12G 



JOUENAIi OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ February 11, 1807. 



Lindlcy Lihraiy be not sold, bnt that the Royal Horticnltnral Society 

 become the gimrautors, ami sunly they mijjlit an-anpe to pay for it by 

 the end of next year if they could not do so now. For bis own part 

 he should bo glad to give a £10 note, and surely there would be many 

 who would come forward and preserve so very valuable a possession for 

 the Society (hear, hear). 



The PiiESiDENT observed that the real question was whether the 

 Society was in a peeuniai-y state to enable them to keep the Library. 

 Had they in the present condition of the funds power to lay out £GUO ? 

 If they were able to do so even' one must feel it was very desii-able it 

 should be preserved for the Society. The Council would be most 

 willing as well as himself (the President) in doing anything that 

 should be deemed advisable to assist in the important object suggested 

 (hear). 



The Scratineerg, Messrs. Fortune and Bootli, then delivered in the 

 ballot papers, and it appeared that Lieut. -General the Hon. C. Grey, 

 Major Trevor Clarke, and Mr. Wentworth W. Buller were unani- 

 mously elected to till the ordinaiy vacancies in the Council in the 

 room of the vacating members, Mr. W. Wilson Saunders, F.E.S., Sir' 

 Al-thur BuUcr, and the Right Hon. W. Cowper, M.P. 



The officers elected were as follows : — President, His Grace the Duke 

 of Bnccleueh; Treasurer, Mr. Geo. F. Wilson, F.E.S. ; Secretaiy, 

 Lieut-Col. Scott, R.E. ; Expenses Committee-men, Mr. Geo. F. Wil- 

 son, F.R.S., Lieut.-Col. Scott, E.G., Mr.Heniy Cole. C.B. ; Auditors, 

 Mr. James Nicholson, Mr. John Gibson, Mr. Robert Hudson. 



The President declared the elections carried, and that concluded 

 the business of the Meeting. 



Col. Challoner proposed a cordial vote of thanks to the Dnke of 

 Bnecleucb for bis courteous and obliging conduct in the chaii-, which 

 proposition was seconded by Mr. Harry Chester. 



His Grace expressed his tbanka for the compliment, and the Meet- 

 ting terminated. 



LUTON HORTICULTUEAL SHOW— TIREBUCK'S 

 PELARGONIUMS. 



DunixG last season there -were two very good borticultural 

 atid floral exbibitious in the town of Luton, of which, but for 

 the press of other matter, I had intended to take some notice. 

 I would then have alUuled to some of the drawbacks, and to 

 some of the causes which operate as hindrances to success in 

 the case of provincial exhibitions, and I may yet do so before 

 exhibition times come roimd. There was nothing wanting at 

 Luton to command success but at least a tenfold greater at- 

 tendance of visitors, and considering that Luton is pre-emi- 

 nently distinguished alike for the number, the beauty, and the 

 industry of its female population, it was a matter of regret that 

 many more of them did not attend to show that " beauty " 

 could admire the beautiful. In all such cases in manufac- 

 turing towns, and especially until such exhibitions were tho- 

 roughly established, it would be wise policy, instead of having 

 tents in an open meadow, to have the show in the largest room 

 that could be obtained,' and to have the room open until be- 

 tween nine and ten o'clock in the evening. If in such a case 

 those who could not well leave tht ir duties duriug the day; did 

 not attend, it would then be proof positive that in that par- 

 ticular place there was no taste for such things, and that even 

 the love of the beautiful, which some contend is innate, espe- 

 cially in female character, would require to be formed before 

 it could be fostered. 



I shall not at present say anything of the excellent produc- 

 tions contributed by the manufacturers, merchants, tradesmen, 

 gardeners, and cottagers of the town and neighbourhood, but 

 ■would add that the exhibition -was much indebted to Messrs. 

 Lane for a fine collection of Eoses ; to Mr. Spriggins, nursery- 

 man, of St. Albaus, for a similar collection ; to Mr. Watson, of 

 St. Albans, for another, also for beautiful Ferns, and a well- 

 grown collection of the best tricolor Pelargoniums, including 

 fine plants of the beauliful Miss Watson ; and to Mr. Tirebuck, 

 nurseryman, Luton, for a large miscelluneous collection of 

 plants, including a number of seedling Variegated and Zonale 

 Pelargoniums, which arrested a good share of attention, on 

 account of their merit. After seeing a goodly number of seed- 

 lings during the season, I picked out a few from those ex- 

 hibited, and examined them again in the houses and grounds 

 at the nursery, and though my opinion might not be the same 

 as that of others, or even in unison with that of Mr. Tirebuck, 

 the varieties selected are what I would like to have the chance 

 of cultivating myself. 



