442 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  15,  1900. 
I  hold  the  opinion  that  the  Floial  Committee  of  the  N.C.8.  would 
still  furtiier  improve  the  incurved  section  if  they  were  not  qu  te  so 
liberal  in  granting  awards  to  new  varieties  until  they  were  further 
tested.  When  a  variety  receives  recognition  one  year  as  belonging  to 
a  particular  section,  and  the  following  season  develops  characteristics 
that  entirely  ht  it  for  the  opposite,  it  is  then  seen  that  an  error 
has  been  committed.  What  a  pity  the  N  C.S.  does  not  possess  a 
Chiswick  where  all  new  varieties  might  be  tested  to  prove  their  true 
character ! 
Many  comments  were  heard  upon  the  action  of  the  body  alluded 
to  in  relegating  Mr.  T.  Carrington  and  Australie  to  the  list  of 
synonymous  V  trieties.  From  the  blooms  of  looth  staged  it  did  not 
require  a  very  close  scrutiny  to  declare  them  absolutely  distinct,  not 
only  in  colour,  but  petal  and  general  formation  too.  In  colour  the 
latter  is  lighter  on  the  surface  and  has  more  silver  on  ti  e  reverse.  In 
Mr.  T.  Carrington  there  is  a  warmer  glow  of  rose  purple,  the  “  buila  ” 
is  better  than  in  Australie,  which,  as  a  rule,  is  loose  and  irregularly 
incurving  sometimes,  but  little  is  this  feature  perceptible.  In  habit  of 
growth  ti  ere  is  no  similarity  whatever.  Australie  will  run  up  as 
much  as  9  feet,  while  in  Mr.  T.  Carrington  seldom  is  the  growth  more 
than  6  ket,  more  olten  4  feet. 
It  cannot  be  said  that  the  award  for  the  premier  Japanese  bloom 
met  with  unanimous  approval.  Many  were  the  comments  expressed 
to  the  contrary.  The  bloom — Mrs.  Barkley — selected  for  this  high 
honour  was  not  fully  developed,  fine  as  it  was  in  other  re.specis. 
Fully  a  week  longer  on  the  plant  would  have  made  it  almost 
unsurpassable.  A  premier  bloom  should  possess  few,  if  any,  faults, 
perfection  of  form  as  characteristic  in  any  variety  should  be  the  aim 
in  selection.  When  a  bloom  is  not  fully  developed  in  the  centre 
it  cannot  be  periect  in  its  character,  even  if  smaller  and  finished 
then  it  is  preierable  to  one  that  is  not  so.  The  bloom  that  was 
generally  regarded  as  the  best  was  a  finely  formed  one  of  Madame 
Carnot  in  Mr.  N.  D  vis’s  fountain  group.  If  this  was  not  quite  so 
large  as  the  variety  has  been  seen  in  the  past  it  had  the  merit  of 
pertecti  n  in  every  other  attribute. 
In  the  leflexed  section  one  could  not  but  deplore  the  lost  “  form  ” 
of  these  va  ieties  as  compared  with  fifteen  years  ago  when  this  type 
was  in  favour.  The  reason  for  this  decline  is  not  far  to  seek — their 
want  of  general  usefulness  in  a  decorative  point  of  view  as  compared 
to  the  more  showy  and  varietal  Japanese.  Still  amongst  the  latter 
section  varieties  such  as  Culling  ordi  and  King  of  Crimsons  are 
difficult  even  now  to  excel.  The  want  of  vigour  in  the  peduncle  of  so 
many  varieties  in  reflexed  is  a  great  bar  to  their  more  popular 
incl  ision. 
It  cannot  be  said  that  the  results  accruing  from  the  handsome 
prizes  ofiered  by  the  president  were  quite  satisfactory  in  point  of  good 
artistic  grouping,  as  containing  high  merit  in  culture  also.  The 
amalgam  dion  of  cut  blooms  and  plants  in  a  group  is  hardly  the  best 
way  to  encourage  high-class  exhibits,  such  as  can  be  seen  at  Hull, 
Birmingham,  and  elsewhere.  Effective  groups,  after  the  lines  of  those 
annually  se»n  at  the  places  noted,  would  certainly  improve  even  the 
great  November  exhibition  of  the  N.C.S.,  good  as  it  is  in  other 
respec  ts. — S  adoc. 
Staustead  Park  Nursery. 
