440 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 22, 1883 
and make it really a “united” society. Then will it possess that 
strength which we are truly told is the result of unity. I have joined 
the Society, so that my preaching has been reduced to practice, and to 
this, I presume, your correspondent will have no serious objection.—J. B. 
Your excellent article on this S >ciety, I am very pleased to say, has 
already borne fruit, several gardeners having informed me they have 
joined the Society or are about to do so. In my letter using the word 
“lukewarmness,” I did not intend to wound anyone’s feelings, but those 
who, like myself, are aware that the Society was originally advertised and 
made public in the gardening periodicals will thoroughly understand 
my using the term ; and I trust, now the Society has been brought 
prominently before the gardening community, that they will not take 
notice of phrases to which probably the writers attach only a harmless 
meaning, but endeavour to make the Society known amongst their 
friends and neighbours ; and I hope at the annual meeting (the second 
Monday in February) to see a goodly gathering of both old and new 
members, and no doubt the Committee would be pleased to see anyone 
who was not a member, but wished to observe how the business is 
conducted. 
Having drawn up the rules of the Society and passed them through 
the “ Registrar of Friendly Societies and the Government Actuary’s 
hands,” I have naturally felt great interest in the welfare of the Society, 
and 1 can fully endorse all that has been said about the good manage¬ 
ment and the most satisfactory manner in which the Committee carry 
out the rules. I have probably tried them (i.c., the Committee) more 
than anyone else when residing in Scotland, and always found them to 
carry out in every case the intentions of the founders in a thoroughly 
business-like manner. Referring to holding meetings at hotels or 
public-houses, this has been unavoidable. The Committee pay for their 
room for the monthly meetings, and nothing more is required. If gardeners 
will now muster as they should do, and join in large numbers, the Society 
may some day be able to afford offices of their own. 
“ J. B.’s ” suggestion that the Committee would do well to have your 
excellent article reprinted and a copy sent to every gardener is a step in 
the right direction, and if the Committee do not see their way to do it 
before, it will be brought forward at the annual meeting. 
I hope the time has now come and the tide has turned, and gardeners 
will join the “United” and make it one of the strongest societies in 
the kingdom. The more members join the greater will be the benefits in 
their old ase. The motto of the Society is “ Union is Strength.”— 
William Heale, Messrs. Cheals', Lonjield Nurseries, Crawley, Essex. 
STORING GLADIOLI. 
A few hints respecting these may be of service to many at the 
present time. It will be necessary to lift the conns and store them in 
a frost proof place, but do not dig them up till it is absolutely necessary, 
in order to save them without ranning undue risk. This is of importance 
in more than one respect, but more especially to thorough maturation. 
If any seed pods are on the stems collect them as soon as they begin 
to burst, as the varieties raised from this seed may be as good as those 
that produced it. Whenever the corms are lifted they should be laid in 
an airy place, leaving the stems upon them till quite dry, when they 
may be removed with the withered roots, and the corms cleaned ready 
for storing. A very good plan is to keep them in small flower pots or 
boxes filled with dry sand, just covering the corms, and place them in 
as cool a place as possible to the exclusion of frost. Whatever tem¬ 
perature protects Dahlias and Potatoes will answer equally well for the 
preservation of Gladioli, and there they can remain with their tallies 
till the middle or end of March, when the first hatch may be planted, 
planting the remainder about the middle of April. It is preferable to 
plant in two or more batches, as the flowering period is greatly extended, 
and no plants are more effective in the borders, while for certain 
decorative purposes sjtikes are unique. At harvest festivals they are 
indispensable, especially the rich-coloured seifs, than which no variety 
is more appreciated than the old brenchleyensis. This, too, has the 
advantage of being almost ridiculously cheap. Good corms may be 
purchased at 1.9. per dozen, whereas no florist thinks of charging less 
than 4 d. per spike for them in flower; thus a good investment offers 
itself to those requiring such flow r ers during the late summer and early 
autumn months. 
"When raising the corms a quantity of small bulbils will he found 
attached to the base, which are called in the trade “ spawn,” and by 
means of which the stock of the named varieties is augmented. Pre¬ 
suming the amateur feels disposed to increase the stock by that means, 
the spawn should all be carefully removed, each kind being labelled and 
placed in small boxes or pots and slightly dried, then covered with dry 
sand until the spring, when they should be planted thickly in rich sandy 
soil in a sheltered corner. They will increase greatly in size the first 
year, and will ultimately produce corms equal in size to the parents. 
