316 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  11,  1904. 
Chrysanthemum,  Mrs.  Filkins. 
Tliis  tliread-petalled  or  s^jidery  variety  of  Chrysanthemum 
like  the  “old,  old  story”  is  yet  “ever  new.”  It  furnishes  a 
fine  decorative  subject,  and  is  easily  grown.  The  flowers  are  of 
Japanese  form,  medium-sized,  with  florets  prettiiy  cut  and 
notched,  and  coloured  bright  golden  yellow.  We  believe  we  are 
correct  in  saying  that  Messrs.  Cannell  and  SonSj  of  Swanley, 
have  tlie  largest  number  of  varieties  in  this  section,  and  they 
have  at  all  events  raised  and  introduced  a  number  of  very  pretty 
kinds.  Cannell’s  Favourite,  for  instance,  is  a  true  white  Mrs. 
Filkins ;  and  there  are  others,  such  as  Golden  Thread,  Sam 
Caswell,  Silk  Twist,  Lady  Onslow,  and  King  of  Plumes. 
In  Australis. 
Mr.  W.  Wells,  of  Eaijswood,  sends  us  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Thos.  Pockett,  Melbourne,  Australia,  with  permission  to  make 
the  following  extracts: — “  Not  much  Mum  news  yet,  but  we  are 
all  pretty  busy  with  the  plants  now.  Caterpillars  have  been 
very  bad,  and  there  has  been  really  too  much  rain — more  than 
has  ever  been  known  here,  so  perhaps  it  is  as  well  I  have  so 
many  to  pick  from.  I  have  nice-looking  buds  on  a  lot  of  seed- 
iings,  and  the  numbered  varieties  that  I  told  you  are 
good  doers  still  remain  so,  and  many  of  them  have  nov'  good 
buds  and  the  stout  flower  stem.  The  batch  intended  to  save 
.seed  from  is  looking  grand:  it  is  just  as  well  the  bed  is 
thoroughly  drained!  Carrie,  Goacher’s  Crimson,  Crimson  Marie 
Masse,  and  Lady  Fitzwigram  are  flowering  nicely,  but  a  few 
plants  of  each  that  I  put  in  public  gardens  on  light  sandy  soil 
are  a  failure — they  have  flowered  themselves  to  death.  Many  of 
my  plants  in  pots  are  not  looking  well,  having  too  much  rain, 
but  I  have  two  large  beds  of  all  tbe  numbered  varieties  that  can 
be  covered  with  calico,  and  they  are  looking  well.  An  odd  bud 
or  two  wid  soon  be  showing  colour. — Thos  Pockett.” 
AVe  have  also  received  a  copy  of  the  “Melbourne  Argus” 
containing  some  extracts  from  Mr.  Molyneux’s  Chrysanthemum 
Analysis,  published  in  our  columns  on  December  31  last  year. 
The  same  article  contains  particulars  of  Australian  Chrysanthe¬ 
mums  and  growers,  particularly  of  Air.  Pockett  and  his  work, 
a  few  of  which  are  interesting  to  those  of  us  here  in  the  Mother¬ 
land. 
“Australia,”  says  the  “Argus,”  “is  the  youngest  of  the 
competitors  in  this  international  contest  of  skill  in  cross-breed¬ 
ing,  and  has  thirteen  to  her  credit,  and  of  these  Victoria  con¬ 
tributes  eleven,  chiefly  owing  to  Mr.  Thomas  Pockett,  the 
curator  of  the  Alalvern  Public  Gardens.  He  carries  the  banner 
with  nine,  one  of  which,  AV.  R.  Church,  is  the  champion  flower 
of  the  fifty  this  year,  as  it  was  also  la,st  year.  This  bloom  was 
the  only  one  in  the  group  which  received  the  unique  distinction 
of  a  vote  and  unstinted  praise  from  every  one  of  the  forty 
selectors,  and  can,  therefore,  ciaim  to  be  at  the  present  time, 
on  the  highest  authority,  the  finest  Chrysanthemum  in  culti¬ 
vation.  In  regard  to  the  rest  of  the  Australian  varieties  which 
won  a  place,  Messrs.  Brunning  and  Son,  of  St.  Kilda,  raised 
two,  and  New  South  AA'ales  the  other  two.  France  contributed 
eleven,  and  Great  Britain  and  America  the  rest.  AVhat  strikes 
the  imagination  in  this  notable  triumph  is  the  modesty  of  the 
man  who,  in  a  little  cottage  garden  at  Alalvern,  delving  away 
with  his  spade  on  Saturday  afternoons  and  the  fag  ends  of  time 
which  can  be  snatched  from  his  duties  as  curator  of  the  public 
gardens,  has  been  enabled  to  win  for  himself,  without  any 
narade,  a  position  in  the  aristocracy  of  talent  which  has  made 
Ins  name  honoured  and  respected  wherever  flow’er  lovers  assemble, 
and  that  is  practically  the  world  over.  ‘  The  Australasian,’  in  its 
pictorial  columns,  has  a  snapshot  of  Air.  Pockett  at  work 
amongst  his  floral  favourites.  He  has  4,000  new  seedlings  this 
year,  and  is  striving  hard  to  keep  up  the  renown  he  has  won. 
