November 24. Iasi.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 473 
date of the ceremony in the Town Hall, Manchester, under the 
presidency of the Mayor. We trust the recipient of this remark¬ 
able token of esteem will long enjoy the position he has won as 
a skilled and trusted horticulturist, and able administrator of a 
| Society that has prospered under his management and attained 
to much more than local fame. 
- Referring to the note of our correspondent on Gratae3 
in Scotland (page 130), another Scottish correspondent states 
that our readers must not consider that all cultivators adhere to 
the old 75° night temperature for setting Muscats, as some of the 
foremost cultivators have modified their views and practice on that 
point. Much lower night temperatures, he states, are practised 
than formerly, and the Vines and crops have not deteriorated, 
while fuel has been economised. 
- “ It is well known,” observes a correspondent, “ that 
Calanthes are some of our most useful winter-flowering plants 
when well grown. I think the best way to grow them is singly 
in small pots or shallow pans. My plants have succeeded well 
this year. Each pseudo-bulb, old and new, was potted singly in 
small 48's, three parts filled with potsherds. The compost em¬ 
ployed was fibry loam two parts, one part peat, and one of decayed 
cow manure. When the pots were filled with roots liquid manure 
was given freely. The temperature of the house was about 65° by 
night. The pseudo-bulbs w T hen potted were only about 3 inches 
long. Growths of C. Veitchii are now about 9 inches long.” 
- We have received the first two parts of the Iconography 
of Indian Azaleas, by M. August Van Geert, published at 
Ghent, a work devoted to coloured figures, with descriptions, of 
the best varieties of these popular plants. The work is issued in 
monthly parts, each containing three chromolithograph plates, 
those now before us being well executed. The descriptive notes 
are written by M. V. Cuvelier, and in the English edition are 
translated by Mr. Thomas Moore, jun., Chelsea. The varieties 
represented in these two parts are alba speciosa plena, Madame 
Paul de Schryver, Antigone, Elise Lieber, Madame Louis Van 
Houtte, and James Veitch. 
- The forty-second annual report of the Council of the 
Royal Botanic Society states that the proceedings of the 
Society during the past year have been very satisfactory in every 
sense, the receipts showing a large increase over those of previous 
years, and the public displaying a growing interest in the objects 
| sought by it. The total receipts during the year were £7232, 
exclusive of £400 raised in debentures, and the expenditure was 
£48G0. The Council express satisfaction at the value which is 
attached to the Gardens as a means of furthering the study of 
botany, but particularly in its relations to the other sciences, arts, 
and manufactures. They report an increasing number of appli¬ 
cations from artists, medical students, and others for admission to 
the Gardens and for specimens ; while Professor Bentley’s botani¬ 
cal lectures are yearly more fully attended. At the same time 
the Gardens are rendered a source of pleasure and a valuable and 
| agreeable retreat in the heait of the metropolis. 
