196 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 26, 1892. 
FLORICULTURE. 
Seasonable Notes. 
Auriculas 
Are now rapidly falling away to their winter’s rest, 
the leaves wither, leaving only a kind of filbert-like 
cluster of leaves enfolding the heart of the plant. 
What some weeks ago was luxuriant is now spare, 
but the loss of leaves is the habit of the plant, and 
no one has need to feel alarm at the falling away to 
a small size. The time will come when these small 
hearts will put on an astonishing show of vigour 
and break out into rosettes of leaves, heralding 
the bloom, which will follow. No doubt the drier 
the winter quarters of the Auricula the better, pro¬ 
vided it be not in any way too warm or close. If 
the surroundings are damp, the higher the plants 
can be elevated near the glass the better, and a 
free circulation of air is necessary to dry up any 
condensed moisture, which gathering upon the 
foliage may cause spots. Really very little 
water is required during the dead months, and only 
when required should it be given. In a cold house 
or frame with a damp bottom there will be enough 
evaporation of moisture to carry the plants on for a 
considerable time; under drier conditions more 
water will be required. 
Carnations and Picotees. 
On every hand one hears that layers have done very 
well and appear to be well rooted. Some have been 
potting off for days past, placing a strong layer in a 
pot by itself, or two or three round the sides of a 
larger one. On the whole it is perhaps most favour¬ 
able, unless the position of the bed be a favourable 
one, not to plant out until the spring. Young rooted 
layers put out in the open in the autumn have many 
risks to run, and though the plant is thoroughly 
hardy, many a one is liable to injury through hard frost 
following close upon heavy rains. Not infrequently 
the hearts of the plants are quite destroyed, though 
they be not killed outright, tor wintering young 
plants of Carnations there is nothing like a cold 
frame with an ash bottom resting upon a layer of 
brick rubbish : water quickly passes away and does 
not stand about the pots. The lights should be 
removed except when rain and snow falls, or when 
severe frost abounds. 
Cinerarias. 
The Cineraria is now so much a greenhouse plant 
that it is either housed in such a house or in frames 
that are warmed. It is a plant subject to mildew, 
which, settling upon the undersides of the leaves, 
needs the application of flour of sulphur to keep it 
in check. Cinerarias can be wintered in cold frames, 
but only with great care, covering them up closely 
when frost abounds. If by chance a frame of 
Cinerarias is overtaken by frost, the best thing to do 
is to allow the plants to remain covered up closely 
and quite in the dark until thaw sets in,; the thaw 
will be gradual, and many, if not all the plants may 
be saved in that way. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias. 
The Calceolaria is decidedly hardier than the 
Cineraria, but seeing how its succulent leaves are 
affected by damp, it is always best to winter the 
plants in a house or frame which can be heated at 
will. At this season of the year watchfulness is 
necessary, keeping the plants clean, picking off 
decayed foliage, watering moderately .guarding against 
green-fly and mildew, and protecting from frost. 
When fire-heat is applied to both Cinerarias and 
Calceolarias some air should be given, b-it from the 
leeward, not the windward side, so that cTJ currents 
of air do not fall upon the plants. 
Begonias. 
The tuberous rooted Begonia has won a place among 
florists’ flowers. So great has been the improvement 
made in recent years that quality is now measured 
by the same test as in the case of other subjects 
esteemed by the florist. Presuming plants were 
placed out of doors for summer decoration, some 
which have not exhausted their power of producing 
flowers can be potted up early in October and they 
will bloom in a greenhouse for some time after. 
Those that have done blooming are lifted, the 
tubers dried, and then stored away for the winter. 
One thing to avoid is not to hasten the drying off of 
the tubers. But when they have dried properly, 
they may be put in shallow boxes with some cocoa 
fibre and dry peat mixed together and placed about 
them, and in any dry cool place, where frost cannot 
reach them—say a temperature of 50°—they can be 
kept till potting time, but should be occasionally 
examined to see that they are doing well. Tubers 
that have bloomed in pots should be similarly treated. 
Tulips. 
