296 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 2 , 1890. 
as those of our Corn Poppy, and, judging from the dried specimens, 
purple.” 
Last year seeds were sent to Kew from the Transvaal, and this 
summer the plants raised have flowered both under glass and out of 
doors. It is a dwarf compact shrubby plant not exceeding 3 feet in 
height, and has flowers about 3 inches in diameter, varying in colour 
from a pale tint to purple. Flowers are produced freely, and with 
the elegantly divided foliage give the plant an attractive appearance. 
It has fleshy roots, and loses its stems annually. 
The Late Mr. William Holmes. 
It was with very deep regret that I read in the Journal of 25th 
ult. the sad news of the death of Mr. Wm. Holmes. It is now six 
years since I made his acquaintance on the occasion of the annual 
show of the National Chrysanthemum Society in 1884, when I asked his 
advice in the organisation of the first show of the Hull Society, which 
advice he readily gave, and many times since have I had the pleasure of 
talking Chrysanthemum matters over with him and received the benefit 
of his experienced judgment. 
Only a short ten months ago Mr. Holmes was in Hull on the occasion 
of the second provincial show of the N.C.S., and I feel that the follow- 
ng words, which appeared in the report of the Hull Society, may be 
fitly reproduced here, where they will be more widely read, as they bear 
testimony to the unvarying courtesy with which Mr. Holmes conducted 
the business of the N.C.S. 
“ The Committee take this opportunity of putting on record the fact 
that the whole of the negotiations between this Society and the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, in connection with the joint Show, were con¬ 
ducted throughout by the members of the Executive Committee of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society with the greatest liberality and fair¬ 
ness, and the readiness with which they adopted the actions of the 
Executive of the Local Society was most gratifying to the latter, 
leaving, in consequence, nothing but pleasant memories of the second 
Provincial Show of the Metropolitan Society.” 
Mr. Holmes may be said to have made the National Chrysanthemum 
Society what it is, and it is no disparagement to others to say that the 
Society which he loved so well will find their loss difficult to replace, 
the shows will not seem the same without his presence. The N.C.S. 
will doubtless wish to form some lasting memorial of their late 
Hon. Sec., and I would suggest that the affiliated societies be allowed 
to join such a movement. If a sufficient sum were subscribed it 
might be possible to institute a “ Holmes’ Memorial Prize.” — 
R. Falconer Jameson, Chairman Hull and East Riding Chrys¬ 
anthemum Society. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society. 
The next two or three months will constitute an important and 
critical period in the history of the above Society. It is true the 
general programme for the Centenary Festival is prepared, and the 
preliminary arrangements are practically completed, but much will 
depend upon the actual execution of the details, and it will be im¬ 
possible to devote too great a care and consideration to the work. 
Happily Miss Holmes, the sister of our late Secretary, has undertaken 
to continue for the present the duties she has for some time so well per¬ 
formed as assistant to her brother. Being so thoroughly conversant 
with all the details of the clerical portion of the secretarial work, this 
is a most valuable offer, and will be highly appreciated by all members 
of the Society. The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. R. Ballantine, 
who had been for years one of Mr. Holmes’s most intimate friends, and 
who has assisted greatly in the past both by suggestions and taking a 
good share in the work, has also promised to devote as much time as he 
can spare from business to general supervision. This, with other ready 
and able help in the management and arrangement of the Show itself, 
will effectually remove any fear of a collapse, and this explanation of 
the position of affairs will no doubt be welcomed by many from whom 
I have had letters expressing concern as to the prospect of the exhibi¬ 
tion and the Society. 
It is felt by the majority of the late Mr. Holmes's friends that no 
better course could be adopted at present than to do their utmost to 
insure the success of his special project—the Centenary Festival. The 
least that can be done is for the officers and members of Committee to 
co-operate heartily with this object in view, and if petty dissensions and 
jealousies are suppressed, success will be insured. It was proposed that 
the November gathering should be taken advantage of to call a general 
meeting to discuss propositions for next year, and upon one of the last 
occasions I spent in the company of Mr. Holmes this matter was dis¬ 
cussed at some length. He evidently thought as others have, that 
following such a season of activity there would be corresponding 
depression and a tendency to a decline in public interest unless fresh 
projects were prepared. With the aid of the numerous affiliated 
societies something might be effected in this direction, and in any case 
no harm could be done by inviting suggestions at the conversazione 
it was intended to hold on the day the prizes are distributed.— 
Lewis Castle. 
