310 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ October 23, 1878. 



late visit to ChUwell. Those that have stood the best here, 

 and which were also good in Mr. Pearson's trial-grounds, are 

 Mrs. Holden, Mrs. Augusta Miles, Mrs. Ffytche, and Mrs. 

 Tait ; these are all first-class for out-door embellishment. I 

 saw a bed of Mrs. Holden at Thoresby early in the summer, 

 and it was like Mr. W. Paul's Eoses — " Something to see once 

 and dream of for ever." I do not think that Mrs. Musters, 

 Mrs. Young, and Contessa Quarto are going to come out as 

 useful bedders, but they are pre-eminent as pot plants. Mrs. 

 Musters I consider the finest yet in commerce for conservatory 

 decoration. Miss Eose Peach makes a handsome pot plant ; 

 it is dwarf and compact, and the colour distinct, but my 

 opinion respecting it as a bedding variety is not altered. 



In the lilac pinks we have Amaranth and Florence Duraud, 

 both plants of undoubted merit, but your correspondent has 

 said so much in their behalf, and said it so well, that there is 

 nothing more for me to add in their favour. 



The above are the cream of Mr. Pearson's new sorts ; and if 

 I must make a selection from the above for bedding purposes, 

 I should cl cose the following: — Amaranth, Mrs. Hetley, Flo- 

 rence Dnrand, Mrs. Holden, Mrs. Augusta Miles, General 

 Outram, Mrs. A'incent, Shakespeare, Rev. T. F. Fenn, Colonel 

 Holden, Mrs. Eeynolds Hole, and Metcalt. In making a 

 selection for pot-culture I should take the following : — The 

 Eev. C. P. Peach, Miss Eose Peach, Mrs. Ffytch, Mrs. Musters, 

 Mrs. Young, Contessa Quarto, Corsair, Eose Bradwardine, 

 Amaranth, Mrs. Viuc.^i^t-, Frank MUes, Florence Durand, Amy 

 Eobsart, Col. Holden, ^.iis. F. Burnaby, and E. Sutton. 



I cannot close these desultory remarks without saying a few 

 words respecting the sorts which Mr. Pearson intends to send 

 out early in 1874. Mrs. Gibbons, an improved amaranth, 

 flowers deep lilac, and the trusses large. Colonel Wright, red, 

 immense truss, plain leaf, without any zone; habit fine. Miss 

 Laura Walker was very remarkable in colour, between a plum 

 and a cherry. H. E. Clifton, cherry colour; large bold truss. 

 Hon. Mrs. Sugden, scarlet crimson, with a light eye. Lady 

 EmDy Pierpoint, the most beautiful delicate pink I ever saw. 

 This I consider the sweetest Geranium Mr. Pearson has yet 

 raised. Caxton, fine large truss, cerise, suffused with plum. 

 Arthur Eogers, cerise, much like the preceding, but not so 

 dark. Lucy, bright rosy pink, large and fine, extra good. 

 Percy Cooper, bright scarlet, with white eye. John Watson, 

 fiery crimson, large petals, each flower 2 inches across. Sibylla, 

 red pink, trusses as large as an ordinary boy's billy-hat. Miss 

 Maud Holden, rich brilliant scarlet, with light centre. Mrs. 

 Turner, pink, shaded with lilac, light centre ; trusses immense 

 size, the largest I ever saw. My friend Mr. Parks, of Mans- 

 field, who is no mean judge respecting the merits of Geraniums, 

 was so delighted with Mrs. Turner that he came home with a 

 truss in his button-hole, and was freijuently stopped on the 

 way to see how many trusses he had tied together. Miss 

 Blanche Storey, delicate pink, with light eye. Cruger, scarlet, 

 suffused with pink, quite remarkable in colour. Nelly May, 

 salmon, shaded with scarlet. The above are all in advance of 

 anything that has preceded them, and only require to be in 

 the hands of the public to be appreciated. — Quintin Eead, 

 Ph'a/leij Tale Goi-rfcns, Mansfield. 



amateur from the following year, when he in turn gets them 

 from the nurserymen. Mistakes easily occur, and this year I 

 had to disqualify at Bath two or three stands of new Eoses, 

 because some we)'e shown of too old a standing. Amateurs 

 will consequently, I think, understand that Mr. Hintou wants 

 to elicit opinions on Eoses sent into nurserymen's hands in the 

 autumns of 18C9, 1870, and 1871.— C. P. Peach.] 



THE EOSE ELECTION. 



I FIND there is some misunderstanding as to the age of the 

 new Eoses. The catalogues by no means agree, and I have 

 received several replies that throw the whole poll into con- 

 fusion ; I therefore must simplify matters. It appears that by 

 a rule, I believe of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, Eoses date 

 from the autumn they were sent oixt, though probably they 

 appear in tbe catalogues of the following year as the new Eoses 

 for that year. Now, as the Eoses sent from abroad to us last 

 autumn can hardly yet be said to be acclimatised, and as any 

 positive opinion of their merits may give a fictitious value to 

 them before they are otherwise fully proved, it is proposed to 

 leave out these Eoses altogether ; and the question therefore 

 will stand thus : — Name the best twelve Eoses introduced 

 during tbe years 1869 (the year of Castellane) to 1871 (the 

 year of Etienne Levet) inclusive. Underline the best six of 

 these. — Joseph Hinton, Warminster. 



