gold; La Mascotte (Lemoine), flowers full, reddish brown and violet; La Traviata (Délaux), flowers brownish red, tinted with dark scarlet; Lavinia (Lemoine), flowers middle-sized, light violet; M. Robillard (Délaux), late flowering, lilac-rose edged with white; Séduction (Lemoine), flowers full, reddish brown; Volcan (Lemoine), flowers small, mahogany red.

3. LARGE-FLOWERED VARIETIES.-Gloire Lyonnaise (Boucharlat), flowers middle-sized, piped petals, centre white, with reddish brown tips; Grenadière (Boucharlat), flowers large, garnet-red pointed with gold; Jeanne d'Arc (Lacroix), flowers snow white, reverse of the petals lilac; Mdlle. Croizette (Lemoine), flowers dark rose, changing to delicate rose; Mdlle. Madeleine Tezier (De Reydellet), late flowering, perfect in form, snow white, flowers in bouquets; Tragédie (Lemoine), flowers full, violet-rose; Vereschagine (Lemoine), dark rose spotted with purple.

JAPANESE. Admiration (Lacroix), petals long and tubular, delicate lilac, turning pure white in the centre; Fr. Délaux (Délaux), flowers very large and full, crimson-red, tinted with fiery red, centre curled, reverse golden; Général de Lartique (Délaux), flowers very full, petals curled, fiery red, reverse yellow; J. Délaux (Délaux), flowers full and very large, dark brown, tinted with crimson, reverse gold. Among the Japanese varieties sent out in 1882 several did not flower. This list will be interesting to our own growers, and allow me to suggest that as the same name is now applied not unfrequently to very dissimilar varieties, the bona-fide raiser's name be added on the labels of all exhibited plants, as is generally done in the case of the Auricula.

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JERSEY AND GUERNSEY VARIETIES.-The following is compiled from original notes and lists kindly furnished by a noted Chrysanthemum grower in Jersey: Having resided in Guernsey for twenty years, during which time the Chrysanthemum has been an especial favourite of mine, I may say I am personally acquainted with all the raisers in that island, and have seen some thousands of seedlings, some exquisitely beautiful, others, alas! not so attractive from a florist's point of view, and so doomed to be cast aside. The raiser of the first seedling Chrysanthemums in the Channel Islands was a baker, the plants being trained to a wall behind his oven. The varieties of that time were, of course, very different from those raised more recently in Guernsey by such men as Clark, Davis, Pethers, and Smith. Mr. Smith has sold as many as sixty new varieties in one year to the late Mr. James Salter, of Hammersmith. These were named and brought out a few at a time, so as not to overstock the market. In Mr. Salter's catalogue a number of them are marked Smith, while many are marked S only. I recently paid a visit to some old friends in Guernsey, and while there, speaking of Chrysanthemums, they seemed unanimous in thinking that by far the greatest number of the large-flowered varieties in Salter's list were of Guernsey origin bought from the stock of unnamed seedlings. Crimson Velvet was first exhibited by Pethers, and is still one of the best of rich dark-coloured kinds. Among the modern Japanese varieties several have been raised by Major Carey's gardener, while those two favourities, Elaine and Fair Maid of Guernsey, were raised by Mr. J. Downton, gardener to Mr. Saumarez Carey, of The Grange. The Pompons under the head "Jersey" in the list annexed were sent by M.

V. Langlois and myself to Mr. A. Forsyth, who then lived at Stoke Newington. They were mostly of French origin. Dick Turpin is a Jersey seedling named by the judges at our fourth exhibition, it having been given by the raiser to his postman, J. Turpin. Major Carey now seems almost alone here as a raiser of new kinds from home-saved seeds.

As to seed-saving, I have observed two methods of treating the plants. A common plan is to train the plants to a sunny wall, protecting them above by a weather board. Here they are left to ripen until the end of January, when the old flower-heads are cut off and the seed separated and saved by rubbing them in silver sand. Others are grown to single stems in pots placed in a greenhouse. February is the best time for seed-sowing, but Mr. Beckford tells me he has sown as late as April, and even then has had blooms the same year. Some years ago I tried the Chrysanthemum seeds advertised by different seedsmen, but never could obtain from them a variety worth keeping; indeed, they resembled Ox-eyed Daisies more than anything else. Not having attempted raising seedlings of late years, it is quite possible that the seeds now advertised are of better quality. Mr. Chas. Smith, of the Caledonian Nursery, once told me that he regretted having thrown away many single and semi-double varieties that would now be gladly purchased, although totally unappreciated at the time he had them growing and in bloom.

