28 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t January 11, 1883. 
now carrying forty-one spikes of bloom, being quite three weeks 
earlier in flowering. As soon as the plant began to make its 
growth |about the middle of April I gave it a shift into a pan 
about 16 inches in diameter by 6 inches deep, and it has succeeded 
splendidly under the treatment advised in this Journal, being now 
a plant 3 feet in diameter.” The flowers and pseudo-bulb received 
indicate excellent health, and the plant must be very handsome. 
- Prominent amongst the few plants in flower out of doors 
in January may be noticed TUSSILAGO frAgrAns, which, how¬ 
ever, is less noteworthy for its beauty than for the Heliotrope- 
like fragrance of the flowers. A clump or two in a rockery now 
is most welcome, and if potted a few plants are valuable for the 
conservatory. The flowers individually are small and white, in 
dense heads about half an inch or more in diameter, and these 
are borne in clusters at the upper part of the stem. The style 
protrudes much beyond the flower, the tip being white with a 
ring of dark reddish anthers, the contrast being very notable. 
- The usual monthly meeting of the Horticultural Club 
took place on Tuesday at the Club-room, 13, Henrietta Street, 
Covent Garden, and was well attended. Several subjects of 
interest were brought forward. Dr. Masters very kindly exhibited 
the.beautiful series of photographs of Orchids, &c., taken by Mr. 
Stevens. A curious form of Echeveria secunda glauca, fasciated 
and'almost like a green Cockscomb, originated by Mr. Brown ( 
gardener to A. J. Waterlow, Esq., Eeigate, was shown by the 
Secretary. There were also shown a very minute form of Poly¬ 
podium vulgare called parvissimum ; some dried fronds of Ferns, 
the most beautiful being a very delicate orm of Athyrium F.-f. 
plumosum ; and some remarkable specim of fungoid growth. 
It was arranged that during the summer months meetings should 
be held at some place of horticultural interest in the neighbourhood 
of London. 
- Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, inform us that 
theyjintend offering the following special prizes at the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Shows :—For the best brace of fruits 
of Carters’ Blenheim Orange Melon and Carters’ Emerald Melon ; 
first prize £2 2,?., second £1 10.?,, third 15#., fourth 10#. 6 d., fifth 
7s. 6 d. July 3rd, for the best four dishes of Peas (fifty pods 
each) of Stratagem, Telephone, Pride of the Market, and Culver- 
well’s Telegraph ; first prize £5, second £3, third £2, fourth £1, 
fifth] 10#. 6d. July 24th, for the best six dishes of Tomatoes, 
twelve fruits to form a dish, to include Dedham Favourite, Green 
Gage, Vick’s Criterion; first prize 63#., second 42#., third 21#., 
fourth 10#. 6 d. December] lltb, for the best twelve dishes of 
vegetables, to comprise twelve Onions, Golden Queen, Silver 
Ball, and Golden Globe ; three Cauliflowers, six Carrots, three 
Celery, six Parsnips, fifty Brussels Sprouts, three red Beet, 
twelve Parsnips, twelve Potatoes, six Leeks ; first prize £5, 
second]£3, third £1 10#., fourth £1, fifth 10#., sixth 7s. 6d. 
- The members of the Tooting Horticultural Society, at 
their monthly meeting held on the 4th inst., presented their 
Secretary, Mr. W. H. Gower, with a testimonial consisting of a 
handsome oak writing desk and inkstand combined, as a mark 
of their esteem, and in appreciation of his services rendered to 
the Society since its formation. 
- Relative to Mushroom culture out of doors 
“Agaricus” writes—“I adopted the mode of preparing the 
manure and making the beds so fully and lucidly described by 
Mr. Wright in the Journal, and am well pleased with the result. 
I have three times the quantity of beds from the same amount of 
manure, and the crop is equally as good as under the old system 
Now being a good time to form outdoor beds, the appearance of 
the promised work on Mushroom culture would be a boon to 
many. The little brochure will prove a standard work. When 
shall we have it ? ” Soon. 
