November 2, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
703 
Chrysanthemums. 
Work for November. 
Good Chrysanthemum Year. 
This has been a favourable year for the 
development of the Chrysanthemum. For 
distinct colours the blooms of this year are 
an improvement on those which were com¬ 
mon after the hotter weather of 1906. 
- 4-M-- 
AN UNCOMMON 
The present time is of all the year the 
rst exciting for those afflicted with what 
come to be known as “’Mum l ever. 
; /d for the ordinary Chrysanthemum 
per not so afflicted, the month of JNo- 
vnber is of course the most interesting, 
t sterling Backward Flowers. 
Exhibitors who have still a few days or 
: veek before show-day may hasten back¬ 
ed flowers by raising the temperature 
ie degrees or so. But before doing 
|s such blooms as are already fully de- 
uoped must be removed from the house. 
] a dry' room or some frost-proof out- 
juse is available for these the plants 
• ould be placed there and kept rather 
E Otherwise the flowers may be cut 
d' placed singly in bottles of water m 
• cool dry cupboard, where, by changing 
e water every other day and cutting a. 
lall piece from each flower-stem, they 
ay be kept in good condition for a week 
nine days. 
Large blooms that are not opening 
tisfactorilv must be assisted by 
portion of the hard centre removed by 
eans of the tweezers; also by gently 
.aking the flower-stems at intervals to 
sentangle the florets. 
Dressing.” 
Growers of incurved varieties for ex- 
bition will have found it necessary m 
ost cases to remove a portion of the 
irets some time before the flowers 
Ashed opening, the final “ dressing and 
-eparation of the blooms for show being 
me after the flowers are cut and in 
ater. This “dressing’ process, to be 
lccessfully carried out, requires not only 
,-perience’ but a certain ddlicacy of 
,uch, onlv to be acquired by practice. 
It may,’however, be pointed out here 
eat plants of the incurved varieties re- 
aire no forcing treatment, and that a 
aerations in connection with the manipu- 
[tion of the blooms must be carried out 
1 a cool place. 
tock for Cuttings. 
A point of culture often overlooked at 
lis season is the preparation of st ° ck J°^ 
uttings for another year. Stools that 
re intended to provide cuttings for shov 
urposes must on no account be neg¬ 
ated, as if allowed to get over-dry, the 
uttings will be difficult to strike and 
hose of them that do take root are likely 
0 make only indifferent growth. It is 
dvisable to keep the stools cool so as to 
iroduce cuttings of a sturdy nature. An¬ 
ther point in connection with the coming 
eason is that where a grower, m looking 
ound an exhibition, is attracted by the 
ppearance of certain flowers, it does not 
lways follow that the varieties are desir¬ 
able ones of which to purchase stock. It 
s in any case a good plan to get what 
nformation is to be had as to the height 
md habit of growth, natural time of 
lowering, etc. Amateurs with limited 
space and small greenhouses often suffer 
keen disappointment when they find they 
have purchased kinds that produce long, 
straggly, brittle growths, often up to 9 
and even 12 feet m height, together with 
other varieties too “ miffy” in their growth 
to produce good results except under the 
most skilful and attentive system of cul¬ 
ture. It sometimes happens, too, that a 
seemingly desirable kind will, if the first 
or break-bud be removed, fail to produce 
another bud in time for exhibition. 
Early Flowering Singles. 
Of the new race of early flowering 
single Chrysanthemums, so attractive as 
border plants, and good for cutting, the 
following varieties have been found very 
satisfactory in growth and bloom:—For¬ 
midable, rosy-amaranth; Cecil, rose- 
pink; Juno, amber; Kingcup, yellow; 
Mabel Goacher, white ; Majestic, crimson- 
red ; Paris, rosy-blush; Pathfinder, deep 
salmon ; Repulse, pink ; The Veldt, brick- 
red ; and Resolution, deep rose-pink. 
These all flower in August and Septem¬ 
ber, while Mbnarch, pink; Dora God¬ 
frey, yellow; Covent Garden, white; 
Merstham Beauty, rose; and Mrs. Curtis, 
crimson, flower a little later, but still 
early enough for out of doors in most 
places. R. Barnes. 
-- 
New Horticultural Society. 
The Wales (Sheffield) Horticultural 
Society has just been formed. Mr. H. 
Pashley is secretary. 
Vefbepa 
(Verbena erinoides.) 
The botanist who named the above Ver¬ 
bena had in his mind apparently the little 
Erinus on the wall. That may refer to 
the flowers, but scarcely to the leaves, as 
they are remarkably finely cut, giving the 
flowers quite an elegant appearance by 
comparison with the heavy massive leaves 
of the named garden varieties of Verbena. 
The procumbent habit of the stems would 
remind one more of Lobelia Erinus rather 
than the Erinus itself. The flowers are 
purple, fading to lilac with age, and are 
produced in spikes at the end of every 
branch, but owing to the size of the flowers 
they appear to be in an umbel rather than 
a spike during the period of flowering. 
When in fruit the spike is evident enough. 
This Verbena would furnish variety in 
the garden as an uncommon plant as ele¬ 
gant as it is easily grown. It is of annual 
duration, or may be treated as an annual, 
sowing it in the open border or in a bed 
at the beginning of April, and thinning 
out the seedlings to 6 in. or 8 in. apart 
while still quite young. As the plant is 
of procumbent habit, with the slender 
branches more or less interlacing, no stak¬ 
ing is required, so that when once the 
ground-is covered with stems the bed will 
look neat and effective till the approach 
of cold weather in autumn. Few plants 
that may be used for bedding purposes 
require so little attention as this plant. 
The photograph was taken in the herba¬ 
ceous ground at Kew. 
Verbena erinoides. 
\Maclaren and Sons. 