[Mr. Hinton sent me and the Rev. C- N. Pochin the above 

 previous to forwarding it to the Journal for insertion. There 

 is no doubt a difforenoo of opinion between nurserymen and 

 amateurs as to what constitutes an 18G9 or 1870 Eose. A 

 nurseryman, according to the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 rule, reckons his Rjses from the autumn he gets them ; an 



TOXTETH PARK AND AIGBUETH GAEDENEES' 

 SOCIETY, LIYEEPOOL. 



The meetings of this Society are held in the Schoolroom, 

 Lark Lane, on the first and third Fridays in each month. The 

 following is the annual Report : — 



At the commencement of the year now closed some important 

 alterations in the constitution of the Society were determined 

 on, and have since been carried out. The chief of these altera- 

 tions was the forming of a fund for the purpose of aiding afflicted 

 or distressed members, and the widows or children of deceased 

 members. The fund for this purpose has, since its formation, 

 been steadily increasing, and it is hoped that in a short time 

 this part of the Society's organisation will be ready for operation. 



During the past year the following papers were read at our 

 meetings : — " The Importance of giving Plants a Season of Eest," 

 by tbe President, Mr. Thomas White ; " Manures, their Use 

 and Abuse," Mr. J. E. Pocock; "The Sowing and Germination 

 of Seeds," Mr. W. H. Waddington; " The Camellia," Mr. James 

 Webster; "Horticultural Exhibitions," Mr. George Thomson; 

 " A Hint to Gardeners on Cleanliness and Order," Mr. G. H. 

 GaUoway; "On some of our Spring-flowering Bulbous Plants," 

 Mr. T. White; " Tropical Scenery," Mr. W. Odle ; " Gardening 

 as I Found it in America," Mr. J. Thompson ; " Liliums," 

 Mr. T. White ; " Advantages of Mental Improvement," Mr. J. 

 McElwee. The papers were full of excellent practical obser- 

 vations, and frequently produced discussions of a most interest- 

 ing and beneficial character. The resolution to devote each 

 alternate meeting to the inspection of, and remarks upon, speci- 

 mens of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, secured a series of most 

 interesting evenings, a large number of specimens having been 

 brought forward and commented upon. Among them were 

 many varieties possessing great merit but not generally known ; 

 the growth of these deserving varieties has no doubt been 

 thereby promoted to the advantage of employers as well as of the 

 employed. There can be no doubt that this is a most excellent 

 method of spreading desirable information as to the compara- 

 tive values of varieties, the best modes of treatment, and other 

 matters. 



The usual soiree of the Society took place in the school. Lark 

 Lane, on the evening of Friday, November 22nd, 1872, on which 

 occasion an unusually large niimber attended, considerably over 

 two hundred having been present. Songs, recitations, ttc, 

 enlivened the meeting, which passed most pleasantly. We are 

 happy to add that a balance resulted in favour of tbe Society. 



In regard to numbers the Society is in a satisfactory state, 

 while under tbe altered rules, a number of honorary members 

 have been added to the Society. These have been increasing up 

 to the present time, and will, it is confidently hoped, continue to 

 do so as the Society is more known and appreciated. 



The financial report shows that the funds of the Society have 

 been most carefully economised ; no heavy expenditure has been 

 incurred, the augmentation of the fund for benevolent purposes 

 having been kept steadily in view. 



In conclusion, we would urge upon members the importance 

 of making the existence and advantages of the Society widely 

 known, especially its value to the young men growing up in the 

 profession ; and we would again ask for tlie hearty co-operation 

 of all in endeavouring to promote its usefulness both as a means 

 of mutual improvement, and in every way to advance its in- 

 terests and prosperity. 



NEW BOOK. 



How to Groxo Asparagus. By W. Eaeley, &c. Bradbury and 

 Co., London. 



" Asp.ABAGUs is known to have been cultivated as a culinary 

 vegetable for nearly two thousand years. This cultivation ori- 

 ginated, probably, in Greece, and has thence been diffused to 

 the rest of Europe ; for its name is imcorrupted Greek, signify- 

 ing a bud before it has fully opened, clearly pointing to the state 

 in which it is used for culinary purposes ; and every nation in 

 Europe knows it by no other names than such as are derived 

 and corrupted from the Grecian. In German it is Spargel ; 

 in Dutch, Aspergie ; in Danish, Asparijis ; in Swedish, Sparis ; 

 in French, Asperge ; in Italian, Sparagio ; in Spanish, ^s/?a?"- 

 rago ; in Portuguese, Espargo ; and in Russian, Sparsoh, 



" Asparagus officinalis, or Wild Asparagus, is found native iu 

 Japan, and on the seacoasts of most parts of Europe ; and from 

 this, there is no doubt, our garden Asparagus has been raised. 



