‘216 
December 4, 1897 
the gardening World. 
INTS FOR ||mATEURS. 
Single Chrysanthemums.—There is no doubt that 
the large-flowered Japanese, incurved Japanese, and 
incurved Chrysanthemums monopolise a great deal 
of the attention of the ’Mum-loving public by reason 
of their very size and imposing appearance, but we 
turn to the singles with a feeling of something like 
relief We do not wish in any way to detract from 
the value of the larger flowers, for they are all of 
service in their particular direction, but we may say 
without exaggeration that in the single flowers we 
get a pleasing and useful break-away from the large 
flowers. 
There are not wanting persons who, from an 
aesthetic point of view, prefer the singles to anything 
else, and who aver that they see neither grace nor 
beauty in the large flowers that the skill of the 
florist has called into existence. However much 
truth there may be in these remarks, and although 
the greater majority of cultivators would not be 
prepared to endorse them fully there are very few 
persons indeed who have not a very warm corner in 
their affections for the single varieties. 
This is not at all surprising when we consider how 
very useful the plants are to those who have to keep 
up with large demands for cut flowers and plants for 
decorative purposes. Most of the plants are very 
floriferous, and as they are, as a rule, not subjected 
to quite so much feeding as the large-flowered 
varieties, consequently the constitutions of the 
plants are not submitted to so great and continuous 
a strain. As a result the plants are generally good 
doers, and repay fully any trouble and care that may 
be exercised on their behalf. 
Perhaps a word or two upon the definition of a sin¬ 
gle may not be inopportune. There are numbers of 
varieties upon the market that pass for singles, and 
are often regarded as such, but which are in reality 
not true singles at all, but semi-doubles. Examina¬ 
tion will reveal that there are several, sometimes as 
many as four or five rows of ray florets. Such 
varieties, therefore, although they may te very pretty 
in themselves, cannot be properly styled singles, and 
can only be placed in the decorative section, which is 
a sort of waste-paper basket to hold sorts about the 
classification of which it is difficult to decide, or 
which do not fall readily into the various existing 
classes. 
A true single variety should, strictly speaking, only 
have a single row of ray florets, but according to the 
decision of the National Chrysanthemum Society, a 
variety is accepted as a single if there are not more 
than two ro n s of ray florets. 
The laxity that has been permitted in allowing 
varieties to be placed upon the market as single^, 
when they do not fulfil this requirement has doubt¬ 
less causeda good deal of disappointment, and, it may 
be, not a little anger on the part of those who have 
attempted to show such varieties assing'es, and have 
been disqualified by the judges as the natural result. 
In such cases the judges have only performed their 
duty, but this does not remove from the disqualified 
exhibitor's mind the sense of an injustice done, which 
remains even after the reason for the disqualifi¬ 
cation has been given. This all goes to show that 
cultivators who intend to exhibit cannot be too par¬ 
ticular when they are obtaining their plants to see 
that they satisfy the condition of the section under 
which they are nominally placed. 
There are several types of single flowers, and these 
together cover a good deal of ground. For the sake 
of convenience the section may be divided into large 
and small flowered varieties, but the large flowers 
again exhibit a good deal of distinctness in build and 
style. The varieties with long, drooping, rather 
pointed florets, and a corresponding looseness of 
build in the bloom are deservedly much admired and 
very popular. There is a good deal of difference 
between them, however, and the group of which 
Miss Mary Anderson is the type, which may, if 
desired, be regarded as a section with medium-sized 
flowers. Here we have a compact flower, with the 
florets very broad, of medium length, and touching 
each other along the greater part of their length. 
They are somewhat stiffer also, and the outline is 
very regular and circular. 
One of the greatest merits of the singles is their 
continuity of blooming. From the beginning * of 
October right up to Christmas they will furnish 
flowers in quantity, providing a suitable selection of 
varieties is made, and that some discretion in for¬ 
warding some plants and retarding other is em¬ 
ployed. Damp, which usually plays so much havoc 
with the larger flowers during the month of Novem¬ 
ber, has comparatively little effect upon the 
singles, and the flowers preserve their colour and 
freshness for a very long season. Not only, more¬ 
over, do they last well upon the plants, but they 
stand for a long time in water when cut. 
For table decoration, and for the filling of vases 
during the months of November and December, they 
are simply invaluable. In skilled hands exceedingly 
fne effects may be produced by them, and their 
grace and elegance cannot well be over-praised. 
We have a long list of varieties from which to pick 
and choose, and as these represent a considerable 
range of colour a liberal selection of them may be 
grown with advantage. The following will be found 
to include some of the finest and most useful 
varieties. A few of them it will be observed are not 
strictly singles, but semi-doubles, but where we 
have included a lew of these by reason of their value 
and beauty, mention has been made of their in¬ 
eligibility to be shown at an exhibition as singles. 
Miss Rose may be taken as one of the finest types 
of the small-flowered section. It is deservedly a 
a great favourite with many people. For conserva¬ 
tory decoration there is nothingjthat surpasses it. The 
habit is very dwarf and bushy, and the plants take on 
a very symmetrical habit. As ordinary bush plants 
in six, seven, or eight inch pots, they are great 
successes, and there is no gainsaying their beauty 
when they are covered with the delicate pink flowers. 
Of late years the greenhouse number IV. at Kew 
has accommodated a number of plants of this stamp, 
and these have been much admired by visitors to the 
famous gardens. Occasionally we see this variety 
subjected to elaborate training. To this it takes 
kindly, and although it does not make such large 
specimens as some other single forms, it developes 
into very neat samples. 
