308 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January ^.12, 1889. 
The Incidence of the Weather. 
IVe are going through rapid changes of weather, from 
bright sunshine to black fog; from a mild and even 
growing time to keen frost; and plants, as well as 
animals, feel the effects of such oscillations from a high 
to a low temperature. The moral for florists is, in all 
unheated structures, keep everything as dry as possible 
consistent with the maintenance of plant life. Auri¬ 
culas, Polyanthus, Carnations, and Picotees, and other 
things of like character in pots, are best kept dry until 
the weather becomes a little more settled and mild. 
Por three or four days past I have kept all these things 
closely covered up snug and close. This morning— 
the 8th—what a change is going on ! Heat is rapidly 
unloosening what the frost locked up so tightly ; and I 
have therefore taken off coverings, tilted lights, opened 
windows, and given occasion for the milder atmosphere 
to penetrate. How long the change may last no one 
knows; and as the alternations are frequent, water 
should he given cautiously, and not at all unless 
really required. Having some very promising pots of 
double Primroses, I have placed a layer of coco-nut fibre 
about the crowns of the plants, piling it up a little 
above the rims of the pots. This will be a protection 
against frost, and also serve to keep the soil moist 
while frost is about. Ho doubt a good deal of wintry 
weather is in store for us, and the florist will need to 
be on the alert so as to be ready to act decisively when 
it comes.— R. D. 
Chrysanthemums at High Elms. 
Nowhere in mid-winter can we expect to see Chry¬ 
santhemums in such fine order as during the month of 
November. In examining those at High Elms, Kent, 
under the charge of Mr. Taylor, we noticed a con¬ 
siderable number of varieties that are habitually early 
bloomers, hut which were still flowering freely and 
freshly at the end of the year, and were expected to 
keep in good condition for some two or three weeks 
later on. Amongst the early ‘ varieties were large 
quantities of Elaine, with smaller numbers of Madame 
C. Audiguier, the rose-chamois coloured Margot, the 
crimson and yellow-coloured L’lle des Plaisirs, and 
others whose usual flowering period has long since been 
over. Gloriosum, with its long, slender, pale yellow 
florets, produced the largest heads of any, and from 
what we have seen of it elsewhere, is admirably 
adapted for late work. The same might be said of the 
comparatively new Lord Macaulay, which in shape has 
been well compared to a curled Endive, owing to the 
cresting of the florets. The heads are much paler 
yellow than those produced in November, but un¬ 
fortunately the buds got destroyed by the early and 
sudden frost in autumn, so that the heads now 
produced are not so large as they might otherwise have 
been. The maroon-flowered Edward Audiguier is also 
adapted for mid-winter work—indeed, seems to he 
naturally suited for it. 
Good Forcing Azaleas. 
I suppose that the old A. amcena is among the most 
useful of the winter-flowering or forcing Azaleas, for it 
rarely fails if properly treated, and is always covered 
with fine trusses of bloom. It is now an object of 
great beauty in one of the forcing houses at Gunnersbury 
Park. Mr. Roberts has some large specimens of it, 
and cuts a prodigious quantity of bloom from them 
every season. The old A. sinensis alba and A. nar- 
cissiflora are two good and useful whites ; the growers 
for white flowers for market depend largely upon the 
former. As it has been in cultivation for a large 
number of years, quite big bushes can be met with 
about the country, and well managed give a prodigious 
quantity of bloom. The semi-double white, A. Borsig, is 
growing greatly into favour, and I remember when it was 
first exhibited it was predicted of this variety that it 
would make a very useful variety to force in mid¬ 
winter, and the prediction has come quite true. A 
very great favourite as a forcer with Mr. Roberts 
is the "White Roi Leopold, it having all the fine 
quality of bloom of its coloured type, and is a 
capital grower, and forces well. It is strongly re¬ 
commended for this purpose by Mr. Roberts, who 
means to grow it largely. Stella, like Roi Leopold, a 
bright coloured variety of the finest form, is also a 
good forcer, and very free. Among the rose-coloured 
varieties, Mr. Roberts has one under the name of 
Pauline Marden, of a beautiful soft shade of rose, and 
the flowers stand well, which is a characteristic of the 
double varieties generally. This is considered the very 
best early forcing Azalea found in the collection at 
Gunnersbury, and Mr. Roberts strongly recommends 
it for this purpose.— R. B. 
A Few Good Camellias. 
