March 30, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND' COTTAGE GARDENER. 
257 
- Tomatoes for Profit. —I can assure “ Nemo ” (page 234) 
that Tomatoes will pay in a house the size he mentions, and for summer 
growth he will want no fire heat, if he has other convenience for raising 
his plants. Plant them out in good loam 2 feet apart alternately, and 
train upright to stakes ; pinch all side shoots, but leave the main leaves 
intact. Very little manure will be needed, but a dusting of soot 
occasionally will give tone to the foliage, as well as help to keep down 
the white fly. The best stimulant I ever tried for Tomatoes was fish 
manure; a sprinkling twice when swelling their fruit is ample. If 
there is sale for cut flowers in autumn, why not have Chrysanthemums 
planted out in the open ground to lift, and bring in the house after the 
Tomatoes are over?—T. Rogers, Melton Hill Gardens, Brough, E, Yorhs. 
-- The Weather ih the Midlands.— The weather here during 
the last fortnight has been exceptional for the time of the year, very 
bright, and frequently quite hot in the sun, with the result that 
vegetation is more forward than I ever recollect it in March. Nights 
have, however, been cold ; nearly 7° of frost on the morning of the 19th, 
and lighter frosts on many other mornings. Pear bloom on my south 
wall opened March 24th. I have, during twenty years’ record, only one 
previous for March, while in two years it has been May Ist, and the 
average the first to the second weeks in April. The bloom is also more 
regular. Doyennd du Comice, usually a week or so later than Beurr6 
Diel and other earlier bloomers, opened on the 26th inst. The bright 
weather is most enjoyable, and the bloom looks very healthy ; but I 
< } 
Fig. 51.—CALADIUM 
SOUVENIR DE PARO. 
-Beckenham Horticultural Society. —The second of the 
present course of lectures being delivered before the members of this 
Society was given on Friday last to a large and deeply interested 
audience, the subject being the Tomato, and the lecturer Mr. A. Dean> 
who, so far as time would permit, covered wide ground in relation to 
indoor and outdoor culture, sorts, soils and training. Dr. Kirby presided, 
and referred to his early acquaintance with the Tomato in the island of 
Corfu, where forty-five years ago it was largely grown, also to the 
success which had attended his own gardener’s efforts to supply him with 
Tomatoes up to February by sowing seed late, pushing the plants on to 
set fruit in the autumn, and ripening them in heat later. Some beauti¬ 
ful cut Tea Roses, Catherine Mermet, The Bride, and Ami Hoste were 
shown by Mr. Crosswell, gardener to W. H. Bullivant, Esq. ; capital 
Amaryllises by Mr. Beech, gardener to R. Stevens, Esq.; and a charming 
bunch of Staphylea colchica from Mr. Webster, gardener to Dr. Kirby. 
Cordial votes of thanks were awarded. 
fear the future. Last year the first Pear bloom did not open till 
April 10th, fortunately, as severe frosts and terribly cold winds followed, 
checking and saving the later blooms.—F. M. M., Edghaston. 
CALADIUM SOUVENIR DE PARO. 
For general decorative purposes dwarf Caladiums are undoubtedly 
more useful than those which attain a height of 2 or 3 feet, and in 
most gardens are in great request. The variety depicted in the illustra¬ 
tion (fig. 51) is of this type, for it rarely exceeds a height of 1 foot. 
It is, moreover, of an attractive appearance, and when exhibited by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, at the Drill 
Hall on May 3rd last year, the Floral Committee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society awarded it a first-class certificate. The leaves are 
comparatively large, deep red, with broad green margins slightly marked 
with yellow, and red veins. It is worthy of place in every collection. 
