412 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 25, 1899. 
JERSEY GARDENERS’ SOCIETY. 
Chrysanthemum Culture. 
At the last monthly meeting of the above society a 
very able and interesting lecture was delivered by 
Mr. H. J. Jones, Ryecroft Nurseries, Lewisham, S.E , 
on “ Chrysanthemum Culture.” It was certainly the 
finest paper on the subject heard for a long time, 
and the attendance was considerably larger than at 
any previous meeting. 
The professional growers, the practical gardeners, 
and amateurs rarely meet with so valuable a lecture 
upon any subject in this island; and all look with 
interest and pleasure to a more frequent occurrence. 
The material, and the way in which it was explained, 
will cause it to rank as one of, if not the finest lecture 
ever delivered to the society. The lecturer arranged 
his notes under the various headings of “ Chrys¬ 
anthemum Culture.” Having explained that any 
dates mentioned by him would apply to the south of 
England and would, in consequence, have to be 
altered by local growers in accordance with the Jersey 
climate, Mr. Jones himself, who is and has been 
engaged with the raising and cultivation of Chrys¬ 
anthemums for nearly twenty years, and has, in his 
long experience, made no small amount of observa¬ 
tions, noted many useful facts concerning the treat¬ 
ment of this popular plant from all points. He also 
dwelt upon the benefits derived from hobbies, which 
produced social intercourse among men. Among 
such, none was more interesting than horticulture, 
and no flower was now so popular as the Chrys¬ 
anthemum. He believed that there is not in all life 
a more refining and ennobling influence at work upon 
the human mind than the love of flowers. Plants 
and flowers are civilisers—they make the world 
better. 
Dealing with the propagation of the plant, Mr. 
Jones said there were different ideas in this respect, 
but mentioned in a clear manner his system of root¬ 
ing the cutting. As to the size of cutting, he rarely 
used them more than i in. in length, finding that he 
could get a stronger and healthier plant from a 
cutting of that length. At this point he impressed 
upon the grower that if he wished to be a successful 
exhibitor he must be very careful about his plants 
when young, and vigilantly attend to many little 
details which might appear trifling to some, but 
which told in the end. 
Coming to the housing of the plants, the lecturer 
pointed out that no fixed dates could be named, 
because it depended largely upon the plants them¬ 
selves, and the district in which they are grown. 
Many growers made a mistake in this respect by 
"overcrowding,” having roo plants housed where 
there was only accommodation for fifty. (Here, the 
writer believes, Mr. Jones has struck the keynote as 
to the failure of many plants to produce exhibition 
blooms upon this island.) The necessity for sanitary 
dwellings for the human race was now generally 
recognised, and the same principles applied to the 
growth of plants, which would be of inferior and 
sickly growth if they were not allowed breathing 
room. 
Continuing, Mr. Jones referred to the value of the 
charred ash of the old Chrysanthemum plants. 
Having referred to the advantages of steady growth, 
he dwelt upon the importance of the condition of the 
soil. Upon this important point he gave much valued 
advice to his attentive hearers, after which he spoke 
upon the various shifts in potting, which should be 
done with care ; and pointed out that a plant was 
only ready for shifting on when its present pot was 
filled with roots. 
After dealing with the matter of top-dressing, Mr. 
Jones enlarged upon the importance of careful water¬ 
ing, and stated that he held that a correct knowledge 
of the use of the water-can was the sum and 
substance of a good gardener. Mr. Jones, at times, 
illustrated his remarks with humorous anecdotes, so 
as to make his points more clear, and by practical 
examplification to describe the work he has been 
doing for the last eighteen to twenty years. 
After illustrating the importance of this part of a 
gardener’s duties, the lecturer dwelt upon the means 
used for the extermination of the various insects and 
pests which assailed the Chrysanthemum. Touching 
on the use of manures, he mentioned that by a careful 
and judicious use of some of the standard manures 
good results would be obtained ; and laid great stress 
upon the necessity of applying a little, and often 
adding that the plants would grow steadier and 
stronger. This was followed with much useful 
information concerning the formation of the different 
buds, with dates and illustrations, and the means of 
retarding buds when such action was desirable. 
