582 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTTCULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  17,  1806. 
as  the  latter  part  of  the  business  is  very  different  from  supplying  a 
private  family,  who  usually  require  mixed  colours,  and  are  often  not 
particular  as  to  the  variety.  For  market  the  variety  must  be  a  robust 
grower,  and  to  be  in  bloom  at  the  time  mentioned  should  flower  freely 
on  the  terminal  bud.  The  stem  must  be  stiff,  and  the  bloom  solid  and 
nob  likely  to  drop  its  petals  readily.  I  have  tried  many  varieties  for 
this  purpose,  the  majority  of  them,  however,  have  been  discarded. 
Lady  Lawrence  comes  nearest  my  ideal  of  a  good  late  white,  but 
unfortunately  it  cannot  be  relied  on.  I  tried  it  as  bushes,  stopped  and 
unstopped,  disbudded  and  left  to  chance,  still  it  was  not  a  success. 
Mdlle.  Tb^rfese  Key  was  promising  when  first  tried,  being  such  a  beautiful 
pearly  white.  It,  however,  does  not  flower  freely,  and  the  stems  are 
weak  and  drooping.  Madame  Lacroix  is  a  favourite  for  wreath-making, 
and  if  grown  in  bush  form,  and  stopped  two  or  three  times,  will  yield 
a  quantity  of  flower  from  now  onwards.  It  is  better  grown  on  this 
system  then  when  disbudded .  Madame  Louise  Leroy  is  a  good  white, 
and  comes  well  from  the  terminal  bud,  but  its  stem  is  rather  weak. 
The  plan  that  I  recommend  for  this  variety  and  others  that  I  shall 
mention  is  to  obtain  the  cuttings  as  early  as  possible  at  this  season, 
placing  two  in  a  thumb  pot.  These  are  stood  in  a  frame,  which  is  kept 
close,  a  little  heat  being  turned  on  occasionally  if  the  weather  is  cold. 
As  soon  as  the  cuttings  are  rooted  they  are  kept  perfectly  cool  and  as 
near  the  glass  as  possible,  potting  as  necessary  until  they  eventually 
reach  those  9  inches  in  diameter,  in  which  the  plants  are  flowered. 
There  will  be  two  plants  in  each  pot,  which  are  allowed  to  grow  until 
about  18  inches  of  growth  has  been  made,  when  the  point  of  each  plant 
is  taken  out.  From  this  break  three  or  more  shoots  to  each  plant  are 
allowed  to  remain,  and  by  the  time  they  have  grown  3  feet  in  height 
they  will  break  naturally.  All  will  now  depend  on  the  treatment  they 
receive,  whether  the  crop  of  bloom  is  good  or  bad.  As  soon  as  the  shoots 
are  long  enough  remove  those  that  are  not  required,  leaving  from  twelve 
to  twenty  to  each  pair  of  plants,  according  to  their  strength ,  They  will 
require  no  more  attention  in  the  way  «f  thinning  the  shoots  or  dis¬ 
budding  until  the  terminal  bud  is  formed.  The  small  buds  surrounding 
the  terminal  should  then  be  removed,  having  previously  placed  one  stake 
to  each  pair  of  plants ;  this  will  be  ample  to  prevent  the  plants  being 
broken  by  the  high  winds.  On  the  first  appearance  of  frost  remove  the 
plants'  to  temporary  quarters  where  they  may  be  protected  if  necessary, 
placing  them  in  their  permanent  quarters  early  in  November.  The 
grower  will  then  be  rewarded  with  a  plentiful  supply  of  flowers  through¬ 
out  December  and  January.  _ 
At  the  present  time  I  have  upwards  of  2000  plants  grown  on  this 
system,  none  of  which  is  fully  open  yet.  About  half  will  be  ready  for 
Christmas,  the  remainder  not  until  the  middle  of  January.  Stanstead 
White  is  still  the  mainstay  for  this  season,  and  will  last  a  long  time  in 
good  condition.  If  it  has  a  fault  it  is  that  the  back  petals  occasionally 
fall.  Its  constitution  is  good,  and  it  can  always  be  depended  on  to 
flower  freely.  Niveus  is  another  good  broad-petalled  white,  which  will 
be  more  extensively  grown  in  the  future.  L.  Canning  is  also  a  useful 
white  for  flowering  in  January,  but  it  does  not  bloom  as  freely  as  the 
above.  Etoile  de  Lyon  flowers  remarkably  well  from  the  terminal  bud, 
but  will  not  be  fully  open  for  another  month.  Many  of  the  flowers  are 
a  pale  pink,  others  are  quite  white.  They  invariably  come  much  lighter 
in  colour  from  the  terminal  bud  in  January  than  the  blooms  from  the 
crown  buds  in  November.  _ 
Of  yellows  I  can  recommend  W.  H.  Lincoln  and  J.  S.  Dibben.  They 
are  quite  distinct,  and  both  dwarf  sturdy  growers.  The  former  is 
usually  in  bloom  by  the  middle  of  December,  but  this  season  it  is  later 
than  usual.  The  latter  is  the  best  late  yellow  I  have  yet  grown,  and 
will  notbe  fully  in  bloom  before  the  second  week  in  January .  Although 
yellows  are  not  in  as  great  request  as  the  white  varieties,  they  are 
appreciated  at  a  season  when  Chrysanthemums  are  somewhat  scarce. 
