JUr 23, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



397 



laiain^ the varieties the pollen of which I wished to use, 

 and carefully dusted this over the flonror of the plant &-om 

 which the anthers had been removed. I repeated this 

 operation the next day. 



When the fruit became ripe I peeled the seeds thinly off, 

 and spread them with a blunt knife on the surface of "pans 

 prepared for the purpose, and then after sifting a little 

 light soil over the seed plunged the pans in coal ashes. 

 Some of the seeds vegetated at once, but the severe winter 

 killed a good many of the plants. However, about the 

 beginning of March numbers of little plants appeared in 

 all the pans, save one, which contained seed from May Queen 

 fertilised with British Queen. I cannot satisfactorily ac- 

 count for my non-success with this cross, since I raised a 

 number of plants two years ago from the same parents, 

 and, indeed, I have about a dozen of the breed on further 

 trial, though I fear there is not one really good amongst 

 them. 



Several bloom as early as May Queen, but though superior 

 in size and flavour they did not last year ripen so soon. I 

 suspect, as Mr. Eadclyffe observes, that not one in a thou- 

 sand seedlings is better than varieties already out.— P. 



SDLPHITR FUMIGATION— NECTAEES'ES 

 SETTING SPAEINGLT. 



Me. Eivebs, in his " Orchard-House," speaks of a " 13-inoh 

 pot, half filled with unslaked lime, to be saturated with four 

 or five gallons of water, and then spi-inkled with 1 oz. of 

 sulphur," as a remedy for red spider in an orchard-house. 

 I have tried this plan, and the result is— the lime is so 

 saturated that the pot is full of a liquid pudding, destitute 

 of heat, and the sulphur is not in the least affected. Will you 

 kindly tell me whether this scheme is a good and safe one ? 

 and whether I am right in supposing the proper way to be 

 to use so much water as will bring the lime to a hot powder, 

 and then sprinkle the sulphur on it ? I have no red spider, 

 but am anxious to be prepai-ed. 



W ill you also tell me whether Nectarines are considered 

 more shy in setting their fruit in orchard-houses than 

 Peaches ? Mine were loaded with bloom, but have set 

 sparingly, while Peaches have to be freely thinned. The 

 calyx of the Nectarine blossom seems to dry up, and remain 

 tightly enclosing the young fruit, which it fairlv strangles, 

 and the fruit drops. This has been the case with thousands 

 of mine. The trees are in the highest health and finest 

 foliage, and are treated just like the Peaches, among which 

 they stand. Tou will observe, from my note, that the 

 Nectarines do apparently set, but when the caiyx should 

 crack, and shell off, it remains on, which looks like the 

 young set fruit.— C. P. 



LYou have used too much water for your lime. The 

 sulphur should be applied before the heat goes off, or it will 

 be of no use ; and there is such a difference in the strength 

 of Ume, that we are always afraid to recommend the plan, 

 except to those well initiated in such matters. One thing 

 should be kept in mind — never to expose the sulphur to a 

 greater heat than 170", if you wish to be safe. As you are 

 not troubled with red spider, we would recommend a free 

 use of the syringe, and, if you have walls or wood, daubing 

 them with sulphur where the sun will shine freely on 

 them. 



Tour case of Nectarines refusing to swell, and throw 

 off the calyx, whilst Peaches next to them do so freely, is 

 just one of those cases which could not be explained without 

 knowing all the particulars of their culture, &c., since last 

 August. Very probably the very luxuriance of the trees 

 may have something to do with it, as the wood might not 

 be sufficiently ripened. Deficiency of moisture, and too much 

 at a time, will also cause the evU, but not to Nectarines 

 more than Peaches. We never received the letter you 

 allude to.] 



following remarks ; — If the Tulips are the common selfs now 

 used for bedding purposes, it may be of little consequence 

 what is done to them ; but if they are the beautiful varieties 

 of fancy Tulips, formerly in such repute, then the cutting 

 down would be, I consider, injurious to the bulbs ; by leaving 

 the stalk until it withers, the bulb discharges its super- 

 abundant sap, but if cut down the sap is prevented from 

 being discharged, and the consequence is that the next 

 year the delicate varieties blow with too much colour, or 

 the colours run and improperly blend together, and the 

 true character of the flower is spoilt. When the bulb shows 

 symptoms of seeding, cut off the seed-vessel, but in all 

 cases leave the stalk to ripen and wither. — W. H. 



