154 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f February 21, 188?. 
(fig. 24) was shown by J. F. Jackson, Esq., Bourne Place, Bexley, 
at the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Floral 
Committee, when an awai'd of merit was granted for it, the only 
one accorded to exhibits on that occasion. The flowers are of good 
shape, with bold dark purplish crimson spots, and it is entitled to a 
place amongst the best of the spotted forms of Pescatore’s 
Odontoglossum. 
THE BRUSSELS ORCHID SOCIETY. 
A meeting of L’Orchideenne was held on the 10th inst., in the 
Central Pavilion of the L’Horticulture Internationale, when fifty- 
two species and varieties of Orchids were exhibited, and much 
admired by numerous visitors. The jury comprised M. J. Linden 
(in the chair), and MM. L. Lubbers, Massange deLouvrex, A. Van 
Imschoot, G. Miteau, 0. de Meulenaere, A. Lallemand, and E. 
Wallaert. There were also present MM. G. Warocque, L. Linden, 
and Trieu de Terdonck. One of the most notable was the follow¬ 
ing Miltonia (Odontoglossum) Bleuana, from M. A. Bleu of 
Paris, a hybrid between Miltonia vexillaria and M. Roezli, with 
sepals and petals larger than those of the former parent, the lip 
spotted with brown, and less deeply lobed. A diploma of honour 
was accorded for this. The following awards were also made :— 
First-class certificates of merit were adjudged for Cattleya Trianae 
var. Baillonville, from M. Peeters ; Lycaste Skinneri Blockei, from 
Mme. 0. Block ; Phalaenopsis Schilleriana, from M. Linden. 
Second-class certificates were awarded for Odontoglossum rubes- 
cens, from M. Linden ; Cypripedium Lindleyanum, Cymbidium 
Lowianum superbum, and Cattleya amethystoglossa, from M. 
Peeters ; Odontoglossum Alexandras, from M. G. Warocque, of 
Mariemont ; and Burlingtonia bahiensis grandiflora superba, from 
M. Peeters. A first-class cultural certificate was awarded for 
Odontoglossum vexillarium, from M. P. Miteau, of Jette St. Pierre. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
February 12th. 
Scientific Committee.— Present—Dr. M. T. Masters in the chain 
Messrs. McLachlan, O’Brien, Michael, Dr. Muller, Prof. Church, and 
Rev. G. Henslow, Hon. Sec. 
Skimmia, species. —Dr. Masters exhibited i arieties of the well known 
forms of Skimmia japonica, and observed that they were always dicli¬ 
nous, such as fragrans and oblata. But another specimen which he 
showed was invariably hermaphrodite, apparently self-fertile, and bore 
plenty of berries. The seed differed from the preceding in cercain 
particulars, the foliage was darker in hue, the blade being narrower and 
more pointed. It has been supposed to be the original form introduced 
from Japan, but it does not agree with the typical S. japonica. It did 
not appear to be known as a distinct species, but Dr. Masters proposed 
making a further investigation into the matter. It was incidentally re¬ 
marked that in the portrait of Dr. Lindley in the library he is repre¬ 
sented as holding a branch bearing berries, which has always been pre¬ 
sumed to be Skimmia. A closer inspection, however, proved it to be a 
Rose with heps. 
Galantlms Elwesi, Diseased Bulks of. —Mr. Barr forwarded some 
bulbs which he had received from Devonshire, apparently in a decaying 
and dying condition. They were forwarded to Dr. Marshall Ward for 
examination and report. 
Artificial Manure. —A specimen was sent by Mr. G. Revens, Euston, 
Thetford. It was forwarded to the Trials Committee at Chiswick. 
Hoar Frost Damaging Trees. —An interesting communication was 
received from Mr. Plowright, as well as photographs and broken boughs, 
showing the damage caused about Lynn. Questions were raised as to 
the ice on the boughs having been wdiolly rime, and further details were 
requested on the subject. 
Hour of Meeting. —As the Council now meet at one o’clock, it was 
proposed by Dr. Masters that the hour for the Scientific Committee 
should be four o’clock. A3 all the members present acquiesced, should 
the majority agree, that hour in future will be adopted. 
