December 28,1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
275 
an underling there) got some of the seed, and in after 
years grew roots from it and selected the best. The 
late Messrs. Osborne sent it out as " Osborne’s Beet.” 
I think our old “ shopmate,” Mr. Dell, improved the 
stock at Stoke Rocheford, in Lincolnshire ; but when 
he saw it first, he (Mr. Dell) tried it on land unsuit¬ 
able, in a Middlesex garden, and it was poor, show¬ 
ing how much depended on the suitability of ground- 
An old favourite Beet of ours which we have not 
grown for years is Nutting’s (formerly Sayes) which 
is an excellent sort for the north.— M. TStirling¬ 
shire. 
-- 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM.* 
Go and admire beneath December gloom, 
A band of flowers in many-colour'd bloom, 
Where late Chrysanthemum brings up the rear 
Of Flora’s host with the departing year ! 
Tier above tier the flowers ascend ; go, view 
Their fine diversities of form and hue— 
Some quill’d, some like Ranunculi compress’d ; 
Some eyed, like Aster ; some with tassels dress’d; 
Some flaming gold; some blushing dark or bright; 
Some lilac, snowy some, or ivory white. 
The Greek—a stranger to their varied hues — 
But saw the gold, and gave the name we use. 
When past the pomp of Dahlia, their array, 
Less gorgeous yet more graceful, these display, 
And gild the flowerless scene, and sunless day. 
See with majestic elegance arise 
Their pale green leaves of oak-like shape and size ; 
And some from flower and leaf alike exhale 
Soft redolence, and bless the wintry gale, 
Hail! to our northern isles thou well hast come— 
Native of China—fair Chrysanthemum ! 
— Thos. Grinfteld, Ellenborough Park, Weston-super- 
Mare, Dec f i6th, 1895. 
-- 
Gardening ||iscellany. 
HIMALAYAN RHODODENDRONS IN 
DECEMBER. 
The beautiful Rhododendron arboreum has been 
much employed for the purpose of hybridisation, and 
many highly ornamental forms have found their 
way into various gardens. The chief difficulty with 
them is that they are liable to have their flowers 
destroyed should anything like severe frost occur 
when in bloom. Mr. J. Mayne, The Gardens, 
Bicton, Budleigh Salterton, Devon, recently sent us 
a box of flowers cut from two varieties or forms of 
the above-named Himalayan species. The long, 
finger-like leaves are handsome even in the absence 
of flowers, and are either of a ferruginous hue 
beneath or silvery in different cases. One of the 
varieties sent us had large trusses of rosy flowers 
richly spotted with crimson at the base of the upper 
segments. Mr. Mayne writes to say that a large 
bush of it, 8 ft. high and as much in diameter, stands 
in the arboretum. Usually it flowers just before 
Christmas, but this year it bloomed a fortnight 
earlier, and for some time past has presented a 
gorgeous appearance on account of the quantity of 
bloom all expanded at one time. The blossom is 
very liable to be injured by frost, but hitherto it has 
escaped. Another variety, probably R. arboreum 
nobleanum with lively scarlet flowers, has been keep¬ 
ing company with the other. Early flowering and 
great beauty of flowers and foliage are characteristics 
of these Himalayan Rhododendrons, and happy are 
they who enjoy a climate like that of Devon where 
such noble subjects can be grown in the open air and 
attain something like their natural dimensions. 
HOYA BELLA AND H. PAXTONI. 
These two old favourites are among the very best 
things we have available for basket work in stoves, 
and show their beautiful jewel-like flowers to partic¬ 
ular advantage. When grown in this way they 
produce their beautiful and deliciously-scented 
flowers in the greatest profusion. Near the light 
and potted in a mixture of peat, loam, leaf mould 
and coarse sand, they do well especially if the tem¬ 
perature of a stove is afforded them during growth, 
and that of an intermediate house during the flower¬ 
ing period. Such conditions do, indeed, admirably 
meet the requirements of these two floral gems.— 
W.B.G. 
