JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 5, 1881. 
356 
lid beautifully spotted. It is a compact-growing variety, with a 
profusion of pitchers, and has been awarded a first-class certifi¬ 
cate by the "Royal Botanic Society.” 
EUPHORBIA JACQUINLEFLORA AND POINSETTIA 
PULCHERRIMA. 
Those plants that bloom in winter are very much appreciated, 
as then good flowers are scarce, and the above two are amongst 
the most beautiful. I have classed them together, as they both 
require similar treatment. They are generally seen with rather 
tall stems, and they are then not so well adapted for decorative 
purposes. The best time I have found to insert the cuttings is 
the middle of July ; if the old plants are started about three 
weeks previous, they will have abundance of shoots suitable for 
cuttings, which should be taken off with a piece of the old wood 
attached. Insert the Poinsettias singly, and the Euphorbias three 
in a small 60-pot. Place them under a handlight in a close moist 
heat. When rooted place them in the house, and repot rather 
firmly into 48-sized pots, employing two parts fibry loam, one of 
leaf soil, and one of peat, with enough leaf soil and sand to keep 
fhe compost open. Place a little charcoal over the drainage, as I 
find they are rather partial to it. Keep them close till they are 
established, then harden them off and transfer them to a cold 
frame close to the glass, remove the lights in the evening, as the 
plants delight in the night dews. Ventilate the frame freely in 
the day, and shade from bright sunshine. About the end of 
September or beginning of October place the plants in a warm, 
light, airy house, and when the Poinsettias commence showing 
their bracts give a little liquid manure.— A. Young. 
We have the pleasure to announce that the Right Hon. Lord 
Aberdare, President of the Royal Horticultural Society, will 
preside at the next annual dinner of the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution, which will take place on the 6th 
of July next. 
-We are informed that at the National Auricula So¬ 
ciety’s Northern Show, reported last week, the prizetakers for 
Fancy Auriculas were Mr. S. Barlow first, and Mr. Bolton second, 
no third stand being staged. Mr. H. Brownhill was first only 
(not second and third) with twelve Polyanthuses, and Mr. Brock- 
bank was also only first with twelve Primroses, no other stand 
being exhibited in either class. 
- At the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
Mr. R. Veitch of Exeter obtained a first-class certificate for 
Rhododendron exoniense, a beautiful hybrid between R. cilia- 
tum and R. Veitchi, both of which it resembles in some characters. 
It is noteworthy for its compact habit, bright green leaves, and 
bell-shaped crisped flowers, which are white faintly tinged with 
pink, and 3 to 4 inches in diameter. 
- Messrs. Richard Smith & Co. of Worcester exhibited 
some plants of the pretty and useful Daphne Fioniana at the 
recent Spring Show in Birmingham, and there was scarcely 
another group which attracted more attention from the visitors. 
We are not surprised at this, for a plant that has been sent 
to us from Worcester is laden with charming rosy flowers deli¬ 
ciously perfumed. The plant is one of the best hardy Daphnes 
in cultivation, and it is surprising it seems so little known, for 
either in pots or borders it forms an excellent addition to any 
garden. The flowers are of a pinkish hue, closely clustered on 
the branches, and possess a most agreeable and powerful fra¬ 
grance. The plant was formerly known under the name of D. 
versaillense, having been the result of a cross between D. Cneorum 
and D. collina effected by M. Fion, whose name it now bears. It 
is usually grafted on one of the common species, such as D. 
Mezereum or D. pontica, and dwarf compact plants are readily 
obtained, which flower freely during the early spring months. 
-- “ B.” writes—“ There is now to be seen in the Camellia 
house in Croxteth Hall gardens a very fine plant of Rhododen¬ 
dron DALHOUSiiE covered with its Targe campanulate fragrant 
flowers measuring 4 inches in length and as much in diameter. 
The flowers as they first open are of a pale amber colour, changing 
to pure white. It is surprising these lovely Rhododendrons are 
not more grown, especially in conservatories where they can be 
planted out. In the same garden the double Cinerarias now in 
flower are the finest examples I have seen, the flowers being large 
and very full. Mr. Barham propagates them by means of offsets, 
which they produce very sparingly.” 
- Messrs. Ewing & Co. of Norwich have sent us a few 
fruit of Norwich Prolific Nut with the following note :— 
“ The few nuts herewith enclosed are some that were put aside 
and forgotten in the autumn of 1879, and came to light the other 
day during some house-cleaning operations. We think, consider¬ 
ing that they have been all the time in a dry closet, it is a severe 
test of their keeping quality.” The kernels of the nuts, though 
much shrivelled, were quite sound and of excellent flavour, quite 
equal to those of the Lambert Filbert under similar conditions. 
- We are requested to state that seedling Pelargoniums may 
be submitted to the Pelargonium Society for the honorary 
award of certificate of merit on June 14th, June 28th, and July 
12th. Intending exhibitors must give three clear days’ notice on 
forms provided for the purpose. These may be obtained from the 
Honorary Secretary, Mr. Shirley Hibberd, 15, Brownswood Park, 
London, N. 
- There is now on view at the Alexandra Palace an Exhi¬ 
bition of Clematises in pots from Messrs. G. Jackman & Sons’ 
nursery, Woking. Many excellent varieties are represented in 
good condition. 
- A daily contemporary in an article advocating the ex¬ 
tended culture in India of the Mahwah Tree (Bassia lati- 
folia), has the following remarks upon the mode in which the 
crop is collected—“ The flowers come to maturity towards the 
end of February or beginning of March ; and the corollas, becom¬ 
ing fleshy with secreted juices, gradually loosen their adhesion 
to the calyx and fall to the ground. The duty of collecting the 
crop is chiefly performed by women and children, who generally 
remain under the trees all day, alternately collecting the fallen 
blossoms and sleeping, the male members of the family visiting 
them once or twice a day to take away what has been collected. 
In cases where the trees are a longdistance from a village a tem¬ 
porary encampment is often formed, in which they live till the 
whole crop is secured. A first-class tree, it is said, will continue 
to shed its blossoms for fifteen days, at the rate of 100 lbs. a day, 
which weight is reduced by one-half in the process of drying. A 
maund (80 lbs.) of dried Mahwah will furnish a fortnight’s food 
to a family of two parents and three children. It keeps good a 
long time, and is generally eaten with the seeds of the Sal Tree, 
or with the leaves of jungle plants, a small quantity of rice being 
sometimes added.” 
- A correspondent, “ C. M.,” referring to the notes that 
have appeared in our columns on Pelargoniums for Winter 
Flowering, expresses his surprise that “ John Gibbons ” (scarlet), 
and Captain Holden (rosy plum), have not been included in the 
list. He found them very useful last winter, both varieties having 
flowered freely in an ordinary greenhouse quite out of reach of the 
sun’s rays from October till March. Both are old varieties raised 
by Mr. Pearson, and our correspondent has proved their useful¬ 
ness when many other Pelargoniums were not in bloom. 
