JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
210 
[ March 17, 1881. 
exhibition for fear of bringing it back with him, wrote to me and 
said he had found it not only in his Auriculas but in his garden, 
and that he did not intend to send out a plant until he had 
got rid of it. Another grower near at hand has been greatly 
troubled with it, and in all directions the same tale is told. But 
now we are assured it does no harm, that it may be left unmolested 
and the plants no way suffer. I cannot credit this, although I 
think that in Alpines and strong growers amongst show varieties 
there may be enough roots both to supply the plant with nourish¬ 
ment and also to feed the aphis : but I can never believe that an 
insect like this can suck thejuice3 of the roots, which it is pro¬ 
vided with means of doing, and yet do no injury. The result of 
it all, as far as my experience goes, is that it has in some way or 
other quite blasted my hopes, and that I have been so unable to 
overcome any difficulties that I am seriously contemplating giving 
up Auriculas. I have been sneered at, my inability to exhibit ridi¬ 
culed, and this has been one of the unpleasant things connected with 
my failure. I had before thought that amongst lovers of flowers 
there was a kindly feeling that misfortune would only bring out, 
but there are exceptions, I suppose, to every rule. I have, how¬ 
ever, to thank some kind friends for proffered help, which, how¬ 
ever, I have for the present declined. It is pitiable to receive 
good plants and then see them become “ small by degrees and 
beautifully less and so until I can feel that I have turned the 
corner I must content myself with the few I have left. 
I am going this year to adopt an heroic measure. I shall place 
my frames, as I usually do, facing the north for the summer 
months. These frames I shall fill up with rough drainage more 
than half way up ; on this I shall place a few inches of good 
friable loam without any manure. I shall then shake out the 
plants, wash the roots thoroughly, and plant them out in the 
frames. They shall have during the summer all gentle rains, 
being only covered duriDg severe downpours, and then I shall see 
what the result will be. I have two very good authorities on my 
side in attempting this plan—Mr. Llewelyn of Penllergare, and 
Mr. Woodhead of Shibden Head. The former already adopts 
the plan of planting out and has found it to answer very well, 
and says that they can be lifted up from the frames and exhibited 
without any loss. 
It will easily be seen, then, that I have but little to say upon 
new varieties as far as my own collection is concerned, for I have 
not ventured to run the risk of endeavouring to procure any ; but 
I believe that we may soon expect to have some fine ones brought 
before us. Especially do I anticipate that Mr. Woodhead will 
produce some fine sorts ; his system of hybridisation seemed to 
be so thorough that it ought to insure success. As yet the numbers 
added to our catalogues within the last few years has been small; 
and both those who only care for them on the home stage or those 
who exhibit are still dependant of those older varieties which date 
back twenty, thirty, or many more years.—D., Deal. 
WINTER-BLOOMING PELARGONIUMS. 
Charles Schwind is, I think, without doubt the best all¬ 
round winter-blooming variety we have. Much attention has 
been called to Guillaume Mangilli, a most excellent variety for 
summer blooming, and winter also in a warm house ; but I think 
it is quite possible some disappointment may ensue with respect to 
this variety, if, as is quite probable, some of your readers infer from 
what was said that it has some special winter-blooming qualities 
(surpassing in that respect other varieties), and that it may be 
cultivated with success in winter in ordinary greenhouse tempera¬ 
ture. Now this is certainly not the case. In a house maintained 
at a temperature of about 10° above that of an ordinary green¬ 
house it succeeds, but then which of the tribe does not under 
such circumstances ? They are all nearly equally good in this 
respect. Under suitable cultivation they may be had in bloom in 
December and January, not with meagre trusses, but as gorgeous 
as those of May and June, the colours of the light varieties and 
some of the crimsons being absolutely preferable to those of 
summer. There is a great difference of shade in many of them 
in the two seasons; the whites are far purer, and some of the 
crimsons exquisite in winter. But are there any varieties which 
can be relied on to do fairly well in an ordinary greenhouse ? 
and this is the real purport of this letter. 
