April IB, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



279 



Other subjects, for which classes were not provided, consisted of a 

 large and beaatifnl collection of Chinese and Ghent Azaleas, Rhodo- 

 dendrons, including Countess of Haddington and Dalhouaianura, 

 Roses, Deutzias, ifcc, contributed by Messrs. Lane; a very pretty 

 mixed collection of Tulips, Lily of the Valley, and Spir.Ta japonica 

 from Mr. Bartlett, of Hammersmith ; British Ferns from Mr. James ; 

 baskctsfnl of Mrs. Dix and Miss Watson Tricolor Pelargoninms from 

 Mr. Watson, of St. Albans; nnd many fine varieties of the same 

 class of Pelargoniums from Messrs. E. G. Henderson, who also had 

 the beautiful Silver-leaved Meadow Grass and the pretty Aucuba- 

 leavcd Daisy. Mr. Tanton, Epsom Nursery, exhibited a remarkably 

 fine plant of C\'ptTUs alternifolius varic^^atuK ; Mr. Wigtjius. Isle- 

 worth, a fine collection of Cyclamens in GO-sized pots ; and from Mr. 

 Earley, Digswell, came a bos of cut fiowers containing Gardenias, 

 Roses, Cinerarias, Persian Lilacs, Acacias, Begonias, Clianthua, &c., 

 together wiih flowers of '* Trichosanthes cncumerina." like lacework, 

 but of which the correct name is doubtful. For the above exliibitions 

 several extra prizes were awarded, which will be found in the pub- 

 lished prize list. 



Floral Comjiittee. — A very nice collection of plants was famished 

 for the inspection of the Committee, and several novelties of various 

 merit were to be found among them. In the exhibitions of the 

 Society, the new plants and florists' seedlings seem always to excite 

 considerable interest. Mr. James Batcher exhibited a seedling 

 Auricula ; Messrs. Perkins &: Son, Coventry, a seedling Tricolor Zonal 

 Pelargonium, Queen Victoria, which it weis requested should be sent 

 again to compare with others. It is decidedly a good variety, and will 

 probably take a good position among its numerous relatives. Messrs. 

 Veitch sent a large and valuable collection of plants, among them 

 Sphajrogyne peruviana, a handsome, large- foliage d plant ; Coleus 

 Veitchii, from the South Sea Islands, very showy and distinct, the 

 centre of the leaf very dark, with a bright green margin. A first-class 

 certificate was awarded it. Also Diefleubachia Pearcei, which re- 

 ceived a second-class certificate ; Panieum variegatum, from the 

 South Sea Islands, with white and red variegation, very distinct, first- 

 class certificate ; Hippocyrta brevicalyx, a very carious flowering 

 plant, resembling in foliage Gesnera, and hai"ing globular orange 

 flowers, second-class certificate ; Franciscea calycina major, with 

 beautiful large lavender flowers ; a new species of Nepenthes, which 

 it was requested should bo sent again ; Primula cortusoides amoena, 

 a beautiful spring- flowering Primrose, quite hardy ; Gymnostachyum 

 Pearcei ; and the graceful Hoteia (Spirpea) japonica, a forced hardy 

 herbaceous plant most useful at this season for decorative purposes. 

 Mr. Bull sent several new Ferns — namely, LastreaFilix-mas Bamesii, 

 which received a first-class certificate ; Athyrium Goringianum pietum, 

 a distinct variegated form, and very beautiful, which also had a first- 

 class certificate ; Athyrium Filix-foemina pulchrum, which had a 

 second-class certificate ; Athyrium Filix-foemina elegans ; also Habeu- 

 aria margaritacea, and Camellia Lavinia Maggi rosea, which was 

 awarded a second-class certificate. This is a sport from Lavinia 

 Maggi, but very inferior in form and beauty. 



From Messrs. Dobson, Isleworth, came seedling Cineraria Beatrice, 

 deep white centre, with a magenta margin ; second-class certificate. 

 Mr. W. Paul sent seedling Zonal Pelargoniums Rouge etNoir, Prince 

 Silverwing, Red Admiral, Topaz, and Jason, a bright yellow-foliaged 

 variety, which was awarded a first-class certificate. It is fully early 

 to decide upon the merits of these sporting varieties ; when planted out 

 of doors their merits will be more fully developed. From the same 

 came also Aucuba japonica ovata, a green -foliaged variety, which had 

 a first-class certificate ; Aucuba japonica salicifolia to be seen again ; 

 Alnus aarea, a y';llow-leaved plant, which received a first-class certi- 

 ficate as being useful for a shrubbery or plantation ; and Crata?gus 

 oxyacautha coccinea flore pleno, which had a first-class certificate. 

