THE 



GARDENERS 



9 



MAGAZINE. 



SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1898. 



SEED TESTING 



"ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY GARDENS, REGENT'S PARK — 



i rnte °i f TEN LECrURES and DEMONSTRATIONS on SEED TESTING 

 Mnnv- ° Lf ,,y Mr * D * Flnla y son » F.L.S., will b* delivered on MONDAY AFTER- 

 «uuiN5 at 3.30 p m , commencing January 23, 189a. Fee for the Course, 21s. Syllabus 

 can be obtained of the Secretary. 



enter on the new year with the fall assurance of their support in continu- 

 ing the vigorous policy that has placed the Gardeners' Magazine 



in the forefront of horticultural journalism. 



LJORTICULTURAL CORRESPONDENCE CLASSES.— For PROS- 



i? \ RECTUS and LIST of PRIZES apply T. H. Smith, 18, Somerville Road, Small 



Heath, Birmingham. First Examination Paper ready November s. Join early for the whole 

 course. w J 



"LJORTICULTURAL SHOW ADVERTISEMENTS are inserted in this 



^£ olumn at 0ne ShiIlin S Per line, the minimum charge being Five Shillings. Advertise 

 ment Office, 148 and 149, Aldersgate Street, London, E.C. 



NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. 



THE SPECIAL FLORICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



The special floricultural societies whose headquarters are in the 

 metropolis appear to be flourishing, judging from the nature of the 

 reports presented at the various annual meetings held during the past 

 week or two. The National Rose and the National Dahlia Societies led 

 the way, and it is satisfactory to know that in each case there is a very 

 substantial augmentation of the balance in hand, while the reports of the 

 committee in either case were highly satisfactory. Both societies afford 

 conclusive evidence that the act of receiving subsidies from a public 



Owing to continued increase in circulation, the " Gardeners' Magazine 99 institution like the Crystal Palace is a commendable policy, and they can 



Be( * be accepted without loss of independence and self-government. The 



Wednesday 



insertion, or altered, unless received before Four p.m. on that day 



Notes of the Week. 



THE PAST YEAR. 



National Rose Society is doing its work in its own way with conspicuous 

 success, and, despite the rivalry of other popular flowers, its admirers 

 can still hold aloft with pride the ardent wish they express in their motto, 

 " Floreat Regina Florum." It is intended during the coming year to 

 revise and issue a new edition of the society's catalogue. The National 

 Dahlia Society have no reason for despondency, for though the sub- 

 scription list is somewhat limited in extent there is no doubt that the 



1 HE year which has now so nearly run its course that it may with ^ i f1t ^ r 11,. M ^ ^ . . • 



. \ . 7 , lit- culture of the dahlia as an exhibition flower is steadily on the increase. 



propriety be spoken of in the past tense cannot be regarded otherwise 

 than with mixed feelings by those engaged in horticultural pursuits. It 



It was the introduction of the cactus type which imparted vigour to 

 the culture of the dahlia in this country. The National Carnation 



has had associated with it many disappointments and not a few difficul- and g shQws a remarkable advance during the last fcw 



ties, and, as a counterbalance, it has given the cultivator much that 



r r . r . , ri. ri years. It has been singularly fortunate in having a wealthy enthusiast 



justifies a feeling of satisfaction with the past and a spirit of hopefulness nke m R Smith as fa ident and lead and he has d 



for the future. Chief among the difficulties that have had to be contended me ans, nor enthusiasm in promoting the success of the 



with are those due to our fickle climate, which, in its changeful mood, ^ H - s achievements as a raisef haye revolutionised the carnat ion. 



has been less favourably inclined to the practical horticulturist than in 

 some previous years, without the weather being such as to bring about 

 results more or less disastrous. An exceptionally mild winter, remarkable 

 for its small rainfall, was followed by a cold spring, which greatly retarded 

 vegetation of all descriptions, and so materially reduced the crop of the 

 more important hardy fruits as to inflict heavy losses upon the majority 



He has multiplied the self and fancy types by producing varieties of the 

 highest quality. No contemporary raiser has touched the high water mark 

 of production as Mr. Smith has, and it is gratifying to know that he has 

 seedling bizarred and flaked carnations and white ground picotees which 

 rival in quality his glorious selfs and fancies. We think not a few of the 



y . . ; , c . / -in- 11 ^ A flowers annually exhibited in competition for the prizes offered are un- 



of those engaged in the production ot market supplies, mis was au tne ; 



worthy the awards made, but it must be mentioned it is very difficult to 

 originate new lines upon which to show carnations. As a border flower and 

 fortblooming all the year round it has a wide reputation. Mr. Douglas's 



more disappointing from the fact that the thorough ripening of the wood 

 and the perfect maturation of the flower buds, as the result of the splendid 



weather that was experienced in the autumn of 1897, fully justified the . . 



