282 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
•January 3, 1891. 
The Amateurs' Garden. 
SEASONABLE WORK in the GARDEN. 
Temperature in tlie Stove.—With the turn 
of the year, matters will gradually mend as far as the 
light is concerned at least, but low temperatures and 
severe frost may prevail. During such extremes it is 
unwise to unduly excite the occupants of the stove, as 
indeed in any other department, by maintaining too 
high a temperature. From 58” to 60° will yet be 
sufficient for some time to come, as hard firing is apt 
not only to urge the plants into growth, but to encourage 
tlirip and red-spider owing to the aridity of the 
atmosphere. 
Glass-washing.—As soon as the present spell of 
bad weather gives place to a better state of things, the 
roofs and sides of the various glass-houses should be 
syringed or hosed, and then washed down with brushes, 
for it will be found that a sooty coating has been 
deposited all over the glass-forming a shading that 
greatly obstructs the light at a time when it is most 
needed. 
Cape Heaths.—Watering of these and other hard- 
wooded subjects will have to be done with caution. 
Long observation and experience alone will enable this 
to be done properly. One man only should do this 
work, so that he may study the individual wants of the 
plants according as they are pot-bound and full of 
roots, or recently re-potted. It should be done early in 
the day, so that all superfluous moisture may'be dried 
up before nightfall. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias.—Those whose pits 
are not heated will have to contrive some other means of 
protecting their Calceolarias. The most suitable place 
is a pit where they can be kept near the glass, while 
standing on an ash bottom. This keeps them cool and 
moist. In the absence of such convenience, the next 
best is to arrange them on a shelf or bench near the 
glass at the cool end of a greenhouse. 
Bulbs.—Now that the Christmas festivities arc over, 
a scarcity of flowers will soon make itself felt. The 
stores of bulbs under ashes or fibre should be examined, 
and all that have made a good start removed to a 
forcing pit. If the leaves are unduly elongated, they 
should gradually be inured to the light, and they will 
gradually assume their normal colour. 
Peaeh.es.—As the trees in the earliest house come 
into bloom, syringing must be stopped, and the atmos¬ 
phere kept drier. If any damage is feared from the 
green or brown-fly, the houses should be fumigated 
two successive evenings, in order to keep the pest in 
subjection. Close the house early on bright days, so as 
to economise fire heat as much as possible, remembering 
always that sun heat is preferable to artificial. 
Vineries.—Here, as elsewhere, the temperature 
may be allowed to drop a little under the standard 
rather than up to or over it during such wretched 
weather for plant life as we have been accustomed 
to for some time pist. A temperature of 53° will be 
quite sufficient, even if the bunches are beginning to 
show themselves. Allow a considerable rise by day, 
but particularly with the aid of sun heat. Where the 
early house is thus far advanced, a second one should 
be closed, as soon as the pruning, cleaning and 
painting have been effected. 
Figs. —As the terminal buds break into growth the 
temperature may be gradually increased, for the Fig 
delights in heat and moisture. Keep the glass clean, 
for all the light that can be had will be necessary for 
some weeks to come. Syringe the trees twice a day 
if bright, and damp down the paths, so as to maintain 
a humid atmosphere. A temperature of 55° will be 
quite sufficient on severe frosty nights, but when mild 
it may profitably he allowed to run up to 60°. 
French. Beans.—Thin-leaved subjects like French 
Beans cannot be too near the light. They must be 
syringed pretty frequently notwithstanding the weather, 
in order to keep down red-spider, to which they are 
very subject. On dull days, however, it would be 
advisable not to drench them too severely, especially 
in the after part of the day. 
Sea Kale, Rhubarb, &c.— Introduce successional 
batches to heat in order to keep up the supply, which 
often falls short just after Christmas. Sea Kale 
Pthubarb, Asparagus, and such things are always in 
demand. Since the turn of the year less difficulty will 
he experienced in getting such things to start into 
growth. Pihubarb will be much in request owing to 
the comparative failure of the Apple and Pear crop last 
season. Fortunate are they who secured a stock of it 
before the frost and snow set in. A stock should 
always be held in reserve in a shed out of the reach of 
' frost till wanted for forcing. 
