November 12, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
429 
to have it exposed to full light and sunshine, shade being umecessary is 
plenty of air is given during bright weather. A little shade, however, 
would really prove no detriment while the plant is growing rapidly, 
provided it only broke the sun’s rays and was applioi for a few hours 
during the hottest part of the day. Plenty of heat and moisture while 
the plant is growing is an advantage if abundance of light is given and 
air freely admitted to harden and solidify the wood. This treatment 
results in short-jointed wood and trusses of bloom from every joint. 
At this season of the year the wood should be thoroughly ripened or 
brought into that condition as early as possible. A good season of 
complete rest is essential to the plant if plenty of flowers is expected 
another year. During this important period the wood should be exposed 
to every ray of light in a moderately dry atmosphere, and in a tempera¬ 
ture that does not exceed 55° at night, 5° lower i3 preferable to a higher 
temperature during cold weather. While in this condition no more 
water should be given at its roots than is sufficient to keep the growth 
and foliage fresh and plump. Under these conditions this plant will rest 
completely, which it will not do in the close, moist, and warm atmosphere 
of the stove I am inclined to believe that if this simple treatment were 
more generally followed we should hear less of two varieties. 
GARDENIA CITRIODORA. 
This was a general favourite amongst stove plants some years ago 
before the varieties of G. florida were so extensively grown as they are at 
the present time. It has gone like many other good old plants, and now 
is rarely seen. It is, however, no less beautiful than formerly, and its 
sprays of Orange-like fragrant flowers that are produced freely from the 
axils of the leaves during winter should commend it to the public. Small 
shapely plants can be grown suitable for single vases more readily than 
the double forms, but even for the embellishment of the stove alone it is 
well worth attention. It grows freely under good cultivation, and very 
soon makes bushy little flowering plants in 5-inch pots. The main secret 
of success is to select clean healthy cuttings, and then grow them on 
afterwards without a cheek. Strong non-flowering shoots rooted in July 
and wintered in small pots will be bushy plants by spring, and ready for 
transferring into the pots in which they are to flower. It is necessary to 
grow the young plants under the influence of light, plenty of heat, and 
moisture, and then every shoot will flower. Careful watering is needed 
until plants are rooting freely into the soil, for if they once become 
checked they seldom do much good. It is also important that thrips and 
scale, which appear to be very fond of this old plant, are never allowed to 
become established, or they will not only destroy the foliage, but bring 
growth to a complete standstill. If the plants are kept growing in a 
moist structure and liberally syringed, insects will not infest it any 
sooner than other stove plants. 
MEDINILLA MAGNIFICA. 
A few years ago Medinilla magnifies was decidedly more popular than 
it is now, and it seems a pity that such beautiful ornamental plants should 
not be more largely grown at the present time. It is true it is not suitable 
for yielding abundance of flowers for cutting, but when its large pendulous 
racemes of rosy pink flowers are produced few stove plants can surpass it 
for beauty. The flowers last a long time in perfection, especially if the 
plant is stood while in flower in a rather dry moderately cool atmosphere. 
It generally flowers during April and May, but can be retarded or brought 
into flower earlier, as the flowers are produced from the termination of the 
shoots of thoroughly ripened wood. This is a free-growing plant, but does 
not flower freely under ordinary stove treatment, and this may in some 
measure account for it not being more generally grown. Even when this 
plant is not in flower it is ornamental. 
While growing stove treatment should be given ; in fact, a house where 
a mixed collection of plants is grown will suit it very well, provided the 
lightest position is selected for it. If the plant is to flower light must be 
freely admitted to ripen and harden the wood, especially during the last 
stages of development; in fact, light must be gradually admitted to it 
until it will bear full exposure to the sun. During the latter stages of 
ripening a cooler and drier atmosphere should be maintained until the 
wood is hard and ripe. It should then be rested in an intermediate tem¬ 
perature, where a moderate amount of air is admitted and the atmosphere 
is kept comparatively dry. No more water should be given than is 
sufficient to keep the foliage and roots healthy. Whether the plants 
flower well or not entirely depends upon the treatment they receive, and 
those who possess plants should be careful what treatment they receive 
from the present time, for the wood must be thoroughly ripened and then 
given a rather lengthened period of rest. During the season of inactivity 
a strict watch should be kept for thrips, for they are very liable to attack 
the plant during the time growth is at a standstill. Mealy bug will infest 
it, but the first-mentioned insect if once established very soon destroys its 
large deep green leathery foliage. 
AN MURIUM ANDRE ANUM. 
