April  2,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE.  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
293 
Foreign  Chrysanthemums  in  America.* 
For  the  past  twenty  years  we  have  annually  imported  the 
foreign  varieties  of  C'hrj'santhenmms  and  tested  tliem  to  find 
their  valhe  in  this  country.  A  catalogue  of  1884  contains  the 
names  of  forty-six  sorts  about  equally  divided  between  Continental 
and  English  varieties,  not  one  of  which  is  now  in  general  culti¬ 
vation,  and  only  Elaine,  Temple  of  Solomon,  C.  H.  Glover,  and 
Geo.  Glenuy  are  even  remembered  by  name.  For  some  four 
years  later,  up  to  1888,  the  catalogues  list  principally  foreign 
.sorts,  most  of  them  of  French  origin,  and  the  few  exhibitions 
previous  to  that  date  showed  imported  sorts  almost  exclusively ; 
these  exhibits  were  wonderfully  beautiful,  but  the  standard  of 
excellence  was  totally  different  from  that  of  the  present  time, 
and  as  the  years  have  gone  by,  American  varieties  have  crowded 
the  foreigners  almost  entirely  off  the  boards. 
Mrs.  Jerome  Jones  was  introduced  in  1892,  and  had  a  marked 
effect  upon  the  standard  of  judging  high  quality  blooms  both  for 
exhibition  and  for  commercial  purposes ;  we  had  been  working 
up  towards  this  standard,  but  a  glance  at  this  fine  Chrysanthemum 
emphasised  the  necessity  of  the  upright  stem,  covered  with 
glossy  stiff  foliage  quite  up  to  the  flower,  and  as  this  idea  took 
firmer  hold  each  year,  more  and  more  of  the  foreign  varieties 
have  been  denied  a  place. 
M.  Calvat  has  sent  out  some  thirty  to  forty  new  sorts  each 
year  for  the  past  ten  years,  all  of  which  have  been  imported 
into  this  country  and  tested;  there  have  been  some  magnificent 
blooms  among  them,  mammoth  in  size  and  of  fine  form  and 
colour,  in  many  particulars  approaching  the  American  ideal,  and 
showing  a  marked  improvement  from  year  to  year,  yet  up  to  the 
present  time  only  the  following  sorts  have  met  any  recognition 
at  all  in  this  country:  Mme.  Carnot,  M.  Benj.  Giroud,  Mme.  F. 
Perrin,  Australian  Gold,  Soleil  d’Oetobre,  Fee  du  Champseur, 
and  Lucie  Faure.  Mme.  Carnot  in  the  hands  of  an  expert 
grower  reaches  a  fine  quality  for  exhibition;  M.  Benj.  Giroud 
finds  favour  with  a  limited  few  as  a  nice  early  commercial  red. 
but  it  is  undersized  and  rather  short  of  stqm ;  Lucie  Faure  had 
nearly  all  the  necessary  good  qualities,  but  too  often  came  bare¬ 
necked  and  rather  soft  ;  the  same  may  be  said  of  Fee  du  Champ- 
seiy,  though  in  a  less  degree ;  Australian  Gold  came  within  one 
count  of  being  a  perfect  commercial  yellow,  its  only  defect  being 
its  long  neck. 
Soleil  d’Oetobre  after  five  years  is  again  being  sought  for,  as 
it  is  showing  promise  of  many  useful  qualities.  I  cannot  help 
saying  that  I  have  little  doubt  that  a  number  of  these  varieties 
have  been  too  hastily  discarded  ;  importing:  novelties  into  this 
country  gives  them  a  serious  check,  and  they  seldom  disclose 
their  true  character  during  the  first  season  of  trial,  and  frequently 
even  in  the  second  year  we  do  not  succeed  in  showing  them  at 
their  best,  as  we  may  not  have  taken  the  bud  at  the  right  time, 
or  they  may  have  been  planted  too  early  or  too  late,  or  the  food 
may  not  have  suited  the  variety. 
We  can  all  recall  cases  of  new  sorts  which  have  narrowly 
missed  oblivion,  even  though  in  the  hands  of  several  good 
growers,  which  have  finally  surprised  the  experts  by  showing 
what  they  could  do.  No  better  example  comes  to  mind  at  the 
moment  than  Robt.  Halliday,  and  it  had  nO'  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic  to  give  it  a  back-set.  Of  all  the  French  varieties  intro¬ 
duced  into  this  country,  none  has  made  the  record  or  held  the 
place  attained  by  Yiviand  Morel,  and  it  mu'st  be  a  fine  pink 
Chrysanthemum  indeed  that  can  compete  against  it,  though  far 
from  being  the  ideal  in  colour. 
