550 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 22, 1892. 
- More Yellow Arums.—S ince last I sent you a note about 
these plants, though only about a fortnight has elapsed, yet in that 
short space two more forms have quite unexpectedly been offered for 
sale to the public. The first of these is sent out under the name of 
Richardia aurata, and is a hybrid between R. albo-maculata and 
R. hastata, raised by the well-known French hybridist Monsieur J. B. A. 
Deleuil, of St. Anne, near Marseilles. The second has been sent by a 
coilector from the neighbourhood of Lake Nyanza, under the provisional 
name of Pride of the Congo, and is said by the sender to be a very 
handsome form of the Golden-spathed Arum. About a hundred tubers 
of this plant were sold by public auction on Wednesday last by Messrs. 
Protheroe & Morris, and fetched comparatively low prices, realising only 
between £60 and £70 for the lot. I think that when these plants 
bloom in the course of next year that the hybrid of M. Deleuil will 
probably turn out to be either identical with the form now known as 
Elliotti, or, if not, then closely resembling it, and that the so-called 
Pride of the Congo will be what is now known as Pentlandiana. It 
seems that it is botanically incorrect to call these plants Calla. Their 
only correct name is Richardia, and the proper specific designation of 
the common type form is R. africana, and not R. aethiopica, as it is 
generally called.— Boscobel. 
- — • Modern Greenhouses. —I was very pleased when perusing 
the practical paper, read recently by Mr. Roberts at a meeting of the 
Preston Horticultural Society, to especially observe his pithy remarks 
regarding the construction of many modern greenhouses. I agree with 
him that at the present day they are built far too light, and conse¬ 
quently airy, for many plants. The one idea seems to be lightness 
and elegance, both necessary to a certain degree, but plants require 
moisture as well; modern and elaborately tiled houses are much too 
dry. Light, of course, is necessary—it is the great consolidating agent, 
but due regard must be had when building houses as to what plants 
are to be grown, and constructed accordingly, not sacrificing conditions 
essential to their well-being in straining after showiness. Many 
architects’ conservatories and greenhouses are torments to plants and 
gardeners alike.—J. J. C. 
-A Pretty New Double Zonal Pelargonium. —At the 
last meeting of the Birmingham Gardeners’ Association, Messrs. 
Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent, sent some blooms of their new 
variety “ Double New Life,” and the pedigree of this variety is given 
in a few words. The old familiar bedding Zonal Vesuvius was raised 
about 1866 by the late Mr. Windebank, a well-known nurseryman at 
Southampton, and was introduced by Messrs. F. & A. Smith, then a 
well-known firm at Dulwich. This variety often “sported,” producing 
white, pink, and salmon varieties, and recently the pleasing single 
variety of New Life, as well as the old double variety “ Wonderful,’’ 
and from this double scarlet variety we now have Messrs. Cannell’s 
“ Double New Life,” which appears to take the character of Wonderful, 
but the flowers are very distinctly flaked with bright scarlet and clear 
white.—W, D. 
- Primulas at Keighley.—I have had the pleasure of 
inspecting a very fine display of remarkably well grown plants in one 
of Mr. J. Carter’s houses, a span-roofed structure 60 feet long and 12 feet 
wide. It was filled with double and single varieties. Among the 
doubles were White Lady, Marchioness of Exeter, white flaked red ; 
Princess of Wales, white well fringed ; King of the Purples, large ; 
Purple Perfection, very good ; Rosea superba (new), a very pleasing 
rosy purple ; W. H. Parker (new), deep red ; Lord Beaconsfield, Peach 
Blossom, and Fairy. The Old Double White is grown well, but is 
excelled by White Lady and Princess of Wales. Amongst the semi¬ 
doubles, Mrs. Langtry, flesh colour ; and Miss Edith Parker, white 
flaked red, were very good. The singles were magnificent, some of the 
blooms measuring 2J inches across, and of immense substance. The 
best of these were Princess Louise, white ; The Queen, white ; Marquis 
of Lome, rosy purple ; Emperor, salmon red ; and Dark Red, deeper 
than Chiswick Red, and very striking.—P, R. T. 
