54 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 22, 1888. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
Re-arranging Flower Borders. 
Now that vegetation has nearly reached its height for 
the season, it would be an interesting task to go over 
the hardy flower borders, and take note of those things 
which seem out of place owing either to their being too 
tall or too dwarf for the position. It is altogether un¬ 
desirable to have the plants there so arranged that the 
whole would appear in any way formal ; but a Del¬ 
phinium, a Bocconia, or an Aster Novi-Belgi growing 
in front of a Phlox, a Gentian, or a Saxifrage, com¬ 
pletely mars the effect they would otherwise present if 
planted in due order. It altogether depends upon the 
plants grown as to what should occupy the respective 
lines. For instance, a broad mass of Anemone japoniea 
would be appropriate enough in the back line, provided 
the border is not too wide, and if there are no taller 
subjects in front of it; otherwise it should be brought 
forward into a more prominent position at planting 
time. The relative heights of the perennial Asters 
should also be noted, either in a book or on labels 
indicating the height of the plants, so that in re¬ 
arranging them after they die down the planter may 
be guided as to what position the respective subjects to 
he moved should occupy. The width of the borders, 
and the distances from plant to plant, must also be 
considered. 
Budded Roses. 
Where Roses were budded in August and the early part 
of September, it will be well now to go over the bushes 
and see what progress, if any, has been made. Union 
will have taken place before this time, provided the 
huds are to take at all.. This may readily be ascertained 
if the petiole of the leaf attached to the bud which has 
been inserted has fallen away or is readily detached 
when touched with the hand. This is a sure sign that 
union has taken place between the bud and the stock. 
Owing to the moist nature of the season there is 
unfortunately other evidence of the buds having taken, 
especially in the case of Roses budded standard high 
on the Dog Rose, generally spoken of as the Briar. 
The buds have not only taken, but have in many cases 
thrown out shoots 2 ins. or 3 ins. in length. The 
desideratum is that these buds should remain dormant 
till spring, and so escape the danger of getting killed 
by frost. As it is, they must be allowed to have their 
way, and do not be in a hurry to head down the 
shoots of the stocks, as that would only urge a much 
greater and unreasonable growth which cannot now be 
expected to ripen properly. The ties should be gone 
over, however, and loosened so as to allow of a deposit 
of woody matter and the thickening of the shoots, 
otherwise the ties will cut into and damage the wood, 
an evil which is to be avoided. 
Annuals for Spring Flowering, &c. 
The annuals that were sown during the latter part of 
summer with the intention of getting up a stock for 
spring bedding, or even for work later on, will have to 
be gone over and thinned, otherwise strong, healthy, 
and hardy plants, that may be expected to stand the 
winter well, cannot be relied upon. Unless they have 
been sown in the positions they are intended to occupy 
while flowering, the thinning given at this time need 
only be partial, so as to induce a close and dwarf habit. 
When the flower beds have been emptied of their 
contents later on, the spring-blooming annuals may be 
transferred to them, and planted at distances apart 
which will allow of their proper development by the 
time they come into flower. The commonest annuals 
for this kind of work are Silene pendula compacta, 
Myosotis sylvatiea, Wallflower, Limnanthes Douglasii, 
and others of that class. When thinning out spring 
annuals, there are other important kinds that might 
well occupy the attention of plant lovers. Sweet 
Williams, Foxgloves, Canterbury Bells, Celsia cretica, 
Campanula pyramidalis, Antirrhinums, and others are 
all growing rapidly, owing to the comparatively genial 
character of the autumn, and must be thinned out con¬ 
siderably provided they cannot be transferred at once 
to their permanent quarters, or what would also be 
beneficial, planted or pricked out in beds in the reserve 
garden. 
White Flowers for Autumn Work. 
During the late summer and autumn months white 
flowers are by no means plentiful in ordinary collections 
of herbaceous plants, unless they have been specially 
selected for the purpose, and this is the object to be 
advocated. The complaint is that such a large number 
of the hardy perennials produce yellow flowers, and the 
greater percentage of these are Composites. A selection 
of perennial Asters does, indeed, supply an unlimited 
quantity of blue, mauve, lilac, purple, and other 
shades, but attention on this occasion may be directed 
to the cultivation of certain subjects producing white 
flowers. The most popular sorts just now are double 
white Dahlias of the Cactus or decorative types, but 
there are some beautiful white Pompon varieties, such 
as Guiding Star, equally at the option of the grower. 
