338 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 29, 1886. 
old 'ball, and if done properly it will appear as forming part of the ball 
itself, preventing tbe too rapid percolation of water with the inner part 
getting its due share. For all hardwooded plants it is advisable to tear 
the peat up with the hands, removing all woody matters and assort it, 
taking out the finer portions or earthy matter by means of a fine sieve, 
using the best and most fibry parts, to which should be added a sixth of 
coarse white sand. Plants of this character should be kept rather warmer 
than usual after potting, sprinkling lightly at closing time on fine 
afternoons. 
Cytisuses and Coronillas .—Cut these back to an inch or so from the 
wood of the previous year, and remove any portions of weak and dead 
wood, and after laying the p’ants on their sides syringe with softsoap 
solution 3 ozs. to the gallon of tepid water over a vessel to catch the 
solution, and turn the plants round so as to wet them thoroughly in every 
part. This will cleanse them of red spider. Keep them rather dry at the 
roots and in an atmosphere likely to insure a good break, or a moist, 
warm, genial atmosphere, and when they have made an inch or so of 
growth repot them. Under favourable conditions they will have made 
sufficient growth for standing outdoors by the end of June, where they 
will harden a bushy floriferous growth. Cytisuses are very useful for 
early spring flowering, and are fragrant, being bright and effective plants 
of easy culture. 
Calceolarias .—Keep a sharp look cut on these for aphides. Once let 
them get ahead and the plants are ruined, as to free them considerable 
injury is done the foliage. Upon the first appearance of these pests fumi¬ 
gate lightly in dull weather for two or three nights in succession. A cold 
frame or pit on a bed of ashes suits them best at this season, damping 
them lightly over just before closing in the afternoon, which will assist 
in preserving the foliage fresh, and with the liquid manure that should be 
given frequently but not too strong it will retain its pleasing green colour 
which i3 so effective an accompaniment of the flowers. 
Cinerarias .—The strains of these are so good that it is seldom worth 
while to raise them in any other way than from seed. There are, how¬ 
ever, some that attain such extraordinary fine proportions in size, colour, 
&o., that perpetuation is desired, which may be done and good plants 
obtained by encouraging a free growth of the suckers which emerge from 
the base of the old plants as soon as they have flowered ; but I find tbese 
side shoots or suckers start more readily if the plsnts are turned out and 
repotted, or plunged in leaf soil at a depth sufficient to partly bury the 
■crown, when the side shoots will form roots quickly, especially if the 
frame in which they are placed be shaded and the interior kept moist by 
frequent syringings. By this means the double varieties which are so 
exceedingly beautiful and useful for general decorative purposes can be 
propagated. 
Primulas .—Useful a3 are the single and semi-double varieties that are 
raised from seed I consider the doubles extremely serviceable for cutting 
and general decorative usefulness as to render them of especial value, 
particularly tbe old alba plena and rubra plena. Marchioness of Exeter, 
White Lady, Mrs. A. F. Barron, and Earl of Beaconsfield are most credit¬ 
able to their raiser, Mr. R. Gilbert. Other fine ones are Emperor, Princess 
of Wales, Annie Hillier, Miss Eva Fish, Mrs. Eyre Crabbe, and King of 
Purples. These having really double flowers can only be increased by 
cuttings, or rather divisions of the old plants, and to succeed with them 
it is necessary to keep the plants a little dry some time previous to detach¬ 
ing them, that they may become a little hardened and the sap reduced, 
otherwise they are liable to decay when severed. It is a capital plan to 
cut each division half through on one side about this time, and as low on 
the stem as possible, and then cover the surface of the pots with some 
pounded charcoal. This will arrest the sap, and roots, cr a callus at 
least, will be formed, especially if in a fortnight after making the first 
incision it be repeated on the opposite side a little higher up the stem, 
being careful not to detach it, adding more charcoal so as to make it cover 
the second incision. In about six weeks, or by the early part of June, 
the parts so acted on will have rooted, and should be detached and potted. 
