60 West Lo?idon Gardeners' Association. 



Art. IV. The West London Gardeners' Association for mutual 

 Instruction. 



Minutes of the Proceedings. May 9. 1837. — The report of the com- 

 mittee for the last six months was read and approved of. It was resolved, that 

 an assistant secretary be appointed ; that the number of the Committee be aug- 

 mented from twelve to fifteen ; and that the subscriptions of amateurs should 

 be the same in amount as those of head gardeners. The propriety of giving 

 more publicity to the Society's proceedings was postponed for further con- 

 sideration. The Committee and office-bearers for the ensuing half year were 

 then elected. 



Exhibited. Some good specimens of the S3'on House, or Kenyon, cucumber, 

 cut off a plant which has been in a bearing stale since October, 1835, from 

 Mr. Richard Ayres, gardener, Chicksands Priory, Bedforshire. It was inti- 

 mated that Mr. Ayres intended publishing a treatise upon the subject. 



June 12. — Specimens of the newest and best kinds of Pelargonium were 

 exhibited from the Duke of Devonshire's green-houses, Chiswick. The 

 trusses of bloom of the pet, Forster's gem, &c., were very splendid. 



iVIr. Cody read an essay on the cultivation of the pelargonium for com- 

 petition. The plants are cut down pretty close, about the middle of August, 

 when they push fresh buds ; the greater portion of the earth is shaken from 

 their roots ; and then they are potted into fresh rich compost and smaller pots, 

 placed in a pit or frame, shaded until they have made fresh roots, and at- 

 tended to properly during the winter and spring, with air, heat, light, moisture, 

 and shifting. A criterion by which to judge of the properties of a pelargonium 

 was pointed out, and twenty-four of the best kinds enumerated. 



Mr. Caie alluded to several systems of growing the pelargonium ; and re- 

 marked that the principal object of gardeners should be, to flower them at 

 all seasons ; as some make a showy appearance in winter and spring, and 

 others answer well for turning out into clumps. 



Mr. Judd advocated the using of manure water for insuring first-rate blos- 

 soms. Mr. Russel coincided with Mr. Caie, and alluded to a circumstance 

 which but too generally occm-red with regard to growing for competition ; 

 namely, that the grower was spoken of, and valued, according to his success 

 with a few specimens ; while the general stock might, and often was, below 

 mediocrity. Mr. Keane observed that the general system practised b}' the 

 most successful competitors was, to grow their pelargoniums near the glass, in 

 low-roofed houses ; and that, by repeatedly shifting, and other necessar}' at- 

 tentions, they were brought to that slate of perfection in which they were 

 seen at the late shows. 



Jnne 26, — Mr. Ayres brought forward a plan and description of a propa- 

 gating-house, accompanied with observations on the same. After recapitu- 

 lating the leading ideas of his former essay, to show on what principle the 

 house had been erected, he proceeded to describe its construction and manage- 

 ment. The house was 20 ft. long, by 10ft. wide; with a pathway 2 ft. wide, 

 running longitudinally along the centre of it, and having two beds, facing 

 north and south, for the cutting pots to be placed upon. These beds were 

 divided into four different compartments: one for cuttings of stove plants; a 

 second, for green-house plants ; a thu'd, for such green-house plants as re- 

 quire to be kept cool for a time; and a fourth, for the young plants after 

 they have been potted off. The house is healed by linings of dung, grass, and 

 leaves, and a hot-water pipe conducted round the house close to the wall. 

 For stove cuttings, Mr. Ayres recommends a bottom heat of 90°, and an at- 

 mospheric temperature of 70° or 75° ; for green-house cuttings, a bottom heat 

 of 80°, and a top temperature of 65° or 70° ; and in the green-house pre- 

 paratory department, a temperature not exceeding 60°, at any time. He also 

 recommends watering in the afternoon, before the sun has left the house; and 



