840 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 30, 1892. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS 
FROM SEED. 
I AGREE with "A. D." that the time will probably 
come when we shall order our packet of Chrysan¬ 
themum seed as we do Cinerarias and other florists’ 
flowers. I am raising seedlings so far superior to 
the old varieties that I am compelled yearly to dis¬ 
card many of them. It is with extreme reluctance, 
however, that I do so. I have much respect for the 
old varieties, but, one by one, they have to go. I do 
not save anything commonplace now, experience 
having taught me that out of the thousands raised 
annually only a few will be able to hold their own 
for any length of time, and I don't wish to send any¬ 
thing before the flower world which will be forgotten 
after a year or two. 
I had always understood that English growers had 
been unable to ripen seed, but I never could under¬ 
stand why. I am glad to learn that Mr. Robert 
Owen had a fine batch of seedlings last year, and 
hope he will find them equal to his anticipations 
on further test. It is very interesting work. One 
strange thing I find is that many seedlings do not 
always come so good the first year as the second, 
and that many which are good on first trial prove 
worthless on the second. It is said that three years 
are required to fully test a variety. The best variety 
I have raised came poor the first year. I should not 
have tried it a second time but for Mr. Fewkes, of 
Newton Highlands, Mass.—the raiser of "Pres. 
Hyde”—who saw, as he thought, the making of a 
good variety, at any rate a new and distinct type. 
1890 being my first year at the work I confess to 
having held over some very common varieties, and 
only one other out of eight have I thought worth 
perpetuating, and this only as a trained specimen, 
being low, neat and stocky. 
In 1891 I grew a larger number of seedlings, and 
if some of them come true to their first year's show¬ 
ing they should prove meritorious. One is a pink, 
feathery Japanese of very large size, a cross between 
a yellow seedling (unnamed) and Mrs. Alpheus 
Hardy. Curious indeed it is, that it should come 
pink—but not less strange than many other crosses ; 
it is, nevertheless, fully recorded, and clearly inter¬ 
mediate in all but colour. Mrs. Hardy produced 
some very curious 'seedlings—far away, apparently, 
from any relationship, and were I not quite positive 
in this respect I could not believe such strange 
varieties could be produced ;_the majority were white, 
and while some were fully as spiney as the parent, 
none were evidently superior, and nearly all 
showed the weak constitution so characteristic of the 
parent. 
The coloured varieties, about ten per cent, of the 
total, were all robust in constitution but not spiney. 
One developed a very handsome incurved flower, 
but being such a very pale pink it faded almost to 
white with age, and I had to discard it; two violet- 
purples, but both semi-double at most—one of these, 
however, I am using as a seed parent; one dull-brown- 
red, a fine flower, but of no value ; and a dirty little 
purple, growing not more than 2 ft. high. Good deep 
colours are what is now wanted. Cullingfordii is 
the only good crimson we have yet. Next year I 
think we shall see some good bold flowers of deep 
crimson. I have one which I think will turn out 
well, with fine, broad florets of the deepest hue. 
You are right when you say “ blood does tell.” 
I know some people scout the idea of one being able 
to produce a pedigree Chrysanthemum. I doubt it is 
not so easy a matter with a composite flower of its 
character, and it is suggested that the fertile florets of 
the centre be emasculated and the unisexual pistillate 
or ligulate florets alone be used. I have tried that this 
year with quite indifferent results, out of 1,000 seeds 
I don't think I have twenty seeds traceable to ligulate 
florets. But there is another thing to be taken into 
consideration, the pollen is all shed from the centre 
or tubular florets, before (and long before) the 
stigmas unfold (undoubtedly a provision of nature to 
ensure cross fertilization, referred to by Darwin). 
