‘May 2).1904 
the tips, thus rendering them more effective 
by reason of the greater display of the 
amaranth purple color, which in this 
variety is exceptionally rich. ~ 
Matthew Russell is the name given to a 
mew incurved chrysanthemum that was 
raised by the late Mr. M. Russell, and dis- 
tributed by Mr. Jones, Ryecroft Nursery, 
Lewisham. It is an easy variety to manage, 
and produces medium-sized flowers of a 
bright chestnut or maheyany color that is 
most attractive. ‘The variety was shown at 
a recent R.H.S. meeting by Mr. Joucs, and 
also by Mr. Godtrey, of Exmouth ; in both 
eases the Award of Merit was granted. 
Mr. Jones showed a large number of 
blooms — ‘‘ The Gardeners’ Magazine.” 
CHRYSANTHEMUMSIN VASES AN 
BASKETS. 
Much as the introduction of the vase 
into competitions at shows was hailed with 
satisfaction as a welcome change from the 
hhard lines seen in long ranges of show 
boxes, yet it is now found that nohow, ap- 
parently, can big rotund mop-like blos- 
soms be made to look, however set. up, 
pleasing or beautiful. The inherent ob- 
jection lies more in the size of the flowers 
than in the setting up or the price of vase 
or basket employed for the purpose. A 
singular contrast, so far as elegance, grace, 
and beauty are concerned, to these big 
show blooms, however arranged, was seen 
in the charming basket of _ Chrysanthe- 
mums set up by Miss Easterbrook, Fawk- 
ham, Kent, at the last meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society. Here quite 
medium-sized double with beautiful pure 
white singles, and some of ‘the thread 
petalled varieties mixed with pleasing 
foliago made up in the basket a truly 
charming arrangement that was well 
worth an illustration if but to show how to 
do things similarly. No vase or basket 
of big fat blooms could possibly look so 
beautiful as this basket did. No doubt, 
because of the prevailing “craze for large 
blooms as seen at shows, Chrysanthemum 
growers have got to regard these big 
#iowers as beautiful, whilst smaller ones 
geb very little recognition. It is, if so, a 
grayo mistake. Medium-sized Japanese, 
pretty Pompons, Anemone Pompons, and 
singles make up. when. tastefully, used 
graceful combinations that far excel any 
that fat flowers can produce. A. crusade 
against big blooms seems to be inevitable 
as taste becomes more refined. 
- coe oe AL De 
[The arrangement above referred to was 
one of the most dainty we have ever seen, 
the flowers being lightly and tastefully 
seb up, and without that heavy, lumpy 
effect which is inevitable when the big fat 
blooms are shown in vases. The basket 
shown ‘at the Royal Horticultural Society 
was filled with fine white single Chrysan- 
themums, associated ‘with the thread 
petalled white blooms of the Mrs: Filkins 
type and Fern fronds, a light and elegant 
effect being in this way secured.—Ep. | 
NOTES AND REPLIES. 
Single Chrysanthemums.—Could you 
Kindly give me the names of some ‘good 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
“and introducing a little fresh will induce: 
single Chrysanthemums, and if any grower 
makes a speciality of them? I have one, 
and it has stood frost, rain, and wind out- 
of-doors so well, I am anxious to get a 
variety of colors—C. G. O’Briun, Foynes, 
in “Gardening Illustrated.” 
Mary Anderson, white, changing to 
blush, is probably the best. known of all, 
and its tawny yellow sport, Miss A. 
Holden, is also good. Miss Chrissie, 
bright terra-cotta, is brilliant while the 
flowers are young. Buttercup bears many- 
flowered erect sprays of rather small, 
round. blooms, butter-yellow. in color. 
Emily Wells is one.of the very best, with 
bright rose, medium-sized flowers. that 
stand erect on long sprays. Prolific is 
rather large. The flowers, which open 
blush-colored, mottled with. white, soon 
change to a paler hue, and are then very 
much like those of Mary Anderson. .in 
form and color, but larger. This is a very 
free variety. Snowdrift is a useful white 
variety. For those who like very dark 
crimsons, Annie Tweed will prove a 
charming variety, very much like Mary 
Anderson in habit, form, and size. Use 
ful late varieties are Admiral T. Symonds 
and Kate Williams, both large-flowered 
yellows. Mrs. A. E. Stubbs, creamy- 
white, of good form, with fairly long, nar- 
row-pointed petals;  Framfield Beauty, 
rich crimson ; Jane, white; Yellow Jane ; 
and Purity, white, are also good. 
