JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 19, 1882. 
1 >am 3 feet deep, liberal supplies of water during the season of 
growth, liquid manure occasionally, and frequent syringing to 
maintain a healthy growth. It is never shaded here, or cut-in till 
after the flowering is over. The house in which it is grown falls to 
45° sometimes during winter, though not an airy greenhouse. Some 
grow this species with success under stove treatment, and this 
will serve to show that to name the native country of any 
particular plant does not always suffice. From Brazil (where this 
species is said to be found) we have stove, greenhouse, and even 
hardier plants than this.” 
MIMULUS CARDINALIS AND ITS VARIETIES. 
A Spanish proverb tells us “ that it is sometimes worth while 
to appear in the wrong ; ” and it is almost worth my own while to 
appear so, seeing that the assumption of my incorrect quotation 
from Maund’s “ The Botanist,” induced Mr. Wolley Dod to “ put 
in his thumb” (into Maund’s “Botanic Garden”) “and to pull 
out a plum ” (Mimulus roseo-cardinalis), and to say, “ what a 
good boy am I! ” 
Mr. Dod, being a classical man, will not have forgotten the 
story of the two doughty knights who quarrelled as to whether a 
certain shield was silvern or golden. They sat upon their horses, 
the one in front and the other behind the shield, and so argued 
the matter—indeed fought over it; and then a little actual 
examination showed the fact that the shield actually was golden 
in front and silvern behind ! 
In my note on page 13 I never said a word about Maund’s 
“ Botanic Garden.” I was quoting from Maund’s “ The Botanist,” 
and if Mr. Dod will kindly refer to that work I fancy he will own 
that I quoted the facts correctly. I am so careful in making 
quotations from books to give chapter and verse, and have hitherto 
received so much credit for it from my friends on the horticultural 
press, that I cannot allow Mr. Wolley Dod’s own blunder to 
appear as “ a correction ” of what was perfectly true and rightly 
quoted on my own part. 
This little oversight on Mr. Dod’s part aside, I am very much 
obliged to him for the additional information about Mimuli, which 
his note brings from obscurity—indeed, as I before observed, it 
was almost worth while my being wrong to have gained so much 
information.—D ublinensis. 
HORTICULTURE IN 1881. 
The kindly words which “ Wiltsiiip.e Rector” has addressed 
to us on the opening year will, I am sure, be appreciated by all 
who care for wise counsel and sound judgment; and if I venture 
to supplement his remarks it is not for the purpose of encroaching 
upon his “ official ” position as chaplain, but because I may take 
a different standpoint and perhaps a little wider view. 
Amidst all the discouragements that we have had to lament 
for some years in trade and agriculture it is, I think, true that 
horticulture not only has had no depression to complain of, but 
has had, on the contrary, progress to announce, and this has been 
the case in 1881. I have the opportunity of seeing much that is 
going on in the horticultural world both amongst those who cater 
for the public and in private establishments, and I am sometimes 
taken aback at the amazing amount of energy, enterprise, and 
capital that is expended. Can any greater proof of this be given 
than the wonderful exhibition held at Manchester in August ?— 
an exhibition the like of which has never been seen in England, 
and of which we shall most probably never see the like again. I 
say this because I think there is no place but Manchester where 
it could be done. It was indeed a triumph of British horticulture ; 
and when we looked at the magnificent display of fruits there 
shown, and knew what expense and pains had been bestowed 
on them, and I recollected what had been seen in other places, I 
could not but exclaim, Well, after all England is the land of 
fruit ! People write about the fruits in France and the grand 
display in their markets, but for quality and beauty of appearance 
it is impossible to match our hothouse productions. 
Take, again, Orchids, the very aristocracy of flowers. Can any¬ 
thing be more astonishing than the vast increase in their culture 
of late years ? Establishments unknown some years ago have not 
only sprung into existence, but have, as in the case of Mr. Sanders 
of St. Albans, attained large proportions. Or see what Mr. Bull has 
done at Chelsea—long rows of houses exclusively devoted t) their 
culture, with thousands of plants of the same species, and this 
while the long-established houses of Veitch, Low, and others are 
also increasing their culture. Look again at the sales which have 
taken place at Stevens’s of imported Orchids, the tens of thousands 
of plants which fall under the hammer there. Or, again, the sale 
of such a collection as that of Mr. Day’s of Tottenham which took 
place during the past year, when £10,000 was obtained for them, 
representing, no doubt very inadequately, the money that had 
been expended on bringing them together. All these things lead 
to the conclusion that the past year has been a successful one. 
