February G, 1873. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



113 



Sombreiiil. I had fifty full-sized blooms of " old snob " out 

 on one tree early in the spring, thirty of the blooms looked as 

 if the edges of the petals had been dipped in blood. It was 

 reaUy a fine sight. The best bloom in the year of the Inter- 

 national Exhibition at Kensington (1866) was Mr. Moflatt'a 

 globular specimen of " old snob." — W. F. R.U)CLyyFS. 



TABLE DECORATIONS. 



I AM very glad " D.," of Deal, has again taken up the cudgels 

 ^^ersus holes in tables for dinner decorations ; and though I 

 know he is quite able to hold his own, yet, perhaps, he will 

 mot mind my backing him up. The admirers of the system 

 ■say that tablecloths can be ii-oned and folded so as not to show 

 ■the joint. I confess I have never yet seen it so managed ; and 

 .even at Birmingham, with the dim light of the gas, the folds 

 in the tablecloths were most apparent. 



The fault of most decorations, as a rule, is they are over- 

 done with foUage, especially Ferns and Palms. Fronds of the 

 Ferns are constantly merely laid on the table, or stuck into 

 dishes or under plates, when an hour or so of the heat of gas 

 or of the ordinary heat of the room in summer would wither 

 them up. The art of table decoration seems to me — to make 

 "the most you can of a few flowers, to be careful about the 

 harmony of colouring, to make each individual flower show its 

 •own beauty ; I mean, not to let one flower crowd another, so 

 as to injure its neighbour. I do not object myself to high- 

 scented flowers so long as they are not too overpowering, as a 

 Lilium auratum or some Hyacinths ; for though with the present 

 system of diners a la Eusse we are not so much victims to the 

 smell of highly-sauced dishes, still flowers helji much to dissi- 

 pate or overcome the smell of dinner. One canon of good 

 'taste ought never to be broken, and that is, that the floral 

 •decorations should not prevent the guests seeing each other, 

 and the table should never look as if it were intended to carry 

 the decorations, rather than the flowers being accessories to 

 •the fruit and dessert. Multitudes of Ferns and Palms will not 

 make up for a paucity of fruit, and sometimes beautiful Or- 

 •chids and choice stove flowers only help to point out the 

 meagreness of the dessert. 



Although I know some wiU still continue to advocate letting 

 pots into the tables, and introducing miniature fountains and 

 gold fish, and other incongruities, still I am pretty certain 

 * that the common sense of the British public will not take it 

 Kp, and I have never heard of its being done yet, except at 

 public dinners, where deal boards are not, perhaps, so much 

 out of place, and at exhibitions for the sake of novelty. As a 

 rule, plants in pots are only makeshifts, and to save the trouble 

 of making-up suitable vases and glasses of cut flowers, which 

 are, in point of fact, the only legitimate decorations in a floral 

 point of view admissible on a dining-room table or on the 

 drawing-room. An especially beautiful Orchid or well-trained 

 and well-bloomed plant is, no doubt, a pleasing variety, but 

 there is no artistic taste displayed in the arrangement ; the 

 merit is due to the grower, not to the arranger. — C. P. P. 



BOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S COUNCIL. 

 I AM very glad to see that one who signs himself " A Vebt 

 Old F.R.H.S.," has written a protest against the nominees of 

 the Council to fill the places of the retiring members. No one 

 can have the least doubt that Major Trevor Clarke is a most 

 fit person to be on the CouneU, and, if the other names pro- 

 posed had been as good, no one would have hesitated to have 

 supported them. I do not wish to enter into the individual 

 merits of the two noble Lords who are asked to lend their 

 names to the Royal Horticultural Society ; we are certainly 

 indebted to Lord Londesborough, or to his gardener, Mr. Den- 

 ning, for the beautiful Orchids which from time to time are 

 sent to grace the exhibitions of the Society. But it is high 

 time that something be done to have practical horticulture re- 

 presented on the Board. At all the provincial meetings of the 

 Society, all but a few members of the CouncU have been con- 

 spicuous by their absence. No care is taken to interest the 

 working bees of the gardening world, and I have heard both 

 just and deep complaints of the apparent indifference of the 

 Society to the welfare of the gardening community. I hope, 

 therefore, all who think with " A Very Old P.R.H.S.," that 

 practical horticulture ought to be represented on the Board, 

 will return their voting papers, erasing the names of Lord 

 Londesborough and Lord A. Churchill, and putting into their 

 placee the names of the Rev. S. R. Hole and Mr. B. S. Williams, 



who may very deservedly be selected to represent gardening 

 interests. If no one else of higher standing in the horticul- 

 tural world can be found to propose them, it is my intention 

 to do so ; and I hope all who have the interest of horticulture 

 at heart will step forward to break down the present rule, by 

 which the Council dictate to the rest of the Fellows who are to 

 be appointed to sit at the same board with them to represent 

 the whole Society. I need not enter upon any account of the 

 merits of the candidates to be proposed. The Rev. S. R. 

