300 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 9, 1897. 
limited collections. They are easily done and 
flower all the winter. 
A house of zonal Pelargoniums is also very 
attractive ; all the best varieties suitable for winter 
flowering are well done and grown in great quantities. 
Other winter flowers, such as Chrysanthemums, 
Poinsettias, &c., are all equally well done. The 
place is admirably kept, showing strong evidence of 
practical skill in the various departments, both 
inside and out, the credit of which is due to Mr. 
John Jennings, who has had the responsible charge 
here some years.— Urbanus. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE FOR 
EXHIBITION. 
[Concluded from p. 284.) 
Stopping and Pinching. 
At this point we arrive at a time of the utmost 
importance in growing Chrysanthemums for exhibi¬ 
tion, and I would advise my readers who are in any 
way interested to follow and note very closely what 
is to follow, as nothing can make up for a mistake 
in taking or securing the buds at the proper time. 
To commence with, I think the best plan to clear 
the way is to inform my readers for what reason 
plants are stopped or pinched. This operation, it 
is perhaps needless to say, is performed by taking 
the lead out of the plants, an inch in length being 
sufficient for most varieties. As I said above, unless 
the bud of a Chrysanthemum shows at a proper 
time, perfection cannot be expected. For instance, 
if some plants were not pinched they would show 
bud too early. The result would be, either a great 
bud that would never open at all, or a bloom greatly 
deficient in colour. Madame Carnot affords a good 
instance of the former state, and Etoile de Lyons, 
Viviand Morel, and Good Gracious, of the latter. 
By the bye, one grower, with what pretensions I don’t 
know, was dissatisfied with the way in which the 
colours of varieties in various catalogues of large 
growers were described. He said that while Good 
Gracious was described as a delicate pink, it was in 
reality a light cream, which was quite true in his 
case, but it only served to show how he had grown 
his plant. Good Gracious is at its best when taken 
from a second crown or terminal bud, resulting quite 
as stated in the catalogue, whereas from an early 
bud the colour might be put up with except for the 
very bad opening properties of the bloom, if the bud 
be taken too early. 
However I am going rather astray! Let it be 
understood that pinching is in a sense not an 
expedient for gaining time but for losing it, and to 
check the plant so that it will give a bud at a season¬ 
able date. 
Plants that are not Stopped.— These are 
allowed to grow on without any intermission, and 
are always a trifle taller than those that are stopped. 
These plants will show a bud sometimes very early, 
according to the variety. This is accounted for by 
the fact that they have never been checked. First, 
crowns, in many instances, are done away with on 
this system ; in fact, it is safe to say that the best 
blooms result from second crowns, and terminal 
buds, with the exception of a few varieties. 
Another fact that must not be overlooked, is, that 
a grower that stops his plants does, in the true sense, 
throw his first crown five or six weeks later, so that 
the first bud that shows after the plants are stopped 
is really the right bud to take in many instances. 
There is not much to say for either way of growing, 
but for beginners I would prefer the system of stop¬ 
ping, and I would choose the first week in April for 
effecting that purpose. A few varieties may be stopped 
still later than that. The buds must then be taken 
as they appear. One strong reason for this opinion 
is that if beginners grow plants on the natural system, 
that is, no stopping at all, they are apt, in their great 
enthusiasm, to secure the first buj that comes. 
Experience has shown me that it is a great mistake, 
and I would strongly caution any amateur against 
committing it. 
How to Secure the Bud and Keep it. —From 
August to September is the proper period to secure 
the buds. A true sign that they are about appearing 
is that near the top of the shoot small breaks will 
start to appear,the bud afterwards following, enclosed 
in three small leaves. This operation requires a close, 
observant eye, and should never be attempted by 
anyone till they have seen it once done. They 
should always be kept secure by firm tying and good 
stout stakes. I know of nothing more depressing to 
the ’Mum grower than a continual run of breaks and 
losses of buds through wind. 
