182 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 20, 1897. 
as well as every other thing, showing that the young 
gardener here took a particular interest in his work. 
He is on the point of making a good many improve¬ 
ments this autumn and winter.— Visitor. 
-——- 
WINDOW BOXES. 
There is ample room for a greater variety in the 
arrangement and planting of these than is generally 
followed. The selection of plants used for the pur¬ 
pose in most instances is limited to Pelargoniums, 
Calceolaries, Lobelias, Petunias, and Marguerites, 
and very showy and decorative many of the boxes 
are, which are formed of these simple materials. 
Now, having had a display second to none coming 
under my notice during this season, made up in a 
great measure of different materials, and which at 
the present time is pretty and attractive, I shall in¬ 
stance two of the most prominent among them. 
The first is the now well known Campanula isophylla 
alba. Nothing more beautiful can be imagined for this 
purpose, drooping as it does over the sides of the cork 
box. For a length of time it was one sheet of white, 
and is not yet totally without flower. The other sub¬ 
ject planted among it, drooping even further over the 
box, is not so well known, and possibly has not been 
previously used in the same way. It is one of the Rag¬ 
worts, Othonna crassifolia. This plant seems almost 
always in flower, but has not been so conspicuous 
till lately. It is a Composite, with yellow flowers 
not more than J in. in diameter. The growth bears 
a striking resemblance to some of the Mesembryanth- 
emums of straggling habit. The flowers are pro¬ 
duced on rather long footstalks, stand out well from 
the facing of cork, and when the sun is shining 
upon them look exceedingly pretty against the back¬ 
ground of cork, its own foliage, and that of the 
Campanula. The box being immediately over a 
rockery with a varied selection of suitable plants 
possibly enhances the effect.— W. B. G. 
CHRYSHNTHBimim ROTES. 
DEYONHURST, CHISWICK. 
The number of Chrysanthemums in the gardens of 
E. H. Watts, Esq., Devonhurst, Chiswick, has been 
annually increasing for some time past, which is 
pretty sure evidence of their popularity. They are 
distributed through some five houses, including the 
compartments of the orchard house. A Chrysan¬ 
themum show open to the public on payment for ad¬ 
mission has been held in November for some years 
past, and this year took place on the 2nd and 3rd 
inst., when it proved in every way a success. The 
proceeds are always devoted to some charitable pur¬ 
pose by Mrs. Watts, who enjoys a wide reputation 
for the help she renders various causes in this way. 
The Chrysanthemums are finer than we have ever 
seen at Devonhurst before, for Mr. James Gibson is 
an enthusiastic grower and lover of this flower, and 
his devotedness has been abundantly rewarded by 
the response the plants have given to his care. The 
blooms of Viviand Morel, Charles Davis, Phoebus, 
Australian Gold and Madame Carnot are surely as 
large as any one could desire, yet growers and 
judges alike never seem satisfied in this respect. 
The graceful and drooping character of the 
outer florets of the last-named variety raises it 
to the first rank as an exhibition flower, and 
makes it a universal favourite with cultivators and 
exhibitors. The yellow Mme. Carnot or G. J_ 
Warren has given growers immense satisfaction 
everywhere. Mrs. J. Lewis is a massive, deep 
flowers with broad, pure white petals, and belongs to 
the incurved Japanese section. 
White varieties are much in evidence here, and 
besides those given we may also mention Lady 
Byron, Souvenir d’Une Petite Amie, Western King, 
Mutual Friend, Mrs. W. H. Lees, and others which 
have produced very fine blooms indeed. Yellow, 
bronze, and crimson varieties are also well repre¬ 
sented by up-to-date varieties. The quality of 
Western King is excellent, but it is hardly up to ex¬ 
hibition size for this country. Edith Tabor is in fine 
form amongst yellow sorts. Pride of Exmouth is 
white or o ’ten tinted with pink on the same plant. 
John Neville has short, stiff, leathery foliage, and 
drooping orange-crimson flowers, somewhat after the 
style of Mrs. Falconer Jameson, but larger and very 
handsome. The crimson-scarlet blooms of Mr. A. 
G. Hubbuck, with old-gold reverse are splendid ; 
while the growth of the plant is free and easy. A. 
