December  23,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
607 
Timing  Chrysanthemums. 
Please  allow  me  to  correct  an  error  on  page  582.  The  sentence 
reads,  “  I  have  mismanaged  old  ones  this  year,”  which  should  have  read, 
“  [  have  mismanaged  odd  ones  this  year.”  W.  Bowman. 
Chrysanthemum  Mrs.  Caterer. 
This  is  a  pure  white  Anemone-flowered  variety,  valuable  for  decoration 
on  account  of  its  freedom  in  flowering  and  purity.  In  clusters  it  is  very 
useful ;  the  peduncles  are  stout,  supporting  the  blooms  quite  stiffly. — E.  M. 
Chrysanthemum  (Red)  L.  Canning. 
At  the  recent  show  of  the  N.C.S.  this  late  flowering  variety  was 
represented  by  a  full  box  of  blooms  in  clusters.  It  is  said  to  be  a  seed¬ 
ling  from  the  well-known  L.  Canning,  one  of  the  best  of  white  flowered 
varieties  for  cutting  during  December,  January,  and  February.  It  is  a 
counterpart  of  its  parent  in  all  but  colour.  This  is  a  rich  dark  red, 
especially  bright  under  artificial  light,  and  one  that  should  become 
immensely  popular  on  account  of  its  colour  alone.— E.  M. 
Yellow  Charles  Davis. 
I  MUST  thank  your  correspondents,  Mr.  J.  Folkard  and  “E.  M.,” 
for  their  information  re  “  Sport  from  Charles  Davis  ”  (page  556).  I  am 
quite  aware  that  both  Viviand  Morel  and  Charles  Davis  will  come  very 
light  coloured  on  the  crown  bud,  having  grown  them  so  myself,  but  I 
have  never  seen  a  pure  white  Viviand  or  a  yellow  Charles  Davis.  In 
saying  this  I  do  not  in  the  least  doubt  the  truth  of  your  respected 
correspondents’  assertions.  Another  year  will  decide  the  question,  as  I 
am  rooting  cuttings  of  it,  and  will  grow  flowers  from  terminal  buds,  also 
crowns,  and  if  it  comes  yellow  on  the  terminal  it  will  be  a  decided 
acquisition  to  the  family.  — R.  M. 
Staging  Chrysanthemums  at  Shows. 
One  would  assume,  from  the  remarks  of  an  “  Old  Exhibitor,”  that 
there  is  a  danger  of  societies  substituting  the  tall  stem  classes  entirely  tor 
the  stand  method  of  staging  cut  blooms.  Such  is  not  the  case  by  any 
means.  My  contention  is  that  if  committees  provided  classes  for  vases,  as 
well  as  for  the  ordinary  method  of  cups  and  tubes  on  stands,  they  would 
create  increased  interest.  I  do  not  think  twenty-five  exhibits  could  be  found 
in  a  class  for  twenty-four  Japanese  blooms,  distinct,  if  they  were  to  be  set 
up  on  long  stems  in  vases.  It  is  not  reasonable  to  expect  so  many  merely 
for  the  sake  of  gaining  a  point  in  an  argument.  1  know  sufficiently  well 
the  difference  in  transit  occasioned  by  the  two  methods  to  attempt  to  say 
the  long  stem  principle  co"ffl  produce  as  many.  I  should  be  much 
surprised,  also,  to  find  that  all  of  the  twenty-five  exhibits  in  that  particular 
class  were  creditable.  (Jenerally,  where  so  many  compete,  there  are  some 
little  removed  from  the  mediocre  status.  I  repeat  again,  the  wish  to 
compel  all  exhibits  to  be  on  the  long  stem  principle  is  far  from  my 
conception.  Let  us,  however,  have  as  much  variety  as  possible,  some  of 
which  is  provided  by  staging  blooms  on  stems  in  vases.—  Sadoc. 
A  Select  Twenty-four  Japanese  Chrysanthemums. 
I  HAVE  no  doubt  but  that  everyone  interested  in  Chrysanthemums 
have  their  favourites,  and  where  such  is  the  case  there  is  necessarily 
some  bias.  Ferhaps  I  am  no  more  free  from  such  bias  than  others,  but 
I  try  to  have  none,  and  am  not  a  grower.  I  rather  have  made  my 
selection  from  flowers  I  have  seen  in  the  best  collections  growing,  and  in 
the  exhibition  stands  at  shows.  Deductions  from  mere  numbers  exhi¬ 
bited  of  diverse  flowers  are  of  little  value  in  making  a  specially  choice 
selection,  because  these  figures  merely  represent  abundance  in  cultivation, 
and  not  necessarily  the  best.  How  often  do  we  see  superb  flowers  in 
non-winning  stands  that  fail  because  they  also  contain  inferior  flowers. 
I  much  prefer  to  make  selections  of  the  finest  shown,  whether  old  or  new, 
based  oh  the  merits  of  the  flowers  as  seen  at  various  shows,  or  under 
varying  conditions. 
