August 12, 187e. 1 



JOUKNAIi OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



135 



the most delicate Teas, as well as other Roses, with scarcely 

 one failure, and planted out iu April strong plants in the open 

 border. They have blossomed well the first yeai-. — A Sussex 

 Lady. 



AUTDMN SOWN ANNUALS— CALLIOPSIS. 



Most of the hardy annuals which are adaptable for autumn 

 Bowing are of prooumbtnt growth, and are mainly suitable for 

 early spring-fJowering, but the Calliopses are of erect growth, 

 and are not in full beauty until the middle of the summer. 

 They are amongst the brightest of garden flowers, and are 

 exceedingly rich if cultivated iu masses, when they are, espe- 

 cially for distant effect, very striking. At the back of herb- 

 aceous or mixed borders, or for relieving the sombre aspect of 

 the shrubbery, few, if any, annual plants can compare with 

 these. Neither are they transient, for they continue in beauty 

 almost throughout the summer. They are of the easiest 

 growth, and are not affected by extremes of wet or dry weather 

 to the same extent as are most flowering plants ; and, further 

 than this, they will flourish not only in the country, but 

 wOl also contribute their brightness to town gardens. Their 

 colours — yellow, red, and crimson, separate or in combination — 

 are very brilliant ; while in foUage and habit they are, if not 

 elegant, certainly agreeable. 



Seed of these plants is generally sown in spring, but iu that 

 case the plants are late iu coming into bloom. To have them 

 early, continuous, and fine they must be raised from seed 

 Bown in autumn ; but still sowing must not be deferred until 

 September, which is the right time for Nemophilas, but not 

 for Calliopses. The latter are of very slow growth iu their 

 early stages, and, to afford them time to attain a safe size to 

 pass through the winter, seed should be sown at the present 

 time, or not later than August loth. By late-autumn sowing, 

 and also by spring sowing, I failed with these glowing annuals ; 

 but by sowing at the same time and iu the same manner as 

 winter Onions I have never failed to have au abundance of 

 plants for planting in March, which commence blooming in 

 June and continue throughout the summer months. If thinned 

 out early the winter's frost never injures them. 



Those who covet a great display for a little outlay of money 

 and trouble cannot do better than sow thinly in drills at the 

 present time. The seed must be very slightly covered. The 

 varieties, which are all showy, may be selected from any seeds- 

 man's catalogue according to the heights of plants and the 

 colours which are desired. — A Town Gaedenek. 



REPORTS OF ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY'S FLORAL COMMITTEES. 

 The size of the Exhibition on July 21st, and the limited 

 time afforded to report it, rendered it impossible that every- 

 thing could be noticed. Further, many plants were removed 

 from the CouacU-room shortly after two o'clock, and others 

 had no exhibitors' names attached, and at that time no one 

 was in attendance to supply information. On August 4th a 

 fine example of Hyacinthus oandioans was credited to Mr. 

 Bull owing to its being near, and apparently belonging to, his 

 collection. The exhibitor's name, Mr. G. F. Wilson, was not 

 attached. The system of numbering will inevitably at times 

 lead to misreporting. Mr. Douglas has stated on page 90 that 

 the system of " attaching numbers instead of names to the 

 plants exhibited can answer no good purpose whatever." — 

 Eepoktee. 



POROUS GARDEN POTS. 



Since my former communication was penned I learn from 

 Mr. Thomson of Drumlaurig that he considers his general 

 collection of stove plants, which are potted in glazed pots, to 

 thrive even better than they did in the common earthenware 

 pots, and that he has commenced putting his Orchids in glazed 

 pots also. I would also thank " Ex-Exhieitor" for his last 

 letter ; but I must respectfully decline to accept his simple " I 

 know they [glazed pots] are not safe," as a satisfactory assur- 

 ance in the face of my own experience and the well-established 

 facts I have already given. His surmises, too, as to what Mr. 

 Dunn or anyone else might do under possible circumstances 

 are surely irrelevant iu a question of facts and experiment. 



I wish to avoid carrying the discussion into the region of 

 possibilities and mere assumptions. As far as we go let us 

 tread on stable ground. Further, I must disclaim the com- 

 pliment that the health of our bedding plants, &c., in the 



dirty pots is due to extra attention or management, for such ia 

 not the case. "0i;ser\'ek" ooucistly sums-np the advantages 

 of glazed pots, and I must agree with him that there is no 

 valid reason for imagining that a plant requires a porous pot. 

