Decembef 18, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
247 
ing and handsome looking Potato we recorded at 
the November show of the National Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society. Such lumpy and solid things as 
Carrots, Beet, Cauliflower, Onions, even a field of 
Onions, Cabbages, Lettuce, Tomatos, &c., come 
out with a clearness of light and shade that 
speaks volumes for the progress of the art of 
photography within the last decade. 
Excepting in the matter of colour, the double 
tuberous-rooted Begonia represented on p. 105, is 
as natural as life. No less excellent are Sutton’s 
Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Cyclamen, Hollyhocks, 
Primulas, and various other popular and useful 
flowers. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
Seeing the shows are over and the excitement is on 
the wane for another year, we might well ask our¬ 
selves what are the lessons we have learned from 
them. 
About the first is how much better large blooms of 
the Chrysanthemum look, exhibited in vases than on 
boards. With nine or a dozen blooms in a large 
vase as exhibited by some of our large trade growers, 
there is no comparison between it (for effect) and a 
dozen arranged on a board in the orthodox fashion. 
Three in a vase (the number often asked for in the 
schedules for competition) have a meagre appearance, 
and the vases usually supplied are too small, giving 
the exhibits in this secticn a painfully top-heavy 
appearance. To increase, however, the size of the 
vase would accentuate the meagre appearance of 
the three blooms ; but if nine or a dozen were asked 
for, larger vases could be used and the eflect would 
be much better. The exhibitors should cnly be 
asked to fill one or two vases, so that they would not 
have to provide more blooms than formerly ; and 
that each vase should contain only one variety as at 
present. This, of itself, is a great advance on the 
plum-pudding appearance of the boards with their 
dots of colour here and there If this form of com¬ 
petition was adopted competitors would not require 
to grow so many varieties, which would help to 
reduce the far too numerous varieties that are in 
cultivation—particularly those with weak peduncles, 
which are of little use for decorative Work. 
Another lesson which is rapidly being learned by 
growers within the smoke radius of large cities is 
that their flowers have neither the brilliancy of colour, 
nor the siz a , of those grown in the pure air and 
bright sunshine of the country. This is most 
marked when the plants are grown to produce the 
largest flowers possible ; but grown in an ordinary 
way for conservatory decoration, or cut flowers, it is 
not so marked ; in fact grown in this way it makes 
a good city plant, and no other could take its place. 
Seeing that the production of large b'ooms is not 
so easy in the city as in the country, growers in the 
city would meet their opponents from the country on 
a fairer field if they would confine their attention to 
the growing of plants as specimens, or for artistic 
grouping, or cut flowers (not disbudded). Another 
fact the most casual observer must have noticed, 
that size is the main consideration in judging Chry¬ 
santhemum blooms. It might be urged that they 
must be true to type in form and colour, but that 
does not, and cannot receive much attention in the 
Japanese section. It contains so many varieties, 
each differing more or less from its neighbour in 
form or colour, or both, that it is impossible for one 
man to carry them all in his mind, and have them 
ready at a moment’s notice when he is called upon 
to give a decision at a public exhibition. So he falls 
back on the easy and popular rule of giving the 
prize to the largest blooms; and growers knowing 
this try to put as much cloth into them as 
possible. 
For example, take the well known variety G. C. 
Schwabe, which is just at its prettiest before the 
florets begin to teflex ; but because the reflexing of 
the florets makes it look a little bigger, if Nature has 
not done it herself, it is done for her artificially. 
Mr. Davis in hiss, lendid exhibit at Dundee, showed 
G. C. Schwabe with all the petals incurved, and it 
looked ever so much better than with one-half 
incurved and the other half reflexed. This is an 
instance of the destruction of beauty for the sake 
of size, and beauty is sacrificed in every case if size 
is to be obtained. 
