February  2, ,  1899. 
9J  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
prizes  were  awarded,  and  our  ccr  e-spondent  seems  to  carefully  exclude 
them  from  the  ^cope  of  his  remarks.  Had  he  expressed  approval  of 
all  the  exhibits  and  awards  granted  for  them  he  wonldjrave  weakened 
the  force  of  the  complaints,  the  existence  of  which  he.  tacitly  acknow¬ 
ledges.  He  knows  better  than  we  do  whether  there  is  justification  or 
not  for  the  “  grurablincs,”  as  he  is  familiar  with  the  precise  terms  of 
the  schedules  under  which  all  the  awards  have  been made,  and  we  are 
not.  Our  correspondent  seizes  on.  what  he  conceives  a  questinnable 
word,  but  evades  the  substance  of  the  complaints,  with  which  it  is 
impossible  he  can  be  unfamiliar.  We  find  no  fault  with  him,  as  every 
man  has  a  right  to  adopt  anv  fair  tactics  for  attninins:  thoiiobject  he 
has  in  view.  Tn  this  case  he  touches  the  fnnvo  of  the  subject  of 
exhibiting  and  “awards’’  tenderly  ;  yet  he  is  not  by  naturen  part'cn- 
larly  nervous  man,  though  generally  discreet.]  •  ■ 
IXCURVED  VARIETIES. 
In  rav  opinion  the  members  of  the  Classification  Comim-tt^bf 
the  N.C.S.  are  much  to  blame,  for  the  low  standard  of  inedrved 
blooms  that  are  met  with  at  the  autumn  shows  at  the  present  time. 
The  inclusion  of  so  man v  varieties  that  are  of  such  doubtfpl  dtjality 
as  the  list  given  on  page  66  is  a  st-ong  proof  of  wha't'*'t « say. 
Take,  for  example,  one  variety  in  each  column — Mad.ame  E'dntiVnd 
Roger  and  The  Egyptian — a  long  stretch  of  imagination  would  ■‘be 
required  by  any  person  do  honestly  say  that  eitlier  soft  is  even  a 
fair  representation  of  a  typic.il  Chinese  blossom.  '  X" 
If  the  Committee  fixes  such  a  low  standard  what  will  happen  to 
the  incurved  section  in  the  near  future?  By  maintaining  a  high 
standard  of  quality  as  a  minimum  we  may  expect  im])rovempnt  iu 
the  general  quality,  but  when  such  sorts  ns  I  have  named  are 
permissible  in  a  collection,  how  can  we  reasonably  loot  for  any 
improvement  ? 
From  the  five  dozen  sorts  named  it  will  be  safe  to  sav  that  not 
more  than  two  dozen  at  the  outside  (more  likely  one)  will  live  long 
enough  to  become  favourites.  If  this  surmise  prove  to  be 
correct  the  Committee  will  hardly  feel  flattered  with  the  choice. 
■Some  of  the  varieties  in  the  list  are  extremely  “  rough,”  owing,  no 
doubt,  to  the  Japanese  blood  infused  into  them  as  seedlings 
Avith  a  view  to  obtain  enhanced  colour.  If  the  members  of  this 
Committee  (I  cannot  believe  they  were  unanimous)  wish  to  see  the 
sorts  cultivated  they  have  given  the  hall  mark  to,  they  should 
relegate  them  to  the  Japanese  section,  where  they  would  quickly  find 
their  level — namely,  the  rubbish  heap. — Sadoc. 
[It  is  pitiable  to  see  so  many  mongrels  passed  into  the  incurved 
section.] 
CHRYSANTHEMUM  PROBLEMS. 
{Concluded  from  page  14.) 
In  attempting  to  divert  Nature  from  her  own  manner  of  doing  her 
own  work  to  suit  our  requirements,  we  may  instance  an  early  bloom¬ 
ing  variety  of  Chrysanthemum  showfing  a  plump  decided  flower  bud 
which,  unfortunately,  may  be  ten  days  too  early.  We  start  the 
plant  on  another  instalment  of  growth,  which  has  to  be  made 
during  the  naturally  decreasing  favourable  conditions  of  growth  atten¬ 
dant  on  our  autumn  climate ;  this  is  further  aggravated  bv  a  spell  of 
dull  and  cold  weather.  We  have  upset  the  balance  of  Nature  ;  but 
there  is  not  sufficient  time  for  her  to  readjust  it.  For  the  new  growth 
she  is  bound  to  use  up  wholly  or  partially  the  reserve  store  which  was 
meant  for  the  bloom  alone.  At  the  best  it  is  divided  between  growth 
and  the  belated  bloom,  .resulting  in  a  compromise  whete  neither 
bloom  nor  wood  can  be  satisfactory.  This  phase  of  upsetting  the 
balance  between  growth  and  blooming  is  well  illustrated  by  stopping 
those  varieties  in  March,  April,  and  May,  which  otheiwisci  cannot  be 
obtained  with  any  degree  of  success,  proving 4;hat  stojtping  of  itself  is 
in  no  way  detrimental  if  sufficient  time  be  allowed  for  the  plant  to 
readjust  the  balance. 