Messrs.  J.  Laing  &  Sons  have  made  such  a  reputation  for  the 
excellence  of  thiir  strains  of  tuberous-rooted  Begonias,  Gloxinias, 
Streptocarpus,  and  Clivias,  that  the  fact  of  their  gr  wing  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  is  apt  to  be  overlooked.  These  are  housed  in  the  Rutland 
Road  Nurseries,  as  sufficient  accommodation  is  not  easy  to  find  at  the 
chief  establishment.  Some  plants  are  shown  at  the  Sianstead  Nursery, 
but  it  is  only  a  very  few  in  comparison  with  the  bulk  of  the  stock. 
Strictly  speaking  the  collection  is  not  up  to  date  in  res|  ecc  of  varieties, 
though  some  of  the  newer  ones  are  to  be  seen,  but  the  older  sorts  are 
so  well  grown  that  the  exclusion  of  the  novelties  scarcely  detracts 
from  the  interest  of  the  codection  in  the  smallest  degree.  It  is 
immediately  ob  erved  on  entering  the  house  that  bush  plants  of 
several  sii  gle  varieties  form  a  leading  feature.  These  are  most 
admirably  grown,  and  carry  their  elegant  flowers  with  remarkable 
freedom — so  much  so,  indeed,  as  to  greatly  enhance  the  beauty  of  the 
display. 
Tne  old  Gloire  de  Rocher  is  seen  in  really  splendid  form,  and  is 
valuable  in  a  general  collection  for  the  bright  distinctness  of  its  colour. 
Haiiy  Wonder  is  very  fine  indeed,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
G  aphic,  which  in  one  particular  example  was  of  immense  size. 
Madame  Carnot,  G.  J.  Warren  and  Mrs.  W.  M^ase  are  represented  by 
several  handsomely  developed  flowers,  as  are  the  Morels — Viviand 
Morel,  Chas.  Davis,  and  Lidy  Hauham.  Le  Grand  Drauon, 
Pi  cebus,  E  lith  Tabor,  and  Soleil  d’Octobre,  amongst  the  yellow 
varieties,  are  conspicuous,  the  second  and  third  named  being  in 
paiticularlv  good  form.  Mrs.  T.  Carrington  and  Australie,  side  by 
side,  are  worth  a  second  glance,  as  are  Mrs.  W bite  Pophain  and  the 
old  Col.  W.  B.  Smith.  The  two  best  whites  in  the  collection  are  Lady 
Byron  and  Miss  Nellie  Pockett,  both  of  which  have  built  up  large  but 
refined  blooms.  Of  the  incurved  section,  Chas.  H.  Curtis,  Barou 
Hirsch,  and  Mrs.  R.  C.  Kingston  are  far  and  away  the  finest,  the 
former  especially  being  in  excellent  condition.  These  form  only  a 
very  limited  selection,  but  even  if  there  were  no  others  a  visit  to  the 
nurseries  would  have  been  amply  repaid.  Time  is  flying  fast,  and 
those  who  wish  to  see  the  Forest  Hill  Mums  must  go  soon,  or  their 
finest  beauties  will  have  departed.  A  few  minutes  spent  amongst  the 
Streptocarpus  will  be  profitable ;  the  colours  range  through  white, 
white  and  purple,  to  several  shades  of  red. 
Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea. 
Notwithstanding  the  reputation  that  has  been  gained  by  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons  for  their  Orchids,  Ferns,  Nepenthes,  Caladiums, 
Gloxinias,  Carnations,  and  hybrid  Rhododendrons,  of  which,  by  the 
way,  there  aie  always  some  in  flower,  time  and  space  are  found  for 
the  cultivation  of  a  collection  of  Chrysanthemums,  which  are  this 
year  quite  equal  if  not  superior  to  any  display  that  has  been 
brought  together  during  past  years.  The  flowers  have  considerable 
size,  remarkable  substance  of  floret,  and  brightness  of  colour.  The 
whites,  of  course,  soon  become  a  little  rusty  through  the  many 
thousands  of  black  specks  that  find  their  way  into  the  structure,  but 
the  blooms  are  of  excellent  quality.  Readers  who  desire  to  see  them 
will  be  well  advised  in  starting  at  once,  as  the  probability^  of  fogs  is 
great,  and  they,  more  than  anything  else,  rob  the  flowers  of  all  their 
charm.  The  plants  are  just  now  at  the  height  of  their  beauty,  and 
any  delay  in  going  may  result  in  seeing  the  flowers  in  the  worst  possible 
stage.  This  is  in  special  reference  to  large  flowers  ;  bush  plants  will 
continue  in  perfection  for  some  time  longer. 