Tulips of the late flowering section should be 
planted at once. If any grower be waiting for fine 
weather in which to plant, it will be wise to cover up 
the bed from heavy rains, so that when it is 'fine 
overhead the soil may be in condition to plant. 
Early planting is better than late, because the 
weather is likely to be more favourable. 
Show Pelargoniums. 
Pelargoniums which were cut down in September 
and repotted will have by this time put forth shoots 
an inch or so in length. Water shquld be sparingly 
given and only to those plants which want it. The 
glass above the plants should be kept clean, that 
they may have the benefit of all the light possible. 
A little fire heat is necessary in dull, cold, foggy 
weather, and that for the purpose of drying up damp, 
but from 40° to 45 0 will be found sufficient. Great 
care should be taken not to draw the plants at this 
season of the year. To grow specimen large-flower¬ 
ing Pelargoniums successfully, there should be clean 
pots, ample drainage, and some lumps of charcoal 
mixed with the drainage is found beneficial. A good 
rich compost should be employed at the time of the 
second potting ; the plant has a good deal to do, and 
needs corresponding sustenance. Any plants which 
may be required to bloom at the end of April or early 
in May should be stopped without delay. The effect 
of stopping is to throw out side branches to give early 
bloom. Rooted cuttings should be potted ofl, and 
they need to be kept close until the roots become 
active.— R. D. 
-■*-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
Size of Show-boards for Japanese Blooms. 
1 feel bound to point out to you that your editorial 
note on the above subject at p. 176 may possibly 
mislead. The boards I used at the Aquarium were 
of similar pattern to the one I brought to the con-- 
ference, and which I proposed as the standard size, 
viz., 6£ in. between the centre of each tube (26 in. by 
19J in, for a 12-board). 
I think I may now fairly claim that the blooms 
show to better advantage on such a board than on 
any other. I still greatly fear that the 28 in. by 21 in. 
board is too large, and will lead to coarse flowers and 
to what is almost worse, altering the character of 
certain varieties by using wires and card-board 
discs in order to make the blooms cover more 
ground than they naturally would do. I think the 
time has come when the National Society should 
step in and make a rule that no cup should exceed 
2 in. in diameter, and that any extra wires or other 
means of spreading out a flower should lead to dis¬ 
qualification of the stand in which such contrivances 
are used. I am almost inclined to believe that 
if this had been done some years ago, we should 
not yet have had to alter the size of the boards. I 
do however think that whatever the size is to be, 
that, and that size only should be allowed for 
Japanese blooms .—W Herbert Fowler, Claremont, 
Taunton, Nov. 18 th. 
Castle Hill, Maidenhead. 
As in all other establishments the Chrysanthemums, 
both Japanese and incurved, have been late in 
reaching their full development this year with Mr. 
Robert Owen, Castle Hill, Maidenhead. When we 
examined the collection the other week, the bulk of 
the plants in the houses was still in perfection, while 
a great many were still in the progress of develop¬ 
ment. A notable feature of this collection is that 
the whole of the plants occupying the houses are 
new, either named or unnamed seedlings, or have 
been put into commerce within the last two or three 
years. Older ones are kept in stock, but they 
are mostly, if not all, out of doors. A large 
number of the seedlings are of Mr. Owen's raising, 
either from home-saved seeds or a few from Ameri¬ 
can-saved seeds. 
English-raised Varieties. 
Viscountess Hambleden is now in fine condition, 
although unfortunately it was too late for the exhibi¬ 
tions. It is an incurved and pink Japanese variety of 
large size and beautiful form. Robert Owen is even 
later, but the bulk of the blooms are now in 
character. This is even more compact and of 
different shape, although belonging to the same sec¬ 
tion, golden yellow, and more or less of a bronzy 
gold at the base. Of the type of E. Molyneux 
is Richard Dean, crimson and gold reverse, but the 
flowers are not so liable to show an open centre. Of 
very large size and pure white is Pearl of Maiden¬ 
head, with spreading tubular florets, incurved at the 
tips. Middleton Clarke is a Japanese variety, with 
reddish purple, spreading florets, incurved in the 
early stages, and pale yellow on the reverse. The 
plants of Thomas Selwood are dwarf, and the close, 
incurved heads of a clear, shining yellow. It is 
considered an improved W. H. Lincoln. There are 
numerous plants of it, and the blooms fine in almost 
every case. A striking Japanese variety with large, 
globose heads of a uniform soft blush lilac, and with 
the florets peculiarly toothed at the tips is Mrs. 
