904 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 25, 1905. 
Notes on . . . 
Our Illustrations. 
ON CENTRE SHEET (pages 902 and 903). 
Godetia Schamini flore pleno. 
Hitherto we have been familiar with double 
flowers amongst the Clarkias, which are 
annuals, and can be raised from seeds true to 
colour, even in the double forms. The 
Godetias are allied, and it seems we are now 
in a fair way to get a race of double varieties 
in the annual section. A large bunch of a 
new double variety under the above name was 
exhibited by Mr. W. Bain, gardener to Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart., Burford, Dorking, at 
the meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society on the 29th August last. The plant 
is evidently a strong grower about 18in. to 2ft. 
high, and when planted under the conditions 
given it by Mr. Bain, it forms a good-sized 
branching bush, from which quantities of 
flowers can be cut without being missed. We 
have little doubt that this branching habit 
was due to the amount of space given it, for, 
as a rule, annuals are planted or sown (especi¬ 
ally the latter) too thickly in gardens, and 
have no room to make their proper growth. 
The flowers measured about 2in. across, and 
were made up of numerous petals of a soft 
blush-pink, with a deep red zone at the base, 
which is only slightly shown in our reproduc¬ 
tion of the photograph. Perfect stamens and 
pistils may be found in the centre of the 
flowers, and this annual can therefore be re¬ 
produced from seed. Seeing that a double 
form is now a reality, it only remains for those 
who possess it to get other varieties by selec¬ 
tion, and by crossing of different plants to 
get new varieties, having more fully double or 
more perfect flowers in a greater variety of 
colours. For instance, a pure white would be 
much appreciated, and rose and crimson 
would also be admired, as in the single forms 
of Godetia. 
Aster Novi-Belgii densus. 
No Aster or Michaelmas Daisy has given us 
such a great variety as Aster Novi-Belgii. 
Before Asters attained their present popu¬ 
larity, the varieties of A. Novi-Belgii were 
relatively few, but nevertheless ranged in 
height from 6ft. to 1ft. Since then a large 
number of new varieties have been raised, but 
most of them are too tall for gardens of small 
size. That under notice is one of the old 
varieties, yet still one of the best. The plant 
grows on an average 2gft. high, whether in 
rich or poor soil, and produces a dense crowd 
of clear yet bright blue flowers, as may be 
seen from the representation. As the varietal 
name 1 would indicate, the stems and even the 
flowers are rather densely crowded. Culti¬ 
vators can always have it in the best con¬ 
dition by transplanting and breaking it up 
every year with the object of making up fresh 
clumps from the younger crowns or suckers 
growing on the margins of the old clumps. 
If done about this time, or soon after, they 
will not only be well established before spring, 
but flower in their best form during Septem¬ 
ber and October next. 
Cimicifuga simplex. 
For some years past a plant has been grown 
in gardens Under the name of C. japonica, 
and owners were proud of it from the fact that 
it flowered so freely during October, when con¬ 
spicuous flpwers of that character were getting 
quite scarce in the open border. The correct 
name, however, is C. simplex, as given at the 
head of this note. It is a native of Japan, 
but a much finer plant altogether than C. 
japonica-. When well grown, it stands about 
2gft. high, producing long, dense racemes of 
creamy-white flowers at the end of the stems 
and on the side branches. Our illustration 
shows the racemes of flowers nearly erect or 
straight, but when grown strongly each raceme 
arches or curves at the middle. The sepals 
and petals are not particularly conspicuous, 
as the beauty of the flower depends upon the 
long and conspicuous creamy-white stamens. 
A small round bed of this species was planted 
at Kew, and for weeks in the autumn was one 
of the most effective features in the lierba 
ceous ground, and could be seen from all 
quarters. 
There are several other species of Cimicifuga 
in cultivation, some of which flower in the 
eai’ly part of summer, while one or two, in¬ 
cluding the subject of this note, bloom in the 
autumn. Some of them are dwarfer and 
others are taller than C. simplex, but that 
and C. racemcsa, which flowers in summer, 
are the two best species, and should be in 
every collection of herbaceous plants. 
Pyrus baccata Beauty of Montreal. 
In a recent note on the most ornamental 
Crabs in The Gardening World, I mentioned 
the above variety as being likely to prove a 
welcome addition, and now that the fruits 
have coloured fully, I can say that it is by far 
the most decorative Crab we at present have. 
