ApriJ 1, 1875. ] 



joubnaIj op horticulture and cottage gardener. 



251 



life. The reflection whether we may not behave so well to the 

 land as to endanger onr grain and root crops is not so Utopian 

 and visionary as some people may be apt to suppose. Already 

 the cry of raking-up subsoils is raised, as though the surface 

 matter was satiated with its feast. 



We are doing away with our old system of allowing the 

 earth to recruit exhausted nature under fallow. Are we, or 

 are we not, preparing ourselves for " a famine of the land ?" 

 History oft repeats itself, and it may be as well to pause before 

 we have advanced too far, and ask ourselves the question, 

 " Wm the soil bear the constantly increasing strain we are 

 placing upon it?" — Beta. 



CALADIUM CULTURE. 



This beautiful and easily-cultivated genus of ornamental 

 foliage plants has of late years become very numerous and 

 popiJar. 



They should be potted when growth commences, using a com- 

 post of two parts peat, one part turfy loam, one part silver sand, 

 and plenty of drainage, and be placed in a brisk bottom heat, 

 and a moist temperature of 70°. By frequent potting theysoon 

 make large plants. Slight shading is necessary during strong 

 sun, yet they should at aU times be fully exposed to the light, 

 as too much shade and strong heat produces drawn and thin 

 foliage, so that if removed to a cooler temperature or the 

 exhibition tent they have a flimsy appearance. Syringing is 

 beneficial to these as well as most other foUage plants ; rain 

 water should be preferred. We labour under the disadvantage 

 of having to use spring water rising from chalk, and the conse- 

 quence is that plants present the appearance of having had a 

 sprinkling of whitewash. Sponging is a benefit to such plants 

 as Crotons, Dracieuas, A-c, as it dislodges insect pests ; but 

 it does not do for Caladiums, for it injures the beautiful bloom 

 on the leaves. 



When their beauty begins to fade, gradually dry them oft by 

 giving less water, but on no account should the soil be dust-dry 

 all winter, or when starting time arrives the bulbs may be 

 found to have disappeared from " dry rot." — G. P., jun. 



seakale forcing. 



Now that the Seakale question has cropped up, and as " H." 

 asks, " Can Seakale pots be dispensed with?" I will give two 

 instances where good Seakale has been forced without the aid 

 of pots or boxes. A plan was in operation more than twenty 

 years ago, and was carried out as follows : — 



The beds were raised a little above the level of the surround- 

 ing ground, and between each bed was a trench about 2 feet 

 deep and 2 feet wide, with, I believe, a single brick wall on each 

 side built pigeon-hole fashion. These trenches were for the 

 fermenting material, which was filled up to the level of the 

 walls, and the crowns were then covered with the common 

 Bracken Fern to the depth of 18 inches. This plan produced 

 some of the best Seakale I have ever seen. 



The next plan was on the level ground in quarters, not 

 merely beds, but planted at equal distances ; in this case 

 sticks were merely stuck round the crowns, and their tops 

 brought together cone-shaped, then a little long Utter placed 

 round the sticks, then the fermenting material. This plan also 

 answered very well. This was in a large forcing estabUshment. 

 Many people, I believe, force their earUest batches in Mush- 

 room houses, which is a saving of labour, and may be very 

 convenient, and the Kale quickly produced ; but still I am no 

 convert to that system. I am of opinion that No. 1 plan is 

 commendable for early forcing. I cannot clearly see that 

 pots or boxes can be dispensed with, even if sticks are used, 

 which seldom last more than one year ; and as pots are so Uable 

 to be broken, I think boxes are the next best, and perhaps the 

 cheapest in the end. 



Having a lot of spare drain tiles of a large size, I place two 

 of these together on their ends ; the bottom edges coming 

 together form a sort of oval, the top is covered with a piece of 

 slate. This plan answers very well. I usually place a stick 

 on the top of the fermenting material just over the tiles ; this 

 is a guide, and saves that probing process with the fork tines, 

 which in the case of pots is the primary cause of breakages. 



Now, No. 1 plan always struck me as a step in the right 

 direction. If the heating material can be more equally divided 

 between root and branch it must be a more natural way of 

 forcing. What could be better than such a plan for Asparagus, 

 the beds of course to be covered with glass ? I believe a good 



deal of the best forced Asparagus is grown in France on a 

 similar principle. 



