Febnury 27r4866. ] 



journaij op hobticultdre and cottage gardener. 



1C5 



of moes, oud woald be nu interestiug plant for oar stoves coalJ it be 

 bronglit across from the West ludies ; but doing so al^vays tlusiccated 

 it so much that it would not grow. A small bijecies of Peperoniia, 

 which had accidentally come along with some of Mr. Weir's Orchids, 

 though but a stove weed, being of creeping habit, would run over soil 

 or cover blochs o^wood, in fact, would take anr shape, and therefore 

 might be useful for hanging-baskets and similar purposes. 



No leas than thirty new members were elected — a cheering sign of 

 the increasing prosperity of the Societ;s', and of the progressive interest 

 taken by the upper classes in horticnltnre, and this increased prosperity 

 and interest cannot fail to redound to the benetit of gardening and 

 gardeners. The Society has passed tlirough many vicissitudes, but 

 now that there is so muiiifest a desire to extend its sj'here of asefuluess, 

 if all classes will but unite harmoniously in its support, it may be made 

 second to no other scientific body. It will then become capable of 

 working out great results — results not of interest or benefit to a class 

 only, but of importance to the whole community. 



A PRETTT exhibition of forced spring fiowei-s was made on Saturday, 

 Messrs. Cntbnsh ifc Son again contributing most liberally to the 

 general effect. These gentlemen sent a collection of miscellaneous 

 plants vei-y similar to those we have noticed as being at the last 

 two meetings, a fine collection of forced bulbs, one of forced Hya- 

 cinths, and one of forced Tulips, to all of which awards were veiy 

 properly made. Besides these, they had a group of finely gi-own jdants 

 of the double white fringed Chinese Primrose. Mv. Young, gardener 

 to Mrs. Bai'clay, of Highgate, had a first prize awarded him for a col- 

 lection of sis miscellaneous gi'eenhonse plants ; and Mr. Bai-tlett, of 

 Hammersmith, received the second livize. Mr. Young also exhibited 

 a collection of cut Camellia blooms, which received an extra prize ; 

 and Mr, Bartlett received a similar prize for a collection of forced 

 bulbs. 



Mrs. B. Hoote, of Folham, sent a basket containing a group of 

 well-grown plants of fiinged Chinese Primrose, with Hyacinths in the 

 centre, which received .a tirst-class certificate : and the Kev. George 

 Cheere, of Papworth Hall, received a similar award for a tray of ex- 

 cellent blooms of XouA Boleyn Pink. 



Mr. Lynn, gardener to Lord Boston, Hedsor, near Maidenhead, 

 exhibited a collection of iifteeu varieties of Apples in an excellent state 

 of preservation, to which a first prize was awarded. 



Messrs. Lucking, Brothers, of Nottiug Hill, received a fli'st-class- 

 certificate for a line collection of forced flowers. 



POTATOES. 



SosTE little time back I saw in The Joukxal of Hokticul- 

 TURE, among the requests of correspondents, an expressed wisb 

 to know where the hybrid between the Asbleaf and Lapstone 

 could be prociired. I therefore wrote to H. Taylor, Esq.. of 

 Fencote, I5edale, Yorkshire, (who kindly sent it to me) for in- 

 formation. The following is his reply : — ^" I have made inquiry 

 about the Potato you mention, which without doubt is the very 

 best flavoured Potato in England. It combines many other 

 good points. It is handsome for exhibition, smooth, a good 

 cropper, second early, and the top not particularly large, but 

 very handsome. It is distinct and highly .spoken of by all who 

 hare tasted it. It keeps well until August. I mean new ones 

 at midsummer, as well as old ones. It can be procured from 

 Mr. Thomas Almond, Great Fencote, Eedale, Yorkshire, at 

 2s. 6d. per stone, bags included, under the name of the York- 

 shire Hero Kidney. He has great demand for it, and has only 

 fifteen bushels of 'it left." 



Mr. Taylor supplies the following : — " Mr. Almond lias 

 another Potato, which he is increasing for sale in the spring 

 of 1867. It is particularly early. He has it regularly in Jlay 

 in this cold part. It is a good cropper, smooth, free from 

 disease, of handsome shajie, distinct, top very handsome. 



"We have another Potato here, most excellent. It is for 

 winter. Thefiesh is white, and in flavour in myopinion slightly 

 better than Yorkshire Hero, If you ^"ill accept a few of both 

 the above I will send them to you, and a boiling into the 

 bargain, so that you may taste and judge for yourself." 



I wiU now tell you how Mr. Almond grows his early Potatoes. 

 The land must be pretty good, and in good heart. He opens 

 a trench, puts in loug manure, sprinkles on this pigeon-dung, 

 then gives a sprinkling of carbonate of soda. It appears that 

 carbonate of soda has a great eiJect in producing eaiiiness, and 

 pigeon-dung forces the plant away. If tliis cannot be procured, 

 substitute a sprinkling of guano. — W. 1'. EiDCLYFrE, Tarrant 

 Riiehton. 



