January 18, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND OOITAQB GAEDENEE. 



«7 



with the clipping eheaxs, the plants then start into rapid 

 growth and flower again in July. My reason for writing abont 

 the Cytisus racemosus is that its hardiness is not generally 

 known. Any person seeing it in bloom and healthy as it is 

 here cannot fail to say it well deserves a prominent place iu 

 every shrubbery. — A. Campbell, The Gardens, Muckross Abbey, 

 Killarney. 



NATIONAL ROSE SOCIETY. 



The lovers of the queen of flowers will be glad to hear that 

 matters are progressing satisfactorily with regard to the new 

 Society founded in her honour. An informal meeting of the 

 Committee, at least of those members resident in and near 

 London, has been held at the Horticultural Club, holding the 

 same relationship to the general meeting of the Committee 

 that the " pourparlers " at Constantinople did to the more 

 important meetings now being held — i.e., plans were brought 

 forward to be submitted to the general meeting of the Com- 

 mittee which will be held on the first Wednesday in February. 

 Amongst other important matters a schedule for the first 

 Show of the Society on July 4th was prepared to be submitted 

 to the members of the Committee, so that when they meet 

 they will have had time to digest it and make suggestions for 

 alterations and improvements, when it will be printed and 

 circulated. I may state that the prizes suggested are very 

 liberal, and amount in the aggregate to upwards of £230, and 

 that this will be for cut Koses alone. No pot Roses or vases 

 of flowers, or any miscellaneous subjects, are recommended. 

 It was also suggested that each member of the Society should 

 have two admissions for the Exhibition to admit them an 

 hour before the general public. To all real lovers of the Rose 

 this will be a real boon, as it wOl give them an opportunity of 

 quietly looking over the stands exhibited. 



It was also proposed that in the various localities where the 

 Rose is in favour someone should be requested to act as local 

 Secretary, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the 

 Society, securing members, &e. Several well-known amateurs 

 have already signified their readiness to act in this capacity, 

 and I have no doubt that I shall shortly be able to announce 

 a goodly number who have thus consented to act. So far, 

 then, all is working well ; and although the time of year is 

 unfavourable and the season depressing, yet I have every con- 

 fidence that the work so auspiciously begun will be effectively 

 carried out. 



I should add that it is one wish of the Committee when they 

 publish their schedule to announce on it the dates of the 

 various Rose ehowa throughout the kingdom, and if possible 

 to prevent that clashing of interests which has been found so 

 detrimental ; and communications are now being opened with 

 the Secretaries of the various societies to ask their kind aid in 

 this matter. — D., Deal. 



BEERIED SOLANUMS FOR WINTER 

 DECORATION. 



Few plants are more easily grown and at the same time 

 more useful for the winter decoration of the greenhouse than 

 the above. I will detail my practice in growing them, which 

 baa hitherto given very satisfactory results. 



If the object is to have good plants in small pots I find it 

 best to BOW the seed about the middle of November in gentle 

 faeat. The young seedlings will be ready to prick-off in thumb 

 pots the first week in .January. In six or eight weeks they 

 will require a shift into 4-inch pots, still keeping them in a 

 warm pit or frame. By the end of April or early iu May they 

 should have another shift into pots a size or two larger. This 

 with me is their final one. At the end of May, or when all 

 danger of late frost is over, I plunge them in ashes out of 

 doors where they are sheltered from high winds but fully ex- 

 posed to the sun. When they fill their pots with roots they 

 should have frc quent waterings with manure water, and should 

 remain plunged till they have set and swelled-off their fruit, 

 which will be about the middle or end of September. I find 

 the November sowing always gives more satisfactory results 

 than spring sowing. With regard to older and larger plants I 

 cut them well back in April, and at the end of May prepare 

 a bed of free rich soil about 12 inches deep on a hard bottom. 

 The plants are then turned out of their pots and the old balls 

 considerably reduced, and planted out about 2 feet apart each 

 way. They are taken up and potted in as small pots as pos- 

 sible towards the end of September. It is a good plan to cut 



round the balls with a spade or edging-cutter two or three 

 weeks previous to this. After potting keeping them in a close 

 frame, shaded from hot sun and syringed overhead once or 

 twice a-day for a fortnight, they will then bear free exposure 

 to air and light. The berries will speedily change colour, and 

 in the dull months of winter amply repay the little trouble 

 and attention required to grow them. — J. E. 



