JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March S9,188«. 
?.52 
atmosphere until they have somewhat recovered from the check all 
plants unavoidably sustain in the operation of potting. Hedaromas 
are particularly liable to die after repotting, and without any 
apparent reason, but I believe it to be due to imperfect watering. 
The behaviour of this genus is very unaccountable, the most expe¬ 
rienced plantsmen losing them at times, and being quite unable to 
give any reason for their dying. 
The addition of charcoal to potting compost is a practice that 
cannot be too highly recommended, for it not only keeps the soil 
open and porous, but also acts as a storehouse for food for therootsj 
and should be freely used when possible for all plants. In the 
absence of charcoal broken crocks may be used, and will be found 
an excellent substitute ; but no matter how good and suitable the 
soil, no plant can thrive if not properly supplied with water.— 
C. L., Br'.stol. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
I WAS glad to see the remarks of your correspondent, “ A Surrey 
Amateur,’’ on the unsatisfactory awards made by the Floral Com¬ 
mittee. Had I not been unfortunately laid up for the past month 
I should have brought under the notice of the Council the case of 
Dendrobium Cooksoni, which I remember well was exhibited by Mr. 
Cookson about two years ago, when it was not thought worthy of 
recognition. I notice in your issue last week that this Orchid has 
since been discovered to be a hybrid between D. nobile and 
Fal oneri, raised at Heathfield House, Gateshead, and was received 
by Mr. Cookson in exchange. I hope as soon as the new by-laws 
have been settled by the Council that the question of the advisability 
of splitting up the Floral Committee into sections with a chairman 
for each section will be discussed. I hope to see at least an Orchid 
committee tried, who should not only award first-class certificates 
for plants of horticultural merit, but they should also grant a 
botanical certificate to all new plants when exhibited for the first 
time, and that the functions of the nomenclature committee should 
be revived, and should again become a prominent feature of the 
R.H.S. meetings. I hope horticulturists throughout the country 
will freely express their views on this subject, either in the horti¬ 
cultural press or to me personally. I should like to see definite 
rules laid down for the guidance of every committee, and that they 
should send a report to the Council after each meeting of the 
plants and fruit which they have had under their consideration, and 
their reasons for giving or withholding certificates and medals. 
To your correspondent, “ One in the Provinces,” I hope here¬ 
after a plan may be devised by which gardeners who become 
associate members shall on election receive a diploma, and I trust 
that the day is not far distant when candidates for the diploma will 
be i-equired to give some satisfactory proof that they are worthy of 
election ; but I must urge upon all who value the advancement of 
horticulture throughout the British islands to actively support the 
Society, not only by exhibiting the wonders of their gardens, but 
also by becoming members of the Society. Unless the Council is 
supported and funds forthcoming they will not be in a position to 
make Chiswick the success that I for one should like to see. At the 
present time the Council is more or less crippled by want of active 
support. Many things require to ’oe altered. For this year at 
least all measures must be of a tentative character. Let horticul¬ 
turists say what they want and support the Council with funds, so 
that they may be able to carry their wishes into effect. 
It is my impression, in answer to “ A Fellow of the Society,” 
that there were two or three exhibitions in the gardens of Finsbury 
Circus. At one at least Royalty no doubt did give away the prize", 
but I think the Rector of Bishopsgate gave them on other occasions. 
I believe the reason that these exhibitions were given up was 
not for want of funds, but because certain inhabitants of the Circus 
objected to them on account of the damage that was done to the 
croquet and tennis lawns. If my memory serves me right I think 
that the entrance was either Id. or 2d. after six o’clock. I believe 
dOOO or 4000 persons attended each Show. I did trust arrange¬ 
ments could have been made last autumn with the Treasurer of 
Finsbury Circus by which shows of the R.H.S. might have occa¬ 
sionally been held in the gardens, but unfortunately nothing came 
of the negotiations. The suggestion about opening the garden at 
Chiswick when the fruit trees are in flower is worth consideration, 
but I am afraid that it will not prove so attractive to the public as 
your correspondent thinks. I think we shall have to advertise the 
meetings in some popular manner. I have met Fellows of the 
Society who were not even aware of the day on which the fort¬ 
nightly Shows are held. I fear that I have trespassed on your space 
in endeavouring as briefly as possible to show that the Council are 
not unmindful of the consideration of matters, while they hope to 
be able to place the Society again in the proud position of the first 
horticultural society of the world —A. H. Smee. 