The  advantage  of  growing  the  plants  on  the  above  system  is  that 
flowers  of  fine  quality  may  be  obtained  at  a  season  when  prices  are 
good,  and  there  is  really  not  as  much  labour  involved  as  at  first  sight 
appears.  After  they  have  received  their  final  potting  it  is  beneficial 
to  half  plunge  the  pots  on  a  spare  piece  of  ground  ;  mine  usually  follow 
Strawberries.  Directly  the  fruit  is  gathered  the  plants  are  destroyed, 
a  trench  is  taken  out  and  2  or  3  inches  of  coal  ashes  placed  on  the 
bottom.  On  this  the  plants  are  stood,  about  3  feet  being  allowed 
between  the  rows  of  plants.  Treated  in  this  manner  there  is  no  danger 
of  the  plants  being  blown  over,  and  they  also  require  much  less  water 
— a  great  advantage  in  a  season  like  the  last. 
Since  writing  the  above  a  well  known  exhibitor  writes,  “  What  a 
grand  variety  Niveus  is  for  supplying  cat  flowers  for  Christmas.  1 
have  a  cut-back  plant  of  this  variety  which  has  forty  flowers  now 
opening ;  they  average  from  4  to  fi  inches  in  diameter,”  thus  corro¬ 
borating  my  remark,  “  that  it  will  be  more  extensively  grown  in  the 
future.” — S,,  Yorkt. 
[In  order  to  practically  illustrate  the  excellence  of  the  system  of 
culture  advocated  by  our  correspondent,  he  sends  ns  a  few  specimens 
of  flowers,  leaves,  and  buds  representing  the  varieties  enumerated. 
They  are  all  of  the  best  quality — the  colours  pure,  the  substance  good, 
and  the  foliage  clean  and  healthy.  Flowers  such  as  these  in  homes 
(and  offices)  at  Christmas  and  the  New  Year  cannot  but  be  admired 
and  appreciated  by  everyone,  and  it  is  a  matter  for  regret  that  more 
Chrysanthemums  are  not  specially  cultivated  for  late  blooming,  for 
which  the  varieties  named  in  the  article  are  so  admirably  adapted  ) 
Select  New  Cheysantuemums— Japanese  ■Varieties. 
Foe  the  benefit  of  those  cultivators  who  have  not  the  opportunity  of 
judging  for  themselves  1  present  my  annual  list  of  selected  varieties 
in  the  various  sections.  From  the  many  letters  written  by  cultivators 
who  reside  far  away  from  large  Chrysanthemum  centres  expressing  their 
thanks  for  this  yearly  contribution  to  the  Journal,  I  am  pleased  to  find 
my  efforts  in  this  direction  are  appreciated.  New  varieties  possessing 
all  the  desirable  points  of  quality  to  stamp  them  as  improvements 
on  existing  varieties  are  not  so  plentiful  as  they  have  been  in  some 
past  years.  This  may  be  owing,  however,  In  some  respects  to  the  season, 
which  cannot  be  considered  quite  of  the  best  and  most  favonrable  for 
developing  in  the  highest  degree  the  various  points  of  quality  of 
individual  varieties. 
It  often  happens  that  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  stock  many  cultivators 
do  not  receive  the  plants  of  some  varieties  until  the  middle  of  April. 
What  wonder,  then,  if  success  is  not  achieved  by  all,  and  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  thoroughly  test  every  variety  ?  Take,  for  example,  that 
charming  Japanese  Mrs.  H.  Weeks,  which  has  only  in  a  few  instances 
been  seen  in  its  proper  character.  This  is  naturally  somewhat  a  late- 
flowering  variety,  more  time  being  required  to  test  thoroughly  the 
most  eflficient  method  of  culture  to  be  adopted  to  obtain  satisfactory 
results. 
Following  my  usual  practice  of  collecting  the  notes  from  actual 
observation  they  may  not  in  all  instanoeslagree  with  catalogue  descriptions 
of  colour  and  floret  formation.  In  the  Japanese  section  I  find  the 
largest  increase  is  in  varieties  belonging  to  the  incurved  type,  which,  in 
my  opinion,  is  the  least  desirable  of  all,  taken  not  only  from  an  exhibitor’s 
point  of  view  btrt  from  the  decorative  employment  of  large  blooms  also. 
