April 4, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
297 
by people out of pure benevolence for the relief of asred and destitute 
gardeners, and I for my part would be very sorry to see this principle of 
benevolence infringed upon or curtailed in any way ; and I hope and 
believe it will not be allowed to impose a barrier to prevent subscrip¬ 
tions flowing in. The Committee, as is well known, have introduced a 
clause into their rules, giving almost absolute certainty of election to 
those who may have subscribed for fifteen years, and the new rule passed 
at the special general meeting (December, 1892) will give subscribers 
substantial advantage over non-subscribers, inasmuch that a subscriber 
for four years will have fifty votes credited to him, and fifty more added 
for every year subscribed afterwards up to fourteen years. 
My appeal in favour of the Institution, even from a benefit and an 
investment point of view, will, I hope, commend itself to the judgment 
of gardeners. But I beg very respectfully to appeal to my brother 
gardeners from a higher level than a benefit one. That man’s life is a 
poor and a barren life who lives entirely to himself, and nothing noble 
or good has ever yet been accomplished without a sacrifice of some sort. 
The gardeners of the past half century (and others interested in 
gardening and gardeners) have built up a noble standard of garden 
charity, which is now shedding gleams of joy and brightness round the 
declining life of many of our fellow workers who have fallen helpless 
by the way. Let me, then, appeal to all gardeners and others associated 
with them in the calling, to rally round this splendid Institution, and 
to strengthen it with their active support, that all the deserving in our 
craft may claim a shelter under its wings in the time of adversity and 
want.— Owen Thomas, The Royal Gardens, Whidsor. 
Cultural Jottings. 
Cultivators of plants for any purpose, but especially for the 
production of large blooms for exhibiting, will do well to bear in mind 
three very important details just now seasonable. The first is to lose no 
time in transferring the earliest plants from the shelves of a cool house 
to a cold frame. No matter how cool the house may be kept, the plants 
always exhibit a tendency to “run up” quickly if they remain indoors 
after March has expired. 
The best means of keeping the plants dwarf should be adopted, and 
early frame treatment is a chief factor in the case. The pots should 
stand on a thick bed of ashes, and the glass be sound and clean. A 
position facing the south, and sheltered from north and easterly winds, 
should be chosen on account of the extra warmth thus gained. 
The second point demanding rather more than ordinary consideration 
is that of judiciously supplying the plants with water. At this time of 
the year many of them have a tendency to change the colour of their 
leaves from a deep green to a pale hue, and in some instances they 
almost turn yellow. An excess of cold water is the main cause of such 
an unwelcome change. Some cultivators appear to forget the altered 
circumstances under which the plants are placed. When in the cool 
airy greenhouse much more moisture passes Irom the leaves than is the 
case when the plants are subjected to necessarily damp surroundings in 
frames. Tepid water only should be employed, from the rain water tank 
if possible. No plant should receive any till the soil exhibits signs of 
dryness; when the leaves turn suddenly pale, the roots of such plants 
have received a check, and cannot carry out their functions. 
The third point is the admission of air to the plants in such a manner 
that they will benefit by the supply. Too often the lights are either 
tilted on the wrong side or drawn entirely off, exposing the plants to 
cutting cold east winds. Not only does such injudicious treatment 
check the growth suddenly, but is a precursor of mildew and aphis. 
Fresh air is absolutely necessary, but it must not be admitted in sharp 
currents. Tilt the lights on the opposite side to that from which the 
wind is blowing, and injury will be averted.—E. MOLYNEUX. 
The Chrysanthemum Year Book, 
A VERY useful book, which will be looked forward to each year if 
kept strictly useful and impartial, but trade growers regard one article 
of nearly six pages as an advertisement in the body of the book, while 
other advertisers have to pay 218 a page, yet Mr. Dean would have the 
Committee accord a vote of thanks for that anicle which any of the 
other advertisers would gladly have thanked the Committee for granting 
the space ; I for one. Mr. Dean is not in the trade. I commend 
“ Fairplay ” for his comments, for I simply like what is right, and have 
no desire to give offence. Every work is open to criticism, and it helps 
to make works more perfect in future,—W. Wells. 
Permit me to do justice to the N.C.S Executive. Tardily aroused 
to the fact, no doubt, by my reminder, this body has at length 
admitted that it owed something, if but thanks, to those persons who 
contributed to the Year Book gratuitously, and thus made it so great a 
success that its profits may range from £20 to £25. Publishers 
ordinarily would, of course, recognise the value of contributions in a 
more practical way, especially when from those who are essentially of 
the literary cult; but there are some on the Executive rather too closely 
identified with the Press, who may think that would be setting a vicious 
example. I have not heard that even the accomplished Editor has 
received other reward than has been meted out to the contributors, 
except—mark from heaven, save the mark—“ Fairplay.” Why do not 
the members clear out from the Committee its augean stable of trade 
selfishness and exhibitor narrow-mindedness, and free it from its old 
parochial slough which has clung to the Society from its early Hackney 
days ? A truly National Society should have higher aims. In one 
direction no Society could be better or more ably served than is it in its 
home and foreign Secretaries, but there the merit ends. Were a few 
gentlemen of Mr. Shea’s type in control it would not have been needful 
for me to have publicly pointed out that the contributors to the Year 
Book had been by the Executive treated with contempt and indifference. 
