93 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  A  VD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
rebniary  4,  19C4. 
The  Chry5anthemum  Analysis. 
All  lovers  of  the  Autumn  Queen  are  indebted  to  Mr.  I'doly- 
neux  for  his  labours  in  giving  us  this  analysis.  It  may  have 
faults,  but  is  there  any  work  free  from  faults?  And  these  are 
probably  not  his,  but  those  of  the  electors.  Like  a  political 
election,  there  are  plenty  of  spoiled  returns.  I  can  write  from 
many  years’  experience,  as  for  many  years  I  conducted  the  Rose 
election  on  very  much  the  same  lines,  and  have  often  had  to 
return  voting  papers  for  the  careless  way  in  which  they  have 
been  filled  up.  Still,  it  has  always  seemed  to  me  by  far  the 
most  useful  form  of  analysis,  and  far  more  valuable  to  the 
beginner  than  the  plan  adopted  by  my  friend,  Mr.  E.  Mawley, 
for  the  Rose  analysis,  interesting  as  that  is.  I  think,  if  our 
friend  Mr.  Molyneux  would  ask  for  the  best  twelve,  tlie  next 
best  twenty-four,  and  the  next  best  twenty-four  kinds,  the  pro¬ 
portion  of  first,  second,  and  third  votes  would  alter  the  position 
of  .some  of  the  varieties.  In  one  respect  it  gives  more  trouble 
to  the  electors,  and  this  care  eliminates  some  of  the  errors  that 
creep  into  the  returns. 
In  a  private  letter  to  Mr.  Molyneux  a  year  or  two  back  I 
s^iggpsted  this  to  him.  I  know  full  well  that  this  considerably 
increases  the  labours  of  the  returning  officer,  if  he  be,  as  Mr. 
Molyneux  is,  a  busy  man  ;  but  it  greatly  adds  to  the  value  of 
the  analysis.  In  my  former  summaries  of  the  Rose  elections  I 
sometimes  gave  what  Air.  Jefferies  suggests  in  a  different  waj^. 
He  asks  for  a  li.st  of  each  voter’s  miscalculation,  if  I  may  call  it 
•so,  of  the  value  of  each.  I  msec!  to  give  a  list  somewhat  in  this 
form  :  that  of  the  sixty  varieties  named.  Air.  A.  had  fifty-five, 
B.  fifty-three,  and  so  on.  This  showed  who  had  most  nearly 
hit  the  popular  fancy,  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 
Of  Chrysanthemums  it  may  be  truly  said  that  the  names  are 
legion,  let  still  tliey  come,  and  to  me,  an  ignoramms',  and  in 
my  own  small  way,  I  cannot  help  thinking  there  is  a  large 
n,mount  of  “too  much  alike”  in  the  varieties. 
Then,  of  the  new  varieties,  is  it  certain  that  every  elector 
lias  grown  all?  Would  it  be  po.ssible  to  restrict  the  general 
analysis  to  those  brought  out  before  1902,  for  instance,  leaving 
the  nenver  varieties  to  be  dealt  with  .separately?  This  would 
obviate  some  of  the  eccentricities,  as,  for  imstance,  in  the  case 
of  Miss  AI.  Ware,  Mrs.  F.  W.  Vallis,  and  others.  An  analysis 
of  newer  varieties  might  be  dealt  with  separatelv.  [And  they 
were. — En.] 
Again,  the  separate  lists  of  the  trade  and  private  growers 
was  another  point  that  I  found  forced  upon  me  by  the  Rose 
,election,  and  suggested  by  an  “Interested  Onlooker”  in  last 
■week’s  issue.  This  division  brings  out  the  difference  in  opinion 
between  the  trade  and  smaller  growers  as  to  the  value  of  certain 
varieties;  but,  again,  this  means  a  very  considerable  increase 
of  labour. 
Then  there  are,  besides  the  eccentricities  of  tlie  electors: 
what  shall  wo  say  of  those  belonging  to  the  plants  themselves? 
Some  will  succeed  in  one  situation,  but  absolutely  refuse  to  un¬ 
fold  their  charms  ])roperly  in  another.  The  treatment  has  to  be 
modified,  and  to  the  small  grower  the  modification  often  means 
dispensing  with  the  variety. — Y.  B.  A.  Z. 
Varieties  from  October  to  January. 
Trials  of  new  vai'ieties  are  expensive,  but  they  i^ay.  For 
instance,  a  friend  of  mine  concluded  a  few  years  ago  that 
Aladaine  idd.  Roger  would  sell  in  Covent  Garden  Market. 
