214 



JODENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ March 18, 1875. 



the period of its growth it must have a more congenial atmo- 

 sphere to bring it to perfection. 



The plan I adopt with a fair amount of suoeess is to secure 

 healthy cuttings and strike them towards the end of March or 

 in April. With a brisk heat they take root quickly and are 

 potted in 3-inch pots, using a compost of good strong loam, 

 manure, and sharp sand. The plants are pinched as soon as 

 they become established, and the pinching is continued at 

 every second or third joint : by this means a compact plant of 

 agreeable shape is secured. They are shifted-on as required, 

 and are eventually bloomed in 7 and 8-inch pots. They are 

 grown on shelves in the stove or other position where they can 

 have hght and air, and are duly attended to by syringing and 

 watering. Indeed they have just the same treatment in regard 

 to temperature as the Poinsettias, and are grown with them 

 all through the summer as the best scarlet and the best yeUow 

 winter-blooming plants we possess. 



The pinching is continued until the end of September, and 

 by this time they are compact bushy plants a foot in diameter 

 and about the same in height. They literally cover themselves 

 with their bright yellow flowers, and are dense bails of bloom 

 for three or four months when the colour is particularly telling. 

 They contrast admirably with Primulas and the usual flower- 

 ing plants of the period, and are recommended to be more 

 generally cultivated. 



The main points of culture are to secure young plants every 

 year, to grow in a warm genial temperature, to pinch fre- 

 quently, syringe copiously, and give them strong rich soil. 

 When the cultivator has done his duty the plants will do theirs, 

 and will add a brightness to the houses which few, if any, 

 plants of the period can surpass. 



As the time is near for commencing preparations to secure 

 a stock of this excellent winter plant, this short narrative of 

 practice may not be inopportune to some of the many readers 

 of the Journal, who, it is hoped, will no longer neglect to cul- 

 tivate this too-much-ncglected plant. — J. Christie. 



BOTAL HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



Makch 17th. 



The strength of the Exhibition undoubtedly lay in the groups 

 of plants staged by nurserymen, of which the most prominent 

 were the Camellias from Mr. Wm. Paul; the Hyacinths, and 

 Cyclamena, and miscellaneous groups of Messrs. Veitch; and 

 the mixed collections ct Mr. B. S. Williams and Mr. Wills. Mr. 

 AldouB also exhibited a small yet healthy collection of decora- 

 tive plants. A group of Cyclamens from Mr. Goddard, gardener 

 to H. Little, Esq., were very good, but of course not equal to 

 the splendid plants in ClaEses li and 10 which received the first 

 prizes for thirty and twelve plants respectively. 



Class 3, Hyacinths. There were only two competitors, Mr. 

 Douglas being first with bold spikes and good foliage ; Mr. G. 

 Toms, gardener to H. Wetenhall, Esq., The Poplars, Stoke 

 Newiugton, being placed second. Amongst the best of Mr. 

 Douglas's group were L'Innocence, pure white ; King of the 

 Blues, very intenBe; Von Schiller, red; Koh-i-noor, pink, General 

 Havelock, dark blue, and Ada, bu£f; Grandeur ;i Merveille, waxy 

 white ; Laurens Koster, blue ; Macaulay, Mimosa, Grand Lilas, 

 and De CandoUe. Mr. Douglas was the only exhibitor in class 5 

 for six new Hyacinths, and had the first prize fur Diana, fine 

 blue; Prince Imperial, blue, white eye ; Alice, mauve ; Oxford, 

 very dark blue ; Helen, pink ; and Starlight, blue with white eye. 



Class 7, for twelve pots of Tulips, there were also two entries, 

 Mr. Douglas being more decidedly ahead of Mr. Toms than in 

 the Hyacinths. Mr. Douglas's twelve comprised massive blooms 

 of the following — Chrysolora, bright yellow ; Vermillion Brilliant, 

 Van der Neer, Proserpine (fine), Pottebakker, and Fabiola, all 

 in duplicate. 



Class 10, for six Orchids (nurserymen), Mr. Williams was the 

 only exhibitor, and had Odontoglossum Alexandra- with a mag- 

 nificent spike of sixteen perfect blooms ; Cypripedium villosum, 

 Cymbidium eburneum, Vanda suavis, Lycaste Skiuneri, and 

 the distinct Masdevullia Lindeni. 



In Class 22, for eighteen hardy spring flowers in pots, the first 

 prize was awarded to Mr. Dean, Ealing (the only exhibitor). 

 They comprised well-bloomed pots of the following :— Litho- 

 spermnm prostratum. Iris reticulata, Arabia albida var. piascox, 

 Viola Victoria Regina, new bedding Pansy WLite Swan (a pro- 

 mising variety), Myosotis dissitiflora, Grape Hyacinths, double 

 Daisy, white, red, and mauve Hepaticas, Aubrietia purpurea, 

 Scilla bifolia albn, Saxifraga oppositifolia rosea, and Primroses 

 Sulphurata, Single Mauve, and Crimson Queen. 



Class 23, six hardy Primroses (acaulis type) double. Mr. Dean 

 was again alone with Double Bose (brigtit). Double Crimson, 

 very rich, and doubles Lilac, Sulphur, Primrose, and White. He 



was in the same position in Class 24, six single Primroses of the 

 same type, and had excellently bloomed pots of Fairy Queen, 

 Mauve Queen, Crimson Banner, Violacea, Rosy Morn, and 

 Charmer; also in Class 25 for six plants of the Polyanthus type. 

 The whole of these hardy flowers were very attractive, especially 

 the single Primroses in Class 24. 



