382 
JGURXAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  21,  1897. 
Prevexting  ^Iilbew  and  Damping. 
Chrysanthemums,  when  brought  into  the  structure  in  which  they 
are  to  flower,  require  to  be  disposed  in  such  a  manner  that  the  plants  will 
receive  plenty  of  light,  air,  and  a  cool  position  to  stand  upon.  Light  is 
essential  in  order  to  retain  the  healthy  colour  of  the  leaves,  for  while  they 
remain  green  and  carry  out  their  important  functions  a  steady  and  certain 
development  will  take  place  in  the  perfecting  of  the  blooms. 
Air,  constantly  renewed,  cool,  and  fairly  moist,  helps  the  plants  to 
maintain  the  sturdy  condition  which  favoured  them  previously.  These 
conditions  will  also  prevent  mildew  making  its  appearance  on  the  leaves, 
or  at  least  check  its  spread  if  it  has  originated,  especially  with  the 
assistance  of  dustings  of  sulphur  upon  the  affected  parts. 
When  the  atmosphere  is  moist  with  an  excess  of  moisture  from  pro¬ 
longed  rain  or  fogs  it  is  well  then  to  exclude  its  too  free  admission.  I 
would  not  recommend  the  house  being  entirely  closed  ;  but  apply  a  little 
artificial  heat,  causing  the  air  to  be  set  in  motion,  whereby  the  too  moist 
atmosphere  may  be  made  drier,  and  therefore  light  and  buoyant.  The 
deposition  of  moisture  on  the  tender  florets  of  flowers  is  not  harmful 
provided  it  does  not  remain  upon  them  too  long.  That  is  the  mischief, 
and  also  the  accumulation  of  moisture  at  the  base  of  the  florets.  The 
latter  is  frequently  the  sole  source  of  damping.  The  larger  the  flowers 
the  greater  the  danger  ;  so  when  large  and  valuable  flowers  are  develojung 
a  thorough  drying  of  the  structure  once  a  day  must  be  beneficial,  and  not 
less  needful  when  the  flowers  are  fully  open.  When  the  blooms  are  half 
developed  cease  applying  manure  water.  Excess  of  stimulants  at  this 
period  does  not  prove  helpful,  but  the  reverse. 
The  closer  the  blooms  are  to  the  glass  the  more  liable  are  they  to 
fluctuations  of  temperature  and  the  consequent  deposition  of  moisture 
upon  them.  The  best  way  to  avoid  the  danger  is  to  maintain  as  far  as 
possible  a  regular  and  even  temperature,  so  that  excessive  cooling  may 
not  cause  the  watery  vapour  to  become  condensed  upon  the  delicate 
tissues  of  the  flowers. 
Careless  watering  and  the  needless  wetting  of  floors  and  stages  give 
rise  to  more  moisture  than  is  good  for  the  blooms  when  evaporation  is 
slow.  In  common  with  other  growers,  I  have  always  found  it  to  be  a  safe 
plan  to  maintain  a  constant  circulation  of  air  with  a  little  heat  in 
the  pipes,  and  all  classes  of  growers  will  find  the  practice  beneficial. 
— E.  D.  S. 
Chrysanthemums  from  Rothesay. 
The  collection  of  early-flowering  Chrysanthemums  grown  by  Messrs. 
Dobbie  &c  Co.  in  their  Scottish  Nursery  is  an  extensive  one,  and  comprises 
the  majority  of  the  leading  varieties  in  cultivation.  The  firm  recently 
sent  us  a  box  containing  upwards  of  three  and  a  half  dozen  varieties,  and, 
needless  to  say,  several  of  them  were  of  great  beauty.  The  flowers  were 
of  good  average  size,  and  the  colours,  in  all  instances,  were  well  developed. 
The  utility  of  this  section  of  the  Chrysanthemum  family  is,  we  think,  not 
sufficiently  recognised.  They  grow  and  flower  in  town  almost  equally  as 
well  as  in  country  gardens,  while  they  require  neither  very  special  soil 
nor  any  particular  position.  Though  they  soon  begin  to  feel  the  effects  of 
frosts,  they  do  not  succumb  to  the  first  that  comes,  as  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  the  night  previous  to  the  flowers  that  reached  us  from  Rothesay 
being  cut,  5°  of  frost  were  registered.  If  anyone  were  to  see  a  collection 
such  as  Messrs.  Bobbies’,  they  could  not  but  admit  the  beauty  and  the 
utility  of  the  September  and  October  flowering  Chrysanthemums.  Space 
does  not  permit  of  our  naming  the  varieties  sent,  but  they  comprised  new 
and  old  ones  of  the  best  quality  only. 
Chrysanthemums  at  Barford  Hill. 
Aided  by  the  beautiful  weather  of  the  last  few  weeks  Chrysanthe¬ 
mums  are  opening  their  flowers  rapidly,  and  in  the  majority  of  instances 
satisfactorily.  Those  who  look  upon  the  flowering  period  of  the 
“  autumn  queen  ”  as  a  time  of  keen  enjoyment  will,  I  think,  this  season 
be  able  to  “  revel  ”  in  a  veritable  “  feast  of  beauty.” 
