Jane 28, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
537 
Pdargoniuin Amljassadrexs fC. Turner).—A charming variety of the 
fancy section, the flowers neat and rounded in shape, of an extremely 
soft pink shade, witka white centre. 
Pdargonium Sj){itted Prnufy (C. Turner). — One of the spotted 
^lecorative section with large well-formed flowers, the ground colour 
being a soft blush, the three lower petals having a reddish spot in the 
centre of each, the two upper having a rich maroon centre and a light 
edge. 
Douhlft Pernnies (Kelway & Son).— Cydopn, very dark crimson, hand¬ 
some ; d//.s’.s';Srtb('<77/, white, with sulphur central petals ; Lady Cavrlny- 
ton, bro.ad petals of a delicate flesh tint ; 2[aria Kdioay, pink guard 
petals, pink and white central petals : and Agues Mary Kelway, soft 
blush with narrow sulphur tinted central petals. 
Beljjliiniums (Kelway & Son).— Passanio, single brilliant blue, white 
centre, tall compact spike ; Figaro, double deep blue, bronzy purple 
centre, bold and distinct. 
Fjrklendrum atro-jnirpvrevm rar. Pnndi (Sir T. Lawrence, Bart., 
M.P., and F. G. Tautz, Esq.).—This Orchid is described fully on page 
53-1, in the Orchid column. 
Council Meeting. —At the Council meeting held in the offlees, 111> 
Victoria Street, on Tuesday afternoon, a report was read from the 
Fellows’ Committee in regard to the arrangements for 1889, and it was 
decided to give publicity to the following notice;—“That the Council 
having now in hand the composition of the Fruit and Floral Committees 
for 1889 would be glad to receive suggestions from the general body of 
Fellows as to any Fellows of the Society whom they may consider to be 
suitable persons to serve on either Committee.” Letters of thanks were 
read from the Iloyal Society, the Linnean Society, and the Society qf 
Antiquaries for the contribution of flowers and foliage plants sent'on 
the occasion of their respective annu.al soirees. A letter was read from 
the solicitors to the Society promising that the new by-laws, duly re¬ 
vised, should be put before the Council within a fortnight. 
At the general meeting, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., in the 
chair, thirty-two candidates were duly elected Fellows of the Society. 
RAMIE OR RHEEA. 
The Keio Bulletin for Juno gives the following particulars concern¬ 
ing Boehmeria nivea var. tenacissima, together with several letters con¬ 
taining information on the manufacture. 
The plant known under the several names of China Grass, Ramie, or 
Rheca, belongs to the natural order Urticace®, and hence it is not a 
Grass at all, but a species of Nettle, somewhat resembling hi appearance 
and habit of growth the common Nettle of Europe. 
The China Grass plant, first known and long cultivated by the 
Chinese under the name of Tchou Ma, is the Boehmeria nivea of botanists. 
The specific name, nivea, was given to it on account of the white appear¬ 
ance on the under side of the leaves. A plant called in Assam, Rheea, 
and in the Malay Islands, Ramie, was believed by Roxburgh to be»dis- 
tinct from the Tchou Ma of the Chinese, and it was named by this 
botanist Boehmeria (Urtica) tenacissima. In this plant there is an 
absence of the white-felted appearance on the under side of the leaves, 
so characteristic of the China Grass plant, but in all other respects the 
two plants are identical in theii botanical characters. 
For purposes of classification, the Tchou Ma, or China Grass plant, 
Boehmeria nivea, may be accepted as the typical species,*and the Rheea 
or Ramie retained as a geographical variety of it, under the name of 
Boehmeria nivea var. tenacissima. This latter is sometimes known as 
the green-leaved China Grass, a name which may be conveniently 
retained for it. 
The fibre yielded by these plants has been long recognised as pre¬ 
eminent amongst vegetable fibres for strength, fineness, and lustre. 
Hence numerous attempts have been made to cultivate them, and to 
prepare the fibre in large quantities for commercial purposes. The 
plants are exceedingly easy of cultivation, and thrive in all soils, but 
preference should be given to those of a light loamy character. It is 
essential that the climate be moist and stimulating, in order to produce 
abundant and frequent crops of .stems. The plants may be raised from 
seed, but the more ready method is by root or stem cuttings. The roots 
being perennial, the stools become stronger and more vigorous every 
year, and from these fresh sets arc easily obtained for extending the 
cultivation. 
Numerous attempts have been made during the hast ten years to 
extract the valuable fibre which exists in this plant. The experimental 
processes hitherto employed may be briefly classed as either mechanical 
or chemical. In the first, it has been sought to extract the fibre from 
the green stems, by means of rapidly revolving beaters attached to a 
drum driven by steam power. In some cases water is used to wash the 
fibre while under the beaters. The chief difficulty experienced in this 
method is the small quantity of fibre cleaned per day. This has en¬ 
hanced the cost to such an extent as to render the process practically 
nnremunerativc. In the chemical processes, the Ramie stems are 
treated green or dry. The object sought is to treat the stems either 
under great [iressure with steam or with chemicals, so as to dissolve the 
gum in which the individual fibres are immersed. After being thus 
■treated, the fibres are easily detached from the stems by hand or by 
machinery, and are sent to market in the form of ribbons. The question 
of cost is here .also very important, and it is felt, under present circum- 
etances, that China Grass can only be satisfactorily grown and prepared 
where there is an abundance of cheap labour. 