If not rooted they should be treated like cuttings, getting as much of tbe 
base with each as possible, which should be trimmed and freed of the 
loose parts, and each cutting then inserted in separate pots in sharp sandy 
soil and stood in a warm house under a handlight with a piece of wood 
about an inch high under the corners, duly shaded and kept from flagging 
by an occasional bedewing overhead, but not heavy enough to run into 
the hearts of the cuttings, a wet condition of the Boil being guarded 
against until the wounds are healed. In the course of three weeks the 
cuttings will have roots, when they should be gradually hardened.— 
G-. Abbey. 
KEENS’ SEEDLING STRAWBERRY. 
I CAN fully corroborate Mr. Goodacre’s remarks at page 268 of the 
Journal as to the merits of 5-inch pots over 6-inch for early Straw¬ 
berries. We invariably use that size, and generally with a fair amount of 
success. While writing permit me also to mention the merits of the old 
Keens’ Seedling Strawberry for forcing purposes. I do not do so in the 
sense of writing to depreciate the Yicomtesse Hericart de Thury, of 
which variety we force a quantity, still I always find that Keens’ is pre¬ 
ferred at the table to any other early variety. It is necessary to mention 
one thing about Keens’—viz., that on some soils it has a tendency to run 
out, so to speak, in the shape of a number of plants becoming fruitless. On 
our moist limestone soil we find it never does this, remaining as fruitful 
as Hericart, which, it is well known, is one of the most fruitful Straw¬ 
berries in cultivation. I enclose you a few fruits of Keens’—a fair sample 
of what we have been p’cking since the 23rd of February.—H. J. C. 
[The Strawberries which we receive! on April 14th were very fine 
indeed, and with the true Keens’ Seedling flavour.] 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.— April 27th. 
Daffodils were again in the ascendant at South Kensington on Tuesday ; 
and the Committee of specialists who have taken these plants under their 
particular care were busy in correcting their names and selecting the best 
of the novelties for certificates. Hardy flowers, a few Orchids, Messrs. 
Veitch i Sons’ brilliaut Amaryllises, Messrs. Paul and Son’s beautiful 
Roses in pots, and Messrs. Cutbush & Sons’ greenhouse plants, with some 
smaller groups constituted the principal of the other exhibits. 
Feuit Committee. —Present : H. J. Veitch, Esq., in the chair ; and 
Messrs. J. Willard, W. Denning, G. T. Miles, Jame3 Smith, G. Norman, G. 
Bunyard, S. Ford, John Burnett, and Philip Crowley. 
Samples of the Newland Sack Apple were shown by Mr. W. Crump, 
Madresfield Court Gardens, Malvern. It is not a new variety, but is little 
known beyond the Malvern district. Mr. Crump writes as follows concern¬ 
ing it,The best and largest of our late-keeping varieties, a certain cropper, 
habit and constitution good, flowering late, colour of the flower deep pink, 
and exceedingly handsome when in flower.” The fruits shown were of 
medium size, firm, and of good flavour for such a late period in the season ; 
and the Committee expressed a high opinion of the variety. _ It is thus re¬ 
ferred to in the last edition of the “ Fruit Manual.” “ This is a Worcester¬ 
shire orchard fruit, highly appreciated and extensively grown at Newland, 
near Malvern, and the surrounding villages. It keeps well, does not bruise 
in travelling, or if bruised it will not decay. It is a great favourite with Hr. 
Baron Webster at the fruit farm of Newland Court, who says he wishes all 
his orchards were Newland Sacks and Blenheim Pipp ; n.” A letter of thanks 
was directed to be sent to Mr. Crump. Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High 
Holborn, showed a long red Radish of American origin and named 
Knickerbocker. The roots were very large, but were said to be of good 
quality, and it was referred to Chiswick for trial. 
FlObal Committee. —Present: G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair ; _ and 
Messrs. W. Wilks, J. Douglas, W. Bealby, G. Duffield, H. Herbst, Shirley 
Hibberd, Richard Dean, Thomas Baines, G. Paul, John Dominy, H. M. 
Pollett, James O’Brien, H. Ballantine, W. B. Kellock, E. Hill, H. J. Lendy, 
and Dr. M. T. Masters. Messrs. J. Veitch Sons, Chelsea, exhibited a 
collection of new Amaryllises, King of the Crimsons, Duchess of Edin¬ 
burgh, and Duchess of Albany being certificated; the first named was the 
richest coloured variety yet obtained and was greatly admired. Others 
represented were Mrs. Whitbourne, veined with crimson on a white ground, 
and Eclatante striped and veined with rose and edged with white. Mr. S. 
