250 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 22, 1887. 
house. A plant I had some years ago was trained close to the glass, 
running; lengthways of the house, and it grew and flowered freely. 
Plants in both stove and greenhouse temperatures flowered with 
the same freedom, though of course not at the same time. To 
grow Gloriosas successfully, great attention must be paid to ripening 
the bulbs. This is absolutely necessary both to ensure free flowering 
in the ensuing year and also for the preserving of the bulbs during 
winter. In whatever temperature our plants were grown a slow 
and gradual ripening was given them, the benefit derived from such 
treatment being year by year apparent. 
Another point which was always adhered to was starting the 
plants early into growth—namely, about the middle of February, 
plunging them in gentle bottom heat. When properly matured 
—that is, when leaf and stem are turned yellow, they may be left 
without water for a month, after which turn them out and place in 
dry sand, or allow them to occupy their pots in some warm dry 
corner in the stove, but away from the pipes. They keep well in 
sand, however, and require no water for three or even four months. 
The earliest started will flower in the end of June and continue 
for a considerable time. With this treatment Gloriosas, or Methoni- 
cas as they are sometimes called, are by no means difficult to grow. 
They delight in a mixture of peat and loam in equal parts, with a 
liberal addition of sharp sand and cow manure at the rate of one- 
fifth of the whole. When growing it requires abundance of root 
room, and serial shifts should be avoided. Some years ago an old 
friend assured me that these plants were hardy in favoured localities 
and protected in winter, but I have not yet had the courage to test 
the veracity of the statement.—J. H. E. 
Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, send us a remarkable 
bunch of Perfection Tomatoes grown out of doors near Bexley. 
The bunch contained eleven fruits, and had originally a dozen, one 
having fallen. The eleven fruits weighed 2 lbs. 9 ozs., good even well 
ripened specimens, an unusual example of successful culture. It has, 
however, been an exceptionally favourable season for Tomatoes out of 
doors. 
- We understand that the Autumn Show of the Richmond 
Horticultural Society will not be held this year, owing, it is said, 
to a disinclination on the part of the Committee to appeal to the sub¬ 
scribers, whose purses have been heavily taxed by local Jubilee demauds. 
- “ E. M.” writes :—“ The Golden Elder requires free exposure 
to the sun to bring out its beautiful golden colour properly, and as such 
it is a striking object in the shrubberies when associated with other 
suitable shrubs or trees. The Purple Hazel is a capital companion to 
it. A delightful contrast is formed when the two shrubs are planted 
side by side in a clump of say half a dozen plants each. This season 
the sun has been too powerful for the Elder, and all the uppermost 
leaves are burnt and shrivelled. Any time during the winter the 
shoots should be pruned in to one or two eyes on each stem, whence 
the young growth springs and grows from 4 to 5 feet long in one 
season.” 
- In the report of the Bath Show we omitted to mention that 
Mr. G. Lock, gardener to B. W. Cleave, Esq., Crediton, and Mr. A. 
Miller, Rood Ashton, Trowbridge, were respectively first and second for 
Pine Apples, both having handsome fruits of Smooth Cayenne. 
-“ At a Red Cabbage and Celery Show held at the 
Hadfield Hotel, Barber Road, Sheffield, on Saturday afternoon last,” 
says “ W. K. W.,” “ the weight of the heaviest and best Cabbage was 
20 lbs., the best brace of Celery turning the scale at 7 lbs.; the latter 
was well bleached and of excellent quality. The Cabbage also was 
of high colour, closely trimmed, and of first-class quality. There were 
about thirty entries in each class, the quality being good throughout. 
Six Onions shown, ‘ not for competition,’ weighed 8f lbs, the variety 
being Giant Rocca, and the size equal to the largest imported Spanish 
Onions. When we consider that the above are the produce of cottage 
growers, most of whom are engaged in the cutlery or file trades during 
the day, and considering the exceptionally hot and dry .season we have 
experienced, with the consequent difficulty and greatly increased labour 
in the production of such vegetables, we can readily appreciate the 
industry expended upon them.” 
