August 15, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



131 



long prior to the introduction of A. cierulea by Mr. Thompson, 

 of Ipswich, and I believe them to be quite distinct, one coming 

 from Siberia, the other from the Rocky Mountains. He has 

 got confused between Fischer's plant (the true A. leptoceras), 

 and Nnttall's plant, which is Torrey's A. casrulea. — A. R. 



HABBOTHAMNUS ELEGANS FEUITING. 



If this beautiful Mexican plant could be induced to fruit 

 freely, how much its value as a decorative plant, would be en- 

 hanced ! Although it is a first-rate winter-flowering plant, it 

 will bloom more or less all through the year, especially if 

 vigorous growth is encouraged, and its shoots shortened and 

 thinned out occasionally. If these conditions are carried out 

 persistently the plant will set a few berries on shoots here and 

 there ; but what is wanted to make it doubly useful as an orna- 

 mental plant, is for its fruit to set in bunches or clusters of 

 fair size and shape, and in quantities sufficient to attract one's 

 attention ; then gardeners might well say that they had one 

 ■of the best plants that could possibly be found for conserva- 

 tory decoration. 



Habrothamnus elegans has fruited very fairly in the conser- 

 vatory at this place for two seasons, and just now the plant is 

 bearing some good-sized bunches of fruit quite equal in size, 

 shape, and colour to those of the berry-bearing Aucuba. It is 

 not the strongest but the medium-sized shoots that appear 

 =to set the best bunches of L - uit. The plant will be found to 

 ■thrive best for both flower and fruit if it be planted where it 

 will have plenty of light and air but very little sun. Train it 

 up a pillar or over a trellis, or even against a wall, and if 

 planted in sound turfy loam, sand, and rotten manure, it 

 will be quite at home, and will quickly repay any trouble that 

 may be bestowed upon it. It must be plentifully supplied with 

 water during its growth, and even manure water may be given 

 ■occasionally. I have sometimes grown this Habrothamnus in 

 pots for flowering twice a-year, but I do not recommend such a 

 mode of culture on account of its shy blooming, the plants 

 being, I should say, too much confined at the roots. — Thomas 

 Record. 



MEBITS OF NEW BOSES. 



I have been looking anxiously to see what response is made 

 i;o Mr. Peach's request in respect to some of the Roses I have 

 recommended, but no one makes a sign. I received a letter a 

 few days ago from Mr. Wilham Paul. In it he says, " Perfec- 

 tion de Lyon, Madame Chirard, and Baron Chaurand have 

 been first-rate with me." They have here quite justified my 

 words. Baron Chaurand is not large, but it is a first-rate 

 dark beauty. I think it is the best of the dark Roses. The 

 other two are fine growers, of great size, of good form and 

 beauty, and are eminently show Roses. Edward Morren and 

 Marquise de Castellane have been grand, and are both good 

 growers. I have had a very beautiful and perfectly-cupped 

 bloom of Clemence Raoux. Its colour is creamy white, with a 

 slight pink suffusion. It is one of the best light Roses that I 

 have lately seen. Lords Macaulay and Herbert have passed 

 an admirable degree. Devienne Lamy is bomb-shaped and 

 -fine. 



The Roses, new and old, have bloomed here abundantly 

 and magnificently. I never had them better. The first series 

 is now over. People cannot judge from a solitary plant. I 

 have thirty Perfection de Lyon, twelve Madame Chirard, and 

 six Baron Chaurand to judge from. — W. F. Radcltffe. 



MB. AYBTON AND DE. HOOKEE. 



A meeting of a committee of Horticulturists and Botanists 

 was called at the rooms of the Royal Horticultural Society at 

 South Kensington on August 7th, 1872, for the purpose of dis- 

 cussing the recently issued Treasury minute relating to the 

 management of the Royal Gardens, Kew. At this meeting 

 G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., presided. There were also present 

 W. W. Saunders, F.R.S. ; T. Thomson, M.D., F.R.S. ; H. Stanton, 

 F.R.S.; John Standish; Andrew Murrav, F.L.S : J. B. Haig, 

 M.D. ; Rev. M. J. Berkeley, F.L.S ; W. Paul ; T. Moore, F.L.S. ; 

 Prof. Thiselton Dyer, M.A. ; Anthony Parsons, William Barley, 

 John Peel, F. R. Kinghom, John Lee, Robert Parker; Robert 

 Hogg, LL.D. ; George Smith, Charles Green, John S. Lane, 

 John Richards, James Douglas, James Cutbush, Charles Lee, 

 Thomas Perkins, Edward Rosher, Thomas Record ; John 

 Denny, M.D. ; J. R. Fernyhough, J. Croucher, Henry Webb, 

 John Fraser, John Laing, George Blenkins ; and Maxwell T. 