It  IS  no  mere  luck,  but  painstaking  care  in  skilful  hybridising, 
^ntinued  over  a  long  .series  of  years,  which  has  enabled  Air. 
Pockett  to  achieve  such  success. 
“Air.  Edwin  Alolyneux,  in  his  notes  on  the  results 
of  the  .selection,  has  this  to  say :  ‘  As  in  last  year 
AA  .  R.  Church  heads  the  list  with  a  full  number  of 
votes,  shoAving  Avhat  exhibitors  think  of  this  variety,  which  is 
a  distinct  compliment  to  out  Australian  friends.’  In  a  chat 
while  at  his  work.  Air.  Pockett  had  something  interesting  to 
say  about  his  floAvers.  There  is  no  lack  of  energy  on  the  part 
of  raisers  of  noA’elties,  he  remarked.  Each  and  all  are  striving 
to  excel,  as  we  knoAV  from  the  papers  devoted  to  horticulture. 
The  standard  has  also  risen,  .so  that  it  is  noAV  necessary  to  raise 
a  larger  number  of  seedlings  each  year ;  otherAvise  it  is  mere 
luck  to  raise  one  that  can  hope  to  excel.  Last  year  I  had 
3,000  neAV  seedlings,  and  I  discarded  them  all  but  eighty  after 
they  floAvered,  and  these  I  am  groAving  on  for  further  testing. 
I  have  4,000  neAV  seedlings  this  year.  All  but  a  few  of  these  will 
have  to  go  on  the  rubbish  heap  also.  I  have  learned  much  about 
the  habits  and  characteristics  of  the  Chrysanthemum,  but  there 
is  a  lot  to  learn  yet.  For  instance,  theie  are  some  years  Avhen 
the  climatic  conditions  develop  depth  of  colour  to  a  far  greater 
extent  than  other  years,  and  seedlijigs  from  particular  seed 
parents  that  year  Avill  have  this  marked  trait  to  a  greater  extent 
than  in  other  years.  The  Australian  seedlings  (he  continued) 
have  been  a  great  success  in  America  as  Avell  as  in  England, 
judging  from  the  amount  of  praise  accorded  to  them  in  the 
American  papers  and  the  private  letters  received  from  that 
source.  I  have  my  Chrysanthemums  sent  out  by  a  leadinA: 
nurseryman  in  England,  Avho  makes  a  specialty  of  Chrysanthe¬ 
mums,  and  for  tAvo  successive  years  he  has  sent  the  blooms 
raised  in  England  across  the  Atlantic,  and  staged  them  at  the 
leading  shoAv  in  NeAV  A'ork,  and  he  scored  high  aAvards  on  each 
occasion,  proving  that,  in  addition  to  size,  they  have  keeping 
qualities  also.” 
- - 
Blickling  Hall,  Norlolk. 
HIS  is  one  of  the  homes  of  the  Alarquis  of  Lothian, 
situated  in  a  grandly  timbered  park  of  many  acres 
extent,  and  but  nine  miles  from  Cromer  and  tAvo  from 
the  somewhat  quaint  toAvn  of  Aylsham.  The  mansion 
is  built  in  the  Elizabethan  style,  and  is  several  hundred 
years  old,  and  is-  an  imposing  brick  and  stone  pile. 