At one time I was rather inclined to condemn Anthurium Andreanum, 
for I failed to see what qualities it possessed to merit recommenda¬ 
tion. Ia spite of my first impressions I now regard it as a very valuable 
addition to our stove-flowering plants, for it is strikingly ornamental. It 
is rarely without one or more spathes. There are several varieties, and 
certainly some of them are not worth house room, but good varieties with 
brilliantly coloured spathes 7 or 8 inches in length and almost 6 inches 
wide, cannot be despised ; fortunately I possess one of the finest varieties 
lhave yet seen. One of the worst features of this plant is its natural 
habit of running up quickly with a slender stem, and thus it soon becomes 
unsightly unless the lower portion is hidden by surrounding plants. This 
can be remedied, however, by a little care and patience, for the plant can 
be topped, and will root again as freely as the old Alooasia metallica. It 
roots quicky if placed in a pot, or it can be mossed round the stem for a 
few weeks previous to being taken off, and if this is done and a few roots 
established in the moss the plant commences growth at once. The stem 
will break into growth again as freely as the plant above alluded to, and 
therefore when this is generally known we may expect to see large pan¬ 
fuls grown on the same principle as we are accustomed to see Alocasias 
now. It appears to break freely from nearly every joint of the stem, but 
whether it will propagate freely from the stem cut into lengths 1 do not 
know, for I have not yet had the opportunity of testing it, but intend 
doing so in the spring. If thi3 is the case imported seedlings can be 
dispensed with, for they often yield many worthless varieties.— 
Wm. Bardnet. 
ZINC LABELS FOR OUTDOORS. 
The following sketch 
fa 
a 
will illustrate what I think a better way of 
fixing zinc labels for outdoor use than that 
suggested by your correspondent, Mr. Walter 
Kruse, on page 380. Holes are pierced in the 
stem of the label, and the wire passed through 
them as shown in the figure. The top end of 
the wire is beaten flat, and the pointed piece 
standing up in the centre of the label pressed 
down over it, This allows the label to be passed 
into the ground, and prevents it turning round 
with the wind. The wire should be about a 
foot long, and be passed into the ground till 
fhe base of the label just enters the surface. I 
used those for Roses last year, and think they 
answer the purpose well. They are neat, not 
conspicuous, and present the writing in the 
most convenient position to the eye ; and as 
your correspondent says, when the name gets 
illegible they have only to be cleaned and re¬ 
written to be as gsoi as new.— R. Inglis. 
For those who do not wish for such an elaborate-shaped label a plain 
one is recommended, as it can be cut out quickly, because one cut helps 
to form two labels, and also because straight lines are much easier to cut 
than curved. Each label is half a hexagon, and consequently there is no 
waste of zinc, unless a small piece at the ends of each alternate line 
(which, however, can be formed into a smaller triangular-shaped label). 
This arrangement reminds me of the hexagonal cells of honeycomb, which 
Fig. 67. 
as is well known, is a model of economy of space and strength. The 
labels are cut out more quickly when two rows are marked on the sheet at 
a time, and the slip cut off. If the end label is always cut off as delineated 
it is obvious that the “ snip3 ” will not have to turn any corners, which 
takes up time and necessitates bending the zinc. The labels can be made 
of any required size.—W. Kruse. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
RICHMOND.— November sir and 6th. 
Five autumn exhibitions have now been held by the Richmond Horti¬ 
cultural Society, and that which took place on Thursday and Friday last 
will bear comparison with any of the preceding ones, for though perhaps 
less extensive than some, it was equal to the best in quality. The Com¬ 
mittee, with the courteous Secretary, Mr. J. Ford, have worked most 
perseveringly to render their Chrysanthemum shows successful, but 
hitherto, though quite satisfactory horticulturally, there have been some 
disagreeable financial deficits that rather seriously decreased the balance 
obtained from the summer shows. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the 
result this year will be more favourable in this respect, and that the autumn 
exhibition may become as firmly established as the annual show in the Old 
Deer Park. The Assembly Rooms, Castle Hotel, were again chosen for the 
Exhibition, which was visited during the afternoon of the first day by 
Princess Mary and the Duke of Teck, attended by a number of friends. 
Cut blooms formed the leading feature of the Show, and were generally 
very even and good, so that in several of the principal classes the Judges 
had a difficult task in making the awards. The Society, with a spirited 
liberality, had provided a class for forty-eight blooms, twenty-four incurved 
and twenty-four Japanese, the prizes being £10, £G, and £4, and though 
this did not induce so many competitors to enter as might have been 
expected, yet the blooms staged were of excellent quality and were greatly 
admired. Five collections were staged, Mr. C. Gibson, gardener to 
J. Wormald, Esq., Morden Park, Mitcham, being the winner of the sub¬ 
stantial first prize with handsome solid blooms of the following varieties, 
reading their names from left to right as they were in the stands. In¬ 
curved—back row—Queen of England, Prince Alfred, Empress of India, 
Refulgence, Lord Alcaster, Lord Wolseley, Princess of Wales, and Alfred 
Salter. Second row—Yellow Perfection,WhiteBeverley, John Salter, Novelty, 
Princess Beatrice, White Venus, Mr. Bunn, and Beethoven. Front row— 
Lady Hardinge, Prince of Wales, Mrs. Dixon, Mrs. Rundle, Mrs. Shipman, 
