Ui 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABUENEB. 



( Jane 10, 1876. 



will flonrisb in any temperature, and even with a deficiency of 

 light falls nioie doeely over the sides of the pots or batkets 

 than it does when grown in a more natural manner with abun- 

 dance of light and air. — William Tatlok. 



THE CINERABIA. 



This is one of our most useful cool greenhouse plants for 

 midwinter and spring decoration, for which it has few equals ; 

 it is also valuable for cut flowers. It is so easy to cuUivate 

 that almost anyone may grow it. Usually the plants are 

 grown from seed, but they may be increased by offsets. Those 

 who have old plants of any good variety, and wish to increase 

 them, can do so as follows. 



As soon as the plants are out of flower cut them down to 

 within 2 inches of the surface of the soil to induce them to 

 make fresh growth from the bottom. At this stage the supply 

 of water must be reduced until they show signs of growth. 

 But the simplest plan is to plant them out in a shady border, 

 giving them a little water when required. By July or August 

 there ought to be some signs of growth, and the offsets, when 

 Buificiently long and have emitted rootlets, should be taken off 

 and potted in rather small pots. Place them in a cool pit or 

 frame, or hand-lights would do, keeping them rather close for 

 a few days until they are established, but shaded from bright 

 Bun. When sufficiently established they will do in any cool 

 shady place, such as behind a north wall or hedge, but not 

 under trees. By tho time the pots are filled with roots fine 

 foliage will begin to develope itself. At this stage they must 

 be repotted into larger-sized pots, taking care to have the balls 

 thoroughly moist before repotting. Avoid large shifts, but 

 they mast be sufficiently large so as to keep the plants growing, 

 as any check to free root-action is very pernicious. A 6-inch 

 pot will grow a very useful-sized plant suitable for most ordi- 

 nary requirements, while large plants for exhibition purposes 

 are grown in 9-ineh pots. 



The soil to grow them in should consist of good turfy loam 

 and leaf mould or well-rotted manure ; if the loam is of a 

 retentive nature add a tpriukling of sharp sand ; a little char- 

 coal dust is also a good addition. These ingredients well 

 blended together will, with ordinary care, grow good plants. 



Drainage is an important point — indeed, the future well- 

 being of a plant will often depend much on the proper drain- 

 age of the pots. These must be thoroughly clean, and if they 

 happen to be new and fresh from the pottery they ought to be 

 thoroughly soaked in a tub of water previously to being used. 

 These little matters if neglected will often cause some anxiety 

 to plant- growers, as the dry pots wUl absorb the water which 

 ought to nourish the plants. A good-sized piece of broken 

 pot should form the foundation of the drainage, or an oyster 

 shell will do as well, then a few more broken pieces on the top 

 of the large piece. A light sprinkling of dry soot at the bottom 

 of the pots will keep worms at bay. This may be mixed with 

 the rough material which is placed over the crocks to keep the 

 soil from the drainage. 



The pots should never be filled too full of soil, but space 

 should be left to hold sufficient water to percolate the entire 

 mass of soil and roots. After each potting water must be 

 rather sparingly used until the plants establish themselves in 

 the new soil. 



A cold pit or frame with a north aspect, but which can have 

 an hour or two's sun night and morning, is suitable for grow- 

 ing the plants, but in all cases avoid a powerful midday sun. 

 The pit sashes should be left off in fine weather, but they 

 ought to be in readiness in case of heavy thunderstorms or 

 hail, which would at once spoil the beauty of the plants. 

 Night dews are very refreshing. By the time the pots are 

 filled with roots good foliage ought to be hanging over the 

 sides of the pots. At this stage the plants should never be 

 allowed to flag for want of water, or they will certainly he 

 attacked by green fly. I have always found it beneficial to 

 water the plants overhead once or twice a-day in hot weather, 

 with a fine-rose pot. Whenever the blooming-pote are full of 

 roots a little guano water, an ordinary handful to every four 

 gallons of water, applied to the soil two or three times a-week 

 will be beneficial. 



The plants cannot be grown too cool so long as they are 

 kept from frost. In the winter they are beet kept in cold pita 

 with just sufficient means to keep off frost, or in a cool house 

 near to the glass, giving air on all favourable occasions. Avoid 

 as much as possible a close atmosphere with fire bent. If 

 green fiy makes its appearance it must be subdued at once by 



fumigation, but in this matter care wUl have to be exercised. 

 A moderate dose repeated two or three times will be much 

 better than one extreme fumigation, for by the latter plan the 

 remedy would be worse than the disease, as it would spoil the 

 foliage. 



