November  15,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
441 
small.  Lord  Cromer  gives  blooms  with  few  petals,  mostly  quilled. 
John  ShrimptoD,  C.  W.  Childs,  Cullingfordi,  all  three  varieties  useful 
for  cutting,  will  not  do  for  exhibition  ;  and  so  one  might  find  some 
fault  with  all  dark-coloured  Chrysanthemums  in  cultivation,  and 
thereby  give  sufficient  evidence  of  the  propriety  of  the  heading  of  these 
remarks. — Specialist. 
Edwin  Molyueux. 
The  remarks  anent  this  variety  by  “D.  R.,”  page  402,  are  the 
cause  of  my  present  allusion  to  this  Chrysanthemum.  I  quite  agree 
with  “  D.  R.”  that  this  variety  has  had  an  exceptionally  long  lease  of 
life.  Introduced  in  the  year  1886  by  Mr.  Canned,  it  has  had  fourteen 
years  of  unsullied  life,  and  from  its  present  appearance  appears  quite 
likely  to  go  on  some 
time  yet.  It  would  be 
folly  to  say  that  the 
blooms  at  the  present 
time  equal  in  size  these 
staged  by  Mr.  McKenzie 
at  the  N.C.S.  Show  held 
in  the  Royal  Aquarium 
some  years  ago.  These, 
I  think,  will  be  accre¬ 
dited  as  the  largest  yet 
seen  by  all  who  re¬ 
member  this  particular 
exhibit.  At  the  present 
time  that  magnificent 
colour  which  is  the 
charm  and  fascination 
of  the  variety  is  quite 
equal  to  its  best. 
Several  blooms  staged  at 
the  recent  Portsmouth 
Show  were  marvels  of 
colour  production. 
I  well  remember  the 
tiny  bloom  that  Mr. 
Canned  was  in  posse.s- 
sion  of  at  the  N.C.S. 
Show  in  1885,  when 
he  suggested  the  name, 
and  a  noted  expert  ex¬ 
pressed  his  opinion  that 
it  was  an  old  variety 
under  a  new  name. 
This  individual  has  had 
ample  time  to  see  the 
error  be  made  when 
disparaging  the  then 
new  introduction.  It 
does  seem  strange  that 
not  one  single  variety 
has  yet  been  obtained 
to  comp.ire  with  it 
in  colour,  or  even  to 
approach  it,  although 
thousands  of  plants  have 
been  raised  from  seed 
of  it.  The  name  of  one 
single  variety  does  not 
occur  to  me  at  the 
present  moment  but 
that  has  gone  out  of 
favour  years  ago  that 
was  introduced  at  or 
near  the  same  time. 
Even  Sunflower — 1888 
— which  was  regarded 
as  the  finest  yellow  of 
its  day,  has  long  since  almost  disappsared.  It  may  not  be  generally 
known  that  E.  Molyueux  is  a  capital  variety  to  plant  at  the  foot  of  a 
south  or  east  wall,  its  habit  and  freedom  of  flower  fitting  it  well  for 
this  object. — E.  Molyneux. 
Comments  on  the  N.C.S.  Show. 
All  who  saw  the  late  show  held  in  the  Royal  Aquarium  will 
agree  that  it  was  a  magnificent  display  of  the  autumn  queen,  and 
one  to  be  envied  by  any  society.  I  think  it  will  also  be  generally 
accepted  that  the  first  prize  exhibit  of  sixty  Japanese  blooms  arranged 
in  vases  was  the  finest  ever  seen.  I  do  not  wonder  at  this  being  so 
when  we  consider  the  great  improvement  that  has  taken  place  during 
the  last  five  years,  or  even  in  half  that  time,  in  the  varieties  cultivated 
now.  The  exhibit  in  question  contained  but  two  weak  stands,  even 
Fig.  118.-CHRYSANTHEMUM  C.  J.  SALTER 
if  they  can  be  thus  termed.  Mrs.  J.  Lewis  was  the  weak  point  in 
the  twelve  varieties.  For  an  ordinary  class  this  might  not  have  been 
thought  so,  still  when  one  is  used  to  seeing  this  variety  more  often 
from  8  to  9  inches  in  diameter  and  6  inches  de(p,  the  specimens 
referred  to  must  be  regarded  as  weak.  Pride  ot  Madford  as 
magnificent  in  its  colouring,  but  narrow  in  diameter  and  thin  m 
depth.  Why  does  not  the  ordinary  grower  stage  this  variety  in 
similar  colour  to  the  exhibit  in  question  ?  The  answer  is  not  far  to 
seek  for  those  who  are  conversant  with  the  details  of  exhibitii  g. 
