124 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTTJBE AND COTTAGE QABDENEB. 



[ Angast 12, leat. 



iog, as maoy plants having been taken oat as thoES left, the 

 flowers of which, thongh certainly pretty enongh, fell consider- 

 ably short of the description, being of a creamy rose colonr in 

 the interior when open, and the oatside of the petals rose- 

 coloared. Linaria bipartita striata, another novelty, lie states 

 proved one-third purple like L. bipartita, one-third white, and 

 the remainder were striped, some delicately, some more strongly. 

 Between C'entaarea pseudo-depresBa,blue with a reddish centre, 

 and Centaurea dupressa no difference could be perceived here, 

 except that the latter had somewhat larger flower heads. 



Of Lettuces the samples were very numerous and interesting ; 

 and though several of them had commenced to run to seed, 

 that circumstance could not be regretted, for it showed what 

 kinds did not possess that undesirable tendency. Of the Cab- 

 bage Lettuces Tom Thumb stands the summer well, and would 

 probably be a good frame Lettuce. The Malta, known also as 

 the Drumhead, and the Neapolitan, the one hftht, the other of 

 a dark green, are two of the best of summer Cabbage Lettuces. 

 BoBsin is remarkable for its great size, and is a large crisp-leaved 

 form of the Silesian or White Batavian. The Brown Batavian 

 is also a solid kind resembling the Malta, but the brownness 

 of its leaves is objectionable for the salad bowl when gieen- 

 leaved kinds are to be bad. Longstander forms a large heart, 

 and is slow in running to seed. Imperial is also a large firm- 

 hearted Lettuce having the same property. Cos Lettuces are 

 even more numerous than the Cabbage varieties, the most pro- 

 minent for its quality being the Paris White Cos, generally 

 considered the finest of all the summer Cos Lettuces. The 

 names of the varieties or selections of it are too numerous to 

 repeat here, and in some instances they are improvements. 

 From the hooded character of its leaves it blanches very well 

 without tying, but the London market gardeners generally tie 

 it two or three days before sending it to market, more as a 

 matter of form to please the Londoners than anything else. 

 Covent Garden Giant Green Cos is similar to the large forms 

 of the preceding, an excellent variety, differing from it in the 

 leaves being greener. London White Cos is a narrow-leaved 

 Lettuce, which turns in quickly, and is a favourite with the 

 London market gardeners for the first crop, but is not to be 

 compared for quality to the Paris Cos. Moorpark, a large 

 variety closely allied to the latter, is very late in running to 

 seed, and is altogether one of the best of the hardy Cos Lettuces. 

 Of the black-'Seeded Bath or Brown Cos there are several forms, 

 but many consider the old one the best of all. Its great recom- 

 mendation is its hardiness, but when tied up it blanches well, 

 and has a grateful nutty flavour. Wheeler's Imperial, Duckett's 

 Perfection, Holme Park, EearCeld's Hardiest (white-seeded), 

 Goldring's Bath Cos, and Sugarloaf are good selections of the 

 Bath Cos, slow in running to seed, and blanching well. Sugar- 

 loaf is somewhat lighter in colour and narrower in the leaf than 

 the others. It is an excellent variety. 



Time would not allow of an examination of the Peas and 

 other vegetables ; but it may be mentioned that Laxton's Su- 

 preme Pea fully justified the high character given of it in these 

 columns, the pods, notwithstanding the previous dry weather, 

 being very full, and the Peas large. There was also a very 

 prolific Longpod Bean and a collection of Beets, some orna- 

 mental by their foliage, others grown for culinary purposes, and 

 to which the test of baking should be applied. Of the former, 

 Henderson's Dwarf Waterloo and the Crimson-leaved were two 

 of the best, the foliage being highly celoured and not coarse. 



Among plants deserving of cultivation for their fragrance 

 Matthiola bicomis with pale lilac flowers deserves especial 

 mention for its delicious fragrance in the evening ; and Schi- 

 zopetalon Walkeri, with white flowers, is also possessed of the 

 same property, though in a less degree. Lilium longiflorum 

 Lin-Kiu, a superb LUy, is also highly scented, and has very 

 large flowers. 



