March IS, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
213 
and the remainder with one and two each. They are grown moderately 
warm in a light position to keep them dwarf and compact. The earliest 
of these will be repotted, until they are placed into 6 and 7-inch pots, and 
will by autumn be from 1 foot to 1G inches through. Such was their con¬ 
dition last year, and many of the plants carried from fifty to a hundred 
flowers each. To attain the best success the plants must be raised annu¬ 
ally from seed, and kept growing the whole season without a check. 
- In the same nursery Ceoton Neumanni is also conspicuous 
with its bold highly coloured foliage. It was raised from seed of that 
well-known variety, Baron James de Rothschild, but has larger foliage 
•than its parent, and the crimson colour is deeper and more vivid. Its 
habit of growth is well suited either for upright specimens or for large 
bushes. 
- Messes. Webber & Co. of Covent Garden have recently received 
a. consignment of Peaes feom the Cape of Good Hope, consisting of 
Louise Bonne of Jersey and a variety which resembles Beurrd Superfin. 
They are in perfect condition, and are in appearance equal to well-grown 
English fruit. We have had an opportunity of tasting the variety 
supposed to be Beurre Superfin, but the flavour is more like that of 
Beurre d’Aremberg, having all the briskness of that variety and none of 
the richness of flavour of Beurre Superfin. If this new importation 
proves successful—and there is no reason to suppose it will not—the season 
of dessert Pears will be prolonged far beyond what we have been accus¬ 
tomed to, and the short voyage from the Cape will insure their coming 
in good condition. 
- An East Lothian correspondent writes—“ I once before sent you 
a note about the time for Sowing Beets, some of the finest being thrust 
aside on account of size and coarseness, when the fault is found in sow¬ 
ing too early. Sorts of the Dell’s Crimson type may be sown in April, 
Cattell’s Crimson in May, and Veitch’s Black about the middle of June, 
Goldie’s should be sown at the same time as the latter. The two last 
named are fit only for cows if sown in April, earlier than the time men¬ 
tioned, but sown late they are both really fine varieties, and good strain 
of the darkest colour.” 
- The usual monthly dinner and conversazione of the Hoeti- 
Cultueal Club took place on Tuesday the 9 th inst. The conversazione 
was opened by an interesting paper of Mr. Shirley Hibberd on the pre¬ 
servation of the British flora. A discussion afterwards took place in 
which Dr. Hogg ; Mr. J. G. Baker, Kew ; Mr. Nicholson, Kew ; Messrs. 
Oousens, Druery, G. Bunyard, and others joined. At the close the 
following resolution was proposed and unanimously adopted, Mr. Shirley 
Hibberd remarking that great changes had been wrought from much 
smaller comments, and hoping that this would result in great good to 
our British flora—Resolved: “ That this Club, deploring the extinction 
in many localities of British plants and Ferns, which tend so much to 
the beauty and enjoyment of the country, hereby undertakes to use its 
best endeavours to prevent this destruction, and especially invites all 
tourists to discontinue the practice of bringing away specimens from the 
places they visit, which in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred never live, 
and which can most probably be purchased at a nursery close to their own 
doors ; and urges also on all professional collectors great care in obtaining 
plants, and, moreover, desires to impress upon managers of provincial 
shows the need of limiting the collections for prizes for wild flowers, 
which, they fear, tends to the wonton destruction of many plants.” 
- Me. G. R. Allis grows Helioteope White Lady remarkably 
well at Old Warden Park. The plants now bearing their large trusses 
of nearly white flowers were propagated from cuttings in August last, 
stopped about twice, and then placed into 5-inch pots, the size they are 
now flowering in. The plants have been brought into flower by the aid 
of warmth, and are beautiful decorative plants for flowering at this season 
of the year. These charming plants have six or seven main shoots upon 
them, with as many large trusses of flowers, and are only 9 inches to 
1 foot in height. This is probably the best Heliotrope for winter and 
spring flowering. 
- An experiment on hastening Gebmination is related by an 
American writer as follows :—“ Last spring I had some Gourd seeds which 
I wished to sow, but which were mislaid until some time in June. As 
Gourd seed should be sown very early to allow time for the hard shells 
to soften, I concluded it was too late to sow them in the usual way, and 
could devise no better mode of atoning for lost time than by carefully 
splitting their shells with a sharp knife and planting the germs without 
delay. In a very short time the plants appeared above ground, grew 
vigorously until frost came, and produced the only full and satisfactory 
crop of Gourds I ever raised.” 
