January 2, 1909. 
ide of place. It is cream with an edg- 
o-'of pink. 'Mrs. C. W. Breadmore is 
acticaily the same, but last year, 
rerever it was grown it seemed larger 
ad stronger, but unfortunately it did 
at come quite true. I believe it will 
•entually prove the better of the two, 
id advise, tho.e who have room to grow 
beside Evelyn Hemus. Elsie Herbert 
like the two varieties I have mentioned, 
at has a pink edging round a white 
round. Like Mrs. Breadmore, it is not 
<cd, but it is excellent when true. Both 
.ese varieties should fix easily, and. I 
iderstand that Miss Hemus has a true 
ock of Elsie Herbert of her own raising. 
; r s. H. Bell is an apricot-coloured flower, 
loroughly waved,' though hardly so 
irge as some of the Spencer varieties, 
-vertheless, it is an exquisite flower, and 
aing quite fixed, it gave great satisfac- 
on last year. Constance Oliver should 
e grown "by all. Nell Gywnne is prac- 
jcallv the same as the last-named, but 
ardlv so fixed. The Marquis, Olive 
uffel. and Audrey Crier are excellent, 
ut not fixed. They should be grown by 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
XX 
those who have plenty of room to spare. 
Paradise Ivory is among the best, but 
seed seems very scarce. Etta Dyke is the 
largest of all whites, and much better than 
White Spencer, which was totally un¬ 
fixed. Clara Curtis, a cream form of 
Etta ’Dyke, if fixed, would be the best 
of all cream varieties, ’ but although far 
superior to Cream Spencer, it threw a 
number of untrue plants. Maggie Stark 
is excellent, but unfixed. All the above 
are of the true Spencer type. Of other 
varieties, St. George, a slightly waved 
variety, is very fine, but it is an exceed¬ 
ingly shy bloomer. 
The following varieties, worthy of 
places in anv collection, I will mention 
by name only, except to state whether 
or not they are fixed. They are, perhaps, 
hardly so outstanding as those named 
previously. Marjorie Willis and Chrissie 
Unwin (practically fixed), Sutton’s Queen 
(unfixed!, Paradise Carmine, James 
Grieve, Paradise Red Flaked,. Menie 
Christie, and Rosie Adams (all fixed). 
G. F. Drayson. 
Winter Protection for Plants. 
/ •? 
Many plants and trees are unable to 
ith stand severe frosts and winter weather 
nless protection of some kind is afforded 
lem, and as the time is fast approaching 
hen we may expect such climatic condi- 
on* to prevail, various protective 
laterials and contrivances should be pre- 
ared and held in readiness so that they 
an be brought into use the moment 
were frosts appear likely to set in. 
traw, litter, bracken, leaves, ashes, pots, 
oxes, and many other such-like odds 
nd ends to be found in almost every pot- 
ing or tool shed are all of service for pro¬ 
active purposes, whilst numerous simple 
.nd inexpensive contrivances to suit varv- 
ng requirements and situations can be 
iut together, several excellent arrange- 
nents being illustrated in the annexed 
ketches. 
Bottomless boxes, or round cheese 
>oxes with the bottoms removed are very 
landv for placing over and protecting 
ingle plants that need light—Christmas 
loses, for in-rance— a sheet of glass be- 
ng laid over the top as shown in big. 1, 
vhilst in case where onlv occasional pro- 
ection is required, half hoops from 
Wole or other barrels can be pointed at 
he ends and placed over plants, as in 
t-'ig. 2, a sack or mat being thrown over 
he hoops when necessarv. as Fig. 3, and 
f the wind threatens to prove trouble¬ 
some, bricks can be used to keep the 
severing in position. 
Wooden frames having the top covered 
with galvanised wire netting -similar to 
Fig. 4 are very useful for placing over 
beds of tender plants, the whole being 
rovered with straw, bracken, or litter, as 
shown, to keep out frost and cold. Wire- 
covered frames of the tvpe illustrated are 
not useless after frost and winter weather 
have disappeared, as they can be employ¬ 
'd for protecting seed beds from birds and 
.' fterwards be reared on end against waW 
to form supports for climbing plants 
Another method of protecting beds of 
plane is shown in Fig. 5. Stakes that 
will bend, or broken hoops from barrels, 
are pointed at the ends, and arched over 
the bed a few feet apart, mats then being 
placed over and held in position by plac¬ 
ing bricks on the edges as shown. Trees 
and plants trained against walls can.be 
protected by nailing sacks or mats over 
them in the" manner illustrated in Fig. 6, 
and if necessary more protection can be 
afforded by placing straw or bracken on 
the inner .sicky-of the;, sacking as' it is 
nailed ever, %• * 
An excellent way of • protecting the 
roots’ of Royc .and similar trees is .to. ob¬ 
tain sernre- wire netting of narrow width 
and cut it into pieces to form circles about 
eighteen inches in diameter. The netting 
should be placed round the base of the 
tree to be protected, as shown in Fig. 7, 
and a stick be threaded through the two 
ends to hold them together, whilst if the 
pointed end of the stick is thrust into 
the ground it, will hold the netting in 
position. The circle.should be filled with 
dry leaves and bracken which will keep 
out frost and cold, whilst the netting will 
prevent -the protective material being 
blown about. 
Straw hurdles are very handy for 
placing over frames and for other pro¬ 
tective purposes, and are not difficult to 
make. A rough wooden frame should be 
nailed together in the manner shown in 
Fig. 8, and straw be laid over as evenly 
as possible, three ■ or .four inches thick. 
Three cords are fastened to one end of 
the frame or hurdle, and the straw bound 
on the- three rails of the frame in the 
manner shown. ORTUS. 
-- 
Chrysanthemum Ball of Gold. 
The above is a sport from Snowdrift, 
which is a -variety of the. incurved or 
Chinese type, but "flowers late in the year. 
With proper cultivation it should answer 
as a Christmas flower. Snowdrift is, of 
course,, pure white, but the sport is of a 
uniform soft yellow and the florets are 
very neatly and compactly imbricated. 
It received" an Award of Merit from the 
R.H.S., when shown by Messrs. R. H. 
Bath. Ltd., Wisbech, in the second week 
of December. 
f 
Protecting- Plants in Winter. 