The fruits are very large, and on the sunny 
side are a rich crimson colour, and, being 
produced with great freedom, present a very 
striking appearance. This variety is a very 
free, strong grower, and, as a lawn or shrub¬ 
bery specimen, it makes a particularly 
striking tree. It is, I believe, of American 
origin, and was first brought to our notice by 
a very enthusiastic amateur, Mr. T. W. Short, 
of Ganwicke, near Barnet, who obtained a few 
grafts when travelling in the States some years 
ago. Our specimen is now about 12ft. high, 
and has this season been by far the most 
noticeable of all trees or shrubs grown for 
their ornamental fruits. A. E. Thatcher. 
Chrysanthemum J. G. Shrimptor. 
The above is a new incurved variety of 
Chrysanthemum, which we have reproduced 
the natural size of the bloom given us, but 
good growers, we believe, would have little 
difficulty in producing blossoms 6in. in 
diameter. The florets are very broad, closely 
and firmly incurved, clear yellow, and slightly 
tinted with red on the older florets at the base 
of the bloom when getting past their best. It 
was exhibited by Mr. W. Seward at the great 
■autumn show of the National Chrysanthemum 
Society on the 1st, inst., when a First-Class 
Certificate was awarded it by the committee. 
Since then the variety has passed into the 
■collection of Mr. Norman Davis, Framfield, 
L ckfield, Sussex, who will put it into com¬ 
merce. . 
Aster vimineus. 
The individual flower heads of the above 
species of Michaelmas Daisy are very small, 
even minute, but their immense numbers com¬ 
pletely cover the bush, hiding the leaves and 
making a very conspicuous object. The stems 
have a spreading habit of growth, though the 
primary ones may be tied up in summer, and 
then allowed to have their own way, when the 
tops will droop over, and the numerous side 
twigs develop in such a way as to cover the 
bush when in bloom. The rays are white, and 
much more numerous than those of A. 
Tradescanti, which blooms some weeks later. 
We compare the two together for the sake of 
the flowers, which may be compared to Daisies 
rather than to any other characteristics which 
they may have in common. A. multiflorus 
also produces an enormous number of small 
flowers,' but the branches bearing them are 
never so gracefully disposed as in A. vimineus. 
The same cultural treatment may be given, as 
in the case of A. Novi-Belgii densus. 
Chrysantheaua • • • 
Mrs. R. Hooper Pearson. 
(See Supplement.) 
New Chrysanthemums for exhibition keep 
getting larger every year. Fine forms with 
unusually long petals, wdiich assume the droop¬ 
ing habit, produce blooms of enormous depth, 
and it will become necessary to use longer 
stems even on the show-boards in order to do 
such blooms full justice. The bloom repre¬ 
sented on our supplementary illustration is 
about natural size, and, at any rate, in the 
fresh state measured 7gin. wide and 9in. deep 
as the florets hung naturally. The colour 
may be described as chrome-yellow, overlaid 
by light chestnut, and the lengthy florets are 
of medium width, and so disposed as to 
present excellent quality. The best bloom is 
obtained from the crown without stopping. 
This fine variety was exhibited at the meet¬ 
ing of the National Chrysanthemum Society 
on the 23rd October, when it was accorded a 
First-Class Certificate. It appeared next day 
at the meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, when it received an Award of Merit, 
the highest given by the society for purely 
florists’ flowers. Again, on the 1st inst., it 
was shown in grand form at the great Novem¬ 
ber show of the N.C.S. at the Crystal Palace. 
In all these cases the exhibitor was Mr. 
Norman Davis, Framfield, Uckfield, Sussex. 
The great depth of the bloom’will make it an 
excellent subject- for exhibition in vases, and 
if the N.C.S. would countenance such a, thing, 
it would make an excellent subject for the 
back row on the show-board by cutting it with 
longer stems, so as to elevate it above the two 
front rows. Without being much of an 
innovation, it would certainly serve to give 
some variety by having a line of tall blooms 
along the back of the boards. 
-♦- 
Ilex Trees in England. —The oldest Ilex 
trees in England are said to be those at 
Wollaton Hall, the seat of Lord Middleton, 
near Nottingham, and they are believed to 
have been planted at the close of the Severn 
teentli century. Goodwood is famous for its 
Ilex ttees in the park, and two famous speci¬ 
mens exist at Sudbourne Park, in Suffolk, 
and some very, fine examples! at Cliiswick 
House. About the middle of the seventeenth 
century there was a fashion for planting these 
trees, which it was correctly thought went 
very well with Italian garden architecture, 
then sc popular in England. 