-j ui u r ~ m e *f plea for a more austere recognition of the yellow ground picotee is to be 



expectation of crops considerably above the average. Green crops of r 6 * . , * , 9m 



\ ~ ? i f . j./ar . j * 4. • <. j • * ^ commended. We want to see the properties of the white ground 



the garden varied considerably in different districts according to the . , . £ r * . * 



uic ^diucn ' aA1 ~~ ' ^ tv>t a j *\-\ a picotees demanded in the case of the yellow ground varieties. It is said 



J 



some latitude must be allowed the judges, because the really good varie- 



verv slow, and over a wide area they suffered severely from the prolonged . c U4 ^ , . J „ 5 . ' . J * . . 



very biow, dim uvci <x mu C jr r t 1 r> * w \ ties are few 5 but we hoId there 1S sufficient material to make a beginning 



July. Potatos, happily, 



, . j« . • . v 1 i- _i with. Even the National Auricula and Primula Society is on the upward 



although yielding hght crops m many districts, have been distinctly more though there ^ fewer q( ^ J.^ ^ P ^ 



tx. A ..u^ 1 r ,o^^ popular rose, carnation, and dahlia. We note with satisfaction that the 



dependent upon tore.gn supplies tnan was me ^ « »c cto^c « . oy/. oU Qf ld . laced polyanthus is restored 



to the schedule, as this will 



The business aspect of horticulture appears to have been eminently ^ ^ ^ b existence form of Iyanthus dear 



satisfactory, for we have had evidence of much activity m both the £ ma dd fl ^ ^ xt ^ emel difficu , t obtain H of a high order 



nursery and seed trades and have heard but lit le grumbling except of ^ ^ as ^ We ^ ^ congratulate the speciaI societies 



the difficulty experienced in commencing in the autumn the execution of on their ^ ^ success ^ ^ desire J them ^ 



nrHprs for trees shrubs, and plants from the open ground in consequence 7 . . Al _ . . - .r .t. 



orders ior irees, bnruu^, F ^ ^ ^ larger measure of each m the j'ear just opening before them, 



of the dryness of the soil. Exhibitions of the leading societies have, we 0 J r & 



are pleased to state, been well maintained, and we have had in the 



course of the year to record gatherings of exceptional excellence in 



the Temple Gardens and at the Crystal Palace under the auspices 



of the Royal Horticultural Society ; and at Edinburgh, Shrewsbury, 



York, and other provincial centres. The special societies associated 



with floriculture have achieved much success, a fact deserving of special every day will be adding a little to the floral activity in which we horti- 



attention inasmuch as it proves to demonstration an unabated interest in culturists delight, and of which the sunshine is literally the life and soul, 



the more important florists' flowers. Very successful also have been Spring, it is true, is yet in the far distance, and in this climate of ours 



the fortnightly meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society, which has the rigours of winter are usually experienced far more severely in the 



had a larger accession of new Fellows than in any year since it left South first months of the year than in the last, for the simple reason that just 



Kensington. Gardening charities have been liberally supported, but as as the hottest period of the summer succeeds the longest day, owing to 



vet the income of the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution and the the accumulation of the sun heat, so the bleakest time of the year succeeds 



Royal Gardeners' Orphan Fund is far below the necessities of these two the shortest day, due to accumulated cold. Nevertheless, despite the 



admirable charities ; and, anticipating the many disappointments that hard weather we may reasonably and seasonably anticipate, we hail the 



must follow the elections to be held in January and February next, we passing of the shortest day and longest night with a feeling of gratifica- 



expressthe hope that they will receive still more generous support in the tion that the change has commenced which will inevitably bring in its 



coming year. Of ourselves we shall speak but briefly ; we have to acknow- train first the bright crocus, with its golden chalices ; the hepatica, with 



1 dee generous help from a large and increasing band of contributors, and its azure stars ; and then all the bright array of scillas, tulips, and their 



to express our satisfaction with the continuous and rapid increase in the *~ u ~ *~ *+ : - - — ^i^r-i— ♦ ™r 

 number of our readers. Stimulated by the success that we have achieved 



d rine the past year and the knowledge that horticulturists are quick to ment of midsummer and precisely reverse conditions, and that this 



Un 'otA pntemrise and well-directed efforts on their behalf, we shall difference is all due to our globe being spun round on the slant instead 



THE SHORTEST DAY. 



Once again the whirligig of time has brought us in this northern 

 hemisphere past the lowest ebb of the annual tide of sunshine, and once 

 again we are cheered by the reflection that with this turn of the tide 



tribe to follow. It is a curious fact to reflect that coincident with our 

 long nights and brief daylight our Antipodean cousins are in full enjoy- 



