124 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ FebrBary 12, 189T. 
Chrysanthemums at Christmas, 
I SHOULD like to add to the names already mentioned two others— 
namely, Mdlle. Lacroix and Florence Percy, w’hich are really excellent 
for Christmas decoration. The cuttings were inserted November 2l8t ; 
after being- struck they were placed in 4-inch pots and the former pinched 
when 6 inches high. Florence Percy was not pinched at all but allowed 
to grow at will. Subsequent to the final potting the plants of Mdlle. 
Lacroix were pinched July .3rd, still allowing Florence Percy to break 
naturaliy. The plants were kept neatly staked but no shoots removed, 
and were placed at housing time in a cool Peach house and there kept 
until showing colour, afterwards removing to the conservatory, where 
we have had them for the past two seasons in perfection at Christmas 
time. Mdlle. Lacroix is much the shorter grower. Florence Percy is 
charming ; its whorled florets are greatly admired, and it is excellent 
grown on the above system.—R. J. E. 
Eccles, Patbicroft, Pendleton, and District Chrysanthemum 
Society. 
The annual general meeting of this Society was held on Friday last, 
the 30th January, at the Christ Church Schools, Patricroft; John T. 
Lewis, Esq., occupied the chair. 
The annual report was presented by the lion. Secretary, Mr. H. 
Huber, and approved by the meeting. It was considered a very satis¬ 
factory and encouraging one, and showed a continuous advancement 
of the Society in number and quality of the exhibits, attendance and 
financial position. The Plon. Treasurer, Mr. T. Hooper, read a state¬ 
ment of the accounts, showing a balance of £G0 10s. 9J. to the credit of 
the Society. 
Captain Andrew proposed that the district of the Society should also 
include the townships of Urmston, Flixton, Davyhulme, Irlam, Cadis- 
head, Pendlebury, Swinton, Clifton, Worsley, Walkden.and Boothstown, 
which was seconded by Mr. A. B. Wiropony, and carried unanimous y. 
The following oflicers and members were elected on the Committee of 
management for the present year :—Chairman, Mr. L. H. Larmuth ; 
Vice-Chairmen, Mr. \Vm. Elkin and James Derbyshire ; Hon. Treasurer, 
Mr. John Hooper ; Hon. Secretary, Mr. H. Huber ; Committee, Mr. Jos. 
Bausor, Mr. John Bayley, Mr. James Bradley, Mr. John Briddon, Mr. 
Thos. Buckley, Mr. John Clarke, Mr. John Hesketh, Mr. Richard John¬ 
son, Mr. John Parr, Mr. James Ramsdale. Mr. John Roberts, Mr. James 
Smethurst, Mr. John Turner, Mr. W. B. Ui jobn, Mr. W. Pownall, Mr. J. 
Blears, Mr. W. Smethurst, Mr. Thos. Morton, Mr. Geo. Lee, Mr. J. 
Waterhouse. The date for holding this year’s Chrysanthemum Exhibi¬ 
tion was fixed for the 13th and 14ch November. The meeting terminated 
with a vote of thanks to the Chairman. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
February 10th. 
The meeting at the Westminster Drill Hall on Tuesday last was 
exceedingly well attended by exhibitors, and the hall has not presented 
so varied and pleasing a display for a considerable time. A large table 
the whole length of the building, in the centre, was filled with exhibits, 
another was devoted to Apples and other fruits, while twm other smal'er 
tables were occupied with miscellaneous exhibits Orchids, Primulas, 
and Cyclamens were the leading features amongst the flowering plants, 
and afforded a charming effect. The visitors present expressed much 
pleasure at the interesting character of the exhibition, and the contrast 
with the last meeting was a most agreeable one. 
Fruit Committee. —Present : P. Crowley, E.'^q. (in the chair). 
