November  23.  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
447 
MADAME  C.  DESGRANGES. 
It  seems  rather  strange  for  a  variety  that  is  so  well  known  as  the 
above  to  be  certificated  after  having  been  in  cultivation  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  yet  so  it  is.  Following  the  example  of  our  N.C.S.,  the 
Paris  Chrysanthemum  Committee  of  the  National  Horticultural 
Society  of  France  has  recently  held  an  October  show  of  early  varieties, 
and  among  the  awards  of  first-class  certificates  I  find  one  was  made  to 
Madame  Castex  Desgranges.  This  variety  was  raised  and  sent  out  by 
M.  Boucharlat,  of  Lyons,  about  the  year  1874. 
The  CULTURE  of  LARGE-FLOWERING  CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
M.  Viviand  Morel,  the  Editor  of  the  “  Lyon  Horticole,”  has 
recently  issued  a  little  cultural  manual  in  French,  bearing  the  above 
title.  The  book  is  really  a  revised  and  enlarged  edition  of  a  small 
pamphlet  issued  by  him  some  years  ago,  but  which,  in  view  of  the 
increasing  interest  now  taken  in  this  flower  in  and  around  Lyons,  has 
necessarily  developed  into  a  more  comprehensive  work.  It  is  neatly 
printed  and  freely  illustrated,  and  contains  much  cultural  matter 
of  service  to  French  growers.  Its  scope  is  limited  to  about  sixty 
pages,  and  in  its  conception  resembles  the  majority  of  the  cheap  little 
French  guides  on  the  popular  flower. — C.  H.  P. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS  AT  HACIvBRIDGE. 
For  many  years  past  A.  H.  Srnee,  Esq.,  The  Grange,  Hackbridge, 
has  opened  his  gardens  to  the  public  for  the  purpose  of  displaying  an 
excellent  collection  of  Chrysanthemums  in  bloom,  and  also  to  benefit 
the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund.  This  year  is  no  exception,  and 
on  Sunday,  the  12th  inst.,  several  hundreds  of  people  visited  The 
Grange.  Japanese  Chrysanthemums  predominate,  and  the  blooms 
are  typical  of  the  several  varieties,  both  new  and  old.  Other  sections 
are  also  represented.  The  whole  display  reflects  credit  on  the  able 
gardener,  Mr.  Humphreys,  and  his  assistants.  There  is  also  an 
interesting  collection  of  Orchids,  Cacti,  Roses,  and  a  remarkably  fine 
selection  of  fruit  trees  in  vigorous  and  fruitful  condition.  The  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  visiting  these  gardens  and  assisting  a  good  cause  extended  for 
a  week  from  the  12th  inst. — E.  D.  S. 
;  HIGHGATE  CHRYSANTHEMUM  SOCIETY. 
At  the  recently  held  aunual  dinner  of  the  above  Society,  at  which 
the  President,  Mr.  C.  F.  Cory- Wright,  J.P.,  D.L.,  presided,  there  were 
present  about  eighty  members  and  friends  of  the  Society.  Mr.  H.  W. 
Birks,  a  former  President,  proposed  the  toast  of  the  evening,  “  The 
Highgate  and  District  Chrysanthemum  Society,”  coupled  with  that 
of  the  President.  He  remarked  that  on  the  fifteenth  anniveisary  of 
their  Society  they  might  well  feel  inclined  to  blow  their  own  trumpet, 
but  he  did  not  know  that  this  was  necessary,  as  the  show  spoke  for 
itself.  In  toasting  their  President  they  were  not  only  thanking  him 
for  what  he  had  done  in  the  past,  but  having  accepted  the  office  of 
President  for  another  year,  they  were  living  in  lively  anticipation  of 
favours  to  come.  The  President  iu  responding  said  that  he  had  been 
connected  with  the  Society  in  one  way  or  another  ever  since  it  was 
formed.  He  unfortunately  could  not  be  present  at  their  recent  show, 
but  friends  who  were  there  had  informed  him  it  was  the  best  show 
they  had  ever  seen  in  Highgate.  The  silver  cups  and  medals  won  at 
the  recent  exhibition  were  then  presented,  and  the  President  remarked 
that  as  there  was  only  one  cup  left,  he  and  Mr.  E.  H.  Smithell  would  give 
a  silver  cup  to  be  competed  for  next  year.  The  toast  list  was  inter¬ 
spersed  with  some  excellent  songs. — W.  E.  B. 