SOIL FOR GRAPE VINES. 



Mb. Cramb's paper, reid at the Manchester Congress, and 

 printed by jou in page '.16, is valuable as recording an observed 

 fact — namely, that Grapes succeed in soils of the old red sand- 

 stone, but fail in magnesian limestone. I wish Mr. Cramb 

 bad contented himself with this short statement, and not 

 added that "the caustic property of the lime has wcrked all 

 the mischief, and that the nearer it approaches the state of 

 carbonate, the more fatal its effect." 



Now, in the first place, lime in a caustic state does not exist 

 in nature. It is made caustic only by an artificial process. 

 Secondly, carbonate of lime, or chalk, so far from being more 



fatal in its effects than caustic lime, ie perfectly mild and 

 harmless. It is well known that tome of the best vineyards in 

 France are on calcareous soil. From this I should infer that 

 any injury which Vines receive from magnesian limestone must 

 be attributed to the magnesia rather than to the lime. — G. 8. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



I WAS one of the very few who did honoar to the birthday of 

 Linnaus to-day (August lOlh), by attending the anniversary 

 meeting, and I beg your permission to state to the large body 

 of Fellows absent, what assuredly will not be published other- 

 wise. 



Some of the Fellows perceived from the report the conse- 

 quences of continuous maladministration — the falling-off on the 

 subscriptions from £3,558 to £3,190, on the exhibition receipts 

 from £3,100 to £'2,827 ; the increase of the liabilities ; and the 

 diminution in the reproductive expenditure. Some comments 

 were made on the delay, year after year, in completing the con- 

 servatory, objecting to the attempt to carry out a paltry addi- 

 tion by voluntary subscriptions, when it is desirable the whole 

 work should be at once carried out by raising the amount on 

 loan. The memorable " Special Fi-te " or " Reception " by 

 H.K.H. the Prince of Teck was not forgotten, nor the way in 

 which, by bad arrangements, the members of the Royal Family 

 were mobbed, and it was urged that instead of a renewal of 

 such scene.", attractive entertainments should be provided. 



On the distinct pledge of the members of the Council that 

 the whole subject shall be brought before a special council, I 

 consented to withdraw my motion for a committee of investi- 

 gation, but with the understanding that we shall in the spring 

 draw up a requisition for a special general meeting of FeUows. 

 —Hyde Clakke, F.R.B.S., 32, St. George's Square, S.W. 



LOOKERS PATENT EARTHEN^YARE 

 PROPAGATING BOXES. 

 These are for raising or forcing any kind of seeds, plants, 

 or cuttings. They are made of ordinary pottery-ware, of any 

 required shape or size. The top of the boxes is made slight^ 

 sloping, in which a piece of glass is fitted to slide. They are 

 especially useful for all who do not possess a greenhouse or 

 forcing-pit. but they will be found of utility for the separate 

 growth of choice seeds and cuttings, within all glass building:. 



For propagating in rooms by window-gardeners, they will be 

 particularly serviceable. The prices do not increase in pro- 

 portion to the increase of size. The air is let in at the top 

 and is easily regulated. The glass if broken can be replaced at 

 about a sixth of the cost (or even less I, of a new bell-glass. 

 The rainfall or other moisture cannot enter the box. 



PROPAGATING THE CARNATION AND ITCOTEE. 

 TnE following remarks are intended more for the amateur 

 than the professional gardener. There are two modes of pro- 

 pagation — by layers and by seed. Layering is performed at 

 the end of July or early in August. The shoot intended to be 

 layered should have the leaves near its base removed ; then 

 make an incision with a knife from a joint in an upward 

 direction. Many gardeners make it a rule to shear off the 

 points of the leaves, but doing so 1 consider is merely follow- 

 ing a method, and is unnecessary for the well-doing of the 

 future plant. Soil consisting of three-fourths of good turfy 

 loam and one-fourth of well-decayed manure, with a fair dash 

 of silver sand, should be placed round the plants for the shoots 

 to be pegged down upon. Keep the tongue or incision open, 