\  iewed  by  the  light  of  the  foregoing  comments,  although  the 
later  varieties  require  a  longer  period  of  sunshine  to  ripen  that  instal¬ 
ment  of  growth  which  is  made  from  the  time  of  stopping  to  the 
flower  bud  stage;  but  once  the  knowledge  of  the  time  required  is 
gauged  for  each  variety  within  reasonable  limits  success  is  more 
certainly  achieved,  because  the  complications  are  fewer. 
In  deciduous  flowering  and  fruit  trees,  their  yearlv  accretions  of 
firm  wood  serve  as  a  more  permanent  storehouse  of  the  products  of 
elaboration,  and  under  good  cultivation  with  the  requisite  water 
supply  they  can  scarcely  become  overri-ipe.  But  although  the  process 
leading  up  to  the  storage  of  those  products  is  the  .snme  general!}’,  in 
the  Chrysanthemum  the  demand  on  them  is  made  during  the  same 
season,  because  it  blooms  on  the  current  year’s  growth,  which  naturally 
is  not  of  a  permanent  character,  being  replaced  by  new  sucker  growth 
directly  from  the  old  stools.  The  plant  can  therefore  only  be  regarded 
as  a  herbaceous  one,  a  little  more  highly  organised  than  the  general 
run  of  that  class  of  plants  on  account  of  its  somewhat  woody  character. 
Viewed  in  this  light  we  obtain  the  cue  to  one  phas(f  of  over-ripening, 
which  is  more  prevelant  than  ordinary  observation  leads  ns  to  under¬ 
stand.  Iq  herbaceous  plants  as  the  autumn  approaches  with  maturing 
and  matured  top  growth  we ^ find  a  corresponding  decrease  of  root 
action,  both  top  and  root  practically  ti-toing  to  rest.  As  a  parallel  to 
this,  whrn  we  .select  an  early  blooming  variety  of  Chrysanthemum, 
because  under  natural  conditions  it  is  capable  of  producing  a  fine 
bloom,  we  propagate  it  with  the  later  vaiieties,  which  require  a  longer 
season  to  ripen.  Bv  high  cultivation  of  the  early  variety  we  prolong 
its  natural  .season  of  growth  beyond  its  time,  forcing  from  it  several 
extra  instalments,  so  that  the  bloom  is  carried  forward  to  the 
exhihition  sea.<oii  so  long  .as  the  plant  does  not  become  too  “  ripe.” 
As  bearing  on  this  argument,  another  interesting  phase  of  culture 
is  where  experience  points  to  proving  that  some  varieties  produce 
better  quality  blooms  on  second,  crown  buds,  the  prevailing  opinion 
being  that  the  bloom  result.ant  from  this  bud  is  finer  iu  qu.ality,  broader 
in  the  floret,  and  carries  greater  depth.  Whilst  allowing  for  the 
bypi.^1  difi'erence.s  be.t.wee.n  crowns,  second  crowns,  and  terminals,  wo 
hijiyee^Iso  to  concede  that  le.^s  wide  variations  occur  in  quality  of  second 
ej^(|,\\:n  blooms  as,  are  to  be  found  in  other  tyjies.  But  where  the  best 
|:esql}s, accrue  is  win  n  the  combination  of  favourable  circumstances  takes 
regard  to  the  proper  degree  of  ripeness  as  discussed  w’hen 
g^jpVfj^tg  to  the  early  siction — viz.,  not  too  ripe  as  to  cripple  root 
action,  but  in  that  condition  wh^m  functional  leaf  activity  is  vigorous, 
ftyd>  f’dly  reciprocated  by  vigorous  root  action  onwards  till  the  bloom 
1^,  fully  developed.  In  reference  to  the  ^^uestion  of  the  general 
f.Uperiority  of  the  second  crown, bud  on  itsqwn  merits  as  such,  we  must 
T}Qp  lose  sight  of  the  influence  of  climate  on  the  development  of  the 
\)lq.9m.  As  a  rule  with  those  varieties  grown  on  the  second  crown,  if 
left  to  their  iiatural  course,  the  first  crown  would  be  too  early  and  the 
second  too  late,  so  the  chief  object  in  stopping  them  is  to  secure  the 
best-timed  buds  in  the  autumn,  when  climatic  conditions  are  most 
favourable  to  alter  development  of  bloom. 