 I accept with readiness the Editors' guaruutte of good faith 

 on " Ex-ExniBiTOR's " part, and havu no hesitation iu believ- 

 ing that he states his own convictions, but they are unsup- 

 ported by reasonable evidence. 



It is hardly likely that glazed pots at present prices will 

 supersede the old earthenware ; that, however, is not the 

 question, which is — Will a plant thrive as well in anon-porous 

 pot as a porous one? As yet, practical trial answers m the 

 affirmative, and we have not the least reason for supposing 

 that success iu any instance is due to an extra effort of skill 

 on the part of those who have tried the experiment. 



" Ex-ExniBiTOK " is " sorry to see " I have so little respect 

 for " general practice." I believe I share the general feeling 

 of most practical gardeners of estimating every practice by its 

 utility, and not by either its general adoption or its continuance. 

 — J. Simpson, Wortley, 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 A Special General Meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural So- 

 ciety will be held in the Council Room, South Kensington, on 

 Friday, August 13th, 1875, at 3 o'clock p.m., to receive from 

 the Council a statement of the result of their negotiations 

 with Her Majesty's Commissioners, and to consider if they 

 shall approve and sanction the agreements provisionally entered 

 into between the Corporations. 



Heads of proposed new Agreement f.eiween the Commis- 

 sioners FOR THE Exhibition of 1851 and the Royal 

 Horticcltcral Society. 



1. The subsisting agreements to be continued in full force 

 where they are not inconsistent with this agreement. 



2. The Commissioners to have the power of determining 

 clauses 5 and 7 of this agreement at the expiration of the 

 third year from its commencement if the income of the 

 Society for that year, from entrance fees and the subscriptions 

 of Fellows and other annual subscribers, shall not amount to 

 £10,000, and the Commissioners shall in that case take upon 

 themselves the repayment of the sum of £7000 hereinafter 

 mentioned, or so much thereof as shall remain unpaid, and 

 the interest thereof. 



3. In the event of the Commissioners exercising the power 

 by clause 2 hereof agreed to be given to them, they shall, not- 

 withstanding anything herein contained, be entitled to any 

 right of re-entry which they may, prior to exercising the said 

 power, acquire by virtue of the subsisting agreements, unless 

 the Society shall in the year 1876, out of monies which under 

 those agreements would be applicable to the payment of the 

 rent thereby reserved, and on or before the day on which such 

 rent ought f) be paid, pay iu respect of interest on, and iu re- 

 duction of the priucipal of, the said sum of £7000, the full 

 sum of £2100, which but for this agreement ought to be applied 

 in the payment of such rent ; iu which case such conditional 

 right of re-entry as is given to the said Commissioners by the 

 subsisting agreements shall be deemed not to have arisen. 



4. Save iu so far as their claim thereto may be necessary to 

 preserve such right of re-entry as is referred to in the last 

 clause, the Commissioners shall remit to the Society the sum 

 of £2400, which under the subsisting agreements would be pay- 

 able as rent iu 1876. 



5. The Society may borrow such sum, not exceeding £7000, 

 as shall be necessary for the discharge of its existing liabilities 

 other than its debenture debt, and for the thorough repair of 

 its buildings at South Kensington. 



6. The Society shall not accept any more life compositions 

 without the written consent of the Commissioners. 



7. Until the present debenture debt of the Society shall be 

 fuUy paid off, all sums of money which under the subsisting 

 agreements would be payable to the Commissioners as rent, 

 shall be applied (a) in payment of the interest to accrue npon 

 such sum as may be borrowed by the Society under clause 5 

 hereof, and in repayment of the principal monies so borrowed 

 until they be fully repaid ; (6) for the mutual benefit of the 

 Commissioners and the Society in such way as shall from time 

 to time be determined by the Expenses Committee and be ap- 

 proved of by the Commissioners. 



8. Whilst the said clauses 6 and 7 remain iu force, the 

 Society shall, on the authorised bank holidays or on such other 

 days not exceeding five in number in any one year as may be 