The process requires time and patience, hut the reward is sure. We 
would encourage the raising of seedling Gladioli on a much more 
extended scale than is at present accomplished, because the stock is 
much more vigorous, and a great diversity of colour reveals itself. 
A hint now as to the selection of Gladioli. The majority of pur¬ 
chasers—for the simple reason, I suppose, that they are not planted till 
the spring—do not order their bulbs before the new year, usually with 
the garden seeds. This is a mistake, because they are very likely to 
get poor corms, for the few that send their orders in with the ordinary 
bulb order certainly stand a chance of securing finer examples. I advise 
all who intend growing these charming plants to fill up their desiderata 
lists at once, and put up with the small amount of trouble incurred in 
keeping the corms through the winter.—R. 
The Birmingham Chrysanthemum Show, opened in the Town 
Hall yesterday and continued to-day (Thursday), is the finest that 
has been yet seen in that town, both specimen plants and cut blooms 
being of exceedingly good quality. Mr. W. H. Dyer, gardener to T. W. 
Webley, Esq., Selly Oak, secured the £5 silver cup offered for the best 
nine Chrysanthemums in pots, a position he has previously obtained with 
similarly well-grown and neatly trained specimens. The chief interest 
however, centred in the class for forty-eight blooms, twenty-four incurved 
and twenty-four Japanese, distinct varieties, and in this Mr. Tunnington, 
The Gardens, Calderstone, Liverpool, won premier honours, the substantial 
prize of £10, with handsome blooms of the best varieties. He was 
followed by Messrs. Jellicoe, Comfort, and Neal, who all showed good 
blooms. Mr. Tunnington was also first with twenty-four blooms, twelve 
incurved and twelve Japanese, and again with eighteen incurved. Mr. 
Jellicoe was also the most successful exhibitor of twelve reflexed and 
twelve Anemone varieties. These brief details, which we received by 
telegram on the eve of going to press, will be supplemented by a full 
report next week. 
_ Mr. Derry, for some time past foreman of the extensive collec¬ 
tion of Ferns in the Royal Gardens, Kew, has obtained an appointment 
in one of the Government experimental gardens, under Mr. Jenman, in 
British Guiana. We understand that the garden is a new one, and is to 
be devoted chiefly to the trial and acclimatisation of plants likely to be 
useful in that colony. 
_The Chrysanthemum Exhibiting Season is now fast drawing 
to a close, and about half a dozen more shows will conclude the displays. 
Up to the present betw een thirty and forty exhibitions have been held 
since the 7th inst. For to-day the following are announced—Reading, 
Aylesbury, Tunbridge Wells, Taunton, and Ipswich; while on next 
Tuesday the two last events, Liverpool and Malton, will, with a few 
other local shows, bring the total up to fifty or more, all within the space 
of three weeks. This is convincing evidence of how fast the popularity, 
of the Chrysanthemum is extending. 
_ Mr. E. R. Cutler, Secretary of the Gardeners’ Royal Bene¬ 
volent Institution, writes ■“ I beg to inform you that at the Committee 
held on the 15th inst. it was decided to add twelve pensioners to 
the list on the 10 th January ; two of whom will be placed on the list 
without election in conformity with rule No. 6 ; and they also ordered the 
sum of £350 to be purchased on account of the trustees, making the 
total amount of stock in the 3 per cent, consols £15,100.” 
- “ R. I. L.” writes :—“ In the west of England an Apple called 
< Tommy Knight ’ is very much valued for dessert, and it is an excellent 
kind which I do not remember to have seen elsewhere. Is it described 
or referred to in books ? I do not find it in those I have.” It is probably 
a local variety, and has not been described under its name in any work. 
_ “Amongst the tall-growing Sunflowers none,” writes a corre¬ 
spondent “ can be compared to Helianthus lenticularis. It grow r s 
from 10 to 12 feet high, and the flower heads, although not so large 
as H. annuus, are much showier, owing to the brighter colour of the ray 
florets, more compact form, and darker disk; they are about 4 inches 
across. Seeds, I believe, of this species were received at Kew from 
America to try if possible and turn it into H. annuus, doubts having 
arisen as the probability of H. annuus being the parent; but so far from 
this, the plant after two years’ cultivation still keeps its distinct character, 
which is well represented in the ‘ Bot. Reg.’ tab. 1265.” 
_M r E have received a parcel of Christmas Cards of a very 
superior kind, and which exhibit a wonderful advance in the fi.jt of 
