184 



JOUEXAL OF HOBTICT7LTUEB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ September 8, 1870. 



Seedling and other Plnms, of which the excellence jnstified his high 

 reputation as a cultivator of this fruit ; and Mr. Cos, of Kedleaf, 

 Bunyard's Early Apple, a small but excellent variety. Messrs. Carter 

 and Co. exhibited their Chinese Mustard, together with the white and 

 black kinds, but the Chinese, though delicate and pungent, was not 

 considered sufficiently distinct for an award. Mr. Clarke, of Whitton, 

 exhibited "Whitton Pippin, a very showy high-coloured Apple ; Mr. 

 Catleugh, Chelsea, a fine specimen of Puff ball ; Mr. Sage, of Ashridge, 

 fine heads for the season of Dwarf "White Celery ; and Mr. Cadger, of 

 Luton Hoo, three seedling Cucumbers of great size, but coarse. Mr. 

 Dean sent fine Onions under the name of Danvers' Yellow selected 

 from plants raised from Vilmorin's seed, but the Committee considered 

 they were not the true Danveis' Onion. Finally, Messrs. Sutton and 

 Sons, of Reading, had a fine collection of fifty kinds of Potatoes, to 

 which a special certificate was given. 



Gexebal Meeting. — "W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.E.S., in the 

 chair. The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, regretted the 

 absence of the Rev. Joshua Dix, who had been struck down by serious 

 illness, but who, he was glad to learn, was on the previous evening 

 very much better, and called on Mr. Moore to report the awards of 

 the Floral Committee. This having been done, and Mr. "Wilson 

 having performed a similar task as regards the Fruit Committee, the 

 Chairman, in the absence of Mr. Berkeley, pointed out the most re- 

 markable of the plants exhibited, first noticing the beautiful group of 

 Nerine Fothergilli and Vallota purpurea from Mr. Rucker's gardener. 

 Of the bitter plant it was evident there were two varieties in the 

 collection ; the one was the plant as originally received, the other 

 the plant as improved by raising from seed and crossing. The in- 

 creased size of the petals and flower was most noticeable, added 

 to which a yellowish tinge had been imported into it, all tending to 

 show that the plant had entered upon the road to variation. It 

 was a highly ornamental plant, and the great secret of its successful 

 cultivation was to keep it in a greenhouse temperature, with the soil 

 damp at all times. The singular Godwinia from Mr. Bull, with its 

 mottled stem-like leafstalk and single leaf, was then pointed out, and 

 several of Messrs. Lee's specimens of ornamental trees and shrubs were 

 also noticed, especially the variegated Cornel and Judas-tree, Quercus 

 Concordia, and a Lime tree with leaves which, instead of being cor- 

 date, were lobed in all fashions. Lilium Leichtlinii next came under 

 notice, and it was remarked that the plants which attracted the attention 

 of one generation of men were passed over by other generations, that 

 the attention of one set of men was attracted to one thing, that of 

 another set to another ; but the Lily had held its ground for several 

 thousands of years. That referred to, he thought, would be produced 

 some day in great perfection. The Chairman then called attention 

 to the Stangeria paradoxa from his own garden — a plant which had 

 been a puzzle to botanists, but on which he expected further light 

 would soon be thrown. The result of placing staminiferous and 

 female plants together some three months ago had been the fruit before 

 the meeting. 



The Chairman said he had now to state that the Council had come 

 to the determination to hold the country show of 1S71 at Nottingham, 

 and the show there, not being in conjunction with the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society's show, would take place at a season when plants 

 were to be seen in their greatest perfection. The date had not been 

 as yet fixed, but it would be announced at the next meeting, Sep- 

 tember 21st. 



GARIBALDI STRAWBERRY. 



In a recent issue I noticed a correspondent recommending a 

 new Strawberry named Garibaldi. Now, I do not want to 

 question the veracity of those sending the Strawberry out by 

 this name as a new one, but suffice it to say that last year a 

 Strawberry was sent out under that name, and which has now 

 been proved to be Vicomtesse H^ricart de Thury. Many people 

 are still sceptical as to the value of this Strawberry. I can 

 ■with confidence recommend it as the most useful Strawberry 

 in cultivation. It appears to adapt itself to every soil and 

 climate. While other Strawberries droop and fade it remains 

 fresh and green, and bears an enormous quantity of peculiar- 

 flavoured fruit. As a proof of its great productiveness when 

 true, two rows of one hundred plants each, as a trial, and very 

 badly grown by a market gardener, produced 400 lbs. ; and at 

 Glasgow June Show Mr. Matthew Campbell, nurseryman, Blan- 

 tyre, exhibited threeplants taken froma field of thousands, where 

 all were equally good, with one hundred ripe Strawberries and 

 more than two hundred altogether, and it was allowed by com- 

 petent judges to be fully 3 lbs. on each plant. — W. Thomson. 



the height of from 10 to 12 feet, carrying 120 flowers — a number 

 which I have not yet seen excelled. — W. T. 



