Aagnsb 19, 1375. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



155 



Bqnares paid four or five guineas for a " house ticket," and had 

 not the advantages of conservatories, covered arcades, shows, 

 readinK-rooms, and bands. Another idea was that all gentle- 

 men's gardeners who held certificates from their masters to be- 

 come associates at a guinea a-year to admit them to the shows, 

 and in that way the Society would get some £500 or i.'GOO. If 

 they had four thousand Fellows at two guineas, and four hundred 

 " honse tickets " at five guineas, they would have more thau 

 the A'10,000. As he had been taunted with having a scheme, it 

 would not be a bad thing to tell them what it was, whether bad 

 or good. Accordingly, when we have a scheme cut and dry we 

 will send a circular to all the Fellows, get them distributed 

 amongst all seedsmen , and call upon the good people of Kensing- 

 ton, if they value our gardens, to put their hands in their 

 pockets and pay for them [applause]. He was sure if the gar- 

 dens were done away with the value of property in the neigh- 

 bourhood would be very seriously depreciated, and the enjoy- 

 ment of the people much interfered with. He believed if the 

 whole thing was done fairly, regard being had to the vested 

 rights of everyone, and if they did their best to enlarge the 

 sphere of the horticultural gardens they would be supported 

 [cheers]. He should gratefully receive any suggestions, which 

 he would put before the Council. For many years the Society 

 had been living up to what would be to any of them ruin — 

 spending in 1875 what they expected to get in 1S7G [cries of 

 " hear "]. They would be able to borrow £5000 by the liberality 

 of Mr. Freake, who was willing to accept the security of the 

 Commissioners [cheers]. Mr. Freake said he was delighted to 

 do it. Now these wretched prizes of 1874 were not paid ; the 

 1875 prizes were paid, and this was what had caused the actions. 

 As to the hurried way in which this Meeting was called, he 

 might say if it had not been so called they could not have got 

 the sanction of the Meeting to the agreements, by which, at all 

 events, they would be able to borrow £5000 and free themselves 

 from the debt of £1200, which was a stain and a stigma upon 

 the Eoyal Horticultural Society [applause]. 



The Chaibman said he was very glad to hear so good a scheme. 



Mr. Pinches asked. Would it be promulgated before Christ- 

 mas ? 



Admiral Hoknby. — As soon as I get the consent of the Council 

 I shall issue a circular stating the whole scheme. 



On the motion of Mr. Liggins a vote of thanks was accorded 

 to the Council for the esceUent explanations that had been 

 given. 



The Chairman, in acknowledging the vote, said all the head- 

 work had been done by Mr. Haughton. 



The proceedings then terminated. 



BED, WHITE, AND BLUE. 



Delicate shades of these colours are well exemplified in 

 three flowers that are now in bloom — viz., Phlox amabilis, 

 Tucca filamentosa, and Delphinium Bella Donna. The latter 

 possesses a beautifal pale blue colour that few plants can 

 rival, perhaps something of the same shade as the pretty little 

 annual Nemophila insignia. D. pulchellam is another beauti- 

 ful variety of something the same shade, only tinged with 

 pink and mauve, which detracts from the parity of the blue 

 as seen in the first-mentioned ; but as it has a stronger habit 

 and is a free bloomer, it well deserves classing with the un- 

 Burpaased D. Bella Donna. These plants will bloom from 

 June to September if some of their shoots are pinched off 

 when in their young growth. Also as soon as a stalk has 

 bloomed it should be cut away, others will then throw-up 

 from the crown. When the shoots are in a young and pliable 

 state a system of pegging-down can be resorted to, thus causing 

 the flowers to be produced the height of Geraniums and other 

 bedding plants. Indeed, when managed rightly it is at home 

 either in the border, in isolation on a grass plot, or mixed 

 with other plants. 



I do not know a more suitable contrast for planting near it 

 than the Tucca filamentosa, as this variety blooma more fre- 

 quently thau its fellows with grander foliage ; but, again, it is 

 more particular as to the soil. I cannot understand why a 

 plant so beautiful and one so moderate in price should seldom 

 be seen in gardens. What can be more elegant and yet stately 

 than its flowering spikes, growing to a height of 5 or 6 feet 

 with a wax-like appearance, which are beautiful at all times, 

 perhaps mostly so in the evening and twilight, when through 

 the subdued light they appear more than ever to stand-out in 

 their purity, and emit a delicious Magnolia-like scent ? Their 

 delicate bell-shaped flowers invite a close examination, for 

 there is not the crush of blossoms one generally sees in the 

 Y. gloriosa and recurva which bloom at uncertain intervals of 

 years, when the idea might strike one that the blossoms of 

 several years have been condensed into one, the stalk being 



BO crowded with bells that the individual beauty is thns in a 

 great measure lost. Like all other flowers with characteristic 

 foliage, Yu'ioas look best either massed, isolated, or in a line — 

 anything rather than the system of dotting. 



Phlox amabilis blooming at the same time is a valuable 

 addition to the others, its salmon-cerise colour being also 

 strikingly delicate. When seen in company with the Yucca 

 and Delphinium it completes a perfect trio. Thus we have in 

 bloom together three flowers most delicately lovely, attractive, 

 and perfectly hardy, and these are only three of those hardy 

 gems that should be the prominent features of all gardens. — 

 Henbt COOI'EE. 