—A. Dean. 
THE WILLIAM THOMSON MEMORIAL FUND. 
Shortly after the lamented death of the grand old gardener above 
named, a project was mooted to raise a fund by which his memory 
could be kept green by the horticultural community. The proposal 
is now placed on a wider basis than was first suggested, and after 
mature consideration the form which the memorial should take has been 
determined. A large representative Committee has been formed, com¬ 
prising nearly a hundred English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh horti¬ 
culturists, and the following circular has been issued, signed by Mr. 
J. G. Veitch as Honorary Secretary. 
Eoyal Exotic Nurserv, 544, King’s Eoad, Chelsea, S.W. 
March, 1895. 
WILLIAM THOMSON MEMOEIAL FUND. 
Dear Sir, —A fund is being raised to commemorate the services to hor¬ 
ticulture of the late Wdliam Thomson of Clovenfords, the sum collected to 
be given to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, and the Eoyal 
Gardeners’Orphan Fund. Should a sufficient sum be obtained it is proposed 
to keep a pensioner in perpetuity on the funds of each Institution. To 
enable this to be done a sum of £1250 is necessary; a perpetual pension to 
the G.E.B.I. requiring £750, and that to the E.G.O.F. £500, the power of 
electing these pensioners being in the hands of the Eoyal Caledonian 
Horticultural Society, Edinburgh. 
Should a sufficient sum not be obtained for this purpose, it is proposed 
to divide the amount raised between the two Institutions proportionately. 
It is hoped that a very liberal response will be received, not only on 
account of the esteem in which Mr. Thomson was held, but also on account 
of the object to which the Fund is to be devoted. 
A Committee, the names of which you will find annexed [in the 
circular] has been formed to collect subscriptions, and I trust you will 
become a contributor to this very laudable object.—I am, dear Sir, yours 
truly, J. G. Yeitch, 
To whom, or to any member of the English Committee, subscriptions may 
be sent. 
We shall rejoice if the amount desired can be raised, both in the 
interests of aged and needy gardeners and of helpless orphans, equally 
with the well-merited tribute that will be so appropriately paid to the 
worth of one of the most accomplished and worthy of British gardeners, 
who left the world the better for his labours in the cause of horticulture. 
The following donations have been promised, the contributors, 
except those indicated by an asterisk, constituting the Executive 
Committee for England :— 
£ 
s. 
d. 
£ 
B. 
d. 
Barron, A. F.... 
. 1 
1 
0 
Norman, G. 
0 
10 
0 
Bennett, W. ... 
. 1 
1 
0 
Sander, F. 
10 
10 
0 
Christie, A. D. 
. 1 
1 
0 
Smith, J. 
1 
1 
0 
Cordonnier, A. 
. 1 
0 
0 
Tait, E. 
5 
5 
0 
Findlay, Bruce 
. 5 
0 
0 
Thomas, 0. 
2 
2 
0 
Henderson, A. 
. 2 
2 
0 
Veitch, H. J. (Chairman) 
10 
10 
0 
Kay, P. E. ... 
. 6 
5 
0 
*Veitcb, Mrs. H. J. 
2 
2 
0 
Masters, Dr. ... 
. 1 
1 
0 
*Veitch, J. H. 
1 
1 
0 
Miller, J. W. ... 
. 1 
1 
0 
Yeitch, J. G. (Hon. Sec.) 
1 
1 
0 
Monro, G. 
. 10 
10 
0 
Williams, H. 
5 
5 
0 
*Monro, A. J. ... 
. 2 
2 
0 
Wylhes, G. 
1 
1 
0 
CORN SALAD. 
I Those who still cling to the old custom of sowing a good breadth of 
this excellent edible, to provide plants for winter and spring use, have 
this year just cau'^e to congratu'ate themselves, for Lettuces have been 
unusually scarce, and the absence of warmth and sunshine will greatly 
retard the progress of early crops both in frames and the open air. 
Corn Salad, on the contrary, sef ms to be as abundant as usual, as beyond 
suspending growth for a time iha late severe winter does not seem to 
have affected it the least, at, least that is the case with our own plants. 
Throughout the winter wa have bad plants available for use, and 
at the present time the g owth is quite young and fresh, although 
I think it would puzzle most gardeners to cut salading of any other 
kind from the open air at this early date. 
Although this Corn Salad, or Lamb’s Lettuce, is comparatively little 
grown now, it always s'‘ems to be appreciated at table, and those who 
have to keep up a regular supply of salading will do well to bear this 
in mind, and make a sowing when the month of August comes round. 
It is not often sown in the spring because throughout the summer 
there is generally abundance of Lettuce. Where it has become an 
established favourite it is liked occasionally in the summer time, as it 
helps to make a greater vaiiety for the salad bowl, and moreover 