He  tried  about  a  hundred  plants  of  it  the  fir.st  season,  and  it 
did  “go,”  too,  paying  him  more  than  200  per  cent,  over  any 
other  variety.  The  same  groAver  also  .scored  lieavily  Avith  Mrs. 
Barkl^  in  the  same  Avay  ;  or,  to  put  it  tersely,  it  is  a  case 
of  the'  early  bii’d  catching  the  Avorm.  For  market  purposes 
your  recent  corre.spondent  Avill  find  the  higher  class  blooms  pay 
be.st  —  not  that  they  returned  much  this  season  until  the  present 
month  ;  but  it  undoubtedly  pays  to  gi'OAv  the  he.st  varieties  and 
tho.se  in  the  most  up-to-date  fashion.  I  do  not  pretend  to  give 
all  the  best  varieties,  foi’  they  are  noAv  so  numerous,  but  those 
I  recommend  AA'ill  be  found  as  good  as  any  in  our  markets.  For 
October  flowering  Soleil  d’Oetobre  is  the  be.st  yelloAV,  either 
disliudded  or  in  spray.s.  The  same  may  be  said  Avith  respect  to 
Bronze  Soleil  d’Octol)re.  IMarket  Red  is  a  capital  variety  for 
this  month,  and  Avill  he  largely  groAvn  in  the  future ;  it  is 
good  either  in  sprays  or  disl)udded.  The  be.st  ciimson  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  the  old  variety  Mens.  Wm.  Holme.«.  This,  Ayhen 
disbudded  and  opened  sloAvly,  is  still  unsur))as,sed.  Market 
AVhite  i.s  large  and  pure  in  colour  ;  it  lifts  Avell  from  the  open 
gi’ound.  La  Ti  iomphante  is  still  the  best  pink  for  this  month, 
although  lacking  in  colour  during  the  past  season.  Coming 
to  November  or  midsea.son  varieties,  the  number  groAvn  is  noAv 
almost  bcAvildering,  but  I  Avill  make  the  list  as  brief  as  possible, 
though  it  i.s  not  Avi.^e  to  cut  it  doAvn  too  Ioav,  for  all  sorts  are 
not  equally  satisfactory  every  season.  Ernest  Fierens,  Avhite, 
best  disbudded;  Souvenir  d’une  Petite  Amie,  AA’hite,  an  old 
variety  but  still  one  of  the  best,  good  either  in  sprays  or  single 
bloonius;  Phoebu.s,  the  Avell-knoAAn  yelloAv,  be.st  grown  for  single 
floAvmr.s ;  Madame  E.  Roger,  .sea  green,  best  disbudded  and  opened 
in  a  cold  house,  one,  of  course,  from  Avhich  the  frost  is  ex¬ 
cluded,  it  then  comes  quite  green;  Miss  Nellie  Pockett,  Avhite, 
be.st  disbudded  ;  John  Shrimpton,  a  goed  crimson  that  requirers 
good  culture. 
December  varieties  that  are  AA'orth  groAving  are  W’^estern 
King,  a  fine  Avhite,  best  disbudded;  Mrs.  J.  ihompson,  Avhite, 
rathei'  tall.  I  see  this  variety  has  recently  been  described  in 
the  JouniaJ  as  bronze,  but  this  is  a  mistake,  unless  there  are 
tAvo  varieties  under  the  .same  name — the  old  sort  is  certainly 
AA-hite.  Mabel  Morgan,  yelloAv,  best  disbudded  and  grown 
throughout  in  pots ;  Miss  Alice  Byron,  Avhite,  fine  for  mid- 
December ;  Airs.  Barkley,  pink,  must  be  disbudded;  Niveus,  a 
Avell-knoAvn  Avhite,  rather  soft,  but  still  largely  groAvn ;  Putney 
George,  crimson,  a  good  divarf  grower;  W.  H.  Lincoln,  yellow, 
a  good  variety,  but  Avill  not  stand  rough  treatment;  N.C.S. 
Jubilee,  pink,  best  as  single  floAvers ;  Princess  Victoria,  creamy 
Avhite,  gets  more  pure  Avhen  fully  open;  Golden  Victoria,  the 
best  of  the  yelloAv  forms;  Letrier,  Avhite,  a  fine  flower,  but 
a  difficult  variety  to  obtain  .stock  from  ;  Lord  Brook,  bronze, 
best  disbudded  ;  Madame  A.  Rousseau,  pink,  requires  a  warm 
summer  to  imoduce  its  proper  colour. 