Peas. — It will be some time before any sowings of 
Pc-as may be made in the open border ; consequently, 
many methods will no doubt be tried to obtain, or at 
least to forward a crop under glass. Those who have 
some spare frames may try an expedient that involves 
but little labour and less primary cost. The frames 
should be 3 ft. high at the back and about 2 ft. in front. 
Put in the bottom some 6 ins. of soil, and sow the Peas 
in lines about 18 ins. apart, with the rows running north 
and south. American Wonder and Chelsea Gem are 
dwarf and suitable. Yentilate freely when the seedlings 
are up ; stake early, and mulch between the lines with 
manure. The crop will be fit to gather in May. 
Potatos.—Earth up the early crops as they become 
fit, and make fresh beds to succeed the early ones 
according to the quantity required. Yentilate very 
carefully during severe weather, but do not steam the 
plants by keeping them too close. Allow all the light 
possible to the plants. 
-- 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM IN 
AMERICA. 
Every year seems to add to the popularity of this 
glorious autumn flower, and the progress onwards seems 
to run much on the same lines with us as with you. 
There is here a growing neglect of the plant for deco¬ 
rative purposes, increased attention being paid to the 
development of blooms—the larger the better. The 
evident impression everywhere is that a large, carefully 
dressed bloom is evidence of the highest cultural skill, 
but this I deny, believing that more skill is required 
to grow a handsome specimen. The last exhibition 
of Chrysanthemums I saw in England was in the 
Birmingham Town Hill some ten years ago, and there 
specimen blooms formed a very insignificant part of the 
exhibition. At our shows in Boston competition was 
very keen amongst flowers, but amongst plants In 
several classes there was no competition at all, and in 
some no entries. A few years ago things were just the 
other way From the gardening papers I learn that 
very much the same change has taken place with you. 
In a recent review in The Gardening World I 
regret to read that many of the old varieties, such as 
Fair Maid of Guernsey and Jardin des Plantes, are 
disappearing. They are evidently being discarded on 
account of the comparatively small size of their flowers. 
But it should not be forgotten or overlooked that 
varieties which develop immense flowers are mostly 
useless for specimen plants. Many people, and some 
who should know better, imagine when they see 
immense blooms at the exhibitions that by growing 
that variety the succeeding season they are going to 
have just as good. A lady came to see our plants 
one day lately, and asked particularly to see a variety 
called Pelican. “Why,” she exclaimed, “ how small 
those flowers are ; 1 saw in Boston some more than twice 
the size of those, and, oh, so beautifully twisted ia the 
centre ! ” 
It is distressing, too, to notice the neglect of the 
incurved show section. The robust constitution of the 
Japanese and their almost infinite variety, is all against 
the incurved in popular favour. Were it not for a few 
old growers, and the conditions of a valuable prize 
offered by a Boston gentleman (who has created a fund 
to sustain it), the incurved and Anemone-flowered 
would find very few cultivators. The ease with which 
new varieties, mostly Japanese, are raised, and the 
tendency to keep and name many that are worthless, 
are going to give us much trouble. The Society of 
American Florists ought to have a committee on flowers, 
to pass an opinion on all new varieties. It is, however, 
a difficult matter to arrange, as the territory to he 
covered is very large ; still, time may be relied upon 
to clear out the poor varieties. The difficulty is likely 
to be in getting varieties, raised by different glowers, 
which are almost, if not precisely similar, under different 
names. 
The finest blooms are here grown wholly under glass. 
We have so many insects to contend with that it 
would he hazardous to grow a batch of plants outdoors 
for single or specimen blooms. Cuttings are struck 
about the end of May, and grown on benches, planted 
about 6 ins. apart, allowing only one stem and one bud 
to develop. 
Last year I pollinated a yellow, dwarf-growing 
variety named Mrs. Henzy with pollen from Mrs. 
