Febraary 22, 1877 



JOUENAL OP HORTIOULXURE AND COTTAGE QAEDENEB. 



137 



wa3 unable to ascertain the real method of formation. — 

 {Xatun:) 



In a paper read before the Sin Francisco Miorojcopical 



Society Mr. J. P. Moore states that Pinos tuebkiul.vta can be 

 readily distingaished from other species from the fact thit it 

 bears its cones on the main trunk of tho trfe, giving it a 

 singular appearance, as they are arranged around the trunlt 

 almost in a circle. I'snally five, though often seven cones 

 compose the circle : sometimes two or three of these circles of 

 cones will be crowded together. A peculiar feature of those 

 cones is their mode of attachment to the trunls. It may be 

 observed that the bases of the cones lest againist the bsrlc, and 

 that they are so firmly fixed as to bear the pressure of several 

 hundred pounds without breaking oil. These cones appear 

 upon the trunk while the tree is young, and never shed until 

 the Irje dies or ha^ been felled, and even then they do not 

 open for a long time. — [Aiiicricnn Ciilliiatnr ) 



The first number is issued of an important publication, 



" The Wii.i> Fi.o.vEns of A.^[EEICA," by Dr. D. L. Goodale, Pro- 

 fessor in Ilirvard University, with coloured illustrations by 

 Isaac Sprogne. Tho number consists of figures of five species 

 in four plitee, and the pUto! are accompanied by a botanical 

 description together with some gossip about folk-lore, popular 

 name.', iVo. 



THE CCLTDBE OF PRIMDL.\S. 



The Pi-imula being one of the most useful and effective 

 plants for autumn and winter decoration, also for affording 

 flowers for cutting, that it may be useful to state how I pro- 

 duced the good specimens which were noticed in the Journal 

 a few weeks ago. They were grown in small IS-sized pots, 

 some of Ihe plants being 2 feet in diameter, each caa-ying l.jO 

 to 200 flowers, some of which measured 2 inches across. I 

 grew two varieties of Mr. Williams's strain — namely, sinensis 

 fimbtiata and filicifolia, white and red. 



Mv mole of culture is as follows: — The seeds are sown 

 in Fdbruiry in shallow square pans. The pins are well 

 drained with crocks, over which is placed a layer of moss. 

 Although the pans are shallow the moss hold^ moisturo for a 

 long time, which is a great point in rearing Primulas. The 

 pans are tilled with well-deciyed leaf soil sifted through a 

 rathsr coarse sieve, not pressing the soil firmly, but leaving it 

 rough on the surface. The seed is sown thinly and not covered, 

 but is sprinkldd with water at about 70". The pan is covered 

 with a squire of glass, and is placed in a stove where it is quite 

 away from the direct rays of the sun. The reason I prefer 

 square pins for ssed-sowiog is that I find them much more 

 easy to cover with g'a-"3 than round pm?. Very little water is 

 required until the sied has gPiuiiaated, which I fiad with this 

 treatment i< in about fourteen days from the time of sowing. 

 When the seedlings appear finely sifted leaf soil is sprinkled 

 amongst them. I have often seen the roots incline to come 

 npwvrds instead of taking to their proper home; hence the 

 sprinkling referred to, v.hich I have found to be beneficial. 



As Eo?n as the se?d!iog3 are Urge enough they are pricked 

 off into pans ot the same kind filled in the same manner as 

 before, with the exception that a Iit*.le loam is used with tfce 

 leaf soil, and they are placed on a shelf in a warm structure. 

 As soon as they have filled the pans with roots, which is about 

 the middle of Miy, they are potted singly into tiO-sized pots, 

 using this time a little stronger compost. The seedlings fjel 

 their removal but very slightly, alter having been previously 

 grown in leaf soil. Tbey are potted rather tirmly. Until this 

 season I was under the impression that the Primula did not 

 like firm potting, but I potted these plants when I gave them 

 their final shift as firmly as I should Pelargoniums, and I have 

 been well rewarded. About the end of Miyor beginning of 

 June the plants are placed in a frame, shading them during 

 the hottest part of the day. As soon as the pots are well filled 

 with roots, which is about the middle of 'uly, they are potted 

 into IS-sizel pots well drained, ming about two parts and a 

 half of good loam, one part ot leaf soil, and a halt part of two- 

 year-old fowls' manure, adding a little pounded charcoal, and 

 plenty ot silver sand. They are afterwards placed in a cold 

 frame, alfordiig th=m plenty of room for a free circulation of 

 air amongst thsm. They are syringed slightly after the shading 

 is removed about four o'clock in the afternoon. All the air 

 possible is admitted during llie day, and the ventilators are 

 left open about 2 inches at the back of the frame at night. 

