THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 18, 1905. 
8Sb 
Notes on .. . 
Our Illustrations. 
ON CENTRE SHEET (pages 884 and 885). 
Chrysanthemum Buttercup. 
The above is a beautiful incurved variety, 
which appeared in fine form at the Crystal 
Palace on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inst. m con¬ 
nection with the show ot the National Chrysan¬ 
themum Society. We think it was even in 
better form than when it first appeared last 
year. The bloom as represented is very much 
reduced. In the natural size it measures 
6in. in diameter, which is large for an in¬ 
curved. The name is giv. :i in allusion to the 
clear bright yellow colour of the florets, 
which are massive, broad, and beautifully 
incurved. The bloom represented was not in 
very good form when photographed, as some 
of the petals had been displaced. Each 
floret, wnen spread out flat, is usually con¬ 
siderably over half an inch in diameter. 
This and other new comers have altogether 
displaced the old favourites in the incurved 
class, very few of which are now ever seen at 
a show of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society. They have been displaced simply 
by reason of the much larger blooms of the 
newer varieties. 
Plum Prince Englebert. 
The illustration of this shows its fruitful 
character. The plums are also of large size 
and of a rich purplish-black, overlaid with 
a heavy bloom. The variety may be used 
either for cooking purposes or for dessert. 
Possibly most people would prefer it in the 
cooked state, as the fruit is rather of a briskly 
acid flavour. Nevertheless, there are many 
who would prefer it on this account alone, 
just as in the case of Apples. Seme people 
prefer Apples with a brisk flavour in pre¬ 
ference to sweet ones, or they may use them 
by way of variety. This particular Plum is 
classed amongst the late ones, as it dees not 
ripen till the middle of September, even on 
a wall. 
The present is the best season for planting 
all kinds of fruit trees, as they get established 
before the advent of winter. In planting 
young trees against a wall, it is not necessary 
to have all the ground trenched or prepared, 
as it can be done gradually as the tree grows, 
if that would suit the convenience of the 
planter. Before planting operations are com¬ 
menced, however, it is necessary that the 
character of the ground should be considered, 
and if it is at all poor or in need of enriching 
by any means, a good plan is to take out a- 
very much larger hole than is necessary for 
the disposal of the roots, in order that some 
fresh soil may take the place of some of the 
natural material. If the staple is very heavy, 
it w T ould be advantageous to get some loam of 
a sandy character for mixing with it. It would 
be well also to remember that all kinds of stone 
fruits derive much advantage by dressings of 
lime, chalk, or lime rubble in the soil. This 
can be given according to what is most easily 
obtainable in the neighbourhood. 
Chamaerops excelsa. 
The above is the best-known name, but the 
most correct one is Trachycarpus excelsus. 
The photograph was sent us by Mr. William 
Bartlett, the Gardens, Thombank, Learning- 
ton Spa. who calls our attention to the hardy 
character of this Chinese Palm, even in that 
district. We may give the details in the 
words of Mr. Bartlett, who says : “ it may 
not be generally known among your readers 
and those interested in gardening generally 
that the above-named Palm is hardy, and may 
be planted out of doors with perfect safety. 
The enclosed photo. 1 have taxen of a good 
specimen in the gardens of C. C. Shaw, Esq., 
Thombank, Leamington Spa. For about 
twenty years it stood in the conservatory in 
a large tub. It was planted in the position 
it now occupies four years ago, and continues 
to grow and thrive well, producing two or 
more spikes of bloom annually. It has no 
protection whatever in winter, and several 
times we have registered 28 degrees of frost 
close to it. Its height is 15ft. 3in. As a 
specimen plant for the lawn it stands unique, 
and it is a plant, that takes a lot of surpassing 
for beauty.” We have long been aware that 
this Palm is quite hardy, and that the chief 
difficulty with it is shelter to prevent the 
wind from lashing about and spoiling the 
leaves. The specimen under notice seems 
to be planted in a peculiarly sheltered posi¬ 
tion, and that would account for so many 
fresh leaves being on the plant. In soma 
gardens care is taken to make a sort of frame¬ 
work covered with some strong tiffany, sack¬ 
ing, or some other material that will afford 
shelter against wind. This entails a good 
deal of labour, unless the protection is kept 
on all winter, and if the protecting material 
is thick the Palm will be rendered more or 
less tender by the obstruction of the light. 
Grape Black Hamburgh. 