In conclusion, I wish my readers a successful and 
prosperous New Year, with the hope that we shall 
meet at some future time.— J. G. Pettinger, Strawberry 
Dale Nurseries, Harrogate. 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
The Orchid Hybrids : Enumeration and Classifica¬ 
tion of all Hybrids of Orchids published up to 
October 15th, 1895. By Geo. Hansen, till 
recently foreman, Sierra Foothill Agricultural 
Experiment Station (Department of Agriculture, 
University of California, Amador County, Cali¬ 
fornia) now Landscape Architect, Oakland, San 
Francisco. London : Dulau & Co., Soho 
Square. Price 2.50 dollars or 10s. 
When Mr. Dominy commenced the hybridisation of 
Orchids at Exeter, or even while continuing his work 
with Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, on their removal 
from Exeter to Chelsea, he, doubtless, had not the 
faintest idea of the vast extension to which the art 
would reach towards the end of the nineteenth cen¬ 
tury. Probably Mr. Seden, who continues the work 
for Messrs. Veitch, cannot yet conceive a limit to 
this vast field of labour. A glance through Mr. 
Hansen’s book will impress the reader with the 
number of hybrids now in existence. Even here, 
however, the number of hybrids has been greatly 
compressed or condensed by the rigorous classifica¬ 
tion adopted by the author, and which many Orchid 
growers will not feel inclined to follow. 
To give an instance of what we mean, we note 
that Cypripedium harrisianum was first raised from 
C. villosum as the seed parent, crossed with the 
pollen of C. barbatum. The same cross has been 
made by a considerable number of raisers who have 
given different names to the resulting progeny. The 
reverse cross has also been made, C. barbatum 
being the seed parent. All of these latter hybrids 
have been classed by Mr. Hansen as synonyms of C. 
harrisianum. Where C. barbatum was crossed with 
the pollen of C. villosum Boxalii, and C. villosum 
crossed with C. barbatum Crossii, the resulting pro¬ 
geny are admitted to the rank of varieties, namely, 
C. harrisianum apiculatum and C. h. roseum, 
respectively. Where C. barbatum was crossed with 
the pollen of C. villosum aureum, the resulting off¬ 
spring is merely regarded as synonymous with the 
original C. harrisianum. Of course, this is merely 
an arbitrary classification on the part of the author, 
and may be regarded as helpful to the science of the 
subject, in serving to simplify the subject ; but after 
all, the question arises how many writers on the 
subject will, or can abide by this method. We have 
even greater misgiving in the case of raisers and 
growers. We have no desire to moralise on the 
subject, nor offer it as criticism, but merely to indi¬ 
cate in a feeble way how complicated the whole 
history of Orchid hybrids has already become. The 
author himself entirely breaks down in the case of 
Calanthes, because unable to unravel the tangled 
skein ; and we are not at all surprised that this 
should be his conclusion on the matter. 
In a chapter dealing with the genera and species 
employed in the work of hybridisation, the author 
relates several cases of horticultural oddities in the 
line of hybridising, such as the crossing of Zygo- 
petalum Mackayi with Epidendrum ciliare; Laelia 
purpurata and Sobralia macrantha with Cattleya 
Mossiae; but he knows nothing of what became of 
the crosses. We could mention other absurd crosses 
which have come under our notice and relate the 
castles in the air that have been built upon them. 
Similar work still proceeds in certain quarters, not 
only amongst Orchids but amongst other plants, 
but most of these doings may be located amongst 
the vagaries of the art and left there. 
Mr. Hansen, in dealing with bigeneric hybrids, 
natural or artifical.does not always follow the method 
generally pursued in compounding a name for the 
progeny from its parents. For instance those raised 
between Cattleya and Laelia, whether the former or 
the latter be the seed parent, are all classed under 
Catlaelia ; Laeliocattleya is not recognised. He 
commences by giving a list of synonyms. Under 
the heading of Catlaelia we note that Catlaelia 
arnoldiana—bella, and C. Aylingii—canhamiana, 
bella and canhamiana being the names of the original 
hybrids from the respective crosses. Where he 
uses—, we should employ =, because more generally 
understood in this country. The next headings we 
meet with are Cattleya species used in crossing ; and 
Cattleya hybrids used in crossing. We think that these 
headings should have been in other type than italics, 
and larger, in order to catch the eye of the reader, 
for they are certainly important, but are often almost 
lost by being squeezed into small space in the middle 
O'- towards the bottom of the page, as the case may 
happen. Under the headings each species that has 
been used is given as a cross column heading, with 
the list of spcies with which it has been crossed. 
