298 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 21, 1892. 
red wings, being their most conspicuous feature. The petals are light 
rose, incurving slightly—a form which adds considerably to their effect. 
The plant is easily propagated, the cuttings bloom in the propagating 
bed and grow into neat plants at once. For bedding it has exceptional 
merit, since very few of its class bloom well during summer. As a 
cut flower variety it is excellent, the flowers lasting a long time. 
-The Brentwood Horticultural Society seems to be 
establishing itself on a thoroughly sound footing. At the recent annual 
general meeting it transpired that the deficit with which the financial 
year was commenced has been wiped out, and that a small balance on 
the right side now exists. This is satisfactory, and it is to be hoped that 
the balance will grow. Mr. J. Tasker was elected President, and Mr. 
T. W. Haws Secretary. The former has promised £20 towards the prize 
list and granted the use of Middleton Hall grounds for both shows. 
-Liverpool Horticultural Association.—A well attended 
meeting of members of the above Association was held in the Lecture 
Boom of the Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, last week, 
to consider the advisability of holding a summer Show this year. 
The Liverpool and Manchester Agricultural Society having announced 
holding their meeting in Newsham Park on the same dates as the 
previous summer horticultural shows have been held, Mr. Stoney 
proposed :—“ That the Horticultural Show be held in Sefton Park on 
Wednesday and Thursday, July 20th and 21st.” This was carried 
unanimously, and it is hoped that the Committee and all interested 
will use every endeavour to make the new dates known by advertising 
and other means calculated to make the Show a distinct success. 
- Wolverhampton Horticultural Show and Floral 
Fete. —The disposal of the last year’s proeeeds of this Society was 
recently dealt with. By resolution of the Wolverhampton Town 
Council, dated the 13th April, 1891, the Committee were empowered to 
make such terms and conditions with the Executive Committee of the 
Horticultural Show and Floral Fete, to be held on the 14th, loth, and 
16th days of July, 1891, as to the appropriation of the net proceeds 
arising therefrom, and as to all other necessary matters which they 
might deem advisable. The Committee accordingly invited the 
Executive Committee to meet them on the 12i.h February, 1892, where¬ 
upon at such meeting the following extract from the report from the 
General Committee of the Show was approved and adopted :—“ The 
question of the disposal of the surplus has been well considered, and the 
Committee have decided to appropriate it as follows :—£500 to be 
added to the trust fund for the benefit of the park, making the total 
of this fund £900 ; £100 to be added to the reserve fund at the County 
of Stafford Bank, bringing this fund up to £600; and the balance of 
£50 5s. 4d. to be handed over to the Park and Baths Committee, to 
be expended on the immediate requirements of the park.” 
FREESIAS. 
I CANNOT think with your correspondents that the number of 
blooms produced by the bulbs of this delightful plant has anything to 
do with the temperature in which it is grown. I have for many years 
cultivated it most successfully, and the temperature of my house is 
lower than either of those mentioned in his letter ; but there is a pre¬ 
liminary question that seems to be somewhat obscure—viz., what does 
he mean by a spike ? The Freesia throws up a flower stem which can 
hardly be called a spike ; it has one principal shoot, and, besides, a number 
of side shoots. Now, if he means that he has this principal spike with 
twenty blooms, I can only say that 1 have never seen, either in my own 
cultivation or that of any other grower of it, anything like that number. 
I have had some with nine flowers, and I have never seen that exceeded 
anywhere. But if by the spike he means all the shoots, then I do not 
think that there is anything wonderful in it, as 1 have many bulbs that 
bear from sixteen to twenty blooms. You will, I am aware, in heat get 
taller plants, but I do not think a high temperature will conduce to a 
larger number of flowers. I have but a small house, and my sole 
object is to exclude frost. I do not attempt to force anything, 
and least of all should I attempt to force the Freesias. I do not care 
for tall plants, believing that the dwarfer ones are more beautiful. 
The compost in which I grow them and most of my greenhouse bulbs 
is very much the same as that described by your correspondent. Drain¬ 
age is an essential part in their culture, as indeed it is with most bulbs ; 
but 1 believe the chief point in their cultivation is the thorough 
ripening of the bulbs. As soon as mine are out of flower I place them 
on the top shelf of the greenhouse close to the glass, and there they are 
allowed to remain until the soil is perfectly dry and the foliage 
completely withered. I do not take them out of the pots until they are 
required for potting, but lay the pots on their side where they will get no 
water. As I have no heat I generally commence to pot in August, and 
then at intervals of a fortnight or three weeks. There is one advantage 
in having more heat than I possess, that it is possible to get a larger 
number of blooms out at one time. I am told that a gardener in the 
neighbourhood had a pot with twelve bulbs in it, and that they had 
200 flowers open at one time. There are two other advantages that this 
bulb possesses, it increases rapidly and seeds very freely. The seed 
vessels are very curious and the seed soon germinates. Altogether it is 
without doubt the greatest acquisition for the general public that we 
have had from S. Africa, that paradise of bulbs, for many years.'— 
D., Beal. 