The  entrance  to  it  from  the  public  highAvay  is  by  a  broad 
gravel  drive,  Avith  a  grand  stretch  of  grass,  backed  up  Avith  a 
Yew  hedge  on  each  side  of  immen.se  proportions.  Fortunately, 
the  grass  is  not  broken  up  by  beds  or  borders  of  any  kind ;  not 
so  much  as  a  shrub  or  tree  is  to  be  seen  in  this  approach.  The 
floAver  garden,  Avhich  is  the  great  attraction  here,  is  situated 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  house,  and  is  of  considerable  extent. 
The  ground  slopes  gently  up  from  the  house  to  the  park 
beyond,  and  is  backed  up  and  sheltered  on  all  sides  with 
magnificent  trees,  such  as  Oak,  Beech,  Lime,  Silver  Fir,  and 
such  like.  On  the  north  side  of  the  floAver  garden,  on  higher 
ground,  is  groAving  a  remarkable  specimen  of  the  Oriental 
Plane.  The  trunk  is  at  4ft  from  the  ground  as  much  in 
diameter,  and  not  more  than  30ft  high,  but  the  remarkable 
feature  is  that  the  branches,  Avhen  they  reached  the  ground, 
have  struck  root,  forming  independent  trees,  so  to  speak,  and 
have  continued  to  do  .so  all  round,  until  the  space  covered  by 
this  tree  is  fully  3.5  yards  in  diameter — truly  a  remarkable 
and  handsome  specimen,  and  fully  as  old  as  the  mansion  itself. 
Fortunately  for  the  public,  the  gardens  are  open  one  day 
weekly,  a  privilege  largely  enjoyed. 
To  describe  the  floAver  garden  and  its  contents  accurately 
would  require  much  space.  At  a  guess,  fully  tAvo  acres  are 
occupied  Avith  beds,  intermixed  Avith  small  conifers,  especially 
clipped  English  YeAvs,  Avhich  for  perfect  management  AA’ould  be 
difficult  to  equal.  No  particular  de.sign  appears  to  be  in  view 
in  planting  the  beds  :  Avhat  is  required,  and  certainly  obtained, 
is  a  Avealth  of  blossom  and  a  blaze  of  colour,  which  is  toned 
down  by  the  magnificent  tree  surroundings.  The  beds  are  of 
all  shapes,  and  thickly  dotted  on  the  trimly-kept  and  densely 
green  grass.  Hardy  plants  occupy  much  space,  and  worthily, 
too.  Mr.  H.  G.  Oclee.,  the  capable  gardener,  makes  the  most  of 
these  subjects,  knoAving  so  aa’cII  their  value  after  thirty  years’ 
experience  in  this  garden.  Clematis  Jackmani,  occupying  the 
centre  of  a  circular  bed,  loo.sely  trained  over  a  support  4ft 
high,  was  a  veritable  mass  of  colour ;  tmderneath  this  AA'as 
growing  one  of  the  finest  dwarf  Heliotropes  that  I  have  seen. 
The  plants  filled  the  remainder  of  a  cij’cle,  and  were  but  15in 
high.  They  carried  trusses  of  bloom  9in  in  diameter,  of  a  dark 
colour,  and  so  fragrant ! 
Lobelia  cardinalis  Queen  Victoria  AA'ere  groAving  in  small 
circular  beds,  and  snch  spikes  of  flower,  fully  5ft  in  height,  and 
such  brilliancy  of  colour,  that  I  Avas  tempted  to  inquire  the 
method  of  production.  Mr.  Oclee  saves  his  own  seed  from 
approved  forms,  soavs  it  in  August,  groAvs  the  plants  steadily 
on  through  the  Avinter,  and  really  in  this  Avay  treating  them 
as  annuals.  I  knoAv  that  some  persons  have  a  difficulty  in 
keeping  these  plants  through  the  Avinter ;  here,  then,  is  a 
remedy.  Begonias  are  largely  grown.  Worthiana,  a  free- 
flowering  scarlet,  does  hei’e  remarkably  Avell.  Magnificent  are 
the  beds  of  African  IMarigolds,  especially  the  orange-coloured 
type. 
Cactus  and  pompon  Dahlias  are  largely  employed,  and  with 
fine  effect,  in  the  larger  beds.  as.sociated  so  pleasingly  with 
various  forms  of  Helianthus,  Achillea  filipendula,  Cimicifuga 
