr. Michael, Rev. W. Wilks, 
Rev. G. Henslow, Hon. Sec. 
Pines, —Dr. Masters exhibited a series of cones, &c., received 
from Mr. Herrin, gardener at Dropmore, as follows :—Pinus Lambertiana, 
the Sugar Pine, from California, the cones being 12 inches in length, of 
which the seeds are edible. Abies nobilis, remarkable for the golden 
coloured reflexed bracts and the silvery foliage. Araucaria imbricata, 
first and second year’s cones. The largest tree at Dropmore was raised 
(as also the one lately dead at Kew) from seed brought by Mr. Menzies 
from Chill. Cupressus Goveniana, remarkable for its elegant branching 
with decussating branchlets. C. macrocarpa, only growing at Monterey, 
on the sea-coast of California. It succeeds well on our own coasts, but 
not inland. 
Primula ohconica a Cause of Eczema, —Dr. Bonavia described a 
case of a lady who was three times made seriously ill by handling this 
plant before it was discovered to be the cause. It appears to be harm¬ 
less with most people, but is a serious source of trouble to some persons 
who touch it. 
Nepenthes Mcalcarata in Flower. —Dr, Masters showed specimens 
of the flowers of this plant, which has not been known to blossom in 
this country before. The inflorescence is an umbel, and not an elongated 
raceme, as in other species. It was received from the Edinburgh 
Botanical Gardens, 
Tritoma with Axillary Buds. — Dr. Masters showed drawings 
illustrating the unusual occurrence of flower buds arising near the base 
of the stem in this plant. It was observed that other plants are 
occasionally seen to throw out supernumerary flower buds, as Docks 
and Nettles. 
Chrysanthemum Pride of Swanley. 
All persons who take an interest in Chrysanthemums must have 
noticed the numerous white varieties that have figured among recent 
introductions. This fact, however, does not prevent an unusually good 
sort quickly coming to the front, as is the case with Pride of Swanley. 
Generally two or three years are required to develop the charac'eristics 
of seedling Chrysanthemums, but the variety under notice proved an 
exception to this invariable rule. We believe the seed which produced 
this grand acquisition was sown early in the present year, and at the 
last show of the National Chrysanthemum Society for this year blooms 
were staged by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, the raisers. When 
brought before the Floral Committee on the 4th inst. a first-class certifi¬ 
cate was awarded for this variety. It is a very large Japanese with 
long drooping white florets of medium width, forming a deep globular 
flower. The illustration (fig. 92) has been reduced from a photograph 
of a bloom kindly supplied us by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons. Pride of 
Swanley is one of the best white Chrysanthemums of the season, and 
has a future before it. 
Chrysanthemum Analysis—Japanese Varieties. 
Is it not remarkable that in the list of fifty-six varieties that the 
beautiful incurved Robt. Owen is missing, whilst in 1893, in many 
cases, this variety won premier honours as the best Jap in the show? It 
is only another instance, or proof, that some varieties do much better 
in a dry season than in a wet one. Other absentees from the list are 
Golden Wedding, Louis Boehmer and Chas. Blick. Surely the last 
named is omitted in error. 
In my note re Chrysanthemum Audit ” on page 544 of last week’s 
issue a misprint occurs. I wrote “out of the ninety-three varieties,” 
not 1893 as printed in the third line. The last sentence but one 
referring to the varieties mentioned on the page quoted should also read, 
“In the next (of course there will be another) these varieties would 
occupy a much different position.”— W. J. Godfrey. 
Select Japanese Chrysanthemums. 
It has been suggested to me as a further means of assisting those 
who have neither the space to accommodate nor the means to procure 
so many varieties as noted in mv *' Estimate of New Chrysanthemums” 
in the Journal of Horticulture, iloeX I should make a list of twelve 
of those I regard as being superior. I accede to the request, and 
append the names, placing the varieties somewhat in their order of 
merit:—Duchess of York, Mrs. W. H. Lees. Madame Carnot. Mrs. George 
Gordon, Nivens, Lady Northcote, Mrs. W. J. Godfrey, Golden Gate, 
Commandant Blusset, Duchess of Wellington, Mrs. E. 8. Trafford, and 
H, L, Sunderbruck.—E, Molyneux. 
Disqualified Exhibits. 
I must apologise to your correspondent “ Lex ” (page 646) for 
misquoting him, inasmuch as I wrote “ rule” instead of “ regulation; ” 
but I still adhere to the statement I made on page 622, that “Lex” 
had put a construction on my letter on page 450 that was mis’eading. 
I do not suggest that there were two editions of the Journal, giving 
different versions of my letter; but I do say that “ Lex ” has only 
partly quoted what I said on the page quoted. 