A word or two on seedlings. Seed may be sown at the 

 present time in a seed-pan, and be placed in a cool house or 

 pit. The soil must never be allowed to become dry, or the 

 seeds will not vegetate. Some cultivators sow as early as 

 March, but that is with a view of having the plants in bloom 

 at Christmas, at which time they are often very useful, but 

 are never so fine as in spring. The same cultural remarks 

 apply to the seedlings as for the offshoots. Anyone feeling 

 inclined to grow for exhibition purposes must not rely on 

 seedlirga, but had better buy named sorts from the growers. 



Thrips will occasionally attack Cinerarias ; in that case fu- 

 migation is the best remedy, but they will take more killing 

 than green fly. As I have before said, better fumigate gently 

 two or three times than give one overdose. A still night is 

 the best for the operation. We sometimes syringe the outside 

 of the house or frame during the time the fumigation is going 

 on. This has a tendency to close the laps of the glass, thereby 

 preventing to some extent the escape of the smoke. After 

 smoking the house or frame ought not to be opened before the 

 following morning. — G. K. Allis. 



KOYAL HORTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 



June 4th. 



An adjourned special General Meeting of the Eoyal Horti- 

 cultural Society was held last Friday in the Council-room, 

 South Kensington, for the purpose of receiving a communica- 

 tion from the Council respecting the future prospects and con- 

 dition of the Society, acd to receive an answer to proposals made 

 by the Council to Her Majesty's Commissioners. The chair was 

 taken by the President of the Society, Viscount Bury. Amongst 

 the members of Council present were Dr. Kellock, Sir Coutts 

 Lindsay, Bart., Mr. Henry Webb, Mr. Little, Mr. Dobree 

 (Treasurer), and the Hon. and Eev. J. T. Boscawen. Amongst the 

 general body of the Fellows were Mr. G. F. Wilson, Mr. W. A. 

 Lindsay (late Secretary to tbe Council), Mr. H. S. Godson, Mr. 

 Shirley Hibberd, Mr. John Fraser, Dr. Denny, Dr. Pinches, Mr. 

 W. E. Eendall, Mr. W. Powuall, Mr. Haughton, Sir Alfred 

 Slade, Bart., Sir Alexander Gordon, Bart., Mr. Guedalla, Mr. 

 Andrew Murray, &o. Several ladies were present, and the ut- 

 most interest was evinced in the proceedings, the Meeting being 

 perhaps the longest of the Society ever held. Although at times 

 a good deal of teeling was displayed, the proceedings on the 

 whole were, under tbe able presidency of Lord Bury, conducted 

 with good temper. The Meeting lasted from three o'clock until 

 nearly six. 



The Assistant Secketabt having read the advertisement 

 convening tbe Meeting, 



Tbe CHAiKMAN, who was sliphtly cheered on rising to address 

 the crowded Meeting, said :— Ladies and Gentlemen, I think the 

 best way of commeLcing tbe proceedings of this Meeting is to 

 read to you a letter which has been received from Her Majesty's 

 Commissioners in answer to the proposals which have been 

 made to them by us. It will be in your recollection, ladies and 

 gentlemen, that ten days ago our Meeting was adjourned to this 

 day in order that we might consider the answer— if any answer 

 was received in tbe meantime— from Her Majesty's Com- 

 missioners. At the time of our former Meeting we were not in 

 possession of the views Her Majesty's Commissioners enter- 

 tained as to the proposals made by our Society, and now, having 

 heard what Her Majesty's Commissioners have to say, it will be 

 my duty briefly to review tbe position of the Society, to tell 

 you the position in which it stands with Her Majesty's Com- 

 missioners, and then to exchange with you some deliberations 

 and take counsel as to what our future action with respect to the 

 Society is to be. First, I will call upon tbe Secretary to read the 

 reply which we have received from Her Majesty's Com- 

 missioners [bear, bear]. 



Mr. HiBBEKD said he thought it would be very desirable that 

 the proposals of the Society should first be read [cries of 



The CuArBMAN said he was taking the course he thought best 

 for conducting tbe business of the Meeting [applause]. 



Sir Alex. Gobdon— Well, I beg to move, " That the pro- 

 posals of the Society made to Her Majesty's Commissioners be 



A Fellow in the body of the room seconded the motion, and 

 it was carried. 



The Ch.iiem.a^ said as that was so he should make a statement 

 which he thought might be advantageously done after the letter 

 of Her Majestj's Commissioners was read. The noble Chair- 

 man was then about to read the letter in question, when, 



Mr. Godson rose, and amid some cheering asked that the 



