322 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  10,  1902. 
The  Chrysanthemum  as  a  Cottagers’  Plant. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’ 
Association,  Mr.  G.  C.  Crabbe,  of  Prospect  Park,  Exeter,  read 
a  paper  on  “  The  Chrysanthemum  as  a  Cottager’s  Plant.”  He 
described  a  cottager’s  plant  as  one  requiring  less  attention  during 
its  period  of  grovtli  than  the  exhibition  varieties,  of  a  hardier 
nature,  able  to  stand  our  winter  with  very  little  protection, 
and,  above  all,  of  a  short,  sturdy  habit.  Tmtil  lately  all  these 
essentials  in  one  plant  were  hard  to  get,  but  raisers  had  for  the 
last  few  years  studied  this  useful  class,  with  the  result  that  with 
very  ordinary  care  and  attention,  every  garden,  from  that  of 
the  cottage  upwards,  may  be  gay  from  August  to  severe  frosts. 
W  et,  followed  by  severe  frost,  or  damp,  foggy  weather,  is  more 
hurtful  to  outdoor  varieties  than  clear,  dry  frosts.  Striking 
cuttings  might  be  done  in  the  open  if  preferred.  A  box  about 
2ft  bin  by  1ft  bin,  with  the  bottom  knocked  out,  pressed  on  to 
a  patch  of  light  sandy  soil  in  a  sunny  place  in  the  garden  makes 
a  verj’  useful  garden  frame.  The  cuttings  should  be  dibbled  in 
about  Sin  apart,  the  soil  being  pressed  firmly  round  the  stems. 
The  top  of  the  box  should  be  covered  over  with  some  pieces  of 
glass,  shaded  with  an  old  sack,  for  about  three  days,  after  which 
thej^  should  be  gradually  given  light.  After  three  weeks  they 
should  be  gradually  given  a.  little  air  by  one  of  the  pieces  of 
glass  being  partly  removed.  The  air  should  be  increased  as  it 
is  found  the  plants  can  stand  it  without  flagging. 
On  frosty  nights  or  days  the  box  should  be  completely  covered 
over  with  mats  or  sacks.  A  good  protection  is  to  bank  the  box 
round  with  stable  manure,  and  it  is  well  to  dust  the  inside  of 
the  box  with  a  little  sulphur  to  prevent  mildew.  Cuttings 
planted  in  this  way  in  the  open  garden  seldom  require  water, 
but  if  they  flag  they  should  be  given  a  little  sprinkling.  One 
good  stick  was  generally  sufficient  for  a  short-  habited  plant. 
If  that  i»-  not  enough,  three  or  four  should  be  used,  and  so  placed 
as  to  o)/en  the  head  of  the  plant  well  out,  to  give  the  bloom 
plenty  of  air  and  room  for  display.  If  the  young  plant  at  the 
start  is  on  a  single  stem,  after  having  been  a  few  days 
planted,  the  top  or  growing  point  should  be  nipped  off..  This 
will  cause  the  side  shoots  to  grow  out  from  the  parent  stem. 
Should  one  side  shoot  grov'  faster  than  another,  this  should  be 
stopi^ed  by  pinching  its  point,  thus  forcing  more  growth  into 
the  slower  shoots.  This  pinching  should  be  discontinued  a  week 
before  Lady-day,  or  the  blooming  season  will  be  retarded.  The 
plants  should  never  be  allowed  to  flag,  and  should  be  watered 
when  necessary.  Catei-pillars,  green  fly,  &c.,  must  be  carefully 
Avatched._  Soapsuds,  warm,  are  good  both  for  removing  the  pests 
and  feeding  the  plants.  A  little  disbudding  will  add  to  the  size 
of  the  individual  blooms.  When  the  flowering  is  over  there  should 
not  be  too  much  haste  in  cutting  the  old  stems  down.  It  should 
be  first  seen  that  young  suckers  for  next  year  are  coming  up 
from  the  ground.  Mr.  Crabbe,  in  conclusion,  gave  a  list  of 
plants  which  he  considered  good  sorts.  Mr.  Sidney  Baker  pre¬ 
sided.  A  bunch  of  blooms,  cut  on  January  29  from  the  open 
ground  near  Exeter,  were  exhibited  to  show  the  possibilities  of 
the  variety  (Earl  Canning)  as  a  border  plant. 