Another fact worthy of note is that the public 
lakes more interest in artistic groups of plants or 
cut flowers than in the big leafless bruisers on the 
green boards. This is not to be wondered at, as 
flowers half the size are usually prettier, and the 
public cannot be expected to take the same intere t 
in the race for size that goes on amongst those 
smitten with the ’Mum fever.— 'Mum. 
-«£o-- 
LEAVES FROM MY NOTE BOOK. 
MONTBRETIAS. 
This really charming and most desirable class of 
hardy plants is being much sought after, both for 
hardy flower competitions and more especially for 
decorative purposes, for which they have few equals, 
lasting as they do a long time both in a growing and 
cut state. Many fine varieties are now finding their 
way into gardens, where for many years old M. 
Pottsii and M crocosmiaeflora long held the sway. 
The following are of recent introduction, and are all 
good:—Aurta Imperialis, orange-scarlet, grand 
spikes; Eciatant, fiery scarlet, with jellow throat; 
Etincelant, clear scarlet, with sulphur throat; Etoile 
d'Or, yellow self; Lustre, orange-yellow throat, 
slightly maculated; Morgenlicht, goldtn-yellow, 
very large; Transcendent, orange-vermillion, with 
large yellow throat; and Turban, golden-yellow, with 
maculated throat. The latter is the largest of all I 
have yet seen. I measured a bloom and found it 
three inches across ; it is also of good form and 
robust. 
Vulcan is yellow maculated purple, and is also a 
very fine variety. Crocosmiaeflora fl. pi. and Pottsii 
fl. pi. are the only double sorts I know; in fact, I 
think they are the only two doubles yet in commerce. 
Both are well worthy of a place in every garden, and 
no collection of Montbretia can be considered com¬ 
plete without them.— Coila. 
A REMARKABLE WEEPING ASH TREE. 
Strolling with a friend on the night of the 20th 
October through the rural hamlet of Aberford, a few 
miles north of Leeds, I was buttonholed by my com¬ 
panion remarking “ There is a tree ”—pointing over 
the way—“ I wish you could see it before you take 
leave of us to-morrow. Probably there is not 
another like it in Yorkshire.” The opportunity was 
too good to be missed. I decided, if possible, on the 
morrow to see it. 
Fortunately the trap where I was staying was 
going to Garforth, and I was dropped en route at 
Bridge House, the residence of George Whitehouse, 
Esq., in whose limited grounds the tree is. I must 
say that in no way has my friend’s report been 
exaggerated ; for it is an object well worth the 
trouble of seeing by any arboriculturist an I admirer 
of peculiar and artificial productions. I am not 
aware of any similar tree, nor have read of any¬ 
one describing it. If so, let us have them please, in 
The Gardening World. We of.en see the 
branches of weepers propped up and trained out¬ 
wards, consequently covering a large area of ground 
Banyan-fashion. 
Immediately the visitor arrives in front of the 
house, two archways of greenery, 8 ft. in height, at a 
distance of several yards apart, confront him. 
Entering the one on the left, a 4 ft. path winds its 
sweeping way, under the covered canopy for up¬ 
ward of thirty yards, leading into the grounds and a 
small greenhouse beyond. 
Retracing our steps under crossarchways we cams 
into the other principal walk, which is about twenty- 
eight yards, and returns us to the front again 
The tree, I was informed, is about sixty years old, 
and is in vigorous health , but latterly appears to 
have besa neglected, or the sylvan shades might 
have been considerably extended. 
Standing midway in an oblong plot, the trunk is 
over 6 ft. in girth, and about 8 ft high up to the 
union with the graft. Its four branches average over 
3 ft. each in girth, and are trained on the apex of the 
arches, two each diverging in opposite directions, 
north and south. All spaces are kept clear between 
the arches so as to give plenty of light and air. The 
side laterals from the main branches, as a ma ter of 
course, fall clear and gracefully to the ground, and 
are both regular and dense throughout. Thus has it 
been in the power of the proprietor and cultivator to 
modify the tree to their own liking, and the process 
has been both interesting and a decided success.— 
B. Lockwood, Lindley, October 28th. 
FRUIT IIM0EI1 BUSS. 
