October 8, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
83 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED. 
Chrysanthemum General Hawkes. — Early- 
flowering varieties of the Japanese type are in¬ 
creasing. That under notice may be compared to 
the late-flowering Edouard Audiguier. The blooms 
are about in. in diameter, with narrow, reflexed 
florets, revolute at the edges, and of an intense 
crimson-red with a maroon tint and a silvery reverse. 
The parentage is, however, different from that of 
E. Audiguier, and it is an English seedling raised by 
Mr. Robert Owen, Castle Hill, Maidenhead, and was 
exhibited by him at the Floral Committee meeting of 
the National Chrysanthemum Society at the Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster, on the 28th ult., when it 
received a First-class Certificate. 
Chrysanthemum Gloire de Mezin.— The heads 
of this Japanese variety are 4^ in. to 5 in. in diameter 
and very deep. They are buff-yellow and of a deep 
bronzy-buff or pale orange-red in the centre, with a 
yellow reverse. The florets are reflexed, horizontal 
and ascending, and compressed or concave at the 
tips. The whole bloom reminds us of Criterion with 
which it may have affinity, but it is neither so 
flattened nor is the colour the same, while it differs 
in being earlier. It was exhibited by Mr. Norman 
Davis, Lilford Road, Camberwell, at the same time 
and place as the above, and received a First-class 
Certificate. 
Chrysanthemum Lady Fitzwygram.— The dwarf 
habit and the early-flowering nature of this Chrysan¬ 
themum should render this a favourite with those 
who grow the early kinds. It is in the way of 
Madame C. Desgranges and La Vierge, but dwarfer 
in habit than the former and pure white when at its 
best, and only becoming tinted with extreme age. A 
small plant bore eight blooms on as many shoots 
after being disbudded. It was shown by Mr. J. 
Agate, Havant, at the September show of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society, when it received 
a First-class Certificate. The plant has now found 
its way into the collection of Mr. H. J. Jones, Ry- 
croft Nursery, Hither Green, Lewisham. 
AMATEURS AND THE 
R.H.S. 
I am fully in sympathy with Mr. H. A. Needs in his 
letter to you in your issue of the 17th ult., and think 
that it is extremely hard on the bona-fide amateur to 
have such a reflection cast upon him as is contained 
in your article of the 3rd ult. The unsatisfactory 
number of exhibits usually staged in competition for 
awards to amateurs at the R.H.S., is entirely due (so 
far as the bona-fide amateur is concerned) to the fact 
that the definition of the word “ amateur,” as defined 
by the R.H.S , is utterly opposed to what is reason¬ 
able or just to the large number of amateur gardeners 
who would like to compete at its meetings. It is 
quite out of the question to expect men who spend 
the greater part of their time away from home on 
business, to compete with professional gardeners, 
who, with all their skill and many advantages, should 
without an effort out-distance their bona-fide amateur 
rivals. 
These facts should be patent to the council of the 
R.H.S., who, if they hold the broad views which 
most horticulturists imagine they possess, should 
immediately set about making an alteration in their 
definition of an amateur. The definition of the 
National Amateur Gardeners’ Association reads as 
follows :—“ No person shall be eligible for member¬ 
ship who disposes of plants, flowers, seeds, or trades 
in garden produce for profit, or is in the employ of a 
nurseryman or gardener, or is employed as a 
gardener. Gentlemen who engage professional 
aid shall also be entitled to become members, 
but shall not be privileged to compete at the 
meetings of the association. Occasional help 
from a labourer in wheeling, digging, and similar 
rough work is, however, allowed to all members.” 
This finds ready acceptance with most minds, and 
if proof is wanted of the popularity of this institution, 
the fact that there are now 400 members, each of 
whom have been elected during the last year and 
nine months should prove conclusively that where 
the interests of amateurs are studied, there will 
always be found many willing to support an effort 
made in their interests. 
In reply to your correspondent, W. C., in your 
issue of the 24th ult., it may be stated that when the 
N.A.G.A. was inaugurated, one of its aims was, to 
hold an exhibition in a central position in the metro¬ 
polis, and it is quite possible this may be accom¬ 
plished a little later.— D. B. Crane, Hon. Sec., 
N.A.G.A. 
