November 30, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
199 
small, conical, deep red fruits, of a deep brownish red 
next the sun, and the flesh was pale red towards the 
outside, white towards the centre, with a rich sub-acid 
juice. The white variety differed merely in colour and 
in being less acid, or milder in flavour, just as frequently 
happens in white varieties of other fruits. Amongst 
the newer and improved kinds to be seen at the exhi¬ 
bition, as mentioned above, were Belle de Meaux, with 
short, conical, and blood-red fruits ; La Genereuse, 
red ; Reine de Quatre Saisons, with conical red fruits 
about an inch in length, and therefore presenting con¬ 
siderable improvement with respect to size. Quatre 
Saisons de Millet, said to be improved from seed, had 
equally as large fruits as the last-named, and of the 
same shape, but they were of a pale rose-red. Another 
variety, named Janus, also appeared a good kind, and 
was exhibited in splendid condition. The fruits were 
conical, elongated, and deep red. That named Madame 
Beraud had similarly coloured fruits, which, however, 
were much shorter. The prolific nature of many of 
the varieties was demonstrated by plants inserted in 
the beds alongside of dishes of the gathered fruit. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR 
DECORATIVE PURPOSES. 
Chrysanthemums that are grown solely for decorative 
purposes are evidently much more durable and more 
capable of keeping up a lengthened display than 
those varieties that are grown for exhibition, the 
large heads of which are very liable to damp, especially 
if foggy and wet weather prevails. In the big vinery 
in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick there is a collection of 900 varieties, a great 
number of which were grouped there during the Chry¬ 
santhemum Centenary Conference. They are still there 
in good condition, and fill the central space of the 
vinery from end to end. They are arranged in beds or 
groups throughout, for the convenience of watering, 
and although there is a predominance of Japanese and 
Pompon kinds, the other classes are also tolerably well 
represented, including a good number of the best 
singles. 
The undermentioned varieties are well adapted for 
conservatory decoration. Their characteristics are that 
they are moderately dwarf, and when grown as bushy 
specimens, and moderately or not disbudded at all, 
they produce a large quantity of bloom of a pleasing, 
showy, and useful kind either for decoration or for 
cut flowers, and may literally be gathered in armfuls. 
The large-flowered and strong-growing Japanese or 
incurved varieties are generally unsuitable for this kind 
of work, as they cannot be got in their true character, 
but generallytlock thin and ragged, often showing a 
disc of small yellow florets. 
Japanese Sorts. 
As may be seen from the list, a large number of those 
grown at Chiswick seldom appear on exhibition tables, 
for the simple reason that the blooms do not come up 
to the requisite size, although many of them are pretty 
and well adapted for the purpose here set forth. 
■William Stevens grows about 3 ft. high, and produces 
a great quantity of good-sized yellow heads, heavily 
suffused with bronzy red. Very different in habit is 
Mons. Urgel, the upper 2 ft. of the stem of which pro¬ 
duces a pyramidal panicle of rose-coloured heads of 
different sizes. Fleur Parfaite forms bushy plants 
about 18 ins. high, bearing satiny rose-coloured heads. 
Alpha is rather tall, but the white heads are pretty, 
fading to pale purple on the outside. Similarly tall is 
La Joyeuse, but the quantity of small white heads it 
produces is simply wonderful. The broad florets 
become twisted and slightly interlaced with one another 
after the style of Lady Selborne when at their best. 
L’Or du Rhin has golden yellow medium-sized heads, 
somewhat like those of Source d’Or. The heads of 
Florence Percy may be grown sufficiently large for 
exhibition purposes, but are beautiful on dwarf 
bushy plants. The white florets are quilled with 
the short or long lamina curiously tinted in the 
direction of the sun. The crimson-amaranth heads of 
Helvetia are of good average size and very full, while 
the plant is dwarf. A variety named Angele Amiel is 
a picture of beauty, with blush-coloured, slender, 
quilled florets stuck into the golden yellow disc pin¬ 
cushion-like, and standing quite clear of one another 
similar to a made bouquet, the whole forming a semi- 
globular extremely graceful head. The basal half of 
the florets of Purple King are quilled, and seen best 
when partly opened, while the upper half is bright 
purple and flat. 
The pearly white heads of Coeur Fidele are often 
tinted with soft rose in the centre. Although de¬ 
scribed as a Japanese variety, Dame Blanche is very 
anomalous, and more like a Japanese Anemone or 
comparable to one. The florets are quilled and pearly 
white or tinted with blush, the outer ones being 
numerous and long, while the central ones are short, 
ptolucing a flat head of great beauty and neatness. 
