310 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ October 6, 1892. 
departing beauty of the one does not appear to mar in the least the 
brilliancy of the other. For garden decoration Crocuses are extremely 
cheerful, and when planted in large numbers they add a bright, even a 
picturesque effect if carefully and judiciously planted. 
Crocuses are far more particular about the soil in which they are 
grown than Snowdrops. Although they live, flower, and to some extent 
flourish in poor soil, they do not increase so rapidly, grow so strongly, or 
produce such large flowers as when grown in good fertile soil. But this 
is not the main point ; they must have a drier and warmer soil than 
Snowdrops. In the Lincolnshire fens, where Snowdrops can be well 
grown for sale, some of the land is too wet and cold for the well-being of 
Crocuses. On any light, warm, dry soil their culture for market might 
be taken up with advantage. Large quantities are grown for sale in 
Lincolnshire and other places, but even larger quantities are annually 
imported, which could be equally well grown if cultivators would only 
set about doing so. If small cultivators of land would commence grow¬ 
ing such bulbs as Crocuses with the same zeal and energy that many 
display with bulbs of different kinds in the neighbourhood of Dorrington, 
and other districts near Spalding, they would find it far more remunera¬ 
tive than many things that they grow in small quantities, and have 
therefore a difficulty in finding a good and ready market for. There is 
land far more suitable for bulb growing than that in the neighbourhood 
to which I have referred. 
Crocuses are more generally forced than Snowdrops, and this is due 
doubtless to the more striking appearance of their flowers. Where 
flower forcing is carried out on a large scale and conservatories are kept 
gay with a variety of plants that flower months before their natural 
time a few Crocuses should certainly be grown, but they ought to precede 
those flowering outside or their culture in pots is best left alone. The 
corms should be obtained for this purpose by the end of August or the 
first week in September at the latest. I have found some difficulty in 
getting them as early as I should like ; whose fault this is I do not 
know. One thing is certain, they leave the home grower in time to be 
in the market ready for distribution by the end of August. Four and 
5-inch pots are the most suitable. The latter are preferable and should 
contain as many corms as can be conveniently placed in them. I 
believe in covering the bulbs with an inch of soil and leaving room in 
the pots for watering. The pots should be plunged in the usual wav, or 
covered with 2 inches of fine coal ashes until they are full of roots'and 
signs of top growth are visible. The plants should not be allowed to 
grow too long before they are removed to a cold frame. The best method 
is to place the pots in cold frames and to sprinkle between them some 
cocoa-nut fibre refuse so as to fill the pots level with the rim and allow 
the plants to grow through. They will progress rapidly under these 
conditions, and if finally removed to a house where the temperature 
averages about 45° they will come forward almost naturally into flower. 
They need plenty of water, and should never be allowed to become dry. 
They ought never be placed on dry shelves, and they should not 
be hurried, as they resent any attempt at forcing. Subject them to an 
undue share of forcing, and they will either go blind or be longer in 
coming into flower than if brought forward under more natural 
conditions. 
For a good many years I have been engaged in forcing Crocuses, and 
the earliest flowers, though perhaps not the finest, can be had by looking 
after the plants well after flowering and forcing them the second year. 
A few only should be retained for this purpose, because for successional 
batches the cost of the labour is more than new bulbs can be purchased 
for. My remarks on growing Crocuses in pots only deal slightly with those 
grown specially for the exhibition stage. For this purpose much larger 
pots are generally used, and if there is one difficulty to contend with it 
is that of keeping back the plants for the date of the show. In some 
seasons they come almost naturally into bloom at the desired time, 
and therefore there is not so much skill required in having good 
pots for showing as to have them in flower early in the season.— 
Wm. Bardney. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
October 4th. 
A MORE than usually interesting display awaited visitors to the 
Drill Hall on this occasion, for apart from the Michaelmas Daisies, 
which were expected to be the most prominent feature, there was a 
varied assortment of plants and flowers, a brilliant show of Orchids, 
and a magnificent display of fruit. Messrs. Cheal & Son had a superb 
collection of Apples and Pears ; while A. H. Smee, Esq. (gardener, Mr. 
