553 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
December  17,  1903 
New  Incurved  Varieties. 
Desirable  additions  to  tlie  incurved  section  of  Chrysanthemums 
are  nowadaj^s  of  sucli  rare  occurrence,  that  when  a  really  meri¬ 
torious  variety  is  introduced  it  is  certain  of  a  wann  welcome. 
The  following  I  can  recommend  to  anj'  cultivator  with  even  a 
limited  collection. 
George  W.  Matthew  has  a  bronze  yellow  base  with  a  clean 
amber  yellow  centre.  The  petals  under  some  methods  of  culture 
are  a  trifle  loose. 
Mrs.  W.  Higgs  in  colour  is  silvery  pink,  faintly  margined  with 
rase.  The  full  sized  blooms  are  solid  and  of  perfect  form,  quite 
a  promising  variety.  William  Higgs  has  massive  proportions, 
building  up  a  full  globular  flower.  In  colour  it  is  golden  fawn. 
Ml'S.  Barnard  Hankey  in  colour  is  chestnut  with  a  deep  red 
suffusion  and  .stripe.  It  is  a  massive  deeply  built  flower  of  excel¬ 
lent  proportion.  Miss  E.  Seward  is  a  promising  addition,  the 
somewhat  narrow  pointed  florets  incurve  perfectly.  The  colour  is 
pleasing — bronze  base  with  a  rich  yellow  centre.  • 
Miss  A.  Dighton  has  exceptionally  long  nao’ov/  florets  which 
incurve  perfectly.  For  an  incurved  variety  it  is  extra  large. 
The  colour  is  pleasing — primrose  yellow.  Mrs.  Frank  Hannaford 
is  best  described  as  a  much  improved  Major  Bonnaffon. 
C.  Blick  I  look  upon  as  too  much  like  a  Japanese  in  every 
way.  Its  proper  position  is  undoubtedly  with  the  incurving 
Japanese  section.  The  petals  are  too  long,  loose,  and  incurve  too 
irregidarly  to  belong  to  the  incurved  section.  The  colour  is 
pleasing — piidc,  faintly  striped  Avith  purple. 
'Mrs.  C.  J.  Mee,  should  be  in  the  same  category,  rose  lilac. 
May  Phillips  in  colour  has  a  rose  base  Avith  cream  yelloAv  centre. 
The  florets  are  narroAv,  incurving  thoroughly,  making  a  full,  large 
floAver,  in  cA'ery  Avay  satisfactory.  The  King  is  most  peculiar  in 
colour — ^slate,  Avith  a  purple  suffusion.  The  petals  are  closely 
built,  forming  a  deep  floAver. — E.  Molyneux. 
New  Japanese  Varieties. 
Mr.  J.  Martin  has  pointed  petals,  semi-reflexed,  in  colour  it 
is  rose,  lined  Avith  terra-cotta,  Avith  a  golden  reverse.  Miss 
Olive  Miller,  although  not  absolutely  neAV,  is  not  so  Avell  known 
as  its  merits  deserve.  The  medium  sized  flat  florets  droop  grace¬ 
fully,  building  up  a  full  solid  bloom.  The  colour  is  quite  pleas¬ 
ing — rose  pink. 
George  LaAvrence  has  long  narroAv  drooping  florets.  In  colour  it 
is  orange,  suffused  and  lined  Avith  bright  terra-cotta,  golden 
reverse. 
Mrs.  F.  W.  Yallis  is  quite  one  of  the  finest  of  neAV  introduc¬ 
tions.  The  florets  are  extra  long,  droop  gracefully,  and  form  a 
massive  flower  fully  8in  deep.  The  colour  is  decided  crimson, 
suffused  Avith  apricot  yellow,  Avith  a  golden  bronze  reverse. 
Florence  Penford  belongs  to  the  incurving  type  of  Japanese. 
The  medium  sized  florets  incurA'c  closely.  In  colour  it  is  amber, 
Avith  light  bronze  stripes  and  a  rose  suffusion. 
Bose  Portevine  has  short  broad  petals  of  a  charming  soft  rose 
colour.  SouA'enir  de  Pere  C'alvat  is  pleasing  in  colour — soft  pink, 
Avith  rose  and  cream  suffusion.  ■  ■ 
Countess  of  Arran  has  strap  shaped  florets  building  up  a  flower 
fully  9in  in  diameter.  The  colour  is  attractive^ — soft  purple, 
deepening  at  the  edge. 