-At a general meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society last Tuesday, Mr. David Wooster in the chair, the 
following candidates were unanimously elected Fellows, viz :— 
G. Mander Allender, John Avery, R. Barbey, J. Hall, T. Hankin, 
Thomas Scruton, and Walter Williams. 
-Gardening Appointments. —Mr. T. W. Sanders, re¬ 
cently foreman at Buxted Park, Dckfield, has been appointed 
head gardener to J. W. Larking, Esq., The Firs, Lee ; and Mr. A. 
Taylor succeeds Mr. H. Walker as gardener to Mrs. Jas. Taylor, 
Ashdown, Apperley Bridge, Leeds. 
- The annual general meeting of the Meteorological 
Society will be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, 
on Wednesday, the 17th inst., at 7 P.M., when the report of 
the Council will be read, the election of Officers and Council for 
the ensuing year will take place, and the President will deliver 
his address. 
MARECHAL NIEL ROSE. 
The universal failure of Mardchal Niel in the open air during 
the last few years has caused no little tribulation among Rose 
exhibitors, and I was therefore glad to see that a correspondent 
called attention to the fact in your paper on page 565, last volume. 
For my part I have little doubt as to what is the cause of the evil. 
Nearly every plant sent out to buyers is raised in heat. A 
large number of Mardcbals are grafted in the winter, and being 
kept in warm houses the plants grow with astonishing vigour. 
In the summer they are sent out, to all outward appearance, 
fine healthy plants. If they are planted in the open air they 
forthwith dwindle and fail. If they do not die in their first 
winter they only drag on a sickly existence afterwards. Marechal 
Niel is a tender Rose no doubt, but not nearly so tender as is 
generally supposed ; but if it were as hardy as Senateur Vaisse it 
would fail out of doors if it had been raised in heat. Under this 
forcing system an extraordinary growth is made in six months, 
but all the stamina is cooked out of the plant. 
Unfortunately it is by no means an easy matter to raise the 
Mardchal in the open, either by budding or by cuttings, while 
under glass it is the easiest thing possible ; consequently it pays 
to produce these grand-looking plants in heat, but it does not 
paj to produce much smaller but much hardier plants in the 
open. Under these circumstances it is almost useless to hope that 
the present system of raising the Mardchal will be altered. The 
stock will of course be raised in the easiest and most paying 
manner. 
The only thing that amateurs can do then, if they want to have 
the Marshal blooming out of doors in June, is to raise plants 
themselves in the open. From experience I believe that the best 
plants are obtained from cuttings, and that a well-grown Mardchal 
on its own roots is not to be surpassed ; but it takes two or three 
years to get a plant raised from a cutting to grow and bloom in 
perfection. If a man has the patience to raise his Marshals in 
the open air in this fashion he will have his reward. A Mardchal 
in a small pot, a plant six months old with a shoot 8 feet long, is 
a snare and delusion.— Gamma Phi. 
CUCUMBER DISEASE. 
I had some experience with this much-dreaded pest a few 
years ago in a garden where Cucumbers were in great demand. 
It was then August, and every probable remedy had been tried 
that could be thought of—viz., new soils and fresh seed obtained 
from a source where there was no Cucumber disease ; but the 
results were that as soon as the first fruits were seen the disease 
appeared. Cucumbers were, however, wanted winter and summer, 
so after trying all remedies by day we determined to begin by 
night. Fumigating with tobacco paper three nights in succession 
was tried, the atmosphere being kept drier and the temperature 
higher. After three or four nights fumigating was again tried. 
This treatment was carried on for about three weeks. The plants 
were then carefully examined, and all spotted leaves and gummed 
fruits removed, a top-dressing of fresh soil being applied. The 
result was that the plants started growing freely, and produced 
a very fair crop of fruit for Christmas and on till February, quite 
free from spot or gum. After that I always kept a sharp look¬ 
out for the first spot, and if any was seen the fumigator was 
placed in the house two hours after dark. The two following 
seasons Cucumbers were cut by hundreds without a spot. I feel 
sure if your correspondent, Mr. A. Harding, will try the above 
