September 9, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
17 
NOTES FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. 
Seedling Chrysanthemums. 
As your old correspondent, “ J. H. H.”—who by the 
way is probably the best authority on this subject we 
have in this colony—has made some reference in 
The Gardening World for June 24th, p. 676, to 
some seedling Chrysanthemums raised and shown 
by me, I venture to ask your experienced readers at 
•home, to state through your columns whether the 
results obtained by me on this occasion are under or 
equal to those obtained by raisers in England at the 
present time. I will briefly outline my mode of pro¬ 
cedure before giving the size of the blooms obtained. 
The seeds were sown in gentle heat on July i6th, 
and the seedlings were pricked off into seed pans on 
the 5th of August. The cuttings were taken off on 
the 24th of September, and they were all rooted in 
about twenty-one days, and finally planted in the 
open ground an the iith of November. At the time 
of planting the plants were so small that a dozen 
would scarcely have served as a supper for a slug. 
It soon become apparent, by their sturdy habit and 
massive foliage, that they had a vigorous constitution 
if nothing else, and consequently I had to abandon 
my first idea of running them for one flower to each 
plant, which was decidedly risky with such vigour 
behind them. I ultimately decided upon three 
blooms to a plant, and most of the blooms were 
developed by the 14th of April, or about nine months 
from sowing the seeds. This, I think, establishes 
the forcibility of the remarks made by your valued 
correspondent, “ R. D,,” that the Chrysanthemum 
had been brought “ within the pale of an annual.” 
The diameter and depth in inches of the section 
given below, were taken without spreading the petals 
in the least, or taking into account any extra long 
ones, and in many cases a quantity of the under 
petals had been pulled out on account of damping, 
which considerably reduced the depth of nearly the 
whole of them. Five in various colours from 
Madame Lacroix measured respectively 5 in. by 5 in,, 
7 in. by 5 in., 6J in. by 5 in., and 7I in. by 5 in. A 
similar number from Lady Trevor Lawrence- 
measured 7J in. by 3 in., 6^ in. by 5 in., 8 in. by 3 in., 
7jin. by 4in., and Sin. by 4in. ; and four from Mrs. 
H. Canned measured 8 in. by 3J in., gin. by 3jin., 
8 in. by 4 in., and yin. by 4jin. I could increase 
the numbers, but enough has been enumerated to 
show what may be done with this useful flower in a 
short space of time.— G. H. K., Strathfield, N.S.W., 
July igth. 
Tecoma Smithii. 
This Tecoma, although it may not be common in 
British gardens, will undoubtedly become popular 
when its merits become better known. It is a hybrid 
between T. velutina and T. capensis, and was raised 
in Adelaide, S.A., by a local nurseryman, whose 
name it bears. The dwarf habit, floriferousness, and 
striking colour of the hybrid makes it at once the 
best and most useful of the genus. With me it has 
produced quite large racemes of blooms in 6 in. 
pots, and only five months from the cuttings, a 
rapidity of development that is not obtainable from 
any of the species of the genus that I am acquainted 
with. Its floriferous character should commend it 
to the grower of hard-wooded plants at home. Here 
in this colony, when planted out in a shrubbery 
border, it blooms most profusely for nine months in 
the year. The blooms are borne on large branching 
racemes on the tips of each growth ; the interior of 
the tube is bright yellow, and orange flushed with 
scarlet on the outside. The foliage is intermediate 
between those of its parents, but the lobes of the 
corolla are more reflexed than those of T. velutina, 
otherwise (except in colour) the blooms bear a 
striking resemblance to those of that species.— 
G.H. K. 
Epiphytical character of Ficus australis. 
In the coast districts of New South Wales some of 
the low flat lands are largely occupied with Ficus 
australis, some of which show very grotesque modes 
of growth, but the most interesting examples are 
those which have made their home upon the stumps 
of broken trees some 30 ft. to 40 ft. from the ground, 
and which, when they have exhausted the nourish¬ 
ment contained in the hollow trunks, have thrown 
out aerial roots which gradually elongate until they 
reach the ground. Smaller specimens are seen 
growing on the bark of old trees in company with 
Asplenium Nidus, and much in the same way as 
many Dendrobes. This species shows the same 
characteristic in the ranges where the seeds have 
been deposited in slight declivities in huge sandstone 
boulders, in some instances 20 ft. high. The 
adventitious roots he^e form a complete network of 
rope-like roots, and in some instances the older 
specimens have completely enveloped their huge 
pedestal. In the latter position it is difficult to 
imagine how these Ficus plants develop into trees 
without any visible means of subsistence.— G. FI. K. 