RYECROFT  NURSERY. 
Mr.  II.  J.  Jones’  establishment  at  Lewisham  is  so  well  known 
that  no  notes  on  the  nurseries  at  this  season  of  the  year  would  be 
complete  without  some  account  of  the  good  things  on  view  there. 
Altogether  there  are  four  large  houses,  containing  about  7000  plants 
in  flower.  Cal  vat’s  seedlings,  both  new  and  old,  figure  largely,  the 
best  of  them  being  represented  by  Madame  Couvat  Terrare,  bright 
rosy  pink;  N.C.S.  Jubilee,  the  green  Madame  Ed.  Roger,  President 
Bevan,  M.  Chenon  de  Leche,  President  Borel,  Mrs.  J.  Lewis,  Le 
Grand  Dragon,  and  Zephoris,  while  other  French  novelties  comprise 
Madame  Gab.  Debrie,  Madame  H.  Bernard,  Rayonnante,  and  M.  Louis 
Remv,  the  fine  pure  pale  yellow  sport  from  Mrs.  0.  Harman  Payne. 
Very  fine  yellows  are  to  be  lound  in  Oceana,  Sir  II.  Kitchener, 
Mrs.  A.  Cross,  Solar  Queen,  Hugh  Crawford,  while  the  higher  tones  of 
colour  are  represented  by  Mrs.  W.  Seward,  Wm.  Seward,  the  crimson 
II.  Weeks,  Lionel  Humpnry,  a  promising  large-sized  Japanese  of 
crimson  and  gold  ;  II.  J.  Jones,  a  very  vivid  crimson ;  Eastman 
Belle,  an  att'active  crimson  and  gold  sport  from  President  Borel; 
Royal  Standard,  and  most  of  the  well  known  purples  in  their  various 
shades.  The  Australian  seedlings  comprise  most  of  those  already  well 
known,  such  as  Oceana,  Mr.  T.  Carrington,  Wallaroo,  The  Wonderful, 
and  Nellie  Pockett,  while  whites  of  approved  merit  are  Mutual  Friend, 
Jane  Molyneux,  and  Simplicity.  Several  interesting  sports  are  very 
promising;  for  instance,  a  sulphur  form  of  Mutual  Frirnd  and  Mr. 
W.  Mease,  a  deep  warm  terra-cotta  and  golden  sport  from  the  old 
favourite  show  variety  Etoile  de  Lyon. 
A  few  other  good  sorts  are  the  deep  gollen  yellow  Japanese 
R.  Hooper  Pearson,  a  noble,  attractive  bloom ;  Edith  Dash  wood,  a  pretty 
soft  pink  of  nice  form;  Mary  Molyneux,  large,  and  of  a  beautiful  bright 
rosy  pink ;  Mrs.  Barclay,  a  fine  silvery  pink  ;  and  Fair  Maid,  a  rather 
tall-growing  plant,  bearing  some  fine  blooms,  also  pink.  A  yellow 
sport  from  M.  Chenon  de  Leche  is  considered  of  some  value,  and 
Dorothy  Fleming,  a  pretty  white  Japanese  after  the  build  of  Good 
Gracious,  is  worthy  of  a  mention.  These  are  all  in  the  two  large 
show  greenhouses,  and  in  a  smaller  one  adjoining  are  some  freely 
flowered  bush  plants,  among  which  Ryecroft  Scarlet,  a  valuable  decora¬ 
tive  variety,  is  most  conspicuous.  Other  varieties  used  for  this 
purpose  are  White  Quintus,  Pride  of  Mytchett,  Mabel  Williams,  and 
White  Clinton  Chalfont.  The  display  is  beautiful  aud  all  the  plants 
clean. 
IRIS  KiEMPFERl. 
Iris  IUempferi  appears  to  be  one  of  the  most  difficult  Irises  to 
grow  successfully,  and  I  find  in  reading  the  gardening  periodicals  that 
the  experience  of  others  is  similar  to  ray  own  ;  there  may,  perhaps, 
be  a  little  satisfaction  in  this  fact.  I  was  much  interested  in  reading 
the  notes  on  this  beautiful  and  interesting  class  of  plants,  by  the 
Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm,  that  appeared  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture . 