KOYAL HORTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 



AooDST 18th. 



Feuit Committee. — Henry Webb, Esq., in the chair. The 

 subjects submitted to the Meeting were not numerous. Mr. 

 Tillery, gardener to the Dake of Portland, Welbeck, sent a seed- 

 ling Nectarine Welbeck Seedling. It has been raised from 

 Elruge, and has considerable resemblance to that variety, except 

 that the fruit is darker at the stone and more highly coloured in 

 the skin. The fruit was not in condition to judge of the flavour. 

 Mr. W. Paul of Waltham Cross Nurseries sent a collection of 

 fruit, including an Early Pear — -the name was not determined, 

 it resembled Beurre Giffard; a dish of Oulliu's Golden Gage 

 Plum ; nine dishes of Apples, comprising very fine specimens of 

 Duchess of Oldenburgh, an excellent cooking and dessert Apple ; 

 Irish Peach, a very fine dessert Apple ; Summer Golden Pippin ; 

 Lord Suflield, a fine cuUnary Apple; Thorle; Oslin and Kerry 

 Pippins; Early Julien; and Sugarloaf Pippin, excellent for 

 culinary purposes. A vote of thanks was awarded for the collec- 

 tion. A scarlet-flesh Melon named Champion of England was 

 sent by Mr. J. Anderson, gardener to W. Hatton, Esq., Kidder- 

 minster. It resembled Little Heath, being rather more deeply 

 ribbed; flavour indifferent. Mr. W. Forge, Walkergate, Bever- 

 ley, sent a green-fleshed Melon, inferior to Victory of Bath. 



Mr. E. Dean, Ealing, sent a Japanese Badish, distinct from 

 the Californian. The Committee referred it to Chiewick for 

 trial. 



Floral Committee. — Dr. Denny in the chair. Only a limited 

 number of plants were exhibited in the Council-room, but the 

 few were distinct. A first-class certificate was awarded to 

 Messrs. James Veitch & Sons for a remarkable Fern, Adiantnm 

 Luddemannianum, in which the pinum are metamorphosed at 

 the extremity of each frond in a not more curious than constant 

 manner, every frond being surmounted, as it were, with clusters 

 of green florets. It is a remarkable and distinct plant, and 

 totally unlike any other Adiantum. They had also a like award 

 for Masdevallia Davisii, a species with bright yellow flowers ; 

 it is exceedingly floriferous, the small plant e^ibited having 

 over twenty flowers, small, but literally as " bright as a Butter- 

 cup." The species is thoroughly distinct, and is likely to be- 

 come popular. They had also Artocarpua laciniatus metallicus, 

 a plant with large Vine-like laciniated fohage of a dark bronzy 

 colour. If it proves adaptable for sub-tropical gardening it 

 will be an acquisition; a second-class certificate was awarded. 

 They had also Artocarpua laciniatus and Croton Lord Cairns, 

 green with yellow midribs, and in form not unlike the Platy- 

 ceriums ; also an Australian plant, Crotolaria Cunninghamii, 

 with white tomentose foliage and a crimson Pea-like flower. It 

 is not unlikely that this may prove an effective white-edging 

 plant. A botanical certificate was awarded. 



Mr. Bull had a second-class certificate for Artocarpus Cannoni, 

 a plant having larger also darker foliage than A. laciniatus. 

 The upper surface of the foliage is in colour not unlike the 

 Perilla, the leaves underneath being reddish brown. For indoor 

 decorative purposes this is an effective plant, and if sufficiently 

 hardy for the sub-tropical garden it will be a valuable introduc- 

 tion ; it fully merited the award. Mr. Bull sent also a collection 

 of Echeverias in variety and plants of Lilium tigrinum. Clian- 

 thus Dampieri var. " Deutche Flagge," was exhibited by Mr. 

 Louis Viewig, Wegelebin, Enedlingburgh, Prussia. It is a very 

 robust variety, and was awarded a vote of thanks. A plant of 

 Sedum popnlifolium was exhibited by Mr. Searle, 6, Prian Place, 

 Albion Road, Hammersmith. It is a suffruticose plant with 

 pinkish white sweet-scented flowers. It is well adapted for the 

 rockery, or as a vase or basket plant. It was introduced from 

 Siberia in 1780. A small plant of Odontoglossnm Luddemanni- 

 anum was sent by J. S. Law, Esq., South Lodge, Southgate. 

 A spike of a seedling Amaryllis of the Belladonna type, with 

 fourteen beautiful rosy flowers, was exhibited by Mr. Bowill, 

 gardener to Sir H. W. Parker, Richmond ; it is a very fine 

 variety. 



Twelve varieties of Verbenas were sent by Mr. Eckford, gar- 

 dener to the Earl of Radnor, Coleehill House. The trusses and 

 pips were very large, and the colours distinct, embracing scarlet, 

 purple, rose, and white. First-class certificates were awarded 

 to George Bnmning, purple with white eye ; and The King, rich 