Being  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Barford  Hill,  near  Warwick,  a  few 
days  ago,  I  made  a  point  of  calling  on  Mr.  R.  Jones,  who  has  generally 
something  good  to  show  at  all  seasons.  I  soon  found  that  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  were  looking  well,  and  that  the  collection,  as  usual,  contained 
most  of  the  new  varieties  worth  growing,  as  well  as  such  older  ones  as 
are  not  yet  “  out  of  date.”  Many  strong  plants  with  leathery  leaves 
promise  to  give  grand  blooms.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  Mrs. 
H.  Weeks,  Pride  of  Madford,  Madame  Gustave  Henry  (a  beautiful 
white),  Mrs.  W.  H.  Hurley,  Eva  Knowles,  Mdlle.  Th^rese  Rey,  and 
Simplicity.  The  last  named  is  a  white  flower  of  lovely  type,  which  I 
fancy  will  prove  the  best  among  the  many  fine  white  varieties  we  now 
possess.  Mrs.  W.  H.  Lees,  Thos.  Wilkins,  Mutual  Friend,  Lad}-  Byron, 
Souvenir  de  Petite  Amie,  and  Graphic  were  old  friends  in  good  form. 
Octoroon — blood  red,  reverse  side  of  petals  lighter  in  colour — is  a  telling 
variety,  one  that  takes  the  eye  at  once  ;  Mr.  J.  Shrimpton,  a  golden  buff 
flower  with  crimson  stripes,  is  good  in  every  way,  and  is  also  quite  a 
novelty  ;  Amiral  Avellan,  Modesto,  and  Australian  Gold  form  a  trio  of 
yellow  varieties,  which  would  be  very  hard  to  beat.  C.  W.  Richardson, 
Red  Warrior,  Mrs.  W.  E.  Palmer,  Dorothy  Seward,  Mrs.  Briscoe  Iron¬ 
side,  Mrs.  Chas.  Blick,  Milano,  and  Lady  Hanham  are  all  good  com¬ 
paratively  new  varieties,  represented  by  substantial  blooms. 
The  whole  of  Calvat’s  novelties  for  1897  are  growing  by  them¬ 
selves,  and  promise  to  give  something  choice  later  on,  if  one  may 
judge  by  the  solid  blooms  of  the  only  variety  get  in  flower  —  this  is  Soleil 
d’Octobre.  The  otber  varieties  are  also  advancing  well.  In  the 
incurved  section  I  noticed  good  blooms  of  C.  H.  Curtis,  D.  B.  Crane, 
J.  Agate,  .1.  Fulford,  and  the  various  members  of  the  “  Queen”  family. 
—Wanderer. 
Sheffield  Chrysanthemum  Society. 
At  the  monthly  meeting  ]\Tr.  William  Pickard  read  a  very  instructive 
and  interesting  paper,  the  subject  being,  “The  Intelligence  oi  Plants  and 
the  Distribution  of  Seeds.”  The  meeting  was  numerously  attended. 
Mr.  Pickard  handled  his  subject  in  an  able  and  efficient  manner,  and 
referred  to  many  cases  in  which  he  detailed  the  beautiful,  effective,  and 
elaborate  mechanism  by  which  plants  are  fertilised,  and  by  which  they 
are  enabled  to  scatter  their  seeds.  He  expressed  his  views  at  length  on 
the  wonderful  and  perfect  laws  that  enable  plant  life  to  be  constantly 
progressing  and  making  advances  towards  perfection,  full  particulars  of 
which  may  be  obtained  on  reference  to  the  essay  of  which  the  first  instal¬ 
ment  will  be  found  on  page  377. 
The  essay  was  greatly  appreciated  by  the  audience,  who  signified  their 
approval  by  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Pickard. 
The  monthly  exhibits  were  for  professional  members’  ornamental 
plants,  when  the  species  of  plant  life  that  supplies  the  “  croton  oil  ” 
and  “dragon’s  blood”  of  commerce  were  in  evidence  by  some  of  the 
more  aristocratic  members  of  their  family,  the  most  fortunate  owners  of 
the  plants  being  Messrs.  Thos.  Morton  and  G.  Smith  for  the  first  and 
second  prizes,  and  Messrs.  C.  Scott  and  R.  Agar  being,  in  the  .Judges’ 
opinion,  equal,  shared  the  honour  of  third  prize.  The  amateurs,  jmtting 
aside  the  ornamental  for  the  useful,  so  far  as  the  eye  and  the  stomach  are 
concerned,  competed  for  Tomatoes,  and  produced  some  very  creditable 
examples,  with  the  result  that  Messrs.  W.  Green,  P.  Cox,  and  W. 
Donaldson  secured  honours  of  first,  second,  and  third  prizes  resjiectively. 
