60 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  21,  1897. 
In  spite  of  the  number  of  varieties  that  have  been  raised  and 
distributed  since  the  advent  of  Mrs.  Alpheus  Hardy  six  years  ago,  how 
few  of  them  are  appreciated.  During  a  lengthened  tour  of  all  the  best 
shows  this  season  I  seldom  saw  more  than  one  variety — Hairy  Wonder. 
This  was  sent  out  in  1894,  and  is  far  and  away  the  best  of  the  whole 
section.  Not.  only  are  the  blooms  of  full  size,  but  the  florets  incurve 
regularly,  and  the  hirsute  appendage  to  each  is  fully  developed.  The 
colour  (deep  fawn)  is  pleasing.  No  difficulty  is  encountered  in  obtaining 
really  fine  exhibition  blooms,  by  allowing  the  plants  to  make  their 
natural  break  in  April,  afterwards  securing  the  crown  bud.  This  is  a 
variety  that  does  not  require  much  feeding. 
It  is  now  two  years  since  I  saw  a  really  good  bloom  of  Mrs.  A. 
Hardy.  Mrs.  W.  J.  Godfrey,  owing  to  the  easier  growth,  has  taken  the 
place  of  the  original  variety.  This,  however,  does  not  appear  to  meet 
with  much  favour ;  seldom  can  a  good  bloom  be  met  with.  The  florets 
in  this  are  broader  than  in  any  ocher  of  the  section,  which  now  numbers 
twenty-two,  according  to  the  Jubilee  edition  of  the  N.C.S.  catalogue. 
Considering  the  number  a  poor  representation  is  the  actual  result.  The 
novelty  of  cultivating  hairy  Chrysanthemums  has  evidently  worn  off. — 
E.  Molyneux. 
Chrysanthemum  Notes. 
“  T.  G.’s”  heading,  “A  Few  Scrappy  Chrysanthemum  Notes” 
(page  80),  appears  characteristic  of  his  writings,  for  they  furnish  as 
interesting  reading  as  anything  that  has  appeared  in  the  Chrysanthemum 
columns  for  some  time,  both  from  a  humorous  and  practical  point  of 
view.  I  am  surem^ny  beside  myself  feel  indebted  to  your  correspondent 
for  his  outspoken  remarks  and  the  information  given  respecting  the 
newer  varieties  and  their  suitability  for  market  work  or  as  decorative 
plants  for  private  use. 
“  T.  G.,  Devon,”  evidently  is  do  amateur  in  catering  for  the  markets, 
nor  restricted  ia  the  indulgence  of  the  element  of  novelty,  otherwise  he 
could  not  have  given  such  competent  advice  so  readily  for  the  benefit  of 
those  readers  who  are  anxious  for  knowledge  but  without  the  means  of 
obiaining  it ;  at  any  rate,  so  closely  on  the  introduction  of  the  newer 
varieties.  The  exhaustive  selection  which  he  furnishes,  and  which  is 
supplemented  in  the  Editor’s  footnote,  renders  it  unnecessary  to  act  on 
the  suggestion  which  he  gives  in  relation  to  Mr.  Molyneux  and  his  annual 
selection  so  far  as  affecting  the  number  of  varieties  given  for  the  purpose 
of  late  flowering,  but  we  may  wish  to  shout  to  him  Go  on  ”  in  the 
cultural  aspect  of  the  case. 
There  is  no  doubt  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  the  statements  of  “  T.  G.” 
as  regards  the  craze  for  size,  but  I  would  ask  him  not  to  be  too  severe 
on  the  general  grower,  who  may  be  fired  with  ambition  for  prize 
winning,  because  they  have  their  dictates  in  the  Judges  who  award  the 
prizes  and  the  specialists  who  place  them  before  the  notice  of  their 
patrons  in  their  annual  catalogues.  The  man  who  can  produce  size 
with  quality  and  evenness  of  blooms  on  his  stand  obtains  a  better  chance 
than  bis  fellow  competitor  who  has  quality  without  evenness  in  his 
products,  and  as  the  aim  of  the  exhibitor  is  to  win  he  may  be  pardoned 
for  following  up  the  craze  for  size. 
There  is  little  doubt  but  that  “  those  exhibition  chaps  ”  have  often  a 
poor  or  undervalued  regard  for  the  decorative  class  of  Chrysanthemums, 
but  at  the  same  time  there  are  some  employers  who  are  quite  satisfied  if 
their  gardeners  can  furnish  a  good  display  of  the  large  specimen  blooms 
in  the  antumn  or  win  a  good  share  of  the  prizes  at  the  exhibitions 
selected  for  competition. 