Caladenia alba and C. caerulea. 
A short time ago, while trying to ascertain the 
durability of some of our terrestrial Orchids in a cut 
state, I was astonished at the lasting powers of 
Caladenia alba and C. caerulea, when kept under 
similar conditions with representatives of the 
genuses Thelimytra, Diurius, and Calochilus. The 
blooms of the latter all perished within from five to 
fourteen days, whilst those of the two species of 
Caladenia named were fresh and good at the end of 
twenty-eight days. This I should say entitles them 
to rank among the longest keeping Orchids in a cut 
state. They have a singularly unique and pretty 
effect when done up in miniature vases with 
Asparagus, &c. Their culture should be easy, judg¬ 
ing from the varied conditions under which they are 
found naturally. Thesoil they adapt themselves tois so 
varied, ranging from a stiff clay loam to light decayed 
vegetable mould. The tubers invariably keep a dis¬ 
tance of 2 in. under the surface of the soil. I could 
send you some short notes on species of Diurius, 
Thelymitra, and Calochilus if you would like to have 
them.— G. H. R. 
fPlease do. The Australian terrestrial Orchids are 
but litfle known, and very sparely cultivated in this 
country, so that any information respecting them is 
at all times acceptable.— Ed.] 
- mim - 
THE ROSERY. 
Tea-scented Roses. 
Grand, and extremely popular as this section of 
Roses are, I feel there is a still greater future before 
them. In hardiness undoubtedly they can already com¬ 
pare favourably with the hybrid perpetuals and Bour¬ 
bons, while for freedom of growth and flowering, the 
latter are not to be compared to the Teas. Then they 
are so free from red-rust,and although some may fancy 
that the Teas are rather more subject to mildew, I 
do not think we should find it the case if the hybrid 
perpetuals were as full of young and tender growth 
equally late in the season, I could name several 
hybrid perpetuals that are dreadfully affected by this 
■disease. Both early, mid-season, and late, this class 
is good, while fully six times as many blooms are 
produced by a dozen plants as can be found upon a 
similar number of hybrid perpetuals. Soft, chaste, 
and most charming colours are to be found, such in 
fact, as we get among no other flowers. But this is 
being annually supplemented by high-coloured 
varieties, and I feel sure we shall ere long get many 
grand and deep-coloured Teas. Already we have 
Madame Lambard, Souvenir de T. Levet, Triumphe 
■de Fernet Fere, Alphonse Karr, &c , &c., and when 
others come out, all except the very dark maroon 
Roses will gradually go to the wall. 
Rose Stocks. 
We shall soon be in the midst of propagating these, 
and I would meantime ask my readers to allow the 
strong shoots of budded stocks to grow as freely 
as possible. They will not harm the stocks, nor the 
Rose bud, and we shall want them for cuttings 
soon. 
Pot Roses. 
As soon as any maiden hybrid perpetuals and Teas 
are ripe enough to be lifted, lose no time in potting 
up a few. The former class are especially useful 
when potted early and placed on a shady border. 
Any fresh, rich, and not too open a compost will suit 
them, provided the port are well drained. Keep the 
tops syringed for a few days, so as to avoid any 
tendency to shrivel, and do not introduce the plants 
tinder glass until the end of November. If potted 
■early, these plants will force well. 
Climbers under Glass. 
Those that are grown in pots, are doubtless placed 
■out of doors to finish ripening. If not, do so at once. 
Plants in borders, whether under cover entirely or 
planted outside similar to Vines, should now be re¬ 
ceiving all the light and air you can possibily give 
them. Unlike ordinary growers, the wood of 
climbers is of no use unless well matured. Of 
course the other kinds are also much best when ripe. 
but in their case you can always cut back to a few 
well finished eyes at pruning time. With the 
climbers, however, under such treatment they would 
only make more long growths, minus any bloom. A 
few long rods, and these thoroughly ripened, is the 
secret of flowering the climbing Roses, and which 
are oftentimes styled shy-blooming by growers ; 
which they certainly are unless the above plan be 
followed. 