Alpheus Hardy (which, by the way, does not produce 
pollen very freely), and vice- cersd. The result was two 
poor white flowers from the Mrs. Alpheus Hardy seed, 
and a number of yellows (only one kept) from Mrs. 
Henzy. The one yellow seedling that was saved 
showed a tendency to develop hairs in the same way as 
the pollen parent. It is besides of excellent habit, 
and what may he termed an incurved Japanese, very 
dwarf (18 ins.), not requiring any stakes, and ex¬ 
tremely late, being very good now, December 7th. 
I managed to get a little pollen from it and used it on 
Mrs. Alpheus Hardy, with the hope of good results. 
Yiolet Kose, of recent introduction, has sported quite 
distinctly hairy this season. The pollen of this too 
I have used as also of one named Gladiator, which 
showed a tendency to bear hairs. I was fortunate in 
getting a late-flowering plant of Mrs. Alpheus Hardy 
to operate upon, and have used it both as a pollen and 
seed-bearing parent. As I carefully marked the blooms 
(only a few on each plant) I shall be able to note the 
results pretty accurately.— T. D. Hatfield , Wellesley, 
Mass., U.S.A. 
Cju 
ARDENING MISCELLANY. 
The Cutler Testimonial. 
The occasion of the re-election of Mr. Cutler for the 
fifty-first time as secretary of the Gardeners’ Boyal 
Benevolent Institution affords a fitting and appropriate 
opportunity to the gardeners of the L'nited Kingdom 
to give an expression of their gratitude to him for the 
splendid services he has rendered to the poor and 
unfortunate of our craft for the long period of fifty 
years. The prejudice which at one time existed 
among gardeners against subscribing to this excellent 
charity has now happily almost entirely passed away. 
Let me then make an earnest appeal to my brother 
gardeners to show their appreciation of our old and 
faithful servant’s successful services, by contributing as 
their means will allow to the testimonial now being 
raised to him by his friends, and which is to be 
presented to him on the occasion of his re-election on 
January loth.— Owen Thomas, The Gardens, Chats- 
worth, 26th Dec., 1890. 
The Young Men. 
Your correspondent, “Father Christmas,” on p. 265, 
has struck the nail right on the head. I quite agree 
with him in all that he says as regards the self-improve¬ 
ment of young men in the bothy during the long winter 
nights. Now-a-days, when there is such competition 
in gardening, as in all other professions, the learner 
must “ be up and doing.” About a month ago the 
young men in the bothy here formed a young gardeners’ 
improvement society, and a good programme was drawn 
up for the season. At each meeting one of the members 
gives a reading of a humorous or generally entertaining 
character, and another a paper on the treatment of 
some particular plant or plants as the case may be. 
Papers have already been read on the Eucharis and the 
Grape Yine, and others will follow in due course. The 
papers are freely discussed and criticised, even to 
the composition and pronunciation. Two or three of 
the men have also commenced drawing (another very 
useful acquirement), improving their writing, singing, 
and practising on the violin, flute, &c., all of which 
tend to make the long evenings pleasant as well as 
instructive. I must say that I enjoy the meetings in 
the bothy immensely, and I feel sure that if head 
gardeners (I know many who do so) would go more 
amongst their assistants, seasonably advising and en¬ 
couraging them, there would be fewer young gardeners 
finding their way to public-houses. — J. Jeffrey, 
Caversham Park, Beading. 
Aphelandra Chamissoniana. 
The flowers of this species and the bracts constitute 
the most conspicuous and ornamental feature of the 
plant, whereas others are notable for their finely varie¬ 
gated foliage. It would seem that the foliage of this 
plant has sometimes a silvery white band on each side 
of the midrib, and other markings. They are, more¬ 
over, entire at the margin, whereas the large bracts are 
conspicuously spiny-serrate. The latter are mostly of 
a bright yellow, but the lowermost ones, and the points 
of others immediately above them are green. The 
whole are arranged in four compact rows, hearing the 
flowers in their axils. The corolla is curved in the 
lower part, with a wide-spreading mouth, and yellow, 
or the lamina is slightly tinted with green in the 
youag state. The plant is therefore very distinct 