The broad white florets of Ethel are sharply pointed, 
and stand nearly erect, forming a cup-shaped head. 
This variety is much esteemed by some who grow for 
decorative purposes. Its yellow counterpart is Mrs. 
H. J. Jones, also known as Yellow Ethel, the florets 
of which are bright yellow above and canary-yellow on 
the reverse. A very free-flowering kind is M. 
Deveille, a variety with brownish crimson florets, the 
inner ones of which are incurved, showing the pale 
yellow reverse. An incurved variety, named Mrs. 
Sharpe, may be placed here as suitable for decorative 
purposes on account of its small or medium-sized but 
pretty heads. The latter are rose-pink intensified to 
purple as they fade, with a white centre, recalling the 
Crown or French Cocarde (Cockade) type of China Aster. 
Ralph Brocklebank can be had quite dwarf, and here 
does not exceed 3^ ft. in height, with graceful, yellow 
heads of good size. 
Single varieties. 
In the first rank must be placed Admiral Sir T. 
Symonds, with large brilliant yellow heads, but paler 
on the reverse. The ray florets are very numerous, and 
at certain stages of growth, when they spread open, 
showing the disc, the heads may be compared to a Sun 
flower of the perennial type. The variety is very 
floriferous, and is now in perfection in the vinery. It 
has already appeared in the market, and is likely to 
become popular. A pretty and extremely floriferous 
variety along side of it, named Nelly, with lilac-pink 
rays, and an orange disc, is notable for its delicate 
fragrance. The heads of Gus Harris are about one 
inch in diameter, with rosy lilac, flat rays, and a 
golden yellow disc. Equally floriferous is Miss Rose, 
with pink heads, fading to blush or almost white, and 
having all the grace of a perennial Aster. Miss Ellen 
Terry is another of the same type as the last three, 
but larger, and armfuls of bloom may be gathered 
from either of them. The rays of the last named are 
magenta, and flat, with a yellow disc. The rays of 
Elegance are rose-purple and numerous, often twisted, 
but overlapping one another and very compactly 
arranged. Favourite is a dwarf sort with numerous 
flat, spreading rays, and pale purple on the reverse. 
The heads range from 2 ins. to 3^ ins. in diameter. 
Mrs. J. Wills is equally dwarf and free, producing 
white or slightly pink-tinted heads like a giant Ox-eye 
Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), with broad, 
flat rays. Little Bob, also spoken of as Scarlet Gem 
and Dr. Bois Duval, may be described as a single 
Pompon ; it has short, flat, crimson-brown spreading 
rays, and a very large and elevated golden yellow disc. 
--***•- 
ffoTES from Scotland. 
-- 
The Chrysanthemum Centenary Cele¬ 
bration at Edinburgh, —Our Scottish friends 
celebrated the centenary of the introduction of the 
Autumn Queen, by holding a grand exhibition of the 
flower in the Waverley Market on the 21st and 22nd 
inst., and greatly indebted they are to the executive of 
the Scottish Horticultural Association for the thorough 
manner in which the display was organised and carried 
through to a successful issue. The market was richly 
decorated for the occasion, and was never seen to 
greater advantage at a November show, while the 
music contributed by the band of the Royal Artillery, 
was an attraction second only in importance to the 
“Mums.” The contest for the handsome vase 
given by the corporation for the best forty-eight 
Japanese, thirty-six distinct varieties, was worthy of 
the time and place, and resulted in the trophy being 
kept on the Scottish side of the border, the winner 
being Mr. McHattie, New Battle Abbey, Dalkeith. In 
the opinion of many, Mr. McHattie was very closely ran 
by Mr. John Lambert, of Onslow Hall, Shrewsbury, but 
a close scrutiny of the blooms led the judges to the 
conclusion that a flower labelled Uomtesse de Beauregard 
was the same as Baronne de Prailly, and that therefore 
he had only thirty-five distinct varieties, a misfortune 
that caused the collection to be ruled out of competition. 
The second prize went to Mr. R. Parker, Impney, 
Droitwich ; and the third to Mr. Cockburn, gardener 
to G. Burden, Esq., Lingdale Lodge, Birkenhead. 
The Challenge Cup, open to Scottish gardeners only, 
which was won last year by Mr. McHattie, went to 
Mr. A. Milne, gardener, Broomieknowe, Mr. R. 
Grossart, Oswald Road, coming in a close second, and 
Mr. Mudie, gardener, Coronna, Broughty Ferry, third. 
There was a capital competition in most of the other 
classes open to amateurs and gardeners ; and in the 
trade competitions for sixty and thirty blooms res¬ 
pectively, both of the first prizes went to Messrs. R. B. 