 Hole has been too long known by the horticultural world as an 

 able florist, a genial and accomplished writer, and a true 

 friend of gardeners, to need any recommendation from me ; 

 and as no society of men has done so much for horticulture as 

 the leading nurserymen of London, so one who represents 

 their interests ought to have a seat on the Council. If the 

 Fellows of the Society who cannot be present will take the 

 trouble to record their votes for these two candidates, together 

 with Major Trevor Clarke, we may at last have some chance of 

 practical horticulture having a voice in the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society. — C. P. Piach. 



The mode of election of the Council of the Boyal Horticul- 

 tural Society reminds me very much of the old select vestries, 

 who elected and re-elected themselves. For some years past 

 the same persons seem to go out one year and go in the next, 

 the changes being rung on a very small peal indeed. How 

 often has Mr. Bateman, for instance, been off and on during 

 the last ten years, just as if there was no other person sufii- 

 ciently quaUfied for the office, and his presence was so neces- 

 sary to the well-being of the Society. It is high time that the 

 Fellows began to look a little more sharply into the constitu- 

 tion and management of the Society. Things have been a 

 little too pleasant for the last few years, and the FeUows have 

 been lulled into a state of false security. I hope that at next 

 meeting there will be a little more interest manifested, and a 

 little fresh blood infused— blood that wUl be vivifying as well 

 as noble, and not noble unless vivifying. If I did not live so 

 far from the seat of the Society's operations I would raise my 

 voice, at the next annual meeting, against a system which has 

 become prevalent of late of packing the Councils — I can call it 

 by no other name — by gentlemen being nominated for the 

 office who take no part in the Society's affairs, and who seem 

 to regard themselves only as objects of ornament and not of 

 DBefulnesB.— Anothbb Old Fellow. 



PATERSON'S VICTORIA POTATO. 



I CAS quite corroborate the testimony of "D., Deal," as to 

 the merits of this Potato. I grew it the last season side by 

 side with Dalmahoys, Red-skinned Flourballs, Lapstones, and 

 Rintoul's Early White Don; and certainly for crop, freedom 

 from disease, and evenness of size, the Victoria far surpassed 

 the others, followed, however, closely by the Red-skinned. The 

 quality was superb : I think I never saw Potatoes boU more 

 white and mealy, nor tasted them better flavoured. Although 

 the Red-skinned Flourball has many good qualities, I do not 

 lik e it for eating, as it always boils close and firm, with a 

 rather earthy flavour on this soil. The order in which I place 

 the above Potatoes is, Victoria decidedly first in all points ; 

 Dalmahoy and Early White Don nearly equal second; Red- 

 skinned Flourball fourth ; and Lapstone decidedly last. — 

 D. P., Middlesex. 



LOBELIA PUMILA GRANDIFLORA. 



Where tested, what impression has this Uttle beauty formed 

 on the minds and flower gardens of your readers ? Lobelias 

 not being in demand with me, I have been unable to give it a 

 trial. I certainly will take an early opportunity of doing so, 

 as I was very much taken with its appearance on visiting Mr. 

 Turner's Royal Nurseries, Slough, during the summer of 1871 ; 

 there its charming appearance surpassed that of all other 

 LobeUas. Returning to Scotland, I have never since been 

 gratified with a glimpse of my captivator. From its aspect 

 as seen there I fancy it would be most suitable to introduce 

 for variation amongst carpeting subjects. Though I believe, 

 with the partisans of fashion it is now quite illegitimate to 

 combine flower and foUage plants, yet this, with its very dwarf 

 compact habit and profusion of exquisite little bright blue 

 blooms, would harmonise well in conjunction with the Alter- 

 nantheras. Golden Feather PjT-ethrum, &c. Apart from this, 

 its compact growth would to a great extent exempt it from 



