August 23, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
805 
CAMPANULA PYRAMID ALIS. 
About 500 plants of this fine old-fashioned subject are 
now flowering in the two wings of the large conserva¬ 
tory at Syon House, Brentford, one of the seats of the 
Duke of Northumberland. There is a wonderful 
amount of variety in the flowers occurring in a batch 
of seedlings of this extent, and Mr. Wythes was 
recently awarded a Bronze Banksian Medal by the 
Royal Horticultural Society, for a group of plants 
picked from the batch, and showing considerable 
variety in the size, shape, colour, and general contour 
of the flowers. The plants themselves vary from 4 ft. 
to 8 ft. high, and have pale and dark blue, and white 
flowers. Some of them are deeply campanulate, with 
rather long lohes, while others are considerably 
flattened or spread out. 
The seeds were sown twelve months ago last spring, 
and have been grown in pots all the time. They were 
potted off into 60-sized pots from the seed-pan, and are 
now in 7-in. pots, having been shifted twice. In the 
early stages and during winter they were kept growing 
on in cold frames, and stood out of doors in spring, 
where they remained till they threw up flower stems, 
and commenced to bloom. They were then removed 
indoors, and now create a fine display in the cool 
divisions of the conservatory, dotted thickly about 
amongst the ordinary occupants of the house, both on 
the front benches and on the tall shelving stages that 
rise tier above tier towards the high back wall of the 
buildiDg. 
Seedlings of this Campanula are sometimes planted in 
the open ground after having been germinated and 
brought on in a heated or unheated structure. Treated 
in this way they make strong growth, but produce 
inconveniently large roots if they are intended for 
lifting and potting. When intended for the decoration 
of the conservatory, it is better, therefore, to grow 
them on in pots for economy in .space when they come 
into bloom. Much might be done in the way of pro¬ 
ducing variety by selecting seed from those forms 
which present some difference in shape or colour from 
the type. 
-- 
GARDENING IN AMERICA. 
To those interested in the subject of gardening in 
America, a few words may not appear out of place, 
for although a man may feel quite capable of under¬ 
taking any and all branches of his profession at home, 
he will find there are different things grown here, and 
other variations that places him under a disadvantage 
till he has been here a few seasons. He must not 
stand on his dignity and think that he will not be 
expected to work, for they are all hard-working people 
in the States. No matter how many dollars a man 
may possess, he is still anxious to have the most work 
done for the smallest amount of capital. Gardeners 
there are and plenty of them, of almost every nation¬ 
ality, who are ever ready to accept a position when 
one becomes vacant ; but still, there are opportunities 
for pushing men who are anxious to get to the front, 
and who do not mind a bit of hard work to attain 
their object. 
There is one pleasant feature here : a working man, if 
he behaves himself, is looked upon with as much 
respect as the man of riches, which is not the case 
at home ; and there is certainly not so much difference 
between man and master. 
Roses for cut flowers in winter are grown extensively 
all over the country, and to great perfection. The 
cuttings are struck in sand between November and 
March, and early in summer are planted out in benches 
under glass for blooming the following winter, the 
flowers that are cut with long stems fetching the 
highest price. The extra light in winter we get here 
seems very beneficial to the production of first-class 
Roses. I am under the impression that the same talent 
which produces such fine blooms in winter would not 
be able to get any such results in the cloudy sunless 
weather of an English winter. These, with Carnations, 
Violets, and Mignonette, constitute the chief things 
grown for cut flowers. 
There are several different kinds of vegetables grown 
here that are not seen at home, and things cultivated 
there under glass thrive here out of doors in summer ; 
but all things require to be taken up and stored in 
cellars in winter, for sometimes the mercury runs down 
5° or 10° below zero. 
Hothouse Grapes are grown the same as at home 
under glass ; but the American varieties thrive well in 
the open air. Melons grow outside similar to Vege¬ 
table Marrows at home, and Tomatos ripen in great 
perfection without the aid of south walls. 
There are several fine collections of Orchids and plants 
in different parts of the country, but one must go to 
the place where they are grown to see them. It is 
entirely different from England in the way of exhibi¬ 
tions, though some of the large and distant cities hold 
one or two shows each year. Chrysanthemums are grown 
much after the same style, though from what I have 
seen the competition at exhibitions ha3 been very poor, 
and what would take high honours here would be a long 
way behind in such company as is seen in England. 
In my estimation, size here counts before quality, and 
incurved, Japanese, Anemones, &c., are often shown in 
the same class together, but there are several fine var¬ 
ieties that have been raised and introduced, that own 
this country as their birthplace. — T. Griffin, Westlury, 
Long Island. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM CARINATUM 
FLORE PLENO. 
There are many beautiful varieties of Chrysanthemum 
carinatum now in cultivation, both single and double. 
The greatest amount of variation is in colour. Our 
illustration represents a light-coloured variety of the 
double form, and shows how uniformly the florets over¬ 
CHKYSANTHEMUM CARINATUM FLORE PLENO. 
lap one another, sloping from the high centre towards 
the edge. Some of the doubles are pure white, others 
have the florets tipped or edged with purple or crimson. 