 This is certainly a plant which cannot be over-rated ; the intense bright 

 red colour, and the numerous clusters of the double flowers make this 

 Cratcegns invaluable ; no admirer of this charming family can be 

 ■without it, all other pink varieties are truly in tho shade beside it, 

 beautiful as they all are. Mr. S. Parsons, Tumham Green, had a 

 seedling Azalea Beauty of Fairlawn and Azalea Rival, not equal to 

 well-known named sorts. Mr. S. W. Pilchcr, Plaistow, sent seedling 

 Alpine Auricula Emma, deep rosy crimson, \vith a yellow centre ; it was 

 awarded a second-class certificate ; also Veronica chamrcdrys varie- 

 gata. Mr. Parkes, gardener to G. Cooper, Esq., Old Kent Road, sent 

 a collection of cut Orchids, among them Odontogloseum tulipiferum (?) 

 and Dendrobinm thyrsiflorum. also plants in fine bloom of Odonto- 

 glossum Alexandrae. A special certificate was awarded for these 

 handsome spikes of flowers. Where were the far-famed, as far adver- 

 tisements make them so, new Violets ? Not even the Czar put in an ap- 

 pearance. Surely if worth anything the new double kinds ought to have 

 been introduced on this occasion to the public. The Pansies were all 

 that could be wished, and some of the finest kinds ever exhibited, but 

 the Violet ought decidedly to have been represented at this meeting, 

 we mean that highly-scented modest flower with nodding head. 



Frutt Committee. — Mr. Lydiard, Batheaston, sent a good dish of 

 Alice Maude Strawberry, Lydiard's Improved, Rifleman, and Hedsor 

 Winter Prolific Cucumbers, and a dish of a white seedling Potato, very 

 good for this season. From Mr. Melville, gardener to the Earl of 

 Roseberry, Dalmeny Park, came Melville's Imperial Early Cauliflower 

 Broccol:. 



Geneeal Meeting. — W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in the 



chair. The business was entirely of a formal character. Seven new 

 Fellows were elected, and the St. Mary's Church Cottage Garden 

 Society, and the Spalding Floral and Fruit Society were admitted into 



SUDDEN DEATH OF TANSIES AND 

 CINERARIAS. 



In* a former number of your Journal the question '* "Why 

 Pansies died off suddenly, or some parts of them did so ? '* 

 was asked. In a recent number the same question is put, 

 touching the sudden death of Cinerarias. 



I think I can answer both your correspondents, having, like 

 them, been a sufferer, and in both instances, but, after close 

 inquiry, a discoverer, too, which they do not seem to have been. 

 First of all, let me state a physiological fact — a ring of bark 

 taken oS down to the wood of any woody vegetation, tree or 

 plant, if complete, destroys the vitality of the roots and ulti- 

 mately that of the plant. Farther, though scientific men 

 know the fact, society in general does not, nor do all gardeners, 

 that the roots lift, by a special system, the nourishment from 

 tho soil for the plant, but do not partake of it themselves 

 while it is in a crude state ; the roots, to be healthy, requiring 

 the intervention of bark, the same as the trunk of a tree or 

 plant does. The bark descends in continuation from the 

 stem, however altered in appearance, and by it the sap which 

 the roots lifted up into the tree descends in its improved 

 character. The roots are merely organs of nourishment, and 

 as organs must be kept healthy, or they will not perform their 

 duties to the tree or plant. Roots, as I have before remarked, 

 do not nourish themselves directly, but by means of the sap 

 descending by the stem. If by any chance a complete inter- 

 ruption to the flow of sap is made at the level of the ground, 

 just where the sap-bark begins, by cutting off the bark down 

 to the woody fibre, the roots will infalUbly die, the plant 

 following. 



With reference to Pansies, Cinerarias, and some other 

 similar plants, dying off, I found a ring of the bark com- 

 pletely eaten away to the woody fibre in each instance. It 

 would appear as if the plant supported itself for a few hours 

 after this result had taken place, by the sap in store, and that 

 the roots in the meanwhile became useless, the plant by the 

 morning dying suddenly, however well it looked overnight. 

 The night being the time when plants draw on their roots 

 most largely, and the leaves giving out most freely their gaseous 

 vapours in the morning — that is the time of our finding a 

 withered plant. (?) 



In some cases I thought woodlice barked the plants, and 

 so they do, but they bite here and there, up and down the 

 stem, for half an inch, and do not completely eat away the 

 bark, unless they are very numerous, crowding and poison- 

 ing the Pansy root as well as eating it. Wireworms. however, 

 are the worst of all pests in the flower garden. They keep 

 just at the line of junction between the hard bark of the stem 

 of the plant, and the softer bark of the root, and just below 

 the earth one wireworm will thus concealed work away at 

 the bark, entirely encircling the plant, and as surely destroy- 

 ing the roots by cutting oS the supply of nourishment these 

 derived from the plant's stem. There is no sure remedy but 

 catching the wireworms, nothing else will be effectual. — M. D. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE. 



The Chrysanthemum is one of our most useful autumnal 

 flowers for greenhouse and conservatory decoration. It comes 

 into beauty when other flowers are scarce, and enlivens our 

 plant-houses at the dullest season of the year. With careful 

 cultivation it may be grown to any size, be trained to any shape, 

 or adapted to almost any purpose. 



The plants may be easily increased either by cuttings, suck- 

 ers, layers, or dividing the roots. I consider the most easy 

 and business-like way, or at least that by which the best foun- 

 dation is laid for future success, is by cuttings, and as this is 

 the mode I generally adopt I shall treat on it only. 



The cuttings are taken from the old plants early in March,, 

 or about the middle of that month. This season I took off my 

 first batch of cuttings about the 15th of March. They should be 

 about 3 or 4 inches long, and, the lower leaves being trimmed, 

 off, should be cut just below a joint. Three or four cuttings. 

 are inserted in a 60-6ized or three-inch pot, in a compost con- 