I think that many of us have for a long time been forcing 

 Seakale and Rhubarb at the wrong end. Even if these roots 

 are taken up to be forced there is a great mutilation, which 

 must to some extent weaken the roots, and as a matter of 

 course the forced heads cannot reasonably be expected to be 

 so fine as from the outdoor forcing. — G. R. Allis. 



GERANIUMS FOR BEDDING. 



I WANT to induce all to obtain and none to throw away the 

 following: — Gloire de Corbeny, salmon; Lady Kirkland, Bon- 

 fire, Warrior, Vesuvius, Lucius, the best bedder ever raised ; 

 Claude Lorraine, Maia, Creed's SeedUng. Bronze — Black 

 Douglas, Emperor of Brazil, Marcchal McMahon, Kentish 

 Hero (for large beds), Sybil, Dwarf. Whitr-edgcd — Beaton's 

 Nosegay, Flower of Spring. Silver Tricolor — Mrs. John 

 Clutton, Charming Bride. Golden Tricolor — Mrs. Pollock. 

 Edging for Iresine : Crystal Palace Gem. 



In leaving out Jean Sisley I do it with regret, but no one 

 will obtain a mass of bloom from her. 



A really good white is yet to be found, and Madame Vaucher 

 had better be kept. All your readers are glad to learn the 

 name of any really good plant. We know the best Roses now, 

 would some one have an election of bedding Geraniums ? It 

 would save much money and time. — Age. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Cdtbush has very ably exposed the miserable vacillation 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society's Council and the injury 

 thereby inflicted on those on whom, after all, depends the future 

 of the Society, for 1 suppose it will be allowed that if there 

 are no exhibitions there will be an end of the Society ; and I 

 think we must come to the resolution not to send anything 

 more until the prizes of last year are paid and a schedule 

 worthy of the Society acted upon, for it seems that issuing 

 one and acting on it are two different things at South Ken- 

 sington. I allude to the prizes of last year, because I hear it 

 is coolly debated whether they shall be paid or not. If there 

 is any hesitation upon the subject it wUl be the duty of the 

 exhibitors to at once try whether the Council cannot be com- 

 pelled to pay. There is nothing that I am aware of in their 

 charter to enable them to act dishonestly. 



I know that there is one reason that keeps some exhibitors 

 from acting on this suggestion — lest it might appear that they 

 had less confidence in Mr. Barron than in his predecessors ; 

 but let it be clearly understood that, on whatever other point 

 the exhibitors may differ from the Council, they are unanimous 

 in their approval of the step which placed the management of 

 their exhibitions in the hands of one bo generally liked and 

 so thoroughly competent as he is. In him at any rate they 

 would be sure to find no dilatoriness, want of courtesy, or 

 firmness. — An Exhibiiok R.H.S. 



I HAVE informed myself of the numerical strength of the 

 several classes or parties, so to speak, who, divided against 

 each other, and, indeed, against themselves, have been and 

 are working out the ruin of that great Society which it was 

 their bounden duty to support. I was happy to find that 

 the number of those who remain attached to a legitimist 

 poUcy, and ready to support the few leaders of horticulture 

 proper which are left to us, is greater than I expected ; in- 

 deed, I cannot otherwise account for the singular transaction 

 which occurred with regard to the report at the anniversary 

 meeting when that document was virtually condemned, to- 

 gether with the framers thereof. On that occasion the 

 Council were saved from resignation, not upon the merits 

 of the case, but by the charming manner and high gentle- 

 manly bearing of their chairman. After this occurrence I 

 own to having cherished a shadow in the form of a hope that 

 something of the following kind might have been effected — to 

 wit, that a fusion between the old independent horticultural 

 party and that of the local Fellows might result in the forma- 

 tion of a CouncU containing a good proportion of the former. 

 Thatlthese two'partiesj(in Council) having agreed to act honestly 

 together might have together gone to the Commissioners and 

 so entered into arrangements of such a nature {upon the basis 

 of cancelling the lease) as to leave all parties in the possession 

 of their desired privileges. The thing is, I believe, still possible 



