JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTURB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



175 



ne containing a flowering specimen of Agave Elemeetiana. 

 The flowers are greenish-yellow, and the towering spike com- 

 mands the attention of all visitors. 



GLADIOLUS CULTUEE. 



MccB has been written from time to time in the horticnl- 

 tnral papers on the failare in the culture of the Gladiolus, 

 and very recently in a contemporary on the (misnomer) dis- 

 ease. It is an acknowledged fact that the Gladiolus is one of 

 the greatest ornaments of the flower garden acd one which 

 commands the greatest amount of attraction at our autumn 

 ezhibitions. Many are deterred from growing this grand flower 

 through reading these erroneous statements set forth by in- 

 experienced growers. 



Corms imported from France, as well as those grown in this 

 oonntry, have been submitted to our greatest physiologists for 

 examination and opinion. A work also has been written by 

 an able writer on horticulture on this subject, endeavouring to 

 show that all thej failures are caused by this contagious dis- 

 ease over which we have no control; yet no disease has been 

 proved to exist. I have devoted a great portion of my life to 

 the propagation and culture of this flower, and have no hesi- 

 tation in asserting that no inherent or contagious disease 

 exists, but it is a natural state of decay and exhaustion arising 

 from age and excessive reproduction. Thus the truth of the 

 old saying, " Pluck your flowers and save your plants ;" the 

 Gladiolus having a prohfic tendency, producing, as it does, 

 twice as much bloom as foliage. We do not experience more 

 losses amongst the Gladiolus than we do among other bulbous 

 plants ; for instance, the Lily and Hyacinth, which are im- 

 ported into this country in immense numbers ; yet oar gardens 

 are comparatively bare of these flowers. They do not die 

 from disease ; what, then, becomes of them ? They simply die 

 from exhaustion or wrong treatment. These as well as the 

 Gladiolus can be grown in this country to as high a state of 

 perfection as in any part of the world. 



The method adopted here in cultivating the Gladiolus is very 

 simple. The situation is an open field of six acres. The soil 

 is sandy or gravelly loam on a bed of gravel. A moderate pro- 

 portion of ordinary manure is used, and for those of the most 

 delicate constitution I add a portion of peat and river sand. 

 I commence planting about the 20th of February, and have 

 now (March let) planted over an acre. The whole of the bulbs 

 are planted in drills from 1 to 3 inches deep and from 2 to 

 12 inches apart, according to the size of the bulbs. Medium- 

 size bulbs produce the finest flowers, although most purchasers 

 prefer large-size bulbs, which accounts for so many failure.", 

 as many of these are exhausted from age and the strain put 

 upon them the previous year. 



The same remarks apply to the Hyacinth. Our best growers 

 know well from experience that firm, solid, mediutn-sized bulbs 

 produce the finest blooms. The beJs are kept free from weeds 

 and mulched over «ith short half-spent manure. All those 

 in the store beds as soon as they commence blooming are cut 

 and sent to all parts of England for decoration. Thus from the 

 flowers being plucked in theirearly state exhaustion is prevented, 

 and fine healthy bulbs are the result. In dry weather stimu- 

 lants are resorted to by applying liquid manure, which I find 

 beneficial.— .James Kelway, Gladioli ]'ill(j, Lcnigport, Somerset. 



LIBONIA FLORIBUNDA— THYRSACANTflUS 

 EUTILANS. 



I UAVE presided over two most successful meetings of the 

 Maidstone Gardeners' Improvement Association, to which 

 eevtral excellent specimtna were brought to illustrate the dis- 

 cussions that were likely to arise. 



I have never before seen of the Libonia floribunda such 

 large specimens and so well flov.-ered as those brought on two 

 occasions by Mr. Longley, a gardener in the neighbourhood. 

 He stated his plan to be, after flowering to ripen the wood 

 well near the glass in a cool house ; after that to cut the plant 

 back in proportion to the growth it has made, and when started 

 fairly potting firmly in rich loamy soil. Early in Jane the 

 plants are plunged in the full sun and kept well watered, and | 

 twice a-week with liquid manure of almost any kind ; but he 

 always mixes a handful or two of eoot with it. I ought to | 

 eay that he mixes rape dust with the soil and sand. He also i 

 brought a plant very little inferior to the one alovo spoken of j 

 Uiat had l^een treated similarly up to June ; but instead of j 



being kept in a pot it was planted-out and taken up in September 

 and potted again, when it soon came into bloom, and will to 

 all appearance continue so for some time yet. The effect of 

 planting-out was to make the foliage larger and bring the 

 flowers finer and also of a richer colour. The thanks of the 

 meeting were awarded to Mr. Longley. 