Speaking  of  1.  Kaempferi,  he  says,  on  page  118,  “  If  any  readers  are 
successful  in  growing  these  plants  they  will  be  perfectly  amazed  at 
the  glorious  flowers  they  produce.” 
After  reading  this  sentence,  which  I  thought  perhaps  might  imply 
that  very  few  are  successful  in  growing  it,  I  have  been  tempted  to 
record  my  experience,  both  of  failure  and  what  I  think  will  prove  to 
be  success.  About  four  years  ago  a  few  plants  of  this  Iris  were 
purchased ;  they  were  planted  on  an  ordinary  flower  border  with 
other  things.  A  friend  was  walking  through  the  garden  directly 
after,  and  noticing  the  plants,  remarked,  “  You  will  find  a  difficulty  in 
growing  that  Iris.”  He  also  intimated  that  some  tried  growing  it  in 
pots,  plunging  them  in  the  side  of  a  pond,  and  letting  them  remain  in 
this  position  throughout  the  summer  months.  I  have  not  tried  this 
method,  but  am  afraid  they  would  not  do  very  well  with  their  roots 
cramped  in  pots. 
But  to  go  back  to  our  own  plants.  We  started  with  six  varieties, 
one  plant  of  each.  The  first  season  they  grew  about  6  or  8  inches 
high,  but  did  not  produce  any  flowers.  During  the  next  year  two  of 
them  died ;  the  growth  made  by  those  left  was  less  than  the  first 
season — in  fact,  each  year  they  became  smaller,  and  had  they  remained 
in  the  same  position  another  year  no  doubt  it  would  have  been  their 
last. 
in  the  spring  of  this  year  a  situation  was  specially  prepared  in  the 
following  manner: — A  bed  was  made  about  6  feet  long  by  2  feet  wide, 
the  soil  being  taken  out  to  the  depth  of  18  inches  to  2  feet.  The 
subsoil  was  removed,  and  the  bed  then  filled  in  with  the  top  soil,  peat 
and  good  decayed  manure  in  about  equal  proportions,  and  trodden 
firmly  as  the  work  proceeded.  (I  might  perhaps  add  that  the  peat 
was  used  with  a  view  to  holding  the  moisture). 
The  bed  was  made  on  a  border  facing  south,  with  a  fall  to  the 
front,  the  position  being  chosen  from  the  fact  of  there  being  a  water- 
tap  in  close  proximity.  The  surface  of  the  bed,  however,  was  made 
level,  and  from  4  to  6  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  border,  and  a 
lew  flat  stones  laid  round  to  keep  the  sides  from  falling  in.  The 
plants,  which  were  in  a  very  unhealthy  condition,  were  put  in  at  once, 
and  well  flooded  with  water.  They  responded  quickly  to  this  new 
treatment,  and  one  could  see  at  a  glance  that  they  were  more  at 
home  in  their  fresh  quarters,  for  they  grew  rapidly.  The  bed  was 
flooded  with  water  two  or  three  times  a  week  all  through  the  summer. 
The  plants  have  made  satisfactory  growth,  the  foliage  attaining  a  height 
of  18  inches  to  2  feet.  This  I  notice  is  the  height  given  in  Nicholson’s 
“  Dictionary  of  Gardening.”  The  plants  have  also  greatly  increased 
in  size.  Only  one  flowered,  this  producing  two  blooms.  Now  that 
they  seem  to  be  well  established,  one  may  naturally  expect  to  have  a 
better  show  of  flowers  another  year. 
Iris  Susiana. 
This  is  another  member  of  the  family  that  I  have  not  succeeded  in 
growing  successfully.  On  referring  to  Nicholson’s  “  Dictionary  of 
Gardening”  I  find  that  Iris  iberica  and  I.  Susiana  are  two  of  the  most 
singular  and  beautiful  species,  belonging  to  a  separate  group  or  sub¬ 
genus.  They  are  amongst  the  most  difficult  of  plants  to  flower,  and 
reciuire  special  treatment,  apart  from  any  of  the  others.  A  frame,  aud 
light  rich  soil,  should  be  provided  for  their  accommodation,  and  they 
ought  to  be  dried  off,  and  allowed  the  fullest  exposure  to  the  sun  from 
the  time  flowering  is  over  until  spring  of  the  following  year.  Plenty 