AMERICAN CHRYSANTHEMUMS.-Dr. Walcot, of Boston, Mass., has sent me cut flowers of a few of his seedling Chrysanthemums, some of which are very distinct and beautiful. It is also rather surprising to find that these flowers have so much endurance, that they reached me after their voyage of 3000 miles almost as fresh as when cut from the plants. The mode of packing especially deserves notice, as being both simple and effectual. Each flower or truss was cut with 6 inches or 8 inches of leafy stem. A little moist cotton wadding had been placed around the severed stem at its base, this being surrounded by a small piece of sheet india-rubber to prevent the wadding from drying too quickly. The flowers and stems so treated were packed in tissue paper in a tin box, the cover or lid of which was hermetically sealed by a film of sheet rubber.

The flowers themselves vary from perfectly single to good double blooms, the colours being singularly brilliant and effective. Two only of those sent are named, these being Robert Walcot, a Japanese kind of a vivid crimson-red tint, each floret being yellowish behind, and George Walcot, a bold flower, with flat or ribbon-shaped florets of a pale rose colour, edged with rosy crimson. No. 3a is a pure white flower in the way of White Princess; and a vivid dark crimson Pompon variety, having a yellow centre in the midst of its densely-crowded florets, is quite distinct from anything we have seen before. The single varieties are very bright in colour, and have an elegance of form quite wanting in the double kinds. Dr. Walcot is an amateur cultivator, and will, we hope, be still further rewarded in his culture of the Chrysanthemum. He is, if not actually the first, at least one of the first, of American growers who have treated the Chrysanthemum as an annual by raising fresh batches from home-saved seeds every spring. It does not appear to

be generally known that seed sown in February and grown on with the treatment usually given to cuttings will produce flowering plants in nine or ten months. This is, however, a fact, and one which we hope our own growers will speedily realise for themselves. Although some of the earliest of seedling Chrysanthemums ever obtained in Europe were raised at Oxford many years ago, yet nearly all the kinds now cultivated have been raised in the Channel Islands or in France. The late Mr. Salter used to purchase numbers of unnamed seedlings from the Guernsey growers in his time, and even to-day most of the new Japanese varieties are raised in the Channel Islands. The Pompons and the early or summer-flowering races originated in France, and it is from France that most of the new varieties of these still come to us. These beautiful flowers from Dr. Walcot, however, lead us to hope for great things from America in the way of new seedling Chrysanthemums. In the way of incurved or show flowers, perhaps the old kinds may never be beaten, and wonderful as they are from some points of view, they do not lend themselves very gracefully to artistic purposes, or suit well for decorative uses. As flowers for personal ornament, they are not generally admired. For one lady who will wear blooms of Mrs. G. Rundle, or its sulphur and yellow forms, we find twenty who prefer Elaine or Peter the Great, or who content themselves with the fringed and tasselled Japan kinds. At the same time we decry no particular form. Give us vivid colour; give us variety, elegance of form, and perfume if you can (such as Progne already possesses); in a word, let all tastes be consulted, let all wants be satisfied. There is here a wide and open field for improvement and progress, and the results Dr. Walcot has obtained in his New Jersey garden are so far most encouraging. We now more especially desire large-flowered kinds for early blooming out of doors, and even more valuable would be varieties to bloom naturally during January and February. Dr. Walcot has quite recently (Nov. 7) been awarded prizes and certificates of merit for some of his Chrysanthemums in New York, and we cannot do better than let him tell us how he began the raising of the popular flowers. "I began the raising of seedlings some few years ago. Finding that I could procure seeds by keeping my house quite dry, and by giving water to the plants themselves very sparingly, I made some attempts at cross-fertilisation, and am satisfied that I have gained nothing by them; even at this time of the year it is very difficult to keep insects out of my houses, and, with a careful selection of proper plants, I fancy that they will distribute the pollen better than I could hope to do. Growing Chrysanthemums, as I do, for the pleasant occupation of the few leisure hours of a busy life, I have not given them to the trade they are in the hands of my friends; nor have I done more than exhibit some of them at horticultural shows at Boston and once at New York, when they received medals and certificates of merit. Some of my more recent seedlings are to me so satisfactory, that I am going to send you a few for your opinion." These flowers were sent from Boston on November 24, and reached me on the 5th of December quite fresh, and nearly as beautiful as when cut from the plants. Dr. Walcot also informs me that Mr. John Thorpe, a nurseryman near New York, has also raised this year some seedlings of unusual promise, and with this exception but little or nothing seems to

have been effected in Chrysanthemum improvement from American saved seeds. The following is a list of such of Dr. Walcot's seedlings as have been exhibited, and to which awards of merit have been made :—

Seedlings of Dr. H. P. Walcot's raising, 1879-1883: President Parkman (Japanese), plant of robust, compact growth, flowers full, bright rosy purple; President Hovey (Japanese), flowers large, spreading, brown, with salmon tint, white at the insertion of the florets; President Wilder (Japanese), florets red tipped, gold reverse, gold centre, bright yellow; Pontiac (Japanese), same habit and growth as President Parkman noted above, flowers full clear canary yellow; H. L. Higginson (Japanese), flowers medium sized, floret tubular, yellow-brown, extremities flaring and brown-red; Savannah, small flower, brilliant red, bright yellow centre; Hiawatha (Chinese), incurved, rose-violet, with lighter back, good form ; Minnehaha, large white flower, backs of petals slightly tinted with pink, finely incurved; George Walcot (Japanese), seedling of 1882; Robert Walcot (Japanese), seedling of 1882. The other flowers in box are from seedlings of 1883.