Owing  to  the  increasing  desire  by  the  public  to  encourage  the  Japanese 
in  preference  to  the  somewhat  stiff-looking  members  of  the  incurved 
I  place  the  Japanese  first  in  my  list. 
Modedo. — I  place  this  in  the  front  rank,  as  I  consider  it  is  the  best 
yellow  variety  of  the  present  year.  The  blooms  are  of  full  size,  with 
loosely  incurving  petals  of  medium  width,  the  whole  forming  a  full,  solid 
bloom.  The  colour  is  a  charming,  deep  golden  yellow.  All  intending 
exhibitors  should  add  this  to  their  collection. 
Oeeana. — This  belongs  also  to  the  golden  yellow  incurved  section. 
The  florets  are  broad  and  loosely  placed.  I  can  safely  recommend  it, 
even  to  those  with  a  limited  space. 
Austro' ian  Gold. — With  this  I  must  confess  1  am  a  little  disappointed, 
which  may,  however,  be  owing  to  its  not  having  been  seen  in  its  best 
form.  The  blooms  appeared  to  lack  vigour,  and  a  want  of  definition  in 
shape.  Owing,  however,  to  the  late  season  when  it  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  cultivators,  it  possibly  did  not  receive  a  favourable  trial.  As  it 
is  a  free  producer  of  cuttings,  I  shall  look  hopefully  for  finer  blooms  next 
season.  The  florets  are  irregularly  formed,  some  incurving,  while  others 
are  straight.  Generally  they  are  slightly  curled  at  the  tip.  The  colour 
is  pleasing  deep  yellow  on  the  surface,  the  reverse  soft  primrose.  The 
habit  of  growth  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  dwarf,  abundant  leafage, 
dark-coloured  stems,  with  peduncles  fully  15  inches  long. 
'Mrs.  H.  'Weeks. — Though  really  one  of  last  year’s  new  varieties,  it 
was  seen  by  so  few  persons  that  it  more  properly  comes  under  the 
recognition  of  the  present  season’s  novelties.  This,  too,  belongs  to  the 
incurving  section,  but  not  so  close  in  floret  formation  as  to  render  it 
objectionable  in  the  slightest  degree.  The  florets  possess  much  snbstance, 
and  are  slightly  hirsute.  The  early  blooms  are  pure  white,  the  midseason 
ones  flushed  with  pink,  and  later  they  are  even  more  decided  in  this 
respect.  It  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  novelties  seen  for  several 
years. 
Mrs.  nermann  Klnss. — Mr.  W.  Seward  raised  this  variety,  and  it  is 
therefore  of  English  origin.  The  florets  are  of  the  type  of  Etoile  de 
Lyon,  lance  shaped  ;  it  is  a  full,  well-built  bloom,  yellow  flushed  and 
snffused  with  apricot  bronze. 
Sunstons. — This  is  an  American  seedling,  which  is  best  described 
as  a  semi-incurved  Japanese.  The  surface  of  the  florets  is  straw  yellow, 
yellow  reverse  over  the  apricot  suffusion.  This  is  of  full  size,  and  in 
every  way  deserving  of  attention  by  cultivators  for  exhibition. 
Western  King. — Another  variety  belonging  to  the  medium-sized 
section  of  incurved  Japanese.  The  florets  are  rather  narrow  and  pure 
white  in  colouri 
Mrs.  C.  Blio'k. — This  is  a  semi-incurved  Japanese  variety,  dull  white 
in  colour.  Fully  developed  blooms  are  exceptionally  deep. 
Pride  of  Exmouih. — An  English  seedling  which  deserves  extended 
notice,  ranking  as  one  of  the  best  of  the  present  season’s  novelties.  The 
blooms  are  fully  9  Inches  in  diameter,  with  loosely  incurving  florets. 
White  ground  flashed  with  purple,  lined  and  margined  with  a  deeper 
tint. 
Mrs.  J.  Leiois. —  One  of  Calvat’s  Jubilee  set.  It  is  worthy  of  extended 
growth,  being  dwarf  in  habit,  giving  full  sized  blooms  on  plants  but 
3  feet  high.  The  florets  are  long  and  semi-drooping,  some  curling  at  the 
tip.  When  unfolding  the  colour  is  dull  white,  afterwards  it  is  pure. 
Australie. — This  is  one  of  the  best  types  of  incurving  Japanese  blooms. 
The  florets  have  much  substance,  and  do  not  bind  each  other  too  tightly 
— a  decided  point  in  its  favour.  The  colour,  light  rosy  amaranth  on  the 
surface  with  a  silver  reverse,  is  distinct  and  pleasing. 
