138 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Fobraary 18, 1875. 



of the box as when first ent from the plantg, and the box may 

 be thrown over and over by the railway officials and not a 

 flower will leave its place. 



Another plan I find very successfnl is to tack piecea of list 

 or broad tape about halfway down the inside of the box, some 

 one way and soma the other, so as to form small squares large 

 enough to admit a Rose or Camellia to the under side. The 

 flowers, such as Hoses or Camellias, may be pinned on the list 

 separately. Smaller kinds may be tied in little bunches and 

 pinned on the under side of the list, and when that is filled 

 another lot can be pinned on the top side in the same way. 

 A little damp moss tied round the stem of each flower or 

 bunch will keep the flowers fresh. To a certain extent this 

 mode of packing flowers is preferable to the former, as in that 

 case the clay makes the box much heavier. — Thomas Sheasby, 

 Mare Hill Gardens. 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Febkuaby 17th. 



Fkuit CoMsnTTEE. — Hcury Webb, Esq., in the chair. A com- 

 munication was read from Mr. J. Batters, The Gardens, Cbil- 

 worth Manor, Romsey, describing the culture by which the new 

 Potatoes exhibited at the last meeting were produced, and the 

 Committee unanimously awarded him a cultural commendation 

 for the exhibition, and a vote of thanks for the communication. 

 Mr. McKonald of Chichester sent specimens of a large Pear, 

 which was said to be for dessert use, and was called Gloria Muudi. 

 This was exhibited in November last, but the Committee are of 

 opinion that it is identical with Catillac. Mr. George Wheeler 

 of Warminster sent a dish of Apples called Wheeler's Favourite ; 

 a very excellent dessert Apple, but they were very much 

 shrivelled and not in good condition, so that the Committee 

 considered it not better than some others in use at this season. 

 Messrs. W. & J. Brown of Stamford sent a seedling Apple 

 Beauty of Baruock, a medium-sized yellow Apple with broken 

 streaks of crimson ; a nice fresh and well-flavoured Apple, but 

 not of sufiicient merit to obtain a certificate. Mr. Bennett, The 

 Gardens, Hatfield House, sent fruit of Lowndes Pippin, a large 

 handsome round Apple, the flavour of which was gone. 



Rev. George Kemp, The Vine, Sevenoaks, exhibited a dish of 

 Beurr6 de Jonghe Pear, the flavour of which was delicious. It 

 was awarded a first-class certificate. He also exhibited fruit of 

 Dfilices Everard de Tournay, a richly- flavoured Pear, with the 

 salmon-tinted flesh of Josephine de Malines. Mr. Speed of 

 Chatsworth sent fruit of the Cape Gooseberry, Physalis edulis. 

 Mr. Taylor, Longleat Gardens, sent a dish of Orangefield Toma- 

 toes, which were much admired for their brilliant colour, and 

 a letter of thanks was awarded to Mr. Taylor. 



Mr. Parsons of Danesbury sent roots of Magnum Bonum 

 ^ Onion, which were very fine and firm. The seed was sown in 

 ' July, 1873. He also sent roots of the same variety from seed 

 sown in March, 1874, and the firm-keeping character of the 

 former was very remarkable. A vote of thanks was awarded to 

 Mr. Parsons. Mr. Taylor of Longleat sent a dish of Dickson's 

 Favourite Cucumber, which proved its merits as a valuable 

 winter variety. 



Flokal Committee. — A limited number of plants only were 

 brought before the Committee. There was almost a total absence 

 of stove plants, owing, possibly, to the northerly wind having a 

 deterring influence in keeping such tender subjects in their safer 

 quarters at home. 



The only first-class certificate awarded was attached to half 

 a dozen plants of Abutilon Darwinii exhibited by Messrs. Veitch. 

 This is a species of very dwarf habit, and extremely floriferous. 

 The foliage is a vivid green, and the young growth slightly 

 pubescent. The colour of the blooms may be described as orange 

 brown, in which, however, the orange decidedly predominat^ss, 

 and contrasts well with the foliage. Some of the plants were 

 blooming at 4 inches from the soil, continuing at each leaf-axil 

 upwards. The species was introduced from }3erlin, and gives 

 promise of decorative usefulness, and more especially as it is 

 amenable to greenhouse culture. 



Messrs. Veitch also sent two small plants of Odontoglossum 

 Warscewiczii, the growth of which somewhat resembles 0. vex- 

 illarium, while the flowers are not unlike 0. phalajnopsis, but 

 with several blooms on each spike. A second-class certificate was 

 awarded. The same firm also sent a very fine group of Cycla- 

 mens. The plants (about fifty) were remarkably well bloomed, 

 and were of firm and decided colours. A vote of thanks was 

 deservedly given to the collection. Messrs. Hooper, Covent 

 Garden, sent twelve good plants of Cyclamen. The foliage of 

 some of these was distinctly marbled, and the blooms were 

 nearly all spotted. The individual flowers were very large, and 

 merited the vote of thanks accorded them. 