ROOTING VINE BIIANCHES. 



The question as to whether it is judicious or injudicious to 

 bury the stems of Vines in the border, with a view to their 

 thus rooting more extensively and giving stronger wood than 

 if the roots alone were covered, is certainly of importance. I 

 planted Vines in both ways in inside borders, and observe no 

 chfference in the aftergrowth, the plants having done well in 

 eacli case, and I have not courage to dig up the stems of those 

 buried to see if these have rotted oft' or not. 



Last spring I received some Vines from Mr. Rivers, to gi-ow 

 in pots standing on hot-water pipes. The rods would average, 

 say, 9 feet each ; but as the best wood and buds were near the 

 tops, and I only wished to fruit the plants for one season, I 

 coiled about .5 or 6 feet into each pot, and thus left only about 

 3 or 4 feet of the tops of each rod aliove the soil. The eyes broke 

 well, and gave abundance of bunches, which ripened perfectly. 

 By early stopping I compelled the eye next the earth in each 

 Vine to form a cane for a futm-e crop, and each of these canes 

 had to be stopped many times to prevent the span-roofed 

 house being darkened too much. I have now, from each pot, 

 as fine bearing-like wood of these Vines as need be desired; 

 and the pots being large, I shall be surprised if I cannot this 

 year take a dozen good bunches from each Vine. 



Is it likely I should have had such Grapes, and such wood, 

 if the coiled stems of the Vines had died, and the plants had 

 to depend for support on a new set of roots from a collar near 

 the siuface ? — J. M.ickenzie, M.D. 



[There are no rules without exceptions. It you have the 

 chance again, would you repeat the experiment, and in the 

 case of similar Vines, merely disbud the lower part of the 

 stems, with the exception of one or two buds near the bottom? 

 Choose one of these for a future stem, take a similar crop from 

 the Vines treated in both ways, give the same treatment to 

 each, and then let us know what difference there is in the ap- 

 pearance of the fresh shoots for next season.] 



Inteexational Hobticcltdeal Exhibition-. — Dr. Seemann, 

 having to visit immediately a portion of Central America, has 

 been obliged to resign his Secretaryship of this Exhibition. 

 Dr. Masters has been appointed his successor. 



The Verbena Disease. — V,'e regret to notice that a great 

 number of the stock plants of this very favourite flower have 

 died during the jiresent season from some unknown cause, 

 which has baffled the most successful and experienced growers. 

 It is our intention to prepare a li^t of those sorts which have 

 escaped, for the benefit of our readers ; by this means we 

 hope to ascertain which are the hardiest and most vigorous. 

 ■\Ve have filed a list from a grower who has lost upwards of a 

 thousand plants since October, and we iuvite similar hsts from 

 those of our readers and friends who have had the good luck to 

 ]u-eserve any Verbena plants alive. In Mr. .1. Peacock's (Hough 

 Green) collection — Velvet Cushion, ilont Blanc, Lord Raglan, 

 Defiance, General .Tackson, Pink Queen, Foxhunter, Lord 

 Craven, Beauty, Princess Alexandra, Grand Conle de Niege, 

 Purple King (has struggled hard through), Mrs. Voodroffe. — 

 (Cheshire Record.) 



WEST IMIDDLESEX GAEDENERS' MUTU^iL 

 PROTECTION SOCIETY. 

 ^ We have seen how the London mechanic has raised his posi- 

 tion in spite of the opposition of his master, but what has 

 been done for the gardener? I hailed with delight the rise 

 of wages in nurseries, and it was hoped that the gentry or the 

 proprietors of gardens would follow the example ; but they 

 have not done so. Surely it must be from want of considera- 

 tion ; for how can it be expected that young men will always 

 be contented to live in a state of semi-starvation ? It cannot be 

 otherwise at the present rate of provisions. The prospect of 

 an uncertain futm'e has lost its effect. Young men are looking 

 more and more to the time present, and it is sincerely to be 

 hoped that something will be done to elevate their position. 

 They ask not the wages of the mechanic ; but sm'ely they ought 

 to receive as much as a bricklayer's labourer. But to keep more 

 to the point, I wUl describe as briefly as possible what is behig 

 done for the benefit of the journeyman gardener. 



There have been three meetings at the Workman's HaU, Port- 

 land Road, Kotting Hill. The first of these took place on the 

 4th of December, 1865, Mr. Gardiner being in the chair, and 

 the following resolutions were put to the meeting : — 



1st, It is the opinion of this meeting that the time has ar- 

 rived when an advance of wages ought to be made. 2nd, That 

 a deputation be appointed to wait tipon the employers to ask 

 for the same. 3rd, That a committee be formed with a view to 

 take into consideration the best means to form a society. 



