January 2, 189?. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
283 
WINTER FLOWERS AT CHELSEA. 
In continuation of our notes from last week, we 
here deal with some more of the numerous flowers 
in bloom in the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea. No special preparations whatever are 
made for a supply of flowers at Christmas, so that 
those in bloom merely represent the various subjects 
in their proper seasons. 
Winter Flowering Begonias. 
Progress continues to be made in this class of plants, 
so that in the near future we may be provided with a 
race of hybrid Begonias, flowering naturally in 
winter, and inferior in extent to the summer flowering 
race only. Winter Gem, John Heal, and Adonis 
are now well-known, as well as Begonia socotrana, 
one of the parents which has given rise to the winter 
flowering race. Amongst the newer varieties we 
noted in flower was Ensign, which was honoured 
with an Award of Met it from the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society on the 24th November. The double 
flowers are of a rich rosy carmine, and the com¬ 
pactly arranged leaves are vigorous, dark green, and 
healthy. The flowers of Myra, on the contrary, are 
single, large, and rosy-carmine, while the leaves are 
obliquely-orbicular, and dark green. Those of Mrs. 
Heal are 3 in. across, and of a rich crimson-carmine. 
The variety shows a great increase in the size of 
bloom over the earlier varieties of the race. The 
habit of the plant is dwarf. All of the above three 
are novelties about to be put into commerce. 
The Rock Show House. 
A house is kept at a fairly high temperature for the 
accommodation of various fine foliage and flowering 
stove plants. The path running round the house is 
furnished on both sides with rockwork, consisting of 
Derbyshire tufa, covered with a great variety of low 
growing and creeping plants. Numerous Ferns, 
Selaginellas, and other subjects, furnish an abundance 
of greenery, amongst which various flowering plants 
are arranged, including Amaryllis from the famous 
collection here. The crimson bracts and yellow 
flowers of Amasonia punicea are very brilliant, and 
keep up a display for a long time. A neat plant is 
Tillandsia Lindeni vera, with its rosy bracts and 
large blue flowers. Very chaste are the drooping 
white flowers of Eucharis Candida, tinted with 
yellow inside the chalice. An uncommon species is 
Medinilla javanica, with its pink flowers and violet 
anthers. The delicious fragrance of Toxicophlaea 
spectabilis is well-known in the stoves of those who 
have been fortunate in making the acquaintance of 
the species. Reinwardtia tetragyna, with its large 
and showy yellow flowers, is equally well suited for 
a greenhouse as for the stove. Poinsettias are 
popular winter flowering subjects in many establish¬ 
ments ; and here we noted the type, as well as P. 
pulcherrima plenissima, the form with bracts to the 
individual flowers as well as around them, and P. p. 
alba, with distinct looking white bracts in fine con¬ 
dition. The orange-scarlet flowers of Siphocampylos 
humboldtianus are verj choice in their way, and recall 
in a measure those of a Centropogon, except in 
colour. The deep sky blue flowers of Eranthemum 
pulchellum are very welcome for their colour at this 
season of the year. The small fruits of the Otaheite 
Orange are very abundantly produced. Sarracenias 
and a healthy lot of the Australian Pitcher Plant 
(Cephalotus follicularis) also find a place in this 
house. Besides the plants already mentioned, 
Philodendrons, Palms, Ficus barbatus, &c., supply 
greenery. This house is kept gay all the year 
round. 
Cool Show House. 
This corresponds to a greenhouse or conservatory, 
for we never see it without a display of popular and 
useful plants in bloom all the year round. At pre¬ 
sent the atmosphere is redolent with the fragrance 
of Roman Hyacinths, and Mignonette of a very fine 
strain, the spikes of bloom being of large size and 
the plants dwarf in habit. Flowers are also furnished 
by floriferous, and compactly grown plants of Erica 
hyemalis and E. gracilis. Dwarf and late struck 
plants of white varieties of Chrysanthemums also 
prove very serviceable, as do Marguerites, Cinerarias, 
Chinese Primulas of a fine strain, Azaleas, 
and Acacia platyptera. Well grown and 
berried plaDts of Solanum Capsicastrum 
contribute to the display. A double flowered and 
golden yellow variety of the annual Chrysanthemum 
coronarium is also turned to excellent account by 
flowering it in pots at this season of the year. 
Bouvardias and Carnations. 