Dr. Hogg, with Messrs J. Lee, R. D. Blackmore, G. Bunyard, James 
A'^eitch, W. Denning, J. T. Saltmarsh, W. Warren, J. Cheal, G. Norman, 
G. W. Cummins, A. Dean, G. Wythes, J. Hudson, H. Balderson, 
J. Willard, C. Penny, W. Bates, and J. Wright, 
The display of fruit was extensive and excellent on this occasion, 
collections of Apples chiefly, but also excellent Pears and Oranges, 
extending the whole length of the hall. Rev. E. S. Lowndes, Little 
Comberton Rectory, Persborc, sent thirteen varieties of Apples, with an 
interesting letter descriptive of the soil in which they were grown — 
disintegrated oolite washed from the hills on blue lias, drained, and 
irregular beds of gravel. The fruits were of good size and well 
coloured, and the collection merited, as it received, an unanimous vote 
of thanks. Mr. Miller, Ruxley Lodge, Esher, sent some dishes of very 
tine Apples admirably kept in American flour barrels—a simple, 
useful, and good method of storage, and a vote of thanks was unani¬ 
mously recorded, Mr. Crowley placed on the table samples of Peach 
wood showing injury by frost where they had touched the wires. 
Mr. Hudson stated that he had found the advantage of removing the 
branches of trees from wires before winter, and securing them in 
position in spring. Mr. J. Willard also advocated the same method, 
and he had found the advantage of it as applied to Raspberry canes. 
Mr. W. C. Wemyss, Westbury Court, A\^estbury-on-Severn, exhibited 
a wooden tray for drying Plums as used in ovens near Bordeaux, and 
described in the “ Kew Bulletin ” for December last. It was triangular 
in shape, an inch or two deep, and the bottom closely latticed. It may 
be sa-d, however, in reference to drying Plums (hat the varieties usually 
grown in British gardet.s cannot be profitably converted into prunrs 
by any method of drying, as they are too soft and tender for that 
purpose. 
Messrs. T. Rivers & Son sent a very extensive collection of fruit, 
including seventy-five dishes of Apples, seventeen of Pears, and thirteen 
of Oranges and Lerr.ons. Extremely fine among the Apples were Peck’s 
Pleasant, Buckingham, Belle de Pontoise, Gloria Mundi, Lord Derby, and 
Reinette de Canada. All the Pears were very good, and the Oranges 
admirable examples of home growth. A large silver medal was recom¬ 
mended. Messrs. J. Cheal & Son also staged an excellent assortment of 
Apples and Pears, most of the fruits fine and remarkably well coloured. 
Blenheim Orange, Winter Queening, Lord Derby, Dumelow’s Seedling, 
Prince Albert, Kentish Fillbasket, King of the Pippins, and Egremont 
Russet, were prominent in this collection (large silver medal). 
Messrs. Lane & Son sent forty dishes of Apples, most of them being 
very good indeed, and Lane’s Prince Albert unusually fine and highly 
coloured. A silver medal was recommended for the collection. 
Mr. G. Bunyard imparted to the Committee the sad intelligence of 
the death, on the previous day, of Mr. C. Haycock, who by the remark¬ 
able Apples and Pears he grew when at Barham Court, and exhibited 
successfully at the leading shows, gave a great impetus to improved 
fruit culture in this country. Mr. Haycock had served usefully on the 
Committee, and on the proposition of Mr. Bunyard it was unanimously 
decided that a letter of sympathy be sent to his widow on her great 
bereavement. 
Floral Committee —Present: W. Marshall, Esq., in the chair 
B. Wynne, H. Herbst, R. Dean, T. W. Girdlestone, AV. Furze, W. C. 
Leach, G. Phippen, H. B. May, F. Ross, C. E. Pearson, D. Jeffries, J. T. 
Bennett Poe, T. Baines, D. Noble, H. Cannell, G. Paul, C. T. Druery,. 
G. Gordon, E. Mawley, W. H. Williams, J. Walker, and Rev. H, H. 
D’Ombrain. 
Piimula sinensis varieties, from Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley,. 
constituted a large handsome group, representing all the best types of 
these beautiful and useful plants. Those shown were in admirab’e 
condition, vigorous, and flowering freely, and filled neaily one side of 
the central table. Medal was awarded. 
