June 13, 1908 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
395 
Malmaison Carnation Nell Gwynne. 
Odontoglossum eximium Queen Alexandra. 
In this we have large round flowers of 
a dark brownish-purple with a broad 
white lacing on the jagged edges and 
white tips, "it is a magnificent variety, 
and was shown to H.M. the Queen at the 
Temple Show. First Class Certificate to 
M. Charles Vuylsteke, Loochristi, Bel¬ 
gium. 
apart, and each group of seedlings 
thinned down to one plant, of 
course selecting the strongest and 
healthiest. For safety against slugs, 
sprinkle lime or soot round the plants, 
but not too near. Except for a good 
supply of water during dry weather,- Mar¬ 
rows will take care of themselves. If the 
plants are expected to yield a good crop 
cut the fruit when a reasonable size; do 
not leave it to seed and exhaust the plant. 
A. V. Stewart. 
Worthing. 
-♦♦♦- 
Malmaison 
CARNATION 
NELL O WYNNE. 
Those who love Malmaison Carnations 
—and there are few who do not—will be 
pleased with Nell Gwynne, which is the 
best pure white variety of that class. The 
plant, which is of vigorous growth, makes 
a fine pot specimen as the accompanying 
illustration will show. It was one of the 
plants exhibited by Messrs. Hugh Low 
and Co., Bush Hill Park, Middlesex, at 
the Temple Show. This firm has made 
a speciality of Carnations for many years 
past, and grows them well. They kindly 
placed the photograph at our disposal, 
and the number of flowers speaks for 
itself. Only one bloom is permitted to 
each flower stem as the large size looked 
for in this class of Carnation necessitates 
severe disbudding. The size, purity and 
fragrance of the flowers call for the 
general cultivation of this beautiful and 
choice variety. 
while for every grower to practice the 
lifting test, as to apply water to the soil 
when not required is one of the greatest 
mistakes a grower can make, particularly 
at this time, when the roots have a lot of 
fresh, rich soil to penetrate. A much 
better plan is to syringe overhead fre¬ 
quently, to keep the plants from flagging 
until properly established. 
Summer Quarters. 
It is best to keep the newly-potted 
plants in convenient sized batches for a 
time before setting them out in their per¬ 
manent positions. This is notably the 
wiser thing to do in localities where late 
frosts are known to be troublesome, as 
some light protection can be afforded if 
required. In the meantime the summer 
quarters must be prepared, if they do not 
already exist, strong posts being set up at 
intervals, in some open situation, to which 
must be strained two or more lines of gal¬ 
vanised wire for the support of the Bam¬ 
boo sticks to which the plants are trained. 
For healthy growth and ripe wood Chry¬ 
santhemums cannot be too much exposed, 
but for those of a straggly habit of growth 
some kind of break-wind is necessary on 
the north-west side. 
Timing of the Buds. 
The timing of the buds for exhibition 
flowers is this year likely to demand a 
little extra care. Many of the varieties 
that are usually a little backward in the 
autumn when flowered on second crowns 
being at this time more backward than 
usual. The varieties Mrs. Barkley, Mrs. 
Mileham and Henry Perkins are of this 
type. Probably first-crown buds will this 
season have to be retained on kinds that 
with more favourable conditions can be 
allowed to go on to second crowns. Of 
course this will not be the case with what 
may be called precocious kinds, such as 
Mrs. A. T. Miller, Mrs. Knox, Pres. 
Viger, and a few others that, are always 
falling early. The last week of this 
month and the first week of the next is 
the usual period for the appearance of 
the “break” buds that precede first- 
crowns, and for the first-crown buds to 
come and be removed, if second-crowns 
are to be the flower buds. 
It is not advisable to pinch the shoots 
of any varieties in any section after the 
middle of this month, but attention must 
be given to the tying of the growths and 
to keeping them free from insect pests. 
R. Barnes. 
-- 
Watering. 
The present season has so far been a 
trying one for Chrysanthemum growers. 
The rapid change from mid-winter-like 
conditions to bright summer wehther de¬ 
manding a great amount of extra atten¬ 
tion to prevent a severe check to growth. 
It is better to allow the recently potted 
plants to flag a little when the sun is on 
them than to give water at the roots be¬ 
fore it is absolutely necessary. The con¬ 
dition of the soil with regard to moisture 
is best ascertained by lifting the pot by 
its rim, when one accustomed to handling 
the plants will readily notice the differ¬ 
ence in weight between those that are dry 
enough to require a watering and those 
that are still sufficiently moist. 
The difference between one that is 
fairly dry and another that has just been 
watered is, of course, most noticeable, 
but one soon becomes accustomed to the 
weight of those in tbe intermediate stages. 
Rapping the side of the pot with the 
knuckles is a fairly safe guide later on, 
especially if the pot is rapped about half- 
wav down; but if plants have recently 
been potted in rather damp soil this often 
shrinks away from the sides of the pots 
for a time, even when the ball of soil is 
quite wet enough, so that it becomes worth 
