516 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ December 10, 1885. 
when they are so inexpensive to preserve, and make such an agreeable 
change for the winter. For the past four years I have grown selected 
seed of Carter’s Champion, and have found it to be a variety to be 
depended on for quality and productiveness when treated well.—J. CopSON, 
Down Ampnty. 
WREATH MAKING. 
The hints thrown out by your correspondent “ J. H. E.” regarding 
the making of wreaths, will, I am sure, be highly appreciated by many 
of the readers of the journal. Numbers of young gardeners who have 
been reared in private gardens have had very few opportunities of seeing 
wreaths made, and feel at a loss when at some unexpected time they are 
requested to make one. I can well remember my first start at wreath¬ 
making, and the difficulty I had in keeping the flowers in their proper 
position on the wire skeleton, which had not the improvement mentioned 
by your correspondent—viz , the hazel or willow secured inside. Since 
then I have used cardboard as a skeleton, and find it much better in 
every respect. It is quite a simple matter to cut out a circle about 1 inch 
wide in the cardboard, round this tie some green moss, and you have at 
once a capital skeleton for making crosses. I generally use thin laths 
nailed together and covered with moss in the same way as the wreath 
skeletons. 
When Adiantums are scarce I find Asparagus plumosus a very good 
substitute. It lasts a long time fresh, and is quite as light and graceful 
as Maidenhair Fern.— William Little. 
At a general meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society held 
last Tuesday at South Kensington, E. G. Loder, Esq., in the chair, the fol¬ 
lowing candidates were duly elected Fellows, viz.:—T. B. Crandall, George 
Flemwell, T. W. Girdlestone, Surgeon-General Graham, J. J. Hillier, Major 
Holland, Walter Kruse, Hugh Low. Miss Ruth Paget, Alfred H. Pearson, 
Henry J. Pearson, Miss A. A. Rothschild, W. Threlfall. 
-- The Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens at Chiswick appear 
to be taking a large share in preparing for the Colonial Exhibition to be 
held at South Kensington next year. Very large consignments of 
Tree Ferns, Cycads, &c., have arrived from New Zealand, Australia, 
Ceylon, and Antigua, and are now being potted and started into growth. 
There are hundreds of splendid tranks, most of which have arrived in 
fairly good condition, hut there appears scarcely time for them to form 
proportionately large heads. A number of fine plants of Filmy Ferns 
are remarkably fresh, and some trunks of Todea africana weigh upwards 
of 6 cwt. each. Great labour must necessarily be incurred in the 
management of such a large importation. The large stove is being filled 
with them, and the Rose house, formerly the orchard house, is being 
treated so as to provide additional accommodation. 
-The annual meeting of the National Auricula and 
National Carnation and Picotee Societies was held at South 
Kensington on Tuesday last, Shirley Hibberd, Esq., in the chair. There 
were present : Dr. Masters, Dr. Hogg, Messrs. G. F. Wilson, G. Paul, 
H. Turner, H. Cannell, J. James, E. Hill, H. J. Pearson, and Mr. 
Douglas, Secretary. The report was read and approved. According to 
the financial statement, the income of the Auricula Society amounted to 
£87 5?. 6j., leaving a balance in hand of £9 2s. Id., and that of the 
Carnation and Picotee Society to £78 2s. 3d., leaving a deficit of 
£4 2s. 9d. The date of the Primula Conference was fixed for Tuesday 
and Wednesday, April 20th and 21st. 
-The next Exhibition of the Hull Chrysanthemum Society 
is fixed for Thursday and Friday, the 18th and 19th of November, 1886. 
- We recently observed in the Chelsea nurseries of Messrs. James 
Veitch Sc S two new Chrysanthemums that promise to be of con¬ 
siderable value because of their lateness and purity. They are Japanese 
varieties, named Domination and Pelican. The former has full flowers 
with very long drooping florets, pure white, flat, yet rather twisted, and 
notched at the ends. The latter is equally pure and has broader florets. 
The character of the flower is of the Dragon type, and is popularly called 
the White Dragon, Domination having more the character of Meg Merri- 
lees, yet both are perfectly distinct and decidedly attractive. 
- In one of the stoves in the same nursery a batch of small flower¬ 
ing plants of Toxicophlea spectabilis suggest how valuable such 
plants are at this season of the year. They were raised from cuttings in 
the spring, and range from 9 inches to nearly twice that height. They 
are in 5-inch pots, and are clustered with small white flowers that diffuse 
a delicate Ligustrum-like perfume that is very enjoyable. Such plants 
grown by the dozen would be very acceptable in many gardening estab¬ 
lishments. They continue attractive for several weeks. 
