July 80, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
85 
flower about Christmas if kept in a growing temperature. Those desirous 
of cultivating this Lily to flower early should obtain bulbs and pot them 
directly they arrive in this country, which is generally about the middle 
of July. This season they were offered me about a fortnight ago. When 
the bulbs are to be lifted from outside borders it should be done about a 
fortnight after they cease flowering, for directly this Lily has done flower¬ 
ing it commences to grow, and therefore the sooner lifting is done the 
better. It is unnecessary to plant them out after retaining them for two 
years in pots. I have the same bulbs in pots now for flowering next year 
that have flowered for the past seven years. They have never been out of 
their pots except when repotting them. The plants alluded to have done 
quite as well this year as they did the first or second they were placed in 
pots, many of the flower stems attaining a height of from 5 to 6 feet, some 
of them carrying as many as sixteen flowers. 
Many persons have no idea of the large number of flowers this grand 
old Lily is capable of bearing upon one stem. I have to be seen by any 
one at the present time flower stems over 6 feet high with twenty-seven 
flowers and buds upon them, all of which will open. These bulbs (im¬ 
ported ones) were planted in light sandy well-manured soil in August, 
1883, and bore one spike of flowers each the following season. They 
have this year thrown up from two to four spikes, the majority having 
three. On one just counted there will be seventy-one flowers—twenty- 
seven on the strongest, twenty-four on another, and twenty on the weakest 
of the three, some others probably having more flowers on their four 
spikes. I have several hundred bulbs, and I think not one has failed. 
This I consider the most valuable Lily in cultivation for grouping in 
masses or for mixing in herbaceous or shrubbery borders, to say nothing 
of its value for cultivation in pots. I have never known it fail, whether 
planted in light or heavy soil. It thrives here admirably, and equally 
well in the heavy wet land of the Lincolnshire fens, as well as in various 
other parts of the country in which it has been my lot to practise from 
time to time.— ¥m, Bardney. 
DOCTORING PLANTS—AMMONIA. 
In cold bleak spring weather, such as characterised the present year, 
many crops— e.g., French Beans, come up yellow, weak, and miserable- 
It is usual to root them up and re-sow. I prefer another course. I wait 
until the weather becomes warm and settled and then give them a dose of 
the “ doctor,” which is prepared as follows. Take 1 lo. of the strongest 
spirits of ammonia, price 9d., and mix it in a quart bottle with a pint of 
rain water. To eight gallons of ordinary water add two fluid ounces of 
the solution of ammonia, and then well water the plants with this weak 
solution. The result is surprising. Two waterings will restore the plants 
to an exuberant vigour with dark emerald leathery foliage.—W. M. 
At a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, held last 
Tuesday, E. G. Loder, Esq., in the chair, the following candidates were 
unanimously elected Fellows—viz., Richard Cane, Henry Ellis, John S. 
Mather. In addition to the above the following were elected Foreign and 
Corresponding Members—viz., H.M. the King of the Hellenes, K.G. ; His 
Majesty the King of the Belgians, K.G. ; H.S.H. the Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg Gotha, K.G. ; H.S.H. the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia ; Rev. 
M. J. Berkeley, [F.R.S.; Edmond Boissier, Alphonse de Candolle, Pro¬ 
fessor Asa Gray, Lieut -Gen. H. E. de Greig, Sir J. D. Hooker, K.C.S.I., 
C.B., F.R.S. ; George King, M.B., F.L.S., Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, 
K.C.M.G. ; Charles Naudin, Sc.D, ; Professor J. E. Planchon, Dr. E. de 
Regel, Professor H. G. Reichenbach, Dr. Richard Schomburgk, Lewis A. 
Bernays, Professor Maxime Cornu, Casimir de Candolle, Count Oswald 
de Kerchove de Denterghem, A. De la Devansaye, Professor Du Breuil, 
Dr. A. W. Eichler, O. Fenzi, Count Francis von Hohenstein, Fr, de 
Cannaert d’Hamale, |Dr. A. J. Keiner, Professor Peter Macowan, B.A. ; 
Max Leichtlin, Charles Moore, F.L.S. ; Dr. Edouard Morren, Baron 
Edward Oppenheim, Professor C. S. Sargent, Henry L. de Vilmorin, 
Sereno Watson, H. Wendland. 
-Sutton’s Early Snowball Turnip is recommended to us by 
“Navet,” who says “it is the finest type of the much-valued Snowball 
I have had in my f gar den. It is perfect in form, grows to a large 
size before becoming hot, and is most delicate in flesh and fine in flavour. 
For exhibition orjthe kitchen it would be difficult to name a better.” 