The point first raised by Mr. Wells was, What is meant by exhibitors 
being requested to have their stands made in accordance with the 
metropolitan plan ? and I say that Regulation 8 of the Kent County 
Society definitely states what that plan is by giving the dimensions, and 
that is what I endeavoured to point out to Mr. Wells in my reply on 
page 450, but perhaps (unfortunately for me) I am not so able to 
express myself as your correspondent “ Lex,” with whom 1 have no 
wish to cross pens as to the difference between a request and a command 
after reading his able letter on page 546, and I am sure that it will be 
of immense service to committees when revising schedules of forth¬ 
coming shows. 
I must admit that Mr. Wells’ letter in the Journal of Horticulture 
(page 427) did not convey to my mind that he raised the question of 
the effect of a “request” as distinguished from a direction, as “Lex” 
says he does in another paper, but as I have not seen that paper I can 
say nothing about it. 
In reply to Mr. Wells (page 546), I have most carefully read again 
the regulations of the National Chrysanthemum Society, and I have 
failed to discover anything in them that binds affiliated societies to 
accept the National’s ruling as to size of boards. The regulation from 
which he quotes has reference only to exhibitions held by the N.C.S., 
and does not apply to exhibitions held by affiliated societies, but if Mr. 
Wells can point out anything in rule 6 of the National Society (which 
has reference to affiliated societies), which says they are to accept the 
ruling of the National as to size of boards I shall be obliged to him.— 
R. Filkins. 
Stopping Chrysanthemums. 
With pleasure I reply to the inquiry of Mr. J. W. Beasley (page 645), 
and would say I am far from being a believer in the practice of stopping 
the plants of incurved varieties. I think that much better results are 
to be obtained by growing the plants with one stem until such time that 
this is multiplied by the formation of a flower bud in the point of 
growth. It always seems to me to be a less of valuable time to stop the 
plants and encourage them to grow vigorously again to make up for the 
check. 
The most important point in the cultivation of incurved Chrysanthe¬ 
mums is the maturity of the wood. If the growth is not free to begin 
with and thoroughly solidified it is useless to expect blooms perfect in 
contour, firm in the floret, and of large size. In no way can this state 
of things be better brought about than by securing for the plants a long 
season of growth, so that solidity of the wood is gradual, the result 
of perfect leaf development in the first place, and an entire absence of 
gross pithy wood in the next. Blooms from plants characterised by 
immature growth of both wood and leaves may become as large in width 
as those from more matured growth, but this is only one element in 
their production. Solidity of floret combined with build is of far 
greater import and will go much further towards winning prizes. 
Mr. Beasley committed two errors in culture that I know of—first, 
by rooting the cuttings as late as February, and by stopping these same 
plants. The sunless summer, too, was much against plants ripening 
their wood that had been previously hindered in their growth.— 
E. Molyneux. 
Decorative Chrysanthemums. 
The system of planting out and lifting Chrysanthemums answers 
very well in some seasons, but it is not one to recommend taking one 
year with another. For instance, this year the absence of sun 
rendered the growths sappy, especially of late flowering sorts, hence 
the reason of their not flowering so well. When the weather is con¬ 
tinuously wet and cold for a month at least the roots ramble further 
away in the cold soil consequent on little sunshine to warm the soil. 
Under such conditions there is not the same kind of check to exuberance 
that there is when the roots are confined in pots. 
I should strongly advise “ J. L. B.” (page 545) to procure a selection 
of the newer varieties that give abundance of bloom in the open with 
long stems suitable for filling vases for two months, commencing with 
September, and grow the remainder in pots. The inclusion of a 
number of plants in the open would lessen the trouble and allow more 
time and space to cultivate the later flowering in pots. The following 
is a short list of choice varieties for flowering outdoor :—Madame 
Desgrange, G. Wermig, and Mrs. Hawkins, the two latter pale and deep 
yellow sports of the first named pure white and free-flowering sort; 
M. Gustave Grunerwald, light pink, changing almost to white; 
Montagu, dull purple crimson ; Mrs. Gifford, silvery pink, flushed 
deeper in the centre ; Comtesse Foucher de Cariel, a charming bronze 
shade; Arthur Crepy, pale yellow ; October Queen, flesh pink; Rose 
Queen, rose ; Roi des Precoces, brilliant crimson ; and Ryecroft Glory. 
For pot culture, in addition to those named, I should recommend 
John Shrimpton and Cullingfordi as a good succession to W. Holmes. 
To follow Source d’Or, William Robinson and Golden Gem, which is 
really more bronze than golden, would be useful. In addition to those 
named by “ J. L. B.,” Lady Selborne, Elaine, Lady Fitzwygram, and 
Eynsford White are grand white-flowered varieties ; Sunflower, Pcoebus, 
and M. Garner axe useful yellow blooming sorts. Elsie and Mrs. Honil, 