■'Composed after a visit to one of the Shows. 
MARIE LOUISE VIOLET. 
Flowers of almost any class are welcome at this 
season of the year, but fragrant ones we feel assured 
will meet with the widest appreciation from most 
people. There is a significance even in the name of 
Violets that comes home to the masses, owing to the 
many pleasant associations with which they are 
connected. The variety Marie Louise is well-known 
and highly popular. A sweetly-scented bunch of it 
was sent us the other week by Mr. A. Pentney, 
gardener to A. J. Howard, Esq., Worton Hall 
Gardens, Isleworth. The flowers were of large size, 
double, and possessed much longer stalks than we 
are accustomed to; but they appeared of a darker 
Violet hue than usual with a white base to the 
petals. The flowers were grown at Isleworth in cold 
frames from which Mr. Pentney has been able to 
obtain a supply every week since the end of 
September. After such evidence it can hardly be 
said that Violets will not thrive in the neighbourhood 
of London, when such samples can be produced in 
this populous western suburb. Along with the 
Violets were some winter-flowering Carnations—to 
wit, Reginald Godfrey, a beautiful salmon-pink 
variety and Miss Mary Godfrey, a white one. Both 
of these comparatively new varieties have given 
great satisfaction for winter work. 
SALVIA LEUCANTHA 
Although the genus Salvia is such a large one, 
containing as it does between four and five hundred 
species, there are only a comparative few that find a 
place in our greenhouses. Most of these are the well- 
known scarlet-flowered kinds. The above species, S. 
leucantha, is a distinct ^departure from the ordinary 
run, and is well worth growing if only for the sake of 
variety. A number of good plants of it are at the 
present time a feature in the greenhouse at Kew. In 
height they are between two and three feet, and 
of compact bush-like habit. The flowers, which are 
small and inconspicuous, are produced upon long 
drooping racemes, the rachis of which, as well as the 
calyx of the flowers, is densely covered with light 
violet-coloured hairs. The leaves are lanceolate in 
shape, almost glabrous on the upper surface, but 
very hairy on the lower. S. leucantha made its 
appearance from Mexico about the year 1847. 
GUST AVIA PTEROCARPA. 
A well-grown healthy specimen of this evergreen 
stove plant has lately been flowering in the Palm 
House at Kew, and at the time of writing some 
three or four of the showy blooms with their thick 
fleshy segments, which overlap each other so as to 
form a closed cup, are in evidence. These flowers 
are of a delicate rosy-pink hue, and contrast very 
vividly with the dark green, lanceolate and coriaceous 
leaves. G. pterocarpa is a very near relative to G. 
insignis, but it has much smaller flowers and has 
also a wing-like appendage to the ovary which G. 
insignis does not possess. It is a native of 
Colombia. 
SLOWLY SOLUBLE MANURES. 
Now is the time to apply to the soil such manures 
as kainit, wood ashes, muriate of potash, and crushed 
bones. Keep all manures containing nitrogen dry 
and under cover till spring. 
WEALTHY APPLE. 
This variety is one of the most showy of all, as seen 
at New Canaan. It is a native seedling from 
Duchess of Oldenburg, and bears a higher colour 
than that variety, and is sweeter too. Mr. Peter 
M. Gideon, of Minnesota, has the credit of having 
sent it out, as it first appeared with him. It was 
most pleasing to inspect the thousands of young 
stock bearing their first fruit. The Wealthy Apple is 
thus a seedling from a Russian variety, and the hair- 
splitters are busy arguing as to whether it is a 
Russian or an American. We incline to the former 
idea, since its blood must be most strongly 
influenced by its body parent. The mere fact that a 
seedling variation occurred on American soil cannot 
alter the family ties. — American Gardening. 
--5-- 
ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 
An exceedingly practical paper was read before the 
assembled fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society 
at the meeting held on November 26th, upon 
“The Cultivation of Asparagus” by Mr. James 
Mason, Mr. Alex. Dean presiding. 