--*•- 
GARDEN CHRONOMETERS. 
The water clock recently described as a new 
invention, is, I think, an old friend under a fresh 
name, apparently an adaptation from a very antique 
contrivance for measuring time, which in all 
probability was known to the ancients. I do not, 
however, remember, neither can I trace any record 
of the floral appendages, still it would not alarm me 
to learn that this notion too had also been fished out 
of the mists of antiquity—so much by way introduc¬ 
tion. The vanity of some men of the present day is 
positively ludicrous, for now and then this man 
blows his own trumpet, and is spoken of as the 
gardener who first found out that, and that man as 
the gardener who first found out this. All scholars 
know that increased knowledge generates increased 
wonder, and that Locke’s great truism that know¬ 
ledge is gained by external impressions goes to prove 
that we have all been copiers—in proof whereof the 
study of old gardening works will convince the most 
sceptical that our modern gardening methods are 
simply improved ones of former days, and in most 
cases are precisely the same as practised in the so 
called "-good old times.” 
I possess several quaint and curious old gardening 
works, and one in particular deeply interests me. It 
is dated 1717, and it will be seen that its title is 
rather a big order, thus:—" New improvements of 
planting and gardening, both practical and philoso¬ 
phical, in four parts, viz: 1. The Clergyman’s- 
recreation. 2. The Gentleman’s recreation. 3. 
The Fruit Garden Kalendar. By John Lawrence, 
M.A. 4. The Lady’s recreation, with an appendix 
explaining the motion of the sap and generation of 
plants, with other discoveries never before made 
public for the improvement of forest trees with an 
invention whereby more designs of garden platts 
may be made in an hour than can be found in all the 
books now extant, likewise several rare secrets for 
the improvement of fruit trees, kitchen gardens, and 
greenhouse plants, adorned with copper plates. By 
Chas. Evelyn, Esq., and Richard Bradley, F R.S.” 
If space permitted I should quote freely on many 
subjects from these valuable old works, but it will 
suffice for my present purpose to show what the 
ingenious old gardeners knew about hybrids and 
pedigree breeding. Until a short time ago almost 
everyone took it for granted that this interesting 
branch of gardening was a latter day find, and that 
some country doctor or the modern Mr. Feeder, 
B.A., was the discoverer. Cain, and for aught we 
know his father Adam, might have understood 
hybridizing. At any rate we know that Moses knew 
something about it, because in his account of the 
creation he speaks of plants having their seeds in 
themselves. We are also quite certain that about 200 
years ago English gardeners not only knew some¬ 
thing about it, but practised it also, for Mr. Bradley 
devotes a whole chapter of nearly a dozen closely 
printed pages to the subject, and as an example the 
following paragraph will clearly show that he 
thoroughly understood all about it. He wrote :—• 
“ Moreover, a curious person may, by this know¬ 
ledge, produce such rare kinds of plants as have not 
yet been heard of by making choice of two plants for 
his purpose as are near alike in their parts, but 
chiefly in their flowers or seed vessels ; for example 
the Carnation and Sweet William are in some 
respects alike, the farina of the one will impregnate 
the other, and the seed so enlivened will produce a 
plant differing from either, as may now be seen in 
the garden of Mr. Thos. Fairchild, of Hoxton, a 
plant neither Sweet William nor Carnation, but 
resembling both equally, which was raised from the 
seed of a Carnation that had been impregnated by 
the farina of the Sweet William. These couplings 
are not unlike that of the mare with the ass, which 
produces the mule, and in regard to generation are 
also the same with mules not being able to multiply 
their species no more than other monsters generated 
in the same manner.” 
