MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 71 



Challenge to Ranunculus Growers! — The Members of the East 

 London Ranuncula Society, held at the Salmon and Ball Tavern, Cambridge 

 Heath-road, London, challenge any six Ranunculus growers in England to 

 exhibit, on the 13th June next, six pans of Ranunculuses, each pan to con- 

 tain twelve dissimilar varieties, and to be of their own property and growth, 

 for the sum of twenty pounds or upwards: all communications to be ad- 

 dressed (post-paid) to Air. C. D. Dandy, Secretary, at the above Tavern. — 

 This challenge is not given with any invidious feeling, but in the hope of 

 bringing this beautiful and much-neglected class of flowers into notice, 

 considering open and honourable rivalry the best method of attaining that 

 end. 



On Obtaining Select Kinds of Flowers, &c. — I send the plan of a 

 small flower-garden, should you deem it worth insertion. When the beds 

 are laid in good turf, the effect is very good. I think of having one depart- 

 ment of my garden so laid in the spring (unless a better plan appears before 

 that time). Perhaps you will favour mo with a list of what flowers would 

 have the ! : t effect in planting the beds. I shall also feel obliged if you 

 will inform me at what nursery or seedsman's in Town I could procure roots 

 of the Galardia picta, and new Russian Violet, and the price per root. I am 

 very fond of gardening, and living retired, it forms my chief amusement; 

 but I reside in a place very unfavourable for improvement. The love of 

 flowers is not general here, nor is there a good nursery garden withiu twenty 

 miles. What Florists' .Shows are held in the neighbourhood are far from 

 good. Plants which have long been common in Town and its vicinity are 

 not to be seen here : for instance, I have never yet seen a Calceolaria in this 

 part of the country. What new plants I get are rendered very expensive by 

 the carriage, and often die — I suppose from change of soil. 1 have often 

 thought that a plan might be devised by some respectable nurseryman in 

 the neighbourhood of Town, by opening a subscription of moderate amount 

 for country amateurs, and at the end of a year to distribute among the sub- 

 scribers such plants (not exactly common ones) as they often have a super- 

 abundance of, after their customers are supplied, and which are raised by 

 them with little trouble from seeds, cuttings, &c. Perhaps your experience 

 will enable you to devise some plan. Do not think I wish to turn censor 

 when I say, that like some other correspondents, I have felt sorry to observe 

 so much room devoted to the Exhibitions of Florists' Societies, because I 

 have thought that more instructive matter could have occupied the space. 

 Buckinghamshire, December, 1835. Louisa Harriet. 



On Securing Carnations from Snails, &c. — Mr. Hogg, in his treatise 

 on the Carnation, says, — " Mr. Nichol, in his Gardener's Calendar, recom- 

 mends a pencil or small brush dipped in oil, and drawn round the pot near 

 the bottom once or twice a week, when the plants are in bloom, to prevent 

 snails or earwigs from climbing up and doing injury to the plants." Now 

 as this must be attended with a great deal of trouble, and would consume 

 more time than could be spared by many amateurs, I would suggest the fill- 

 ing of the pans in which the stage is supposed to be placed, with oil instead 

 of water. The expense would be little or nothing more than Mr. Njchol's 

 plan, and there would be no time wasted. I likewise think the plan might 

 be extended to Dahlias, where the Bygrave slug-preventer is used. Mr. H. 

 likewise mentions, that sweet oil coming in contact with the body of any 

 insect, causes its immediate death. Query — Would not any other sort of 

 oil have the same effect? Juvenis. 



Canonbury, 4th February, 1835. 



On Collar Stands for Dahlias. — I wish to mention, through the me- 

 dium of your Magazine, a suggestion of mine respecting the collars used for 

 Dahlias. It is simply this — that they should be glazed inside, similar to 

 common flower-saucers. Juvenis. 



On Pendulous Growing Trees. — Excuse me if, through your useful 

 and widely circulated Cabinet, I intrude an observation or two on pendulous 

 trees, as I am often astonished to find so small a number generally grown, 