I will give my experience of the past season. For the first 
time for many years (through the failure of a boiler in the 
autumn), I have been compelled to let them take their chance 
this winter in what was practically an unheated house until 
Christmas, as until then no means of heating existed, except two 
oil stoves used only just barely to keep out frost, and even under 
these adverse circumstances Charles Schwind bloomed excellently. 
It was far away in the first position. Lizzie Brooks and Titania 
(Denny), did well ; an old variety, Colonel Holden, also was good, 
and so was an old double variety Emily Laxton. In this company 
Guillaume Mangilli was simply nowhere. In the low tempera¬ 
ture it refused to open its blooms at all. I think, therefore, it 
would be well to caution any of your readers who may, perhaps, 
have gathered an impression that it is good in an ordinary green¬ 
house against expecting too much from it. 
In conclusion I will name two or three of the newer varieties 
which appear likely to be excellent for winter blooming. They 
flowered well with me far into the winter, and this on plants not 
specially prepared for winter blooming, which they always ought 
to be by previous summer disbudding and proper culture. These 
are Sophia Birkin, Lizard, and Aida. The last named had some 
exquisite flowers to the end of December. These three are light 
varieties each distinct, whilst in the deluge of scarlets and crim¬ 
sons we are getting too large a proportion of, to borrow Mr. 
Paul’s phrase as applied to R,oses, “ the too much alike.”—C., 
Avmcll. 
HP 
( 
I0TES»GLEJ[ 
iGS. 
The meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
Tuesday next promises to be one of great interest and attraction. 
Messrs. Yeitch’s Hyacinths have never been finer than they are 
this year, and a splendid group will be staged. We have seen 
the plants at the Coombe Wood Nursery, and they will be in their 
bestcondition at the meeting. Other plants including Amaryllises 
from Chelsea will add to the richness of the display. Messrs. 
Osborns’ Hyacinths, we are informed, are very good, and we pre¬ 
sume will be exhibited. Mr. Moorman, we believe, will stage a 
group of plants similar to the one for which he was awarded a 
gold medal last year. Captain Patton’s Spiraeas and Dielytras 
are, we learn, very fine this year, and he is growing a large col¬ 
lection of Hyacinths. These with other contributions from the 
leading nurserymen, and the competition for the silver cup and 
prizes for Hyacinths and Tulips, may be expected to produce a 
display worthy of extensive patronage. Expressions of regret 
have reached us from exhibitors that this and the Spring Show of 
the Boyal Botanic Society do not occur during the same week, as 
to exhibit at both Shows will involve expense in the carriage of 
plants that they consider might have been avoided ; besides, the 
same Hyacinths cannot be in the “best” condition for the two 
events. 
- Mr. Charley of Ogbear Hall Gardens desires to endorse 
what was said on page 195 respecting Yiolet ODORATISSIMA. 
He obtained it last year from Mr. Cannell, planted it out in an 
ordinary border, and now it is producing its fine fragrant flowers 
in profusion. Another gardener who grows a large collection of 
Yiolets says, “ Carters’ elegantissima is identical with odoratissima, 
and both are Prince Consort, or I have not had them true.” 
- Mr. Walter Hill of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens 
has issued a pamphlet containing a list op economic and 
other plants which are grown in that garden, a collection of 
which was exhibited at the Melbourne International Exhibition, 
1880. The plants are arranged under their respective natural 
orders, with brief descriptions of their chief characteristics and 
properties. 
- We are desired to remind the supporters of the Pelar¬ 
gonium Society that the Executive Committee, having to resume 
activities, need the usual pecuniary aid of the subscriptions that 
are now due. And we are further desired to invite lovers of 
flowers who are not members of this Society to enrol themselves 
in the brotherhood, the liability thereto being only one guinea per 
annum, but, with permission to subscribe any additional amount. 
The Treasurer is Henry Little, Esq., Hillingdon Place, Uxbridge. 