A  number  of  applications  for  the  benefits  of  the  Society  were  made, 
and  after  being  duly  considered  the  applicants  were  enrolled  on  the  list 
of  members.  Mr.  John  J.  Newsham  presided  in  his  usual  business-like 
way,  and  was  awarded  a  vote  of  thanks  for  his  services.—  .!.  H.  S. 
Chrysanthemums  in  the  North. 
As  the  culminating  point  of  interest  in  our  own  collections  draws  near 
we  begin  to  find  ourselves  scarcely  less  interested  in  the  prospects  of  the 
season  and  how  it  affects  other  growers.  Last  year  I  had  the  privilege  of 
collecting  notes  on  the  subject  from  growers  covering  a  wide  area,  and, 
so  to  speak,  focussing  them  into  view  for  the  convenience  of  the  readers 
of  the  “.lournal.”  As  showing  the  practical  interest  evinced  in  Chiys- 
anthemums,  the  ready  and  full  replies  to  inquiries  and  the  cordial 
invitations  would  have  provided  copy  to  fill  much  more  space  than  the 
Editor  could  set  apart  for  one  section  of  the  country.  If  the  gentlemen 
who  so  readily  responded  to  my  inquiries  of  last  year  will  again  favour 
me,  at  the  same  address,  with  a  summary  of  the  present  year’s  prospects 
with  any  points  on  the  habits  of  new  varieties,  and  important  details 
bearing  upon  the  cultivation  and  results  as  affecting  leading  varieties, 
I  shall  have  pleasure  in  again  dealing  with  the  matter  to  the  best  of  my 
ability.  _ 
Compared  with  last  year  how  lar  better  or  worse  the  blooms  of  the 
present  season  eventually  prove,  remains  to  be  seen.  L'p  to  the  third 
week  in  August  the  climatic  conditions  of  the  two  seasons  ran  in  parallel 
lines,  l>oth  being  characterised  by  a  dry  atmosphere  and  Imight  sunshine. 
Last  year  after  the  time  above  indicated,  in  the  North  we  experienced  one  of 
the  wettest  and  most  uncongenial  autumns  on  record,  with  especially 
moist  atmospheric  conditions,  and  without  a  gleam  of  sunshine  to  give 
us  encouragement  or  lighten  the  prevailing  anxiety  as  to  the  results. 
During  the  present  season  the  same  conditions  prevailed  until  showery 
weather  came  about  the  same  time  as  last  year,  continuing  for  a  few  weeks, 
but  again  settling  down,  favouring  us  with  a  remarkably  fine  September 
and  ( )ctober  up  to  now.  Notwithstanding  the  unpropitious  conditions 
for  bud  and  bloom  development  of  last  year,  the  results  proved  far  more 
satisfactory  than  was  expected,  all  sections  of  Chrysanthemums  producing 
at  least  average  specimens.  This  teaches  us  the  useful  lesson  that, 
despite  the  most  uncongenial  conditions  of  our  autumn  climate,  the  plant 
is  able  to  assert  its  natural  propensity  to  produce  bloom  with  the  dying 
year,  and  good  blooms  even,  when  given  fine  sunny  weather  up  to  the 
flower-bud-forming  stage.  _ 
Reasoning  on  the  same  lines  the  present  season  should  be  taken  as 
one  giving  us  hopes  of  exceptionally  good  results,  because  in  both  its 
growing  and  bud-forming  aspects  it  has  proved,  according  to  our  present 
knowledge,  to  be  one  of  the  most  favourable  on  record,  with  the  possible 
exception  that  the  effects  of  over-ripeness  in  some  cases  may  intervene. 
If  this  forecast  ]irove  generally  correct,  the  comparison  of  two  widely 
different  autumns  following  two  summers  practically  alike  in  their  effect 
on  the  growth  of  the  plant,  will  no  doubt  furnish  data  as  to  the  proper 
degree  of  wood-ripeness  required  for  the  production  of  high  class  bloom. 
Although  over-ripeness  in  the  North  may  not  be  as  common  as  it  is  in 
the  South  and  West,  the  question  of  the  proper  degree  of  ripeness  is  of 
equal  importance  to  growers,  as  being  part  and  parcel  of  the  same  question 
wherever  they  may  be  situated.  Observations  by  growers  leading  up  to 
a  concensus  of  opinion  on  this  matter  would  be  most  interesting,  and 
none  the  less  valuable,  if  they  were  based  upon  the  ruling  principle  that 
natural  wood-ripening  itself,  in  its  early  stage,  is  the  incitement  to  flower- 
bud  formation.  Broadly  speaking,  this  may  be  taken  for  granted  whether 
the  buds  be  crown,  second  crown,  or  terminals,  as  an  instalment  of  growth 
is  made  between  the  buds  mentioned  ;  the  degree  of  ripeness  of  the  last 
instalment  of  growth  being  a  matter  of  feeding  combined  with  the  nature 
of  the  season  during  the  time  the  latter  instalment  of  growth  is  being 
