148 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 22, 1894. 
- Liverpool Horticultural Association.— On Saturday at 
the William Brown Street Museum, Mr. R. Pinnington gave a paper on 
“Some Neglected Plants” with cultural notes. The essay was listened 
to with much attention, the after proceedings partaking more of a chat 
about many old plants which have nearly gone out of cultivation. 
Mr. White, the Chairman, Mr. Massey, and Mr. Foster added some useful 
remarks which were edifying to the younger members present. A vote 
to Mr. Pinnington proposed by Mr. Elsworihy and a similar one on the 
proposition of Mr. Massey to the Chairman, brought the meeting to a 
close. 
- The Early Season. —A Bristol contemporary says :—“ The 
mildness of the season is so remarkable that trees and plants are in 
leaf and bud to an extent almost unprecedented in the month of 
February. We have been shown branches of Rose trees. Honeysuckle, 
Gooseberry, Raspberry, Southernwood, Vervain, Lilac, and the Quince, 
all of them in leaf ; while in many instances Primroses and 
spring flowers can be seen in bloom. In some cases the Primrose roots 
are covered with masses of flowers. It is true we are getting strong 
westerly gales, but if the summer weather starts in March, as it did last 
year, the winter will be about the shortest on record.” 
- Mushrooms. — “W. T., Jilantyre," writes—“While at the 
moors last August I found some Mushrooms, superior in flesh and flavour 
to the common species. They were all dome-shaped, none of them flat, 
dark brown in colour, and had a nearly black disc from an inch to 
IJ inch in diameter on the apex. The flavour was of a sweet nutty 
nature, and the flesh white. I was told by a person who gathered 
Mushrooms they were poisonous ones, but replied I had eaten some of 
them and never found anything in the common ones so luscious. He 
exclaimed, “My fate was sealed, nothing would save me.” The query 
uppermost in my mind now is. Can the spawn of these be propagated, 
and be as plentiful as the common Mushroom ? ” 
- Nicotiana AFFInis. —Mr. John Milne, Kilworth House 
Gardens, Rugby, remarks :—“ Where there is much house decoration to 
do, a dozen specimens of this sweet-scented and free-flowering plant in 
the opening months of the year are most useful. A good time to sow 
seed is at the end of June, pricking them into small pots when large 
enough to handle, and finally planting them out in good rich soil in the 
garden. Early in October or as soon as frost renders it imperative they 
should be lifted with good balls and placed in 7 or 8-inch pots. The 
stronger they are at the time of lifting the better the after result will 
be. A cold frame will suit them till the end of the year, when 
if removed into a temperature of 55° or 60° the flower spikes will 
begin to push, and will be in flower by the end of January. For dark 
passages and corridors they are especially useful, as in such positions 
the flowers keep open all day instead of closing as they do when more 
in the light.” 
- Durmatobotrys Saundersi. — This is a new and interesting 
genus of Scrophulariaceae, which was created by Mr. H. Bolus from 
specimens supplied by Mrs. Katherine Saunders of Natal, an old and 
valued correspondent of Kew. A figure and description of the p'ant 
were published in “ Hooker’s leones Plantarum,” t. 1910. In 1892 Mrs. 
Saunders forwarded fresh seeds of it to Kew, and from these a large 
batch of plants were raised, which have since been freely distributed. 
Several of the plants at Kew are now in flower. They are about a foot 
high, branched, the stems succulent, the leaves fleshy, oblong-ovate, 
serrated, glabrous, with rose-tinted veins. The flowers are produced in 
whorls just below the new leaves, each flower being tubular, inch 
long, with five regular teeth, the colour outside bright red, the inside 
yellow. The following information with respect to the habit and 
peculiarities of this plant has been supplied by Mrs. Saunders, from 
Eshowe, Zululand, June 27th, 1892 :—“ Having been staying some time 
with my son, who discovered the Dermatobotrys you kindly named 
after him, I avail myself of the opportunity of being here in its flowering 
season, which has lasted already several weeks, to send more specimens 
of it. In the small box now posted with this I send some roots of the 
Dermatobotrys which have been detached from the tree, upon which it 
is epiphytic. They are certainly diff.-rent from the aerial roots of any 
plants I have seen. Although it grows normally upon trees, it also 
occurs growing on the ground. I have put in some ripe seeds, which I 
trust will enable you to introduce the plant into gardens at home, for it 
would be a great ornament to any garden, both flowers and foliage 
being handsome.” Specimens of this plant in fruit only in the Kew 
Herbarium were collected by the late Mr. Gerrard in Natal twenty 
years ago.—(“ Kew Bulletin.”) 
Birmingham Amateur Gardeners’ Association. —There was 
a large attendance of members at the meeting of this Association, held 
on the llt^h inst., at their rooms, 116, Colmore Row. Mr. A. Groves 
presided. A lecture on Chrysanthemums was delivered by Mr. W. H. 
