262 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 24, 1887. 
such as Tulips, Roman Hyacinths and Lily of the 
Valley are plentiful enough, whilst of stove plants the 
great quantity of Eucharis blooms is quite surprising, 
and argues that the dreaded Eucharis mite is not 
making such alarming headway as might have been 
anticipated. The pale, double blue Marie Louise and 
the deep blue Czar Violets are abundant and beautiful, 
as are Christmas Roses, white sprays of forced Lilac, 
Lilium longiflorum, Tea Rose, Niphetos, white Chry¬ 
santhemums and others. Pot plants are represented 
by Erica caffra, E. gracilis, E. hyemalis, forced bulbs, 
such as those already mentioned, Cyclamen, Poinsettias, 
Chinese Primulas, Ficus elastica, Cyperus, Ferns, 
Conifers and others. 
More abundant at this season, perhaps, than at 
any other, are the supplies of foreign fruit, such as 
Oranges, Apples, Pears, Nuts and Almonds, which 
must find their way to the market in tons, and com¬ 
mand an enormous sale. Striking fruits amongst the 
Orange tribe are those named Pomelloes, a kind, or 
rather variety of the Shaddock, of a pale yellow colour, 
and about the dimensions of a good-sized Melon. The 
West Indian Shaddock is also pale yellow, but of huge 
size, while the Jaffa Oranges are smaller and darker in 
colour; Tangerine Oranges being very small. Amongst 
English Apples, King of the Pippins, Cox’s Pomona 
and Ribston Pippin are still great favourites ; whilst 
amongst American and other varieties, the Russets, 
Calville Blanc, New Town Pippin, and also the large, 
grandly-coloured sorts, such as King of Tomkins County 
have a telling effect on the stalls and in the windows. 
Pears are represented by magnificent examples of Glou 
Morceau, Easter Beurre, Ne Plus Meuris and others. 
Pine Apples and Bananas constitute a never-failing 
supply, and are well represented at the present time, 
especially the former. Custard Apples are frequently 
more abundant than at present, and also larger, but 
they hold their place amongst other fruits in the market. 
The curious Lee-chee or Litchi, also spelt in various 
other ways, and the most celebrated of fruits indigenous 
to China is now a regular commodity, and well repre¬ 
sented at the present time. When freshly gathered, the 
peculiarly warted fruit is red, and contains inside the 
shell a clean sweet jelly-like pulp, to which the natives 
of China are very partial, and consume in great 
quantity. Before the Lee-chee reaches our markets the 
shell becomes dry, brown, and brittle, while the pulp 
shrivels in drying, and becomes black similar to that of 
dried Plums. Pomegranates are large, and apparently 
good. Another unfamiliar fruit is described as the 
Chow Chow, or the Madeira Vegetable Marrow, singular 
looking scaly or warty green fruits about the size of the 
fist. An uncommon fruit sometimes grown in this 
country, namely, the Medlar, which is unfit to eat 
till in a state of incipient decay, has been plentiful in 
the market for some time, and offered at 6 d. per lb. 
Nuts are represented by Brazil Nuts, Spanish Chestnuts, 
Walnuts, and others. Gros Colmar and other black 
hothouse Grapes are offered at prices ranging from 2s. 6 d. 
to 6s. per lb., the latter being well-finished and good- 
looking samples. 
-- 
THE HOLLY AT CHRISTMAS. 
At the Christmas season the Holly and the Mistleto 
reign in every British household the whole world over 
if they can be procured, and they are said to have done 
so for more than 2,000 years. “The custom of deco¬ 
rating houses and churches with Holly at Christmas, is 
probably derived from the Romans, who were wont to 
send boughs to their friends during the festival of the 
Saturnalia, which occurred about the same period, and 
the Oaks being then bare of leaves, the priests obliged 
the people to bring the boughs of Holly and evergreens. 
There is little doubt that the early Roman Christians, 
disregarding the Church’s interdiction, introduced the 
heathen practice of decorating their houses with Holly, 
and in course of time connected it with their own faith” 
( Folkard’s Plant Lore). However much we may, in 
our Christmas observances, blend Mistleto and Holly, 
the former is now excluded from our churches, either 
on account of its heathenish associations or, because, 
being so often in rustic places associated with Christian 
merriment, it might awaken remembrances little favour¬ 
able to thought and devotion ; and yet, in years past, 
the Mistleto was held to represent the Messiah, and 
certainly, at one time it was called the Wood of the 
Holy Cross. 