To these may be added Madame Desgrange and other 
white Chrysanthemums of the early-flowering types, as 
well as Chrysanthemum coronarium album plenum, 
white China Asters, white varieties of the Sweet Pea, 
Matricaria inodora flore pleno, and all the race of single 
white Chrysanthemums popularly known as Marguerites. 
Two excellent hardy herbaceous subjects with white 
flowers are Chrysanthemum uliginosum and the white 
Japan Anemone, known as Honorine Jobert, or more 
correctly, under the botanical name of A. japoniea alba. 
An unlimited quantity of white flowers for cutting 
purposes can be obtained by growing the above. 
-->!<♦- 
EARLY CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
September-flowering Varieties. 
Doubtless, with other lovers of Chrysanthemums, I am 
anxious to have as extended a flowering season as 
possible. Fairly extensive lists of later-flowering sorts 
of good quality and variety now carry us through 
December to January, and even February. I should 
much like to see a list for September blooming, and a 
second for flowers for the first three weeks in October, 
estimating the season for what I will call the Chrysan- 
santhemums proper, as commencing to bloom on the 
last week of that month. 
Take a well-grown decorative plant of the popular 
Madame Desgrange or its sport, G. 'Wermig, as a type, 
grown after the manner Mr. Molyneux so well describes 
in his now classical book (p. 40, 1st edition). Plants 
such as these, having eight to ten blooms, with their 
average growth (this year with me 35 ins. to 4C ins. in 
8-in. pots), make handsome decorative objects, and also 
make one’s house a scene of beauty just when many 
otherplants aregetting “leggy” orfailing, andwiththeir 
period of bloom passing away. They also cheer the 
heart of the “Mum” lover, reminding him of the 
better things to come. To one class of amateurs they 
are especially valuable—a man with a fair-sized house, 
who has to keep his show benches fed from his culti¬ 
vating benches, and from frames, &c., out-of-doors. 
Cuttings have been taken from Pelargoniums, Fuchsias 
have nearly finished blooming, and shabbiness is com¬ 
mencing, when a good set of early Chrysanthemums 
goes into the house, and beauty succeeds. This early 
set can then be cut down and turned out into the 
frames, or planted out for cuttings, when at the end of 
September or the first week in October the Chrysan¬ 
themums proper are housed. 
An interesting question in forming such lists as I 
have indicated, is this :—Can a variety be depended on 
to flower, with the same treatment, on or about 
a certain date ? I see in your excellent report of 
the first National Chrysanthemum Society’s show 
“Simon Delaux ” “ M. W. Holmes” and “Mons. 
Freeman ” amongst the exhibited varieties. The 
first is placed by Messrs. Cannell in their catalogue 
amongst Japanese varieties flowering at the ordinary 
time. M. W. Holmes is there also, classed as an 
October variety. Consequently one is led to the 
idea that some special treatment has induced blooming 
at this early time. Taking as some sort of guide, half- 
a-dozen varieties from my note book (decorative 
bushes, disbudded to the terminal buds, and all housed 
on October 1st) I find the date of full expansion of first 
bloom as follows 
1 
Elaine . 
1SS6. 
. Oct. 29 
1S87. 
.. Oct. 2S 
2 
Lady Aleester . 
Nov. 3 
.. Nov. 1 
3 
Mrs. G. Bundle. 
• „ 3 
„ i 
4 
Queen of England. 
. „ S 
„ 8 
5 
Fabian de Mediana . 
. „ 21 
„ ie 
6 
Fair Maid of Guernsey . 
. „ 21 
.. „ 10 
This clearly indicates that similar treatment gives a 
constant date of blooming. I may also mention a 
plant of G. Wermig, now in full bloom, against a plant 
of the same variety struck two-and-half months later 
and now showing buds only. 
What varieties, then, can we select as September early- 
flowering pot kinds, of the type indicated, and with 
flowers of good substance—averaging 4 £ to 5 or more 
inches across ? Clearly such early-flowering Pompons as 
St. Crouts or Frederick Pele are not worth pot culture, 
however much they may enliven the shrubbery border. 
On Septembr 20th, 1887, I received from Messrs. 