H. Wood is a deeper yellow sport from Primrose 
League. Modesto and the newer Sunstone are also 
very fine. C. W. Richardson is a clear yellow, hir¬ 
sute variety that well upholds the merits of its class. 
The bronzy-gold and yellow Robert Owen continues 
to do well here. Mme. Ed. Andre is an incurved 
Japanese sort with orange-red florets and a yellow 
reverse. 
Major Bonaffon constitutes one of the newer forms 
that have been linked with the incurved section, 
thereby raising the status of the same considerably 
for exhibition purposes. The blooms are soft yellow 
and pretty. Hairy Wonder continues to take the 
fancy of all classes of people, for it is now generally 
admitted to be the best of its section. A taking 
flower is Eva Knowles, being of an orange-crimson 
hue with old-gold reverse, the latter shade being 
much shown owing to the incurved arrangement of 
tbe flowers. A curious thing has happened in con¬ 
nection with Vicomtesse Rene de Cbezelles. The 
early buds are yellow, and to this form a First-class 
Certificate was recently awarded by the N.C.S. The 
later flowers, as seen here, are of a rich bronzy-yellow. 
Nevertheless, it is a fine flower of the incurved 
Japanese type. 
The whole are beautifully and effectively arranged 
in rounded, undulating banks, the pathway following 
the contour of the groups through all the three 
houses. Cocoanut fibre covers the boards forming 
the temporary pathway, and makes a beautiful and 
decided contrast against the green foliage and bright 
flowers. 
On the 5th inst. beween twenty and thirty members 
of the Ealing Gardeners’ Society visited the gardens 
and inspected the Chrysanthemums by torchlight 
after their duties for the day were over. 
BATTERSEA PARK. 
That the good people of Battersea and district are 
enthusiastic lovers of the Chrysanthemum is abun¬ 
dantly proved by their manifest appreciation of the 
display of the 11 autumn queen,'' which is provided 
for them by Mr. Coppin and his able assistants in 
Battersea Park. As in former years, the plants are 
accommodated in the Palm House, which was opened 
to the public on October 13th, and is to continue 
open until about the end of the present month. Some 
2,200 plants are grown in all, of which the house 
contains nearly 2,000, the remainder being employed 
as a reserve to fill up gaps as they occur. 
On entering the house the visitor finds the bulk of 
the plants massed on the right in a bank sloping 
from 3 ft. in height at the front to 10 ft. at the back, 
The surface of the bank presents an undulating out¬ 
line, three prominent mounds being observed, of which 
the central one is the highest. A remarkably neat 
finish is given to this arrangement by bush plants 
loosely tied to the eaves of the house and allowed to 
droop over the large blooms in graceful sprays. 
These plants have been grown on specially for this 
purpose, and have not been disbudded. The wall at 
either end of the house is decorated in a similar 
fashion—a distinct improvement upon last year when 
nothing of tbe sort was attempted. The narrow 
shelf on the left-hand side of the path is again filled 
with naturally grown plants. These are brought 
down and their branches tied in to form a curving 
hedge of bloom, which, although somewhat stiff 
when first constructed, improves as the tips of the 
growths assume more natural positions. Behind 
and over these are other bush plants which are slung 
to the rafters of the house and allowed to hang over 
the pathway. The number of varieties grown in this 
way is rather limited, but the choice has been a re¬ 
markably judicious one. The creamy-yellow reflexed 
Elsie is a great success thus, and the same may be 
said of Margot. Golden Madame Marthe, Soeur 
Melaine, La Vogue, Sunset, L’lsle des Plaisirs, and 
the Christines are others whose services have been 
well utilised. 
Passing to the consideration of the large blooms 
we found the Japs in overwhelming majority. How¬ 
ever, much size may be decried by those of aesthetic 
tastes there is no doubt that the general public likes 
to see blooms as large as possible, and plenty of 
them in a show of this kind. The more refined 
glories of the true incurves are not so much appre¬ 
ciated because they are less insistent. 
We do not expect to see novelties in a public park, 
for with so many good standard varieties from which 
to pick and choose it is manifest that it is the safer 
plan to grow sorts of approved merit. Sunflower 
was undeniably the best yellow, and its presence was 
indicated by some capital blooms scattered about 
the house. Edith Tabor was also in fine condition. 