- - 
Grafting  Apple  Trees. 
No  time  should  be  lost  in  completing  the  grafting  of  all  trees 
necessary,  as  the  sap  is  fast  rising  for  this  purpose.  It  is  much 
better  to  cut  down  all  worthless  varieties,  and  regraft  with  others 
more  desirable,  than  to  continue  year  after  year  to  encourage 
those  that  are  occupying  valuable  space.  So  peculiar  are  the 
circumstances  regarding  the  growth  of  certain  Apples  and  their 
manner  of  producing  fruit,  as  well  as  their  value  afterwards  in 
certain  localities,  that  no  universal  law  can  be  laid  down  as  to 
the  worthlessness  or  otherwise  of  certain  sorts.  Eor  instance, 
I  have  just  had  cut  down  200  bush  trees  of  Ecklinville  Seedling, 
eight  years  planted,  not  because  the  trees  did  not  fruit,  but  because 
the  fruit  is  worthless  in  this  part.  Fruiterers  complain  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  soft  skin  of  this  Apple  becomes  disfigured 
by  the  frequent  handling  which  is  necessai'y  in  the  fruiterer’s 
business.  ITpon  these  200  trees  I  have  had  nearly  1,200  grafts 
put  on,  an  average  of  six  to  eacli  tree.  The  sorts  now  employed 
are  Worcester  Pearmain,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  Lord  Grosvenor, 
Warner’s  King,  Bismarck,  and  Blenheim  Orange.  All  of  these, 
are  approved  sorts  in  this  neighbourhood. 
Opportunity  was  seized  to  make  the  trees  stand  upon  longer 
legs  by  cutting  away  the  lower  branches,  as  the  grass  amongst 
the  trees  is  occupied  by  poultry,  which  are  a  useful  adjunct  to 
the  orchard.  Care  should  be  taken  in  sawing  off  the  branches 
not  to  split  the  bark,  paring  off  the  edges  smoothly  afterwards. 
Leave  Gin  of  branch  for  each  graft,  putting  one  graft  on  each 
stem . 
Whip  or  tongue  grafting  is  the  most  suitable  for  such  stocks 
and  time  of  the  year.  Make  clean  cuts  in  both  scion  and  stock, 
fitting  the  tongue  perfectly  in  each  case,  taking  care  that  the 
bark  and  growing  wood,  or  alburnum,  of  the  graft  comes  into 
contact  with  the  similar  layer  in  the  stock.  Firmly  bind  the 
graft  to  the  stock  by  the  aid  of  a  broad  strip  of  bass,  afterwards 
rendering  the  whole  airtight  by  the  aid  of  grafting  wax,  put 
on  quite  hot. 
Although  it  may  be  advisable  to  take  off  the  grafts  during 
the  month  of  January,  for  instance,  it  is  not  absolutely  essential 
to  success.  From  the  tree  direct  at  the  time  of  use  the  grafts, 
may  be  taken,  choosing,  of  course,  those  with  dormant  buds, 
using  due  discrimination  between  wood  and  fimit  buds,  as  I  find 
grafts  taken  from  young,  vigorous,  growing  trees  of  some  sorts, 
are  smothered  with  fruit  buds  instead  of  growths — the  result 
of  last  season’s  drought  presumably.  As  time  goes  on,  and  the 
grafts  mahe  Gin  of  new  grtwth,  a  small  stake  will  be 
required  to  support  each  graft,  tying  the  stake  to  the  opposite- 
side  of  the  grafted  branch. — E.  Molyneux. 
- - 
Certificated  Plants. 
{Continued  from  pacje  270.). 
The  Narcissus. 
The  first  of  the  long  roll  of  species  and  varieties  of  the- 
fragrant  Narcissus  to  gain  recognition  at  the  hands  of  the  Floral 
Committee  of  the  R.H.S.  was  N.  Tazetta  flore-pleno,  from  Messrs. 