Two points of especial interest are worthy of note in connection with the above communication. Firstly, we find that a definite and successful beginning has been made in America, and that really fine varieties of Chrysanthemums are now raised there from home-grown and home-saved seeds. Secondly, Dr. Walcot's box of flowers arriving as they did in such perfect freshness and beauty proves to us at once the possibility of a cut-flower trade springing up between England and America, or at least that an interchange of cuttings and fresh specimens may be carried on for horticultural and scientific purposes.

On the same subject Mr. Thorpe, of New York, writes to me as follows. The subject is Chrysanthemums: "I have the past year or two been raising seedlings, but not until this season (1883) has it been satisfactory to me. A year since I determined to go to work in such a manner as to demonstrate what could be done by strict attention to fertilisation. 1 selected as seed parents Mrs. C. Carey, Fantaisie, and a variety semi-double Japanese seedling. For pollen parents I used Bras Rouge, Fulton, Fleur Parfait, and Katakanka; the result was enough seed to give me nearly 400 plants, of which over 375 flowered this October and November. The seed was sown the 1st of January, 1883, before eight o'clock in the morning, and I think I began the year well, for out of the lot I must save over 80. How does this compare with Forsyth's statement of Salter not saving over 5 or 6 out of 2000 or 3000? The most remarkable part of the thing is that from these crossings I have every imaginable type of Chrysanthemum known-and some not known -in the following proportion: 8 or 10 Pompons every type, 6 hybrid Pompons (sic), a few Chinese reflexed flowers, and a few incurved Chinese, the balance being Japanese. There are among these some of the most lovely single flowers with one ray of petals, others with 3 and 4 rays, others with 5 to 7, of all shades, of all shapes, and of all sizes, some as smooth as single Dahlias, others with petals twisted and curled like ostrich feathers. I shall send you in a few days report of those shown by me at New York, when you will see something about their forms. But what I want to know after such a positive trial is, where are the

species? Depend upon it, they are all mere varieties rather than referable to 3 species. If Gaillardia Lorenziana had been found in our Western States in company with G. picta and G. aristata, it undoubtedly would have been dubbed a species, and this is only one of the hundreds of wide variations originated in gardens."

CHAPTER XVII.

HINTS ON EXHIBITING.

CUT blooms that are intended for exhibition will keep fresh longer and look better if cut the evening before the show and placed in cups of water on a cool, moist cellar floor. Intending exhibitors must be especially careful to read, mark, learn, and carefully digest" the words and meaning of the schedule and regulations of the exhibition or society offering prizes. If the slightest doubt is felt, call upon or write to the secretary of such exhibition or society at once, and gain a clear idea as to what is meant, or disappointment may result, owing to your having unconsciously shown in a wrong class; or you may be disqualified for showing "clusters of flowers as grown" instead of the three best flowers, "clusters or bunches of three,' you have on all your plants. The following notes from the Journal of Horticulture will explain what is to be guarded against: "At a recent exhibition a class was provided in the schedule for twelve Pompons, not less than six varieties, to be shown in bunches of three, with foliage.' The chief prize was awarded to an exhibitor with three individual flowers of each variety. The second prize was awarded to another who staged three trusses of each variety, each bunch of three trusses probably containing over a dozen individual blooms. According to the reading of the schedule, ought not the latter stand to have been disqualified ? We state this question in order that our reply may be better understood and of more service generally, as the subject has much more than a personal significance. The second-prize stand referred to could not have been disqualified, as 'bunches' certainly were staged a bunch' meaning a cluster. A number of the same kind growing together, or a number of stems containing single flowers tied together, would form a bunch. In the Kingston schedule the stipulation is ' twelve bunches of Pompons, distinct, three stems as cut to form a bunch (Anemone, Pompon, and hybrids excluded). Mr. Moorman was rightly adjudged the first prize in this class, each of the stems having six or more fine flowers. According to the extract from the schedule first referred to, the judges might, perhaps, have disqualified the first-prize stand, as blooms, not bunches, of three varieties were staged, but they, no doubt, as judges usually do, exercised their discretion in reading ambiguous conditions. According to the Kingston schedule, they could neither have disqualified bunches of three single blooms as cut from the plant nor bunches containing several blooms on one stem. Whatever is meant by committees should be stated. Either 'three single blooms to form a bunch,' or 'three bunches of flowers as cut, number of blooms not limited,' would make the matter plain to all."