438 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ December 4, 1873, 



Mr. Allen says he ships them all over the -world ; and in con- 

 firmation, in part, of this fact, he has jnst filled an order from 

 London amounting to $1000 in gold. — {New York Evening Post.) 



DBTING FLOWERS IN THEIR NATURAL 

 COLOURS. 



I BEg to Buhmit a process of my own for effecting the object. 

 This is simply the drying of flowers in fine, well-washed white 

 or silver sand, at a comparatively low temperature. With this 

 view, the sand must be rendered perfectly dry by previous 

 heating, and transferred to any suitable receptacle, such as an 

 earthenware basin or a large deep jar, so that this may be 

 about half full. The flowers are then introduced, and very 

 carefully enclosed in the sand, so as to firmly support the 

 petals in their natural position, and the vessel is afterwards 

 filled up with additional sand. As thus prepared, it is at 

 once to be placed in an ordinary kitchan-oven, and kept at a 

 moderate temperature for about four hours, a shorter or a 

 longer time being necessary according to the amount of mois- 

 lare naturally present in the flowers. This important point — 

 the proper time required for the dicing — can, of course, only 

 be ascertained by experiment and observation. 



By this very simple process I have lately dried some of the 

 ordinary garden flowers, such as different varieties of the 

 Pelargonium, the Geranium sanguineum, the Tradescantia 

 virginica. Antirrhinums, &c., and with hardly any loss of 

 colour or change of form. I have, too, no doubt that anyone 

 ■who could devote more time and care to the process than I can 

 myself, would easily obtain stiU better results than those to 

 which I have referred. 



Considering the importance of botany as a branch of general 

 education, and the difficulty often exjyMrienced by students in 

 procuring flowers for examination, it is certainly a desideratum 

 to be able, by a simple and inexpensive mode of drying, to 

 preserve them without alteration either of form or colour. — 

 AV. H. Olley. — (English Mechanic) 



BOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S SHOW 

 AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS. 



Decemeeb 3ed. 



This Show, the last for the season, was held in the Council- 

 room, where, for the time of year, there was a fair display, 

 ■while in the entrauce-hall were ranged a number of excellent 

 specimens of Hollies and other evergreens. 



Two classes, respectively for twelve and six Tree Carnations 

 in 8-inch pots, came first in the schedule, but there was no ex- 

 hibitor in either. Next was a class for twenty-four cut blooms 

 of Japanese Chrysanthemums, and these were remarkabl}' fine 

 for this late period of the season. Mr. J. H. Hinnell, gardener 

 to F. A. Davis, Esq., Anglesea House, Surbiton, was first, and 

 Mr. J. Douglas, gardener to Francis Whitbourn, Esq., Loxford 

 Hall, Ilford, second. The best blooms were Bronze and Red 

 Dragon, Grandiflorum, Magnum Bonum, Oracle, The Daimio, 

 Meg Merrilees, Chang, and Fair Maid of Guernsey. 



Collections of Cyclamens were exhibited by Mr. Clarke, of 

 Twickenham, and Mr. H. B. Smith, Ealing, who were awarded 

 prizes in the order named. Mr. Clarke's flowers were of a more 

 distinctive character than those sent by the other exhibitor; they 

 comprised some handsome purplish crimson flowers of large 

 size, with massive foliage. For twelve Cyclamens, open class, 

 Mr. C. Turner, of Slougli, had the first prize for well-flowered 

 healthy specimens. Mr. Goddard, gardener to H. Little, Esq., 

 Cambridge Park, Twickenham, was second with very handsome 

 specimens, the flowers of good quaUty. Mr. R. Clarke was 

 third. A very good collection was sent by Mr. Turner, of 

 Slough ; it contained some brilliant-coloured flowers and well- 

 grown specimens. It had an extra prize. These fine winter 

 flowers are becoming quite common, and are very well adapted 

 for cutting or for the decoration of apartments. They made the 

 Council-room look quite gay at this dull season of the year. 



In collections of hardy evergreens bearing berries or orna- 

 mental fruit (HoUies excepted), the best group came from Mr. 

 George, gardener, Putney Heath. It consisted of Pernettyas, 

 Skimmia oblata and japonica, several Aucubas, Cotoneaster 

 Simmonsii, Gaultheria procumbens, &c., but several of the 

 plants were very small. Second came Mr. E. Smith, gardener 

 to T. D. Galpin, Esq., Putney Heath ; and third, Mr. Aldous, 

 florist, Gloucester Road, South Kensington. 



Of nine Hollies, the only exhibitors were Messrs. Veitoh, who 

 exhibited specimens ranging from 7 to 9 feet high, remarkably 

 fine not only in growth but in leaf-markings. These consisted 

 of Waterer's Gold-edged, vei'y dense and handsome; Hex Aqui- 

 folium pendnla, a weeping dark-green-leaved variety, in this 

 case beautifully berried ; Silver Queen ; Small Silver Queen ; 



fructu-luteo, yellow-berried ; Gold Queen, beautifully coloured; 

 Douningtoniensis, a dark, narrow-leaved, very distinct variety; 

 and aureo-marginata, with many of the leaves entirely yellow, 

 others margined with that colour, the whole forming a very 

 effective object. 



