THE GAB DENE US' CEBONIGLE. 



[August IS, 1888. 



The same is said of Broccoli. This crop certainly 

 has not required the costly and tedious hand-water- 

 ings it wanted last year to enable the young plant to 

 root and live, but the rain has proved too much 

 either for a thoroughly wholesome look or a satis- 

 factory condition. Then the unusual moisture has 

 encouraged unusual weed-growth. Ground hoed a 

 fortnight only has been thickly covered with weeds. 

 Many an acre of early Broccoli round Penzance is in 

 rows, the soil banked, or " earthed-up," each side the 

 plants. This was done to " turn the weeds down," 

 and so prevent the ground from being, as is seen in 

 level land which has been hoed and hoed again, 

 densely clothed with weeds. These furrows between 

 each row of Broccoli had one good influence on 

 Tuesday in last week ; they allowed the heavy down- 

 pour more easily to pass from the fields to drains. 

 In many instances, however, much soil was washed 

 across pathways, drains were choked, and ponds 

 formed in unaccustomed and inconvenient places. 

 Last year the market-garden land was arid ; now it 

 is sodden. Last year there was too little rain ; this 

 year there is too much. 



Excursion to the Channel Islands.— A 



party of our Belgian friends propose visiting the 

 Channel islands with a view of inspecting the 

 horticultural and agricultural industries of those 

 favoured islands. The route to be taken is Antwerp, 

 Harwich, London, Southampton, Guernsey and 

 Jersey. The party will leave Antwerp on August 

 24, spend four days in the islands and then return. 



RlCKMANSWORTH (MOOR PARK) HORTICUL- 

 TURAL SOCIETY (August 15).— This Society held 

 its annual exhibition on the above date. The feature 

 of the show was the magnificent bank of plants con- 

 tributed by Mr. Deane, gr. to the Earl of Essex ; 

 Mr. Condie, gr. to S. J. Blackwell, Esq. ; Mr. Myers, 

 gr. to the Earl of Clarendon ; and Mr. Bye, gr. to 

 Mrs. Gladstone. Mr. Mundell, gr. to Lord Ebury, 

 Moor Park, set up in a separate marquee an 

 immense collection of representative decorative 

 plants, and a fine collection of vegetables and 

 fruit. Cut hardy flowers were a special feature. 

 Mr. J. W. Odell, gr. to W. Barber, Esq., Q.C., 

 Pinner, contributed a rich collection of over one 

 hundred species of alpine and herbaceous flowers ; 

 whilst from Moor Park came a fine collection of 

 perennials and florists' flowers. One entire tent was 

 devoted to, wild flowers, nearly a hundred baskets 

 being contributed. The named collections of wild 

 flowers were especially good, and errors of nomen- 

 clature few. 



Botanical Society of Italy.— The first 



annual general meeting will be held on September 7, 

 on which occasion the Tuscan Horticultural Society 

 will inaugurate an exhibition of fruit and flowers. 



Mr. William Miller.— We are pleased to be 

 able to congratulate our acute correspondent, Mr. 

 William Miller, of Combe Abbey gardens, on the 

 extraordinary success of his son at the recent 

 examinations on board the school-ship Conway. We 

 trust such success may be the forerunner of a dis- 

 tinguished career. 



Atherstone Horticultural Society.— On 



the 6th inst. this Society held a successful show, 

 attended by about 15,000 people, £322 18s. 4d. being 

 paid for admission. The exhibits were so numerous 

 that seven tents had to be erected. Mr. Parker, of 

 Rugby, took the 1st prize for a group, showing excel- 

 lent taste. The competition was very keen here. 

 Mr. Allum, Tamworth, 2nd. Mr. J. Albrighton 

 showed Carnations and Picotees. Mr. Maynard and 

 Mr. Forset were very successful in the fruit classes. 



Conference on Fruit Culture.— We have 



received from Mr. P. W. Pairgrieve, Dunkeld 

 Gardens, a programme of a conference on methods 

 of fruit culture in that district to be held by permis- 

 sion of the Dowager Duchess of Athole in the Dun- 

 keld Gardens on the 31st inst. A strong committee 



has been appointed, with Mr. M. Dunn of Dalkeith 

 as Chairman, who, after the fruit-houses and gardens 

 have been inspected by the visitors, will deliver an 

 address on fruit culture, to be followed by a dis- 

 cussion, and an}' questions concerning culture and 

 varieties of fruit in Dunkeld and district will be 

 answered by Mr. Fairgrieve. The invitations to 

 take part in the conference are limited in number. 