Others again are buff coloured, while there is a beauti¬ 
ful crimson variety with a golden yellow margin formed 
by the outer florets. The single forms often present 
colours arranged in two or three distinct zones, one 
surrounding the other. Hence has arisen the name 
of C. tricolor, often applied to this species in catalogues. 
Selections from the best forms may be made, and such 
varieties fixed and perpetuated, or new and distinct 
colour varieties obtained from them, as in the case of 
Messrs. Hurst & Son’s strain referred to last week. To 
get them into bloom as early in the summer as possible, 
seeds should be sown under glass, and transplanted to 
the open ground in May. If planted at 12 ins. or 15 
ins. apart, they continue to increase in size, and flower 
for a long period of time. 
-->X«-- 
AFRICAN MARIGOLDS. 
In spite of the objection which may be entertained to 
bold, big yellow flowers in the garden, there can be no 
doubt but that patches or clumps of fine double 
African Marigolds have a very telling effect in the 
autumn, where, owing to the deepening shadows, rich 
hues of colour are all the more acceptable. It is, 
perhaps, the good fortune of the Marigold that its 
perfume is, when handled, of a somewhat obnoxious 
nature. For that reason it is, by those who cut flowers 
for house decoration or other purposes, let severely 
alone. If, therefore, the inside decoration loses, the 
garden gains. The finest strains of Afriean Marigolds, 
and there are strains of very diverse merit, give a certain 
percentage of single flowers, although in every case 
the single flowers may be pulled out as fast as they 
appear, and only the double flowers saved. This year 
the single flowers have been less than usual, barely 15 
per cent., whilst in previous seasons I have found them 
to be fully 25 per cent., showing that the double 
quality in the strain may be increased by constant 
selection. 
If, in putting out African Marigolds into the borders 
in the spring, some five or six plants be dibbled in to 
an area of about 20 ins. a fine clump is produced, even 
if one or two of the number should prove single, and 
have to be destroyed. The flowering season is usually 
from the end of July till cut down by frost, and where 
the decaying flowers are gathered as soon as they are 
over, the plants are encouraged to continue flowering 
until a late period. It is not unwise to make two 
sowings ; one under glass early in April, and one in 
May out of doors. These taller plants will bloom 
freely during September and October. Where the 
blooms are required for exhibition, sowings may well be 
regulated to secure them at the desired date. Thus 
early sowings give the finest blooms about the 
second week in August, whilst a sowing at the end of 
April under glass will cover the latter part of the 
month. Sometimes, however, the first blooms are the 
largest ; sometimes the second, or strongest branch 
blooms. 
To have them of the greatest size special plants 
should be selected, thinned or denuded of all but three 
or four of the strongest branches, and be well watered 
in dry weather. The plants are gross feeders, and will 
endure plenty of liquid manure and mulching, but it 
is undesirable to add the latter to ordinary border 
plants. Those who would have the finest show 
African Marigold blooms should grow their plants in 
trenched and well-manured soil in the kitchen garden, 
and they would find giant blooms resulting in con¬ 
sequence. Really fine show flowers are of the densest 
and most perfectly rounded form, with the petals 
either close quilled or reflexed, and ranging from 10 ins. 
to 12 ins. round. I have had hlooms even larger, and 
not grown under at all exceptional conditions. 
The various hues of yellow’ in the Marigold range 
from pale lemon to deep orange, but there are some 
even more pleasing intermediate shades, such as golden, 
sulphur, yellow, &c., of diverse hues. The old strains 
which produced simply orange and lemon tints and 
not very large flowers are now practically superseded by 
the finer and newer ones.— A. D. 
-•»£*•- 
A FLOWER SHOW AT 
ERCHLESS. 
The first flower show probably ever held in this 
district took place in a suitable room at the Home 
Farmstead, Erchless, near Beauly, N.B., on Saturday 
last, under the auspices of the newly formed Erchless 
Horticultural Association, and regarded as a first effort 
may be pronounced a great success. The association 
comprises within its area the extensive parish of 
Erchless. It was gratifying to the promoters of the 
association to see the splendid collection of exhibits 
brought in from different parts, and which reflected 
the highest credit on the exhibitors. Mr. Grant, the 
Rev. J. Fraser, Erchless, and Mr. Fraser, Mauld, 
president and vice-presidents, did all in their power to 
advance the interests of the society, and the arrange¬ 
ments of the committee and secretary, Mr. A. Mac- 
Kintosh, gardener, Erchless, were complete in every 
way. 
The show room presented a gay and lively appearance, 
the exhibits being tastefully arranged. Prominently 
in the centre stood a table of fine greenhouse plants 
kindly sent by Miss Fraser, The Manse, for exhibition 
only ; they were much admired, and were awarded a 
Certificate of Merit. On the tables around the room 
were fruit and cut flowers of every description. A 
special feature of the show was the collection of 
bouquets, those of wild flowers being particularly good. 
The principal prize winners for the bouquets were Mrs. 
Grant, Miss Fraser, The Manse, Erchless ; Mrs. 
MacKinnon, Mauld; the Misses Gold, Mrs. Ross, 
Dunmaglass, and Mrs. Bain, Crunaglack. An 
