200 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 26, 1887. 
any attempt to coddle it will end in disaster by in¬ 
juring its constitution. Heat must be used to strike 
the cuttings if the operation of propagating is deferred 
till after the new year ; meanwhile the young shoots to 
be employed for the purpose will be deteriorating. For 
some time past strong young shoots have been develop¬ 
ing from the stool or rootstock of the old plants. The 
most vigorous of these, selecting those of moderate length, 
should be used, inserting about half-a-dozen in 60-size 
pots, and, preferably, round the edge of the pot. Crock 
the pots so as to ensure perfect drainage, and cover 
the surface with coarse clean river or other sand ; 
this last condition is not absolutely necessary. The 
soil for cuttings should not be too rich, but consist of 
good fibrous loam with a quantity of sand ; insert the 
cuttings firmly, and water them through the rose of a 
watering-pot to settle the soil; stand the pots on a shelf 
in the greenhouse or other light position, close to the 
glass, and give no more water than is absolutely 
necessary to prevent flagging through sheer want, and 
keep them cool and growing slowly.— F. 
-— >33< ——-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS OUTDOORS 
AT CLONMEL. 
At the present time, when the queen of winter 
flowers is being exhibited throughout the land, it may 
not be amiss to call the attention of those who have 
not the conveniences and time at their disposal to grow 
specimen blooms, but who would like to have cut 
flowers, to what may be done in this direction by 
anyone who can give them a wall; and in the gardens 
of many there is too much of bare wall-space to be 
seen. The best instance of utilising walls for Chry¬ 
santhemums I have ever seen was with Mr. W. J. 
Murphy, of Clonmel, whose fame as a horticulturist is 
well known from his many and varied contributions to 
the gardening periodicals. Frost has not been so severe 
at Clonmel as here ; but I was little prepared to see 
such a sight as that which confronted my view on 
November 15th, when in the genial society of Mr. 
Murphy as he showed me his collection—some 300 odd 
varieties, all tightly nailed to the wall so as to prevent 
them being broken by the wind, which is very strong 
at times. As a means of protection from damp as well 
as frost, Mr. Murphy has a curtain of tiffany let down 
each evening and removed again in the morning. 
I cannot undertake to enumerate all the varieties I 
saw, as I made no notes at the time ; but as some were 
better than others, I will give a few that were most 
striking from memory :—Lady Slade, exceptionally 
bright; Comte de Germiny, of good size; G. Sands, 
very pretty and effective ; M. Brunet, opening a nice¬ 
sized flower ; Fair Maid of Guernsey, Julie Lagravere, 
Peter the Great, Phoebus, Bouquet Fait, Queen 
Margaret, Ariadne, very pretty and extremely free ; 
Chevalier Domage, a mass of flowers ; Dr. Sharpe, nice 
flowers, very bright; Pink, Golden, and Peach 
Christine, which are among the hardiest of all; 
Triomphe du Nord, Sir S. Carey, Mr. Bunn, very 
bright; Lady Plardinge, Lord Wolseley, Mrs. Dixon, 
Venus, La Cid, new and pretty ; M. Veitch, another 
new one ; Baron Beust, opening fair flowers ; Progne, 
very bright and Violet-scented ; Gluck, bright and free ; 
Acquisition, Mrs. Bundle, Dormillon, nice flowers ; 
La Triomphante and L’Ebouriffee, both new varieties, 
as well a9 Maiden’s Blush are all here producing nice 
flowers ; Hiver Fleuri, M. H. Jacotot, very showy and 
bright as here grown ; Madame d’Sevin, Agrements de 
la Nature, very striking ; Hermione, as may be 
supposed, is very effective and free. Not to make this 
list too long, I shall only mention one other, though 
last it is by no means least, Jean Delaux, which 
grown under conditions described is more bright and 
dark than when grown under glass. As may be 
noticed, incurved, Japanese, reflexed, Anemone and 
Pompon varieties are all amenable for this purpose, and 
all alike good; if any preference were given, I should 
favour the Pompons, as they surpass many I have seen 
grown in pots. 
Enough has been said, I trust, to show what can be 
done, if one only has the inclination ; and as Mr. 
Murphy truly says, similar accommodation to what 
he has evidently made the most of is within the reach 
of very many who never utilize it. In the case 
referred to, young plants were used, but it occurs to me 
that old plants would do as well; at any rate I for one 
will try and fii.d room for some next season, as I am 
persuaded that smaller flowers would be equally as 
serviceable for some of the not over-prominent positions, 
and thereby saving specimen flowers which one scarcely 
likes to cut for every purpose.— E. Dumper, Summer¬ 
ville, Limerick. 