At the outset the essayist disclaimed the possession 
of any scientific knowledge ; he only wished, he said, 
to attack his subject in as practical a manner as 
possible. With regard to the native habitats of the 
Asparagus, he was of opinion that the shores of the 
Mediterranean were its birthplace. A. officinalis is 
also found occasionally growing wild in this country. 
There is but little doubt that it has been cultivated 
as a vegetable from very remote periods, for it was 
well known to the Romans, who prized it very 
highly. It was also given honourable mention by 
Pliny. From a medicinal point of view it is likewise 
of value, as it has been credited with being of service 
in various kidney maladies. As a vegetable it is 
always in great request, and he could see no reason 
why its culture should not be taken up largely as a 
paying industry. Railway rates, which proved such 
a drawback to the procuring of remunerative prices 
for bulkier and weightier vegetables, did not much 
affect Asparagus, as a large quantity of it could be 
railed to any required part of the country at a cost 
very low in comparison to that charged for other 
vegetables. 
Mr. Mason then went on to say that over 
forty years of practical experience in the culture of 
the esculent in question had fallen to his share, and 
he was convinced that plenty of Asparagus could be 
produced by the growers of this country to amply 
supply all our markets. At the present time, how¬ 
ever, we imported enormous quantities from various 
parts of the Continent, France chiefly. It is true 
that the French produce was larger than ours, but we 
could beat them decisively with regard to quality, 
and he could see no valid reason for the preference 
shown for foreign material. 
Referring to propagation the lecturer said that 
seed sowing was undoubtedly the best method to 
adopt. It might be mentioned in passing that 
Asparagus seed was exceptionally hard ; so much so, 
that it was often used instead of leaden shot for 
shooting small birds. Some cultivators preferred to 
sow the seed in autumn, whilst others did not do so 
until the first week in May, but he always sowed in 
carefully prepared soil in March. Five or six pounds 
of seed would furnish sufficient plants for an acre of 
ground the next year, if sufficient care was taken in 
the preparation of the seed ground, and in the subse¬ 
quent thinning of the plants. He had found it best 
to sow thinly in rather shallow drills about a foot 
apart, thinning out the young plants as growth 
proceeded to 4 in. asunder, or thereabouts. 
Although Asparagus was not hard to please in the 
matter of soil, a little discretion must be used in the 
making of plantations. Depth of soil, combined 
with porosity, were the main points to be observed, 
for rough, wet land would never yield a satisfactory 
return. Any ordinary garden soil might beconfidently 
expected to answer well, providing that deep and 
thorough cultivation was accorded it previous to 
planting. It was necessary, therefore, to well 
manure any portions of land during the autumn that 
were intended for the accommodation of Asparagus, a 
good trenching to the depth of at least 3 ft. being of 
like importance. Planting is best conducted in 
spring, just as the buds are starting into growth, 
three-year-old plants being the best material 
procurable. Various methods of making plantations 
are practised. Thus, many growers make beds with 
from three to five rows in each, with narrow alleys 
between, whilst others prefer to put in the roots 
rather more thickly in the line, but leaving more^ 
room between the rows so as to allow of a passage. 
If proper attention is given the plantations they 
should continue to produce an abundance of heads 
for twenty, thirty, or even forty years. To do this, 
however, they must be treated liberally in respect to 
top dressing, good mulchings of leaf mould being 
given them each spring and autumn. Salt was also 
an admirable dressing, but should only be applied 
when the plants were in full vigour of growth—that is 
to say, during the months of June, July, and August. 
As a rule from five to six cwt. per acre would be 
found a safe quantity to apply. 
The cutting of the buds was an operation, 
continued Mr. Mason, that called for very careful 
performance. The best tool to use was a proper 
Asparagus knife, with teeth something like those'of a 
saw. On no account must the buds be cut too hard, 
nor must cutting be continued for too long—certainly 
not after midsummer—for to do so weakens the 
plants to a vast extent, and plantations that were 
subjected to hard and late cutting soon became 