I may here say, that in traversing the country I have not been 
into one nursery during the past year where I have not seen 
signs of increasing trade—either fresh pieces of ground taken in, 
new houses erected, or new branches of horticulture entered upon. 
I do not enter into the question of profit, but I simply notice 
facts. 
One effect of all this has been to place this lovely and curious 
tribe within the reach of the multitude ; for while high prices are 
still given for anything new and rare (as witness Mr. Day’s sale), 
yet many lovely species are now priced as low as softwooded 
plants. Indeed this increase of supply has cheapened nearly all 
horticultural products. I can well remember the time when new 
Pelargoniums were brought out at five and three guineas a plant, 
new Carnations at two guineas a pair, and so on ; now more 
moderate prices have to be asked because more are in the field, or 
improved methods of culture have multiplied the plants. Coming 
to that class of plants which I have more especially followed 
during the past half century—florists’ flowers, we still find the 
north far ahead of the south in their zeal and energy ; and while 
very laudable efforts have been made to revive the taste for them, 
as yet we cannot say the success ha9 been commensurate with the 
efforts. The fine exhibitions of Auriculas and Carnations held 
in London have been much indebted to midland and northern 
growers, but the change of schedule in the former flower giving a 
Better chance for smaller growers may perhaps give it an impetus ; 
but no signs of resuscitation have touched the Pansy or the Tulip. 
The closing weeks of the year have, however, brought out a very 
laudable, and I hope successful, attempt to revive an interest in 
that grand autumn flower the Dahlia, which years ago used to 
be so successfully grown and exhibited in London. It may be 
that we shall see a revival of the old days of the Surrey Gardens ; 
and although but few of those who then entered the lists are now 
to the fore, yet there are some veterans who would be glad to fight 
over again the battles they engaged in before time had silvered 
their hair or taken away the elasticity of their gait. It augurs 
well for it that Mr. George Smith of Edmonton has already under¬ 
taken the post of Honorary Secretary. The Gladiolus still remains 
in the shade. The Crystal Palace Company indeed offered prizes, 
but they fixed their show for a Monday, to some of us an impos¬ 
sible day. 
The vast amount of information now given on all subjects in 
the horticultural press must leave no secrets to be learned ; the 
only difficulty is what advice to take. We see the most opposite 
opinions offered on the same subject (Grape Vine culture for 
instance), so that it is extremely difficult to know which to 
follow ; and as the adopting of any one system involves a year or 
two’s cultivation, and life is so short, we should like to be sure of 
the best plan. I have seen during the past year the most opposite 
directions given for the cultivation of a small plant, and we can 
only take comfort in the thought that plants are more accommo¬ 
dating than is ordinarily supposed and adapt themselves to various 
modes of treatment; but thanks to the many able writers on all 
branches of horticulture, ignorance on any subject we may wish 
to follow is unpardonable. One magazine with which I was for 
many years identified—the “ Floral Magazine,” has finished its 
course with the closing month of 1881. Its best days were when 
James Andrews (whose drawings have often been laughed at, but 
who after all could colour as no other artist did) executed the 
plates. It is a pity that it should have ceased, for, however 
pretty chromos may be, they lack the brilliancy and texture of 
hand-coloured lithographs, and there is generally a flatness in 
their execution which is very painful. 
The past year has exhibited an increase in the cultivation of 
hardy plants and the diminution of bedding-out, which to all 
lovers of plants is very gratifying. I cannot say so much for the 
mania for single in preference to double flowers. Single Dahlias 
are very delightful for bouquets, and so are single Pyrethrums ; 
but when we are told that the double varieties must be ousted 
and these alone grown, one must demur. Equally great would be 
the mistake of putting away bedding-out altogether. It would 
be a sorry thing to see our public parks changed in this respect; 
while, on the other hand, one must rejoice that there is a prospect 
of a grand rockery being made at Kew, and thus encouraging a 
taste which can and does give so much satisfaction to all who 
can carry it out. 
Of the queen of flowers I have already had my say, and can 
only add that everything seems to show an increased love for it. 
So far we have had an extraordinary winter. I am writing this 
with the window open. I gathered this morning an exquisite 
bud of Madame Lambard from the open border. "VVhat may 