- The eleventh annual dinner of the Lambeth Amateur Chrys¬ 
anthemum Society was held at the Bridge House Hotel, London 
Bridge, on Friday evening last. The chair was occupied by Mr. Alfred 
Pocock, the Vice-Chairmen being Mr. Edgar Ivison and Mr. C. Harman 
Payne. The company, which numbered between seventy and eighty, 
consisted of many local residents and honorary members. Among the 
vistors were Mr. Seymour Keay, the late candidate for West Newington,. 
Mr. William Earley, Mr. William Holmes, Secretary of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, Mr. R. Ballantine, the Vice-President of the 
same Society, and other gentlemen interested in floriculture. 
- Mr. John Carter, Keighley, sends a Collection of Primula 
blooms, representing some exceedingly fine varieties, and admirably 
grown. The varieties are as follow :—Princess Louise, very large, 
(2 inches in diameter), massive blooms, white or blush-tinted ; The Queen 
of similar size and substance, pure white ; Emperor, a remarkable 
variety with large flowers and of a peculiar bright rosy scarlet colour, 
very effective and distinct; Marquis of Lome, another of the large- 
flowered forms of a soft purple colour ; A1 Crimson and Magenta Queen 
are both richly coloured varieties, bearing large trasses of flowers ; but 
the most beautiful of all is a double variety named Mrs. Langtry, soft 
pink in colour, the petals slightly fringed, the bloom of moderate size but 
very freely produced. For cutting or general decorative purposes this 
variety is charming, and we commend it to all interested in these usefu 
plants. 
-- The annual dinner of members and friends of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society will be held at the “ Old Four Swans,” 
84, Bishopsgate Street Within, on Monday evening, December 14th. 
Chair will be taken by the President, E. Sanderson, Esq., at six o’clock 
precisely. The prizes awarded at the recent Exhibition at the Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster, will be distributed on the occasion. The Exhi¬ 
bition of this Society for 1886 is fixed for November 10th and 11th at 
the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. 
- We are informed that a Chrysanthemum Show in the 
Isle of Man was recently held in the Town Hall, Castleton, under 
the management of an energetic local committee. The flowers were a 
great improvement on those of last year, some of them being very fine. 
The number of exhibits also showed an advance. In addition to the 
Chrysanthemums there was also a large and creditable show of cut 
flowers and fruit. The hall was well filled, the exhibits being ranged in 
tiers, which allowed the several specimens to be fairly seen. Mr. Nichol¬ 
son of Roby, near Liverpool acted as judge, and exhibited, not for com¬ 
petition, a collection of handsome Chrysanthemum blooms. The principal 
prizes were secured by Mr. W. Ambery, Douglas ; Mr. J. Looney, gardener 
to Mrs. Gawne, Kentraugh ; and Mr. J. Murphy, gardener to W. F. 
Moore, Esq., Crankbourne. 
- Messrs. Cassell & Co., Ludgate Hill, announce that they 
intend commencing the issue of a National Library on December 21st, 
in a series of 3d. volumes, to “ represent all periods and forms of thought.” 
The books will be of the records of History, Biography, Religion and 
Philosophy, Discovery and Enterprise, Plays, Poems and Tales, Natural 
Science and Natural History, Art, Political Economy, and other subjects.” 
These volumes will be of small 8vo. size, of about 192 pages, in paper 
covers, or in cloth at 6d. each, and they will be issued weekly. Messrs. 
Cassell & Co. have enlisted the services of Mr. Henry Morley, and they 
merit success in their enterprise. 
-At the ordinary meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society, to be held at the Institution of Civil Engineers, at 25, Great 
George Street, Westminster, on Wednesday, the 16th inst., at 7 p.m., the 
following papers will be read :—“ The Influence of Forests upon Climate,” 
by Dr. A. Woeikof, Hon. Mem. R.Met.Soc.; “ Report on the Phenological 
Observations for 1885,” by the Rev. T. A. Preston, M.A., F.R.Met.Soc. 1 
“ Etudes sur les Cripuscules Rosees," by Prof. A. Rieco; The Storm of 
October 15th, 1885, at Partenkirchen, Bavaria,” by Col. M. F. 
F.R.Met.Soc., F.R.A.S. 