Countess  of  HarroA\by.  The  florets  are  long,  semi-drooping, 
Avith  tAvisted  points.  The  colour  is  effect ive—Avhite,  Avith  a  soft 
rose  suffusion  and  defined  edging  of  same. 
Phillipe  du  Cros  is  of  medium  size,  a  capital  decorative 
Amriety.  The  narroAv  florets  are  chestnut  red  on  the  surface,  Avith 
a  flush  of  yelloAv.  The  re\'erse  is  gold. 
Lady  Mai'y  Couzcns  reminds  one  of  Mrs.  Barkley  in  style  of 
floAAer  ;  the  florets  are  not  so  Avide  as  in  that  A-ariety.  The  colour 
is  quite  distinct — rose,  mottled  Avhite. 
W.  Preece  is  rich  yelloAV  in  colour,  Avith  closely  incurving 
florets.  Fairy  Wreath  AAas  raised  by  Mr.  Cb  Shea,  and  is  most 
pleasing  in  its  colour — soft  cream,  Avith  stripes  and  flushes  of 
rose.  The  semi-drooping  florets  are  broad  and  flat. 
F.  J.  Taggart  belongs  to  the  hirsute  or  hairy  section  of 
Japanese.  Tlie  rich  yelloAv  colour  is  very  attractive. 
Mrs.  C.  M.  Paige  belongs  to  the  incurving  section  of 
Japanese,  and  is  an  improA’ement  upon  Mons.  Debrie — Avarm  pink 
in  colour. 
Dora  Stevens  favours  M.  Chenon  de  Leche  in  formation.  The 
floi'ets,  hoAVPver,  are  a  trifle  narroAver.  In  colour  it  is  rose  terra¬ 
cotta,  Avith  bold  reAmrse.  A  full  promising  A'ariety. 
Dora  Payne  is  a  sport  from  Miss  Lucy  Evans,  and  a  promising 
variety  too.  The  floAvers  are  deeply  built,  with  medium  sized 
florets.  The  colour  is  distinct  and  pleasing— rosy  cerise. 
Lady  Cranston.  This  is  indeed  a  decided  acquisitimi  to  an 
already  long  list  of  varieties.  It  is  a  sport  from  Mrs.  Barkley  ; 
the  florets  are  fully  Gin  long,  some  lin  Avide  ;  they  droop  in  a 
graceful  manner  forming  a  grand  bloom.  The  colour  is  pleasing 
faint  rose  in  the  centre,  gradually  fading  to  Avhite  at  the  tips.— 
E.  Molyneux. 
The  ColcMcums  or  Meadovi  Saffrons. 
Just  as  hardy  Cyclamens  are  greatly  overlooked  by  many  Avho 
have  charge  cf  outdoor  grounds,  so,  too,  are  the  autumn  and 
Avinter-floAA'ering  MeadoAA'  Saffrons — the  so-called  Autumn 
Crocuses.”  Mr^  Arnott  points  out  hoAv  large  quantities  of  conns 
can  be  cheaply  procured  from  home-soAvn  seeds,  in  the  folloAving 
paragraph,  and  possibly  this  may  induce  an  attempt  in  this 
tion— and  the  Avork,  Ave  can  guarantee,  is  intere-sting.  I  he  best 
planting  season  for  mature  conns  is  August,  and  the  specie,s  A\e 
figure  (C.  autumnale  and  V.  variegatum)  are  tAvo  cf  the  best 
knoAvn  and  handsomest. 
Altliougli  the  raising  of  Colchicums  froin  seeds  is  a  someAvhat 
tedious  process,  seeing  that  one  has  to  wait  three  or  four  yeais 
before  floAvering  conns  are  producedj  it  is  a  cheap  AA’ay  of  securing 
a  stock  of  the  more  expensive  sx>ecies ;  Avhile,  at  thei  same  time 
there  is  alivays  the  chance  of  obtaining  a  valuable  break  from  the 
normal  species.  The  seeds,  if  saA'ed  from  one’s  own  plants,  should 
be  .soAvn  as  soon  as  ripe,  though  they  niay  also  be  kept  until 
spring  if  necessary,  although  practically  a  year  Avill  be  lo*^  by 
this,  unless  they  are  soAvn  early  in  heat,  AA'hich  I  do  not  advise. 