A list of thoroughly good varieties will be found in 
Romanensis, blush, with slight rose stripes ; Fatima, 
bright rose; Alba plena, a fine smooth-edged white ; 
Le Pace, reddish rose ; Centifolia alba, white; 
Mathotiana, a fine deep crimson, and of the finest shape; 
Imbricata, red ; and Princess Clotilde, white. I made 
a note of these in a fine stand of cut blooms shown at 
one of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society 
last spring, by Messrs. W. Paul k, Son, Waltham Cross, 
who are noted growers of the Camellia. I selected the 
blooms for their fine form, having the shape and 
symmetry the florist contends for. By the way, Mr. J. 
Roberts has, at Gunnersbury Gardens, Acton, a very 
fine form of the double white Camellia, which he 
thinks represents a strain not usually grown. I do not 
know how this may be, but as Mr. Roberts has a good 
knowledge of the leading Camellias, I think his opinion 
is worth taking. The variety he has is of excellent 
habit, very free, the flowers of the finest quality, and 
very pure in colour. — R. B. 
-- 
THE OLD ARBORETUM AT 
CHISWICK. 
What originally constituted the arboretum of the 
Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick now forms 
the pleasure grounds of Devonhurst. Although 
now only separated by a high brick wall, it is to be 
regretted that such a pleasing adjunct should have 
been lost to the old gardens. A thick belt of trees 
runs along the east side, separating the grounds from 
the avenue leading to Chiswick House. Inside of this 
is a varied assortment of deciduous trees, such as were 
popular some fifty to seventy years ago. 
The collection of Elms is very varied, and judging 
from their size, must have been planted when the 
society was established at Chiswick, or some of them 
even before. Narrow-leaved varieties of Ulmus cam- 
pestris run up to the height of 80 ft. and 87 ft., as 
measured by Kay’s Dendrometer, and girthing 6 ft. 7 ins. 
and 9 ft. respectively. They are stately trees and do 
not spread much. Equally stately is Ulmus montana, 
running up to 85 ft. and girthing 8 ft. Several forms 
of the Wych Elm are notable for the enormous spread 
of their branches—namely, from 80 ft. to 93 ft., with 
a height of 73 ft. There are several spreading trees of 
the White Lime (Tilia alba), about 61 ft. in height, 
and which show the effects of grafting very plainly. 
One of them girths 6 ft. 9 ins. below the graft, and 
8 ft. 6 ins. above it. 
The Oaks are also very varied and interesting, and 
include broad spreading masses of the evergreen or 
Holly Oak, with its broad-leaved variety, the deep 
green of which has a warm appearance in winter. 
There are many varieties of the Turkey Oak, one of 
which measures 71 ft. in height, and girthing 7 ft. To 
these may be added Quercus aquatica, 64 ft. ; Q. ful- 
hamensis, 35 ft. ; Q. f. latifolia, 34 ft. ; and Q. Pseudo- 
Suher, about 50 ft. Amongst Ashes are several beautiful 
varieties of the common one, including a narrow-leaved, 
twiggy, and graceful form, about 48 ft. high. The 
Manna, or Flowering Ash (Fraxinus ornus) forms a 
round-headed tree 31 ft. high, with a spread of branches 
of 36 ft. 
The Maples are numerous and interesting. Of the 
Sycamore (Acer pseudo-platanus) there are several 
beautiful forms, including different kinds of variegation, 
and a large tree of the yellow-leaved Corstorphine 
Plane. A magnificent specimen of Acer maerophyllum 
measures 60 ft. high, girthing 10 ft. 3 ins., with a 
spread of branches of 60 ft. About 6 ft. from the 
ground it breaks into two main erect trunks. Loudon 
mentions a tree in the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Gardens, which measured between 40 ft. and 50 ft. high 
after being thirteen years planted. It would be 
interesting to know whether this was the tree he 
meant. A. monspessulanum is also a beautiful 
specimen of its kind, 32 ft. high, with a spread of 
branches of 45 ft., and girthing 5 ft. 3 ins. In its 
native country A. tataricum forms a low tree 20 ft. to 
30 ft. high, and the tree here measures 25 ft., with a 
girth of 8 ft. 9 ins. at 18 ins. above the ground, where 
it forks into three main limbs. It has a spread of 
35 ft. Other Maples include A. campestre, A. erio- 
carpum (with its finely-cut silvery leaves), and A. 
Negundo aceroides (41 ft. high, with a spread of 66 ft.) 
Conifers are not largely represented at Devonhurst, 
as they were not so popular then as now. Pinus 
austriaca stands 58 ft. high, girthing 9 ft., and has 
long horizontal branches, with a spread of 54 ft. ; 
P. Laricio stands 50 ft. high, and girths 6 ft. 10 ins. ; 
and P. L. Pallasiana forms a stately tree 75 ft. high, 
girthing 6 ft. 3 ins., and has a thick flaky bark. 