[The sprays sent (Solanum capsicastrum) were loaded with 

 highly-coloured berries and strikingly handsome. We never 

 before saw any so densely fruited. — Eds.] 



VENN'S BLACK MUSCAT AND DUKE OF 

 BUCCLEUCH GRAPES. 



It is somewhat surprising to find Venn's Muscat Grape so 

 condemned by Mr. Wildemith and spoken so highly of by other 

 good growers. What can be learned by these conflicting state- 

 ments ? Does the situation suit Mr. Wildsmith's Vine, or in 

 what way can the early shrivelling be accounted for ? I have 

 fruited Venn's Black Muscat two seasons, and find its produce 

 a grand Grape of easy cultivation. We had it ripe in July, 

 and kept a specimen bunch till November quite fresh and 

 plump and of delicious flavour. I do not remember anyone 

 recommending it as a late Grape, but for an early ormidseason 

 Grape of easy cultivation nothing can surpass it. It is a good 

 grower, profuse bearer, free setter, ripening as early as a Black 

 Hamburgh, with a rich Muscat flavour. 



The Duke of Buccleuch has fruited here two seasons, and 

 has proved very satisfactory under precisely the same treat- 

 ment as the above — that is to say, the Vines have had no 

 special treatment or coddling whatever. The Duke of Buccleuch 

 is a little earlier than Venn's Muscat, and the fruit may not 

 keep so long ; however, we kept a bunch two months in fine 

 condition, and showed it at the Dundee International Exhi- 

 bition, where it was much admired. 



I should advise " Aspiring Ahateuk " to give these Vines a 

 fair trial, and if he has room to plant Black Hamburgh and 

 Foster's White Seedling as supernumeraries. — J. H. Goodacre, 

 Elvaston. 



FLORISTS' FLOWERS IN THE SOUTH. 



The harp of "D." of Deal, as illustrated in his retrospect in 

 your last week's issue, seems yet to be " upon the willows," 

 and somewhat out of tune. He says he has " been twitted for 

 saying florists' flowers are at a discount in the south," but 

 whilst he " cheerfully acknowledges the attempts that are being 

 made to revive an interest in them he is compelled to abide 

 by his view." 



Will you permit me to say, that instead of seeing in the work 

 going forward attempts to revive an interest in florists' 

 flowers, I look upon that work as an incontrovertible proof of 

 the vital living interest existing in them ? and I assert that 

 logically no other interpretation is possible. Further, "D., 

 Deal," tell us he has " been accused of disloyalty to the cause 

 for having said this," and adds, " to all who know the deep and 

 hearty interest I have taken in florists' flowers all my life this 

 will seem simply an absurdity." 



Well, I know something of this deep and hearty interest o£ 

 which " D., Deal," speaks, and I ask you to allow me to pro- 

 pound to him the following question : — Has not this deep and 

 hearty interest in the case of the Auricula, his favourite flower, 

 brought him in reference to its classification, mode of showing, 

 and properties into antagonism with the late Rev. George 

 Jeans and the Rev. J. Bramhall — in Eoses with Messrs. Rivers 

 and William Paul — and in Carnations and Picotees with 

 Mr. Dodwell ? The names quoted are those of gentlemen of 

 weight and authority in connection with the flowers named ; 

 and I shall but record the simple fact, that iu the conflict of 

 opinion in each case, " D." of Deal won no followers, but re- 

 mained, as he seems yet perversely resolved to remain, the 

 sole exponent of his very singular and paradoxical views. — 2. 



ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA CONING. 

 In No. 824, page 27, a correspondent says, " Can you inform 

 me if it is usual for the above tree to bear seed to perfection 

 in this country ?" On reading the above I thought it might 

 not be uninteresting to say that this ornamental and truly 

 beautiful tree coned freely in 187.3 in the rectory gardens of 

 the Eev. Henry Bonrchier Wrey, Tawstock, North Devon. Not 

 having seen Mr. Wrej'a trees since that date, I cannot answer 