Marvellous  were  the  examples  of  Calvat  ’99 ;  Le  Grand  Dragon, 
blooms  of  which  measured  9  inches  wide  and  as  many  as  7  inches 
deep;  Phoebus,  rich  and  full;  and  MisslNellie  Pockett  were  one  and 
all  quite  even  in  build  and  perfect  inj  contour.  For  years  Edwin 
Molyneux  has  not  been 
seen  in  such  perfection 
as  here.  Mons.  Louis 
Remy  is  quite  one  of  the 
best  of  yellow-flowered 
sorts  when  seen  as  here 
represented.  Mrs.  Bark¬ 
ley  was  not  only  of 
huge  size,  8^  by  7 
inches  deep,  and  such  a 
colour  1 
Taking  the  Japanese 
blooms  as  a  whole,  ar¬ 
ranged  on  the  ordinary 
stands,  it  cannot  be  said 
that  there  was  any  im¬ 
provement  upon  recent 
years  in  any  form.  The 
blooms  were  heavy, 
well  coloured,  and  quite 
fresh ;  but  one  could 
not  fail  to  note  the 
absence  of  novelty  or 
improvement  in  this 
section. 
The  ordinary  show 
board  does  not  lend 
itself  to  the  display  of 
merit  in  a  blossom, 
and  certainly  not  to  an 
artistic  mind.  The  time 
will  come  when  such  an 
adjunct  will  be  banished 
from  our  autumn  ex¬ 
hibitions,  and  a  more 
rational  method  of  dis¬ 
playing  the  blooms 
adopted. 
In  the  incurved  sec¬ 
tion  a  distinct  improve¬ 
ment  was  manifest  in 
the  superiority  of  the 
blooms  displayed,  as 
compared  with  the  last 
five  years  at  any  rate. 
Much  fuller  of  petal, 
depth,  and  solidity 
characterises  the  present 
day  varieties,  of  which 
there  have  been  many 
useful  additions  of  late. 
The  contour,  too,  leaves 
but  little  to  be  desired 
in  such  blooms  as  those 
staged  by  Mr.  Higgs. 
If  we  cannot  secure 
representative  sped 
mens  of  the  Queens,  the  Princesses,  and  the  Tecks  as  of  yore  we  must 
invoke  the  raisers  to  give  us  substitutes  of  which  they  have  done  in  a 
satisfactory  manner  ot  late.  There  are  still  enthusiasts  in  the  older 
varieties  that  think  the  cause — the  entire  cause — of  the  absence  of 
blooms  of  the  varieties  named  is  owing  to  mismanagement  ot  ttie  “  stock.” 
My  opinion,  based  upon  some  experience,  leads  me  to  combat  such  an 
idea.  Loss  of  constitution  is  the  primary  cause  without  any  doubt. 
The  opinion  has  been  expressed  in  some  quarters  that  the  incurved 
blooms  seen  at  the  show  in  question  were  the  finest  ever  seen  at  a 
national  show.  With  all  respect  to  those  in  question  I  think  other¬ 
wise.  Those  presented  by  the  Messrs.  Drover  in  tho  Centenary  year 
were  considerably  in  advance,  as  representing  the  true  globular 
characteristics  of  an  incurved  bloom  in  its  highest  sense.  The  present 
day  varieties  do  not  lend  themselves  quite  to  this  form. 