IVIES IN SCOTLAND. 
Considering the suitability of the climate for the 
requirements of the greater number of the varieties of 
the common Ivy (Hedera Helix), it is surprising and 
even to be regretted that they are not more frequently 
utilised for the purpose of covering walls, especially 
in places where their nakedness is an eyesore and 
extremely objectionable, as in the vicinity of dwelling- 
houses, the flower garden, or even the pleasure grounds. 
There are also various other purposes for which they 
might effectively be utilised. A collection of some 
thirty or forty varieties is grown in the Leith "Walk 
Nurseries of Messrs. T. Methven & Sons, Edinburgh. 
A large number if not the whole of them are grown in 
pots, and after being forced in March are exhibited in 
the attractive condition produced by the fresh growth 
of the foliage. 
Especially suitable for covering walls and other 
large areas are the large-leaved kinds, such as H. H. 
hibernica (the Irish Ivy), H. H. dentata, the huge 
leaves of which are coarsely toothed ; H. H. Bfeg- 
neriana, with large heart-shaped and leathery leaves ; 
the well-known H. H. palmata, and the beautiful 
silvery-veined H. H. poetiea. More select in their 
way are H. H. Donerailensis ; the Tunbridge Wells 
Ivy (II. H. Crippsii), a small silvery white variety ; 
H. H. lucida, deep green, with a tendency to become 
golden ; II. H. digitata, deeply five-lobed, with silvery- 
veined leaves, and H. H. atropurpurea, the leaves of 
which are bronzy purple in summer, giving place to a 
yellow tint in autumn. The golden yellow or golden- 
clouded Ivies are highly ornamental and always fringed 
w'hen they develop their best garb ; and H. H. chry- 
sophylla, H. H. palmata aurea, H. H. canariensis 
aurea and H. H. Caenwoodiana variegata (with a yellow 
variegation) may be included in this list. 
Amongst the creamy or silvery white variegated 
sorts, H. H. Madeirensis variegata takes a prominent 
place as one of the most useful; while H. H. algeri- 
ensis variegata has a narrow white margin ; II. H. 
latimaculata is, on the other hand, irregularly blotched 
with a creamy white colour, and II. II. elegantissima 
is small and pretty. Tree or arborescent forms are 
represented by H. H. arborescens aurea and H, H. 
marginata arborescens, the latter with a broad white 
margin. H. H. rhomboidea obovata, H. H. con- 
glomerata and H. H. himalaica are fancy kinds, the 
second one mentioned being excellent for rock-work, 
while H. H. himalaica is somewhat tender, but has 
very distinctly elongated, deeply-toothed or lobed 
foliage. -- 
THUJA GIGANTEA. 
As an ornamental tree Thuja gigantea is certainly 
well worthy of attention, the glossy bright green and 
gracefully arranged foliage being pleasing in the 
extreme, and imparting to the whole tree a contour 
that is as desirable as it is unusual amongst the 
generality of our hardy Conifers. In all cases the stem 
is well clothed with branches, these being very ir¬ 
regularly arranged, and short in proportion to the tree’s 
height, the branch diameter of a 50 ft. high specimen 
rarely exceeding 4 yds. at the widest part, and thus 
imparting to the whole tree a columnar though easy 
habit that rarely fails to attract the attention of even 
the most unobservant in such matters. 
The branches are usually placed at right angles to 
the stem, or nearly so, and with the tips up-curved, 
while they are very flexible, and densely covered with 
scale-like finely pointed leaves, which are of a bright 
glossy green above, and distinctly glaucous beneath, or 
on the underside. In medium-sized specimens the 
cones, which are fully \ in. long, and clustered near 
the ends of the branches, are usually borne in great 
abundance, and in the greatest quantity on the top 
half of the trees, and when fully ripe in October and 
November, impart, from their great quantity and 
desirable light brown colour, a by no means un¬ 
interesting feature of the trees. So ductile is the 
leading shoot that we have frequently tied it in a knot 
without effecting the least damage, and when released 
it springs back to the original position in a manner 
that is quite surprising. This yielding quality of the 
young wood renders accidents to the tree, and par¬ 
ticularly the leading shoot, of rare occurrence, and we 
may safely say that during our sojourn of ten years on 
an English estate, where the giant Arbor Yitie was 
planted in greater quantity than on, perhaps, any 
other estate in the British Isles, we have never known 
even one instance in which this tree has suffered from 
the effects of the wind. Even during the memorable 
<‘Tay Bridge gale,” when nearly every other species 
was more or less maimed, this noble tree stood un¬ 
harmed, and passed through the trying ordeal without 
loss of either branch or leader. 