The  survival  of  English  sorts  makes  little  better  record  than 
that  of  the  French,  though  nearly  all  of  the  best  novelties  are 
tried  annually.  tVhito  and  yellow  Fitzwygram  are  well  known 
over  here,  are  heartily  admired,  and  almost  as  frequently  disliked 
by  growers  who  cannot  ‘^do  ”  them.  R.  H.  Pearson  is  recognised 
as  a  finely  coloured  early  of  medium  size  ;  Mrs.  Weeks  is  fatally 
soft  in  petal  though  exf[uisitely  beautiful ;  Mrs.  Barkley,  H.  J. 
Jones  and  Kate  Broomhead  have  all  secured  a  good  footing,  and 
at  the  present  writing  it  looks  as  if  this  season  would  see  them 
mount  the  ladder  a  round  or  two,  though  this  is  not  fully  assured. 
A  few  sorts  which  originated  in  England  ai'c  well  known,  and 
will  doubtless  hold  a  permanent  plac^.  These  ai-e  the  two  varia¬ 
tions  of  Yiviand  Morel  into  bronze,  Chas.  Davis  and  Lady  Han- 
ham,  each  of  which  is  unsurpassed  in  its  own  particular  shade, 
and  this  year- we  are  trying  Chad.  Davis  Improved,  an  unfor¬ 
tunate  though  thoroughly  descriptive  name  of  a  variety  which 
is  delightriilly  promising  at  thC'  moment. 
The  Japanese  importations  of  past  years  have  not  held  place 
for  even  so  long  a  time  as  the  European  sorts,  though  Mrs. 
Alpheus  Hardy,  Lillian  Bird,  and  tin'-  rest  of  that  charming 
colony  linger  with  us  as  beautiful  memories,  though  no  longer 
seen  outside  of  private  collections.  Golden  Wedding,  however, 
remains  as  one  of  the  very  best  and  most  useful  of  all  the 
varieties  from  the  land  of  the  Chrysanthemum. 
Glop"  of  the  Pacific  is  another  Japanese  which  has  remained 
in  cultivation  a  good  length  of  time,  this  from  the  fact  that  pre¬ 
vious  to  the  past  two  years  there  have  been  no  good  early  pinks 
to  take  its  place,  but  with  Lady  Harriett  in  the  field.  Glory  of  the 
Pacific  will  have  to  drop  out. 
In  the  early  ’90’s  a  goodly  number  of  Japanese  varieties  were 
sent  here  under  number,  and  many  were  christeticd  and  sent  out 
by  American  firms,  but  most,  if  not  all,  have  bcmi  relegated  to 
the  rear. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Vegetable  Culture:  Celery. 
The  early  part  of  March  is  a  good  time  to  sow  a  box  or  pan  of 
Celery,  the  plants  from  this  sowing  being  ready  to  plant  out  in 
May,  and  another  may  bo  made'  now.  A  square  or  round  earthen¬ 
ware  pan  will  provide  space  for  a  large  number  of  seedlings.  Place 
a  layer  of  crocks  on  the  bottom,  and  over  them  a  nice  layer  of 
riddled  material  from  the  compost.  This  may  consist  of  loam,  leaf 
soil,  mixed  with  some  decomposed  manuro,  all  broken  down  finely, 
and  incorporated  well  together.  Moisten,  if  dry,  and  bring  to  a 
nice  crumbly  condition.  Press  down,  and  make  fine  on  the  surface. 
Then  give  a  gentle  watering  with  hot  water,  which  will  destroy 
insect.s  or  other  injurious  matter  which  maj^  be  in  the  soil.  When 
drained  well,  seed  may  be  sown  thinly  on  the  surface,  covering 
with  a  sprinkling  of  very  fine  soil,  which  press  down  quite  gently 
over  the  seed  with  the  base  of  a  pot  or  fiat  board.  Place  a  square 
of  glass  over  the  pan,  and  cover  this  with  a  layer  of  moss  or 
paper  to  exclude  light  and  prevent  evaporation  from  the  soil, 
or,  in  other  words,  to  keep  the  soil  and  seed  in  a  regularly  moist 
condition,  which  favours  germination.  A  temperature  of  GOdeg 
is  sufficiently  high,  and  the  pan  or  box  must  not  stand  in  a  posi¬ 
tion  where  it  is  dry  and  arid,  so  as  to  dry  up  the  soil  from  the 
base. 
