December  28,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
561 
one  and  so-and-so  ;  better  than  either  for  my  purpose,  and  both  were 
good.”  A  visit  to  the  packing  shed  showed  a  pile  of  light,  clean 
boxes  all  branded  with  “My  Lord’s”  coronet.  “Just  a  trick  of 
trade,”  was  remarked.  “  Yes ;  true,  but  our  brand  is  now  known  and 
sought  for,  and  I  think  his  lordship  is  rather  proud  of  his  good  name 
in  the  market.  It  was  not  the  pride,  however,  which  goeth  before 
a  fall,  but  the  well-earned  kind  which  came  after  it.  Ah  !  It  is  a 
pleasant  and  profitable  thing  when  men  who  cannot  get  what  they 
like  learn  to  like  what  they  have ;  and,  moreover,  excel  in  it. — 
A.  N.  Oldhead. 
CHRISTMAS  REMINISCENCES. 
The  majority  of  gardeners,  I  trow,  are  sometimes  inclined  to  take 
a  retrospective  view  of  their  career,  to  carry  their  thoughts  backwards 
to  the  days  of  youth,  when  their  strength  in  the  battle  of  life  had  just 
begun;  when  hope,  ambition,  and  enthusiasm  rose  high  at  the 
thought  of  the  boundless  possibilities  of  the  future — their  future — 
in  the  great  world.  Perhaps,  at  no  season  of  the  year  do  such 
thoughts  come  so  instinctively  as  at  Christmas  time,  which  seems  to 
connect  the  present  with  the  remote  past  by  events  which  form  an 
unbroken  chain,  along  which  to  guide  the  m  mory.  The  years  of 
bothy  life  will  doubtless  stand  out  clearly,  even  though  they  take  the 
ponderer  back  a  few  decades ;  the  distant  past  is  often  engraven  on  the 
memory,  when  quite  recent  events  have  been  obliterated. 
Those  days  of  bothy  life  will,  I  am  sure,  by  not  a  few  be 
remembered  as  bright  stirring  pages  in  the  open  book ;  lasting 
acquaintances  were  then  formed,  which  remain  unbroken  until  the 
death  knell  rudely  cuts  the  chain.  It  seems  to  me,  when  looking 
back,  that  all  of  us  in  our  bothy  days  had  fine  opportunities  of 
forming  opinions  of  men  and  things  of  who  among  our  workmates 
seemed  likely  to  ascend  the  highest,  the  ladder  whose  steps  we  had 
begun  to  mount.  My  spare  moments  were  often  employed  in  such 
mental  puzzles,  and  without  wishing  to  be  in  the  least  egotistical, 
events  have  proved  that  my  judgment  in  that  respect  has  in  many 
instances  proved  to  be  correct.  The  bright  sparkling  spirits  of 
youthful  days  do  not  always  forge  their  way  to  the  iront  in  later  life; 
the  man  sticks,  stays,  and  never  loses  heart  seems  to  achieve  the  best 
results  in  these  days  ot  keen  competition.  Sustained  effort  should  be 
the  watchword  of  all. 
But  let  us  hark  back  again  to  the  struggles  and  pleasures  of  bothy 
life,  for  after  having  seen  life  in  many  phases,  I  fancy  that  young 
gardeners  have  as  many  opportunities  of  getting  their  share  of  pleasure 
as  do  others  in  similar  stations,  yet  different  callings.  The  old-time 
bothy,  with  its  discomforts  and  lack  of  convenience,  was,  after  all, 
not  disliked  by  vigorous  youths,  because  it  had  the  great  advantage  of 
sheltering  those  engaged  in  the  same  calling,  those  who  had  the  same 
hopes  and  aspirations  ;  it  created  a  little  circle,  in  fact  a  home — though 
a  rough  one — where  there  was  freedom  and  opportunity  for  pleasant 
chat  when  all  met  on  equal  terms.  Bothies  during  recent  years  have, 
however,  been  greatly  improved,  and  they  afford  infinitely  better  accom¬ 
modation,  of  a  really  comfortable  kind,  than  thousands  of  young  men 
who  travel  to  the  great  city  daily  can  boast  of.  Of  work  there  is 
plenty  for  the  dwellers  in  all  bothies,  but  be  it  said  to  their  credit  the 
majority  of  them  make  light  of  it,  and  as  the  toil  of  one  day  is  over 
they  are  often  eager  for  the  morrow  to  come. 