I  am  pleased  to  know  I  have  been  the  medium  for  gaining  a  reprieve 
for  L.  Canning  without  a  lengthy  petition,  and  inducing  “  T.  G.”  to 
try  the  plants  a  second  year.  If  his  experience  compare  with  mine  I 
think  he  will  be  satisfied  with  the  results.  There  was  scarcely  a 
comparison  between  the  yearling  plants  and  those  grown  the  second 
year  in  my  case.  Is  not  Jeanette  Sheeham  a  pale  yellow  sport  from 
L.  Canning  1  I  shall  add  Elmer  D.  Smith  to  my  collection,  and  no 
doubt  others  will  do  so  on  the  recommendation  of  “  T.  G.,”  for  it  is  a 
colour  greatly  needed  at  Christmas. — W.  S,  Wilts. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Tool-House  and  Tools, 
When  we  think  of  January  and  the  garden  together  we  are  apt  to 
fly  to  the  conclusion  that  very  little  can  be  done  then ;  but  when  we 
come  to  consider  all  that  may  be  done  in  connection  with  all  that  wants 
doing  to  prepare  for  the  superabundance  of  spring  work,  which  will 
become  urgent  with  the  first  break  in  the  weather,  we  remember  that  the 
first  month  in  the  year  will  not  be  a  bit  too  soon  to  prepare  for  the 
eleven  which  are  to  follow  it. 
A  job  which  may  most  usefully  occupy  the  leisure  of  winter  is  to  set 
the  tool-house  in  order,  putting  up  new  shelves,  hooks,  and  nails 
wherever  they  are  wanted,  and  finding  a  good  and  appropriate  place  for 
every  tool  and  garden  appliance.  It  is  a  good  time,  too,  for  getting  all 
the  tools  set  in  order,  while  those  that  require  repairing  can  best  be 
spared.  May  I  tender  thanks  for  the  space  allocated  to  the  “Young 
Gardeners’  Domain?”  No  one  more  sincerely  trusts  that  it  may  inspire 
further  energy  in  our  ranks  than— Nemo. 
Mice  and  Cinerarias. 
This  being  my  first  attempt  to  write  to  any  of  the  gardening  papers 
I  fear  I  shall  not  be  able  to  wield  my  pen  so  easily  and  fluently  as  some 
of  our  indefatigable  subscribers.  Having  charge  of  the  glass  depart¬ 
ment  on  a  medium-sized  garden  in  Surrey  I  think  I  know  a  little  about 
some  of  the  thousand  and  one  difficulties  that  the  young  men  of  the 
gardeners’  domain  have  to  contend  with.  I  should  like  to  mention 
one  now — viz.,  mice  and  Cinerarias.  We  have  here  a  nice  batch 
of  plants,  averaging  from  8  inches  to  18  inches  high,  and  about  the 
same  distance  through.  Having  placed  them  in  frames  in  a  cold  Peach 
house  to  guard  against  frost,  the  mice  have  attacked  them  seriously, 
eating  some  of  the  plants  right  down  to  the  soil.  Two  well-known 
remedies,  and  almost  a  sure  and  certain  doom  for  mice,  are  steel  traps 
with  grease,  and  figure-of-4  traps  with  cheese.  But  these  have  been 
a  complete  failure  in  this  case,  so  we  have  had  to  resort  to  poisoning, 
which  has  answered  fairly  well  ;  but  still  they  come.  1  should  like  to 
hear  if  any  brother  in  the  craft  has  been  pestered  with  mice  this  season, 
and,  if  so,  how  he  got  rid  of  them. — Anxious  G.  H. 
[It  seems  if  mice  have  their  drawbacks  that  they  also  have  their  uses 
— in  stimulating  the  victim  to  “  wield  the  pen.”] 
POINSETTIAS. 
When  well  grown  the  Poinsettia  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  taking 
plants  we  have.  Its  brilliant  scarlet  bracts  are  very  telling,  either  in 
the  drawing  room  or  arranged  amongst  other  plants  in  the  greenhouse. 