Having  secured  growth  at  the  .same  time  in  its  proper  degree  of 
ripeness  typical  September  weather  is  no  doubt  the  most  favourable 
for  bud  developiiient,  which  is  represented  by  a  moderate  degree  of 
atmospheiic  moisture,  with  plenty  of  sunshine  by  day,  and  cool 
enough  at  night  to  b  itig  the  atmosphere  to  saturation  point,  as 
exemplified  by  heavy  dews  in  the  morning.  Unless  these  conditions 
obt.ain,  even  a  difference  of  one  week  in  obtaining  the  buds  has  an 
im|>oriant  effect  on  the  quality  of  the  bloom. 
In  the  English  Lake  district  the  climate  is  considerably  moister, 
even  during  summer,  than  other  parts  of  the  country,  whilst  the  light 
is  remarkably  fine,  and  the  temperature  lower  and  more  equable  all 
through  the  summer.  Typical  September  weather,  a«  above  described, 
is  therefore  a  more  certain  quantity  than  elsewhere,  vet  I  can  vouch 
for  the  Japane.se  Chrysanthemums  there  grown  from  crown  buds 
being  equal  to  the  best  in  size,  quality,  and  colour  grown  elsewhere, 
whether  on  the  first  or  second  crown.  It  would  obviously  be  rash  to 
insist  upon  the  general  superiority  of  the  second  crown  bud  to  the 
first,  when  all  the  conditions  to  development  are  as  favourable  to  the 
latter  as  to  the  foimer. — T.  G.  W. 
SOIL  ANALYSES. 
I  CANNOT  quite  say  of  “  H.  H.  R.”(page  48)  wh.at  someone  has  said 
of  IMr.  D.  Thomson — namely,  that  he  “always  appears  to  say  a  great 
deal  in  a  small  space”  (piage  46).  I  said  nothing  whatever  about  the 
discu-sion  on  a  paper  read  at  the  Drill  Hall,  for  the  sufficient  reason 
that  I  knew  nothing;  but  I  did  say  on  page  23  that  your  Forest  Hill 
corres])ondent  was  an  adept  in  taking  ideas  from  books  trat  he  thinks 
favour  his  views,  and  ignoring  precise  statements  which  are  con¬ 
demnatory  of  his  notions  on  soil  analysis,  fl’his  is  absolutely  the 
c.ase ;  and  notwithstanding  his  being,  as  he  indicatts,  a  life-long 
“  learner,”  he  only  seems  desirous  of  learning  that  which  is  in 
harmony  with  his  own  preconceived  notions. 
On  this  soil  analysis  fad — for  fad  it  is  as  measured  by  his  require¬ 
ments — this  “no  chemist”  places  himself  in  direct  conflict  with  a 
recognistd  scientific  .authority,  for  such  Mr.  Cousins  must  be  to  occupy 
bis  responsible  position  at  Wye.  Of  what  pos.sible  use  could  it  be  to 
“  H.  H.  R.”  or  anyone  if  I  were  to  state  the  amount  of  lime  discovered 
by  analyses  in  samples  of  soil  with  wdiich  he  has  nothing  whatever 
to  do,  and  the  particulars  of  which  could  afford  him  no  guidance 
whatever  in  his  dealings  with  different  soils  ? 
I  could  furnish  details  of  a  dozen  analyses  that  I  can  truthfully 
say  have  been  of  no  use  to  me,  and  I  should  be  sorry  to  assume  that 
any  (ditor  w’ould, publish  them.  I  do  not  despise  the  .aid  of  science  by 
a  very  long  way,  and  have  been  glad  to  benefit  by  it  in  the  purchase 
of  manures  and  in  other  w-ays,  but  the  clamour  for  soil  analyses,  of 
which  no  two  samples  are  .alike  out  of  many  over  the  same  area,  and 
which,  moreover,  vary  from  different  analysts,  has  no  response  from 
intelligent  practical  men.  In  my  experience,  for  ordinary  purposes  or 
cultivation,  digging  a  hole  here,  another  there,  and  a  third  not  far  off,  and 
so  on  up  to  a  dozen,  boxing  the  precious  stuff,  .and  sending  it  to  some, 
labor.vtory,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  Avhat  it  will  grow,  is  the 
merest  fiddle-faddle,  and  a  time  wasting  process. 
