January  1,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
CO  TTA  GE  GARDENER. 
V) 
CARDEH.  CJ/tANINCSi 
station  Flower  Gardens. 
For  the  fourth  time  in  succession  the  special  prize  of  £5 
offered  by  the  directors  of  the  Great  Western  Railway  Company 
for  the  best  kept  flower  garden  at  tlieir  stations  in  the  Reading 
division,  whicli  embraces  a.  large  number  of  towns  and  villages, 
has  been  awarded  to  Mr,  Treacher,  stationmaster  at  Theale, 
near  Reading. 
Anemone  narcissifiora. 
This  is  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  easily  grown  of  the 
summer  flowering  M’indflowers,  and  is  one  which  is  always  much 
admired  when  .seen  in  the  border  or  rock  garden.  It  is  well 
adapted  for  either  of  those  positioirs,  and  is  justl}^  considered  one 
of  the  best  of  the  white  flowers  which  bloom  in  the  months  of 
June  and  July.  The  Narcissus  flowered  Anemone  grows  from 
1ft  to  18in  in  height,  seldom  attaining  the  latter  size,  and  pro¬ 
duces  a  clustered  head  of  white  flowers,  frequently  tinged  with 
rose  on  the  back  of  the  blooms.  The  leaves  are  elegantly  formed 
and  deeply  cut,  and  the  plant  itself  stands  erect  without  the  sup¬ 
port  of  a  stick.  It  is  very  easily  cultivated  in  any  common  soil, 
thouglr  I  think  it  prefers  a  sandy  peat  one.  Although  it  does 
not  increase  with  great  rapidity,  it  forms  in  time  a  fair-sked 
plant,  when  it  is  much  more  attractive  than  when  in  a  small 
state.  Propagation  is  effected  by  seeds  or  division.  It  is  a 
native  of  the  Alpine  regions  of  Europe,  but  an  Anemone  closely 
resemlbling  it  was  recently  introduced  from  British  Columbia.  I 
cannot  see  anything  to  distinguish  the  European  from  the  North 
American  plant. — S.  A. 
The  Shasta  Daisy  y.  Chrysanthemum  maximum. 
Writing  in  the  “  Florist.s’  Exchange,”  Luther  Burbank  says: 
In  response  to  the  que.stion  of  your  correspondent,  ‘  What  is 
the  difference  between  Shasta  Dai.sy  and  Clu'ysantheinum  maxi¬ 
mum?’  I  would  say  that,  having  had  C.  maximum,  C.  leucanthe- 
mum,  C.  lacu.stre,  and  C.  nipponicum  growing  in  their  various 
wild  and  cultivated  forms  on  my  place  for  many  years,  many  of 
them  by  the  hundred  thousand,  the  question  of  the  difference  of 
the  two  first  mentioned  could  hardly  be  asked  in  any  place 
where  all  were  growing.  All  came  first  from  Northern  Europe 
ai^d  Asia,  though  C.  nipponicum  is  the  mo,st  aberrant  form,  and 
it  Ls,  I  think,  a  native  only  of  Japan.  Chrysanthemum  maxi¬ 
mum  is  the  one  mo.stly  grown  in  the  British  Isles,  where  some 
fine  forms  have  originated  under  cultivation.  The  difference 
between  these  and  the  Shasta  Daisy  is  as  specific  and  definite  as 
the  difference  between  the  Crozy  and  Orchid-flowering  Cannas, 
or  Carnations  and  Picotees.  Shasta  i.s  a  hybrid  combination  of 
the  three  so-called  species,  C.  maximum,  C.  leucanthemum,  and 
C.  nipponicum.  Shasta  Daisies  are  more  refined  in  leaf,  stem, 
and  flower.  The  flowers  are  cup-shaped  with  a  email  centre, 
instead  of  being  flat  with  a  largo  high  centre,  as  in  C.  maximum  ; 
the  stems  are  long,  wiry,  slender  and  leafless,  while  Ch  maximum 
has  coarse,  leafy  stems.  C.  maximum,  in  its  be.st  varieties, 
requires  eighteen  months  before  blooming  from  seed  or  cuttings; 
Shasta  Daisy,  .six  months.  C.  maximum  produces  the  second 
season  sixt.y  to  ninety  flowers  per  plant ;  the  Shasta  Daisy  from 
one  hundred  and  thirty  to  two  hundred  perfect  flowers.  Shasta 
is  almost  a  constant  bloomer ;  C.  maximum  never  so.  The  ordi¬ 
nary  C.  maximum  flowers  seem  to  be  pui'e  white,  while  they  are 
not,  as  anyone  can  see  when  compared  with  those  of  C.  nip¬ 
ponicum,  and  this  unusual  whiteness  of  the  Shasta  Daisy  is  one 
of  the  qualities  brought  forth  by  combination  of  the  others  with 
C.  nipponicum.  The  English  florists  have  been  qtiick  to  see 
all  these  advantages.  It  has  come  to  my  knowledge  that  one  or 
two  American  dealers  are  offering  Shasta  Daisies  grown  from 
seed.  As  well  offer  Mrs.  Lawson  Carnation  or  Bonnaffon  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  from  seed,  without  explanation.  What  would  cus¬ 
tomers  think  if  they  received  seedlings  of  the  above  when  they 
ordered  islants  under  these  specific  names?  Every  packet  of 
seed  sent  out  by  the  originator  specifically  stated  that,  'being 
a  new  hybrid  race,  the  flowers  produced  would  vary  much  in  form 
and  size.’  ” 
Aster,  Top  Sawyer. 