Silver medals were awarded to the following collections : — Mr. 

 Williams's group comprised a good plant of Adiantum gracilh- 

 mum, Phalasnopsis Sctiilleriana, Abutilon Selowiauum marmora- 

 tum, Amaryll is Mendeli (a grand variety), .EchmaeaMariiB-lleginse, 

 itc. Messrs. Veitch had small but beautifully-bloomed plants of 

 Clematis in variety, chastely marked and telling Amarylhs, a 

 basket of Rhododendron (prajcox) Early Gem, lifted from the open 

 ground the day previous, and full of flower ; fine pots of Crocus, 

 a glorious bank of Hyacinths, &c. Mr. Wills had highly attrac- 

 tive examples of Abutilon Selowiauum marmoratum, Phyllan- 

 thus nivosus, and P. mimosiefolia, P'icus Parcelli, Crotons Weis- 

 maui and majesticum, Termiualia elegans, Phyllarthron com- 

 morenae, Panax excelsa, the distinct and interesting Xylophylla 

 latifolia, Cupania undulata, &c. These plants were very clean 

 and healthy. Mr. W. Paul's Camellias were medium-sized 

 plants iu perfect health, and exceedingly floriferous. Com- 

 pacta alba, Alba plena, Jenny Lind, La Reine, Montironi 

 vera, and Inuocenza were amongst the best of the white varie- 

 ties. Conspicuous amongst the reds were Leeana superba, 

 Mathotiana, and Beali; and of the pinks Comtesae Woronzofl, 

 Reine dea Pleura, Madame Lebois, Augustine superba, and 

 Storyi were the best. 



Bronze medals were awarded to Mr. Aldous for his miscel- 

 laneous group and to Mr. Goddard for his collection of 

 Cyclamens. 



Fruits. — In Class 28, for two bunches of late black Grapes, 

 Mr. Ridout, gardener to W. S. Brown, Esq., Woodhatoh Lodge, 

 Reigate, was first with splendid Alicantes ; Mr. Wildsmith, 

 gardener to Viscount Eversley, second with excellently-finished 

 Lady Downes' ; and Mr. Donaldson, gardener to Lord Chesham, 

 third with Alicante. (Four entries). 



In Class 30, for three kinds of dessert Apples, Mr. Parsons, 

 gardener to R. Attenborough, Esq., Fairlawn, was first with 

 fine dishes of Blenheim Orange, Scarlet Nonpariel, and Rib- 

 ston Pippin ; the second prize going to Mr. Clark, gardener to 

 Rev. A. D. Stacpoole, Writtle, Cbelmsford. (Three entries). 



In Class 31, for three kinds of kitchen Apples, Mr. Parsons, 

 gardener to R. Attenborough, Esq., was first with fine speci- 

 mens of Alfriston, Blenheim Orange, and Wellington (Dume- 

 low's Seedling). Mr. Woodbridge, gardener to the Duke of 

 Northumberland, having the second prize. (Pour entries ) 



In Class 32, for dessert Pears, Mr. Clarke was first with Ne 

 Plus Meuris, Beurre Ranee, and Knight's Monarch, also in the 

 next class for kitchen Pears. 



Vegetables. — In Class 33, for twelve crowns of Seakale, the 

 first prize waa awarded to Mr. Clarke, gardener to the Kev. 

 A. D. Stacpoole. (One entry.) 



Class 30, for twenty-four Muahrooms, Mr. Record had it all to 

 himself with leally splendid examples of high culture. 



Class 38, for one brace of Cucumbers, the only entry waa by 

 Mr. Douglas with a beautiful brace of his Tender and True, 

 which is evidently a variety of the highest excellence. 



Feuit Committee. — Henry Webb, Esq., in the chair. Mr. 

 Clark, gardener. The Vicarage, Writtle, Essex, sent fruit of an 

 Apple said to be Gravenstein, but which proved to be Reinette 

 Baumau. Mr. Bennett, the Gardens, Hatfield, sent a dish of 

 Lowndes' Pippin, a tender-fleshed brisk Apple. He also sent a 

 dish of Uvedale's St. Germain Pears, to which a letter of thanks 

 was awarded. Mr. Monro of Potter's Bar sent a box of Duke of 

 Edinburgh Cucumber containing a dozen fruit, which were 

 much admired, and to which a cultural commendation was 

 awarded, it having already received a first-class certificate. 

 The plants were planted on the 9th of January, and the first 

 fruit cut on the 8th of February. They were grown without 

 bottom heat. 



Flokal Committee.— R. B. Postans, Esq., in the chair. A 

 first-class certificate was awarded to Mr. H. Bennett, Salisbury, 

 for Rose Hippolyte Jamain. Votes of thanks were given to 

 Mr. R. Dean for a basket of Primroses ; to Messrs. Paul & Son, 

 Cheshunt, for two boxes of cut Roses; and to Mr. E. Bennett, 

 gardener to the Marquis of Salisbury, for a spike of Hedychium 

 Gardnerianum ; and cultural certificates to Mr. W. Wilson, gar- 

 dener to — Adams, Esq., for Cattleya Amethyatiglossa, and to 

 Mr. W. Shorten for four Cyclamens. 



Lilt of the Valley — Fly Okchis.— In a wood at Eoudsea 

 near to Holker Hall, Lancashire, the seat of his Grace the 

 Duke of Devonshire, the Lily of the Valley grows most luxu- 

 riantly, and year by year many thousand roots and hundreds 

 of large bunches of the flowers are brought away by the neigh- 