Cummins), and the Dowager Lady Freake (gardener, Mr. Bickwoodj 
also had excellent displays. 
Fruit Committee.— Present: Philip Crowley, Esq. (in the chair), 
with Rev. W. Wilks, Dr. Hogg, and Messrs. John Lee, T. F. Rivers, 
P. Veitch, G. Bunyard, J. Cheal, G. Taber, H. Balderson, J. Hudson, 
G. Wythes, G. Sage, W. Bates, C. Ross, A, Dean, G. Cummins, Harrison 
Weir, J. Willard, and J. Wright. 
A dish of King Harry Apple was sent from Chiswick as a free 
bearing useful variety, very tender, sprightly, and juicy (award of 
merit). Messrs. S. Spooner & Sons, nurserymen, Hounslow, sent an 
Apple called The Baron, a handsome looking fruit, like a richly 
coloured Queen. The Committee desired to see it again later in the 
season. 
Mr. C. Ross sent two dishes of Apples, seedlings from Golden Reinette. 
-No. 1, was transparent, attractive, but over-ripe ; No. 2, coloured, not 
remarkable for quality, but an award of merit was accorded. Mr. 
Edmonds, The Grange, Gillingham, Kent, sent a dish of an Apple named 
Empress, a seedling from Dumelow’s Seedling, good in appearance, but 
though no doubt useful, was not regarded as an advance on existing 
sorts. Mr. James Miles, Normandy Farm, Kent, sent a dish of small 
well-coloured Apples called Duchess of Kent, but the variety was not 
considered better than Col. Vaughan. 
Mr. T. Francis Rivers placed on the table a dish of Rivers' Codlin 
Apple , a conical variety of good size, raised from American Mother. 
Mr. Barron had tested the fruit in a cooked state and pronounced it 
excellent. Tree a free bearer, and the fruit is said to keep till March 
(first-class certificate). 
Mr. Barron placed on the table bunches of the White Gros Cohnan 
Grape grown at Chiswick. It was raised by the late Mr. Roberts of 
Charleville, and has been previously before the Committee. The Vine 
was sent to Chiswick by Messrs. Dicksons, Limited, Chester. The 
berries in shape and size resemble the type, but are more sweet, juicy, 
and refreshing (first-class certificate). Mr. Barron also submitted 
bunches of Royal Muscadine and Chasselas Vibert, the last being of 
twice the size of the former, earlier, and better. An award of merit 
was granted for it as a cool greenhouse and outdoor Grape. Mr. G. C. 
Ritchmgs, gardener to D. Frankland, Esq., sent a Melon, the result of a 
cross between Read’s Scarlet and Hero of Lockinge, a variety of promise, 
which the Committee desired to see in the summer. 
Mr. Willard, Holly Lodge, Highgate, sent cooked and uncooked 
heads of Adam’s Early Maize from plants sown in the open in April and 
May. The flavour was good, and an award of merit was accorded. 
Mr. J. Simpson, Dallis Hill, Kilburn, sent Tomatoes X Perfection 
and Main Crop. The varie’y was recommended to be grown at Chiswick. 
Mr. Hudson sent very fine fruits of Tomatoes, the produce of plants 
grown in ashes (cultural commendation). He thought, and most of the 
Committee were of the same opinion, that Tomatoes are often grown in 
too rich soil. Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead, sent good and highly coloured 
Tomatoes resembling The Conference. Mr. J. Wilson, Glenlee Gardens, 
Hamilton, N.B., sent a Cucumber, very large, like an Indian club, 
altogether too overgrown for southerners. Mr. Leach, Albury Park, sent 
good specimens of Lettuce, and was accorded a vote of thanks, Mr. 
A. J. Brown, the School of Handicraft, Chertsey, sent a small collection 
of Apples and Pears, from trees planted in 1890 (vote of thanks). Mr. 
