April 30, 1885. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
357 
heavily we accepted the offer of Mr. Cas3idy to pass the night in the whae, 
at the Springs’ stables. We dried our clothes by a roaring fire, and made 
ourselves comfortable for the night. The next morning it was still raining 
hard, but we determined to make a start for Castle Hill. On the road we 
noted fine specimens of Aciphylla Colensoi, A. Lyalli, commonly called the 
Bayonet Plant or Spear Grass, and among the tussocks we saw Pimeleas 
Geraniums, Raoulias, Gentians, and other plants. Fording the Porter River 
and recrossing by a suspension bridge, we arrived at the fortifications at 
Castle Hill, after a smart walk of about an hour and a half. The plant we 
wanted was Notothlapsi rosulatum, but after a minute search among the 
rocks and limestone slides we failed to discover it. A Cystopteris was, 
however, met with which has many points of resemblance to the British 
C. fragilis, but its exact nomenclature has not been determined. Many 
varieties of Ranunculus were seen; R. pinguis was common, also R. gerani- 
folius, which was in full bloom among the rocks. Two varieties of Clematis, 
C. indivisa and C. foetida, were met with. Ligusticum aromaticum, 
Cotulas, and Lagenophoras were plentiful. Stellaria gracilenta, the 
New Zealand Chickweed, is a neat plant and not without its attractions 
to those who like alpine flowers. Having examined the western side, 
we climbed the cliff, standing up like a ruined castle on the north¬ 
east. The loose nature of the rocks, which broke away in our 
hands, made it difficult to get the plants which grew high up in the 
crevices of the cliffs. Some rare species of Mosses were collected, 
also a small bulbous plant, belonging to the Irids, with white flowers, borne 
on stems 6 inches high. Growing high up among the rocks was a Ranun¬ 
culus, which on examination appeared to be a cross between R. pinguis and 
R. Godleyanus. The leaves were 6 inches on petioles half as long as the leaf. 
The flowers were gone, but the plants were in seed, the stems being 18 inches 
high. Good specimens of Carmichaslea nana in bloom were obtained. Against 
a heavy downpour of rain we made our way back to the Seven Springs, 
where we camped for the night. The next morning we turned out at six 
o’clock to see the New Year’s suu tipping the mountain tops with gold. In 
good spirits at the prospect of fine weather we soon had tent and provisions 
packed, and getting a lift in a passing trap we reached our camping ground 
about 3500 feet up the slopes of Mount Torlesse about midday. Our first 
work was to pitch the tent securely, collect a supply of wood for the fire, 
and make our beds of tussock and Dracophyllum, not quite equal to the 
feather bed of civilisation, but not to be despised on the mountain side. 
Throw in a few plants of the scented Ceimisia and you have a perfume in 
the tent fit for the boudoir of a duchess. The plants near camp were 
Cslmisia Lyalli, C. spectabilis, C. gracilenta, straggling clumps of C. viscosa, 
Gnaphalium bellidioides, Raoulias, Acaenas, Ourisias, Aciphyllas, Draco- 
phyllums, 'Gaultherias, Gentianas, Bpacris, Carmichselia crassicaulis, and 
Coriaria thymifolia, the little mountain tutu. Of Ferns we saw Lomaria 
alpiua and Hypolepis millefolia growing on the side of a creek which ran 
close to the camp. 
Deferring the main ascent of the mountain till we bad the whole day 
before us, the afternoon of New Year’s day was spent in botanising the 
spurs. As we got higher we lost the big Spaniard, Aciphylla Monroi, a 
very dwarf variety taking its place. We collected plants of this, also of a 
pretty Euphrasia, growing on the sides of clumps of herbage, in the middle 
of a shingle slide. At this elevation a cloud enveloped us, so that objects 
twenty yards in front seemed to be wrapped up in fog. From the aromatic 
perfume which filled the air we could tell that the little scented Celmisias 
discolor and viscosa were not far off, and we soon came upon large patches 
of them. Forstera tenella was growing near, also Logania tetragona with 
its peculiar foliage on bare shingle. With our knives we commenced to 
extract some fine examples of Raoulia mammillaris from the rocks on which 
it grew, the roots penetrating the crevices. It is also called the New 
Zealand Pincushion, and is often used for that purpose by the shepherds’ 
wives. The Vegetable Sheep grows to a height of 2 feet and twice as long, 
and from its resemblance to a sheep lying down the shepherd has often 
tried to muster this deceptive plant as a straggler from his flock. As far 
as at present ascertained there are three sorts of Sheep, R. mammillarig, 
the most common, and R. eximium, more densely covered with woolly hairs. 