In conclusion, Mr. H. J. Jones gave his hearers 
many useful hints concerning the methods to be 
adopted with the plants after housing, and immedi¬ 
ately previous to their exhibition at the show, and 
also in the matter of staging the blooms. Finally, 
he concluded his interesting and instructive lecture, 
of one hour and fifty minutes, by again impressing 
upon his hearers the fact that the highest success 
was obtained by the man who went in for steady, 
persistent work, and paid attention to every little 
detail. 
He was loudly applauded on resuming his seat, 
and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded him by a 
standing vote.— Robt. J. Hamill, Beauvoir Gardens, 
Jersey, Feb. nth, 1899. 
-•#-- 
CAN IVY LIVE AFTER THE STEM 
IS CUT? 
Really, I did not think I should be called to give 
any further explanation upon this subject. 
“ Fiat Justitia " says I have not yet answered his 
question, “ Was the stem quite cut through.” Why 
should I ? The heading itself was absolute—cut— 
emphatically yes, stump and roots. Four feet down¬ 
wards died straight off—ripped out—surely a clear 
proof and warranty of the term used, and a know¬ 
ledge of what was being written about. 
Now, instead of “ F. J.” keeping the two direct, and 
indirect (contrary forces), separate and distinct, he 
jumbles them together, and absolutely loses himself. 
For I defy anyone, whomsoever, that either the 
animal or vegetable kingdom can exist without 
nourishment, either from one or the other sources. 
What does our friend mean by stems completely 
severed ? Skinning the old walls of Ivy Cottage, 
Kirkstal Abbey, Hadleigh Castle, and Conway, as a 
butcher does a beast ? If so, agreed nem. con. 
I do not know whether our friend has a water 
main or not, with three taps attached; but these 
Ivies spoken of are downright sensible. If one 
source be cut off, they use the other, together or 
separate, including natural grafts, if favourable 
opportunities and suitable conditions prevail; for in 
my first I was exceptional in this qualification, con¬ 
taining as it did the very soul of my contentions. 
Now all plants, fruits, flowers, and gardeners love 
sunshine, and should have kindly nourishment. 
Still, there are times when fair weather cannot be 
always guaranteed. " F. J.” charges me with being 
contradictory and illogical. Very well, but what are 
we to understand by the following, which was 
noticed, and as silently passed over, and now feel 
compelled to give :—" We all know that when the 
nodes come in contact with the soil they will strike, 
else we could not strike cuttings ” ? To take any 
notice of this would simply reduce all soils to all 
men, and for want of a logical qualification, soils, 
cuttings, and men are at a dead loss other than pitch¬ 
ing the cuttings upon and into the first soil they may 
come in contact with. 
Soil is only a medium, a geological form in which 
to obtain a roothold, and it is impossible for any soil 
to transmit more nourishment than that soil con¬ 
tains, let those forms be as you may, peat, charcoal, 
sphagnum for Orchids, on whatever plane, vertical 
and flat. But if these are rendered available for the 
operation they are the very thing that determine the 
rooting of the cuttings, &c. The simple cuttings, 
be they in boxes, pans, pots, &c., are simply held up 
by the mechanical pressure of soil around them. 
Nature works only on one plan, consistency, yet 
"F. J.” confines himself to his own case, and 
" flaunts ” the other as erroneous. Nature is the 
best guide ; the evidence of the mass is too ambiguous 
and plastic. But we need not fear ; Nature will lick 
it into a proper shape.— B. Lockwood, February 18 th. 
