February 16 , 1882 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 138 
some twenty or thirty sorts, keeping none others, but putting the 
rest up for auction. This is a step in the right direction.” 
- We are informed that the Leek Rose Society will hold 
their annual Exhibition on Tuesday, July the ISth. The schedule 
enumerates ten classes for Roses, the National Rose Society 
offering silver medals in two classes, and Messrs. Cranston of 
Hereford contribute two prizes for twelve blooms of any Hybrid 
Perpetual Rose. Five classes are also provided for stove and 
greenhouse plants, two for Pansies, and one for Pinks. The Hon. 
Secretary, Mr. H. Gibson, gives a special prize, together with the 
National Rose Society’s bronze medal, for the best Hybrid Per¬ 
petual Rose in the Show. 
- It having been intimated to Messrs. James Yeitch k Sons 
from various sources that the Index to their Manual of the 
Conifer.® is not sufficiently elaborated for purposes of reference, 
they have compiled a more complete one, a copy of which they 
will gladly send to all applicants for incorporating with the book. 
This revised index is now before us, and it will prove a valuable 
addition to an excellent work. 
- We recently observed in Mr. Gower’s nursery at Tooting 
a good stock of Anthukium Schertzerianum album, the 
white variety of this well-known and much-valued plant. The 
specimens were of moderate size, but all as healthy as could be 
desired. This variety is not by any means so well known as it 
deserves, for though it cannot claim equal rank with the parent 
form as a decorative plant, yet it is an admirable companion 
for that, and when well grown produces its spathes freely. 
- An unpretentious but useful little work is now before us, en¬ 
titled “ Composts for the Use of Gardeners and Amateurs,” 
and is published by D. Hall, Shifnal, Salop. Under the generic 
names of over three hundred stove and greenhouse plants, Ferns, 
and Orchids, it gives brief particulars of the soil or compost re¬ 
quired, with the house in which the plants are usually grown. As 
far as we have examined it the instructions are reliable, though 
conveyed in very few words, the only disadvantage being that 
species in some of the genera enumerated require widely different 
treatment both in soil and temperature. 
- Mr. Iggulden writes—“ The printers spoilt my notes on 
Nantes Horn Carrot, on page 109. There is no necessity “ to 
sow on warm borders for main crop.” It should have been sowing 
on warm borders, or for the main crop, kc. Or to state its merits 
more fully, it is best for forcing, best for sowing on warm borders 
to form a succession, best for the main crop, and best for mid¬ 
summer sowing for pulling throughout the winter.” 
- One of the most striking shrubs out of doors at the 
present season is Garrya elliptica, though it possesses no 
brightness of colour to recommend it to notice. Its long pen¬ 
dulous catkins are borne in such large numbers that the plant 
appears to be streaming with dull grey flowers from its highest 
branch to the ground. It is compact in habit, and forms a neat 
specimen either in a shrubbery or singly on a lawn. Being an 
evergreen it has not the bare appearance that some catkin-bearing 
trees and shrubs have. 
- In the conservatory at Bedford Hill House, Balham, the 
seat of J. Brand, Esq., a plant of Hibbertia dentata is flower¬ 
ing very freely, trained up one of the columns. The chief defect 
that can be urged against this plant is the short duration of the 
flowers, but there is some compensation for this in the fact that 
they are produced in succession over a considerable period. Their 
very bright yellow colour, too, contrasts most strikingly with the 
dark green or brownish foliage. It is very easily grown, but re¬ 
quires some attention to keep it free from insects, especially scale 
and mealy bug ; but with this, as with many other climbers in the 
same house, Mr. Rapley succeeds very well. The Calceolarias, 
for which he is so justly noted, are making good progress, and 
bid fair to gain their cultivator still further honours during the 
ensuing season. 
- "VVe have the pleasure to announce, that the Committee of 
the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution have received from 
the Arthur Yeitch Memorial Committee, the sum of 
£800 14s. 2 cl., being the amount collected to perpetuate the 
memory of that gentleman. This amount will, by the express 
wish of the Memorial Committee, be placed to the account of the 
Tension Augmentation Fund. 
- Seldom is there seen at this time of year a good display 
of Orchids in a conservatory, but that at Furzedown, Tooting, 
the seat of C. Seely, Esq., M.P., is a notable instance of how 
effectively and safely such plants can be employed where the 
houses are judiciously constructed and care is exercised to exclude 
draughts of cold air. Around handsome Tree Ferns of various 
heights are groups of choice Orchids in excellent health and 
flowering most profusely. The lovely Phalrenopsis Schilleriana is 
numerously represented, with several Dendrobiums and Coelogyne 
cristata in strong force. Several specimens of the handsome Den- 
drobium Wardianum are remarkably fine, with growths bearing 
over two dozen large flowers each. These in combination with 
small Ferns, many choice fine-foliage plants, Azaleas, Cyclamens, 
and numerous other flowering plants, produce an effect that is 
highly creditable to the gardener, Mr. Laing, both as regards the 
taste exercised in the arrangement and the clean healthy condition 
of the plants. 
-An Essex man writes—“ I read with much pleasure the 
remarks of Mr. J. Muir respecting Eranthemum pulchellum 
in a recent issue of the Journal. I have long grown the plant, 
and appreciate it quite as highly as he does. One disadvantage 
I find it has—namely, that as the plant becomes of good size 
there is a tendency to what gardeners forcibly but rather in¬ 
elegantly express as “legginess.” The stems are rather wide- 
spreading, and are liable to become bare at the lower portion. 
This, however, can be to some extent remedied by judicious 
pruning, but I prefer raising young plants from cuttings, and as 
they flower freely in 48 or 32-size pots this is preferable. After 
flowering the plants are induced to grow freely, the shoots 
produced in the axils of the leaves being taken as cuttings and 
inserted in light soil in an ordinary propagating frame, and after¬ 
wards grown in a light position.” 
- A Yorkshire correspondent sends the following note 
respecting early spring flowers —“ Eranthis hyemalis has 
been in bloom since Christmas and is still very beautiful. Galan- 
thus nivalis and plicatus were early this year, having been in 
bloom for weeks past. Cowslips we have not had so early before, 
also the common Primrose, which is in full beauty. Primula 
denticulata and its varieties are charming spring plants. Some 
are now in bloom inside and are most beautiful ; we shall soon 
have them in flower in the border. A splendid sight just now is 
Crocus Sieberi, one of Nature’s gems, flowering so freely in the 
winter. Gagea lutea is coming into bloom. Primula marginata 
is just expanding its blooms in the border. Anemone stellata is 
beautiful with its beautiful crimson-scarlet flowers. Arabis albida 
and A. purpurea are also flowering. Wallflowers, double and 
single, are rewarding us for our care in the past with their fra¬ 
grant flowers. When our Hyacinths had perfected their growth 
after forcing last spring we planted them out by the walk sides 
and in the grass in the shrubbery, and now they are flowering 
without any protection. Viola odorata, Hepaticas, Crocuses, 
Myosotis dissitiflora, and Pansies are very beautiful. Carter’s 
Cloth of Gold Primrose is beautiful in pots inside.” 
- Referring to Plant-collecting a writer in “The 
