510 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  December  4,  1902. 
pass  it  over  the  owner  can  take  it  home  again  and  enjoy 
its  beauty  or  its  usefulness  alone,  for  the  public  vvill  have 
none  of  it.  Novelty  is  not  its  name  then,  and  it  recedes 
into  the  shades  of  insignificance  because  it  has  been  found 
wanting  by  the  authority  that  is  not  infallible.  Considering 
the  value,  then,  of  a  First  Class  Certificate  or  an  Award  of 
Merit,  it  is  not  surprising  that  there  should  be  a  mutual 
desire,  particularly  amongst  tradesmen,  to  get  for  their 
novelties  the  hall-mark  of  value. 
But  how  fleeting  are  these  honours  in  many  cases !  How 
short-lived  the  fame  of  the  subjects  that  win  them !  What 
becomes  of  all  the  new  varieties  of  plants,  fruits,  and  flowers 
that  receive  awards  from  time  to' time  1  The  question  is  an 
interesting  one,  and  the  answer  not  easy  to  give. 
When  one  thinks  of  the  subjects  that  have  been  placed 
before  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  committees  say,  during 
the  past  ten  years,  and  have  passed  through  the  doors  of  the 
Drill  Hall  with  First  Class  Certificate  or  Award  of  Merit 
tacked  to  their  names,  why  the  number  must  be  legion,  and 
if  all,  with  their  newly-acquired  honours,  went  forth  to 
conquer,  what  a  wealth  of  material  there  would  be  in  the 
world  !  As  it  is,  there  is  a  wealth,  everyone  will  admit  that, 
but  the  percentage  of  novelties  that  live  and  last  and  increase 
is  small  compared  to  those  that  make  a  flash  in  the  pan,  and 
go  under,  to  be  heard  of  no  more.  It  is  all  part  of  the  play, 
however.  If  we  ivere  content  to  keep  and.  grow  only  the 
things  we  have,  there  would  be  no  room  for  novelties,  and 
what  I  want  to  dwell  on  most  is  the  short  career,  yea !  and 
ignoble  end  of  many  varieties  of  plants  that  bear  the  hall¬ 
mark  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  or  some  other 
special  society. 
Take  Chrysanthemums,  for  instance,  which  just  now  are 
occupying  chief  attention.  Last  year  a- number  of  novelties 
were  introduced.  The  best  of  them  will  be  generally  seen 
on  show-boards  this  season,  next  year  they  will  be  repre¬ 
sented  in  lesser  numbers,  and  a  few  years  hence  their  places 
will  be  entirely  taken  by  the  novelties  introduced  in  the 
interval.  This  is  just  the  way  things  go  ;  but  one  pauses 
sometimes  to  wonder  what  has  become  of  all  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  of  the  past.  The  fact  is,  people  want  novelties, 
and  after  the  novelty  stage  is  over  the  varieties  die  out,  wear 
out,  or  are  lost  in  the  crowd.  At  any  rate,  a  new  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  is  not  much  for  a  grower  to  pin  his  faith  to.  The 
raiser  had  better  make  the  most  of  it  while  it  is  new,  for  it 
quickly  grows  old  and  is  packed  away  with  the  hundreds  of 
varieties  whose  glory  has  departed.  After  all,  it  is  a  hollow 
success  that  of  new  Chrysanthemums,  and  those  who 
welcome  their  advent  with  applause  also  see  them  drop  out 
of  the  ranks  without  a  regret. 
Like  most  other  people  who  have  a  fancy  for  Dahlias,  I 
have  been  much  interested  in  the  large  number  of  new 
varieties  that  have  been  introduced  this  season,  some  of 
them  quite  distinct  and  others  differing  but  little  from  forms 
already  in  cultivation.  They  have  made  their  entry,  these 
Dahlia  novelties  of  1902,  they  have  been  described,  illus¬ 
trated,  and  their  merits  discussed,  and  all  that  now  remains 
is  for  the  Dahlia-fancying  public  to  buy  them.  The.  honours, 
however,  that  have  fallen  upon  them  are  only  fleeting.  For 
a  few  seasons  they  may  figure  in  collections  and  on  show- 
boards,  and  then  they  will  fall  to  the  level  of  the  common¬ 
place  or  be  lost  altogether.  Like  stars  in  the  theatrical 
world,  our  new  Dahlias  and  Chrysanthemums  have  their 
day,  either  long  or  short  as  the  case  may  be,  and  while  it  is 
on  other  novelties  are  being  raised,  which  in  due  course  oust 
the  one-time  favourites  from  their  place.  It  will,  perhaps, 
be  said  that  novelties  wear  out,  and  after  being  in  cultiva¬ 
tion  for  a  time  they  lose  their  characteristics.  Srrch  being 
the  case,  it  would  seem  essential  that  hybridists  and  raisers 
should  relax  none  of  their  efforts  ;  but  if  this  wearing-out 
theory  be  correct,  then  it  is  obvious  that  the  continued  high 
breeding,  if  I  may  so  call  it,  is  carried  on  at  the  expense 
of  the  constitution  of  the  plant.  But  people  will  have 
novelty.  They  will  rave  about  a  new  Dahlia  and  grow  it  in 
preference  to  such  a  gem  as  Glare  of  the  Garden,  for  instance, 
though  it  may  not  be  half  so  useful ;  but  then,  you  see,  one 
is  old  and  the  other  is  new. 