.  I  always  con.-ider  this  an  unfortunate  name,  as  its  meaning 
is  (juite  obscure  to  many  people  nowadays,'  and,  as  one  sees 
from  catalogue.s,  some  have  ventured  to  think  that  it  is  an  error 
and  have  changed  it  to  Tom  Sawyer.  Top  Sawyer  is,  however, 
perfectly  correct,  so  far.  It  was  intended  to  symbolise  the 
flower  which  was  well  above  others,  the  idea  being  that  it  repre¬ 
sented  among  Asters  the  upper  workman  in  the  old  sawpits, 
where  one  man  is  down  in  the  pit  and  the  other  i.s  above.  The 
symbolism  is,  I  should  think,  almo.st  unique  in  floral  nomen¬ 
clature,  but  the  plant  itself  is  one  of  high  merit  from  a  gardening 
point  of  view.  It  reminds  one  somewhat  of  A.  Robert  Parker, 
but  is  more  branching  and  has  warmer  coloured  flowers  of  a  larger 
size  than  that  fine  standard  varietJ^  which  is  so  largely  culti¬ 
vated.  Top  Sawyer  is  one  of  the  best  of  its  class,  and  is  valuable 
alike  for  its  effect  in  the  border  and  for  its  usefulness  in  supply¬ 
ing  cut  flowers. — S.  Arnott. 
Cherry  House. 
M  here  the  trees  in  the  house  started  in  December  are  fairly 
on  the  move,  let  the  day  temperature  be  kept  at  .50deg  to  oodeg, 
and  if  the  days  arc  bright  air  should  be  admitted,  but  only  to  the 
extent  of  keeping  it  from  rising  above  (rndeg,  commencing  to 
v'entilate  at  SOdeg,  increasing  it  at  oodeg,  above  which  a  free 
ventilation  of  air  must  be  allowed,  and  when  the  temperature 
declines  to  oodeg,  close  the  hoirse  for  the  day.  The  night  tem¬ 
perature  should  still  be  kept  at  lOdeg  to  4odeg  from  fire  heat. 
Syringe  the  trees  in  the  morning  and  early  afternoon  on  bright 
days,  but  if  the  weather  be  dull  it  will  suffice  if  the  borders  and 
other  surfaces  are  damped  whenever  they  become  dry.  Examine 
the  borders,  supplying  water  if  necessary,  moistening  them 
thoroughly,  the  water  not  being  less  in  temperature  than  that  of 
the  house.  Trees  in  pots  must  be  well  .supplied  with  water, 
repeating  the  supplies  as  neces.sary  to  insure  thorough  moisture 
in  the  soil. — G.  A. 
Kew  on  the  First  Coronation  Day. 
The  unhappy  po.stponement  of  the  Coronation  was  made, 
known  so  short  a  time  before  the  actual  time  arranged  for  the 
ceremony,  that  scores  of  thousands  of  visitors  had  already  arrived 
in  London.  Most  places  of  amusement  and  resoi't  being  closed, 
and  the  groat  event  being  indefinitely  deferred,  people  scarcely 
knew  what  to  do  with  themselves.  Kew,  however,  proved  a 
friend  in  need.  Although  the  Gardens  were  to  be  clo.sed  (and 
the  employes  given  holiday)  for  two  days,  arrangements  were 
hastily  made  to  keep  them  open.  The  result  was  rather  surpris¬ 
ing.  A  crowd  of  people  came,  eciual  in  numbers  to  that  of  a 
Bank  Holiday.  But  no  such  crowd  was  ever  seen  in  Kew  before ! 
It  .seemed  as  if  Clubland,  Piccadilly,  and  Bond  Street  had  emptied 
themselves  into  Kew  that  day.  Nearly  80,000  people  visited  the 
gardens  on  June  26  and  27,  and,  mirabile  dictu,  not  a  ba.sketful 
of  Orange  peel  and  paper  did  they  leave  behind  them. 
Early  Forced  Figs  in  Pots. 
Terminal  buds  of  trees  .started  early  in  December  having 
pushed,  advantage  should  be  taken  of  mild  weather  that  may  pre¬ 
vail  for  increasing  the  mean  temperature  of  the  hou.se,  as  when  Figs 
arei  fairly  sta,rted  into  growth  they  delight  in  a  good  heat,  plenty 
of  moisture,  and  all  the  light  that  can  possibly  be  given  to  them, 
admitting  air  so  as  to  prevent  the  glass  being  constantly  covered 
with  moisture,  but  seek  increase  of  temperature  from  fire  heat 
combined  with  sun  heat  in  preference  to  maintaining  a  tem¬ 
perature  in  dull  weather,  and  especially  at  night,  that  will  cause 
aiw  great  advance  in  growth  at  those  times.  Maintain  a  night 
temperature  of  Sodeg  to  60deg,  ventilate  a  little  at  70deg,  losing 
no  opportunity  of  admitting  a  little  air  when  the  morning 
promi.^es  an  increase  from  gleams  of  sun,  and  close  sufficiently 
early  for  the  temperaturoi  to  run  up  to  80deg.  Syringe  the  ti’oes 
and  damp  the  walls  twice  on  fine  days,  morning  and  early  after¬ 
noon,  but  when  the  weather  is  dull  and  wet  omit  the  latter  and 
damp  the  floors  in  the  evening  instead,  as  the  trees  are  weakened 
and  the  foliage  made  soft  by  keeping  them  wet  during  the  night  ; 
therefore  always  allow  the  trees  to  become  fairly  dry  bofon' 
nightfall.  Be  careful  not  to  allow  the  heat  about  the  pots  to 
exceed  70deg  to  7ddeg,  and  if  the  materials  are  heating  too 
rapidly,  turn  them  as  a  means  of  reducing  the  bottom  heat,  but 
it  ought  to  be  kept  steady. 