John Cook sent very good Reine Claude de Bavay and Coe’s 
Golden Drop Plum3, and a dish of Peaches ; a vote of thanks was 
accorded. 
Mr. Rick wood, gardener to the Dowager Lady Freake, Tubwell Park, 
Richmond, sent forty dishes of admirably grown Apples and Plums, and 
a small silver medal was recommended. 
A. H. Smee, Esq, Hackbridge, (Mr. G. W. Cummins, gardener), 
exhibited sixty dishes of Apples fine in size and colour, and a silver 
Knightian medal was recommended. Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, 
staged 140 dishes of remarkably fine Apples and Pears, and a silver-gilt 
medal was unanimously recommended. 
Floral Committee.— Present: W. Marshall, Esq. (in the chair), 
Messrs. J. Laing, B. Wynne, R. Dean, R. Owen, H. Herbst, E. Bause, 
G. Phippen, G. Nicholson, F. Ross, W. C. Leach, N. Davis, C. E. Pear¬ 
son, C. J. Salter, W. Bain, C. Jeffries, J. T. Bennett-Poe, T. Baines, 
J. Walker, John Fraser, G. Paul, W. Goldring, C, T. Druery, W. Furze, 
and G. Gordon. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons contributed Hymenanthera crassifolia (see 
below), Caryopteris mastacanthus, Amasonia punicea (cultural com¬ 
mendation), Rhododendron multicolor Neptune (see below), and a 
splendid box of Streptocarpus, well illustrating the great advance that 
has already been made with these. Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son 
showed Clivia Autumn Beauty. Mr. W. C. Leach, Albury Park Gardens, 
Guildford, contributed Hippophae rhamnoides, Rosa polyantha japonica 
and Rosa rugosa, also pots of Mignonette Her Majesty from seed sown 
in June. A vote of thanks was accorded. Mr. W. Wells, Earlswood, 
sent a collection of Chrysanthemums, for which a bronze Banksian 
medal was awarded. He had a large box of the yellow Japanese 
William Wells, together with good blooms, considering the earliness of 
the season, of many well-known varieties. Mr. H. Elliott, Stourvale 
Nursery, Christchurch, sent a collection of Nerines, of which corusca 
major, rich scarlet, and c. m. sarniensis, very deep rose, were the best. 
Messrs. Pitcher & Manda sent Anthurium crystallinum fol. variegata 
and Adiantum cuneatum fol. variegata. Both, however, were passed. 
Mr. Owen sent Chrysanthemum Madame Zyphir Lionnet and two 
English seedlings, named General Hawkes and Lady Brooke (see below). 
The Rev. W. Wilks sent a few perennial Asters ; Mr. Fry, a small 
yellow Carnation, named Buttonhole ; and Mr. Rawlings, Dahlia Mrs. 
Vagg (see below). 
Messrs. Peter Barr & Son, Covent Garden, staged a most interesting 
collection of Asters, prominent amongst which were Aster amellus 
majus, Aster ericoides, A. ericoides Cleo, A. puniceus pulcherrimus, 
A. novas-angliae roseus, A. vimineus, A. cordifolius, A. umbellatus, 
A. cordifolius elegans and multiflorus (silver Banksian medal). An 
excellent collection of Asters was sent from the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Gardens, some very fine varieties being staged. A. corymbosus, 
A. trinervis, A. paniculatus var. W. E. Grant, Aster acris var. nanus, 
A. versicolor var. Antigone, A. amellus var. bessarabicus, A. amellus 
var. majus, A. umbellatus, A. linosyris, A. puniceus var. pulcherrimus, 
A. novae-angliae var. Melpomene, A. novi-Belgii, A. lasvis, A. novse- 
angliae var. prrecox, A. novi-Belgii var. Horace, A. Arcturus, A. longi- 
lolius formo9us. 
Messrs. E. D. Shuttleworth & Co., Fleet, Hants, sent a group of 