Ford, Leonardslee Gardens, Hcrsham, sent branches of Wellingtonia gigantea 
bearing numerous cones (vote of thanks). Messrs. T. Cripps & Son, 
Tunbridge Wells, were also awarded a vote of thanks for a plant of Cattleya 
Lawrenciana with fourteen fine flowers of rich colour. Messrs. Krelage 
and Son, Haarlem, sent a collect : on of seedlings of Fritillaria Meleagris, 
differing slightly in colour, and four were selected for certificates. M. 
Linden, Ghent, sent a plant of a variety of Cattleya with large handsome 
crimson flowers, the lip broad with dark veins. A specimen of a new and 
very distinct Dendrobium named slratiotes was also shown ; it had narrow 
twisted greenish petals about 2 inches long, tbe sepals much shorter, 
broader, and creamy white, the lip spurred at the base, white veined with 
rose. A plant of Alocasia Lindeni came from the same nursery, the '®3’ ves 
heart-shape, green, with yellowish veins; and Mr. Gilbert, Floiist, Dyke 
Bourne, Lincoln, showed some very fine and bri'liant double scarlet 
Anemones. . 
Mr. G. Bethell, gardener to the Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace, 
was awarded a cultural commendation for Epidendrum Jleucochilum nearly 
3 feet in diameter and beating about sixty flowers, the sepals and petals of 
which are narrow yellowish, the lip three-lobed, and with the column pure 
white. Major Lendy had several Orchids, for two of which he gamed 
certificates, and the otheis were varieties of Odontoglossums. 
The groups from nurserymen occupied tbe greater portion of tbe space 
in the conservatory. Messrs. W. Cutbush & Sons, Highgate, contributed an 
attractive group of greenhouse plants in flower, some of the most notable 
being the Ericas, the while Choysia ternata, several Eriostemons, the 
grac fulTetratheca verticillata; Polygala Dalmaisiana, a useful free-flowermg 
plant ; the interesting and pretty hardwooded plant Hypocalymna robust®, 
with its soft rosy flowers, Genetyllis fuchsioides, and othtr plants of a 
similar kind that are too seldom setn either in gardens or at exhibitions. A 
silver medal was awarded. Mr. G. Stevens, Putney, sent a large group of 
Abutilons, representing a number of bright and soft-tinted varieties like 
those which Mr. George has shown in previous years. Some of the best 
were the following:—Vesuvius, scarlet and bright red ; Vivid, Compactum, 
Brilliant, Excellent, and Lustrous; crimson, King of Crimsons, buff with 
crimson veins, Mrs. Stevens ; pale salmon, Mrs. Garfield ; pink. Pink Pearl 
(vote of thanks); orange, Golden Queen; white, Boule de Neige ; yellow, 
Cloth of Gold ; and orange buff, Mies Terry. Mr. J. Walker, Thame, Oxon, 
exhibited five boxes of cut Roses, very fresh and sweet; four dozen blooms 
of Mardchal Niel were extremely good. Niphetos, Duchesse de Caylus, 
Che 3 hunt Hybrid, Lamarque, Gloira de Dijon, and Souvenir d’un Amie were 
other good varieties. Messrs. Paul ifc Son, Cheshunt, had a choice group of 
hardy flowers, large specimens of the bright yellow Doronicum 
austriacum, Megasea cordifolia purpurea, and Dielytra eximea being 
very showy. Several Saxifrages, the bright blue Gentiana verna, 
and the bright scarlet Anemone fulgens were also notable. The 
double white or pale blush Pigmy Rose, Anemonseflora was included 
in the group with some pretty Primulas, Fritillaiias, and the white double 
Wood Anemone, A. nemorosa bracteata fl.-pl. From the same firm came :i 
magnificent group of Roses in pots, standards and dwarfs from 3 to 5 feet 
high, very healthy, and representing varieties which we have previously 
noted. They were in all respects excellent plants, and it is quite refreshing 
to see such Roses at exhibitions. A silver-gilt Banksian medal was awarded 
for the group. 
An exceedingly tasteful group of Ferns was shown by Mr. H. B. May, 
Edmonton, and they afforded a most agreeable change from the rather too 
