• T.VI— 
SATUEDAT, MAECH 29, 1913. 
the GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE 
NOTE OF THE WEEK- 
Procession of the Flowers. 
:• , . - r part of the present issue we 
1 , - to show that within a com- 
r.i \ short period such immense ad- 
N- : t\ f l>een made in the more impor- 
i ’ ..'M. of plants that belong to the 
. > ^'order as to very greatly in- 
- ir utility in giving beauty and 
j**'*'! : * the flower garden. 
T> ^ hr-e hoi^n improvements 
• • « ' tituiion and habit of 
t- ; there has been an 
in flower production, 
*•: - ^tension in the range of 
-»•" r- in the majority of the 
>^'nions. In some cases 
' " • ' I", in addition, been a 
'* ► i improvement in the 
Vthe individual blooms, 
regards form and sub- 
and if in the case of 
for the production 
»if effects in the garden 
a quite secondary matter, 
is no detriment, pro¬ 
's^ \hi- formality is not such 
.St heaviness when the 
art> seen from a short 
‘ 'Vith a full acquaint- 
fiat has been accom- 
^ Mnee the restoration of 
' ?'®Dts to public favour, 
^iih a knowledge of the 
is now in progress, we 
i ite impossible to regard 
: 'n the development of 
• MDU as being within a 
-'*- ;.i!)le distance. On the 
' • Md. there appears ample 
' on for anticipating that 
J j- ■« future there will be 
u. ' *^''®1 to those which 
- •< i r. Jy been made, and 
, from directions 
^ ^ .. observant may 
Y ‘Already the raisers. 
■ ’-at activities 
. t*"*.'’ fully appreciate 
■ - .Kl as far 
" 're'ss^* 1 niade 
: «'p™S “'t'*;'' 
■ " - We are f ® 
r ' «>ns^ueJ reminded 
within additions 
I""®"* 
~ weathe’r 
'-hese Jv proces- 
' ^^ite earlv beautiful 
- ^be year until 
the 
as may 
venng season of 
July, when the elegant Siberian iris and 
the magnificent forms of Ksempfer’s iris 
contribute with prodigal liberality to the 
charms of the bog garden and waterside, 
^luch also has been accomplished in the 
lengthening of the season of daffodils. This 
lias been chiefly due to the introduction of 
varieties flowering somewhat earlier than 
those of older date; and evidently the 
raisers, as they enjoyed the charms of 
their favourite flowers, felt as did Herrick 
MR. A. E. ALLAN. 
when he sung, more than three centuries 
ago: 
“ Faire daffodils, we weep to see 
You haste away so soone ”; 
and then resolved to do their best to ex¬ 
tend the season of these delightful flowers 
in another direction. Whatever may have 
been their feelings in this matter, some of 
the leaders in this interesting work turned 
their attention to the breeding of narcissi 
for late flowering. Hence it is the daffodil 
season covers a wider period than it used 
to do, and, indeed, wider than is at the 
present time apparent; fo,r not until the 
newer varieties have been freely distributed 
wdll it be possible to fully appreciate the 
work that has been done in this direction. 
In referring to the daffodils, we are re¬ 
minded of the herbaceous paeonies, for they 
are frequently grown in association for the 
purpose of extending the attractiveness of 
the beds and bord'er over as long a period 
as possble. As we call to mind the glorious 
displays of colour produced by these stately 
flowers in gardens where thej’ are largely 
grow n, we feel that it would be an immense 
advantage if the season of flow^ering of the 
diinese varieties could be extended into 
Afay. It would probably be a long and 
somew^hat tedious task to obtain, 
by selective culture, an early- 
flowering race with flowers that 
by reason of their large size 
and fine form would make 
a strong appeal to cultiva¬ 
tors ; but the matter is well 
deserving of consideration. Pro. 
gress has been made in the de¬ 
velopment of forms of Pseonia 
officinalis, which has long had a 
place in British gardens; and 
these might be planted rather 
more freely in spacious borders 
than has yet been considered de¬ 
sirable, because of the touch of 
colour they give to the garden 
in Alay. Not only has the 
season of the various classes of 
flowers been lengtliened, but the 
season of flower production in the 
border, as a whole, has heen ex¬ 
tended considerably within re¬ 
cent years. More especially have 
the attractions of the herbaceous 
border been increased from the 
end of the summer onward by 
the introduction of large num¬ 
bers of chrysanthemums, that 
bloom during September and Oc¬ 
tober, and of Michaelmas daisies 
that yield of their flowers from 
August until quite late in the 
autumn. Until within a recent 
period the early-flowering chry¬ 
santhemums were by many re¬ 
garded as belonging to the 
florists’ flowers rather than to 
hardy plants, but notw they are generally 
recognised as invaluable for giving colour 
and brightness to the mixed border during 
the greater part of the autumn, the period 
of effectiveness being determined by the 
character of the weather. The Alichaelmas 
daisies are hardly less valuable, for they 
assist in maintaining the procession of 
flowers after the glory of the chrysanthe¬ 
mums has departed, and the number of 
really first-class varieties has been so largely 
increased as to enhance their usefulness a 
hundredfold, and afford another proof of 
the judgment and enterprise of those who 
are specially interested in hardy flowers. 
Mr. A. R. AIDa.n, head gardener to 
Lord and Lady Hillingdon, at Hillingdon 