FORGING DWARF BEANS. 
I OBSERVE notes on page 265 on Forcing Dwarf Beans by Mr. W. 
Hunt, Shrover Hall. I cannot agree with him in advising so mucli 
trouble in growing this delicious vegetable to perfection. Perhaps my 
simple way will be of interest to some of your readers. I grow the Beans 
from November to May both in pots and boxes. I half fill the pots and 
boxes (the latter being 3 feet long by 2 wide and 1 foot deep) with 
common soil and place at least sixty Beans in each box and ten Beansr 
in each pot. I never thin any plants out, and all the attention required 
is to supply water and syringe. They are grown in a temperature of 
60° at night and 80° by day with sun heat. The sample plant enclosed 
is one out of a box containing sixty of a similar kind bearing six to 
eight pods each. The sort is Ne Plus Ultra. I think no one needs a 
simpler way of growing Dwarf Beans than this, and until I fail I shall 
not attempt any other.— R. Samuels, Trent Gardens, Cromer. 
[Considering the method of culture the sample is very good indeed,, 
but not equal in substance of leaf or fleshiness and colour of the pods to 
Mr. Hunt’s, which were grown under different conditions.] 
LUCULIA GRATISSIMA. 
Luculia GRATISSIMA, of which fig. 51 (page 299) is representative 
was introduced into this country in 1823, and has secured a high place in 
the estimation of many cultivators, although it cannot be described as a 
universal favourite. It is a native of Nepal and Silhet. A coloured 
plate of it appeared in the “ Botanical Magazine,” t. 3946, and in the 
description accompanying it Dr. Wallich’s words of commendation 
respecting the plant were quoted. “ It is impossible,” he said, “ to 
conceive anything more beautiful than this tree when covered with 
numerous rounded panicles of pink-coloured, fragrant, very large 
blossoms.” It is unquestionably an extremely effective and useful plant 
in autumn and winter, blooming with great freedom under good treat¬ 
ment at a period of the year when flowers are not too abundant. 
It is a splendid plant for covering a wall, and is even better adapted 
for this than growing as a bush ; but under the latter system its flowers 
appear to much greater advantage than when grown against a wall. A 
good plant is a most conspicuous object in a conservatory in early 
winter ; it not only, when in flower, fills a house with fragrance, but 
quickly arrests the attention of visitors. A plant carrying over 300 
trusses, open and to open, is a sight when once seen not easily forgotten. 
Small plants put out from 6-inch pots are capable of doing this in about 
six years, thus showing the rapidity with which it grows when once 
established. 
The Luculia will endure close pruning, and can therefore be kept 
within due bounds and to suit the position in which it may be planted. 
When well pruned the growths are stronger, more sturdy and compact, 
and will carry in consequence larger trusses of flowers than if pruning 
is not resorted to. The treatment which suits Camellias when planted 
out suits this plant well. If the house in which it is grown can be 
closed early with a little sun heat while the plants are making fresh 
growth all the better. After growth is completed Luculias, like 
Camellias, will do with cooler treatment. While growing abundance of 
water should be given both to the roots and on the foliage. The 
temperature should not be allowed to fall too low in winter. It will 
do well in any structure ranging from 40° to 50°, according to 
external conditions. A mixture of loam and peat (the latter predomi¬ 
nating), with plenty of coarse sand and a little charcoal to keep the 
soil porous, forms a suitable compost. 
Thrips is the greatest enemy to this plant. Care must be taken 
never to allow the insects to become established, or they soon do much 
injury. They are generally kept in eheck by liberal syringings ; but 
if further measures are needed, sponging the leaves with tobacco water 
is a safe method of extirpating the pest. 
If desired dwarf plants can be grown successfully, and plants, 
rooted in spring will, if liberally treated, give good heads of flower in 
November. The chief difSculty is in propagating the plants. If a 
propagating case with good bottom heat is at command, and good 
cuttings—which should not be too hard—can be procured the result 
need not be feared. The shoots produced behind last year’s flower 