Numerous low span-roofed houses are devoted to 
collections of different subjects. Cyclamens have 
been flowering profusely for a long time past. They 
belong to the giganteum strain, and have large 
flowers of various hues, such as white, rose, purple, 
and white, with a crimson mouth. The flowers are 
equal in size in all cases, but the white variety is 
certainly very choice. 
The leading types of Bouvardia are kept in stock, 
and for winter work both the brilliant and the light 
colours are equally indispensable. The pure white 
Vredandi is one of the oldest and best of its type in 
cultivation. Priory Beauty, with a profusion of 
large soft pink flowers, originated in a private 
establishment on the Surrey side of the Thames, 
and is believed to be a sport from Vreelandi. It has 
been preserved to horticulture by Mr. John Heal, 
the foreman in the new plant department of this 
establishment, whose keen observation enabled him 
to spot a good and distinct thing. The brilliant 
scarlet and large flowers of President Cleveland 
have not yet been surpassed in this particular line of 
colour. Yellow is represented by the soft yellow 
Flava. The white Alfred Neuner and the pale pink 
President Garfield are yet undisputed by rivals with 
double flowers. Most of the above bear large 
trusses, but particularly Vreelandi, Priory Beauty, 
and President Cleveland. They are equally suitable 
for decorative work as pot plants or in the cut state. 
One house is wholly devoted to a collection of 
tree Carnations, of which we noted the best varieties 
out of a large number in bloom. The glowing scar¬ 
let flowers, and the dwarf habit of Winter Cheer, 
recommend the variety to cultivators. Primrose 
Day is a bright yellow variety. During the last few 
years Mrs. Leopold de Rothschild has become very 
popular with gardeners, for cut flowers and conser¬ 
vatory decoration, in winter as well as summer. The 
flowers are of large size, freely produced, and of a 
charming rosy-pink hue. A strong contrast is fur¬ 
nished by the brilliant scarlet Lucifer. Following 
the range of intensity we come to the Shazada, 
having maroon-crimson flowers, amongst the very 
darkest of this hue. Canary Bird well indicates the 
colour of this variety. Amongst other kinds of re¬ 
cent introduction we noted the soft rosy pink Reginald 
Godfrey, and the pure white Miss Mary Godfrey, 
which flower very freely. La Neige is another white 
variety which we cannot overlook. Various other 
sorts keep flowering in a house kept at cool green¬ 
house temperature and freely ventilated. 
Other bouses are filled with Palms, Crotons, 
Dracaenas, Aralias, and other fine foliaged plants of 
the most popular, as well as the rarer, decorative, 
and useful kinds. Nothing is overlooked which may 
contribute to the completeness of a display in either 
warm or cool houses. 
-- 
NEW CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY 
FOR ABERDEEN. 
A largely attended meeting of people interested in 
Chrysanthemums was held in the Trades Council 
Buildings, Aberdeen, on the 19th ult., with the 
purpose of forming a Chrysanthemum Society for 
Aberdeen and the North. As recorded in our pages 
a Chrysanthemum show, under the auspices of a 
special committee, was held at Aberdeen on the 20th 
and 21st November, the results of which were very 
successful. Previous to this public meeting, the 
said committee held a private one. Mr. Reid, 
seedsman, who acted as secretary, reported the 
financial results of the show as follows :—Income, 
£51 7s. 6d. ; expenditure (including £17 17s. gd. in 
prize money), £39 19s.—leaving a balance in hand 
of £11 8s. 6d. Besides money, there were six 
handsome pieces of silver plate and a medal, given 
as prizes. A proposal was made to acknowledge 
Mr, Reid’s services in some tangible form, but Mr. 
Reid declined to accept anything, and a cordial 
testimony for his services was ordered to be recorded 
in the minute book. 
Councillor Maitland was called to the chair, and 
after the reading of the financial statement, he put 
it to the meeting whether it should now definitely 
form itself into a Chrysanthemum Society. The 
results of the past season should encourage them to 
go forward in this enterprise. Mr. Robson, seeds¬ 
man, moved the resolution formally, and made 
comments upon the nucleus of a fund in hand, and 
the popularity of the flower whose cultivation the 
society would foster. Mr. Simpson, Cotton Street, 
seconded, and the motion was unanimously adopted. 