Mr. Coseam, gardener to Campbell Bannerman, Esq., M.P., 

 produced a tine plant 3 feet high and proportionately large of 

 Thrysacanthus ratilans, which for fine folisge .and: its long 

 racemes of large highly coloured flowers has not been surpassed 

 at this Society's meetings. The difficulty in the cultivation of 

 this plant is to keep its foliage in a healthy state, as it is 

 known that a chouk will cause this plant to shed all its leaves, 

 leaviog its stems like eo many sticks. Mr. Coesam uses peat 

 and loam in equal parts, and plenty of sand mixed with the 

 loam ; but weak guano water is applied often, and the plant 

 kept growing fast till flowering time comes.^T. Kecjbd. 



EOTAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



So much space has been devoted to the discussion arising 

 out of Mr. Wilson's guinea scheme that I am almost ashamed 

 to ask for more, yet I must reply as briefly as possible to that 

 gentleman's letter on page 157. 



Mr. Wilson in parenthesis aeks of me a plain question (he 

 puts all his pertinent points in parenthesis) — namely, if I have 

 asked " a single person to become a guinea subscriber ?" Yes, 

 I have asked several single persons and also many who are 

 married to send in their names as guinea subscribers, and I 

 know some of them have done so. 



Next, Mr. Wilson objects to my conclusions that the results 

 of his appeal are " impotent." We must judge of this in a 

 comparative sense. I should be sorry to say that three hun- 

 dred guinea subscribers to the Society were in themselves im- 

 potent ; but when we consider that eighty thousand appeals 

 have been generously distributed by Mr. Wilson, and that the 

 gardening and daily press have jiven him such liberal aid ; 

 when we further consider that the term was only a quotation 

 from Mr. Wilson's letter when he suggested the formation of 

 a new society by those responding to the appeal ; and when we 

 find that the entire roll-call numbers less than four hundred 

 guiueaists, then I submit that the quotation of Mr. Wilson'.? 

 term as applied to the efforts of the Council was perfectly 

 justifiable. I thought, and hundreds thought, that from the 

 high tone adopted that at least four thousand were ready to 

 come in, and I could not resist expressing my disappointment. 



Mr. Wikon at the fir=t relied on numbers, but now these 

 have proved so limited he takes refuge irnder names — "good 

 names," "influential," &a., are mentioned. Granted that 

 these are good and would be an acquisition to a royal society, 

 still nothing can atone for the absence of numbers in a guinea 

 scheme, the very essence of which consists in its numerical 

 character. 



I fully agree with Mr. Wilson that there are many hundred.'! 

 of country residents who cannot be expected to contribute 

 more than a guinea to the Society, and it ia on this account 

 that I am a believer in the guinea scheme, probably in tho 

 same sense as Mr. Veitch is (although I have not had an 

 opportunity of consulting that gentleman)— that is, I am in 

 favour of guinea subsjribers joining the Sjcitty under pretent 

 circumstances and as managed by a council which even on Mr. 

 Wilson's own showing, as well as by other equally good proofs, 

 has the conSdeuca of horticulturists. Mr. Wilson's plan is to 

 admit guinea subscribers only on the condition that the Society 

 relinquishes the gardens at South Kensington — a condition 

 which he kno vs it is impossible at present to carry out. Mr. 

 Wilson also stipulates that guinea subscribers should have 

 the full privileges of four-guinea or two-guinea subscribers — ■ 

 i.e., should have voting power. I once thought the same, but 

 I am now satisfied that the request is untenable, and I repeat 

 that if every guinea subscriber has a right to vote, everyone 

 has a right to bo a guinea subscriber ; and on the same prin- 

 ciple — the pretty theoretical principle — of equality, the dis- 

 tinction of privileges between the four and twc -guinea members 

 becomes an anomaly. I am in a position to know that that ia 

 the view taken by some large subccribcrs, and I am sure their 

 opinions are worthy of consideration. 



I am glad, however, to find that Mr. Wilson shows a dig- 

 position to yield his point relative to the severance of the 

 Society from South Kensington, for ho says on tho puga 

 quoted, "If tho ^guinea] representative horticulturists would 

 come in tho Society would bo levelled by the horticultural 