1. Pelargoniums with Fine Foliage. 



Kate Tirebuck. — This is chiefly distinguished from Mrs. 

 Pollock by the zones of yellow and purple being broader, brighter, 

 and more conspicuous. 



Porriof.— Chiefly distinguished from Mrs. Pollock by its 



growth being more free and vigorous — a matter of importance 

 in some places. 



Dandij. — A. pretty little variety, in the way of Italia TJnita, 

 but far more vigorous in its habit. 



The following two would make brown-tinted beds. I forget 

 what the flowers are like. 



lUeJiurd KcUy. — The centre and edges of the leaves greenish 

 yellow, with a broad brown zone between them. 



Catliarinr. — Greenish yellow edging, narrow plain green 

 centre, and deep brown zone between. These two will not 

 compare with the Mrs. Pollock and Italia Unita sections, but 

 they are distinct, and from their free growth would flourish 

 where the others might be miffy and sickly. 



Lndij Slade. — I mention this, because with scarcely a tingo 

 of gi'ceu on a leaf or two, all the other leaves were of a pure 

 white, and had maintained the same character for more than a 

 twelvemonth. I have met with a few seedlings, and plenty of 

 sports of this white colour in the leaves, but I never knew them 

 continue in health, or even in existence for any length of time. 

 I should even be doubtful of her ladyship keeping her white 

 robes unsullied ; but time will tell. 



2. Nosegay Pelargoniums. 



Felir. — This, as noticed by myself, is a beautiful kind for a 

 low bed. The neat green foliage carpets the ground, the flower- 

 stalks rise thickly (i or more inches above them, the trusses 

 are large, the individual flowers small, and flickering with every 

 breeze, and the colour a lilac pink. A little gem. 



Oliver Tu-ist. — Very bright red flowers, large trusses, good 

 habit. 



2Iasterpicce. — Bright orange scarlet flowers, deep green 

 foliage, dwarf compact habit ; free bloomer. 



Stdlla Inqjrored. — Bright scarlet; free blooming. 



Cerise. — Scarlet Nosegay ; huge trusses ; compact habit. 



Jewess. — Indian Yellow scarlet ; large truss of blooms ; f oUage 

 deep green, with a black zone. 



3. Pelargoniuiis with Eegular-formei> Flowees. 



Emibj iloreland. — Bright scarlet flower, with a white eye; 

 dark zoned foliage ; free blooming, meditmi as to vigour of 

 growth. A very nice variety. 



St. Ciair. — Pink salmon or cerise scarlet blossom ; individual 

 flowers very large ; trusses large. 



Luton Gem. — Deep scarlet, shaded with a light stripe, large 

 truss. 



Javies Nixon. — Crimson scarlet, large flower, large truss, 

 free-blooming, dark zonate foliage. 



Crimson Cushion. — The crimson is striped with white, and 

 the habit of growth compact. 



Tirchuck's Gem. — Kosy blush colour, free blooming, good 

 habit. 



Out of some scores of good flowers I have selected six in each 

 division, and were they for my own growth, and I could only 

 take a few, I would choose those first named, preferring the 

 first to the second, the second to the third, and so on. No 

 doubt Mr. Tirebuck -will send out a larger list when the plants 

 are purchasable. I will merely mention one more. 



Pearl. — Pure white flower. An improvement on Madame 

 Vaucher, so far as I could judge, the white colour remaining 

 white, and not becoming pinky, as in Madame Vaucher, but I 

 did not see it out of doors. The trusses were large, and the 

 habit of the plant dwarf and compact. — II. F. 



LET COMPETITORS BE FAIRLY MATCHED. 



I have a small garden and gi-eenhouse, and in addition to 

 turning out two or three thousand bedding plants annually, I 

 grow a few specimens of Zonale Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Chry- 

 santhemums, and other plants. I have no gardener or assist- 

 ance of any kind, and raise and plant everything with my own 

 hands. 



Having been rather successful last year with my specimen 

 plants I thought I would exhibit at some of the neighbouring 

 shows. I sent for some prize lists, and entered the plants 

 in the classes open to amateurs and gentlemen's gardeners, the 

 other classes being for nurserymen and cottagers only. I need 

 hardly say I did not obtain a prize, and no wonder, for I was 

 the only amateur exhibitor, and had to contend against the 

 gardeners of noblemen and county gentlemen employing half 

 a score of gardeners or more, with better appliances and more 

 glass than most of our best nurserymen, and actually taking 

 prizes over the nurserymen's heads at the same shows. 