Mr. H. B. Smith, Ealing Dean Nursery, contributed a collec- 

 tion of Cyclamens and Primulas. The blooms of the former 

 were of good form and substance, but were limited to the lighter 

 shades of colours. The Primulas consisted principally of semi- 



double varieties raised from seed, and were effective, yet with 

 more scarlet in the colour their value would be enhanced. Some 

 of the blooms of these were almost fully double. 'The collection 

 also comprised a few good single white-flowered plants. A vote 

 of thanks was given to the group. 



Messrs. W. G. Caldwell & Sons, Knutsford, sent a nice plant 

 of Azalea amrena Caldwellii, the result of a cross between 

 A. amoena aud A. Magnificent. It may be described as an 

 amosna with large blooms, and is an effective early-blooming 

 variety. A vote of thanks was awarded. Mr. Perry, gardener 

 to J. W. Miles, Esq., sent a basket of Primula altaica. This is 

 a very desirable and distinct variety for the hardy spring garden. 

 The purity and cleanliness of the plants sent, however, suggested 

 their having had protection, or had been grown under extra- 

 ordinarily fine weather. A vote of thanks was given. Mr. Taylor, 

 Longleat, sent an example of Browallia alata gi-andiflora, which is 

 evidently a larger and more continuous-flowering variety than the 

 normal form of this plant. Mr. Bennett, Hatfield, had a small 

 plant of Thunbergia Harrissii splendens, a very showy variety, 

 recommended for continuous winter blooming. A plant of 

 Aucuba viridifolia, with bright green leaves and scarlet berries, 

 was sent from the gardens of J. Drewry, Esq., Burton-on-Trent. 

 Cut blooms were again exhibited by Mr. Parker, Tooting, of 

 the hardy aquatic Aponogeton distaohyon, which were very 

 attractive and delicately perfumed. 



OUR LETTUCES. 



Paris Cos is the best of Lettuces. I have also fotmd Holme 

 Park Cos a valuable variety. I had it both transplanted and 

 uutrausplanted, aud, dry as the summer was, many of them 

 weighed from 2 to 3 lbs. each. From a sowing made in 

 September I have now in use good Lettuces of this variety, 

 which have stood through the late winter without any other 

 protection than the snow afforded them. Commodore Nutt 

 was a failure with me. All the Year Round proved a very 

 serviceable kind. I consider the lists of varieties, or rather of 

 names, are too long for practical purposes. In the trials of 

 Lettuces in the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens was one 

 called Magnum Bonum. Twenty- five years ago I had seed 

 given me of a variety named Alphenge Cos. I grew this by 

 the side of Magnum Bonum, hut could discover no difference 

 between the two ; I concluded, therefore, that they were syno- 

 nymous, and in this I am supported by the official report of 

 the Chiswick trials, which reported Alphenge Cos and Magnum 

 Bonum to be one aud the same variety. This is a very useful 

 summer Lettuce. After extensive trials I recommend Paris 

 Cos, All the Year Round, aud Drumhead for summer use ; for 

 winter. Black-seeded Bath Cos, and Hardy Green or Hammer- 

 smith.— Z. Z. 



HELLEBORUS NIGER, OR CHRISTMAS ROSE. 

 This fine hardy midwinter flower grown in the open air 

 and covered with hand-lights furnishes an abundance of cut 

 blooms, which at this dull season of the year are especially 

 appreciated. Those who have vases to fill, and who lack the 

 eonvenience of heated structures in which to provide tender 

 flowers, should grow this plant largely, and for two months they 

 will never be short of bold white flowers to intermix with sprigs 

 of evergreens and make a sitting-room cheerful. Of course 

 these flowers are freely producad without aay sheltering aid, 

 yet a little glass covering ensures their cleanliness and con- 

 duces to their purity. This fine old herbaceous perennial is as 

 hardy as the Buttercup, to which it is aUied as belonging to the 

 same natural order, Banunculacofe. Like most of this family 

 the Christmas Rose luxuriates in rich soil and a partially 

 shaded place, although it will flourish in the full sun providing 

 the soil is strong and deep. Its adaptability to a shaded place 

 is, however, an advantage, as being a position in which but tew 

 fine-flowering hardy plants will succeed. It is freely increased 

 by root-division, but established plants should not be need- 

 lessly disturbed. A small plantation on which a frame can be 

 placed will be found useful in most gardens. An aunnal sur- 

 face dressing of rich manure will keep the plants in good 

 blooming condition for many years. Can anyone communi- 

 cate their experience in successfully raising this plant from 

 seed ? The information would be a boon to many besides — 

 A Gardexee without a Greenhouse. 



The Late Mr. W. P. Atres. — The widow aud daughter of 

 this well-known horticulturist having been left wholly unpro- 

 vided for, some of his friends have determined to raise a sub- 

 scription for their benefit. I am confident that many who 

 remember the services rendered to horticulture by Mr. Ayres, 