 Masters, M.D., F.R.S., Honorary Secretary. 



The following resolution, proposed by W. W. Saunders, Esq., 

 F.R.S., and seconded by Robert Hogg, LL.D., was adopted, and 

 the Secretary was requested to forward a copy of it to the Right 

 Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., First Lord of the Treasury:— 



" That this Committee gratefully acknowledge the considera- 

 tion which the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury 

 have paid to the subject of the future management of the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, as evidenced in the Treasury minute of July 

 24th, 1872. 



" The Committee desire to express their sense of the impor- 

 tant concessions made in support of the principle that the 

 Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, responsible for the good 

 condition of the establishment committed to his charge, should 

 have full control (subject to the appointed ministerial authority 

 over all details and management. 



" The Committee also desire respeotfully to express their 

 grave doubts whether the fourfold division of responsibility 

 laid down in the Treasury minute, is likely to secure to the full 

 the harmonious co-operation of the several officials. 



" The Committee wish to call attention to the fact that the 

 ' Pleasure Grounds ' so called really form an important branch 

 of the scientific department of the gardens, and constitute by 

 far the largest and most important part of the arboretum, or 

 named collection of trees and shrubs ; and they are of opinion 

 that to put such department under a different management from 

 that of the rest of the scientific departments of the gardens is 

 likely to be injurious to the interests of horticultural and arbori- 

 cultural science. 



" They would also wish to remark that, he ' nursery for 

 young trees ' alluded to in the minute form? no part of Kew 

 Gardens, but is placed in the private grounds belonging to Her 

 Majesty, and to which the public has no access. 



" The Committee regret to find that there is no direct pro- 

 vision made in the Treasury minute for securing to the Director, 

 in case of need, the services of an engineer specially versed in 

 the management of hot-water apparatus as applied, to horti- 

 cultural purposes. 



" And lastly, the Committee venture to hope that the same 

 publicity may be given to any reply that the Director may make 

 to the First Commissioner's ' Memorandum ' as has been 

 accorded to the original document." 



TAUNTON DEANE FLOWEE SHOW. 



Why is it that our southern and home counties are so put to 

 shame in the matter of flower shows<by other parts of England? 

 Why is there not the same zeal in their cause in Kent and 

 Sussex that there is in Somerset or Yorkshire ? Take, for 

 example, this Show, which I had the pleasure of assisting at 

 for the first time. Why, the whole town was en fete. Trium- 

 phal arches, decorated houses, flags flying in all directions, 

 booths set up like a fair, the carriages of the neighbouring 

 gentry filling the streets — all testified to the fact that it was 

 regarded as a matter in which everyone had an interest ; and 

 then, towards evening, multitudes kept thronging in, the 

 whole place was alive, being regarded by them quite as much a 

 holiday as by the gentlefolks who came in the earlier part of 

 the day. How different is this to what we are in the habit of 

 doing in our part of the world ! And then let it be remembered 

 that every town has its flower show, that there is no difficulty 

 in obtaining subscriptions, and that all is done as if it were a 

 real pleasure to have a hand in it. 



With regard to the Exhibition itself, it gave conclusive evi- 

 dence that good plant-growing is by no means confined to London, 

 and that when the Royal Horticultural Society holds its shows 

 in the provinces it has not much to teach either in plant-grow- 

 ing or management ; in fact, it may learn a good deal on the 

 latter point. The collection of stove and greenhouse plants, 

 for which the liberal sum of £20 was offered, sent by Mr. Cypher, 

 of Cheltenham, was very fine ; while those exhibited by Mr. 

 Saunders and Mr. Newton amongst amateurs were also remark- 

 ably good. Ferns were really grand, some splendid plants of 

 Adiantum farleyense being staged ; while in the Tricolor Gera- 

 nium class there were some as well-coloured plants as I have 

 seen anywhere this season. Our metropolitan growers might 

 learn a lesson on the growth of Achimenes from those contri- 

 buted by Mr. H. Badcock, so remarkably well were they done. 

 With regard to cut flowers, when I say that Roses were exhi- 

 bited by Mr. John Keynes, of Salisbury, and the Rev. J. B. M. 

 Camm ; Gladioli by Messrs. Kelway & Son ; and Dahlias by Mr. 

 Keynes and Mr. Kelway, I indicate enough the excellence of 

 the exhibits. Fruit was also remarkably good, and so were the 

 vegetables. There was a nice lot of Potatoes, amongst the 

 handsomest of which was one from Sherborne called Lady Paget, 

 and it was said to be as good as it looked, which is not always 

 the case. 



The arrangements were admirable. -A good staff of clerks 

 was employed, and before 'the gates were open all the cards, 

 with the names of the exhibitors, &c, were placed ; while the 

 indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Saunders, seemed to be ubiquitous, 