As a standard specimen on the green sward the giant 
Arbor Title will ever hold a high place, but to be 
shown off to perfection it wants a rich background of 
darker-foliaged trees or shrubs, such as that afforded 
by the Yew, Holly, Laurel, or others whose foliage- 
tints are of a deep and sombre hue. Placed along the 
outskirts of plantations, particularly hard wood, it has 
a telling effect, more especially when used where such 
are visible from drives and roads, and where a bit of 
green in the winter landscape is of great importance. 
Unlike its western representative, Thuja occidentals, 
the foliage of the present species does not turn to a 
rusty brown during the autumn and winter months, 
but remains at all times of a bright and pleasant green ; 
indeed, this is an unerring point of difference between 
these oft-confounded, but perfectly distinct, species of 
Thuja. For planting here and there along the margins 
of our woodlands, or even for filling up gaps where 
other trees have been uprooted by the wind, the giant 
Arbor Yitre is peculiarly well adapted, not only on 
account of the bright and pleasant green of its evergreen 
foliage, but for the narrow spread of branches, this 
latter being a matter of much moment in the choice of 
our forest trees, but particularly in such as are wanted 
for filling up open spaces in our woods and plantations. 
We have used it largely for the purpose under con¬ 
sideration, and may safely say that for planting where 
space is limited, and even in the shade of mid-wood¬ 
land, it is one of our most valuable evergreen Conifers, 
luxuriating as it does even where interfered with by 
the branches of neighbouring trees, and where neither 
light nor air is freety admitted. The bark of the giant 
Arbor Title is of a warm and pleasant brown colour, and 
thin and smooth in texture ; and where glimpses of it 
are revealed here and there along the stem, a striking 
contrast is afforded to the bright green of the foliage.— 
A. D. Webster. - 
I fully agree with all that your correspondent 
Mr. Webster says as to the value of Thuja gigantea as 
a timber tree in England. I believe that it will be as 
valuable as the Larch. The wood of Thuja occidentalis, 
which is closely allied to Thuja gigantea, is, I believe, 
considered to be the most durable wood in Canada ; 
but of course it is a much smaller tree. I think that 
Cupressus Lawsoniana and C. Nutkaensis are also 
likely to make valuable timber trees in England. Mr. 
Webster speaks of Thuja gigantea as thriving best in 
good alluvial soil, but I can answer for its growing well 
in very different soil. There is a hillside here with a 
thin soil upon lime-stone rock, which I planted two or 
three times over with Larch with very small success— 
chiefly, I believe, on account of its extreme dryness. 
The Thuja grows there with extreme vigour, and I 
have scarcely lost one that has been planted there. 
One of the merits of the Thuja is the extreme ease with 
which it can be transplanted, owing to its having 
bushy fibrous roots instead of the long tangles which 
Larch and many other Conifers have. I suspect that 
for the same reason it will not be very liable to be 
blown down. The two Cypresses, also, from Western 
America, make wood rapidly, and I believe that the 
wood as grown in their native country is durable. 
Libocedrus decurrens also makes a large stem in pro¬ 
portion to the quantity of branches, but I do not know 
anything respecting the quality of its timber.— C. W. 
Strickland, Hildenley, Malton. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM, MDLLE. 
ELISE DORDAN. 
To those who are particularly fond of Pompons, this 
new variety offers especial charms. The florist, whose 
aim in the production of new kinds is to develop those 
forms presenting the greatest regularity of outline, 
must feel highly satisfied with Mdlle. Elise Dordan, a 
Pompon which, if not of the largest size, is large 
enough to satisfy the requirements of any cultivator 
of plants belonging to this section. It is rather a 
strong or tall-growing variety ; and, owing to the com¬ 
pact and semi-globular form of the flower-head, should 
be hard disbudded to perfectly develop its blooms. 
When they first expand the florets are of a charming 
rosy pink colour, but deepen with age to a lilac or rosy 
purple. They are also so strongly involute at the 
margins, as to be semi-tubular or almost quilled, 
and to their great regularity in length, which gradually 
decreases towards the crown, is due the even, close, and 
regular outline of the head. The variety is early com¬ 
pared with the general flowering season of Chrysan¬ 
themums, and in most collections into which it has 
found its way, it is now past its best. For the flower, 
of which we give an illustration, we are indebted to 
John J. Poe, Esq., who has had it in fine form. 