WEjnay remind our readers that an important Horticultural 
Exhibition will be held in Antwerp, August 2nd to 6th, in conjunction 
with the Horticultural and Botanical Congress from the 1st to the 
10th of August, which will undoubtedly attract numerous visitors from 
England. No less than 132 classes are provided, the prizes consisting 
of two medals in each, gold, silver-gilt, and silver according to the im¬ 
portance of the exhibits. The classes are grouped as follows:—New 
plants, introductions or seedlings, eleven classes, the principal prize 
being a gold medal offered by the King of the Belgians for a collection 
of twenty-five plants introduced to Belgium since 1882 ; plants remark¬ 
able for their culture or flowers, nine classes ; general collections of flower¬ 
ing or foliage plants, eleven classes. Special collections, which will form 
the bulk of the Exhibition, have classes devoted to Ferns, Cycads, and 
Conifers, Palms, Aroids, Marantaceous and Liliaceous plants, Bromeli- 
aceous plants, Orchids, carnivorous plants, Euphorbias, Protias, Aralias, 
Begonias, and many others. Classes are also provided for baskets of 
flowers, bouquets, garlands, and table decorations. At the Congress a 
variety of subjects will be discussed, and an excellent plan has been 
adopted of printing and distributing the principal papers to be read, so 
as to give those who intend taking part in the discussion an opportunity 
of considering the subjects. Many horticulturists will no doubt avail 
themselves of this opportunity to visit Belgium, and the new day service 
of the Great Eastern Company, via Harwich, on Wednesday and Saturday, 
will be welcomed by numbers of those who do noz enjoy night travelling. 
- A correspondent writes : —“ Those who require Cabbage op 
medium size early in the srRiNG should sow at once Ellam’s Early 
Dwarf, for it is undoubtedly the best of all small early varieties either for 
spring or autumn. Ever since it was sent out I have been testing it by 
the side of two or three other varieties each season, and in every instance 
it has turned in first, while scarcely one has run in a large batch. It is 
a grand Cabbage, and those requiring moderate-sized, firm compact heads 
early or all the season will not be disappointed with it. It only needs to 
be planted 1 foot apart each way. 
-- A large exhibitor of plants states that the Crotons in Messrs. 
R. P. Ker Sc Sons’ Nursery, Aigburth, Liverpool, are now really magnifi¬ 
cent. The secret of their success with these plants is striking large strong 
healthy cuttings and then growing them rapidly. The plants being 
young are very luxuriant, consequently they develops wonderfully large 
bold foliage. The house in which the plants are grown is admirably 
suited for them. It is a long narrow rather fiat-roofed structure, and the 
plants are arranged down the centre close to the glass and exposed to full 
light, which is essential to colour them so perfectly as Mr. Ranger 
succeeds in doing. 
- Mr. T. W. Sanders, The Gardens, The Firs, Lee, writes 
“ Herewith I send you blooms of a very useful sweet-scented annual—the 
Sweet Sultan. I have sent three varieties, which, in my opinion, rank 
among the most useful and most beautiful of annuals for affording a 
supply of cut flowers. It is a pity such charming flowers should not be 
more generally grown.” The flowers sent are both fragrant and 
attractive, and will last as long in a cut state as any other annual, and 
much larger than the majority. 
- Among the New Fuchsias in the collection of Messrs. Yeitch 
and Sons at Chelsea are two that appear highly promising for decorative 
purposes—namely, General Roberts and Edith Todman. The latter is a 
light variety—that is, having a white tube and sepals, and half-reflexed 
cerise-coloured corolla of great substance. The plant, a free yet sturdy 
grower and profuse bloomer, in these respects resembling the favourite 
market Fuchsia, Lady Heytesbury, and will be acceptable for various 
decorative purposes. General Roberts is a dark Fuchsia, remarkable for 
its freedom of growth and long racemes of pendent flowers. It may be 
quickly grown into a large specimen, while for pillars or roofs it has no 
superior and few equale. The corolla, pistil, and peduncle are of unusual 
length, these together, in a flower before us, measuring 9 inches. The 
tube and sepals are scarlet, and the corolla a reddish plum colour. It is 
very graceful and effective. 
- In the same nursery is an imposing display of Liliuh AURatum,. 
hundreds of plants flowering with great freedom in II and 5-inch pots ; 
but more particularly striking are wonderfully strong examples of the 
varieties virginale and platyphyllum. These bear some resemblance to 
the type, yet are quite dissimilar both in foliage and flowers—one, vir¬ 
ginale, having pure white segments of great substance, with a bright 
golden bar, and is very beautiful; the other has dark broken lines on a 
white ground, not spots like L. auratum, and the character of the plants 
is distinct. They are strong growers, and fine both for conservatory and 
garden decoration. 