STUAETIA. PSEUDO-CAMELLIA.* 



According to the Genera Flantarum there are but 

 three species of this interesting genus. All are de- 

 cidedly handsome plants, and are amongst the most 

 desirable of ornamental flowering trees or shrubs. 

 Two are North American, viz., S. pentagyna {Bota- 

 nical Magazine, 3918), syn. Malachodendron ovatum 

 {Botanical Register, 1104), and S. virginica, of which 

 a full-page engraving appeared in these columns for 

 October 6, 1887, p. 433. The Japanese species now 

 figured (fig. 22, p. 187) flowered in the Coombe 

 Wood nurseries of Messrs. Veitch, and was ex- 

 hibited by them at one of the recent meetings 

 of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. As yet, 

 as far as British gardens are concerned, S. pseudo- 

 Camellia is a rare plant, although it has been 

 cultivated on the Continent for many years. 

 The specimen from which the figure in the Sevuc 

 Horticole was prepared fruited in 1878, at Sceau, in 

 the nurseries of Messrs. Thibaut & Keteleer ; this 

 firm bought it from Siebold about ten years pre- 

 viously, on the occasion of the first International 

 Exhibition at Amsterdam. Three years ago flowers 

 were produced by a bush trained to a wall in the 

 nurseries of Rodger, McClelland & Co., at Newry. 



The following extracts are taken from a Japanese 

 folio which gives very nice figures of many fine 

 Japanese shrubs and trees ; its English title is 

 " Figures and Descriptions of Plants in the Koishi- 

 kawa Botanical Garden. By Keisuke Ito, 1883.'' 

 " The plant is found wild in Huyeizan (Yamashiro), 

 Hasedera (Yamato), Nikko (Shimotsuke), Kurota- 

 kisau (Omi), Komono (Ise), and also in some moun- 

 tains of Kiusiu. It is a deciduous tree with alter- 

 nate leaves and branches. Its height is more than a 

 jo. Some are large enough to require both arms' 

 length to embrace the trunks. The bark is of a red- 

 dish-brown colour ; the outer bark peels off in scales. 

 The tender branch is of a pale green colour having 

 reddish spots. Leaves are short-stalked, oblong, 

 about three sun in length, acute, crenate, and rough. 

 . . . Flowers are five-petalled, pure white, lovely: 

 they resemble in shape those of the Tsubacki (Camel- 

 lia japonica), hence its name." G. Nicholson. 



SOCIETY OF AMEKICAN 

 FLORISTS. 



The following is the programme of the meeting to 

 be held next week in New York, and which we 

 print as furnishing suggestions which might be 

 adopted here with advantage : — 



Tuesday, August 21 : Morning Session, (10 o'clock). 

 — Address of Welcome ; — Response ; — President 

 Hill's Address ; — Reports of Secretary and Treasurer ; 

 — Reports of Standing Committees ; — Reports of 

 Special Committees ; — Miscellaneous Business ; — and 

 Discussion of President's Address. 



Afternoon Session (3 o'clock). — Essays: — "The 

 Elevation of Our Business," by H. H. Battles, 

 Philadelphia. Pa.; and "Ferns, Palms, and other 

 Decorative Plants," by C. D. Ball, Holmesburg, Pa. 



Evening Session (8 o'clock) : Question Box : — 



1. What benefit is derived by florists from a 

 scientific education. Answered by A. E. Whittle, 

 Albany, N. Y. 



2. Is the sale of Chrysanthemums an injury to the 

 cut flower trade ? Answered by J. M. Jordan, St. 

 Louis, Mo. 



3. Is a wholesale market for the sale of cut flowers 

 desirable in our large cities ; and if so, what is the 



* Maximowicz in Mt ; !angc<: biologiqucs, p. 201 (1366) ; S. 

 grandiflora, Briot in Revue Horticole, 1879, p. 430 (coloured 

 plate). 



best manner of organising and conducting such ? 

 Answered by J. C. Vaughan, Chicago, III. 



4. Horticultural Exhibitions : what is their value 

 to the florist, and what can be done to render them 

 more profitable and popular? Answered by John 

 Thorpe, Pearl River, N. Y. 



5. Can Ixoras, and other flowering stove plants, 

 be grown so that flowers can be sold at a profit ? 

