374 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 13, 1897. 
thing unaided by man ; but the art of man has 
accomplished much more in the present generation 
than Nature unaided will in a century. Hybridisa¬ 
tion is a most interesting and fascinating pursuit to 
all lovers of flowers, and presents a wide field for its 
pursuit to all who grow them and have sufficient 
leisure at command. They will find, no doubt, 
many discouragements, especially when treading on 
unbeaten tracks; but the success of past operators 
should fill all with hope and encouragement. Can 
there be a more pleasing pursuit, which has some¬ 
thing akin to creative power in it, bringing into 
existence, as it is continually doing by the hands of 
workers in this field, new forms of beauty and we may 
add utility ? For instance, the present race of 
tuberous Begonias, the result of judicious and pains¬ 
taking industry, has in reality opened up quite anew 
industry; by the which not only have our own 
gardens been enriched, but owing to the immense 
exportations to other countries our own country 
has been, to some extent, it may be a small one, but 
still real, financially benefited. The same principal 
holds good with reference to many other things as 
for instance, Caladiums, Ciivias, Orchids, Carna¬ 
tions, &c.— W. B. G. 
- -»S ~ -— 
CYCLAMEN AT READING. 
With the advent of winter comes the flowering 
season of the Cyclamen, one of the prettiest of the 
modern races of plants in cultivation. The flowers 
are quaint and beautiful at all seasons, though never 
more appreciated than at the dull season of the year, 
when our skies are leaden and sunshine exceedingly 
scanty. Like the Primrose, the Chinese Primula, 
and many other members of the same family, the 
Cyclamen seems to enjoy that season of the year 
when the sun in our northern latitude is least power¬ 
ful. In any case their flowers are most durable 
under those circumstances, so that herein lies their 
value to cultivators generally, and gardeners in par¬ 
ticular, who want something bright in their houses 
to tide over the winter. 
Giant Strain. 
We quite recently inspected the collection of 
Cyclamen in the houses of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
in their Portland Road Nurseries, at Reading. The 
plants had, however, been flowering profusely for 
weeks previously to our visit, and are not only gay 
now, but will continue so for weeks to come. When 
the giant strain originated, the flowers were con¬ 
vincingly large, but they were scantily produced. 
Anyone who may chance to see Messrs. Sutton's 
grand strain now, will have ocular and ample demon¬ 
stration that the initial difficulty with regard to free¬ 
dom of flowering has been completely surmounted. 
The favourite of the strain is Sutton’s Giant White, 
which has huge, yet compact flowers of the purest 
white, produced on stout stems, that need no support, 
yet carry their flowers in a snowy mass, clear above 
the beautifully variegated and marbled foliage. 
What a contrast is produced between this and 
Vulcan! The latter belongs to the C. persicum 
type, of which more anon. There is a Giant Crim¬ 
son, however, that well merits attention on account 
of the size and rich colour of the flowers. The 
plants as well as the flowers can be grown to great 
size by those who give them the necessary attention. 
The colour of Giant Purple is well expressed by the 
the name, for the beautiful purple flowers are of 
majestic size. 
Amongst novelties we mention Giant Pink, a 
variety notable for the delicacy of its pink hue. 
The flowers are also beautiful in form and attractive 
by way of contrast either to white or dark colours, 
or for binding the extremes in one harmonious 
gradation of tints and shades. Giant Crimson and 
White is an older variety with white flowers and a 
crimson mouth. With regard to size it is on a par 
with all others belonging to this section. By a 
process of selection, the prominent and distinct 
varieties are saved from the general batches of the 
annual crosses that are made. They are then pro¬ 
pagated by seed and for the production of seed after 
sufficient time has elapsed for them to become fixed. 
Several of the intermediate shades are passed over 
so as to render the selected ones amply distinct, and 
capable of producing distinct effects. Therefore to 
the above colours we find one that is named Giant 
Rose, which is several shades darker than Giant 
Pink. Giant Cherry Red was another and a very 
bright colour which we noted in passing through the 
houses, which were literally ablaze with flowers from 
the purest snowy white to the richest and most 
intense crimson. All of the above colours may be 
had separately or in mixture according to the option 
of the would-be cultivator. No greenhouse or con¬ 
servatory need be without a display in whatever 
shade or mixture of shades that may be desired. 