Laird & Sons. For a group of Chrysanthemums and 
other flowering and fine-foliaged plants, Mr. R. Grossart 
well won the premier award. 
The display of fruit and vegetables was exceedingly 
good, of Apples and Grapes especially, among the 
former being numerous examples of Kentish-grown 
fruits, Messrs. Bunyard, Woodward, and Waterman 
being the exhibitors. The best six bunches of Grapes 
came from Mr. Murray, of Park Hall, Polmont, and 
Mr. Murray, of Culzean Castle, Maybole ; the best 
Muscats from Mr. McHattie ; Alicantes from Mr. Bell, 
Clive House, Alnwick ; Gros Colmars from Mr. W. 
Murray ; and Lady Downes from Mr. Forbes, of 
Callendar. To the miscellaneous section, Messrs. W. 
Thomson & Sons, Clovenfords, contributed a splendid 
sample of Gros Colmar. 
The exhibition was opened at 1.30 p.m. by the Lord 
Provost, who was attended by the Magistrates and 
Town Council, and the Committee of the Scottish Hor¬ 
ticultural Association. His lordship, before declaring 
the exhibition open, presented the Corporation Vase to 
Mr. McHattie, who returned thanks in suitable terms. 
The Centenary Dinner. 
This took place in the afternoon at the Royal British 
Hotel, Professor Bayley Balfour presiding, and Mr. 
W. Thomson, Clovenfords, and Mr. M. Dunn, Dalkeith, 
acting as croupiers. The loyal and local toasts having 
been duly honoured, Mr. George Bunyard, Maidstone, 
proposed “The Scottish Horticultural Association 
and the International Chrysanthemum Centenary 
Exhibition.” He congratulated the association on the 
splendid exhibition they had got together, and also on 
the admirable building in which it was held. Even 
the Crystal Palace itself, he said, did not give the 
scope they had in the Waverley Market. So far as 
the show itself was concerned, they had a good display 
of Chrysanthemums, an almost inimitable show of 
Grapes, and an exhibition of vegetables which was 
really wonderful. What he liked to see about 
Edinburgh was the way in which all pulled together to 
make the show a success. Mr. Dunn, in responding, 
paid a high compliment to Professor Bayley Balfour, 
and expressed his pleasure at the success which had 
attended the show. Mr. A. Milne gave “The Judges,” 
and Mr. Molyneux, Swanmore Park, in responding, 
said he had never seen a better exhibition of Chry¬ 
santhemums anywhere. Mr. J. Methven proposed the 
exhibitors, which was replied to by Mr. McHattie. 
“Kindred Societies” was proposed by Councillor 
Colston, and replied to by Mr. Mitchell, Comely Bank. 
In toasting the executive, Mr. W. Thomson, Cloven¬ 
fords, said it was rather remarkable that in a city like 
Edinburgh there should be two organisations such as 
the Royal Caledonian Society and the Scottish Horti¬ 
cultural Association carrying on parallel exhibitions with 
so much success. He complimented Professor Bayley 
Balfour on the efforts he was making in spreading a 
love of flowers among the working people of Edinburgh ; 
touched on the elevating influence of flowers, and 
expressed great satisfaction that there were many signs 
abroad that this influence was making itself felt. 
Mr. Robertson Munro replied. 
Mildness of the Season. -As a proof of the mild¬ 
ness of the season on the west coast, I may mention 
that a border here, 50 ft. long, of Madame C. Des- 
granges, Geo. Wermig, and Soeur Melanie Chrysan¬ 
themums is still quite gay with useful flowers. We 
have been cutting large quantities off them for the last 
six or seven weeks for decorative purposes. Emperor 
Stocks sown as late as March have flowered well all the 
season, and are at present one mass of bloom. Too 
much cannot be said in praise of this excellent variety. 
Roses are also giving us a few blooms, particularly 
Gloire de Dijon on a wall with a southern aspect. 
Hybrids have made strong wood, and are flowering still 
on the points of the shoots. Some of the latter, it 
may be noteworthy to mention, are 6 ft. and 8 ft. long. 
The frost, so far, has been almost nil, 3° on 18 th October 
being all we have registered. — William Minty, The 
Gardens, Isle of Baasay, Stromc Ferry, Non. 20th. 
The weather here during the past month has been 
exceeedingly mild. Buttercups and Daisies are in 
bloom by the roadsides, and in the garden, Primulas, 
Primroses, Violas, and some of the hardier sorts of 
Pansies are all in bloom.— A. Mackintosh, Erchless 
Gardens, Beauly, Inverness-shire, Nov. 21st. 