The Holly was formerly called Holine and Hulver or 
Hulfere. The word Holly is said to be a corruption of 
Holy Tree, a name given to it by the monks on account 
of its old use in decorating churches. The plant is 
still called Holene in Devonshire, while in Norfolk it 
is called Hulver. Pliny tells us of many superstitions 
concerning the Holly, saying, in the words of his 
translator, “as touching the Holly, or Hulver-tree, if 
it be planted about a house, whether it be within a 
city or standing in the country, it serveth for a counter 
charm, and keepeth away all ill spells and enchant¬ 
ments.” Among the other remarkable things con¬ 
nected with the plant, the Roman naturalist relates 
that its flowers will cause water to freeze and repel 
poison ; while, if a staff of Holy Wood is thrown at 
any animal, even if it falls short of touching it, the 
animal will be subdued by its influence, returning and 
lying down by it. 
The Holly is a native of the woods and forests of 
Britain. It is certainly one of the glories of English 
gardens. There its deep green glossy foliage and 
bright coral berries, which hang on for a long time, are 
seen enlivening the pleasure grounds and shrubberies 
throughout the whole of that leafless and inactive 
period in vegetation—winter. The numerous varieties 
of gold and silver, blotched, whole, notched, saw-like, 
hairy, bristly, broad, narrow, and thick-leaved, and yel- 
lowas well as red-berried are beautifully ornamental, and 
quite justifies the remark of a modern writer that, “A 
large Holly Tree covered with a profusion of bright 
scarlet berries is certainly the queen of the woodland.” 
Hardy as the Holly is in this country (though some 
of the trees suffered severely in the miserable winter of 
1880), it will not flourish in the Eastern States of 
America as a hardy tree. It is the severity of the 
winters there that prevents this. South of Philadelphia 
it becomes acclimatised. The growth of the Holly is 
slow, yet it is always beautiful; and for hedges it is 
altogether unrivalled. There are many remarkable 
Holly hedges in England. There is no more durable 
subject for fences. A hedge of Holly will attain the 
height of 16 ft. in about twenty years. In Bretagne, 
Holly trees are often to be seen 50 ft. in height, and 
Bradley records that some of those at the Holly-walk 
near Frensham, in Surrey, have attained the height of 
even 60 ft; while old Hollies, 30 ft. or 40 ft. high, 
with very large trunks, are to be found in various parts 
of the country. 
The Holly was one of the favourite plants for verdant 
sculpture in the ancient style of gardening. Evelyn, 
in the edition of his Sylvci, published in London in 
1664, asks, “Is there under Heaven a more glorious 
and refreshing object of the kind, then an impreg¬ 
nable hedge of 165 ft. in length, 7 ft. high, and 5 ft. in 
diameter, which I can show in my poor gardens, at any 
time of the year, glittering with its armed and 
varnished leaves ?” 
►>=!=<-«- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM FLOWER 
CLASSES. 
With pleasure I give the lists of Chrysanthemums 
as suggested by “ D.,” p. 229. Commencing first with 
the incurved section, I name what I consider are 
twenty-four large-flowering, distinct varieties, and a 
second list, of the same number of small-flowered 
varieties. I cannot call them all medium-sized flowers 
which are produced by the sorts named ; however, they 
are distinct, and I think that will please “ D.” better 
than inserting the front row varieties of the first twenty- 
four, and called large-flowering ; by making two dis¬ 
tinct lists we get forty-eight varieties, sufficient to suit 
all tastes surely. 
Twenty-four Large Incurved Flowers. 
Lord Alcester 
Queen of England 
Empress of India 
Golden Empress 
Alfred Salter 
Golden Queen of England 
Princess of Wales 
John Salter 
Jean d’Arc 
Prince Alfred 
Lord Wolseley 
Bronze Queen of England 
Mrs. Heales 
Jardin des Plantes 
Bronze Jardin des Plantes 
Hero of Stoke Newington 
Princess of Teck 
Empress Eugenie 
White Globe 
Cherub 
Nil Desperandum 
Mr. Brunlees 
Sir Stafford Carey 
Beauty. 
Twenty-four Medium-sized Incurved. 
Refulgens 
Baron Beust 
Novelty 
Mabel Ward 
Eve 
Barbara 
White Venus 
Lady Slade 
Princess Beatrice 
Lady Hardinge 
Angelina 
Golden Eagle 
Golden John Salter 
Mrs. W. Shipman 
Mrs. Norman Davis 
Lady Carey 
Mr. Bunn 
Nonpareil 
Pink Venus 
Isabella Bott 
Beverley 
Mrs. G. Rundle 
Mrs. Dixon. 