The  plants,  having  finished  flowering  and  been  rested,  should  be 
taken  to  a  stove  temperature,  afforded  a  good  watering,  and  be  kept 
nicely  moist  by  the  syringe.  Thus  treated  they  will  soon  break  into 
growth.  About  the  end  of  March,  the  growths  being  3  or  4  inches 
long,  should  be  taken  off  with  a  slip  of  the  old  wood  attached.  These 
should  be  inserted  in  3-inch  pots,  using  a  sandy  compost.  Plunged  in  a 
strong  bottom  heat  they  will  soon  root.  When  well  struck  they  must 
be  stood  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass.  The  temperature  of  the  house 
should  be  about  70°  by  night. 
As  soon  aB  the  pots  are  well  filled  with  roots  transfer  to  5-inch  pots 
in  a  compost  consisting  of  loam,  leaf  mould,  sand,  and  a  little  decayed 
manure.  Be  very  careful  in  watering,  both  now  and  all  through  the 
season,  as  they  soon  lose  their  bottom  leaves  if  too  much  is  given.  If 
this  occur  they  become  the  reverse  of  pleasing,  being  unsightly  objects 
indeed.  Continue  to  grow  in  a  stove  temperature.  Shade  from 
sun  ;  the  leaves  are  now  very  tender,  and  soon  scorch.  Early  in  July 
they  should  be  ready  for  their  final  shift.  Use  7-inch  pots.  The  com¬ 
post  advised  above  will  do,  with  a  little  more  manure  added.  In  about 
a  month  lower  the  temperature  to  60°  ;  65°  by  night.  Continue  to 
harden  them  by  the  gradual  admission  of  more  air,  less  shade,  and 
syringing  until  they  can  bear  the  house  fully  open  day  and  night,  and 
no  shade. 
During  the  growing  season  an  occasional  application  of  some  proved 
fertiliser  is  very  beneficial.  Grown  thus  they  will  be  sturdy  plants,  with 
large  deep  green  leaves  down  to  the  pots.  When  the  bracts  appear 
remove  the  plants  to  a  temperature  of  60°  by  night  until  fully  expanded, 
when  they  may  be  kept  cooler,  and  the  bracts  will  last  in  perfection  a 
long  time.  If  it  is  required  the  old  plants  may  be  grown  as  advised 
above,  but  be  later  in  starting  them  into  growth. — Semper. 
Early  Forcing  —  Peaches  and  Nectarines. 
{Concluded  from  page  38.) 
The  thinning  of  the  Peaches  and  Nectarines  may  be  proceeded  with 
as  soon  as  the  fruits  have  commenced  swelling  freely.  They  should  be 
thinned  out  at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  and  the  sooner  this  operation  is 
completed  the  better  it  will  be  for  the  remaining  fruit,  as  when  allowed 
to  remain  too  crowded  the  trees  are'  liable  to  become  exhausted.  The 
average  crop  of  Peaches  is  about  one  to  every  square  foot,  but  if  the 
trees  are  over-robust  a  heavier  crop  may  be  taken  from  them  in  order  to 
keep  the  trees  in  a  good  fruit-bearing  state.  Always  keep  a  sharp 
look-out  for  insects.  The  aphis  or  green  fly  will  in  a  few  days,  if 
neglected,  spread  at  an  alarming  rate,  and  so  cripple  the  shoots  that 
they  are  a  long  time  making  any  headway.  If  these  pests  arfi  dealt 
with  promptly  when  first  seen  a  puff  of  tobacco  dust  will  generally 
settle  accounts  for  them,  but  if  they  appear  in  different  parts  of  the 
house  it  is  the  best  to  fumigate. 
Red  spider  and  thrips  are  very  destructive  pests  to  the  Peach.  They 
may  be  got  rid  of  by  syringing  with  the  XL  All  liquid  insecticide,  but 
if  the  trees  are  well  syriDged  with  clear  rain  water  these  troublesome 
pests  are  kept  at  bay. 
The  greatest  possible  care  must  at  all  times  be  exercised  with  regard 
to  ventilation.  Air  should  be  admitted  gradually,  commencing  in  the 
early  morning  with  the  top  ventilators.  We  must  be  guided  entirely  by 
the  external  atmosphere,  which  if  cold  will  soon  give  a  check  to  the 
growth  if  admitted  too  freely.  To  guard  against  this  the  temperature 
may  be  allowed  to  get  higher  than  usual  rather  than  admit  the  cold 
air  in  too  great  a  quantity.  Close  early,  before  the  sun  leaves  the 
house. 
During  bright  weather  the  paths  and  borders  should  be  sprinkled 
with  tepid  water  occasionally  during  the  day.  Any  young  shoots  that 
seem  to  be  growing  over-robust  may  be  stopped  to  direct  the  sap  into 