Prizes were offered for six Box, distinct, but failed to bring 

 any response; and of nine hardy Evergreens of the Yew or 

 Cypress type in 12-inch pots, Messrs. Staudish & Co., of Ascot, 

 were the sole exhibitors. A first prize was awarded them for a 

 group in which were nice specimens of Thujopsis dolabrata 

 and its variegated form ; the beautiful, dense, green Cupressus 

 Lawsoniana erecta viridis ; Retiuosporas, as flhfera and plumosa, 

 charming plants, not yet sufliciently grown ; and Taxus adpressa 

 stricta. 



Of Roman Hyacinths the best three 12-inch pans came from 

 Mr. F. Farrow, gardener to G. Batters, Esq., Brigadier Hill, 

 Enfield ; the second best from Messrs. Standish ; both were of 

 great excellence ; and Mr. Aldous, Gloucester Road, was third. 

 Messrs. Cutbush and Mr. Chambers had also good pans. Last 

 in the schedule came a class for the best collection of Endive 

 and other Salading. Mr. W. G. Pragnell, gardener to G. D. "W". 

 Digby, Esq., Sherborne Castle, Dorset, was first ■with a very fin© 

 collection indeed, it contained twelve sorts of Endive — Fraser'a 

 Late Improved, Digswell Prize, and "White Curled were repre- 

 sentative types — Carter's Perfection of Beets and Carter's Dwarf 

 Crimson Celery; large specimens of the New Californian 

 Radish, and nice Brown Cos Lettuce. Mr. J. Hepper, gardener 

 to C. 0. Ledward, Esq., Acton, also had a very good collection, 

 and was awarded the second prize. Mr. J. W. Moorman, gar- 

 dener to the Misses Christy, Kingston-on-Thames, was third. 



Foremost among the miscellaneous subjects of exhibition 

 was a coUeotion of Conifers from Messrs. Veitcb, of Chelsea, 

 for which a first prize was awarded. These comprised large 

 and extremely handsome examples of Juniperus drupaceaj 

 Thuja Vervaeneana, cinnamon-coloured; Retinospora plumosa, 

 extremely handsome ; Cryptomeria elegans ; Retinospora obtusa, 

 nana aurea, a fine golden variety ; Sciadopitys verticillata ; the 

 rush-like, pendulous Retinospora filifera ; E. lycopodioides, of a 

 fine shade of dark green; R. filicoides ; and Thujopsis dola- 

 brata. There is one purpose for which the Retiuosporas, beau- 

 tiful as they are elsewhere, and there not suggestive of mourn- 

 ful thoughts, are peculiarly appropriate — namely, for planting 

 in cemeteries. We recommend them for this purpose as brighter, 

 more hope-inspiring, than the Cypress and Yew. Mr. WilUam 

 Paul, of Waltham Cross, sent a group of different varieties of 

 Aucuba. An extra prize was awarded to Messrs. Standish for a 

 collection of Bouvardias and Lily of the Valley. 



Feuit Committee. — Alfred Smee, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 Mr. J. Chambers, Spring Grove, Isleworth, sent fruit of Blen- 

 heim Pippin Apples. Mr. Wright, gardener to G. Hunt, Esq., 

 Enfield, sent a conical red-striped Apple, said to be a seedling; 

 and Mr. J. Clark, gardener to Rev. A. D. Stackpool, Writtle, 

 near Chelmsford, also sent a seedling, which was so similar to 

 the former that the Committee could not observe any difference. 

 Neither of them was considered an improvement on others 

 already in cultivation. Mr. Gilbert, the Gardens, Burghley, sent 

 some good specimens of Passe Colmar Pear and Wyken Pippin. 

 Mr. Ross, the Gardens, Welford Park, near Newbury, sent 

 specimens of Welford Park Nonesuch, which were not so good in 

 flavour as they were last year. Mr. Taylor, Berners Street,. 

 Ipswich, sent specimens of a seedling Apple, evidently raised 

 from Iviug of the Pippins, but much inferior to that variety. A 

 seedling Pear from the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, of good 

 flavdbr, was objected to as not keeping well. Mr. Hepper, The 

 Elms, Acton, sent a basket of very fine specimens of Chau- 

 montel of a fine bright russet colour, but none of them were 

 ripe. Mr. F. Dancer, Little Sutton, sent a dish of Beurrc 

 d'Aremberg, well coloured and well grown. He also brought 

 a dish of Dutch Medlars. Mr. Watlam, gardener to A. H. Long- 

 man, Esq., Shendish, Hemel Hempstead, sent three bunches of 

 Black Alicante Grapes, which received a cultural commendation. 

 Mr. James Harris, the Garden, Singleton, Swansea, sent three 

 handsome Smooth Cayenne Pines, the aggregate weight of which 

 was 21 lbs. They received a cultural commendation. Mr. 

 Jones, of the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, sent three fruits of 

 Smooth Cayenne Pines, remarkable in every respect, and weigh- 

 ing 2.5 lbs. in the aggregate. They also were awarded a cultvural 

 commendation. 



Mr. Parr, East End House, Fulham, sent a basket of Mush- 

 rooms, the bed being spa^wned on November 28th. Messrs. 

 Veitch & Sons sent heads of Snow's Superb Winter White 

 Broccoh. Mr. Gilbert, of the Gardens, Burghley, Stamford,, 

 sent a collection of forced vegetables. Messrs. Veitch & Sons 

 exhibited fine fruit of Cobbett's Fall Pippin, which, being 

 cooked, was recommended by the Committee as a superior 

 kitchen Apple. 



This bemg the last meeting of the year, the Committee was 

 dissolved, and before separating unanimously passed a vote of 

 thanks to the Chairman, Mr. Alfred Smee. 