This is a busy time of the year in the fruit houses 
for there is the pruning, clearing up, and cleaning of 
the trees preparatory to another season's growth. 
Not infrequently, too, the work is much hindered by 
the houses being choked up with plants of various 
kinds, these having to be shifted about from one 
house to another as the work of cleaning goes on. 
Vines —The fine October worked wonders with 
the wood, for in most cases well ripened growths are 
the rule, and badly ripened ones the exception. 
There is nothing to gain by waiting, and, therefore, 
the pruning should be at ooce seen to. In most 
establishments where mealy bug is a big pest it is the 
custom to remove a good deal of the loose bark from 
the canes with a view to getting rid of the bug at the 
same time If carefully done so as not to expose the 
delicate inner bark, this stripping does not hurt the 
Vines to any appreciable degree, although there is no 
doubt that it can be overdone. The houses will need 
to be well washed, after which the eyes in the iron 
supports through which the wires pass, and other 
nooks and crannies in the house should be brushed 
over with neat petroleum, so as to effect the complete 
dislodgement of the bug. The canes themselves 
should be washed twice or thrice with a fairly strong 
solution of Gishurst Compound, than which nothing 
is more effective as a cleanser. To complete the 
work the canes may be painted with a mixture com¬ 
posed of clay, dried and ground to a fane powder, and 
G'shurst Compound, m'xed with warm water until it 
is of the consistency of thick paint. The canes when 
dry may then be loosely looped up to the wires for 
the present. It will be of no use to tie them up 
properly, as when forcing commences they will have 
to be bent down to insure equable breaking all along 
tbe cane. 
After this, the borders must receive attention. The 
top layer of loose soil may be carefully scraped ofL 
taking care, meanwhile, not to injure any of the roots 
that may be near the surface. A dressing some 2 in 
or 3 in. deep of good loam may then be introduced 
and spread evenly over. Keep the house as cool as 
possible until the time has arrived to start it into 
growth. 
Renewing Old Vines.— Where the canes have 
become old and well-nigh worn out, so that the size 
of the berries and general quality of the fruit has 
reached a low point, the problem presents itself of 
how to turn these old vines into young vigorous ones. 
Of course, the direct method is to root the old ones 
out, remake the border, if it appear to be necessary, 
and plant again. In some cases, however, a half-way 
course may be adopted with excellent results. This 
is to head the old canes back, and allow them to 
break away and make fresh canes. The old canes 
should be cut off to within 3 ft. of the ground, and a 
strong shoot taken up from, say a foot or r8 in. below 
this point. Having the advantage of being attached 
10 an extensive root system, the young shoots make 
great headway, and almost invariably develop into 
strong, stout canes that may be fruited the second 
year. 
Outside Borders for Vines. —In cases where 
houses that are to be started early, have outside 
borders, it will be advisable to protect them from 
deluges of cold rain or heavy downfalls of snow. A 
good covering of stable litter may be given, and some 
boards, sheets of galvanised iron, or other material 
calcula'ed to throw off the rain laid over. The 
earliest houses should, if possible, have the borders 
under cover. 
Figs. —See to the pruning and cleaning of these as 
soon as possible, for nothing is to be gained by keep¬ 
ing Figs back for too long. In pruning, remove the 
weakest and most ill-ripened shoots, leaving those 
that have plump and well-mitured points. Spread 
these evenly over the area covered by tbe tree, so that 
next season the whole of the wall may be evenly 
covered with foliage. The cleaning of Fig trees is 
sometimes a lengthy job, owing to the tenacity with 
which scale sticks. A good washing with Gishurst 
Compound, and a painting with the same composition 
employed for the Vines will, however, soon put 
matters right. In tying, see that the ties are not 
made too tight, for the younger branches will swell 
considerably next year, and if plenty of room is not 
allowed for this, they are apt to be strangulated.— 
A. S. G. 