Now, when I desire to intercross two varieties, I can 
sweep off all pollen from the florets as fast as it 
ripens, and use it on the other one desired, on an 
older flower where the stigmas are expanded. And 
by continually sweeping off its own pollen as fast as 
matured, and applying the "cross” as fast as 
stigmas are ripe, should I not be fairly certain 
(other agencies not working against me) of getting 
something intermediate? I claim results have 
proved this. Nevertheless, I am not wholly satisfied, 
but I am pretty certain of One thing, and that is—if I 
have not got the desired cross, I have rarely got 
what might be looked upon as a self-fertilized 
seedling, or rather one, the result of self-fertilizatidn, 
I have been working carefully-, and -stia.ll as care¬ 
fully watch the results. I hope to raise about 500 
seedlings this year. I do not flower the original 
seedling. I plant it outdoors, and take a cutting of 
it in May, and flower this. All our florists strike 
their cuttings for large flowers in May.— T. D. H., 
Wellesley, Mass. 
-- 
HUNTING FOR ORCHIDS 
IN UPPER SIAM. 
In a most interesting paper on “ The Laos States in 
Upper Siam," read at a meeting of the foreign and 
colonial section of the Society of Arts on the 12th 
inst., Mr. Ernest Satow, C.M.G., says : " Another 
day I rode out from Chiengmai with the Chief 
Commissioner to the woods at the base of Doi Su- 
thep, in search of Orchids. Passing through the 
town, we issued from the Patu Suen-dok on its wes¬ 
tern side. This gate is named after a pleasure 
garden of the Chief of Chiengmai, situated, abotit a 
mile from the walls, which has been allowed to run 
to waste. As we emerged lrom the gate, the great 
mountain, which had hitherto been concealed by 
trees, appeared close at hand, almost overhanging 
our heads. The road leads in the direction of a 
pagoda built half way up the mountain side, and is 
broad and grassy as far as a small salu, where we 
branched away to the right across the now dry ter¬ 
raced Rice-fields. At the edge of the woods we were 
met by a hale old man, who is the ' governor ’ of the 
mountain, accompanied by four or five men carrying 
baskets to hold the plants we expected to collect. 
I he path ascended over the sparsely wooded spurs, 
and wound along to a beautifully cool and romantic 
spot on the banks of a torrent called Huei Me-chang- 
khien. Here we found a white Clematis, doh niu. 
Our luck was pretty good, and we succeeded in ob¬ 
taining a dozen or more varieties of Orchids, which 
seem to prefer trees that are more or less decrepit 
and decayed. One of these has a pretty white 
flower, touched with mauve and- pink, and giving 
forth a pleasant fragrance. It is not much admired 
by the Laos, who have given it the name dok-uang 
ki nu'i, which, in English, has such a malodorous 
sound, that I will leave it untranslated. On oUr 
way back we crossed the fields in a different direc¬ 
tion, to the north-west angle of the city, and then 
along the north wall to the river-side wall. Some of 
the fields were being broken up for a winter crop of 
Rice. 
“One morning we received asummons to the Chief’s 
house, to be present at the presentation of the tribute 
Orchids already mentioned. The ceremony took 
place in the audience-hall. We all sat on chairs, 
ranged in a semicircle, the Chief wearing his every¬ 
day dress. The Lawas from Mu’ang Yoom were 
introduced by an old Lao, who has served under 
seven successive Chiefs of Chiengmai. They brought 
with them a tazza full of amaranths, which this old 
man handed to the Chief, repeating first a long exor¬ 
cism, during which the Chief held up his hands, 
as if in prayer. Next, a long joint of bamboo, full 
of arrow poison, and a few skeins of cotton yarn 
were offered to him. Then a small stone mortar, 
full of powdered ginger, was handed to the Chief, 
who put some in his mouth, chewed it, and spat it 
out, to symbolise the fertilisation of the ground for 
the reception of the Rice seed. The Orchids were 
there, stuck into two sections of a tree, but appar¬ 
ently no reference was made to them. The whole 
business was got over very quickly, and was of the 
simplest possible character. 
“ I should mention that, at the end, the Chief 
lifted up his voice, and delivered himself of a short 
oration, of which I cannot give the contents, as no 
one thought it worth translating ; but what impressed 
me most was the informal and ' fine-old-English- 
gentleman, all-of-the-olden-style ’ manner he as¬ 
sumed. The Chief stuck an Orchid through the 
hole in his left ear lobe, and gave us each a sprig to 
do likewise, but not being provided with those useful 
apertures, we had to put them behind our ears, 
which is, after all, quite as elegant as the native man¬ 
ner of wearing a flower. We then adjourned to a 
raised shed, to hear some music performed by women 
on a sort of three-stringed lute, having three frets, 
which was placed on the floor in front of the player. 