The illustration of this shows a small 
bunch, such as that which might be ripened 
in a vinery where very little tire heat is em¬ 
ployed. Some amateurs even succeed in 
ripening a fair crop annually without the aid 
of fire heat and merely with the shelter pro¬ 
duced by the dwelling house to. which the 
vinery may be attached. Usually some of 
the small fruiting varieties are employed for 
unheated houses, but none of them have the 
all-round quality of Black Hamburgh. We 
are aware also that some people are limited 
as to the situation in which they may place 
the vinery, and that the aspect is not always 
good. We should advise those intending to 
build a vinery to select the most sunny as¬ 
pect obtainable in their garden, and if this 
cannot be got against the wall of the dwelling- 
house, it might be obtainable in some other 
part- of the garden, where the wall is suffi¬ 
ciently high to produce the necessary shelter. 
In such a sunny situation the berries will 
ripen much better than where they get no 
direct sunshine. 
Chrysanthemum Miss Stopford. 
We call attention to a very beautiful 
variety of. Japanese Chrysanthemum which 
appeared in very fine form at the Crystal 
Palace on the 1st inst. The petals are rather 
narrow, closely reflexed, and more or less 
interlacing with one another when fully de¬ 
veloped. In the early stages the centre is 
more or less tinted with Primrose, but as 
it reaches, perfection it becomes almost pure 
white. At this stage it measures at least 7in. 
in diameter, and is very handsome and re¬ 
fined in appearance. The long florets spread 
out to give width of bloom, and then become 
reflexed, making a compact bloom with much 
material in it. The best blooms come from 
the crown buds for November exhibitions. 
The plant, when grown for exhibition, stands 
about 5ft. high. 
Gooseberry Golden Drop. 
To many gardeners this will be known 
under the name of Early Sulphur, which seems 
to. be the most widely distributed name. For 
the last thirty years, at least, it has been 
the earliest Gooseberry to ripen, and this 
position it maintains to the present day, 
judging from those which come into the 
London markets. It is the first Gooseberry 
to. make its appearance in the shops, and is 
then scarcely ripe, for as soon as they get 
coloured they are hurried into the market 
with the object of extending the season as 
long as possible, and getting the best prices 
for the> first supply. The variety is one of the 
old-fashioned ones, with berries of medium 
size, of clear sulphur-yellow with paler veins 
and coarsely hairy. The- flavour is excellent 
when allowed to mature on the bush, and for 
home consumption one could not wish for a 
better Gooseberry. 
Londoners may well envy those living in 
rural districts, where a large garden is 
attached to mostly every house, where fruits, 
flowers, and vegetables in quantity can be 
grown. In such cases the owners can allow 
their fruits, including Gooseberries, to ripen 
upon the bushes. Then they can have them 
in first-class condition, and one can then say 
that he knows the flavour of a Gooseberry. 
The variety is of the easiest cultivation in any 
good garden soil, and no amateur should be 
so. bad a gardener as to fail in fruiting this 
fine variety, as well as several other Goose¬ 
berries, which ought to be in every private 
garden. We are aware that in some gardens 
there is difficulty in preventing the sparrows 
from destroying the buds, but even then, with 
attention and care, this difficulty can be over¬ 
come. 
Aster diffusus horizontalis. 
Few, if any, of the Michaelmas Daisies 
flower more freely than the subject of this 
note, which we illustrate on the upper right- 
hand corner of the centre sheet. The plant 
forms a dense bush about 18in. to 2ft. high, 
when the stems cease growing in length, and 
throw out horizontal branches all round, 
making the bush broader than it is high. 
These branches ramify freely, producing the 
dense habit just mentioned. Every twig and 
spray is covered with small flowers rather 
neatly and regularly arranged, so that the 
principal sprays appear almost triangular 
with almost every part hidden by the flowers. 
Individually, the. blooms are of little conse¬ 
quence, although very pretty when closely in¬ 
spected, but- their numbers render this Aster 
undoubtedly one of the prettiest and most in¬ 
teresting, even in a small garden, during 
October. The rays are white, and the disc of 
a bright purple, so that the contrast is very 
effective indeed, and the sprays look almost as 
if they had been made up artificially. The 
plant is of the easiest cultivation in any well- 
tilled garden soil. 
♦ 
Pear Josephine de Malines. 
Bv comparison with Apples, the Pear season 
is very short, in as far as it relates to the 
great number of varieties. Very few of them 
remain good after the end of November. That 
under notice is an exception, and one of the 