It was resolved that the committee should consist 
mainly of city members, with representatives from 
outside districts. The committee was elected as 
follows :—Messrs. Grigor, Fairfield ; Duncan, 
Stoneywood; Simpson, Cotton Street; Proctor, 
Devanha House; M'Donald, Balgownie; Smith, 
Duthie Park; Mortimer, Tullos; Middleton, 
Stoneywood; Minty, Westburn Road ; Ogg, 
Morkeu; Taylor, Raeden ; Kyloh, Woodlands; 
Paterson, Sunnybrae ; Lennie, Bannermill; Borth- 
wick, Rubislaw ; Morgan, Dunmail; Reid, Durris ; 
Mercer, Lauriston ; Grant, Crimonmogate ; Howie, 
Drumtochty; Smith, Cullen; Pirie, Ardmiddle; 
Wilkie, Viewmount, Stonehaven; and Mackie, 
Dalmain, Carron-on-Spey. 
Mr. Reid was unanimously elected secretary, and 
it was decided to award the secretary an honorarium 
°f £5 for the year. Mr. Robson, remarking that the 
most important duty yet lay before them, proposed 
Councillor Maitland as chairman of the society. 
Mr. Maitland enjoyed, in a peculiar degree, the 
confidence of all classes of the community. His 
advent in public affairs in Aberdeen had come like 
a meteor; but everybody now recognised his genius 
and looked to him as the friend of every good move¬ 
ment. If he would accept office, the success of the 
society was assured.—Mr. Maitland, in accepting 
office, said he esteemed it a very high honour to be 
chairman of such a society. Mr. A. Grigor, Fair- 
field, was cordially elected as vice-chairman. It 
was remitted to the committee to draw up rules, &c., 
for the society and make proposals as to a schedule 
for next year. There were 153 subscribers to last 
year's movement. The proceedings, which had 
been very hearty throughout, were then brought to 
a close. 
-. f 
FLOWERS FOR DECORATIVE 
PURPOSES. 
The members of the Devon and Exeter Gardeners' 
Association were favoured with a paper on the above 
subject by Mrs. McAlister, Hamslade, Bampton, on 
December 16th. The essayist commenced by 
touching upon the great advance that had been 
made of late years in the use of plants and flowers 
for house decoration. Some of the hardier Palms, 
such as Kentia belmoreana, Phoenix reclinata, and 
Latania borbonica, Aspidistras, Ficus elastica, 
Dracaena indivisa, and Bamboos would do fairly 
well in the house. Among the flowering elements, 
Azaleas, Primulas, Genistas, Clivias, and Chrysan¬ 
themums, were all very useful. All plants for indoor 
decoration, continued Mrs. McAllister, were better in 
small pots, and a covering of fresh green moss was 
serviceable and added a finish. 
Where cut flowers were in great demand a supply 
must be grown in the reserve garden. Such 
beautiful varieties of sweet Peas as Apple Blossom, 
Orange Prince, Dorothy Tennant, Princess Beatrice, 
and Mr. Gladstone were most valuable. In the way 
of annuals, blue Cornflowers, Sweet SultaD, Core¬ 
opsis, Shirley Poppies, Nasturtiums, French and 
African Marigolds should all be grown. Of biennials 
white Foxgloves and Canterbury Bells should be 
mentioned. Of perennials a very long list might be 
made out. 
Proceeding to deal with the arrangement of cut 
flowers, the essayist pointed out that whereas in 
former times we were satisfied with an inch or so of 
stem with our cut flowers, we now require that the 
stem shall be in proportion to the size of the flowers, 
and that buds and leaves shall be supplied as well. 
Flowers never look their best when many varieties 
or colours are mixed together, said the lady, for then 
individual beauty seems to be lost. In all floral 
arrangements the colours should harmonise, and a 
sufficiency of suitable foliage must likewise be 
supplied. All hardy flowers, such as Dahlias, Roses, 
and Poppies should be cut early in the morning 
when the dew is on them. Lilac, Azaleas, and 
Laburnum will be found to last much longer in 
water if the bark is stripped off part of the way up 
the stem. 
In table decoration it is important that glasses 
suitable to the flowers should be used, and that 
anything heavy or laboured should be avoided, 
everything being as light and dainty as possible. A 
seasonable decoration for Christmas could be made 
with Poinsettias laid on the cloth with some fronds 