The  seed  will  germinate  in  about  a  fortnight,  but  the  soil 
must  be  examined  frequently,  and  immediately  there  are  signs 
of  the  seedlings  coming  through  remove  tho  shading  material 
from  the  glass.  When  they  are  well  through,  the  gla.ss  may  be 
raised  slightlj'  so  as  to  afford  more  air,  tilting  it  a  little  higher 
each  day  until  it  can  be  dispensed  with  altogether.  Place  the 
pan  or  box  on  a  shelf  near  the  glass,  and  in  a  cooler  temperature 
than  has  been  afforded  for  the  seed  to  germinate.  During,  tho 
next  week  or  two  the  seedlings  will  strengthen,  and  when  rough 
leaves  begin  to  form  they  are  ready  to  prick  out  singly  on  a 
bed  in  a.  frame.  If  the  frame  is  slightly  heated  it  is  an  advantage, 
but  this  is  not  absolutely  necessary.  The  heat  from  a  partially 
spent  hotbed  is  ample  and  better  than  a  warmer  bed.  A  hotbed 
of  this  sort  must  have  3in  or  4in  of  good  soil  .spread  over  it,  and 
if  there  is  no  hotbed,  but  only  a  frame  heated  with  hot-water 
pipes  or  not,  the  bed  should  be  made  first  by  laying  down  a  layer 
of  manure  a  few  inches  thick.  ,On  this  Sin  of  soil,  pressing 
firmly  and  smoothly.  Prick  out  the  seedling, s  Sin  apaiff.  Lift 
them  carefully  from  the  seed  pan  or  box.  If  .slightly  loosened 
by  raising  the  .soil  a  little,  th?  seedlings  may  bo  easily  with¬ 
drawn  with  the  young  fibres  attached.  Form  a  hole  with  a 
dibber  large  and  deep  enough  to  sink  the  roots  down  without 
being  bundled  up.  The  seed  leaf  maj^  rest  on  tho  soil,  which 
will  ensure  that  the  centre  or  growing  point  is  not  buried.  Give 
a  gentle  dewing  over  afterwards  with  a  syringe,  and  shut  up 
the  frame. 
In  very  bright  sunshine  a  little  .'^hade  will  bo  necessary  at 
first.  Wlien  established,  afford  a  little  air  daily,  and  as  the  sur¬ 
face  soil  dries  moisten  with  the  .syringe.  Little  attention  is 
necessary  besides  Avatcring  and  air  giving  until  tho  plants  are 
ready  for  removal,  previous  to  Avhich,  of  course,  they  must  have 
fully  exposed  treatment  to  maintain  them  hardy  and  stocky. 
Trenches  for  the  reception  of  the  plants  must  bo  pi'epared 
any  time  during  the  period  the  plants  arc  in  tho  frame.  Form 
them  about  loin  wide",  and  a  foot  deep.  Spread  a  good  layer  of 
manure  on  the  bottom,  and  dig  it  in.  covering  with  some  of  the 
soil  removed.  Plant  a  single  row  9in  or  lOin  apart  down  the 
middle.  The  plants  should  lift  out  of  tho  nursery  beds  Avitli  a 
good  ball  of  roots  and  soil,  ,so  there  will  be  but  little  difficulty 
in  establishing  them.  ,  ,  ,  , ,  7 
Sucoessional  sowings  may  be  made  for  later  plants,  and  tlie  seed- 
lings  pricked  out  in  cold  frames  or  Avarm  corners  outdoors,  plant¬ 
ing  out  in  Avell-manurcd  trenches  in  June  and  July.  Some  of  the 
be.st  varieties  arc  Standard  Bearer,  a  good  red  variety  of  sturdy 
habit  robust  groAvth,  and  superior  qAiality.  JMajor  (  larke  s-  Red 
is  excellent.  Snlhain  Prize  Pink  is  also  one  of  the  best,  being 
solid,  crisp,  and  of  good  flavour.  Tho  AAhite  varieties  are  useful 
for  early.  Sandringham  White  and  Wright’s  Giant  White  are 
leading  A'arietics  in  this  cla.ss. — It.  D.  S. 
*  A  paper  preparo'.l  by  E.  G.  Hill  for  tlie  Convention  of  the  Chrysanthemum 
Society  of  America, 
