548 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December £8, 1S76. 



Indigofera floribunda has fine pea-shaped flowers in late 

 summer, and I. decora alba affords a good contrast. They 

 like a free open soil and shelter, but moisture when growing. 

 2 to 3 feet. 



Jnsminnm fruticans with J. nudiflorum have yellow flowers, 

 the former in summer and the latter in midwinter. In sandy 

 soil they, though classed as climbers, form spreading shrubs. 



Leycesteria formosa has white and purple flowers in August, 

 and its fruit is very greedily eaten by pheasants. 4 feet. It 

 likes free open soil. 



Tree Paaony deserves to be more frequently seen, and in 

 greater number. Few plants have such large, varied, highly- 

 coloured noble flowers. They prefer free open soil and sheltered 

 situations. There are maDy fine continental vars. 3 to 6 feet. 



Prunus triloba has fine pink flowers profusely produced in 

 April. 6 feet. 



Cinquefoil (Potentilla frnticosa) affords yellow flowers in 

 summer, and has Eilvery foliage. P. floribunda is more free- 

 flowering. 3 feet. 



Brambles are so common that no one cares to have them, 

 and yet the Sweet Bramble (Rubus odoratus) has showy pink 

 flowers in July, and many others are worthy a place, especially 

 the variegated Bramble; and Sweet Briar fills the air with 

 fragrance, and is very effective from the profusion of its heps 

 and their orange colonr. It should be planted by thousands. 



The preceding strike me as some of the most desirable of 

 deciduous shrubs which I have seen and have taken note of ; 

 and now that there is an apparent desire for subjects of 

 interest and variety, and as the claims of deciduous shrubs are 

 great, it is hoped those who can see beauty and interest in 

 something taller than an herbaceous plant will perceive that 

 many shrubs of late negleoted await their acceptance in de- 

 ciduous as well as in evergreens. 



Azalea pontica vars. appear in fine contrast with Rhodo- 

 dendrons. The light green of their leaves stand out grandly 

 in contrast with the dark foliage of Rhododendrons, and their 

 flowers are equally effectively contrasting, and have a de- 

 licious fragrance. The Ghent varieties are the largest flowered, 

 and are mostly high coloured, as orange, scarlet, flame, etc., 

 descended from A. calendulaceum. The light-coloured or 

 white varieties are offshoots of A. viscosa, in which are found 

 the smallest flowers with the highest fragrance ; and the pinks, 

 roses, and purples are larger in flower than the last, but 

 smaller than the first, having a very twiggy growth. The 

 plants thrive in any good loamy soil on a cool bottom, peat 

 being no more absolutely required for their growth than Rho- 

 dodendrons, and hares and rabbits have as great a repugnance 

 of Azaleas as of Rhododendrons. — G. Abbey. 



SPECIAL SOCIETIES FOE THE ENCOURAGE- 

 MENT OF FLORIST FLOWERS, &c. 



0:;e of your contemporaries publishes an article in a recent 

 number on what it calls " Special Societies." The article in 

 question is probably meant to be amusing, but its tone is 

 rather dolorous nevertheless. It looks upon such societies as 

 "a most unwelcome symptom of decay and disintegration of 

 what ought to be the central body." Tour contemporary doe3 

 not hope to check " the tide;" he would evidently do so if he 

 could — that is, unless they could all be banded together for 

 "the common good." The promoters of such societies are 

 also kindly told that " every man has a right to choose his 

 own recreation, and to indulge it so long as he does not hinder 

 his neighbour in the prosecution of the same wholesome ob- 

 ject ; only don't let him fancy he i3 promotirg some great and 

 worthy object, such as horticulture for instance." Your con- 

 temporary surely cannot be ignorant of the fact that such 

 " special societies " have been in existence for more than half 

 a century, that they were in a prosperous condition before its 

 first number was printed, and that they continued to prosper 

 simultaneously with the great central society, which is evi- 

 dently alluded to. 



My object in writing to you at this time, however, is not 

 to find fault with the remarks made in another paper, but to 

 put in a plea for one or two of the so-ealled " special societies." 

 First in order is the National Auricula Show, to be held at the 

 Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in April nest, and this will be 

 upon a scale commensurate with the estimation in which the 

 Auricula is held. In 1864 the National Auricula Show was 

 held in the RoyalBotanic Gardens, Regent's Park, on April 30th. 