Lilium; AURATuii. — A bulb of the above fine Lily was planted 

 by Mr. A. Anderson, gardener to J. C. Burns, Esq., Glenlee, 

 Hamilton, about three years Bince in a 14-inch pot, and once 

 shifted into an 18 inch one, the plant has this year grown to 



THE GARDEN PINK FOR FORCING 

 PURPOSES. 



The Garden Pink, in its several varieties, has always been, 

 and will, no doubt, long continue to be, a special favourite. 

 Everybody loves the modest beauty and delightful fragrance of 

 its flowers, and many consider it as only inferior to the Bose 

 itself. One or two varieties of this Pink have been generally 

 found very useful for forcing into flower during the winter and 

 early spring months ; and I would here call attention to a few 

 other sorts, well suited to the same purpose, but which are not 

 so well known as they should be. 



The varieties mostly used for forcing are the Common, or 

 London "White, a fragrant and very useful sort ; and a larger 

 dark variety known by the name of Anne Boleyn, and which 

 produces exceedingly beautiful and very sweet-scented flowers, 

 but has the great drawback of being addicted to bursting its pod 

 or calyx. Observing and regretting this defect, an enthusiastic 

 amateur florist, Bowland Dalton, Esq., of Bury St. Edmunds, 

 many years since, after much perseverance, succeeded in origi- 

 nating a variety with flowers of the same colour, somewhat 

 smaller, similar in habit, equally fragrant, and possessed of all 

 the forcing properties of Anne Boleyn, but with the advantage 

 of having a strong, well-formed calyx, which never by any 

 chance bursts; and this very useful variety was named Claude. 

 He afterwards succeeded in raising another still more beau- 

 tiful variety, which he named Plato, and this is a truly 

 magnificent flower of a beautiful rose colour, with a finely- 

 formed, strong calyx, quite free from bursting, and it proves 

 to be also a fine forcing sort, coming into flower earlier than 

 Anne Boleyn. 



Another amateur florist residing in the same town, Mr. J. 

 Clarke, who has made the cultivation of the Pink quite a 

 specialty, has, amongst many other triumphs in that way, 

 originated an exceedingly fine variety resembling the old fa- 

 vourite Anne Boleyn, but a great improvement upon it, being 

 more compact in habit, and producing in wonderful abundance 

 finely-formed, large, sweet-scented flowers, with a firm strong 

 calyx, which never bursts. This fine variety, which is exceed- 

 ingly well adapted for forcing, was named Garibaldi. The same 

 raiser also originated another splendid sort, which he named 

 Clarke's Lord Lyons, but this variety, although exceedingly 

 beautiful, is in all respects very nearly identical with Dalton's 

 Plato. Some years since the Messrs. E. G. Henderson and 

 Son sent out a most useful variety under the name of Most 

 Welcome. This is also excellent for the purpose of forcing, and 

 may be considered as an almost perpetual flowerer, in addition 

 to which it is possessed of all the qualities of a first-class 

 florists' flower, and is quite free from bursting, either when 

 forced, or when grown in the open air. 



The treatment of these plants for the purpose of forcing is so 

 very simple, that little need be here said upon the subject. 

 During the month of March, or earlyin April, cuttings should 

 be taken from plants which have been forced, and inserted in a 

 compost made up of sand and sifted leaf soil, using pots of some 

 6 inches diameter; place them in a gentle hotbed, and in all 

 respects treat them as cuttings of Verbenas, although they will 

 not root so quickly as the latter. When rooted, pot them singly 

 into 3-inch pots, and gradually harden off, and towards the end 

 of May or early in June plant them out in the open border, in 

 any convenient situation, in rows about 15 inches apart, and 

 about 1 foot from plant to plant. While here let them have 

 abundance of water when required. 



Daring the first fortnight of October they should be carefully 

 raised and potted into pots some 5 inches or 6 inohes in diameter, 

 using soil composed of turfy loam, enriched with a little well- 

 rotted hotbed manure, or leaf soil. They should be placed in 

 a shaded position for a short time, and ultimately wintered in 

 a cold pit, from which they are to be introduced to the forcing- 

 house as may be required. When this is done, it is neoessary 

 that the plants be kept as close to the glass as possible. Per- 

 haps no better situation can be found for them than a shelf on 

 the back wall of an early vinery or Peach house at some 

 18 inches from the glass. 



With the varieties I have mentioned — viz., Common White, 

 Claude, Garibaldi, Plato or Lord Lyons, and Most Welcome, 

 assisted by a few of the perpetual or winter-flowering Carna- 

 tions and Picotees, little difficulty will be found in keeping up 