EEMOTING FLOTTEE-STEilS FEOJI TULIPS. 



In your No. 216, under the above heading, you say, " We 



do not expect any particular good wiU arise from cutting 



off the flower-stalk unless it shows symptoms of seeding, 



when it had better be taken off." Allow me to make the 



EOYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Mat 16th. 



Flokal CojijnTTEE. — Another very successfril meeting 

 was held on this day. It is most encouraging to see how 

 well these alternate Tuesday meetings are supported and 

 appreciated ; and it must be very evident to all interested 

 in the Society's welfare that a new, vigorous, and healthy 

 spfrit has come over the Fellows, who now so numerously 

 attend these meetings. Putting aside the interest taken in 

 the new plants, flowers, and fruits, which are specially 

 brought before the Committees on these days, the valuable 

 and interesting collections of plants, many of which have 

 passed their ordeal before the Committee, and received the 

 award of their respective merits, which are now exhibited 

 both for comparison aud in confirmation of the judgment of 

 the Committee, give an additional and very beneficial in- 

 terest to these meetings. The special thanks of the Society 

 are due to both the amateurs and nurserymen, who so kindly 

 contribute them. 



The awards on this occasion were as follows : — Mr. 

 Veitch received first-class certificates for the following new 

 plants : Odontoglossum cordatum, a beautiful Orchid, suited 

 to a cool temperature ; Ansectochilus Dominii ; Goodyera 

 Dominii; Bertolonia guttata, a very beautiful-foliaged plant, 

 with deep rose-coloured spots on its dark green leaves, a 

 pleasing contrast with B. margaritacea, with its pearl-Uke 

 spots ; Pleroma species, a very beautiful kind, with large 

 bright purplish flowers; Bertolonia pubescens, with bright 

 green leaves, each deeply marked with a broad black band 

 down the centre ; Eetinospora obtusa nana aurea ; and 

 Philodendron species. Special certificates were awarded to 

 3Ir. Veiteh for Ehododendron Teitchii, a very handsome 

 plant, with large pure white flowers, exquisitely scented ; 

 for his collection of Orchids ; also for his very magnificent 

 collection of plants, in which were several new Azaleas and 

 others. 



Mr. Wills, Oulton Park, exhibited two seedling Zonate 

 Pelargoniums not in condition ; -Mr. Southby, Clapham, two 

 seedling Zonate Pelargoniums, Black Prince and Golden 

 Queen ; the latter it was requested should be seen again 

 later in the season. Mr. Salter, Hammersmith, received a 

 first-class certificate for Polygonum filiforme variegatum, a 

 hardy plant ; also for Sedum Telephium variegatum, a very 

 beautiful plant. Mr. Smyth, gardener to Lord Sondes, 

 had a first-class certificate for a seedling Boronia (Drum- 

 mondii ?) alba Smythii. Mr. Bull received a first-class for 

 Calonyction sanguineum, a stove climber, with dark reddish 

 brown leaves, a useful and very quick-growui^ plant; and 

 Ficus Porteana, with very long leaves, an extremely hand- 

 some-foliaged plant. Among Mr. Bull's collection were 

 Dioscorea auEectochilus, the plants too small to judge of its 

 merits, which were generally thought promising; Mimulus 

 Lucifer, a hybrid from M. cupreus ; Acer polymorphum foliis 

 dissectis variegatis ; Azalea Queen of Beauties, very pretty 

 and pleasing in colour ; Lychnis senno variegata fr-om Japan ; 

 the plant not having sufficient flowers upon it, made it 

 doubtful whether the variegation would prove constant 

 and permanent. He also sent four specimens of Amorpho- 

 phallus, one of the curious but not uninteresting genera of 

 Arads, remarkable for producing its oddly-formed spadis 

 and one leaf, which is divided into three branches, with 

 more or less divided segments ; and a very inferior variety 

 of Polygonum filiforme variegatum. Messrs. Backhouse, 

 York, received first-class certificates for Myosotis rupicola. 