In the immediate vicinity of the mansion itself are 
many beautiful and by no means common trees. In a 
wild state the Mahaleb Cherry Tree (Prunus Mahaleb) 
varies from 10 ft. to 20 ft. high ; but the specimen 
here, which is probably the finest in the country, 
stands -31J ft. high, and girths 8 ft. at 18 ins. from the 
ground. It breaks into five main trunks at 4 ft. from 
the ground, and has a spread of 51 ft. Here also 
Gleditschia triacanthos measures 49 ft. high ; and the 
male tree of G. sinensis 33 ft, with a girth of 4 ft. 9 ins. 
and a spread of 45 ft. The pod-bearing tree is 30 ft. in 
height, with a spread of 32 ft. A fine specimen of the 
Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) measures 
60) ft. high, and girths 7 ft. 6 ins., with a spread of 
54 ft., forming a most conspicuous object in summer. 
Near it is a tree of the cut-leaved Beech (Fagus 
sylvatica laciniata), 47 ft. high, girthing 8 ft. 3 ins. at 
3 ft. from the ground, the branches having a spread of 
54 ft. The horizontally-spreading twiggy branches are 
quite distinct in character from the ordinary Beech. 
Close by is the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus glandulosa), 
56 ft. high, which breaks into three trunks at 3 ft. 
from the ground ; below the union of two of them it 
girths 8 ft. 3 ins., while the third branch is 5 ft. in 
circumference. There are also fine specimens of the 
red-flowered Horse Chestnut (Hlsculus rubicunda), 39 ft. 
high, and the Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus), 34 ft. 
high, girthing 4) ft., and having a spread of 54 ft. It 
seems an unusually twiggy and pendent form, and pro¬ 
duces fruit in great abundance. The True Service Tree 
(Pyrus domestica) is 50 ft. high, and girths 3) ft. at 
3 ft. from the ground. It produces fruits freely, but 
in Britain is a much-neglected subject. 
-->$*■- 
ANTHURIUMS. 
These are fine stove Aroids, some of which are noted 
for their handsome foliage, whilst a few are extensively 
grown for their richly coloured and singular-looking 
spathes. "What is known as the Flamingo Plant (A. 
Scherzerianum) is yet one of the best of the species 
when good forms of it are selected for cultivation, for 
at present there is a good number of very fine varie¬ 
ties in existence, some possessing long and broad 
spathes, others wider and more oval in form, whilst 
some are beautifully spotted. There ought to he no 
excuse for growing an inferior form of this fine plant, 
as the good types certainly predominate now over the 
inferior ones. When the plant attains some age, 
having a number of good strong crowns, it will produce 
a mass of fine scarlet spathes that are always objects of 
beauty, and considering the long time that they keep 
fresh and maintain their rich scarlet colour, they 
ought to be more cultivated than they now are in 
general collections of stove plants. 
They generally flower in the spring and early sum¬ 
mer months, making their growth in the autumn, 
previous to which they should be re-potted or surface, 
dressed where that only is required. The compost 
best suited for them is three parts rough peat, one part 
rough silky loam, with lumps of charcoal and a 
sprinkling of sand added. Press the soil firm with the 
fingers, and the fleshy roots will soon cling to and 
penetrate the new compost. If soil of this nature is 
used it allows for copious supplies of water being given 
to the plants, which they delight in, when it can 
run freely away from them. Just before they com¬ 
mence to throw up their spathes in the spring a few 
doses of liquid manure will benefit them, adding 
strength to the plant generally. They usually like an 
abundance of heat, light, and moisture, but the light 
wants somewhat suppressing so that the full glare of 
the hot summer’s sun does not shine directly upon 
them, which would have the effect of making their 
leaves become flabby, and ultimately lose that dark 
green lustre which is one of the characteristics of the 
plant when in full vigour. 
Propagating by division of the crowns is the quickest 
way of obtaining stock, but where a gardener has a 
taste for novelty, he ought to raise some from seed —a 
much slower but tedious process certainly, but which 
possesses a charm for the grower, as he is on the alert 
for something new to turn up as soon as the seedlings 
obtain strength enough to throw up a good stroDg 
scape. Seedlings are very apt to keep making a lot of 
little crowns around the centre one ; these should be 
pulled off, as they only rob the centre crown of the 
strength necessary to bring it to maturity quickly. 
A. Andreanum has a very different habit to the 
above, being more straggling, but it produces large 
cordate spathes very much corrugated in character, 
while its colour is a rich glowing scarlet, which is very 
effective intermixed amongst other plants in the 
stove.— TF. G. 