Blooms were collected and put in spirits of wine to send to Kew for exami¬ 
nation. Having a good load of plants, we started to descend, as it was 
getting dusk. Coming down a shingle slide too quickly one of us tried to 
pull up in front of a Dracophyllum, and seizing the bush which partially 
arrested hi3 descent he fell into a friendly Mountain Totara, escaping 
without a bruise. In camp again at half-past eight o’clock, lighted a fire, 
got the billy boiled, and made the tea; drizzling rain, very dark. After a 
good dinner of saveloy, cheese, biscuits, and tea, which we enjoyed with 
appetities only known to the mountain climbers, we sorted the specimens 
for drying and put them under stones to press. Having made the tent secure 
from the visits of the impertinent Weka we got into our blanket bags at 
11.30 p.m. and were very soon asleep, after the fatigue of a long day’s 
work.—F. N. Adams, New Zealand. 
(To be continued.) 
SURFACE ROOTING IN LILIUMS. 
I GROW a considerable number of bulbous Lilies, especially L. auratum 
and L. lancifolium, and have for some years closely studied their culti¬ 
vation, and therefore welcome the observations of “ Scientia,” page 333. 
The Editor’s recommendation is sound to encourage stem roots, as feeding 
assists during the flowering stage, not in the preliminary growth. This 
points to potting shallow., or in other words, have the tip of the scales 
pointing above the surface, leaving room for adding more soil later on. 
It is quite wrong from this point of view to bury deeply. The plant 
blooms and lives on the food supplied by the numerous voracious little 
surface roots, and when the flower dies and you turn the plant out of 
the pot, you find a large mop of roots at the base of the stem, and very 
frequently the scales or scaly bulb have already decayed. If not, the best 
thing to do is to feed and grow on after the flowering, so as to fully ripen 
and mature the stem, foliage, and bulb. Without going to th6 trouble 
of turning the plant out of the pot on the hand, any experienced grower 
can see at a glance if it is healthy. But I have had fairly good blooms 
of L. auratum and the varieties of L. lancifolium without a single basal 
root; in fact, as I have said, in a few instances the bulb had decayed 
some time previously, and life was maintained by the stem roots alone. 
My recollection is that in most of those cases decay was caused by 
too much water. Water-logging often takes place with Lilies with¬ 
out being noticed. This points to plenty of drainage ; sand at the base 
or around the bulb, and a more frequent use of peat. 
I am satisfied, though very successful, we have much to learn in re¬ 
ference to Lily culture yet. I would not, however, at all agree with 
“ Scientia” in recommending that those stem roots should be “ broken off 
as they appear.” Discourage them by not allowing any soil to touch them 
until the pot is full of roots, then, as stated before, add additional soil to 
complete the flowering, and when that is over feed until withered, and let 
all the sap return to perfect the bulb. This is a point too seldom thought 
of; indeed, I would commend it to the notice of your excellent corre¬ 
spondent “Thinker,” the treatment of all flowers, especially pot Lilies, 
when the blooming is over. What is so common as to see them thrown 
anywhere when their glorious blooms have decayed, and before half their 
growth or maturation is completed? Yet these very bulbs may be far 
better than our uncertain friends, the imported ones, and far earlier. 
My imported ones, which have so far given me very great trouble 
in examining and cutting out the fungus-affected parts, are now 
only half an inch over the soil. The home-saved bulbs of last year 
of the same kind are in several instances 2, 3, and 4 feet high without 
any forcing. Heat, or forcing of any kind, for those magnificent 
flowers I consider most injudicious, though there are several, especially 
of the Trumpet Lilies, that must be protected against winter frost, but 
even that number is a decreasing quantity. For instance, some bulbs of 
the Bermuda Lily, L. Harrisi, little different from L. longiflorum, 
escaped unscathed, though forgotten, in some leaf mould la9t year, which 
must have been frozen.—W. J. Morphy, Clonmel . 
