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JOUBNAL OJr HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAOE GAKDENEB. 



1 June 18, 1874. 



and are, consequently, suitable for the roots of plants to 

 run in. I shouU think, too, there never was a better season 

 for the bedding-out gardener than the present, for the cold 

 ungenial weather up to May 22nd did away with all idea 

 there mifiht be of beginning before that time ; and it must be 

 confessed when there is much to do the temptation to begin 

 earlier is very great ; but this season it could not be done, and 

 as warm fine weather set in so soon after the time mentioned, 

 and the ground was in good order (I allude to soils which are 

 usually Btiti) the after-progress may be expected to be good, 

 and may possibly be as early as usual, liut, as this may be 

 adverted to hereafter, I need not allude to it further here than 

 to say that notwithstanding the general character of the winter 

 for mildness. Calceolarias andGazanias that had withstood the 

 previous two winters out of doors succumbed in the past one 

 in February. — J. Kobson. 



STOCKS FOR SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER. 

 No. 2. 



Another strain of Stocks, in being more dwarf than the 

 Lothians, are most useful for particular purposes of decora- 

 tion in the late spring months, and this is the class known as 

 Intermediates. They have the same decided colours, but do 

 not possess the lasting qualities of the Lothians. They are 

 grown in immense quantities in the vicinity of large towns for 

 window-garden decoration amongst tlie urban population. 

 For this purpose they are now possibly pouring into Covent 

 Garden by thousands. They are great favourites, and de- 

 servedly so, and when fairly well grown cannot fail to attract. 

 Sown early in July, potted early and firmly, grown-on sturdy, 

 and wintered in pits near the glass, they turn out in good con- 

 dition for spring work. 



Ordinary Ten-week Stocks sown at the end of July, and 

 treated sinailarly to the Intermediates, flower finely in spring ; 

 but the only advantage, if it is an advantage, they give is in 

 variety of colour. I cannot imagine why the growers of seed 

 will persist in splitting up colours into such an interminable 

 number of shades, unless it is to humiliate English lexico- 

 graphers, it being simply impossible in our vulgar tongue, 

 elastic as it is, to find anything like a corresponding descrip- 

 tive nomenclature to faithfully represent them. The dirty, 

 dingy, miserable mixtures in colour bring Stocks into disre- 

 pute. Perhaps these remarks may reach some of the conti- 

 nental Stock-seed growers, and I would respectfully inform 

 them that, if English growers tolerate the mongrels, they do 

 not admire them. True, they buy them because they can 

 hardly help it, but not without grumbling. I'erhaps the best 

 cure ia to grow seed at home. It would pay well, and, with 

 good culture and management, would be as good as the foreign 

 supply. 



A word as to saving seed of any choice variety. The old notion 

 of growing by the side of doubles is an empty one. The right 

 plan is to give high cultivation and ripen in a sunny aspect with 

 a high temperature, taking off the upper weak portion of the 

 spike, leaving only the fine pods to ripen. If to this culture 

 be added the special care of selecting only those flowers with 

 more than the normal number of petals, as fives, sixes, 

 sevens, &c., then we are on the direct highway to a double 

 progeny. 1 never but once was disappointed by this plan of 

 selestion. I sived from marked blooms of a particularly good 

 Mnd a small quantity of seed. Half of it was sown, and every 

 flower came double ; the following year the other portion was 

 sown with the same result. It was not disappointment from 

 lack of doubles, but by losing the variety. It was literally a 

 " double disappointment." 



I should add that in potting Stocks, have a care that the 

 pots are clean-washed. A dirty pot should never be used for 

 anything; but I know in many places, owing to the press of 

 •work, it is simply impnsfible to wash every pot before using 

 it. It is easy to put a Stock into a dirty pot, but next to im- 

 possible to turn it out without tearing away all the best roots. 

 Hardly anything clings to the sides of a dirty pot like the 

 small fibres of the Stock, and there is a danger of all previous 

 labour being thrown away by neglecting to attend to this one 

 simple yet all-important point in management. 



liut, pots or no pots. Stocks, Bromptons and Lothians, 

 should be had. They are amongst the things laying claim to 

 the title of everybody's flowers, and should be seen in some 

 part of every garden. That title is an honourable one. Let 

 the few have all the enjoyment they can wish for, but ho who 

 adds to the wholesome pleasure of the many does a work of 



which he need never be ashamed. If a flourishing nobility 

 is a nation's stay, may it ever flourish ; the happiness and con- 

 tent of humbler homes is a nation's strength. — J. Wkight. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



June ITth. 