Bruce Findlay. Fine also is Charles Bonstead, 
belonging to the incurved Japanese type. The 
flowers from the crown bud are pale coloured, but 
those from the terminals are rosy purple, striated 
with white. Thomas Hewit is a white, incurved 
Japanese variety, slightly suffused with lilac on the 
back of the broad outer florets; the crown buds are 
the best. Miss Lilian Cope is a white sport from 
Etoile de Lyon, but it is rather liable to sport back 
to the type. Excelsior is a last year's seedling of a 
reddish-purple with a silvery reverse, and gives 
promise of being a fine exhibition Japanese variety. 
The moderate sized bloomy of the incurved Japanese 
Lord Brooke are of fine form, and of rich bronzy 
gold. Enterprise is a large Anemone with rosy pur¬ 
ple, tubular rays, and a creamy white disc, tipped 
with lemon. 
A number of true incurved varieties have also 
been raised from seed by Mr. Owen or obtained as 
sports. Lucy Kendal is one of the latter, a sport 
with reddish purple flowers instead of the violet 
purple which occurs in Violet Tomlin. A seedling 
from the latter has rosy purple flowers tipped with 
white, and they are large and neat. Robert Petfield 
is a beautiful rosy pink seedling, with broad florets 
having a silvery hue in certain lights. It recently 
received a First-class Certificate, as did the sport 
Lucy Kendal. The same may be said of the striking 
novelty Baron Hirsch, which has received several 
certificates. It is a seedling of a deep chestnut-red 
with broad chestnut-red florets, and blooms of large 
size. Henry Perkins, of which we give an illus¬ 
tration, is another of the same type but very late, 
and at present of a rich crimson-red or deep chest¬ 
nut-red, and large size. That named John Fulford 
is of a bronzy metallic-red, tipped with gold. The list 
is also swelled by May Tomlin, of a soft purple with 
silvery reverse and very numerous florets. It is a 
late variety. 
Besides the above-named sorts mostly raised by 
Mr. Owen, there are many unnamed seedlings raised 
by him. One of these resembles a pure white 
Viscountess Hambleden. A Japanese variety with 
nearly globose blooms is suffused and lined with 
purple on a white ground. Another with larger, soft 
pinkish-purple blooms, has long spreading florets 
all incurved at the tips. A Japanese reflexed sort 
has bright crimson florets and a chestnut reverse, 
and blooms of average size. A richly coloured 
variety chiefly differs from the latter in being 
incurved, instead of reflexing. A Japanese variety 
with large blooms is notable for its broad, spreading, 
crimson-red florets and buff-yellow reverse. A 
singular case of dimorphism occurs in a Japanese 
variety having pale yellow quilled florets when taken 
from the crown bud, but terra-cotta with a clear 
yellow reverse, flat florets, and incurved edges when 
taken from the terminal buds. Another variety has 
large crimson-amaranth flowers, and purplish on the 
reverse. We noted a sport from Viviand Morel, and 
which has come true when propagated from cuttings. 
The florets are white, with rosy tips and edges. 
There is also a beautiful nearly uniform pink variety, 
an improvement upon the well-known Mons.Freeman. 
Another incurved Japanese variety has broad, light 
yellow florets and bronzy outer ones. A yellow 
variety in the way of The Tribune has darker and 
broader florets. Several large Anemone Chrysan¬ 
themums may be noted, all unnamed seedlings. One 
is like an improved Georges Sand with buff-red rays 
and chestnut-red disc. Another is in the way of 
Charles Lebocqz, having bright yellow disc and pale 
yellow rays. Very singular also is a Japanese 
Anemone, with long, incurved, white rays and a 
mottled purple disc. 