Good  varieties  for  lanuary  are  not  so  numerous:  Winter 
Queen,  a  variety  that  mu.st  be  thinned  .severely,  then  it  is  a 
good  Avhite;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Neville  makes'a  good  January  variety 
if  left  to  produce  natural  sprays,  if  disbudded  it  floAA'ers  at 
Christmas;  Mdlle.  Therese  Panckoucke,  another  good  AAdiite, 
rather  thin,  but  of  good  substance;  MattheAv  Hodg.son,  crimson 
scarlet ;  Framfield  Pink,  a  good  late  form,  not  a  good  colour 
during  the  past  year  ;  King  of  Plumes.  yelloAv,  good  in  sprays. 
Some  of  the  neAver  varieties  Avorth  folloAving  are  Prince  of 
Pinks,  a  deeper  colour  than  Framfield  Pink;  Nellie  Bean,  a 
pink  that  Avill  be  u.seful  in  December ;  Violet  Lady  Beaumont, 
a  grand  crim.son,  Avill  be  largely  groAvn  next  season  by  the 
market  men,  Avho  have  no  doubt  tested  it  last  year.  Godfrey’s 
Alasterpiece  aa  III  also  make  a  good  market  kind,  and  I  am  going 
to  groAv  a  lai'ge  batch  of  King  EdAvard  A"II.,  for  December  Avork 
or  early  January  it  is  a  taking  colour,  best  disbudded.  In 
conclusion  I  may  mention  that  the  old  pink  variety  A.  J. 
Balfour  is  uoav  laigely  groAvn  for  Christmas  by  the  market 
groAvers. — IMarket  Grower. 
- 9  - 
PrimDlas  at  Warfield  Hall, 
The  photograph  sIioaa's  a  group  of  Primulas  at  M’arfield  Hall, 
Bracknell,  Berkshire,  and  they  are  excellent  specimens.  Mr.  H. 
SAvansborough,  the  able  gardener,  is  a  Avell-knoAvn  Primula 
groAA'er,  thoroughly  understanding  their  requirements.  I  may 
mention  that  most  of  the  plants  in  the  photograph  measured 
19in  from  tip  to  tip  across,  each  wdth  three  spikes  of  blooms, 
the  centre  ones  being  Avell  above  the  fine  bold  foliage,  thus  ren¬ 
dering  the  plants  more  graceful  than  those  one  mostly  sees.  To 
get  the  first  spike  of  floAver  Avell  above  the  foliage  is  Mr.  Swan.s- 
borough’s  chief  aim.  There  are  two  A'arieties  in  the  group,  the 
front  tAvo  roAvs  being  Veitch’s  Superb  White,  and  the  back  ones 
are  Veitch’s  Superb  Red. 
The  seed  is  soAvn  at  the  end  of  April  or  the  beginning  of 
May,  in  pans  or  pots,  using  a  compost  of  loam,  leaf  mould,  and 
sand.  When  the  seedlings  are  large  enough  to  handle  they  are 
potted  into  .'^mall  pots  and  placed  in  a  pit,  as  near  the  glass  as 
po.ssible,  and  only  shaded  during  the  hottest  parts  of  the  day, 
admitting  plenty  of  air  in  favourable  Aveather.  Then,  Avhen  the 
plants  are  well  rooted,  they  are  shifted  into  32’.s  and  grown  in 
cold  frames  during  the  summer  months,  close  to  the  glass. 
The  compost  for  this  potting  consists  of  tAvo  parts  fibrous 
loam  with  the  fine  soil  shaken  out,  one  part  old  mushroom  dung 
Avith  sufficient  sand  to  keep  it  poroAis,  these  being  well  mixed 
together,  using  the  fingers  instead  of  a  stick  in  potting  aiul 
making  firm.  Good  drainage  is  placed  in  the  pots. 
Farmyard  liquid  manure  and  soot  AA'ater  are  used  tAvice  a 
AA'eek  Avhen  the  plants  are  Avell  rooted,  Avith  a  sprinkling  of 
“  Clay’s  ”  Avorked  into  the  surface  soil  Avith  a  pointed  stick.  This 
is  giA'en  so  soon  as  the  fir.st  fioAver  .spike  appears.  When  these 
shoAv  the.y  are  remoA’ed  from  the  frames  and  placed  on  shehms 
in  a  greenhouse  till  the,y  come  to  perfection,  after  Avhich  they 
are  used  as  front  roAv  plants  for  conserA’atory,  and  for  placing  in 
silver  boAvls  on  the  table. — J.  Botley. 