The  introduction  of  new  Melons  is  not  such  a  common 
occurrence  as  it  used  to  be,  and  for  the  reason,  I  think, 
that  growers  have  little  faith  in  them.  Recently  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society’s  Fruit  Committee  granted  an  award  to- 
one,  but  how  long  will  it  last,  I  wonder.  Where  are  all  the 
Melons  certificated  from  time  to  time  by  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  1  A  few  remain  in  general  cultivation,  but 
the  majority  have  gone  under  long  enough  since.  Many  a 
grower  has  gone  out  of  his  way  to  secure  a  highly-puffed 
novelty,  only  to  be  disappointed,  and  he.  has  been  glad 
enough  to  fall  back  on  the  old  Hero  of  Lockinge,  or  some 
other  standard  and  well-tried  sort-.  New  Melons  are  won¬ 
derfully  deceptive,  and  the  Award  of  Merit  or  First  Class 
Certificate  is  no  guarantee  of  their  lasting  powers  and  quality, 
in  the  future.  I  think  those  who  are  responsible  for  the 
crosses  are  now  alive  to  this,  as  there  is  not  so  much  eager¬ 
ness  to  put  every  seedling  that  comes  into  commerce,  as 
there  was  a  few  years  ago. 
I  have  only  just  touched  on  the  fringe  of  a  question'that 
affects  almost  every  family  of  plants,  but  I  have  said  enough 
to  show  that  though  the  honours  meted  out  to  novelties-are 
of  a  fleeting  character,  yet  the.  demand  for  new  things  grows,, 
and  the  supply  must  be  equal  to  it  if  the  interest  in  horti¬ 
cultural  matters  is  to  be  maintained.— G.  H.  H. 
STRAWBERRIES  IN  POTS. 
All  plants  for  early  forcing  should  be  in  frames.  They  cannot 
have  too  much  air,  therefore  tilt  the  lights  in  mild  wet  weather, 
and  remove  them  altogether  when  it  is  fair  and  warm,  keeping 
close  only  when  frost  prevails.  Do  not  place  them  in  Peach 
houses  or  other  structures  where  they  will  be  exposed  to  drying 
currents  of  air.  Evaporation  in  such  is  constant  and  excessive, 
wasting  the  energy  of  the  plants,  and  not  unfreque-ntly  so  dries 
the  soil  at  the  sides  of  the  pots,  they  not  being  plunged,  as  to 
destroy  the  active  feeders.  Drought  is  the  greatest  bane  of  the 
StrawbejSBies'-t' those  in  frames  must  have  water  as  required,’ 
always  keeping  the  soil  moderately  moist.  Plants  for  midseason 
and  .late  forcing  are  just  as  well  stood  on  ashes  and  plunged 
over  the  rims  in  that-  material,  or  cocoa  refuse,  the  situation' 
being  sheltered,  but  not  shaded. 
Early  Forcing. — Plants  of  such  varieties  as  La  Grosse 
Sueree,  Royal  Sovereign,  and  Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury, 
must  be  held  in  readiness  for  starting  at  the  beginning  of  De^ 
cember,  where  early  fruit  is  required.  There  is  no  question  that 
a  Strawberry  house  is  more  suitable,  especially  when  fitted  with 
stage,  shelves,  so  that  the  plants  will  be  about  1ft  from  the 
glass,  that-  is,  the  tops  of  the  pots,  as  the  wants  of  the  plants- 
can  be  furnished  according  to  their  advantageous  requirements, 
which  is  not  always  the  case  when  the  plants  have  to  be  forced 
in  vineries  or  Peach  houses ;  but  they  are  grown  successfully  in 
such  structures,  and  the  fruits  are  always  appreciated,  the  chief 
point  being  not  to  bring  them  on  too  rapidly.  An  early  Peach 
house  takes  a  good  number,  and  is  particularly  suited  to  such 
varieties  as  Noble,  President,  and  Auguste  Nicaise,  as  they  do 
not  bear  as  much  heat  in  the  early  stages  of  forcing  as  those 
before  named. 
In  the  case  of  plants  having  well  developed  crowns  and 
abundant  roots,  there  is  nothing  to  fear  as  regards  a  satisfactory 
issue;  but  plants  not  in  that  condition  should  be  started  later,, 
or  be  brought  on  very  gradually.  That,  however,  is  not  appli¬ 
cable  to  places  where  the  ripe  fruit  must  be  had  at  a  given  time 
Where  this  is  the  case,  and  the  plants  are  in  a  backward  condi¬ 
tion,  their  startim?  satisfactorily  may  be  enhanced  by  making 
up  a  bed  of  leaves  2ft  to  2ift-  in  height,  placing  the  plants  in  a 
frame  upon  it,  bringing  up  the  plants  so  as  to  be  just  clear  of 
the  glass,  packing  the  spaces  between  the  pots  with  damp  leaves. 
The  bottom  heat  at  the  base  of  the  pots  must  not  exceed  65deg 
to  70deg,  the  top  being  kept  cool,  air  being  freely  admitted, 
50deg  of  top  heat  not  being  exceeded,  and  when  mild  withdraw 
the  lights. 
Activity  at  the-  roots  of  the  plants  by  means  of  the  warmth 
is  promoted,  and  the  crowns  will  plump,  the  trusses  being 
advanced  considerably  in  embryo. 
After  three  weeks  or  a  month  of  this  treatment  the  pots  may 
be  withdrawn,  raising  them  gradually  so  as  to  insure  the  plants 
bearing  the  temperature  of  the  Strawberry  house  or  other 
structure  without  check.  If  taken  direct  from  the  bed  the 
roots  at  the  sides  of  the  pots  would  in  all  probability  get  chilled  ; 
therefore  they  must  not  be  taken  from  the  warm  bed  to  the 
shelves.  Very  careful  treatment  is  required  to  secure  a  satisfac¬ 
tory  return  from  very  early  forced  plants.- — G.  A., 