Colour and Dew. 
How grand and deep in colour some of the autumnal- 
flowering Roses are coming now that we get cool 
dewy mornings ! Prince C. de Rohan, Abel Carriere, 
Eclair, Duke of Edinburgh, and a few others are 
really superb. Although the hot sun during day¬ 
time is apt to spoil their beauty and hurry on the 
buds too much, each morning we can now find a few 
exquisite flowers. Many of the Teas are also deeper 
in their centre shadings. Marie Van Houtte, Mrs. 
J. Wilson, W'hite Perle, and others are splendidly 
coloured on their edges ; while the apricot colours, 
like Sunset, Madame Falcot, W. A. Richardson, and 
Madame Berard are deeper than during the earlier 
part of the summer. 
Mildew. 
There are a few varieties that are always more 
affected by mildew than others. Souvenir de Paul 
Neron and Innocente Pirola from the Teas; Her 
Majesty and Violette Bowyer from the hardy per- 
petuals are examples. These are all grand Roses, 
particularly the three first-named ; but unfortunately 
they are tne first to catch this terrible Rose pest, 
and, no doubt, oftentimes introduce it among the 
general collection, when it would otherwise have 
been successfully battled against by the hardier 
kinds.— Experience. 
-- 
REMARKABLE TREE PLANTERS. 
Thomas Carlyle. 
If only at Holwood Park, one of Earl Derby’s 
Kentish properties, there is ample evidence that the 
late Thomas Carlyle had at least some interest in 
trees and tree-planting. A number of healthy young 
Oaks “raised from seed, and planted for Mary, 
Countess of Derby, by Thomas Carlyle ” may be 
seen at various parts of the estate. 
Unfortunately, owing to the previous practice of 
growing forest trees for a number of years in pots, 
these Oaks are hardly what might have been ex¬ 
pected when we consider that they were planted 
fully seventeen years ago, or in October, 1875, and 
are to-day not more than 10 ft. high. By rearing 
large-growing trees for, say, the first half-a-dozen 
years of their existence in pots, the roots usually get 
sadly crippled, and the young specimens become 
dwarfed and stunted of growth, and such is the case 
with the trees referred to. Careful root pruning and 
coaxing in other ways has had a decided influence 
for good on these interesting trees. 
That the great writer had a keen insight into the 
advisability of judicious tree-planting will be culled 
from the excellent and very truthful article that he 
contributed to the Nation fully forty years ago 
on " Tree Planting in Ireland.” At the close of a 
tour in Ireland Carlyle wrote as follows :—“ Many 
Irishmen talk of dying for Ireland, but before dying 
for your country think, my friends, in how many, 
quiet, strenuous ways you might beneficially live for 
it. Every patriotic Irishrnan (that is, by hypothesis 
almost every Irishman now alive) who would so fain 
make the Old Country a present of his wl^ole life 
and self, why does he not, for exarnple, directly after 
reading this and choosing a feasible spot, at least 
plant one tree ? That were a srnall act of self- 
devotion—small, but feasible. Eight njillion trees 
before the present generation ran out, that were an 
indubitable acquisition for Ireland, for it is one of 
the barest, ruggedest countries now known—far too 
rugged a country, with patches of beautiful park and 
fine cultivation, like threads of bright scarlet on a 
beggar’s clouted coat—a country that stands 
decidedly in need of shelter, shade, and ornamental 
fringing, look at its landscape where you will. . . 
Eight million trees, and I rather conjecture eight 
times eight million would be very welcome in that 
part of the Empire. . . . 'Trees of liberty' 
have not succeeded well in these ages. Plant your 
eight million trees of shade, shelter, ornament, fruit; 
this is a symbol much more likely to be prophetic. 
Each man’s tree of industry will be, of a surety, his 
tree of liberty, and the sum of them, never doubt it, 
will be Ireland’s.”— A. D. IF. 