Many  of  the  finest  blooms  of  the  passing  season  were  found  in  limited 
numbers  ;  but  they  will  be  far  more  numerous  next  year  because  they 
are  of  the  best.  In  making  a  selection  of  twenty-four  blooms  some  con¬ 
sideration  must  be  given  to  variations  of  colour  as  well  as  of,quality  of 
flower,  hence  too  many  whites  or  yellows,  the  dominating  colours,  rather 
weaken  than  strengthen  a  selection,  let  the  varieties  be  ever  so  good.  The 
select  whites  are  fine ;  Madame  Carnot,  Simplicity,  Madame  Gustave 
Henry,  Miss  Elsie  Teichmann,  and  Mrs.  H.  Weeks;  yellows  :  Australian 
Gold  and  G.  J.  Warren,  pale  ;  and  A.  H.  Wood,  Phoebus,  Modesto,  and 
Georgina  Pitcher,  rich.  Then  come  N.C.S.  Jubilee  and  Lady  Isabel, 
mauve  shaded  ;  Viviand  Morel  and  Australie,  pink  ;  Papa  Veillard,  rosy 
carmine ;  Lady  Hauham,  rosy  cerise  ;  Mons.  Chenon  de  Leche,  rosy  buff  ; 
Charles  Davis,  rosy  bronze ;  Mons.  G.  Biron  and  La  Moucherette,  reddish 
bronze  ;  Lady  Ridgway,  salmon  buff  ;  and  Edwin  Molyneux  and  Pride  of 
Madford,  crimson. 
I  should  be  very  pleased  if  readers  who  have  no  special  interest  in  any 
variety,  new  especially,  would  criticise  this  selection,  and  thus  see  how 
far  it  may  be  possible  in  the  end  to  evolve  for  the  benefit  of  those  who 
wish  to  know  what  is  a  perfect  twenty-four.  Whilst  generally  I  regard 
the  tasselled  varieties,  such  as  Madame  Parnot  and  Viviand  Morel,  as 
presenting  the  most  pleasing  flowers,  yet  I  have  included  a  fair  number 
of  incurved  varieties,  whites  and  yellows,  the  dominant  hues,  and  giving  so 
many  grand  flowers  certainly  should  not  exceed  one  half  of  the  twenty- 
four. 
My  selection  of  these  is  just  under,  but  so  great  are  their  merits,  still 
leaving  outside  so  many  fine  varieties,  that  it  is  difficult  to  do  with  less. 
Such  varieties  as  N.C.S.  Jubilee,  a  grand  mauve  shaded  incurved,  and 
Papa  Veillard,  rosy  carmine,  tasselled,  are  probably  little  known,  but 
they  will  be  no  doubt  in  great  request.  Mr.  N.  Molyneux’s  seedlings, 
especially  Mrs.  N.  Molyneux,  will  probably  be  much  sought  after,  and 
there  is  a  host  of  French  varieties  in  store  that  have  not  yet  showm  their 
true  characters.  Intending  purchasers,  however,  are  chiefly  concerned 
with  proved  varieties,  and  few  of  those  in  the  list  given  above  have  not 
failed  to  make  their  mark.  Every  year,  because  of  the  great  influx  of 
new  varieties,  the  selection  of  about  twenty-four  will  become  all  the 
more  difficult. — A.  D. 
EDWARDSIA  aHANDlFLORA. 
Amongst  the  many  beautiful  plants  which  British  gardeners  owe  to 
Sir  Joseph  Banks  must  be  included  this,  with  several  other  members  of 
the  same  family,  all  shrubs  of  more  or  less  elegance.  Though  plants  are 
usually  grown  in  pots,  they  have  been  successfully  grown  out  of  doors,  and 
in  positions  against  a  wall  where  they  are  not  too  exposed  they  usually 
escape  damage,  even  during  the  most  severe  winters.  When  grown  in 
pots  a  compost  of  turfy  loam,  peat,  and  sand— the  former  in  the  largest 
proportion— is  required,  and  in  the  greenhouse  and  conservatory  the  plants 
will  grow  and  flower  freely.  Edwardsia  grandiflora  (fig.  89)  was  originally 
known  as  Sophora  tetraptera,  under  which  name  it  was  figured  in  the 
“  Botanical  Magazine  ’  in  1791.  In  the  remarks  accompanying  that  a 
tree  is  mentioned  which  was  planted  against  a  wall  in  the  Apothecaries’ 
Garden,  Chelsea,  by  Mr.  Forsyth  in  1774.  This,  it  is  said,  grew  strongly 
and  flowered  most  abundantly  ;  but  the  plant  was  .protected  with  mats  in 
severe  winters.  The  leaves  are  very  neatly  pinnate,  having  eight  or  nine 
pairs  of  small  pinnules,  which  are  whitish  on  the  under  surface  and  green 
above.  The  flowers  are  of  a  peculiar  yellow  hue,  the  calyx  being  darker 
and  somewhat  brownish.  Edwardsia  chrysophylla,  from  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  has  flowers  of  a  similar  shade  of  yellow  and  somewhat  similar  in 
form,  but  the  leaves  have  a  greater  number  of  pinnae,  and  are  of  a  silvery 
colour  on  the  under  surface. 
Trade  Notice. — Mr.  A.  A.  Hutty,  late  head  gardener  at  Watergate 
Emsworth,  has  taken  Park  Hurst  Nurseries,  Pitcroft  Road,  Portsmouth, 
where  he  will  carry  on  business  as  nurseryman,  seedsman,  and  florist. 