THE WAKEFIELD PAXTON SOCIETY. 
The Paxton Society of Wakefield, which was established about nine 
years ago by a few gardeners and amateurs, has by the great support that 
has been accorded it become one of the most important and best managed 
associations of its kind in Yorkshire or anywhere else. It numbers about 
200 members, has a splendid room capable of accommodating them all, and 
a good library, which is growing yearly. There is an annual gathering of the 
members, who with their friends dine together, cementing old friendships 
and enrolling new recruits in the local army of horticulturists. The con¬ 
tribution to the Society is trifling, and the expenditure correspondingly 
small, that of the past year only amounting to about £30, the directorate 
contriving to have a substantial balance on the right side of the ledger. 
The funds of the Society are not expended in big prizes for an exhibition, 
nor are they likely to be. It is not what may be termed a “ Show ” Society 
at all, but educational and social. 
The eighth annual meeting was held on the 21st inst., and so great was 
the demand for tickets for the dinner that Mr. Councillor Lupton, the 
Society’s curator and caterer, had to engage the capacious lecture hall of the 
Church Institution for their accommodation. In the afternoon of the same 
day a meeting was held for the revision and adoption of rules that had been 
formulated with the object of establishing a Yorkshire Association of horti¬ 
cultural societies, and delegates attended from kindred societies in sur¬ 
rounding towns, including the following:—Mr. Woodcock and Mr. Walker, 
from the Sheffield Floral and Horticultural Society; Mr. Simmonds and 
Mr. Cooke, of the Sheffield and Hallamshire Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society ; Councillor Mellor and Mr. G. E. Eiliott, of the Huddersfield 
Paxton Society ; Mr. Oswald, of the Rotherham Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society; Mr. Baynes and Mr. Sundley, of the Leeds Professional 
Gardeners’ Friendly Benefit Society; Mr. Henshall, Mr. Ballinger, Councillor 
Sykes, and several other members of the Barnsley Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Society, &c. 
Mr. Herbert Chapman, the energetic Honorary Secretary of the Wakefield 
Paxton Society, was the originator of the movement, the object of which is 
to afford means of intercommunion between gardeners and lovers of garden¬ 
ing on suitable occasions, the interchange of papers that are read at the 
meetings of the different societies, and the rendering of mutual assistance 
in strengthening the societies and benefiting the members. It appears that 
a few years ago a similar association was commenced in a small way of York¬ 
shire Mechanics’ Institutes, and now no less than 271 of these institutes 
are amalgamated, and the union possesses a library of 22,000 volumes in 
circulation amongst the members on the payment of a merely nominal sum. 
These associations have nothing whatever to do with the question of wages, 
but are wholly educational, the professional improvement of the members 
being the sole object in view. The system as applied to horticulturists is so 
entirely new that the rules adopted at the meeting referred to cannot be 
unacceptable to horticultural readers generally. They are as follow :— 
RULES FOR THE YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETIES. 
I.—The Society shall be called "The Yorkshire Association of Horticultural Societies,” 
and any society having for its objects the study and advancement of horticulture 
shall be eligible for admission. 
XI— The objects of the Association shall be1, To consolidate existing horticultural and 
gardeners’ mutual improvement societies within the county of York, and to assist in 
the formation of similar societies where they do not at present exist. 2. To promote 
the study and practical application of the science of horticulture, and encourage 
research into other branches of science which bear directly upon the practice of 
gardening. 3, The interchanging amongst the several societies in the Association of 
essays, books, periodicals, and other literature having reference to horticultural 
matters. 4, To facilitate and assist the united action in all matters relating to the 
welfare and advancement of gardeners and gardening. 
III. —The Association shall eonsist of the several societies taking part in its formation, 
and such other societies as may from time to time be admitted in accordance witli 
Rule IV., and it shall be under the management of a Committee consisting of a 
President, two Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, two Trustees, and representa¬ 
tives from each society in the Union. 
IV. —Any society seeking admission shall forward an application in writing, together 
with a copy of its rules, to the Secretary of Union, and the Committee of Management 