Persicum type. 
This name is still adhered to, simply for distinguish¬ 
ing the modern improved race of Cyclamen persicum 
from the Giant strain. We did, however, note the 
wild type grown in the houses at Reading, and which 
was picked up in woods in Palestine, where it is 
known as the Persian Crocus. The flowers are 
small, with narrow, much twisted segments, but 
graceful withal and extremely fragrant. It is to be 
regretted that most of the modern races are almost 
if not completely devoid of scent. 
The improved race has size, colour, and quantity 
of flowers to recommend it, as well as ornamental 
foliage. The richest and most intensely coloured of 
all the Cyclamens is that named Vulcan, the flowers 
of which are of a fiery crimson when young and 
maroon-crimson as they get older, there being 
several intermediate shades on the same plant. The 
flowers show up dazzlingly under artificial light. If 
perfection can come in anywhere in the persicum 
type, surely it must be centred in White Butterfly, 
which produces a superabundance of snowy white 
flowers above the richly marbled foliage. It bears 
the same relation to the strain as Giant White does 
to that section; and both are indispensable for 
winter work. No stronger contrast can be made in 
the genus, than between these varieties and Vulcan. 
No more distinct break in colour has appeared 
amongst Cyclamens for many years than that pre¬ 
sented by Salmon Queen, for the more we see of it 
the better we like it. The flowers are of a charming 
rich salmon colour, and abundantly distinct from 
every other shade whatever. Sutton’s Purple, Rose, 
and Crimson and White, all explain or describe 
their respective colours and their raison d'etre in a 
collection. The plants are dwarf, floriferous to an 
extreme degree in all cases when well-grown ; and 
the flowers are self supporting when the plants have 
been grown under suitable conditions, leaving nothing 
to be desired. Size of plant is merely a question of 
culture and age, and each corm will produce from 50 
to 200 flowers accordingly. 
Miscellaneous. 
We have already mentioned the original Cyclamen 
persicum. A recent departure in development is a 
double strain in various colours, the flowers of which 
are made, up of six to eight segments each, and 
appear totally distinct from the ordinary types. 
Another strain has the segments of the flower spread 
out horizontally like a wheel, without a rim. Picotee 
edged and striped varieties have made their 
appearance, and may develop into something fanciful 
and attractive in the near future. A curious result 
in its way was that in which Salmon Queen was 
crossed with three other varieties as pollen parents. 
The reverse crosses gave rise to three different 
batches of seedlings, the flowers of which were all of 
the same or identical shade of purple. 
--- 
SPECIMEN CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Now, "’Mum,” you have got your back up, pray for 
what reason ? not because I said (p. 314) perfection 
should be left out ? Was it because I said I do not 
believe in a plantation ? I think, "’Mum,” if you had 
not been so hasty in taking the "hig,” which your 
note clearly shows you have done you might have 
shown up better. Now, my friend, you seem to 
think I have had a lot of perfection in my mind. 
Can you find any place in my note in which it says 
“I have seen an absolutely perfect specimen?” 
What I had in my mind was the difference betwixt a 
quantity of plants grown, perhaps, up to a given date 
in pots of their own, and afterwards ram-jammed into 
a pot or tub, and then staked out to any size the 
grower (no, not that, anything but grower) may 
desire. The contrast was (p. 314) a single plant with 
a clear stem, plenty of bloom, and foliage as well. 
Now, “’Mum,” take particular notice here, you do 
not believe in pleasing judges in their own particular 
towns, but call it jockeying. Well! we will say for 
the fun of the thing that it is, mind I do not say you 
would do it, oh, no ! We will say you bring your 
bundle of plants to Harrogate, and I take my single 
specimen ; you get disqualified, and I get the prize, 
in proportion of merit. You are, in a word, disgraced, 
there is no other word for it. You would be the 
laugh of the show, and then you would ask the 
reason why : simply because you did not know what 
the judges wanted. Our schedule does not definitely 
state single specimen, but one specimen Chrysan¬ 
themum. 