British  gardeners  take  to  work  as  readily  as  some  individuals  take 
to  pleasure  ;  in  fact  the  terms  are  identical  in  many  a  young  gardener’s 
mind,  and  thus  the  gardening  world  moves  merrily  along.  Trying 
times  come  of  course,  times  when  all  the  energy  and  strength  of 
youth  are  needed  ;  days  of  hard  work,  followed  by  many  hours  of 
stoking  on  damp,  fro3ty  nights;  days  when  the  cutting  winds  and 
changeable  weather  of  spring,  as  well  as  the  scorching  sun  of 
summer,  make  close  attention  to  detail  no  light  matter,  but  in  the 
main  it  is  borne  well,  and  the  struggles  form  matters  for  pleasant 
laughter  when  the  “  tug”  is  over. 
Ah  !  at  Christmas  time,  too,  the  young  gardener  has  his  pleasures, 
even  though  the  mansion  is  packed  with  company,  which  makes  all 
hands  busy  throughout  the  day,  and  often  in  the  evenings  as  well. 
There  is  no  chance,  they  know,  for  them  to  speed  homeward  and  join 
the  family  circle,  but  they  have  pleasures  near  at  hand,  where  the 
good  old  custom  of  inviting  the  botheyites  to  dine  and  spend  the 
evening  at  the  castle  or  mansion  is  still  kept  up.  The  innocent  fun 
and  frolic  of  such  times  warms  the  hearts  and  cheers  the  spirits  of 
many  who  are  far  from  home;  it  brings  together  the  lads  and  lassies 
who,  but  for  such  acquaintance,  would  be  “strangers  in  a  strange 
country.”  The  mutual  sympathy  thus  engendered  is  good  for  all  in 
this  enlighteued  age,  and  helps,  in  the  case  of  thousands,  to  make 
life’s  burdens  tolerable.  Many  thousands  of  young  gardeners  at  this 
festive  season  have  enjoyed  such  pleasant  times,  as  the  writer  looks 
backward  to  with  unfeigned  pleasure — perhaps,  too,  with  some 
regrets.— Onward. 
DECORATIVE  CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
The  ever  popular  exhibition  blooms  have  now  had  their  season, 
and  thoughts  are  turned  towards  the  next  year’s  selection,  which,  to 
the  average  grower  having  a  moderate  allowance,  is  by  no  means  an 
easy  task.  While  the  exhibitor  must  needs  keep  an  open  eye  on  the 
best  his  means  may  provide  him  with,  the  present  season  has  its 
claims  in  providing  flowers  for  cutting  and  dwarf  growing  kinds  that 
with  retarded  culture  will  furnish  plants  for  vases.  In  many  estab¬ 
lishments  the  Christmas  season  and  early  months  of  the  new  year 
severely  tax  the  resources  of  the  garden,  and  not  a  little  dissatisfaction 
is  aroused  if  the  flower  supply  falls  short  of  that  expected  or  required. 
Growcs  who  have  the  means  of  testing  some  of  the  newer  and  varied 
coloured  Chrysanthemums  would  do  good  service  to  a  large  section  of 
the  Journal  readers  by  diffusing  such  knowledge  gained  by  actual 
experience.  There  is  a  large  and  increasing  selection  for  November 
use,  but  when  Christmas  demands  are  met  there  is  a  sparsity  of  such 
flowers  commonly  felt. 
W.  H.  Lincoln  still  furnishes  one  of  the  best  yellows,  both  as  a 
decorative  plant  and  vase  blooms ;  its  dark  foliage,  rich  colour,  and 
free  branching  growth  seem  yet  indispensable.  E.  G.  Hill,  too,  is 
another  bronzy  yellow  that  cannot  be  ignored  undisbudded.  This 
gives  a  profusion  of  both  useful  sprays  for  cutting  and  plants  for 
rooms.  Both  are  entirely  distinct,  and  admissible  in  the  smallest  col¬ 
lection.  Several  others  I  had  grown  for  late  use  are  over.  A  long 
list  of  names  is  not  that  which  gives  the  desired  information;  it  con¬ 
fuses  rather  than  instructs,  and,  moreover,  is  unnecessary  for  large 
or  small  growers,  for  the  simple  reason  that  a  stock  of  one  good  variety 
is  better  than  single  plants  of  several  sorts. 