I have been much interested in the correspondence 
respecting "Cut Ivy Living.” Now this is most 
certainly contrary to general experience. I have 
seen some hundreds cut through, and never with but 
one result, namely, the death of all growth above 
the point of severance. This controversy reminds 
me of a law suit respecting the havoc made in the 
complainant’s garden by a pig. Alter the counsel on 
both sides had debated the point for some time as to 
whether the said pig's tail was straight or curly, the 
one learned gentleman seeking to prove it could not 
be defendant's pig because it had a straight tail, the 
other contending its having a curly one. the judge, 
asking for the production of the pig in court, it 
proved to be tailless. Now, let an examination of 
the Ivy in question be made by an independent and 
competent party, and then possibly this vexed 
question may be set at rest.— W. B. G. 
THE ROYAL GARDENERS’ ORPHAN 
FUND. 
The machinery of our horticultural charities is so 
well oiled that the annual general meetings are little 
more than mere matters of form that have to be 
attended to. The nth annual general meeting of the 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, which was held at 
Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, E.C., as usual, on 
Friday, February 17th, was no exception to this rule, 
although a good deal of interest centred in the affair 
owing to the fact that a secretary had to be chosen 
to succeed Mr. A. F. Barron in the duties of secret¬ 
ary, Mr. Barron having been obliged by ill health to 
resign. 
There was a fair attendance, rather larger perhaps 
than that at last year's meeting. Mr. W. Marshall 
took the chair at 3 p.m., and the preliminary reading 
and passing of minutes was passed through hands 
without any delay. 
The report and statement 01 accounts for 1898, 
which were taken as read, were next brought forward 
for ratification. They are subjoined : 
Report. 
At the close of the eleventh year since the insti¬ 
tution of the fund, your committee are enabled to 
announce that it is gratifying to find that there is an 
increase in the annual subscriptions, though the 
committee are compelled to admit that they have 
not hitherto received that measure of support from 
the gardeners of the kingdom that they had hoped 
for in the early days of the fund. The financial 
support received has largely been derived from 
sources, the existence of which was scarcely con¬ 
templated at the outset, such as receipts from the 
sales of flowers at horticultural exhibitions, the 
opening of gardens and plant-houses to the public, 
concerts, etc. Gardeners’ societies in particular 
have given a generous measure of support which 
materially assisted the committee in administering 
relief to the fatherless, when it was most urgently 
needed. In view of the number of applicants for the 
benefits of the fund, your committee do most 
earnestly appeal for the sympathy and support of the 
entire gardening community, and especially to that 
section of it for whose orphan children the assistance 
afforded by the fund is solely Intended. 
There are now sixty-eight children receiving the 
benefits of the fund, in addition to those to be 
elected this day. Most gratifying assurances are 
constantly being received from the mothers of 
orphan children, to the effect that the assistance 
rendered during the time the child was on the fund, 
proved of unspeakable advantage to many a 
struggling widow; and not less satisfactory has been 
the testimony borne to the timely and valuable aid 
rendered to some orphans in giving them a start in 
life after they had ceased to be chargeable to the 
fund. 
The total number of children who have been 
placed on the fund since its foundation is 103, and 
the total amount paid to the orphans is £6,836 15s. 
Special grants in aid have been made this year to the 
amount of £18 5s. 
The annual festival took place at the Hotel 
Metropole in April last, and the committee were 
fortunate in securing the valued services of Charles 
E. Keyser, Esq., Aldermaston Court, Reading, High 
Sheriff of Berkshire, as their chairman, whose 
forcible appeal in aid of the fund assisted in 
realising the sum of £557 11s. 
Your committee have great pleasure in placing on 
record their high sense of the important services 
rendered to the fund by the treasurer, N. N. Sher¬ 
wood, Esq , whose generous support of the charitable 
institutions connected with horticulture is so keenly 
appreciated by the whole gardening community; 
and they give hearty thanks to their auditors, 
Messrs. Martin Rowan and P. Rudolph Barr, for 
bestowing so much attention in auditing the 
accounts. Mr. Barr is the retiring auditor and is 
nominated by your committee for re-election. 