- The Wakefield Paxton Society. —At a meeting of the mem¬ 
bers of the above Society held at the “Saw Hotel,” Mr. W. Hudson, 
gardener at Sandal Grange, presided, and Mr. B. Whiteley was in the 
vice-chair. The essayist was Mr. S. Ballinger, gardener, Barnsley, and 
he read a well-prepared and thoroughly practical paper, entitled “ How 
to Secure a Good Crop of Carrots.” Mr. Ballinger alluded to the value 
of the Carrot as food for man, pointed to some of the difficulties 
which have been experienced in cultivating it in this country, and 
explained how he had overcome them and secured a good general 
crop. He said the Carrot prefers a firm but poor soil, the admixture of 
a large quantity of manure tending to cause the roots to be destroyed 
by grubs or maggots, which penetrate the soil if it is not trod firmly. 
A short discussion followed the reading of the paper, in which Messrs. 
Pye, Preston, and Garnett took part, and put questions to the essayist, 
which he clearly and promptly answered. On the motion of Mr. Brown, 
gardener at Hatfeild Hall, seconded by Mr. J. W. Simpson, of Walton, 
a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Ballinger, who also replied 
to questions asked by the proposer and seconder of the motion. 
- Mr. Jas. Wicketts, Whitcroft, Pershore, writes :—“ On Satur¬ 
day last about half-past three in the afternoon we had a great SwARH 
of Ladybirds, thousands upon thousands. Our house was being 
painted, and, I am sorry to say, maDy were caught by the wet paint when 
they arrived, and also when they left. We could distinctly hear the 
noise of their flight. Is it usual for them to move in such large numbers 1 
Have they been seen elsewhere ? ” 
- The usual monthly meeting of the Belgian Horticulturists 
was held in Ghent, September 13th, when the following members were 
present :—MM. V. Cuvelier, Francois Desbois, De Smet-Duvivier, Jules 
Decock, Jules Hye-Lejsen, Charles Van Geert of Antwerp, A. RosseeL 
Halkin of Brussels, Raph. De Smet, and Ernest Delaruye. M. Charles 
Spae presiding, and M. Emile de Cock being Secretary. Certificates of 
merit were awarded for Pteris Bausei from M. De Smet-Duvivier ; Onci- 
dium barbatum from M. A. Van Imschoot ; Cattleya Gaskeliana from 
MM. Yervaet et Cie ; Odontoglossum Yervaeti from the same ; and 
Lobelia erinoides alba flora grandiBora from M. Devriesere-Reemens, 
Cultural certificates were awarded for Glaziova insignis, from M. Auguste 
Yan Geert ; Oncidium incurvum, from MM. Vervaet et Cie; and 
Epidendrum raniferum from M. A. Van Imschoot. 
- A Gardener in the provinces writes :—“ I wish to thank the 
Assistant-Secretary (Mr. E. Bax) for the information he has tendered 
(page 203) respecting the Royal Horticultural Society’s Publi¬ 
cations. In my letter on page 191 the word ‘Fellows’ was inadver¬ 
tently employed instead of the ‘ public.’ The sentence should have 
read ‘ Offering the report of the Pear Congress to the public is a new 
departure on the part of the Council of the Royal.’ I was aware that 
the reports when issued were circulated amongst the Fellows of the 
Society, but the announcement in this Journal that the report of the 
Pear Congress could be had by outsiders was the first intimation that I 
have seen that the reports could be had by others than the Fellows. I 
am glad to find, however, that the report of the Primula Conference can 
be had. I have asked more than one Fellow of the Society whether this 
particular report could be had, and they appeared to possess no know¬ 
ledge on the subject.” 
- The usual fortnightly meeting of the Walkley (Sheffield) 
Amateur Floral and Horticultural Society was held on Friday 
evening last at the “ Howard Hotel,” Walkley, when there was a large 
attendance of members, Mr. Thus. B. Hague (President) in the chair. 
The exhibition by members of plants, fruit, and cut flowers was one of 
the most extensive and best ever held by the Society, four large tables 
being well filled by exhibits, most of them of a very high order of ex¬ 
cellence. Mr. Hague, the President, exhibited a very fine group of 
Cactus and Pompon Dahlias, also fine stands of Roses, Asters, show 
Dahlias, Pansies, and Phloxes. Amongst the Roses was one of the best 
exhibition blooms we have seen this year, the variety being Mdlle. 
Annie Wood, a fine autumn bloomer. Mr. Marson showed an especially 
fine Lilium auratum with three strong stems and twenty-seven blooms 
all from one bulb, an imported one, purchased in the spring at a cost of 
eightpence. Mr. Jarvis, the Hon. Sec., showed very fine Liliums lane _ 
