184 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 21, 1896. 
about four years ago is after Etoile de Lyon, but is 
ratber deeper in colour and of much taller habit. 
President Borel, Mdlle. Therese Rey, Mons. 
Panckoucke and Gloire du Rocher were all repre¬ 
sented by some capital samples. 
THE EARLSWOOD NURSERIES. 
In his well-appointed establishment at Earlswood, 
Mr. Wells has taken advantage of the pure air of the 
Surrey hills to develop a collection of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums that is famous-tbroughout the country. In 
such a position he enjoys advantages which those 
cultivators nearer the great city do not enjoy, and 
we had unmistakable evidence of this on our visit, 
for when we left the city, Londoners were busily 
engaged in rubbing their eyes and clearing their 
throats of that abominable compound known as 
London fog, but after a few miles run on the L. B. 
& S. C. Railway, we found the inhabitants of Red- 
hill and district revelling in the beams of an 
unusually bright November sun. 
To quote Mr. Wells' own words, “ there are no 
secrets at Earlswood, and the ’Mums are always 
open to inspection." It is almost unnecessary to 
add that the good people of Redhill are not slow to 
take advantage of this, and constant streams of 
visitors are to be seen in the large span-roofed house 
where the majority of the show blooms are to be 
seen. 
The present season has been an unusually trying 
one. First came the phenomenal drought and heat 
of the earlier part of the summer, and second the 
deluge of rain throughout the latter half of the 
summer, and the whole of the autumn. Up to the 
middle of August the Earlswood plants had been in 
superb condition. So vigorous were they that a top¬ 
dressing of very rich compost, in which there was a 
liberal admixture of cow-manure was given about 
that date. Scarcely had this been applied than 
down came the rain. How it continued is now a 
matter of history. Anyway, the results were that 
the plants made unduly gross and sappy growth, and 
while it was difficult to time the opening of the mid¬ 
season flowers the blooms themselves were not so 
good as previous conditions had led Mr. Wells to 
reasonably expect. 
Despite all these drawbacks, however, there have 
been plenty of first-rate blooms to be seen, many of 
them as good as have ever come under our notice, 
either at exhibitions or on the plants in their home 
quarters. 
Plants in Small Pots. 
Those of our readers who have seen some of Mr. 
Wells' numerous exhibits of groups of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums can scarcely have failed to notice the small 
plants between two and three feet in height, grown 
in six inch pots, each of them carrying a single 
large flower. This system of cultivation cannot be 
too highly recommended to those who require 
material for the front ranks of exhibition groups or 
for home decoration. The great drawback to the 
value of Chrysanthemums when grown to produce 
large blooms, for decoration within the mansion is 
undoubtedly the huge size of the pots which are 
employed. By striking cuttings in March a six 
inch pot may be made to fulfil all the wants of the 
plant and by limiting each plant to a single bud a 
grand bloom is forthcoming. This system is 
practised with conspicuous success by Mr. Wells. 
Cuttings are struck in boxes late in March, and 
potted up into large sixties as soon as they are well 
rooted. From this size they are transferred to a six- 
inch, in which they flower. 
That grand new yellow Jap., Calvat’s Australian 
Gold, answers to this method of treatment most 
readily, and although the blooms had lost their 
pristine splendour when we saw them we could see 
what splendid material they had been. Mr. Wells 
has a large stock of this, and we have no doubt 
from the merits of the variety that it will be needed 
to supply orders. Mons. Chenon de Leche (Calvat) 
is, without doubt the most popular variety sent out 
last year. The charming rosy buff hue the blooms 
exhibit, and the characteristically upturned tips of 
the florets is at once charming and conspicuous. 
Both it and thai grand white Souvenir d’une Petite 
Amie do well in small pots. 
Show Blooms. 
Taking into account the richness of the collection 
with regard to number of varieties it is obvious that 
with the space at our disposal we can only mention 
a few of the creme de la creme. Chas. Davis, Viviand 
Morel, Louise, Phoebus Graphic, President Borel, 
Oceana, Col. Chase, Thomas Wilkins, Etoile de 
Lyon and John Shrimpton, are all well known 
Japanese varieties and as such will not require 
detailed description. It must suffice to say that 
they have been in excellent form with Mr. Wells 
this year. Mrs. Hermann Kloss throws a huge 
bronzy orange and chesnut flower that must be 
included if only for the sake of its colour. Mrs. H. 