Then come Laelia species used in crossing ; and Catlaelia 
hybrids used in crossing. Next we come to Catlaelia as 
a bold heading, and under it all the bigeneric hybrids, 
natural and artificial, together with their synonyms 
known up to the time of publication. The names are 
followed by that of the authority for the same, where 
known ; but a large number have appeared at the 
meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society, and are 
accompanied by’R.H.S., with the date. References 
are also given to works or periodicals in which they 
may chance to have been figured. The late Pro¬ 
fessor Reichenbach is given as the authority for 
Cattleya dominiana, but on looking up one place 
cited we find that the professor described it under 
the name of Laelia dominyana. He is likewise 
credited for using Cattleya dormaniana, but on re¬ 
ference to the original description we find it written 
Laelia dormaniana, Rchb. f. Of course both of the 
above are now classed under Catlaelia by Mr. 
Hansen, and by others under Laeliocattleya. 
The book, with the first supplement, runs to 257 
pages printed in large and bold type; and it must 
have cost the author an untold amount of work, 
though evidently a labour of love. In any case it is 
a laborious compilation which has been carried out 
by that painstaking and persistent attention to work 
and study for which the author's countrymen have 
long been famous. The lists of the various Orchids 
which have been employed by hybridists, and of the 
resulting progeny, constitute the most valuable part 
of the book, as a ready means of reference to all con¬ 
cerned and we should like tc see it brought up-to- 
date. 
Flowering Bulb Culture : A Complete Guide to 
the Propagation and Culture of Flowering Bulbs 
either for pleasure or profit. Price 2nd. 
London : Published by George Tucker, 1, 2, and 
3, Salisbury Court, Fleet Street. 
This is a pamphet of some thirty-one pages, and is 
No. 4 of the “ Salisbury ” series of garden produce 
handbooks It includes thirty-five short articles, 
an introduction and a summary, dealing with the 
treatment of Hyacinths when grown in pots, glasses, 
water, and moss ; also with indoor Tulip culture as 
well as out-of-doors. Crocuses, Snowdrops, and 
Scillas are also dealt with. In speaking of the 
tulipomania which seized our forefathers, the author 
states that in 1771, a sum of 450 guineas was * 
offered and refused for a Hyacinth ; yet as late as 
1833 a new Tulip named Citadel of Antwerp was 
sold to a M Vanderninck, of Amsterdam for ^640. 
In an article on “ bulbs in rockwork ” the author 
says that the use of rockwork for bulb culture has 
never yet been advised, as far as he remembers. Bulbs, 
on the contrary, are never absent from large rockeries 
with a fair collection of plants; but the peculiar 
feature which he advocates is the making of rock¬ 
work in restricted town areas so as to take pots of 
bulbs all through the season, so as to leogthen the 
display. He reckons that a mass of bloom could be 
maintained in this way for at least six months in the 
year. With a considerable amount of trouble, this 
might be done, but the number of kinds would not 
be numerous after the mouth of June, particularly as 
this system would chiefly be pursued by amateurs 
having a special predilection for bulbs It would also 
require great care to avoid an artificial appearance 
with pot plants frequently renewed. Some useful 
advice is given in the matter of selecting the bulbs, 
and which may safely be followed. Hyacinths 
require protection in the open to prevent the bulbs 
being frozen at any time, and “ Cokernut-fibre " and 
kindred substitutes are stated to answer the purpose. 
Artificial manures are recommended in preference 
to stable manure, even when the soil is light. 
■-- 
The Yew Trees at Duganstown, are mentioned by 
Hayes, Avondale, & Co., Wicklow, in i 744 > an< ^ 
stated to have stems 25 ft. in height, supporting a 
thick roof like head of greenery. 