Peake. He commenced with the cultivation of the plant from the 
striking of the cutting, and described the way this was best done. 
He then explained the mixture of the soil for the various pottings, and 
the means by which large blooms and specimen plants were produced. 
He also dealt with the destroying of the various insects most trouble¬ 
some to these plants. The lecture proved productive of good discussion, 
and a vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Peake. Messrs. T. P. Coper 
C. Daniell, Franklin, W. B. GrifBo, Groves, Hartley, W. W. Sanderson, 
and H. Smith exhibited plants and blooms, making an attractive display. 
- Structural Improvements at Kew Gardens. —We learn 
from the“ Kew Bulletin ” that the following structural alterations and 
improvements were made in the plant houses in the Royal Gardens 
during the past year :—Conservatory. (No. 4 )—This house was built 
in 1792 for “ New Holland ” plants. The wings were added in 1844-5 
by Decimus Burton. The woodwork being decayed, and the smallness 
of the panes of glass and antiquated arrangements for ventilation being 
inadequate for modern methods of cultivation, its reconstruction on an 
improved plan was undertaken by H.M. Office of Works. The central 
portion was completed in 1892, exactly a century after its first erection, 
the wooden roof being replaced by an iron one of much lighter and more 
elegant appearance, and the sashes glazed with wider panes. A lantern 
ventilator wan added. Last year the north wing was undertaken, made 
2 feet w der, and the roof raised and a lantern ventilator added. This 
year it is hoped the south wing will he reconstructed. The house will 
then be larger, lighter, and in every way better fitted for the cultivation of 
choice greenhouse plants. Cool Fern Pit, (No. 6a.) —The development 
of the collect ion of cool or greenhouse Ferns which has taken place 
within the last five years, and for which the fine cool Fern house (No. 3) 
was erected in 1892, created the need of a nursery pit for them. This 
was built last year in the yard adjoining the ferneries. It is span- 
loofei, 44 feet by lOJ feet, and 8 feet high, and replacessome dilapidated 
frames. Temperate House.—Slate staging over the pipes has now been 
substituted for the wood-trellis stage running all round this house, and 
the plants have since been found to thrive better. Bottom ventilators 
have also been placed in the wall at the north end for the benefit of the 
Hima ayan Rhododendrons and of the collection of cod Ferns which are 
planted at this end of the house. Masdevallia Pit. (No. 16c.)—This 
has been reconstructed. It i# now span-roofed and on a level with the 
adjoining ranges of private Orchid pits. 
- Horticultural Club.—T he annual dinner took place at 
the rooms of the Club, Hotel Windsor, on the 13th inst., and was a 
most successful gathering. The chair was occupied by Sir J. D. Llewelyn, 
Bart., and the vice-chair (in the unavoidable absence of the Secretary 
through domestic affliction) by Mr. Harry J. Veitch. Amongst those 
present were Sir Alex. Arbuthnot, Bart., Rev. F. H. Gall, Messrs. 
Walker, Kay, Assbee, Bunyard, Bull, Webber, Leebohn, Wheeler, Cheal, 
Shea, Selfe Leonard, J. H. Veitch, Martin Smith, Turner, Laiog, Rivers, 
H. Rivers, Girdlestone, G. Paul, Moss, Cousens, Cockett, Featherby, and 
others. The Chairman proposed the health of Her Majesty and the rest 
of the Royal Family, and mentioned that the Queen had presented this 
year a silver cup to be competed for at the meeting of the National 
Rose Society to be held at Windsor in June. The Chairman also pro¬ 
posed “ Prosperity to the Horticultural Club,” and spoke in encouraging 
terms of its present position and prospects. Mr. Harry Veitch, in 
responding, regretted the necessity of bis occupying that position, and 
uryed upon the members of the Club that they should endeavour to 
enlist new members to fill up the vacancies occasioned by death and 
other causes. The toast of “ The Royal Horticultural Society ” was pro¬ 
posed by Mr. Girdlestone and responded to by Mr. Geo. Paul. “ The 
Visitois,” was given by Mr. Selfe Leonard, and responded to by Sir 
A. Arbuthnot. The health of the Chairman was proposed by Mr. 
Arnold Moss. During the course of the evening an excellent selection 
of vocal and instrumental music was given under the superintendence 
of Mr. Geo. Bunyard, to whom and to those who assisted him hearty 
thanks were given. The table was profusely decorated with cut flowers 
and plants contributed by Messrs. Veitch & Sons of Chel8ea,iand Mr. James 
Walker of Ham ; an excellent dessert was also furnished by some of 
the membeis, including Grapes from Mr. George Monro, Pine Apples 
from Mr. Assbee, Californian Winter Neiis Pears and English B'enheim 
Orange Apples from Mr. Webber, and Apples from Mr. George Bunyard 
and Mr. Joseph Cheal, to which gentlemen the Chairman tendered the 
thanks of the guests. 