The  seed  pods  siicmld  be  gathered  Avhen  about  ready  to  open,  as  if 
alloAved  to  open  naturally,  some  of  the  seeds  Avill  inevitably  be 
lost.  The  soAvings  may  either  be  made  thinly  in  a  bed  of  soil  under 
a  frame  or  liandlight  ;  in  pots  or  pans  in  a  cold  frame ;  or 
simply  in  the  open  ground.  In  the  last  case  the  seeds  in  ay  bo 
about  half  an  inch  under  the  surface,  but  if  in  shelter  a  little  less 
Avill  suffice.  The  leaves  should  appear  the  spring  after  soAving, 
and,  beyond  giving  plenty  of  air  after  the  seedlings  appear,  and 
Avater,  if  under  glass,  no  other  attention  aauII  be  required. 
When  the  leaA'es  ripen,  an  inch  of  soil  may  be  added.  The 
next  sea.son  the  same  process  may  be  adopted,  but  if  in  pots  or 
pans  the  conns  should  be  transferred  to  the  open  ground  as  soon 
as  the  leaves  die  doAvn.  I  prefer  to  soav  in  the  soil— not  in  pots  or 
pans — and  to  alloAv  the  conns  to  reach  a  floAvering  size  before 
di'sturbance.  Thin  soAving  is  necessary  for  this.  As  a  rule  the 
seedlings  should  never  be  dried  off,  and  a  golden  rule  Avith  the 
Colchicums  is  to  disturb  them  as  seldom  as  possible. 
Unless  a  large  number  of  conns  are  required  it  is  not  worth 
Avhile  to  raise  the  conimon  C.  autumnale  from  seeds,  but  the  finer 
species  Avill  repay  the  trouble. — S.  Aknott. 
Winteu-Floavering  Colchicums. — ‘‘  The  Garden  ”  of  last  Aveek 
had  the  folloAving  notes  by  W.  Irving  : — “  Although  the  majority 
of  the  more  familiar  MeadoAV  Saffrons  floAver  in  the  autumn,  there 
are  a  feAv  exceptions,  and  from  the  countries  of  the  East  we 
get  some  species  Avhich  do  not  bloom  until  Avinter  or  early  spring. 
Belonging  to  this  section  are  the  folloAvinv  three  species,  Avhich  at 
the  present  time  are  in  floAver.  C.  libanoticum  is  found  near  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  of  Lebanon  in  Syria.  Resembling  C. 
montanum  in  general  appearance,  it  differs  in  having  broader  and 
shorter  leaA'es  and  yellow  stamens,  and  also  in  its  Avinter-flowering 
character,  C.  montanum  not  floAvering  till  the  spring.  The  tivo 
siiecies  differ  also  in  the  number  of  floAvers  produced  from  each 
conn,  the  latter  liaA'ing  tAvo  to  three  Avith  the  same  number  of 
leaA'es,  Avhile  C.  libanoticum  has  four  to  five  rather  larger  floAvers, 
Avith  broader  segments  and  a  corresponding  number  of  leaves.  The 
floAvers  range  in  colour  from  Avhite  to  iiale  rose.  Conns  of  this 
species  Avere  obtained  from  Palestine  in  1900,  floAvering  the  same 
Avinter.  C.  luteum  comes  from  the  mountains  of  the  extreme  Avest 
of  India,  Avhere  it  is  found  at  an  eleA'ation  of  7,000ft  in  Kashmir 
and  Afghanistan.  This  rare  little  plant  is  unique  in  being  the 
only  yclloAv-floAvered  .siiecies  in  cultivation.  The  size  of  the  large 
conns  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  that  part  of  the  plant  produced 
above  ground.  About  Sin  to  4in  high,  Avith  a  slender  tube  and 
ovate  perianth  segments,  the  floAvers  are  usually  solitary,  attended 
by  tAvo  linear  strap-shaped  leaves.  Introduced  in  1874.  Under 
the  name  of  C.  Sieheanum  cornis  Avere  received  this  year  from 
Mr.  W.  Siehe,  of  Meraina.  It  is  a  pretty  little  iila'nt  in  the 
Avay  of  the  Hungarian  C.  arenarium,  Avhich  it  resembles  in  stature 
and  in  the  colour  of  its  floAvers.  C.  arenarium  is,  hoAvever,  an 
autumn-floAvering  plant,  the  leaves  not  appearing  till  spring. 
The  present  .species  produces  floAvers  and  leaves  at  the  saine  time  ; 
it  began  to  floAver  this  year  at  the  end  of  November.  The  floAvers 
are  of  a  rich  reddish  pui'ple.” 