The Star is an improved form of Miss Rose, 
raised by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, of Swanley, 
Kent. The habit of the plant is the same, but the 
flowers arc larger and of a deeper rosy-pink hue. 
There is no doubt as to the distinct character of the 
two forms when they are grown side by side and 
compared with each other. 
Mary Anderson is another deservedly popu¬ 
lar form. The habit here is somewhat taller, 
but still not tall The flowers are large, blush- 
white in colour and of perfectly circular outline. 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons have been very busy of 
late years ia raising a lot of seedlings, of which one 
of the parents has been this variety. The object of 
course is to get a number of colours with flowers of 
the same build and style. 
Blanche Chapman. This is one of the finest of 
the seedlings above referred to. The colour is pearly 
pink, with a light rose reverse. The build of the 
flower is similar to that of its parent. The habit is 
good, and the plant is very free flowering. We were 
much struck with this variety during a recent visit 
to the Swanley Nurseries. 
Irene is another very handsome form belonging to 
the same batch of seedlings. The flowers are large 
and pure white, and produced with exceptional 
freedom. The habit is very dwarf and bushy, and 
we have no doubt when the variety is better known 
that the p'ant will receive a good deal of the atten¬ 
tion of the public. 
Miss Annie Holden is an older sort that has 
been awarded a First-class Certificate by the 
National Chrysanthemum Society. It is certainly a 
charming form, and worthy of inclusion in every 
collection. The colour is bright canary-yellow, a 
colour that shows up well either by night or day. 
Habit and constitution are alike good. 
Jane, which also has been named Snowflake, is 
one of the handsomest of the large-flowered section. 
The ray florets are long, drooping, inter-twisting, 
white, and with acute apices. There are several 
rows of florets, however, especially when the plants 
are subjected to high cultivation ; hence the variety 
must be regarded as being strictly a semi-double. It 
was sent out by the Messrs. Cannell in 1885,so that it 
has been before the public for twelve years. 
Yellow Jane, sent out by the Messrs. Cannell in 
1889, is the exact counterpart of Jane as far as build 
of bloom goes, but the colour is bright yellow. Both 
it and the white form are midseason varieties. 
Yellow Jane is, however, considerably taller than its 
white counterpart, and rather more straggling in 
habit —Rex. 
-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Forcing Rhubarb.— Aurore : You will scarcely have 
time now to get Rhubarb by Christmas, unless you 
are willing to forego a good deal of the produce of 
the roots by reason of the hard forcing that will be 
necessary. You must lift the roots at once. If you 
have space beneath the stage of a warm house close 
to the pipes you may pack the roots closely together, 
covering them over lightly with leaf soil, and sur¬ 
rounding them with boards to keep the heat of the 
pipes from drying them up too much. Keep the 
roots well sprinkled with tepid water, and cover them 
up with mats to exclude the light. 
Border Carnations.— Franco : You need have 
little fear of the effect of cold weather upon the Car¬ 
nations. What you have to dread far more is the 
damp. Your plants will not require watering for 
some time yet to come. The lights may be pulled 
completely off the frame when the. thermometer is 
above freezing point and it does not rain. During 
very cold weather you may cover the frames with a 
few mats, or, if these are not forthcoming, with dry 
litter of any kind. 
Chrysanthemum Sport.— L. S. : The bloom you 
forward is of no value whatever. The colour is bad, 
and the appearance rather coarse. The stem, more¬ 
over, is too weak to uphold the flower. We are sure 
that you will be only courting further disappointment 
in trying to grow it. 
Why do Chrysanthemums Sport ? is the question 
propounded by C., and we must confess that it is one 
to which we cannot give a direct answer as to the 
immediate causes of the phenomenon. After a few 
years of continuous cross-breeding the stability of 
the plant becomes upset, although this may not be 
apparent. The result is that we never know when a 
plant is going to break away into another direction, 
and any small influence, such as a very dry or very 
wet season, overfeeding, or starving, may turn the 
scale. The modern Chrysanthemum is a very highly 
bred plant, and its stability must be correspondingly 
precarious, hence we find that every year " sports ” 
make their appearance. These sports may exemplify 
a hitherto new colour, or they may be reversions to 
a former type. The grower can never definitely 
foretell which way the balance is going to turn. 
Early Grapes — T. S. : You may s'art the vinery 
at the beginning of December if you like, but you 
should make sure that the heating apparatus is 
capable of keeping the house at the requisite tem¬ 
perature during January and February, or you would 
be well advised to leave it until a little later. By 
starting thus early you will have two of the colder 
months of the year to fight against, and the gradually 
increasing temperature of the house will by that 
time have reached a fair height, and you may have 
difficulty in keeping it up. 
Greenhouse.— F Lawrence: If, as you slate, you 
would not be allowed to have a greenhouse in your 
back garden with the roof higher than the 5 foot 
wall, the only plan seems to furnish it with a sunk 
floor, and thus bring the eaves of the house close to 
the ground, when you would be able to get it within 
the prescribed height. This arrangement would 
cost you more than the ordinary one would, and you 
have to consider whether your trouble and expense 
are likely to be repaid A frame heated with a flow 
and return pipe would enable you to grow a lot of 
plants, and it would probably be the wiser plan to 
invest in this rather than the greenhouse under the 
circumstances. 
Agathaea coelestis is the name of the plant to 