-On the evening of the lGthinst. Mr. F. A. Fawkes delivered 
his first Of three LECTURES ON HORTICULTURAL BUILDINGS 
at the Crystal Palace. The lecture was illustrated by diagrams, 
and the subject was treated in an exhaustive manner. The sites 
i for houses, forms of structures, with detailsj'of building, were in 
turn referred to. Alluding to the pitch of roofs the lecturer re¬ 
marked—“ In order to receive the sun’s rays within 108 of a right 
angle at noon, for sixteen weeks before and sixteen weeks after the 
longest day, the roof must, in London, be inclined [at an angle of 
37° from the horizontal, adding 1° for each degree north, and sub¬ 
tracting 1° for each degree south. In most cases, however, for 
growing purposes, a lower pitch economises space and artificial 
beat, and is really more advantageous, a pitch of from 26° to 30° 
being very suitable. This angle of 26° is equal to a rise of about 
6 inches to the foot, one of 30° to 7 inches, of 33^° to 8 inches, of 
3G^° to 9 inches, of 40° to 10 inches, of 43° to 11 inches, and 45° 
to 12 inches rise vertical per horizontal foot. For fruit-growing 
along the rafters from 36° to 40° would be a suitable pitch, for 
plant-growin in low houses from 2G° to 30°, and for wall-fruit 
cultivation, where a narrow high pitch is advisable, from G5° to 
70° may be suitable. With the same width and the same pitch, a 
span and a lean-to roof contain the same area.” On the question 
of wood versus iron roofs for houses, the following remarks are 
pertinent—“For ordinary cultivating purposes the ‘sash’ con¬ 
struction is rapidly going out of fashion in favour of the ‘ sash- 
bar,’ as the; latter is simpler, cheaper, affords less obstruction to 
light, and less woodwork to rot or harbour insects. This suggests 
the question, Is iron better than wood, or not? As it is desirable 
to employ a minimum mass of materials consistent with strength 
and durability, iron is far preferable in this respect to wood. It 
is also more durable if well painted; if painting be neglected it 
will rust, damage the plants, and wear out. On the other hand, 
iron houses are more costly than wood ; heat is conveyed away 
from the interior rather more rapidly]; and unless the glass is 
carefully put in it is apt to crack.] [For these reasons, for growing 
houses, wood is preferred to iron. Copper has been used for sash- 
bars : it is much^better than iron, but proportionately more ex¬ 
pensive. If wood Joe used, it is extremely necessary that it be 
thoroughly ’seasoned, on account of the varying temperature 
within and without, and] the exposure. If the wood is not well 
seasoned crevices will] soon appear, in which moisture and insects 
will be harboured, and thejoouse will soonjoecome useless.” 
DOUBLE ZONAL PELARGONIUMS. 
I AM sure many of your readers will, like myself, be much 
obliged to one who signs himself “A Lover of Horticulture” 
for his remarks with regard to Pelargonium Guillon Mangilli. It 
has always been a mystery to me why this double Pelargonium in 
particular should have received so much commendation. I began 
to think it must be my want of taste in not admiring it. I confess 
I cannot really like any of the double Pelargoniums I have seen 
as yet. No doubt they are useful for cut flowers, as they last 
longer and the petals do not fall so soon, but there is a rough¬ 
ness and coarseness about most of them, and generally speaking 
they run to leaf instead of flower. I have discarded one after 
another, and have yet to find one which I think worth the trouble 
of careful cultivation. When at different times acting as judge at 
some of the larger shows, as Leeds, York, and elsewhere, I have 
always noticed when the plants of double Zonals have been 
staged next to, or in the same line as the single, how very in¬ 
ferior the effect is. There is, I consider, much more variety in 
colour and habit among the singles. Nor can I see the wisdom 
of growing too many plants in pots of the same kind of any of 
the Zonals. Vesuvius, for instance, is no doubt very free-flower¬ 
ing, but there are too many good varieties now which with proper 
management may be made to bloom nearly all the year round, 
that it seems a pity to rely on a few only.—C. P. P. 
NOTES ON VEGETABLES. 
Would it not be a valuable innovation to devote a column to 
short notes on vegetables ? We have all obtained aid from the 
fruit notes, and doubtless much knowledge would thus be dis¬ 
seminated. What would, perhaps, be of most interest at this time 
would be notes as to the usefulness of the different varieties of 
standard vegetables. We are all generally agreed as to the best 
Apples and other hardy fruits; but with vegetables, which are 
constantly being added to with new varieties which are to super¬ 
sede all the older kinds, there might not be the same unanimity 
amongst growers. The Journal is always filled with valuable 
matter, and it is astonishing how week after week such valuable 
numbers are produced; but I do not think your readers would 
like the Journal less for the new feature I now propose. 
May I set the stone rolling by saying a few words as to the best 
Potatoes ? I am not old-fashioned, but really after trying new 
kinds year after year, aye, even some that have had certificates 