An ivory pencil is used for striking the strings. The 
performers were two women, who played in Unison, 
and the music was of simple monotonous character. 
There were a number of bamboo harmonicons and 
sets of small gongs lying about the room, which 
seemed to be of Burmese origin. The native Lao 
instrument is the bamboo flageolet.” 
1 
THE GARDENERS’ 
ORPHAN FUND. 
The timely articles which appeared in your columns 
a few weeks ago and again on the 16th inst. is only 
another proof of the interest which the " World ” 
takes in gardeners and gardening. I sincerely trust 
with you that those who were successful last veaf in 
the exhibition teht, or in any other way, will not 
forget this most important Fund, and that this year 
we may see a very large increase in the number of sub¬ 
scribers. What a grand thing it w'ould be if the w'hole 
of the twenty applicants at the next election could 
be placed on the Fund, and how easy it eotild be done 
if a thousand gardenefs Would only send 5s. ea£h. 
I was greatly surprised when looking over the list of 
names of persons who assisted in the National Card 
Collection, to notice how few, comparatively 
speaking, responded to the appeal, yet how many 
there are who could have helped with a mite this most 
deserving object. 
It has fallen to my lot to visit the homes of child¬ 
ren who are or have been nominated for election to 
the benefits of the Fund, and in one case of a child 
who has been successful, and the deep and sincere 
thanks which the widowed mothers have expressed 
to me for the aid received in this case, and for pro¬ 
mised aid at the elections in the others, has greatly 
increased my sympathy with the objects of the Fund, 
These visits have given me a practical knowledge of 
the grand work which the committee are carrying oil. 
Permit me therefore to urge upon those of my 
brothers in the craft, who have so far turned a deaf 
ear to the appeals that have been made t© them, 
no longer to delay sending in their subscriptions, 
The trifle that is asked from them is not much in 
itself, but in the aggregate will afford the means of 
alleviating the sorrows of many a brother worker's 
helpmate in life left behind to feel the pangs of want 
In most districts there are local secretaries, who 
will be only too glad to reeeive subscriptions of 
donations, however small in amount, and our good 
friend, Mr. Barron, whose interest in the welfare of 
the fund is unbounded, will be only too glad to do 
the same. Do let us all therefore, in this year of 
grace 1892, assist the committee in their efforts to 
increase the usefulness of the fund. 
There is another gardeners'society—the United 
Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society—that I 
should like to say a few words about. I was very 
thankful, when it was brought under my notice as a so¬ 
ciety', that it would be worth my while to join,because, 
by becoming a benefit member, my subscription not 
only made provision for helping me in the case of sick¬ 
ness, but, by taking care of the annual surpluses 
which stand to my credit, enable me to save some¬ 
thing for old age, I do not think one half the young 
gardeners or nursery hands in the country can be 
aware that such an admirable society exists, or its 
membership roll would quickly be quadrupled, I 
am sure our ever-courteous secretary would be much 
pleased to give any information respecting it.— A , J , 
Brown, Chertsey {Local Secretary G.O.F.). 
-—I—- 
THE RESURRECTION 
PLANT. 
Within recent years, considerable importations of 
Selaginella lepidophylla, popularly known as the 
Resurrection Plant, have been made. The species is 
a native of the warmer part of America from Texas 
and Mexico to Peru, and is to be found in exposed 
places, a fact which no doubt accounts for its 
peculiar habit and behaviour. The stems are pro¬ 
duced in dense tufts, forming flat table-like cushions 
when in the fresh and growing condition, but in sea¬ 
sons of drought or when pulled out of the ground so 
that the roots get dry', the whole of the stems curve 
inwards, forming a ball and completely covering the 
crown. This ball presents a brownish appearanfce,' 
and would be regarded as dead by those una'c-' 
quainted with it. All that is necessary, however is 
to place tjig roofs in watef and tlje gferns will spread 1 
