552 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December is, iseo. 
in the effective stove of W. D. Hemphill, Esq., Oakville, near this 
town, that I send a line commending it to the notice of your 
readers. It contrasted admirably with the yellow maroon annual 
Thunbergia alata, and the brilliant purple crimson of the beautiful 
Passi flora kermesina. Thunbergia Harrisii has previously been 
mentioned with approval in the Journal, and I think it is worthy 
of the attention of those who desire to have attractive climbers at 
this season of the year.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
PTfS-GLElP 
BS. 
At a general meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
held on Tuesday last, the Rev. H. Harpur Crewe in the chair, the 
following candidates were duly elected Fellows of the Society— 
viz., Edward Amphlett, Major Carleton, Charles B. Farmer, Mrs. 
Gibbs, Henry T. Middlehuist, Edward A. Nevill, Hon. Edward 
Romilly, Lieut.-General Stock, Dr. Stocker, James W. Wallace, 
and Mrs. Henry W. Williams. 
- Mr. Edward Mawley informs us that the National 
Rose Society’s Show at Sheffield next year will be held 
on July 14th, instead of July the 17th, as previously announced, 
the latter date falling on a Sunday. 
- The extraordinarily mild and 'dry weather that has 
prevailed in the south of England during the past fortnight was 
succeeded by rain on Tuesday last, and the roads, formerly dry and 
dusty, were converted into mud and slush. For planting and land- 
working generally December has generally been most favourable, 
and the month has been an unusually busy one in both nurseries 
and gardens. The temperature has been exceedingly genial, and 
the songsters of the woods have been as merry as in spring, while 
Primroses, Violets, and [Pansies are flowering freely in some 
localities. Those are wise who have taken the greatest possible 
advantage of the favourable circumstances for advancing garden 
work generally, as the future weather may be as marked for its 
inclemency as the past has been for its salubrity. In Scotland 
we learn that snow has fallen heavily, while the winter is so 
severe in America that several people have been frozen to death. 
-To encourage the production of new Florists’ Flowers, 
some of the members of the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, at the meeting on Tuesday last, proposed 
to raise a fund for the purpose of offering a prize of £5 at each 
meeting for the best new variety exhibited. The suggestion was 
generally approved, and several gentlemen signified their willing¬ 
ness to subscribe if the idea is adopted, which will entirely depend 
upon the financial support it receives. 
- Complaints are frequently heard, but for which there is 
comparatively little occasion, about the difficulty of obtaining a 
good display of^flowers during the last two months of the year. 
The fact is, by j udicious selection, where the requisite means are 
at command for ordinary plant culture, nearly as satisfactory and 
effective a show of flowers can be obtained at this season as at 
any other, though not without a little additional care and atten¬ 
tion. This was well shown in the conservatory at Ewell 
Castle, the residence of A. W. Gadesden, Esq., where we noticed 
last week that Mr/Scutt, the experienced gardener, had provided 
as brilliant an array of flowers as could be expected or desired in 
December ; "Primulas, Chrysanthemums, Orchids, especially Ca- 
lanthes, Poinsettias, and the charming Euphorbia jacquinia;flora, 
with many others, gracefully intermingled with Palms and Ferns, 
producing a display that could scarcely be excelled in the favoured 
spring months. 
- In the same house was an unusually fine specimen of the 
handsome Dendrobium chrysanthum. It was suspended from 
the roof in the centre of the house, and upon a growth 3 feet in 
length it bore about a hundred of its rich golden yellow flowers, 
that were, however, chiefly confined to the apical half of the 
growth. Another attractive Orchid, Odontoglossum Insleayii 
leopardinum, was represented by a plant bearing several large 
flowers, and in vigorous health. 
- Holly Berries for Christmas decoration are not 
so abundant as usual in the neighbourhood of London, and the 
same complaint reaches us from other districts. The “ Hingham 
Deanery Magazine,” which circulates chiefly in a district of Nor¬ 
folk, has this notice :— 
“ Oil reader! hast thou ever stood to see 
The Holly tree ? 
So bare of berries as it stands this year, not one dot of red to 
relieve the 1 green winter of the Holly tree.’ Our churches this 
Christmas will miss, too, the accustomed ivory of the Laurus- 
tinus, our houses the Mistletoe’s great pearls. So few of even the 
hardiest shrubs and trees have blossomed, still fewer fruited. 
Our faith in next year’s productiveness wanes ; we grow more 
credulous—inclined to think that there may be some potency 
which we cannot fathom in certain numbers, and that so there 
will be little change for the better until 1881 completes the 
mystic round of seven unfertile seasons ! ” 
- “I see,” writes “J. R. S. C.,” “that in the December 
number of the ‘Entomologist’ Mr. Gregson notes two curious 
facts concerning the Gooseberry Caterpillar (Abraxis grossu- 
lariata). He collected some thousands of these, and found that 
about 25 per cent, were ichneumoned ; also he observed that the 
autumn larvae, that should have hybernated, were in one place 
he visited full fed in October and ready to turn to pups. This, 
however, must be an exceptional case : in Kent there are swarms 
of larvm laid up for the winter in nooks and comers.” 
- An African Marigold-like plant that is by no means 
common is Clomenocoma Montana, though its bright orange- 
coloured flower-heads, produced at the present time, render it well 
worthy of attention. It succeeds under culture in pots, requiring 
a light turfy loam, and bears the flower-heads on long peduncles, 
which are thus well adapted for cutting. A cool stove or interme¬ 
diate house is best suited to it, as a moderate heat is requisite to 
ensure vigorous growth and free flowering. It is a native of 
Guatemala, whence it was-introduced to England nearly twenty 
years ago. 
- Writing to us on the mildness of the weather in 
Lincolnshire a correspondent remarks, “ We shall soon have 
spring flowers out if it continues like this. Nay, already the Violets 
and Primroses are showing their welcome blooms, whilst there is 
still here and there a stray Rose bloom escaped from the severe 
weather of two or three weeks ago. We have had some of the 
most exhilirating December days I ever knew, so bright and 
clear, and yet mild, and such a freshness in the air; but it is 
colder now.” 
- OUR Clonmel correspondent sends us the following note 
upon the culture and hardiness of Schizostylis coccinea :— 
“ It is a mistake to suppose the flowers, or advancing flower spike, 
of this brilliant late autumn and winter-flowering plant will 
endure many degrees of frost. I distinguish between the leaves 
and flower spikes. The latter succumbed to 4° of frost in the 
beginning of November, while the leaves are apparently un¬ 
affected though we had 10° of frost last week. Fortunately I had 
all the stronger-flowering clumps potted in October, and for the 
past six weeks they have been admired by every visitor—not even 
scarlet Pelargoniums are more intensely brilliant. It is this 