Veitch  and  Sons  in  18G4,  followed  by  N.  juncifolius,  when  shown 
by  Messrs.  Backhouse  and  Son  in  1865,  when  it  received  a  Fir.st 
Class  Certificate ;  but  it  was  not  till  twelve  years  after  that  the- 
same  award  was  made,  in  1877,  to  N.  calathinus  (Blanchard),  and 
to  N.  rupicola  (Elwes).  The  Dafliodil  bloom,  which  has  permeated 
the  United  Kingdom,  become  a  great  indusitry  in  Holland,  which 
has  extended  to  the  United  States  of  America  and  especially  to 
our  Colonies,  had  then  commenced,  for  in  1878  Peter  Barr  was 
to  the  fore,  and  gained  an  award  for  N.  incomparabilis  aureo- 
tinctus  Leedsi ;  for  incomparabilis  albidus  expansus  in  1879  ;  but 
no  other  award  was  made  until  1883 ;  then  to  incomparabilis  pal- 
lidus  Princess  Mary,  and  to  pallidus  prsecox  (Barr) ;  to  bicolor 
J.  B.  M.  Camm ;  incomparabilis  James  Dickson  (Dickson  and 
Sons) :  to  incomparabilis  sulphurea  Queen  Sophia  of  the  Nether¬ 
lands  (Biarr) ;  and  to  Leedsi  Queen  of  England  (Barr)  in  1884. 
During  the  next  three  years  several  were  similaidy  recognised ; 
but  it  was  since  1890  that  the  great  rush  of  novelties  came.  The 
name  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Engleheart-  appears  first  in  1894,  gaining 
awards  for  incomparabilis  Lulworth  and  poeticus  Albatross.  Since 
then  the  progress  of  Mr.  Engleheart  as  a  raiser  of  new  varieties 
has  been  triumphant.  He  has  enriched  our  collections  of  Daffo¬ 
dils  beyond  all  hope  or  thought,  and  he  is  still  in  the  heyday  of 
his  successful  work.  Some  new  introductions  have  come  from 
abroad.  Some  have  appeared  unexpectedly  in  places  in  this 
country  without  any  record  of  origin.  It  is  surprising  to  think 
that  thirty-five  years  ago  we  imported  from  Holland  with  poly¬ 
anthus  (N.  Tazetta)  varieties  only  two  single  trumpet  forms,  viz.. 
Trumpet  Major  and  Trumpet  Sulphur,  and  in  addition  the  sweeto 
scented  and  Campernelle  Jonquils,  the  double  varieties — Van 
Sion,  Orange  Phoenix,  and  Sulphur  Phoenix — and  the  Hoop  Petti¬ 
coat  Narcissus,  with  poeticus  and  its  double  form,  and  now,  the 
culture  of  the  Daffodil,  in  addition  to  what  are  grown  in  private 
gardens,  is  a  huge  industry  in  the  production  of  cut  bloom  and 
dried  roots,  and  has  given  rise  to  exhibitions  of  Daffodils  held  in 
different  parts  of  the  country.  But  so  it  is.  It  is  curious  also 
to  note  that  only  one  variety  of  the  Tazetta  section  has  gained  an 
award,  and  that  a  double  variety,  as  far  back  as  1874;  it  was 
probably  a  form  which  has  disappeared  ;  the  double  Roman  is  the 
only  one  which  appears  in  seed  lists. 
Nasturtium  (correctly,  Tropaeolum). 
Under  this  heading,  and  that  of  Tropseolum  also,  a  few  forms 
of  the  Nasturtium  have  gained  awards,  both  dwarf  and  trailing. 
The  dwarf  dark  crimson  flowered  Empress  of  India,  certificated 
when  shown  by  Messrs.  Carter  and  Co.  in  1882,  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  useful  of  annuals.  A  newer  dwarf  form,  named 
Mrs.  Sanderson,  an  excellent  dwarf  bedding  variety,  with  dark 
maroon-crimson  flowers,  had  an  award  in  1897.  A  few  years  ago 
a  vei-j’  useful  dwarf  compact  section,  obtained  originally  by  Mr. 
J.  George,  when  at  Stamford  Hill,  w’as  much  grown.  They  had  .a 