As these observations are so singularly ingenious 
and interesting I trust to the reader's kind indulgence 
for introducing them here, and hope that my didactic 
digression will prove a salutary impetus to the en¬ 
couragement of intelligent fecundation of plants, and 
now let us hark back again to the water clocks. In 
another old book, entitled " A general treatise of hus¬ 
bandry and gardening, containing such observations 
and experiments as are new and useful, for the 
improvement of land, with an account of such 
extraordinary inventions and natural productions as 
may help the ingenious in their studies and promote 
universal learning. By R. Bradley, h .R.S., 1721,” 
at p. 166 is a letter concerning a new method of 
managing Pear trees, and of a water clock, a copy of 
which follows : 
" Sir,—I have perused the most part of what you 
have written about gardening with a great deal of 
pleasure ; and I must say such as have any curiosity 
owe very much to you for what you have published 
upon that account. The knowing part of the world 
who value themselves upon subjects of that nature 
cannot but in justice have you in great esteem ; and 
more especially where they have the advantage of 
your conversation. 
“ There is a piece of amusement that I have had 
at my house several years which any gentleman who 
hath the convenience of water near his gates or run¬ 
ning through his gardens may put up to his pleasure 
and use. It is a clock that goes by water, being a 
perpetual motion, in regard it needs no winding up. 
I have known it to go a month without losing time, 
the water when once truly regulated being very exact. 
I have sent you herein enclosed the model of it. 
“ I must acquaint you likewise of a small piece of 
improvement that I find hath not been put in prac¬ 
tice by any but myself, which is dwarf trees trained 
circular ways after the manner of a screw, whereby I 
make a tree 40 ft. long not to be 5 ft. high ; the tree 
being carried round upon a frame of small poles 
made into a bell figure, and as it advances in growth 
is tied gently to the frame by pieces of woollen yarn, 
raising it a little as it winds about and therefore 
needs no pruning. This way of training them con¬ 
sumes the sap and makes them very productive, and 
when the frame decays the tree keeps its station and 
looks very well. If any shoots offer to spring up in 
the summer from any of the side branches, they 
must be pinched from the first beginning ; and when 
a frosty night threatens them in the spring make a 
plain frame upon a large hoop covered over with a 
piece of canvas or pitch cloth to cover the whole, 
which preserves the flourishing buds and their 
knitting till the danger be over, and keeps them 
also from cold rains and winds in the spring. 
I have likewise hastened the ripening of fruit by 
a fortnight by taking off the earth from about the 
trees near to the roots after the fruit is grown 
to a size of bigness as much as you expect they will 
come to, and in dry weather giving them a little 
watering in the morning. This way hath a good 
effect upon Vines and early Cherries or Plums or 
the Avant Peach ; I had fruit upon trees used after 
this manner two weeks, or at least ten days, before 
others of their kind that was not so prepared. Sir, 
I hope you will pardon my freedom in communicat¬ 
ing what I thought was not yet in universal practice, 
being with all due respects, 
“ Sir, your very humble servant, 
“A. HERON. 
" P.S.—The water wheel of the clock is about 
18 in. diameter, and of the same form as the wheel of 
any ordinary corn mill; its axletree on the side the 
standard is near a foot long, with a screw on the end 
of it, that when it turns takes in the teeth of the foot 
wheel, which consists of twelve teeth. The axletree 
hath a pinion beyond the screw where it turns in a 
small piece of wood set up for the purpose. The 
standard is 5 ft. high with a gutter cut in 2 in. deep, 
and as much broad, in which turns the shank of 
the foot wheel to which it is fixed with a pinion 
below the wheel to move upon, in a little frame 
of iron, as the pinion itself is to keep it steady in its 
motion. There is a box fixed on the top of this 
great standard, 10 in. diameter, with a hole cut out 
in the bottom to let the shank or standard of the foot 
wheel go up through, and hath a screw upon the top 
of it, with a pinion in a frame upon the top of the 
box. This screw turns a wheel of sixty nicks within 
the box, and the axletree of this great wheel hath a 
screw upon it that turns another wheel of twenty- 
four nicks, the end whereof goes through, and hath a 
pointer fixed upon it without the hour-plate like a 
common clock. Where you bring of your water you 
cut a square hole in a piece of board with a shutter 
upon it whereby you give more or less water, till you 
bring it to one exact time. The great standard must 
be cut through halfway, where the foot wheel is to 
stand, about qin. wide,”— IV. Napper, Chelsea. 