[In this hope we join, and.bespeak for the Society the support of 
those amateurs and professional gardeners who are in a position to> 
become Fellows or Associites under the new regulations. See 
pp. 215-2 If) of our issue of the 15th inst.] 
EUCIIARIS CULTURE. 
Of late there have been in the pages of the Journal numerous', 
notes on the Eucharis and its cultivation. As this deservedly 
favourite flower is grown in almost every garden under almostt 
every possible condition, so must the experience, and consequently 
opinion, of each individual grower, necessarily differ somewhat 
from that of others ; hence an interesting controversy, which if 
conducted amicably can have no other than a happy result, for 
these records of the experience of practical men are valuable iir 
that they show the good results that may be obtained from widely 
different methods of treatment. 
In my note book I have a few facts appropriate to the subject 
and of interest to gardeners, which are as follows :—In a garden 
which I often visit there are several pots of Eucharis grandiflora, 
which are the healthiest and best I have seen. They are growing 
in a loamy compost in 12 and 16-inch pots, wliich are so full of 
bulbs that they are literally crowding each other out. They are 
well furnished with dark green leathery leaves, some of which 
measure upwards of 2 feet from base of petiole to apex of blade, 
and 8 or 9 inches across the latter. They bloom profusely twice, 
and sometimes thrice a year. They have not been potted for five 
or six years, and being very much rootbound require and receive 
liberal supplies of water. They also each occasionally receive a 
hannful of dry sifted manure from the fowl house. During the 
winter they are kept in a temperature ranging from 50° to 65°, and 
throughout the summer months they have no artificial heat what¬ 
ever. In a great measure they are left to take care of themselves, 
and they appear to do it very well indeed. 
Undoubtedly the Eucharis in course of time, to some extent, 
adapts itself to the conditions by which it is surrounded—in a 
word, it makes the best of its opportunities, and thus affords to 
mankind generally a very salutary lesson. This remark applies to. 
all cultivated plants, whether temperate or tropical, indigenous or 
exotic. 
Apparently some gardeners, in their zeal to grow a plant well, 
fail to grow it at all. They seem, if one may judge by the way in 
which they treat the subject, to be imbued with the idea that 
growing a plant is an operation analogous to making a fire, requir¬ 
ing much personal attention and much fussing and poking about. 
As a matter of fact, plants are not at all so obstinate as these- 
people would lead anyone to understand. They require neither 
force nor persuasion, but simply permission to grow—that is to say, 
they are only too happy to do their own growing, if no insuperable. 
ol)stacles are placed in their way. It is the work of the cultivator 
to find out what these obstacles are, and to remove them. When 
he has done this the plants will grow and thrive without the aid of 
any exterior assistance. - G. B. 
FERTILISATION OF EARLY PEACHES. 
In a recent number of the Journal a correspondent finds he- 
can dispense with artificial fertilisation for his Peaches. I wish I 
could record a similar expirience, for we could avoid a very tedious 
operation. But I think if artificial means were used more generally 
for the early houses we should hear far less about light crops. I 
am afraid the majority of gardeners could not leave the front 
ventilators open and still command a night temperature of 50° or 55°. 
During sunny weather the blooms may set well by merely tapping 
the trees, for the pollen is then light and dry, consequently it will 
fall well ; but I fear sunny days early in January are more imagi¬ 
nary than real. I have used a camel-hair brush and a rabbit’s tail 
for several years now, and have never seen a light crop follow, but 
I have seen many failures in the early houses where the tapping 
system alone had been used. I think it far safer to insure a crop 
than trust to mere chance. No doubt much depends on the house 
where the trees are grown in, also the position, for it is an easy 
matter to keep a light buoyant atmosphere in some houses, while 
in others during dull weather it is nearly impossible. 
Again, the varieties grown must be taken into consideration. 
The small-flowered varieties, such as Royal George, generally 
speaking, bear abundance of pollen, while those of the Barrington, 
or large-flowered section, do not bear nearly so much. It would be 
interesting to hear if many of your correspondents can trust to the 
system advocated by “ S. T. C.,” I fear not. It may be the same 