 Answered by John G. Gardner, Jobstown, N. J. 



6. What varieties of Orchids are of easiest culti- 

 vation and most profitable for florists who are not 

 professional Orchid growers? Answered by Benj. 

 Grey, Maiden, Mass. 



7. What are the best varieties of Ferns to grow 

 for general retail business? Answered by Robt. 

 Craig, Philadelphia, Pa. 



8. Which are the most desirable varieties of Chry- 

 santhemums to grow for cut bloom for market, in- 

 cluding the earliest and latest varieties ? Answered 

 by John Henderson, Flushing, N.Y. 



9. What are the best six Carnations for the gene- 

 ral florist to grow — colours red, pink, yellow, and 

 white ? Answered by Charles T. Starr, Avon- 

 dale, Pa. 



10. What is the best way to propagate Acacia 

 pubescens ? Answered by Robt. J. Halliday, Balti- 

 more, Md. 



11. Is the mail trade in plants an injury to the 

 general business ? Answered by Robt. George, 

 Painsville, O. 



Wednesday, August 22 : Morning Session (10 o'clock). 

 — Nomination of officers for the ensuing year. — Essay, 

 " Roses : from the Retailer's Standpoint," by 

 Thomas Cartledge, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Afternoon Session (3 o'clock). — Essay, "Roses: 

 from the Grower's Standpoint," by Edwin Lonsdale, 

 Chestnut Hill, Pa. ; and " Report on Hail Insur- 

 ance," by J. G. Esler, Saddle River, N.J. 

 Evening Session (8 o'clock) : Question-box: — 



1. What varieties of Roses introduced within the 

 last two years, if any, are worth growing for winter 

 forcing? Answered by M. A. Hunt, Terre Haute, 

 Ind. 



2. What are the best and most profitable varieties 

 of Hybrid Perpetual Roses to grow for forcing for 

 early and late use for general florist? Answered by 

 Ernst Asmus, W. Hoboken, N.J. 



3. How many varieties of Tea and Hybrid Tea 

 Roses are necessary for the general grower ; and 

 which are the best varieties to grow ? Answered by 

 J. M. Gasser, Cleveland, O. 



4. Does propagating from blind shoots year after 

 year have a tendency to render any plant less flori- 

 ferous? Answered by Jas. Pentland, Baltimore, Md. 



5. Can La France and other Roses be forced pro- 

 fitably in pots during winter? Answered by W. K. 

 Harris, Philadelphia, Pa. 



6. Why do certain Roses, such as Perle, Souvenir, 

 &c, that used to be favourites for forcing, now seem 

 to grow less satisfactory every year? Answered bv 

 M. A. Hunt, Terre Haute, Ind. 



7. Will the larva of the Rose-bug stand freezing ? 

 In other words, is it safe to spread infected soil taken 

 from the greenhouse and grow sod upon it for future 

 use ? Answered by Robert Craig, Philadelphia, Pa. 



8. Are we not overdoing the Rose business for cut 

 flowers ? Answered by B. P. Critchell, Cincin- 

 nati, O. 



Thursday-, August 23 : Morning Session (10 

 o'clock). — Election of officers. Essays, " Soils and 

 Fertilisers," by J. H. Taylor, Bay Side, N.Y. 



Afternoon Session (3 o'clock:).— Essays: — "Modes 

 of Heating, and their relative Cost of Construction 

 and Operation," by J. D. Raynolds, Riverside, 111. ; 

 and " Nomenclature," by Robert J. Halliday, Balti- 

 more, Md. 



Evening Session (8 o'clockc). — Question Box : — 



1. What is the best method of preserving wood in 

 greenhouses ? Answered by S. Kehrmann, jun., St. 

 Louis, Mo. 



2. What is the best mode of building horticultural 

 halls, with a view to cheapness of construction, 

 plenty of light, and adaptability to exhibition of 

 plants, flowers, and fruits ? Answered by J. N. May, 

 Summit, N.J. 



3. What has been the result of slate benches the 

 past season ; and effects of same on plants planted out 

 on them ? Answered by John Smith, Yonkers, N.Y. 



4. What is the best insecticide for general use in 

 the market to date ? Answered by Robert Craig, 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



5. Has the use of greenhouses constructed entirely 

 of iron and glass been satisfactory in this country ? 

 Answered by P. A. Schmitt, Glenville, O. 