Fhuit Committee. — A. Smee, Esq., E.E.S., in the chair, 

 Messrs. Carter & Co., of High Holborn, sent examples of Mac- 

 lean's Little Gem, and Carter's Extra Early Premium Gem ; as 

 exhibited, the last named is longer podded and more prolific than 

 the other. Mr. Bennett, The Gardens, Hatfield, sent examples 

 of Bloxholm Hall Scarlet-flesh Melon ; the same variety was 

 sent by Mr. J. Douglas, Loxford Hall, Ilford. That from Mr. 

 Douglas was the better flavoured, but neither was worthy of a 

 certificate. A white-fleshed variety, Lady Isabel Cecil, was 

 sent by Mr. Gilbert, The Gardens, Burghley, Stamford ; it was 

 of fair flavour, but inferior to other white-fleshed sorts. 



Strawberry Brown's Wonder was sent by Messrs. Lee, of 

 Hammersmith, to show its wonderfully prolific character; the 

 plant was taken from the open ground, and was loaded with 

 fruit. The Committee asked to see it when ripe. 



A seedUng Black Grape wit'n round berries, named Russian 

 Emperor, was sent by Mr. Gilbert. It in some respects re- 

 sembles Espiran, but is much inferior to many other Grapes at 

 present in cultivation. 



Floral Committee. — Mr. J. Fraser in the chair. The plants 

 submitted to the Committee on this occasion were very few, 

 nearly all novelties that were in flower having been brought 

 forward at the recent shows. Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, sent 

 Imperial Dwarf Carnation with self scarlet flowers, and of 

 exceedingly dwarf habit, and on that account very desirable. 

 This is a class of plants which, from the great demand for the 

 flowers in the market and the prices which they command, is 

 evidently in great favour, and, indeed, they are valuable decora- 

 tive plants at this season, and fragrant as well. The great fault 

 of most of them is their spindling habit, requiring the use of 

 sticks; the great merit of this variety, that sticks would not be 

 required, or only very short ones, if planted in a bed. A first- 

 class certificate was awarded. From the same firm came 

 Lilium purpureum, white dotted with dark crimson. Mr. 0. 

 Lidgard, of Hammersmith, had a first-class certificate for 

 Lobelia Duchess of Edinburgh, of very compact habit, produc- 

 ing a profusion of white flowers. A tirst-class certificate was 

 also awarded to Mr. Chitty, of Stamford Hill, for Coleus Duchess 

 of Edinburgh, with leaves coloured with various shades of 

 magenta purple and dark crimson, with green or cream-coloured 

 edges. A first-class certificate was awarded. Mr. R. Dean, 

 Eahag, had a commendation for his strain of seedling Pent- 

 stemons, and he hkewise esliibited a collection of cut An- 

 tirrhinums. 



Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, sent Pescatorea albo-sanguinea, white, 

 with a rose-tinged lip, dark crimson at the base ; Mr. R. P. Barr 

 a collection of Lilies, in competition for Messrs. Barr tt Sugden's 

 prizes, including several varieties of L. dauricum, bulbiferum, 

 Thunbergianum, and Martagon. The Rev. G. Kemp, Sion 

 College, also sent varieties of L. Thunbergianum ; and G. F. 

 Wilson, Esq., Heatherbank, Weybiidge, an unnamed species with 

 yellow flowers. 



From Messrs. Cripps & Son, of Tunbridge Wells, came Cle- 

 matis Delicata, semi-double, pale lilac, and Attraction, a loose 

 flower not equal to others ; Messrs. Downie il' Co.'s Silver Tri- 

 color Mrs. Downie, very pretty and high-coloured. Mr. Pest- 

 ridge, Boston Park Nursery, Brentford, contributed a collection 

 of Bronze and Tricolor Pelargoniums in fine condition. Mr. C. 

 Noble, nurseryman, Bagshot, sent a grouj) of Spiraea palmata, 

 whose pretty crimson feathers are always attractive, though in 

 this case not so inucli so as usual. From Mr. C. Lee, Clevedon, 

 came a rosy crimson sport of Reine Blanche Rose ; and from 

 Mrs. Williams, 38, Hazlewood Crescent, Upper Westbourne 

 Park, a nice basket of artificial Roses, scented with rose water, 

 and relieved with neatly-executed Ferns. 



A SIMPLE WAY OF GROWING SPECIMEN 

 FUCHSIAS. 



YoDR readers are doubtless familiar with the habit which the 

 old Eiccartoni Fuchsia assumes when grown out of doors in 

 those situations where, through the severity of the winters, it is 

 compelled to assume a semi-herbaceous habit, dying down in 

 winter, and springing up again in summer from an annually 

 increasing stool until it attains the size of a goodly bush. I 

 have often thought what magnificent specimens such plants 

 would make, if transferred to a pot, with their profusion of 

 flowers ; but how much more imposing would some of our fine 

 cultivated varieties appear grown in the same way ! Imagine 