 Since that time the Auricula has been much more extensively 



cultivated, and for one plant exhibited in 1864 we expect ten 

 in 1877 at the Crystal Palace. One great grower who held a 

 high position in that year will be missed — Mr. Headly of 

 Stapleford, but we shall have others who have since risen to a 

 very high position in the culture of this flower. I do not find 

 the names of Horner, Simonite, Barlow, Royds, Gorton, and 

 others, now well known in the north, as exhibitors thirteen 

 years ago, but whom we hope to meet next season. Another 

 very cogent reason for holding an Auricula show next year is 

 this, that very probably the Royal Aquarium Company and 

 also the Royal Horticultural Society will not be in a position 

 to do so. 



A Carnation and Picotee show has also been in contempla- 

 tion, to be held in the south. Some of the best growers of 

 these flowers have been removed by death or other causes, but 

 it can easily be seen by referring to the prize list of last July 

 at South Kensington that others equally good have taken their 

 places, the exhibitors having been much more numerous than 

 they have been for many years, and the flowers were of the best 

 quality. Now, if no Society is in a position to offer prizes for 

 them at the right time, which is the 20th of July for London, 

 and if the growers of them band together and raise money for 

 a prize fund amongst those interested in their culture, are 

 they to be told for the first time during the last fifty years 

 that they " must not suppose they are promoting some great 

 and worthy object, such as horticulture for instance ?" Does 

 it not seem very much like an insult to honest industry to 

 throw such a remark in the face of such a man as Mr. Benjamin 

 Simonite of Sheffield for instance, who has worked with such 

 patient industry for nearly forty years in raising such flowers 

 as he has done, and bringing them before the public through 

 the medium of the National Carnation and Picotee Society '? 

 It is encouraging to Bueh men to feel that others appreciate 

 their labours, as in addition to Manchester the National will 

 probably hold a show at Leeds next season. If, as is very pro- 

 bable, a show can be held in London, there will be no lack of 

 exhibitors, and no Society, large or small, will suffer, and let 

 us hope the cause of horticulture will be no loser. 



Then we come to the Tulip, and it does seem passing strange 

 that sueh a glorious flower is not more grown. What other 

 flower bed can compare with a bed of Tulips in May? To 

 grow Tulips to perfection it is necessary to go to some expense 

 in the way of preparation of the ground and erecting some 

 protecting material to shelter them from the heavy rains which 

 lodge in the axils of the leaves, and from frosts which freeze 

 the gathered water and injure the blooms ; but let not the 

 patient and laborious florist suppose that if he ventures to 

 place his perfect flowers on an exhibition table he is " pro- 

 moting the cause of horticulture for instance," if he ventures 

 to give his money and, what is often to him of much higher 

 consideration, his precious time in sustaining a society for its 

 encouragement. But let me ask, Why are there so many ardent 

 cultivators of the Tulip in the neighbourhood of Manchester 

 and so few near London ? There is, and let us utter the word 

 cautiously, a " National " Tulip Society there. It is moveable, 

 as all societies worthy of the name ought to be. It was held 

 at Manchester last year, it is prosperous, and new growers are 

 yearly added to its ranks. The general public see the flowers, 

 they go home and think about them, they wish to grow a 

 collection, and many become growers who will not exhibit ; 

 others are advanced to the grade of fanciers, and they wish to 

 place their flowers beside the noted growers, and none but a 

 true florist knows the hours of happiness experienced in 

 watching the development of this or that flower, obtained with 

 difficulty, and tended through winter snow and summer heat 

 with loving and unceasing care. Does any Society consequently 

 suffer ? Is the cause of horticulture promoted, or is it not ? 



Roses — they ought to have come first, for the Rose has many 

 advocates ; but one question only— Did the National Rose 

 Show injure the Royal Horticultural Society, or has the 

 National suffered by its contact with it ? Let the Rose-growers 

 answer. But what about a National Onion Show ? ye men 

 of Banbury ! will you dare to table your White Spanish before 

 you are " thoroughly well versei in general horticulture ?" Ye 

 artisans of Sheffield ! how can you pour the liquid manure to 

 the roots of your mammoth red Cabbages? How can you 

 mulch them round the roots and wheel them to your annual 

 exhibition, each one large enough to fill a barrow, and you not 

 " thoroughly well versed in general horticulture ?" 



Well, then, the question that arises is this, How is horticul- 

 ture best promoted : by large shows or small shows ? I say, By 

 both. Take any district (and I have had experience with many) ; 