The  bulk  of  the  plants  belong  to  the  Japanese  section,  but  some  of 
the  leading  incurved  are  also  ob->ervable.  Amongst  the  former 'Edith 
Pilkiugton,  light  canary  yellow;  Florence  Molyneux,  incurved  white; 
Lord  Bra8^ey,  crimson  and  white  ;  Miss  Alice  Bjron,  pure  white;  Miss 
Ida  Barwood,  white,  with  incurved  wavy  florets;  Miss  Lucy  Chees- 
man,  clear  yellow;  Miss  Maud  Douglas,  rose  pink,  white  centre;  Mrs. 
G.  Barnes,  primrose,  tipped  buff;  and  Mrs.  Powtll  Cotton,  crimson 
red,  reverse  buff,  of  the  more  recent  introductions  are  perhaps  the 
best,  and  will  meet  with  tiie  most  general  appreciation  as  seen  at 
Chelsea.  Of  wl  at  may  be  termed  the  standard  varieties  the  best 
include  Annie  Prevost,  Emily  Towers,  Henry  Weeks,  James  Bidencope, 
Jane  Molyneux,  Lady  Byron,  Lionel  Humphreys,  Lord  Boston,  Lord 
Ludlow,  Louise,  Miss  Nellie  Pockett,  Mis.  H.  Weeks,  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Barks,  Mrs.  T.  Carrington,  Mrs.  White  Popliam,  N.C.S.  Jubilee, 
Phoebus,  President  Borel,  Ri  ginald  Godfrey,  R.  Hooper  Pearson,  Sir 
Herbert  Kitchener,  and  Soleil  d’Octobre. 
Messrs.  Veitch  &  Sons  have,  in  addition  to  the  plants  grown 
solely  tor  the  production  of  large  bh  oms,  a  span-roofed  structure 
devoted  to  bush  specimens.  These  are  in  various  stages,  from  those 
already  passing  their  best  to  others  upon  which  the  buds  are  soarcely 
showing  the  CO  our  of  their  flowirs.  These  alone  are  well  worth  the 
journey  to  see  ;  they  are  in  most  excellent  health. 
% 
- - 
Garden  Ijefuse. 
The  principle  of  wasting  nothing  is  an  important  one  to  remember 
in  the  garden,  as  all  organic  matter  has  manurial  value.  At  the 
same  time  we  must  avoid  creating  smells,  which  are  alike  offensive 
and  unhealthy.  It  is  a  pity  to  burn  all  the  refuse,  as  by  that 
means  all  the  nitrogen  is  lost.  All  the  softer  material  at  this  time 
of  the  year  should,  if  possible,  be  incorporated  in  the  heap  of  dead 
leaves,  which  will  not  only  smother  all  smell  if  it  is  well  covered  up, 
but  will  help  to  deodorise  it,  and  the  material  being  soft  it  will  soon 
be  decomposed.  Some  of  the  refuse  should  be  put  at  the  bottom  of 
the  pit  for  the  Marrow  bed,  or  if  a  trench  a  foot  deep  is  dug  some  little 
distance  from  a  row  of  fi  uit  trees  a  deal  may  be  trodden  down  into  it, 
and  thus  be  kept  out  of  sight,  and  rendered  both  useful  and  innocuous. 
The  aim  should  be  to  burn  as  little  as  possible.  In  the  middle  of  the 
summer  is  the  most  difficult  time  to  dispose  of  it,  all  the  ground 
usually  being  occupied.  The  grass  cuttings,  and  even  the  weeds,  will 
form  useful  mulches,  especially  for  surface-rooting  things  like  Rasp¬ 
berry  canes.  Other  stuff  may  often  be  dug-in  as  green  manuring 
when  preparing  a  piece  of  ground  for  late  Turnips,  winter  Onions, 
or  spring  Cabbage.  The  only  stuff  which  should  be  burnt  in  ordinary 
circumstances  are  the  stiff  stems  of  plants  and  the  smaller  prunings  of 
trees,  especially  Gooseberries.  Wnen  the  stuff  is  burnt  the  ashes 
should  be  stored  away  in  some  receptacle  in  the  dry,  and  when  a  tree 
is  planted  put  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  All  trees,  and  more  especially 
stone  fiuit  trees,  exhaust  the  soil  of  lime  and  phosphates,  and  these 
ashes  underneath  a  tree  will  form  a  most  useful  store,  and  will  serve  to 
keep  the  tree  in  vigour  and  fruitfulness  for  years. — Alger  Petts. 