Cannell, by request, a small box of early-flowering 
varieties for selection ; many were Pompons, which I 
pass by. Mr. J. E. Pitcher pleased me much, as did 
Precocite, a brilliant pure yellow, which flowered with 
me on August 1st this year (the flowers of this variety 
are, however, smaller than the standard indicated, but 
far above the average Pompon). La Yierge, a very pure 
white and well-known variety bloomed with me on 
August 25th this year ; Mrs. Cullingford is not yet in 
bloom. It will be gathered that the list as sketched 
(of good sized blooms) will comprise :—1, Madame 
Desgrange; 2, G. Wermig ; 3, Mr. J. R. Pitcher; 
4, La Yierge ; 5, Mrs. Cullingford’; 6, Mrs. Hawkins 
(as mentioned in the Gardening World). 
I shall be much obliged—and I have no doubt many 
other readers of your valuable paper will be— if some of 
the great ones at Chrysanthemums will, at the end of 
the month, give us the value of their knowledge and 
experience by framing an extended list of plants with 
good-sized flowers of decorative merit ; and lastly, by 
giving varieties that may be depended upon to bloom 
at the time required. This would form a list for Sep¬ 
tember—the first-fruits, as it were, of joys to come ; 
and should such list be forthcoming, I shall ask for 
another for early October flowers.— Francis Mead, 
M.B., Bishop's Lydeard, Somerset, September 17th. 
-- 
THE EXTENSION OF FRUIT 
CULTURE. 
Conferences seem to be the order of the day just now, 
and their desirability or otherwise is a fair subject for 
comment. The multiplication of associations and 
societies in connection with horticulture seems to me 
to be very undesirable. I think, myself, it would be 
far more beneficial to gardeners and gardening if a 
central association were formed that could deal with 
all matters appertaining to horticulture. The need of 
a national horticultural society, with which all the 
special societies could be amalgamated, is very much 
felt. There are so many of them now that the question 
naturally arises, where are they to end ? There are 
specialists of many things, Roses and Chrysanthemums 
to wit; but Roses and Chrysanthemums are not every¬ 
thing. I readily admit that these different societies 
are doing good work, but strongly maintain that a 
central society, admitting the various societies to its 
benefits by payment of small subscriptions, would be 
more beneficial. 
The suggestion you offered in the last issue of The 
Gardening World, that conferences might be held in 
the country as well as in London, is a commendable 
one in every way, and I see no reason why different 
counties should not offer facilities for holding them in 
some first-rate garden, in a similar manner to the one 
so admirably carried out at Dunkeld, on the 31st ult. 
The late conferences on the extension of fruit culture 
show plainly which way -the wind is blowing, and as 
I take much interest in the subject myself, I may be 
allowed to offer one or two suggestions for the con¬ 
sideration of the association which it has been deemed 
desirable to form, to promote the extension of fruit¬ 
growing. I would suggest that a company should be 
formed to buy up land suitable for fruit growing, 
letting the same on easy terms, much in the same way 
as allotments are let. It has been stated, and rightly 
so, that it will take fifteen years before the fruit trees 
would attain full paying power, but in the interval 
between the planting and the maturity stage, the 
culture of vegetables and bush-fruit might receive 
attention, and at the expiration of fifteen years could 
in a measure be given up. 
The great difficulty seems to me to be to make an 
average farmer understand the future gain to him that 
would follow the planting of fruit trees. If this 
suggestion cannot be adopted, the following may be 
more readily agreed upon, viz.: — That the association 
should offer all its members advantages in the way of 
disposing of their fruit in the best markets, and by 
means of combination to secure greater facilities in the 
matter of quick and cheap transit, and so enabling the 
producers to realise the best returns. There is much 
need for the extension of fruit and vegetable culture in 
England, and it would be well if fruit salesmen were 
to offer the same facilities to home-growers of fruit, &c., 
that are given to the foreigner. Surely we may fairly 
compete with distant countries, if not with those 
nearer at hand.— J. S. T. [The salesmen do give the 
home-growers the same advantages as the foreigner— 
it is the railway companies who favour the latter to the 
prejudice of the former, but this would soon be altered 
if our own growers would adopt the foreign producers’ 
more business-like methods. It is active combination 
that is wanted to secure the advantage of preference 
rates.—E d.] 