-Woolton Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society.— 
On Thursday evening last, at the Mechanics’ Institute, Woolton, T. Lewis 
Bailey, Esq., gave the last of his lectures, which have been held under 
the Lancashire and Cheshire University Extension Association. The 
lecturer treated in a thorough manner on “ Manures : what they are, 
their classification, natural and artificial, how and why they affect plant 
life, and their analysis.” Throughout the course the lecturer has gone 
on the lines that his hearers have had no previous chemical knowledge, 
consequently the lectures have been strictly rudimentary. They have- 
proved far more valuable, too, owing to the experiments and the ex¬ 
cellent lantern slides which have appeared on the screen. It will be no 
fault of the Committee connected with this Society if the Woolton 
gardeners do not take high rank in the near future,for they have already 
announced a course of six lectures on botany, the first commencing ®o 
January 26th. The Hon. Secretary, Mr. Wm. Disley, works hard to 
keep everything up to date.—R. P. R. 
- Tulips in an Irish Garden. —Few amateurs strive for 
completeness in anything taken up so thoroughly as Mr. W. G. 
Gumbleton. He has long devoted considerable attention to early 
Tulips, and this season has planted nearly 4500 bulbs, in all the 
choicest and best varieties. One large border is planted in forty- 
four contingent circles of Saxifraga Camposi, the Tulips being in 
dozens, and all very carefully arranged as to height and colour ; 
and half dozens of other choice varieties are planted in the centre 
of a set of small beds. Besides these there are twenty-three 
beds, the number of bulbs in each varying from forty-eight to 170. 
Mr. Gumbleton has favoured me with lists of the varieties he has 
planted, and it is clear from them that he has spared neither care nor 
expense to get the very finest in cultivation. Such sorts as Queen 
of the Netherlands and Pink Beauty will interest by their novelty, as 
well as charm with their beauty. There can be little doubt that in the 
spring Belgrove will be a Tulip lover’s paradise.—W. P. W. 
- The Midland Counties Gardeners’ Association. — At 
the meeting of the Association on the 12th inst., Mr. H. Cannell, 
Swanley, Kent, contributed a paper on “ The Rose,” and in his opening 
remarks strongly recommended great care being exercised in lifting 
Roses from the ground, so as to preserve every root, and advised careful 
packing. He pointed out the too common practice of digging a small 
hole in planting and using fresh manure from the stables, which he 
condemned. He urged using good loamy soil if possible and rich 
manure not directly on the roots. He especially emphasises the 
necessity of the roots being kept damp in transit and not allowed to be 
exposed, and get dry before planting. Messrs. Cannell & Sons sent 
specimens of their fine strain of Cyclamens and a superb bloom of a new 
Japanese Chrysanthemum, Mille. Marie Recoura, pure white, resembling 
Puritan and Stanstead White, a very late bloomer, with fluted tubular 
petals, and presumably not so subject to damp as some whites ; also 
blooms of their new Zonal Pelargonium “ Double New Life.” Messrs. 
Yertegans & Co. exhibited ripe fruit of Diospyros Kaki. Messrs. 
Thomson & Co. contributed a fine bloom of a scarlet self seedling 
hybrid Margaret Carnation, the plant raised from seed in February last, 
and has been in bloom since August. 
THE GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT 
INSTITUTION. 
A general meeting of this Institution was held at Simpson’s, 101, 
Strand, on Tuesday, December 20th, to consider the advisability of con¬ 
firming new rules drawn up by the Committee, making various altera¬ 
tions in the old ones, and changing the title of the Institution from its 
original designation to that under which it is now generally known for 
the purpose of registration. H. J. Yeitch, Esq., the Treasurer, occupied 
the chair, and he was supported by Mr. Pocock, honorary solicitor for the 
Institution, Mr. John Lee, and Dr. Hogg. There w'as a large attendance 
of subscribers, and amongst those present were Dr. Masters, Messrs. N. N. 
Sherwood, Owen Thomas, A. F. Barron, J. Laing, G. J. Ingram (Secre¬ 
tary), and others. 
The Chairman, in a few opening remarks, said that a short time ago 
the Committee of Management thought it was desirable to change some 
and make various alterations in other rules. Mr. Pocock, their solicitor, 
was consulted on the matter, and he said that it was a very delicate 
subject, inasmuch as they would have to work under the Friendly 
Societies Act of 1875. When the rules were originally drawn up the 
investment laws were very Btrict, but since then various Acts of Parlia¬ 
ment had been passed, and the Committee thought it was advis¬ 
able to avail themselves of the full advantages if they had any 
money to invest. The old rules, except one, were all incorporated in 
the new rules, and would meet the requirements of the time. After 
much discussion, many new rules and sub-sections and alterations were 
passed. 
Dr. Hogg, after the alterations and additions were adopted, moved a 
proposition to the effect that the now existing rules be the rules of the 
Institution. Dr. Masters seconded, and the proposition was carried 
unanimously. 
A vote of thanks to the Chairman and to the Solicitor concluded the 
proceedings. 