 The roots ore never allowed to become dry, liberal supplies of 

 water being indispensable to the well-doing of the plautj. 



After the middle of August a pinch ot guano is sprinkled 

 over the surface of the soil onca a week, which is of great 

 assistance to the plants, improving tho size and colours of the 

 flowers. The flower buds are pinched out until the middle of 

 September, after which time they are allowed to remain and 

 expand. About the end ot September or the beginning of 

 Octobsr tho plants are removed from the frame and are placed 

 oa a shelf in a greenhouse. They are in full beauty by the 

 middle of November, and continue flowering freely until the 

 present time with the assistance of a little guano and manure 

 water.— .J. PniiERs. 



DINNER TO MR. JOHN LEE. 

 We noticed in our last issue that it was the intention of 

 some friends of Mr. Lse, who were members of the Horticul- 

 tural Club, to invite him to a complimentary dinner at the 

 Club house on the occasion of his retirement from business 

 after an honourable career of fifty-four years. The dinner 

 took place on Thursday evening last, and was in every respect 

 a most successful one. A very large number of horticulturists 

 met to do honour to their guest, many having come from 

 various parts of the country for tho purpose. The chair was 

 occupied by Dr. Hogg, and the vice-chair by Ihe Hon. and llev. 

 ■I T. Bo cawen. Amongst those present were Messrs. (i. l'\ 

 Wilson, H. J. Elwes, L-swia H. Kiliick, J. West, Dr. Masterg, 

 Piev. H. H. Dombrain, Herbert Adams, T. Moore, T. M. Shnt- 

 tleworth, E. E. Cutler, H. K. Mayor, Henry Webb, H. G. 

 (^•uilter. Smith (Kew), A.F.Barron (Chiswick), Harry Veitch, 

 Bull, McMauus, C. Turner, G. Paul, Wheeler, Wills, Deal, 

 Francis Rivers, Matthews, A. Henderson, Charles Lee, Williams, 

 &a. The tibles were most beautifully decorated by Mr. Wills 

 with his accustomed ta^te, who thus desired to show his respect 

 for the guest, and the choicest flowers and plants were lavishly 

 used for the occasion. Mr. L. H. Killick contributed a fine col- 

 lection of fruit f jr the dessert. The dinner wa.s of the most 

 ri'cherchk description, and reflected great credit on the manager 

 of the Club. 



The toast of the evening, the health of Mr. Lee, was proposed 



in feeling and appropriate terms by the chairman, who alluded 



to the historical character ot the firm, and how during its long 



career it had been bound up with the prigress of horticulture 



in this country. He spoke also of hie own long friendship 



with Mr. Lee, and tendered him on his own behalf, and that 



of those assembled, tho right hand of fellowship, wishing him 



long life and happiness to enjoy his Wfll-earued rest. Mr. 



Lee, who on ri.-iog was received with hearty cheers again and 



{ again repeated, acknowledged with much emotion the compti- 



I ment which had been paid him, so unexpected and yet so 



welcome, and cordially thanked all those who had been iu any 



I way instrumental in paying him this compliment and the 



I many friends who were present, and said that the recollections 



I of this evening would ever remain in bis memory. Among the 



I other toasts proposed were the Chairman, by the llev. H. H. 



' Dombrain ; tbe Vice-Chairman, by H. J. lilwts, Esq ; the 



[ Horticultural Club, by Dr. Masters, Aj. 



There was but one sentiment expressed by all present, that 

 of unmixed satisfaction at the complete success of the dinner. 



SPECIAL SHOW'?. 

 More than^ one of your contemporaries have made some 

 remarks not over-complimentary about " special societies." 

 One of them cannot see the use of the said societies, unlesB, 

 perhaps, one for the encouragement of the Potato; and an- 

 other would like to know what good there is in fottering the 

 separate existenca of such bodies as the Carnation, Auricula, 

 and Chiysanlheiuum Societies. Now, I happen to know that 

 there aris many gardeners ready to ask just such a question, 

 and perhaps some amateurs. I answer this ijuestion by asking 

 them another — What is the object of cultivating flowers at all / 

 Gardening has been called " tbe purest of human pleasures" 

 by the sajje and the philosopher, and the man who takes a 

 special personal interest in his flowers is the man who derives 

 the greatest benefit from his garden. An Auricula exhibition 

 does good iu many ways ; It stimulates the growers to put 

 forth all their powers to bring tbuir plants up to the highest 

 state of perfection. They are each eager to stand first iu the 

 race, and their flowers are watched and tended with incessant 

 care. All this gives pleasure which is unknown to the man 

 who has not himself luu in tbe rase and been first at the 



