96 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 12, 1895. 
uot recommend it as a good sort to grow for that 
purpose. Kentish Invicta, Earliest of All, Early 
Eclipse and William Hurst are valuable early sorts, 
although the monetary returns they give will depend 
in a very great measure upon their earliness, as a 
few days only at the beginning of the season make 
a lot of difference in the price received for them. 
Sharpe’s Queen, Stratagem, Veitch’s Perfection, 
G. F. Wilson, and Dr. MacLean are all grand sorts, 
but they are not so suitable for market purposes. 
On the other hand, Prince of Wales and Telegraph 
can generally be relied on to give remunerative 
returns, unless the market is absolutely glutted 
with other varieties.— J. B. 
- 
Hardening §[iscellany. 
CROCUS SPECIOSUS. 
More attention is paid to the spring-flowering 
Crocuses by the majority of gardeners than to 
those which flower in the autumn, although in this 
latter section some very showy and useful plants are 
to be found. C. speciosus is probably one of the 
best of them all, and is thoroughly deserving a place 
in the flower garden. The flowers are of medium 
size and bright lilac in colour, the segments being 
lined internally with deep blue or purple. The 
bright orange-coloured anthers are very conspicuous 
and add not a little to the charm of the flower. It 
is a native of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. A 
bunch of it was shown at the last meeting of the 
Floral Committee of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society by Mr. R. Dean, Ealing. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM MADAME MARIE 
MASSE. 
With the glorious uncertainty of our climate the 
growing of Chrysanthemums in the open ground for 
supplying cut flowers, can never be looked upon as 
a reliable system of culture, unless it be when it 
is applied to the earliest flowering varieties 
such as those of the Madame Desgranges section. 
Of this kind of plant we can scarcely have 
too many varieties. The above-mentioned Madame 
Marie Masse is a case in point. It is of robust 
habit, very floriferous, and blooms early enough to 
to enable it to be grown in the open ground without 
much fear of frost stopping and spoiling its flowers 
jnst as the buds are on the point of expansion. The 
individual blooms are about three inches in diameter, 
even though disbudding is not practised, and a deep 
pink in colour, shading lighter towards the tips of the 
florets. It was exhibited at the meeting of the Floral 
Committee of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
held at the Royal Aquarium, on Wednesday, Septem¬ 
ber 25th, by Mr. D. B. Crane, Highgate, N., who 
informed us that he had a considerable number of 
plants of it in his garden, all of them being a mass 
of bloom and forming a beautiful picture. 
POLYGONUM ORIENTALE. 
Two circular beds filled with fine specimens of this 
giant Polygonum are at the present time one of the 
most striking features of the herbaceous ground at 
Kew, and one which it would be almost impossible 
for a visitor to pass without bestowing a second 
glance upon. The plants are fully from ten to 
twelve feet in height and are carrying numbers of the 
drooping racemes of rosy and crimson flowers. The 
leaves are large, dark green in colour, ovate-acumi¬ 
nate in shape and nearly or quite glabrous. The 
lower parts of the thick stout stems are, however, 
nearly destitute of leaves. This vigorously growing 
annual is a native of the East Indies, from whence it 
was introduced as long ago as the year 1707. Grown 
in masses as at Kew it is a very desirable subject for 
placing in the wild garden, for so imposing is its 
appearance that it is sure to attract attention, and 
its robust constitution eminently fits it for holding 
its own against other subjects growing in a semi¬ 
natural condition. 
MAN AND NATURE. 
Man does not produce varieties, he discovers 
them. Nature does not make new varieties 
by leaps and bounds, but by slow crossings, 
working upon small differences between individuals. 
Man's work is in the genesis of the offspring, not in 
the original. Nature, in fact, starts the work, and 
man perfects it .—Projsssor Bailey. 
TWO-FACED DAHLIAS. 