Weeks has done remarkably well ; here we get a 
large white or delicate flesh-pink flower according to 
which bud is taken, with massive incurving florets. 
Edith Tabor, as a yellow, has few to equal it, and 
certainly none to surpass it. Edwin Bevan is not so 
often met with as it might be. It is certainly one of 
the best of the late varieties, and exhibits a deep 
crimson-cerise hue that is most brilliant and striking. 
Silver King is a huge rosy mauve flower, with very 
broad and rather flat florets. Its greatest fault is that it 
is a veritable Goliath in stature. Decidedly a novelty is 
Autumn Leaves which has a medium-sized creamy- 
white flower splashed and striated with ruddy 
bronze. Latest Fad, a similar departure is mottled 
and splashed crimson and bronze upon a yellow 
ground. Both these varieties are decidedly pretty. 
Le Moucherotte is rather later this year in coming to 
its best, but there is no mistaking the charm of its 
bronze-gold florets which droop over prettily in 
their later stages. With Mrs. J. Lewis, a gigantic 
white form which received an A.M. at the hands of 
the R. H. S., and a F.C.C. from the N. C. S., at the 
commencement of the present exhibition season we 
must leave the "Japs.," and pass on to the considera¬ 
tion of the 
" Incurves." 
J. Agate is one of the first selections for a white 
variety, but it is a pity that it grows so exceedingly 
tall on the slightest provocation. Ma Perfection a 
new white, was not so well incurved here as we have 
seen it elsewhere. Sir Trevor Lawrence on the 
other hand was carrying exquisitely shaped blooms 
which needed little or no dressing. Harold Wells, a 
creamy-yellow sport from Sir Trevor Lawrence is of 
faultless form, although we noticed that it is 
scarcely contented for one of the blooms was show¬ 
ing a tendency to revert to the earlier white form. 
Such is Chrysanthemum nature, however. Jeanne 
d’Arc, D. B. Crane, Mrs. Airdrie, Globe d’Or, C. H. 
Curtis, Lord Wolseley and the Queens were all repre¬ 
sented by first-class samples. 
Singles. 
For some time past Mr. Wells has taken a great 
interest'in these, and he has given us some of the 
handsomest varieties we have as the result of his 
labours. Jane is a pure white, with long and 
narrow rag florets. Its yellow form is a beautiful 
flower but of rather inferior constitution. Bessie 
Rice, vermillion scarlet ; Miss Annie Holden, 
bronzy-yellow; May blossom, crimson maroon; and 
Miss Wolsey, crimson cerise, are all very pretty and 
well worth growing. The old varieties, Miss Mary 
Anderson, and Purity have been the parents of all 
the singles Mr. Wells has sent out, although both 
these two varieties have not yet been surpassed in 
beauty and general utility by any of their progeny. 
That charmiog little form Miss Rose must not be 
left out in the cold. For conservatory decoration in 
small pots it has yet to be beaten. 
ST. JOHN’S NURSERIES, PUTNEY. 
It is really astonishing how great the demand for 
cut Chrysanthemums has become of late years, so 
great indeed that not a few market growers pay 
special attention to its cultivation for this purpose. 
Of this number Mr. George Stevens is one of the most 
conspicuous members, and his establishment at St. 
John's Nurseries, Putney, affords accommodation for 
many thousands of plants, grown solely for the pur¬ 
pose of supplying his vaiious florists’ shops with the 
necessary materials. 
It must not be supposed however that a market 
plant simply means one which has been grown bush 
fashion, with very little or no disbudding. On the 
contrary we found very many plants bearing really 
fine flowers that would have done credit to any show 
table in the kingdom. Large blooms of this kind 
command a ready sale, for although they may not be 
so graceful and elegant as the smaller ones there is 
no getting away from the fact that they possess a 
most imposing individuality, and a charm and effect 
entirely their own. 
Madame Carnot has done well with Mr. Stevens, 
as indeed it seems to have done in most places. 