In view of the above facts what use would it be 
for me to say what is perfection in specimen 
Chrysanthemums. The everlasting flow of new 
varieties forms additional food for the variation of 
judges' tastes, and those who do not follow in the 
fashion will very soon be out of it. Who would 
have been so bold, a very short time ago, as to pre¬ 
dict the very quick downfall of maDy of the then 
best varieties? but I forgot these are side issues. 
In conclusion, I may at some future time give a 
definition of what is, in my opinion, a near approach 
to a perfect Chrysanthemum, in the meanwhile I 
shall continue to long for a sight of those with so 
many in a pot, although I shall certainly keep my 
single plants away from them, providing I know 
where they are. Now, "’Mum,” do you see the need 
for getting to know the judges' tastes?— J. G. 
Pettinger, Strawberry Dale Nursery, Harrogate. 
In perusing Mr. J. G. Pettinger’s article on this 
subject (p. 314), I was struck with its somewhat 
illogical character. First of all he says that 
*' perfection is a thing desired by many, but that it is 
seldom attained ; ” and a little further down—"the 
idea of perfection should certainly be left out.’’ 
Strangely enough, however, he cannot take his own 
physic, and “ leave the idea of perfection out; ” since 
perfection is evidently the standard by which he 
judges other plants, for speaking of certain plants he 
says " if they are as near to perfection as possible ” 
Again, in concluding, he says " I have two plants in 
my eye yet, and have not seen their equal since." 
In common with both “Mum "and "Mr. J. G. 
Pettinger ” I deprecate the practice of growing more 
than one plant in a pot, and for the same reasons as 
they have already stated. Too great height is, of 
course, a disadvantage, if the symmetry of the plant 
is thereby endangered. The bush form varying in 
height from 2 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. certainly has the best 
effect. A clear stem of from 4 in. to 6 in. is also 
necessary. The head of the plant must be well 
balanced and even in outline. To be well propor¬ 
tioned a plant should have a diameter equal to its 
height. Naturally it would not be possible to have 
the flowers up to the standard seen upon show 
tables, still they should be uniform in size, and 
development, that is to say they must all be open 
together. They must also be evenly distributed over 
the whole of the area of the head. Training must 
receive the closest attention, all stakes being kept as 
much out of sight as possible. Healthy foliage of 
good colour and substance is an admirable foil for 
the bright colours of the flowers, and points would 
have to be deducted in competition from plants 
which had poor and ill-coloured foliage.— Bcchc. 
-—A-- 
COMPETITION BLOOMS OF THE CHRYS¬ 
ANTHEMUM. 
Large blooms have always excited wonder, more 
than admiration, but now they have come to be so 
common, that they are ceasiDg to be a wonder, and a 
desire has set in for blooms with less of the mon¬ 
strosity, and more of the beautiful in them. This is a 
commendable desire on the part of the public, and I 
have no doubt has been brought about by the refining 
influence of Chrysanthemum shows ; and the public 
are re-acting beneficially on the shows by being 
pleased only with a higher standard of beauty. 
Cultivators are already showing signs of rising to the 
occasion. 
One of the commonest ideas about a competition 
bloom is that it cannot be too large ; in fact size with 
the average judge weighs about as much as all the 
other qualities put together. This straining after 
size is quite overdone, not only with Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, but with a great many other horticultural 
subjects. A good cook will tell you that your first 
prize Leeks, Onions, or Potatos are not much use for 
cooking, thereby missing the purpose for which they 
should be groan—utility. Now is not “ beauty " for 
which we grow Chrysanthemums, in some danger of 
being destroyed by this straining so much after size. 
I do not think size has anything to do with the 
mental enjoyment of beauty ; but I admit that we 
should grow blooms big enough to see their beauty 