The most conspicuous among the white flowers was 
Lady Byron, for we noticed several huge samples of 
it in different places. In the front row Louise was a 
success, and Avalanche was looking better than we 
have seen it this year. Edwin Molyneux, Wm. 
Seward, M. Wm. Holmes, and the reflexed John 
Shrimpton represented the dark-hued varieties well. 
President Borrel is a noble flower, but at Battersea is 
rather variable. In the back rows Graphic showed 
up strongly. Its size and height are effective when 
seen at a distance, but the flowers are apt to be 
coarse. M. Chenon de Leche, G. C. Schwabe, M. 
Tarin, Eda Prass, W. H. Lincoln, Madame Edouard 
Rey, Mrs. Weeks, and Viviand Morel were all in 
good form. Hairy forms seem to have caught on 
with the public, and thus a considerable number is 
grown. These would have shown up better, how¬ 
ever, if instead of being scattered about as they were, 
they had been collected and made a distinctive 
group. Hairy Wonder was in capital condition, and 
Louis Boehmer was also prominent. 
Of incurves there was a fair sprinkling, but when 
we saw them they had not as yet arrived at their 
best. The two old favourites, Mrs. Geo. Rundle 
and Mrs. G. Glenny, are still grown. White 
Beverley and its golden counterpart are not so fre¬ 
quently seen as they might be, for when well grown 
they are handsome flowers. Baron Hirsch is still one 
of the best, and will compare very favourably with 
any for the ease with which it may be grown. Lori 
Wolseley was the largest and finest flower to be seen 
among the incurves, but Prince of Wales and Prince 
Alfred were also well represented. Lord Brooke 
was showing well when we saw it. 
Anemone-flowered varieties find favour with not a 
few, on account of their distinctness of build. Des¬ 
cartes, Delaware, Gluck, and M. Chas. Lebocqz 
were some of the best varieties on view. 
HEATON GARDENS, CHESHUNT. 
A short time ago we paid a visit to the gardens of 
Heaton House, Cbeshunt, -which for some years 
have been carried on by Mr. T. Bones as a market 
garden chiefly for the cultivation of florists’ flowers, 
Tomatos, and various other marketable subjects. 
On the occasion of our visit Chrysanthemums were 
the speciality or seasonable subjects. Five houses 
were filled with them in various stages of advance¬ 
ment. They are grown in bush form, the branches 
being numerous and sufficiently disbudded to give 
flowers of a good and useful size to meet the market 
requirements. Mr. Bones was accustomed to this 
style of culture in former years when in private 
establishments, and considered it the most useful 
method of growing this favourite flower. 
He cultivates a limited number of tbe most useful 
varieties, but each in some quantity. The rich 
bronzy-yellow Ryecroft Glory is the earliest of his 
varieties. Emily Silsbury follows, but is rather 
weak in the stem if left to its own resources, that is, 
if allowed to grow naturally. The evil is overcome, 
however, by taking the crown bud of each shoot. 
These are followed in succession by Gladys Roult, a 
very useful white; Clinton Chalfont, yellow; 
Modesto, a grand golden-yellow ; and Western King, 
ivory, shining white. The last named is considered 
perfect iD every way in America, and, although 
rather small for exhibition in this country, is, never¬ 
theless, a refined and charming flower, just a trifle 
thin in the petal. As a market flower it is also very 
serviceable, although not yet so widely disseminated 
as it might be. For the production of large and bold 
flowers the yellow Sunstone is very serviceable, and 
the same may be said of C. W. Richardson. 
The succession is continued by Yanoma, a gcod 
white sort, which proves serviceable for late work. 
Mme. Phillippe Rivoire has already seen some service 
on the exhibition board, but when grown in bush 
form it seems more suitable for cutting early in 
December. The value and beauty of Niveous and 
Souvenir de Petite Amie are already well recognised. 
Both are beautiful and refined white varieties, but 
perfectly distinct in build and the form of the 
florets. Madame Therese Pankoucke is also a good 
late white variety. Ivory and Pink Ivory, white 
and pink respectively, are both very useful sorts 
for market late in the season, when Chrysanthe- 