Some magnificent blooms of it were much in 
evidence. During the last few weeks owing doubt¬ 
less, in great measure to the prevailing cold and wet, 
the plants have shown a tendency to develop mildew. 
Edwin Molyneux, once the very best of its kind, is a 
most intractable subject, and really seems, as Mr. 
Stevens says, to have run itself out, owing no doubt 
to the persistency with which it has been cultivated. 
Such is the penally of fame. Than Source d’Or 
there is no more useful variety in cultivation. On 
bush plants which are not subjected to disbudding the 
blooms appear in large graceful sprays of bright 
orange that are very handy for cutting. It pays, 
however, for'a certain amount of disbudding, although 
it is not a success as a large flower-. Chenon de 
Lecbe comes best at Putney on terminal buds, for 
then the blooms possess a much richer and better 
colour. 
W. H. Lincoln has not done quite so well as last 
year. It wants a bigger pot than we have given it 
said Mr. Stevens—a 12 in. size is what it really needs 
to do it well. Some very fine specimen flowers of 
President Borel, John Shrimpton, and Phoebus 
attested the value of these varieties and their undeni¬ 
able claims to inclusion in every up-to-date collec¬ 
tion, Autumn Tints sent out by Mr. H J. Jones in 
1893 is at once a pretty and distinct form. The 
florets are long, drooping, deep yellow in colour, 
heavily splashed, and suffused with crimson. The 
whole bloom indeed bears a close resemblance to the 
vivid tints put on by some autumnal foliage. 
Florence Davis was represented by a large batch of 
excellent material, This variety finds an exceedingly 
ready sale, for in addition to the demand there 
always is at this season of the year for white flowers, 
the gracefully curling and twisted florets form an 
additional charm, and the blooms sell with excep¬ 
tional rapidity. A sport, as yet unnamed, from this 
variety which Mr. Stevens has, promises to be a 
good thing. The blooms are white as in the parent 
with just a suspicion of green about them, but the 
florets are long, narrow, and tubular, and the whole 
flower thus possesses a spidery appearance which is 
most facinating. Amos Perry is a golden-yellow 
Jap. that has been giving an excellent account of 
itself this season. 
Amongst the incurved section Baron Hirsch 
appeared to great advantage, although rather duller 
in hue than we have seen it in ether districts not so 
surrounded with smoke. The Queens likewise are 
very popular, and are grown well by Mr. Stevens. 
Late flowering varieties are a special feature of the 
establishment, and one might travel a great way 
before seeing a batch of plants to equal in promise 
those at St. John's. There are about 1,200 plants of 
L. Canning alone. They are all wonderfully equal 
in height, running to about 3 ft., and they have 
been grown naturally, without stopping or disbudding 
or any such thing, they are bushy specimens thickly 
set with buds that will be a mass of flower in January 
and February. Eight-inch pots have been allowed 
the plants, and they have certainly made the most of 
the space. Elsie is also grown in considerable quantity 
for it does well as a late bloomer when treated in the 
same way as L. Canning. Just now the plants are 
being very carefully looked after, in order that they 
may come on gradually, for as more than one culti¬ 
vator has learned by experience there is a penalty to 
pay if Chrysanthemums are hurried on too much. 
-- 
EARNOCK, LANARKSHIRE. 
There are probably few places in the West of 
Scotland more worthy of mention than Earnock, the 
seat of Sir John Watson, Bart. The atts of horti¬ 
cultural and landscape gardening have been pro¬ 
minently and effectively employed in contributing 
beauty and elegance to this lovely residence. The 
natural features lend considerable aid in giving 
expression to the best combinations of the artistic 
mind. The pleasure grounds which are of consider¬ 
able extent may be fairly termed as composed of tw-o 
distinct kinds cf scenery. That which forms the 
immediate vicinity of the mansion embraces the 
quiet and peaceful repose, which results from the 
presence of wide sweeping tree and shrub covered 
lawns, and is so intensely suggestive of the old 
English manorial seat. The other part is more in 
character with our own Scottish landscape scenery 
and embraces in a modified measure, the delineations 
of that grandeur and nobility peculiar to the scenery 
of a highland glen. These too strongly contrasting 