Mr. George Gardner, the gardener at Bowness, 
Windermere, sends us a specimen of two Dahlia 
flowers completely grown together by their backs, so 
that there are two distinct, considerably flattened, 
and perfectly perpendicular faces, but no underside 
visible. The two blooms consist of a terminal one, 
and one from the axil of the upper bract; the stalks 
(about 6 in. long) were completely united, or, to 
speak more correctly, they had never become 
separated from their infancy onwards. Such a freak 
is usually attributed to excessive vigour of growth, 
though similar cases only occur at intervals and 
cannot be induced at the will of the cultivator. The 
variety which behaved in this way was Duke of Fife, 
and Mr. Gardner tells us that he has noticed a 
similar freak in the same variety this year. Farther 
north another case has just occurred, for the Hawick 
Advertiser of the 4th insl. says " We have just 
been shown a Dahlia grown at Mackside Toll, 
Wolfelee, which is of a peculiar nature. The stem 
is double, and the bloom resembles the heads of two 
Dahlias joined together. Florists who have seen the 
flower regard it as a freak and none appear to have 
seen anything like it before.” 
ERRATIC ZEA MAYS VARIEG AT A. 
The usual custom of the Maize is to produce the 
female flowers in cylindrical spikes in the axils of 
the lower leaves of the plant, while the male flowers 
are developed in a branching panicle terminating 
the stem. Mr. Arthur Pentney, gardener to A. J. 
Howard, Esq., Worton Hall, Isleworth, sends us 
some plants which have behaved in a very different 
way. Little clusters, sometimes consisting of only 
one or two fruits, are scattered here and there on the 
branches of the panicle of male flowers. The 
terminal branch in one case showed a bold attempt 
at forming a cylindrical spike of female flowers 
terminated by their long thread-like, yellowish or 
silvery styles, forming a tassel. These flowers have 
given rise to well-filled seeds which have every 
appearance of being perfect. The anthers of the 
male flowers on their side were also perfect and con¬ 
tained a great abundance of powdery, yellow pollen, 
forming, as at were, showers of dust whenever 
handled. The usual way of explaining this 
phenomenon is that the plants are more abundantly 
supplied with nourishment in the rich soil of gardens 
than in the open field, and are thus induced to 
replace the male flowers with female ones. In any 
case such an abnormal development is worthy of 
careful consideration on the part of physiologists. 
HELIANTHUS RIGIDUS VAR. MISS MELLISH. 
We have now a fairly long list of showy plants of 
tall habit that come into flower towards the end of 
summer and beginning of autumn, but amongst them 
all, none occupy a more honoured position than the 
above noble plant. The imposing habit, coupled 
with its great floriferousness and the exceptionally 
showy character of its flowers, make it an exceed¬ 
ingly useful subject when judiciously utilised. The 
best way to get the finest results is to plant it in 
bold conspicuous masses in large beds. We recently 
noticed some splendid beds of it in the flower garden 
at Gunnersbury House. These were close to the 
lake, and in full view of the terrace running along 
the front of the mansion, from whence, as may be 
imagined, they presented touches of burnished gold 
that could not possibly pass unnoticed by even a 
casual observer, so brilliant were they. 
ASTER NOVAE-ANGLIAE VAR. ROSEUS. 
While this variety is in habit, style of growth, and 
period of flowering similar in character to the type it 
is sufficiently distinct for horticultural purposes. 
The flowers, which are about three-quarters of an inch 
in diameter, are of a bright rosy-pink hue, those of 
the species being purple. It is one of the most 
useful of the perennial Asters for cutting from, and 
a place in the herbaceous border may well be 
accorded it. It has been flowering wonderfully well 
during the past few weeks in the herbaceous ground 
at Kew. 
BOLTONIA ASTEROIDES. 
A fine specimen of this, but comparatively little 
known plant is at the time of writing a very con¬ 
spicuous object in the herbaceous ground at Kew. 
It is fully 8 ft. in height, and bears a remarkable 
profusion of flowers. The ray florets are white, 
slightly tinged in some cases with flesh pink, whilst 
those of the disc are bright yellow. The leaves are 
entire, broadly lanceolate in shape, and narrowed on 
both ends. The plant has for some time been a 
native of English gardens, having been brought from 
North America as far back as the year 1758. 
Although it does not often grow so tall in stature as 
it has in this instance it is a handsome plant under 
any circumstances. 