Chrysanthemum Belle Paule. 
In “ taking ” the buds of this variety on strongly grown plant9 
all the shoots which cluster about the bud should not be removed 
at once, as is usually done with other varieties, but one should be 
left to draw off the sap until the bud has thoroughly formed and is 
seen to be swelling. On strong plants many buds go blind, and I 
know of no other reason for their so doing than that this variety needs 
assistance in perfecting its buds in the manner described. The fact of 
weakly grown shoots setting their buds freely, as named by “ Gr. P.,” 
points to the reason for non-setting and the remedy here advised 
also.—E. M. 
ASHES. 
When any part of an organised substance is reduced by 
thorough combustion there remains a fixed residue or ash. This 
contains several metallic and non-metallic elements. The most 
important of the former are :—Potassium, sodium, calcium, mag¬ 
nesium, aluminium, and iron ; and of the latter the chief are 
chlorine, phosphorus, sulphur, silicon, and carbon. These are 
combined together in varied amount and form in plants, and are 
derived by the plants from the soil. The characteristic elements 
of the leaves differ from those of the fruit, therefore an examina¬ 
tion of the ash of plants leads to important conclusions as to the 
most suitable manures to employ for enriching the soil. 
Ashes as generally available for cultural purposes are but 
limited in quantity ; the most abundant are coal ashes. These 
have some manurial as well as mechanical value. The manurial 
properties are confined to sulphate of lime and potash, and carbo¬ 
nate of lime unless sulphate of iron is admitted to have manurial 
value. Coal ashes also contain carbon, silica, alumina, and oxide of 
iron, carbon being of considerable importance. Coal ashes are 
usually recommended as most useful to heavy soils. When they 
contain many cinders they are peculiarly suitable for lightening 
them, the benefit being mostly mechanical, as the staple is rendered 
more open, therefore permeable by air and rain. Rough ashes 
should always be reserved for heavy soil, and the finer for light. 
It is a great mistake to act on the principle that ashes are not a 
useful application to light soils Lime in any form is beneficial as 
a binder, though it may have a decomposing disintegrating effect on 
organic matter. That does not imply the uselessness or even 
impoverishing tendency of lime when applied to light soils. In any 
form lime has a strong affinity for water, and binding as the effect 
of lime is it must improve light soils, acting as an absorbent and 
retainer of moisture. When reduced to dust or white ash coal 
ashes may be used as a dressing to light soils to the extent of half 
an inch thickness, and form good manure for Peas, Beans, Potatoes, 
and an excellent dressing for grass. Rough ashes, however, do 
more harm than good to light soil, and on heavy soil they can 
hardly be applied in sufficient quantity to alter the staple, but it 
may be overdone. An inch thickness mixed with the top spit will 
effect wonders as to working clay soil, and the air the ashes admit 
must act beneficially. Coal ashes are also excellent as a medium 
wherewith to mix blood, night soil, cesspool cleanings, and similar 
substances, for which purpose they cannot be too fine and dry. 
Wood Ashes.— There is always a quantity of woody matter in 
gardens, the result of trimming hedges, pruning trees, &c., as well 
as rough weeds, all of which reduced to ash contain various 
substances more or less valuable as manure. They contain sul¬ 
phates of potash and lime, chloride of sodium, carbonates of lime, 
potash, and magnesia, besides other constituents, the most im¬ 
portant component being potash, which often amounts to one-half 
or more of the ashes. On the amount of available constituents 
depends the value of wood ashes as manure. Salts are removed 
from soil through cropping, and it is necessary to restore these to 
the soil, as the aggregate amount in a few years will so far im¬ 
poverish the soil as to prevent profitable culture. The ashes of 
plants containing the elements required by the various crop plants 
they can scarcely be applied wrongly. It is found, however, that 
sulphates and carbonates of potash act similarly to sulphate and 
carbonate of lime on the texture of soil—viz., that they have a 
binding effect. That, however, may be due to the ashes containing 
lime having no connection with the potash ; but by whatever agent 
it is effected the continued application of wood ashes to clay soils 
is found to be attended with small benefit, whereas their continued 
application to light soils improves their staple, augments their 
retentive power, and enhances their producing value. 
In the limited quantity that wood ashes are procurable in this 
country as compared with the supplies where wood is used as fuel, 
there is little danger of any soil being other than benefited by 