- Me. Alfeed Slaughtee has sent us a sample of his Rose 
Tube. It is a tube within a tube, affixed to a base that enables it to 
stand in or out of boxes ; in fact it somewhat resembles a small candle¬ 
stick, and will no doubt answer well the purpose for which it is intended 
—exhibiting blooms of Roses. 
- The annual dinner of the Sheffield Floeal and Hoeticul- 
tueal Society was held March 9th at Mrs. Webster’s Museum, Orchard 
Street. About fifty persons sat down to an excellent repast. After the 
tables had been cleared the chair was taken by Mr. T. Baker, who was 
supported by Messrs. T. B. Hague, W. W. RentoD, C. Storey, H. Broom, 
head, G. Seagreave, J. G. Newsum, J. Spink, H. Morton, B. Newham, 
W. K. Woodcock, sen., and W. K. Woodcock, jun. (Secretaries). The 
following attended as delegates from other societies :—Mr. Heming and 
Mr. T. H. Wood (Leeds), Mr. G. W. Simpson and Mr. G. Wassell (Wake¬ 
field), Mr. W. Lockwood and Mr. Hall (Barnsley), Mr. Middleton and 
Mr. Taylor (Rotherham), Mr. W. H. Barnes and Mr. J. Shipman 
(Walkley), and Mr. C. Cook and Mr. J. Johnson (Sheffield and Hallam- 
shire Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society). The usual loyal toasts 
having been duly honoured, the Secretary (Mr. W. K. Woodcock, jun.) 
read letters of apology from Sir H. E. Watson (President of the Society), 
the Right Hon. A. J. Mundella, M.P., Mr. C. B. S. Wortlev, M.P., Mr. 
Howard Vincent, M.P., and others. Mr. C. Heming (Leeds) in proposing 
“ The Sheffield Floral and Horticultural Society,” said societies such as 
that were productive of much good to all engaged in horticulture. They, 
in Leeds, were about forming a similar society, and hoped it would be 
attended with as good results as had the Sheffield Floral and Horticultural 
Society. Mr. John Haigh, in responding, spoke in gratifying terms of the 
benefit which the gardeners in the neighbourhood, both professional and 
amateur, had received from the Society. The Committee had no wish to 
make money out of it, but the funds were most economically managed, 
and no unnecessary expense was undertaken. In conclusion he remarked 
that the more good the Society could do the more gratifying it was to the 
members. Mr. W. K. Woodcock proposed “ The Visitors and Kindred 
Societies,” and in doing so spoke of the amity and good fellowship existing 
between almost all the floral and horticultural societies in the country. 
-At the ordinary meeting of the Huddebsfield Paxton 
Society on Saturday, March 13th, the President, G. W. Rhodes, Esq., in 
the chair, supported by Geo. Jarmain, Esq., Vice-President, the members 
and friends Fpent a very pleasant evening. Mr. Jas. Inman of Leeds 
gave an admirable paper on “ The General Principles of Gardening,” and 
he did full justice to the subject. Mr. Inman proceeded to describe the 
proper position of the mansion, the laying out of the pleasure grounds 
for effect, the formation of lawns, shrubberies, geometrical garden, rosery, 
and conservatory, with the arrangement, decoration, and general manage¬ 
ment of the above, which he thought should occupy an easily accessible 
position in some part of the pleasure grounds unless attached to the 
dwelling house. The fruit and vegetable garden was rext entered upon ; 
soil, situation, quantity of seeds, varie'ies, rotation of cropping was com¬ 
mented on, strongly advising young gardeners to pay as much attention 
to this part of the profession as the glass departments; also the various 
methods of branch and root pruning to promote vigorous, healthy, and 
fruitful trees was most minutely described. The occupants of the stove, 
greenhouse, and forcing pits were also alluded to. Those present showed 
their appreciation of the essay by earnest attention, and by the heaity 
way they supported the vote of thanks to the essayist. The next lecture 
will take place on March 27th—subject “A Trip to Norway, with Notices 
of its Flora,” by the President. 
- Me. T. W. Giedlestone sends us samples of the National 
Rose Society’s new Medals, and remarks that “ The larger medal is 
struck from the dies designed to provide the silver and bronze medals f 
and you will notice that it is larger than the former medal, the design 
now consisting of a shield bearing the monogram of the Society, sur¬ 
mounted by the Rose, Shamrock, and Thistle, and surrounded by Roses of 
various types—Single Moss, Tea, and Show, with scroll and motto beneath 
—‘ Floreat Regina Florum.’ The smaller medal, struck from the dies 
destined to furnish the gold medal, is more conventional in design—the 
shield bearing a Tudor Rose, with the initials of the Society in Tudor 
