Pebrnary 24, 1876. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



143 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



Day Day I 



of I oi 

 Month Week. 



FEBEUAEY 24— MARCH 1, 1876. 



Th 

 F 



S 



Son 



M 



To 



W 



[Rcyal Society at 8.30 p.m. 

 Itnyal IIorticQltural Society's Adjourned Meet, at 3 p.m. 

 Qiieckett (Microscopical) Club at 8 P.M. 

 Koyal Botanic Society at 3.45 p.m. 



QUINQUAGESIMA 



Koyal Geographical Society at 8.30 p.m. 



[mittees at 11 A.M. 

 Koyal Hortionltaral Society's Fruit and Floral Corn- 



Average 



Temperatare near 



London. 



Day. 

 47.1 

 47.7 

 47.2 

 47.7 

 40.1 

 47.4 

 48.7 



NiBht, 

 82 8 

 32.7 

 336 

 335 

 32,8 

 S3.6 

 34.7 



Mean, 

 89.9 

 40.2 

 40,4 

 40,6 

 40,9 

 40,5 

 41.7 



Sun 

 Rises. 



h. m. 



6 59 



6 67 



6 65 



46 



Son 



Sets. 



Moon 

 Rises. 



Moon 

 Sets. 



h. m. 



4 84 



5 .02 



7 10 



8 80 



9 51 

 11 17 

 Mom. 



aroon'B 



Age. 



Days. 



29 

 N 



1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



Clock 

 before 

 Sun. 



IS 28 



13 14 



13 4 



12 63 



12 42 



12 80 



12 18 



Day 

 o! 



Year. 



69 

 60 

 61 



From obserrations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature of the week is 47.8^ ; and its night temperatare 



CULTUBE OP CEOTONS AND MABANTAS FOB 

 EXHIBITION. 



HE first-named genus of ornamental-foliaged 

 plants is well adapted for exhibition pur- 

 poses, and the species best adapted for that 

 purpose are of very easy culture. The staple 

 potting material is good turfy loam from an 

 upland pasture. The turf should be cut thin 

 and stored for about three months before 

 using it. One-third of the compost should 

 be tiu-fypcat, with a little silver sand added, 

 and I have found some broken crocks mixed 

 ■with the soil to be benefioial. The Crotons require a con- 

 siderable supply of water during the growing period and 

 a highly moist atmosphere ; 70"' at night during the sum- 

 mer and autumn months is a suitable temperature. The 

 pots must be well drained : not only is this of the first 

 importance when the plants are repotted, but some of 

 the fibrous peat should be shaken free from soil and 

 carefully placed over the drainage before putting in the 

 compost. I have seen small plants which had been potted 

 in fine soil produce by far the largest proportion of active 

 roots in the drainage. 



Crotons are very much a prey to insect pests. The 

 plants must be kept clean, else the beauty of the foliage 

 is sadly marred. Mealy bug is the worst to deal with, 

 and if this gains a footing on C. angustifolium the plant 

 had better be destroyed. Some of the large-leaved species 

 may be cleansed by careful washing by hand with soapy 

 water. Red spider is another formidable enemy if it is 

 not observed in time. Syringing the plants daily with 

 clear tepid rain water will keep it in check ; but if this is 

 done carefully from the first the spider will either be de- 

 stroyed, or will not increase enough to do harm. Brown 

 scale also fastens on the stems and does mischief if it is 

 not removed by hand-washing. 



Then, as to the position in which the plants should be 

 placed. Who has not admired the splendid specimens of 

 C. angustifolium at the metropolitan exhibitions, its pen- 

 dulous leaves piled one over the other, and drooping grace- 

 fully until the tips of the leaves touch the ground ? while 

 as to the colour, one may well quote the words of the 

 poet, describing the doors of the chariot that was sent to 

 convey home the spirits of the old Scottish Covenanters. 

 They were — 



" bright and shining. 

 All dazzling like gold of the seventh refining." 



But to obtain the leaves of this bright golden tint the 

 plants must be placed close to the glass, and be exposed 

 to full bright sunshine. I will name a few only of those 

 best adapted for exhibition. Besides C. angustifolium 

 alluded to above, 



C. variegafum is a very old-established species, and 

 when well grown the glossy green ground colour of the 

 leaves sets off to advantage the rich gold of the margins 

 and midribs. 



C. Wiesmannii is of recent introduction, and has already 

 proved to be a grand species for exhibition. The leaves 



No. 778.— Vol. XXX., New Seeies. 



retain their splendid golden colour under shade, but when 

 the plant is exposed to the light the leaves are of tho 

 brightest gold. 



0. undulatimi when well grown is also a splendid 

 species. The leaves are large, wavy, beautifully variegated 

 in then' different stages with yellow, pink, and crimson. 



C. niajcsticum is a noble species of more recent intro- 

 duction still ; the leaves gracefully recurve or droop, and 

 the whole plant is very graceful. The colour is olive green 

 and yellow, which latter colour changes to crimson as 

 the leaves become older. 



The above selection is amply sufficient for exhibition 

 purposes if they are shown simply as foliage plants. If 

 a class is devoted to this genus alone, say six sorts, 

 then others would require to be added. C. ovalifolium, 

 C. Veitchianum, C. Toungii, and C. maximum are dis- 

 tinct and first-rate. 



Makantas are also well adapted for exhibition, the 

 foliage of some of the species is strikingly beautiful, and 

 the plants have distinctive features of a high character. 

 Indeed, whether for exhibition or for the decoration of 

 the plant stove, they are indispensable. 



The treatment as regards potting and watering is the 

 same as for Crotons, except that the potting material 

 should be mostly of turfy peat, to which a third of turfy 

 loam may be added. The plants must not be exposed to 

 the sun, but require the usual shade given to stove plants 

 in general. Water abundantly when the plants are in 

 active growth, and maintain a high moist temperature. 



I will name only a few of the best sorts. At the top of 

 the list must be placed M. VcitcJtiana. The plant when 

 full grown is over 3 feet in height. The under surface of 

 the leaves is purple, which shows through to the upper 

 side, which is beautifully marked with blotches of yellow 

 and greyish white. This is altogether a splendid-foliaged 

 plant. M. illustris, M. Lindeniana, M. rosea picta, and 

 M. Van den Heckei are all fine sorts. — J. Douglas. 



CHKTSANTHEMUM8 AND THEIR CULTUEE— 

 "EXTENUATING CIECDMSTANCES." 



No. 1. 



Few, if any, plants during their season of flowering 

 are capable of producing such a gorgeous display as do 

 Chrysanthemums. They produce also, it must be added, 

 not unfrequently some disappointment. Let me explain, 

 for the matter is worthy of being alluded to for the in- 

 formation of employers, and as just to the employed. 



I have been many years a grower of Chrysanthemums ; 

 and while I was as successful as my neighbours and was 

 not often found fault with, still my employer seldom 

 failed to let me know that his blooms were inferior to 

 those he had seen at the metropolitan exhibitions of this 

 tlower. At that time I had not seen one of those exhi- 

 bitions. Last autumu, however, a visit to "town" en- 

 abled me to see the plants at the Temple and also those 

 in some of the principal nurseries. 



My first visit was to the Temple, where I found a glow- 

 ing display, and many ladies and gentlemen taking names 



No. 1430.— Vol. LV., Old Sebies. 