Large Chrysanthemums.—Mr. C. J. 
Grist very correctly defines the feelings of 
many lovers of beautiful flowers in his re- 
marks concerning the monotony of the big 
blooms at the Aquarium and_ other 
autumnal shows of this popular flower. 
There is not the slightest doubt that the 
financial crisis to which he refers will be- 
come much more acute, unless steps are 
taken to introduce more variety, for the 
simple reason that when you have seen one 
show of these monster blooms you have 
seen them all, for they vary so little as 
to become wearisome. There is no doubt 
that big blooms, cut with long stalks and 
foliage, set in vases, take the eye of the 
visitors much more than the flat boxes, 
and when we turn to the groups we tind 
the big bloom plants far less effective than 
the naturally-grown and not disbudded 
ones. The majority of provincial shows 
find a difficulty in keeping up the interest 
in these shows, and have tto add classes for 
miscellaneous groups of plants, table 
p'ants, winter-flowering Geraniums, Cycla- 
mens, Primulas, &c., and not the least 
effective aid is given by the Begonias of 
the Gloire de Lorraine type as pot plants. 
—J. G., Gosport. 
Old Chrysanthemums (Manxman).—I 
you have room in a cold-frame or green- 
house, do not be in too great a’ hurry to 
throw old stools of Chrysanthemums away, 
even if you have taken what cuttings you 
want—accidents will happen. Old plants 
will winter in a cold frame if covered up 
on frosty nights. Where decorative 
Chrysanthemums are grown, often these 
old plants turn out the best, and bloom 
earlier than those from cuttings, and 
should be planted out in the borders in 
April. Stirring thé soil about the roots 
many that are backward to send up 
suckers, but cool treatment should be the 
general rule,—WoopBastTWIck. 
NATURALLY-GROWN CHRYSAN- 
THEMUMS. 
The term “naturally grown” is usually 
given to Chrysanthemums that are made 
to develop a bushy form, and which are 
not subjected to the severe disbudding 
necessary if flowers of exhibition quality 
are desired. It is, however, a misnomer,. 
for, strictly speaking, a maturally-grown 
plant would have“ neither its shoots. 
stopped nor any of its flower-buds re- 
moved, both of which operaitions are: 
nearly always practised. In growing 
Chrysanthemums of what may be term'ed 
the exhibition type, the sole object. in. 
view is to obtain flowers at once of the 
largest size and as near as possible of the 
form that has been set up by the florist 
as an ideal one. In the cultivation: of 
that class with which the present observa- 
tions deal, the aim is entirely different; 
it is, in a word, the beauty and effective- 
ness of the plants as a whole rather than 
those of the individual flower. In grow- 
ing this class of plants 1t is of great im- 
portance that each should be clothed with 
foliage almost or quite to the base of its 
stems, and that whilst the shoots should 
be disposed and supported so as to secure 
sufficient symmetry of form, the stiff out- 
lines and unwieldiness of the “‘specimen’’ 
plant of the exhibition should be as care- 
fully avoided. With regard to the 
flowers themselves, the aim should be to. 
obtain them large enough to show the true 
and distinctive character of the variety, 
and yet in sufficient number to fully fur- 
nish the plant, thus avoiding the wasteful 
process which accrues from restricting the 
energies of the plant to the production of 
two or three flowers. 
It is questionable whether, by encourag- 
ing so exclusively as exhibitions do the 
big flower and the conventional specimen 
plant, the true interests of horticuiture 
are furthered as much as would be done 
by adopting a system of culture that re- 
quires as much real gardening skill to ob- 
tain the best results, and which, from an 
artistic standpoint at least, are infinitely 
more pleasing. The groups of plants 
seen at even our best shows, with their 
carefully sloped surfaces, look brilliant 
and gorgeous enough at the top; but to 
the inquisitive eye that searches below 
there is revealed a huddled mass of long 
stalks and pots (the latter’ not unfre- 
quently stood one above another), which 
is to the last degree unsightly. Looked at 
singly, such plants are hideous, and even 
when massed together in a formal sloping 
bank, which is the only arrangement they 
are presentable in, the few square yards of 
color they give cannot be said to be an 
adequate return for all the expense and 
labor they have entailed during the pre- 
vious twelve months. : 
Whe writitig upon zinc labels make sure 
that the stirfacd is thoroughly claan, or the 
fiamé writtefi thay s6on he obliterated.  —~ 
