January 1, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
7 
Late-flowering Chrysanthemums. —In reply to Mr. Featherstone, 
page 517, respecting late-fl >wering Chrysanthemums, I can with confi¬ 
dence recommend one variety that would be a valuable addition to his 
list. The Japanese variety Ceres (Jackson’s) is pure white when open, 
but with a very slight tinge of pink on the outer petals. It is something 
in the way of Fair Maid of Guernsey, but differing from that variety in 
its strong robus-t habit and foliage, and the florets are shorter but of 
more substance. It is a naturally late-flowering variety. Although it 
will show its buds in August at the same time as the general collection, 
it will not flower until the end of November, and it will keep good until 
Christmas. The variety nnder notice was exhibited by Messrs. Jackson 
and Sons at the December meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society in 
1882 and a first-class certificate awarded it. I have described it more 
particularly, a3 unfortunately there are three Ceres in the lists, which 
would be likely to cause great confusion. The one I received from 
Messrs. Canneli some time prior to 1882 was also a Japanese variety and 
of a rosy pink colour, but I have ceased to grow it now, as the flowers 
were too small. The other Ceres I am not acquainted with. It is a con¬ 
tinental Japanese variety, sent out this spring by De Reydellet, and 
described iu Messrs. Cannell’s catalogue as canary yellow, petals vertical, 
fl iwers large. It is a pity that more care is not taken by our continental 
raisers to avoid giving the same names to their new varieties as have 
been already bestowed on older varieties, thereby causing no end of con¬ 
fusion to the trade as well as to private growers, and may probably lead 
to serious results at exhibitions.—C. Orchard, Kingston-on-Thames. 
THE NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETY (SOUTHERN 
SECTION). 
I think there is something ungenerous in the remark which appears 
in your report of the meetings of the National Auricula and Carnation 
and Picotee Societies, that Mr. Dodwell had “ succeeded in bringing up a 
number of members who do not usually attend the meetings.” They 
were nearly all country members, and they came to the meeting because 
they believed (as I myself most earnestly do) that a great wrong has been 
«lone. I think the remark above quoted applied to the other side also. 
The fact that the confirmation of the objectionable minutes of an informal 
and irregular meeting was confirmed by a majority of one only, added to 
the significance of the protest handed in by Mr. Dodwell, should have 
made the dominant party pau^e in their high-handed course of action and 
reconsider their position. I know for a fact that two of those present on 
October 14th regard the proceedings as irregular and indefensible. I have 
before me the names of those who voted on December 9th, and a Mr. Walker 
voted in error in favour of the confirmation of the minutes, not quite 
understanding the Chairman’s method of putting the question. Mr. 
Pohlman, jun., of Halifax, unfortunately arrived too late to vote with 
Mr. Dodwell. 
Up to October 14th the National Auricula Society and the National 
Carnation and Picotee Society had been two distinct organisations under 
separate Committees, as they are in the north, each putting forth its own 
sohedule of prizes and regulations. A small and informal meeting, 
powerless to take any action in the matter, agrees to coalesce the Societies, 
appoints one committee to manage them, setting aside the rights of others 
who had derived their authority from annual general meetings nearly a 
year previously, and by the exercise of a kind of couj) d'etat assumes the 
functions of annual general meetings. As a member of the Committee 
of the National Auricula Society from the very first, I was not only not 
invited to the meeting on October 14th, but actually deposed from my 
seat on the Committee. Such a meeting, from which any person likely to 
sympathise with Mr. Dodwell was apparently excluded, could not transact 
the business properly appertaining to the annual general meeting of the 
National Auricula Society. The blending of the two Societies is not only 
irregular, but a grave mistake, and, though blended under one government, 
it was stated by Mr. Douglas that a member of the Committee must sub¬ 
scribe the sum of 10,?. to both Societies, I presume that if this is true of 
committeemen—and Mr. Douglas said it was—-it will also be true of 
members. This is most unwise, and it will be found to be injurious in 
action. The annual general meeting should have had nothing to do with the 
minutes of.a self-appointed sub-committee. The members did not appoint 
this Committee ; they took upon themselves to act, and thus by a majority 
of one only, forced the members to confirm their action. The Chairman 
(Mr. Shirley Hibberd) stated that both Secretaries were equally to blame, 
but the Committee, in spite of this, supported one and ejected the other. 
This is most unfair. I have had now something like twenty years’ 
experience in various forms of the working of horticultural societies, and 
I have always found that when the Secretary is one of the principal 
exhibitors it always leads to unpleasantness. The small exhibitors did 
undoubtedly feel that their interests were represented in Mr. Dodwell. I 
am writing now of the National Auricula Society. I am not a member 
of the Carnation and Picotee Society. If, as some have stated, it was 
necessary to get rid of Mr. Dodwell, then the Committee of the National 
Auricula Society should have been specially summoned to consider the 
matter. That body would have decided on a course of action, and 
recommended it for adoption to the annual general meeting. There is 
not a person who was present on October 14ih but would ray this was 
the proper and legal course. Why such a false and crooked policy was 
favoured is beyond my comprehension. The result is that I and net a 
few others find ourselves rudely thrust aside, as if we had no rights as 
members of the National Auricula Society; while I have this 'further 
special grievance, that I am deposed from a seat on the Committee of 
that body without power of or opportunity of appeal.— Richard Dean 
Kaling, W. 