Lady  Lawrence  has  been  earlier  than  usual,  and  Niveus  has  been 
gone  soni3  time.  L.  Canning  still  remains  one  of  the  best  late  whites, 
and  what  is  interesting  about  it  is  its  immuuity  from  rust  attack, 
when  so  many  others  have  been  spoilt.  Lady  Lawrence  and  Niveus 
have  been  quite  defoliated  in  many  cases  by  the  ravages  of  this  fungus. 
M.  Felix  Perrin  is  most  useful,  free  from  disease,  and  a  remarkably 
good  keeper.  Mr.  Molyneux  recommended  this  a  year  or  two  since, 
and  it  certainly  has  come  to  stay.  Its  flowers  are  of  a  pretty  shade 
of  pink,  varying  in  the  large  and  smaller  flowers  on  undisbudded 
sprays.  King  of  Plumes  is  a  pretty  fimbriated  flower,  late,  a  good 
keeper,  and  a  very  rich  yellow.  Princess  V  ictoria,  a  greenish  white, 
is  very  late,  and  will  be  useful.  A  bronze  or  crimson  counterpart  of 
this  would  be  invaluable.  Mdile.  Therese  Panckoucke  is  a  pearly  white 
late  variety,  not  so  free,  perhaps,  as  some,  still  a  useful  addition. 
With  th'S  selection  I  shall  have  a  good  supply  for  some  weeks,  but 
if  other  readers  can  give  the  names  of  better  substitutes  they  will  do 
good  service.  As  I  have  previously  intimated,  long  lists  that  have 
to  be  sifted  are  bewildering  rather  than  helpful. — W.  S.,  Wilts. 
SHOW  SCHEDULES. 
Now  that  the  recent  “blizzard”  of  Chrysanthemum  shows  is  over 
c  unmittees  will  be  considering  the  formulation  of  schedules  for  the 
ensuing  year’s  campaigns,  and  no  doubt,  in  the  majority  of  cases, 
c  isting  about  for  additional  ideas  to  vary  and  enhance  the  prize  classes. 
A  welcome  and  commendable  step  has  been  taken  by  more  than  one 
society  in  offering  prizes  for  Chrysanthemum  blooms  cut  with  long 
stems  and  arranged  in  tall  glasses  or  vases,  thus  supplying  a  pleasant 
relief  from  the  monotonous  and  stereotyped  “show”  stand  classes  of 
cut  blooms. 
As  committees  are,  in  a  general  way,  ever  ready  to  consider  any 
suggestion,  I  propose  to  write  a  brief  note  on  the  subject.  For 
instance,  prizes  might  be  offered  for  Chrysanthemums  in  pots  ^trained 
differently  from  the  ordinary  bush  style,  say  “  standards  with 
expanded  parasol-like  heads  and  pyramidal-trained  plants,  such  as 
made  a  pleasing  impression  on  the  writer  upwards  of  twenty  years 
ago  in  St.  George’s  Hall,  Liverpool,  artistic  illy  disposed  amongst  the 
“  bush  ’’-trained  plants.  The  fine  show  of  bush-trained  plants  at  the 
late  show  held  in  Bingley  Hall,  Birmingham,  presented  a  somewhat 
monotonous  effect,  and  the  effect  would  have  been  materially  enhanced 
had  a  few  differently  trained  specimens  been  introduced  among  them. 
Moreover,  owing  to  the  exigences  of  space,  the  plants  were  so  crowded 
together  that  it  was  somewhat  difficult  to  disceru  the  individual 
collections.  .  . 
There  is  also  another  suggestion  worthy  of  adoption— -viz.,  a  class 
for  “a  group  of  miscellaneous  plants  arranged  for  effect,  and  which 
would  afford  a  most  pleasing  relief  to  the  Chrysanthemum  groups,  and 
al.-o  give  non-Chrysanthemum  exhibitors  an  opportunity  of  displaying 