Cyclamens from Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton, formed an inter- 
estinar group; the plants extremely well grown, the flowers large, 
and the colours ranging from pure white to deep crimson (silver Bank- 
sian medal). Mr. C. Holden, Park Road, Ealing, sent some small- 
Primulas, and Mr. J. Walker, Thame, showed three boxes of Carnation 
blooms (vote of thanks). 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, sent a few choice hardy plants, com¬ 
prising Galanthus Elwesq G. caucasicus, G. latifolius var. Fosteri, Iris 
reticulata Bakeriana (blue and purple), and a small yellow Iris Dan- 
fordim (1. Bornmulleri). 
The Right Hon. Lord Foley, Ruxley Lodge, Esher (gardener, Mr. J. 
Miller) showed three boxes of Eucharis and Ccclogyne blooms, with 
sprays of Asparagus plumosus (vote of thanks). Cut blooms of 
Rhododendron hybrids from Messrs. J. A'eitch & Sons, Chelsea, were 
greatly admired, the flowers greatly varied in size and colour (vote of. 
thanks). Clivias from Messrs. J. Laing &; Sons, Forest Hill, formed 
an attractive group, as they were bearing large heads of globular deep 
red fruits, and vigorous well-developed foliage (vote of thanks). 
Messrs. James Carter & Co., High Holborn, showed two baskets of 
Primula Holborn Blue and the Improved Hrlborn Blue for comparison, 
the latter being much deeper in colour with finer flowers (vote of 
thanks). 
Orchid Committee. —Present : Harry J. AYitcb, Esq., in the chair, 
and Messrs. James O'Brien, Hugh Low, H. M. Pollett, H. Ballantine, 
C. Pilcher, E. Hill, H. Williams, F. Moore, Lewis Castle, J. Douglas, 
F. Sander, and Dr. M. T. Masters. 
Messrs. B. S. AVilliams, Upper Holloway, exhibited a large and 
handsome group of Orchids and Ferns, which attracted much attention 
from the visitors. Cypripediums were well represented. A fine plant 
of Phaius grandifolius having twelve long racemes, Odontoglossums, 
Lmlias, Lycastes, Angrsecums, Dendrobiums, and many other plants- 
were represented (silver-gilt Flora medal). 
Messrs Sander & Co., St. Albans, had a group of choice and valuable 
Orchids, for which a silver-gilt Flora medal was awarded. Some of the 
most noticeable plants were the following :—Odontoglossum Edwardi, 
wit’n two large panicles of deep purple flowers ; Ltelia harpophylla, with 
seven or eight racemes of rich orange flowers each ; Lielia anceps, 
Percivaliana, with large handsome flowers ; the pure white Lycaste 
Skinneri alba; Odontoglossum bictonense album, with a white lip p 
Angraecum sesquipedale, with two large ivory-like flowers ; an ex¬ 
ceedingly deep rosy coloured Odontoglossum vexillarium, a fine. 
Cattleya Trianrn, and several Dendrobiums, Odontoglossuras, and 
Masdevallias (silver-gilt Ficra medal). 
Norman C. Cookson, Esq., Newcastle-on-Tyne, sent a fine hybrid 
Cypripedium named Wiedlicianum. the flowers deep red both in the 
lip and peta’s. Malcom C. Cook, Esq , Kingston Hill (gardener, Mr. 
W. Cullimore), exhibited a strong plant of Cattleya amethystoglossa- 
bearing a fine head of flow-ers (cultural commendation). F. C. Jacomb, 
Esq., Cheam Park, Cheam (gardener, Mr. W. May), contributed a 
beautiful group of OJontoglossums and Dendrobiums. The plants- 
were in wonderful health, the racemes and flowers remarkable, and the 
vaiieties of great merit (silver Flora medal). W. Cobb, Esq., Silverdale,. 
Sydenham, showed several Cypripediums, Phaltenopses, and the elegant- 
little Saccolabium bellinum, for which a bronze medal was awarded. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, contributed a group of Coelogynecristata 
in several varieties, the plants in capital condition, and the flowers large. 
CERTIFICATED RL^NTS. 
Odmtog'ossnm triumphans, Wliitcley's Variety (William Whiteley, 
Hillingdon).—A grand variety with very large flowers, the petals and 
lip very broad, the colour rich yellow, with heavy blotches and bars of 
reddish brown. 'Very handsome. 