[The remaik to which Mr. Dean takes exception was the simple 
embodiment of a fact, the existence of which he admits and explains, so 
nothing more need be said on that matter. The “ blending ” of the two 
Societies is a fair subject for discussion on its merits. We suspect that it 
is not necessary to subscribe to both Societies to become a member of one 
of them, but it may be necessary to do to be a member of the Committee 
under the rules established for the government of the Societies ; this 
matter, however, is perhaps not made officially clear. In any further 
discussion it may be well to remember that the weakness of a case is 
often reflected in the strength of the language employed to sustain it.] 
CULTURE OF EUPHORBIA JACQUINI2EFLORA. 
Although the genus Euphorbia is a very large one there are but few 
species that commend themselves to the attention of cultivators of stove 
plants. Euphorbia jacquiniseflora (or fulgens) I think occupies the most 
prominent position amongst those grown. It is very different in habit 
aud general appearance from the rest. It blooms at the present season of 
the year, at which time its intense scarlet flowers, wreath-like shoots, are 
unsurpassed by any plant in cultivation. It is a free grower and equally 
free in blooming. The flowers last well either on the plant or when cut 
and placed in water. It gives a succession of flowers from a second 
growth, which the plants make after the first flowering shoots have been 
cut. The beauty of the flowers is much increased by the dark green 
lanceolate leaves, which are very slightly distributed amongst them. It 
combines well with almost any other varieties of flowers, being especially 
suited for employing in large vases, where its flat sprays can with the 
greatest advantage be employed as a base for lighter-coloured flowers. 
Some growers have experienced a difficulty in striking cuttings of this 
plant. The soft sappy nature of the young shoots, if taken after they 
have extended considerably, causes them to be very subject to damp ; in 
fact, if cuttings be made in the ordinary way very few will root. If, 
however, in the spring the young shoots that are made after the plants 
have bloomed are taken off with a heel when about 5 or 6 inches in 
length and inserted in small pots, well drained, filled with silver sand, 
placed in a temperature of 70°, and covered with propagating glasses, not 
one in twenty will fail to root. It is the heel of partially solidified wood 
that is essential to success. So managed, they will root in a few weeks, 
after which the glasses should be removed and plenty of light given. 
When they are fairly established transfer them into 4-inch pots. They 
thrive well in good fibrous loam, to which should be added one-fifth part 
of sand, and drain the pots sufficiently, as the roots are very impatient of 
stagnant moisture, and too much water should not be given until the roots 
have taken well to the soil. The plant has naturally an erect habit, not 
disposed to branch much. To counteract this the shoots should be stopped 
or bent down when they get fairly into growth, so as to induce them to 
break back. The temperature may be allowed to rise in the day to 75° 
or 80° with sun heat, ventilating in the morning according to the state of 
the weather, and closing the house whilst the sun is on the glass suffi¬ 
ciently to raise the heat for an hour or two to 80° or 85°, syringing at the 
same time. Care should be taken at all times, but more especially after 
potting, not to give too much water, for this Euphorbia does not make so 
many roots as many plants do, and will not bear the soil being too wet. 
They will require a thin shade when the sun is powerful, but should have 
plenty of light, or the natural straggling habit will be increased. By the 
end of June they ought to be placed in pots 7 inches in diameter, which 
will be large enough, employing soil similar to that in which they were 
last placed, with the addition of a small quantity of old decayed manure. 
Again tie down the shoots, bending the points down considerably, 
which will cause several of the eyes to start. With this Euphorbia, 
as the plants become larger, bedding the shoots is preferable to 
pinching out the points, as it will induce more eyes to break. Con¬ 
tinue the treatment as to heat, water, air, and a thin shade when 
necessary until the end of August, when dispense with shading and the use 
of the syringe, ventilating more freely, which will gradually suspend 
further growth and ripen the shoots. As the autumn advances reduce the 
temperature to 60° in the night, allowing an advance of 5° more in the 
day. If they should be required in flower by the end of the year, it will 
be necessary to keep some of the plants 5° warmer, standing them where 
the tops of the shoots will nearly touch the glass. This is necessary to 
impart both colour and substance to the flowers. As the flowers become 
apparent at the axils of the leaves the plants will be greatly benefited by 
an occasional supply of weak liquid manure, which will not only assist 
the first blooms they make but enable them to make the second growth 
strong, which will also bloom. Such plants as are grown cooler to succeed 
the first must not have too much water at the roots, especially if the tem¬ 
perature is kept a little under 60° in the night, but it is not safe to have 
them in a much lower temperature than this. 
After the flowering is over allow the soil to become considerably drier, 
and head the plants down to within 6 inches of the pot, keeping them in 
a temperature of about 65° in the night and giving no more water than 
will prevent the soil becoming quite dry until they have made several 
inches of growth, when, if more plants be required, the shoots may be 
taken off and struck as in the preceding spring. The other plants should 
be turned out of their pots and two-tbirds of the old soil removed, giving 
them 2-inch larger pots, which will be large enough to grow them in 
through the ensuing summer, assisting them with liquid manure when the 
soil is well filled with roots, treating them in other respects as advised 
for the preceding season. 