George Glenny. 
Now with respect to the Japanese section I have 
made divisions of twenty-four loose-petalled, twenty- 
four incurved, and the same number of reflexed varieties; 
I find them rather difficult of classification, as I know 
of no rule whereby to aim at a correct decision. Some 
persons ma.y possibly place some of those named in 
other divisions, substituting others more suitable in 
their place, and in their estimation I find the incurved 
section most difficult to enumerate in the Japanese 
class. 
Twenty-four Japanese Loose-petalled. 
Boule d’Or 
Fair Maid of Guernsey 
Triomphe de la Rue des 
Meg Merrilies [Chalets 
Ralph Brockiebank 
Mrs. John Wright 
Duchess of Albany (Jackson) 
Baron de Prailly 
Carew Underwood 
Edouard Audiguier 
Gloriosum 
Le Spectre Toulousaine 
M. Andorre 
Mons. Harman Payne 
Mrs. Mahood 
Mad. Bertier Rendatler 
Mons. Tarin 
Bronze Dragon 
Ceres 
Flamme de Punch 
Frederic Marrouch 
Jane Salter 
Mdme. J. M. Pigny 
Mdlle. Moulis. 
Twenty-four Japanese Incurved. 
Comte de Germiny 
Mdme. C. Audiguier 
Edwin Molyneux 
Mr. H. Cannell 
Mrs. H. Cannell 
Thunberg 
Mr. C. Orchard 
Lady Lawrence 
Japonaise 
Sam Henshaw 
Grandiflora 
Chang 
Twenty-four 
Elaine 
Belle Paule 
Jeanne Delaux 
Avalanche 
Criterion 
Val d’Andorre 
Margaret Marrouch 
Mdme. Laing 
Martha Hardinge 
Mons. Astorg 
Mons. H. Elliott 
Mons. Burnet 
Pelican 
Golden Dragon 
Soleil Levant 
Snowstorm 
Mons. Freeman 
Magnum Bonum 
L’Ebouriffee 
James Salter 
Lady Selborne 
Dr. Masters 
Bismarck 
Harlequin. 
apanese Reflexed. 
Maiden’s Blush 
Mons. Delaux 
Bertha Flight 
L’Adorable 
Hiver Fleuri 
Balmoreau 
Mr. John Laing 
Mdlle. Lacroix 
Fernand Feral 
Album plenum 
Don Quichotte 
Mdme. de Sevin. 
It does seem difficult to some people to understand 
why so large a class as forty-eight blooms of either 
Japanese or incurved Chrysanthemum blooms are 
asked for at any show ; but I think it must be admitted 
that the finest blooms of either section are to be found 
in these large classes. Generally any part of the lead¬ 
ing stands can compare favourably with other stands 
in the same exhibition in the smaller classes. Societies 
find it necessary to offer large prizes to secure a good 
exhibition ; sensational classes and prizes generally 
cause the most interest, and, as before stated, the best 
blooms are to be found in the largest classes, simply, 
I suppose, because the best growers compete in these 
large classes. Do away with large classes and large 
prizes, dividing the prizes into smaller sums, making 
more classes, and I venture to say that a lack of fine 
flowers will be the result as compared with those staged 
in such sensational classes. 
Societies generally prepare their schedules with a 
view to encourage the finest productions in both 
sections of Chrysanthemums. Therefore, how the 
prizes are offered, and to what extern they range, seems 
to me more a matter for the consideration of the 
committees of societies, rather than of individuals who, 
perhaps, have no interest in the production of flowers, 
good or bad. I am quite content to leave such arrange¬ 
ments in the hands of the proper officials. “D” 
evidently has a wish to disparage flowers of the Queen 
and Empress types, but I would ask him what more 
beautiful flowers can be named than a perfect specimen 
of Queen of England or Empress of India? Or, again, 
can he name any variety more worthy of the highest 
position in the lists than Lord Alcester, which is also an 
Empress sport ? When presented in its proper form, it 
has size and quality combined. The fact of its taking 
more premier honours during the late season than 
almost all other varieties put together, is a proof of 
how it is regarded by the general public, which, of 
course, includes our best judges of Chrysanthemums. 
I fail to see why a large variety of any of the Queen 
or Empress types is not equal to, if not better than, 
these really refined forms, which are, however, left 
unnamed by “ D.,” who, if he has had any experience 
in the cultivation of Chrysanthemums for the pro¬ 
duction of large blooms, I think must know the value 
of such as those mentioned in competition with 
smaller varieties ; he would also know that they are 
much more difficult to present in their true character 