It is a fact universally known that the fibre of the China Grass is 
one of the finest and strongest known. If a process could be devised 
that woulil extract and clean the fibre at a cheap rate, the results 
would prove of the greatest possible interest to all our tropical colonies. 
The China Grass plant can be grown as easily as the Sugarcane, but 
in spite of many years of continuous effort, the problem how to prepare 
the fibre on a large scale, and place it in the market at remunerative 
rates, is apparently still unsolved. 
NOTES ON SUMMER TREATMENT. 
The months of June, July, and August is a busy time amongst 
growers of Chrysanthemums, but especially so where a large collection 
is cultivated with a view to exhibition, nui-nbering from 400 to 600 
plants, and at this time many other duties press heavily on gardeners. 
I am afraid during the time nametl many collections of plants, small as 
well as large, are spoilt through neglect at this season of the year. It 
is a mistake for any cultivator to attempt to grow too many plants. 
Far better would it be to grow fewer, that they might have all the 
necessary attention given them when required. One of the greatest 
mistakes made by beginners in Chrysanthemum culture is neglecting to 
place their pl.ants into the largest pots soon enough. Often they are 
left until time can be found after the bedding-out has been completed, 
or sometimes it is the want of a sufficient number of pots that is the 
cause of delay. However that may be, failure may often be traced to 
this cause—delay in potting. All plants should be at once potted with 
the least possible delay. The pots must not be too large. Those 9 inches 
in diameter are best suited for the majority of single plants. Some 
weak-arowing varieties, such, for instance, as Princess Beatrice among 
the incurved, and Criterion as a Japanese variety, may have pots 1 inch 
less in size than fw' the bulk of the sorts. It is a mistake to place weak- 
growing varieties in pots which they never can properly fill with roots, 
and they can never be safely supplied with stimulating foods with the 
same chance of success as when the pots occupied are full of healthy 
roots. The constant application of watei renders the soil sour and not 
at all adapted to the requirements of weakly rooted varieties. Where 
larger sizes of pots are in store than those nametl, it is much better to 
place two plants in one pot; a great saving of space and time is thus 
gained, and the results are more satisfactory. 
The soil used should be tolerably rich, as the Chrysanthemum, having 
such a short season of growth, requires the soil of a good character wherein 
its work may be quickly effecteil. Where the soil is heavy means should 
be t.aken to lighten it by the addition of partly decayed leaves, vyood ashes, 
charcoal, and sand. The plants should be potted firmly, again making 
allowance for the nature of the soil; that of a heavy class will not requhe 
so much firming as the lighter sort. The last-named cannot easily be 
rammed too firmly into the pots at the last shift. The growth then is 
made in a much more solid manner. It may not be so quick at first, 
but the quality of the wood is more easily gained by firm potting than 
by potting looselv, which produces gross growth, all other conditions 
favourable ; but the quality of the flowers produced, notably the in¬ 
curved section, is never so high as when firm potting is practised. The 
blooms may be as large, possibly larger, in diameter, but they lack those 
most essenti.al points which st.and almost first in an incurved bloom ■ 
depth and solidity - of course taking into consideration that the bloom 
is of reasonable size. 
The next detail in successful Chrysanthemum culture, where large 
blooms are required, is the manipulation of the shoots at critical times. 
I have seen many collections of plants spoilt at an early st.age of their 
growth through neglect or ignorance in dealing with the branches in a 
manner best calculated to induce satisfactory results. Where plants are 
grown by what is generally termed the natural way of training them— 
that is, .allowing them to grow aw.ay from the cutting without topping 
the m.ain shoot or leader, the first natural break into additional branches 
generally takes place from the middle of May to the same time in June, 
varying according somewhat to the time the cuttings were struck and 
the manner in which they have been cultivated. The “ first break,” as 
it is called, is caused by the formation of a flower bud in the point of 
the le.ader or stem. During the time this is forming growth at th.at point 
is checked. Nature provides for this check by the growth of an additional 
shoot from each node. Now is the time when the object for which the 
plants are being cultivated should be declared. If the finest flowers are 
the object, the growths named must be restricted to three of the strongest, 
which, lire ^enerfvlly those nearest the point where the flower had formed. 
Remove all other shoots but those chosen to produce the number^ of 
flowers reejuired as soon as they can be handled with safety, pinching 
out at the same time the flower bud formed. 
Secure to supports the new growths as need be, remembering that 
loss of any of these means a loss of flowers. Daily attention is required 
at this time to see that none is broken through being tied too tightly or 
other causes. The best means of securing the growths is that of erecting 
a temporary trellis of wires, stakes, or other contrivance most convenient 
to the cultivator, and suificientlv high to .allow for the whole summer s 
growth. Such trellis should be erected in the place the plants are to 