ASTER NOVAE-ANGLIAE VAR. PULCHELLUS. 
Perhaps the most remarkable thing in connection 
with this variety is the large size to which the 
flowers attain, most of them being fully an inch and 
a quarter in diameter. In colour the flower-heads 
are of a light bluish-purple, the ray florets being 
numerous, and of great substance. Judging from the 
plants which have been flowering at Kew of late, it 
is a beautiful plant, and one well worthy of the atten¬ 
tion of the gardener. That this variety is not of quite 
so robust habit as the type, is, however, an absolute 
certainty, running only to about 5 ft. in height. 
ROSA INDICA CRAMOISE SUPERIEURE. 
The floriferous character of many of the China 
Roses is well known, but that under notice, even at 
this late period of the year, is notable for the 
quantity of blossom with which it is furnished. The 
masses of bloom are of a deep carmine, but, indepen¬ 
dently of the flowers carried by the plants, the ground 
is bedded with fallen petals in the Royal Gardens, 
Kew, where a bed of the variety may be seen 
opposite the south end door of the Palm house. 
The plants are 18 in. to 2\ ft. high and judging from 
the profusion of buds on the young wood, they will 
continue in blossom till cut down by frost. The 
ornamental character of the variety for bedding pur¬ 
poses needs only to be seen to be appreciated. 
-•*»- 
OCTOBER CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW. 
The early autumn exhibition of Chrysanthemums 
promoted by the National Chrysanthemum Society 
was held in the Royal Aquarium on the 8th, 9th, 
and 10th inst., when a very pretty and creditable 
show was got together—in fact, the best October show 
that has been held. The exhibits of large blooms 
were more numerous than on previous occasions of 
the October show, and seemed as fine as they would 
be in November, particularly the Japanese sections. 
The incurved blooms were not numerous, but in 
good form. Miscellaneous exhibits were very 
numerous. The leading award for a group of Chry¬ 
santhemums and foliage plants, arranged for effect, 
was taken by Mr H. J. Jones, Hither Green, Lewis¬ 
ham. The Chrysanthemum plants were varied in 
height, and thickly interspersed with Maidenhair 
and other Ferns and Bamboos, so that the effect was 
very varied. Some of his finest and best flowered 
varieties were Mrs. C. E. Shea, creamy ; Phoebus, 
golden ; L’lsere, sulphur; Eda Prass, blush; Madame 
Ad. Chalin, white; Louise, white; Mrs. Cox, buff- 
yellow and red, the latter sometimes predominating ; 
Mutual Friend, pure white and handsome; and 
Descartes, crimson. 
The second prize was awarded to Mr. W. Howe, 
gardener to Henry Tate, Esq., Park Hill, Streatham 
Common. His group was also interesting, and 
varied with Ferns, Junipers, Palms, Eucalyptus, and 
other subjects. The surface of the group sloped 
more evenly than in the case of the first prize lot. 
The leading award for 24 blooms of Japanese 
Chrysanthemums was taken by Mr. W. Wells, nur¬ 
seryman, Red Hill, Surrey. Some of his finest 
blooms were Louise, Eda Prass, Mons. Alfred Giroud, 
Souvenir de Petite Amie, Thomas Wilkins, Wm. 
Tricker, Mons. H. J. Jones, Maffame Ed. Rey, and 
Comte de Germiny, which would have been hard to 
beat. Several of the finest were duplicated in the 
stands. Mr. Charles Cox, gardener to John Trotter, 
Esq., Buckenden Grange, Hertford, was a good 
second, but his blooms were decidedly smaller and 
more crowded on the boards, which were 4 in. shorter 
than those of the first prize lot. Rose Wynne, Mrs. 
Anna Hartshorn, and Stanstead White were good 
blooms. The third place was taken by Mr. R. Jones, 
gardener to C. A. Smith-Ryland, Esq., Barford Hill, 
Warwick, who had a very even lot of solidly-built 
blooms. The competition in this class was good. 
There were more numerous exhibits in the class 
for twelve Japanese blooms, and the leading prize 