DOUBLE IVY-LEAVED PELARGONIUMS. 
These continue to be sent out in greater number than neces¬ 
sary, many of the newer sorts being no improvement on older ones. 
Madame Thibaut, in respect of habit, free-flowering qualities, and 
the beautiful shape of the flowers and trusses is still amongst the 
best of its colour ; Alice Crousse is also very fine, and so is Murillo, 
while nothing in the way of a good dwarf habit can surpass Gay 
Lussac. Of the newer varieties Jeanne Gillet is noteworthy 
on account of the lovely violet shade of its flowers ; Robert Owen 
did not flower with me last year, so I can say nothing as to its 
merits ; Lamartine is a very bright variety, but of bad habit; 
Gloire de Lorraine very large and fine ; Madame de Wisch is a very 
taking shade. It is strange that nothing has been raised to displace 
Jeanne d’Arc. Of the still newer varieties the following, accord¬ 
ing to description of raisers, may be tried :—Merveille, bright 
purple ; H. Cannell, amaranth ; M. Schopfer, grenat red ; Ernest 
Bergman, very dark crimson lake ; De Quatrefages, purple violet, 
free flowering ; Flambeau, grenat red, said to be best of its colour. 
If autumn-struck cuttings are now potted, and subsequently 
shifted into 5 or 6-inch pots, they are useful early in summer. 
The points of the shoots require pinching, and a stake or two used ; 
also pot older plants, and then out all weakly shoots.—B. 
RINGING FRUIT TREES AND CURING CANKER. 
I AM obliged by the favourable reference to my garden on page 134- 
last week, but a slight correction is, I think, needed. Referring to the 
o’d practice of ringing luxuriant branches for promoting fruitfulness, 
allusion is made to removing an inch or two of the bark. That would, 
I conceive, cause too great a check to the sap, -and the bark would be 
long in growing over the denuded part. My practice is, about the first 
week in June, to remove a ring of bark from the tree that fails to form 
fruit buds, not more than a quarter of an inch in width. This stops the 
return of the sap just long enough for the formation of fruit buds, and 
the wounds close before the leaves fall. With Pears and Apples it never 
fails, but with stone fruits it causes gumming to a serious extent. The 
remarks on canker and grafting are good and true. The Hawthornden 
Apple utterly failed with me. but Cox’s Orange Pippin established on the 
cankered stocks formed trees which are pictures of health.—R. Garrod, 
Pear Cottage, Ijismcli. 
DAFFODILS. 
Daffodils are amongst the finest of early spring flowers, and, con¬ 
sidering their usefulness in a forced state, it is surprising they are not 
employed more in this way. However, they are coming more and more 
into favour, and their good qualities are being more recognised, for they 
are found now in many places as pot plants, and I think the demand 
for them is increasing each year. This is owing to the interest some of 
our leading nurserymen have taken in exhibiting groups of Daffodils in 
the spring, and to our gardening papers, for if it had not been for the 
reports appearing in them, we, so far t from places where these and other 
gems are to be seen, would be quite in the dark. Daffodils, I think, will 
soon be so far to the front as to form part of nearly all the usual autumn 
bulb orders. For the decoration of greenhouses, conservatories, or 
rooms they are well adapted, and are always very great favourites in a 
cut state. When potting, we place from four to six or seven in a 6-inch 
pot, according to the variety and size of the bulbs. Pots of this size, 
when carrying six or seven blooms, are no mean objects, and look well 
in any arrangement. We also grow them in 4-inch pots, in which size 
we find them very serviceable. We do not give them a high tempera¬ 
ture, from 48° to 55° being quite suitable, and flowers developed in this 
temperature are, we think, much superior to those from a higher. After 
flowering, they are hardened gradually, and planted out in any con¬ 
venient corner of a border. They should always have sufficient water 
when growing, and a supply once a week of liquid manure. 
The following are the varieties we have grown for the last three 
seasons :—Obvallaris, pallidus praccox, rugilobus, nanus, princeps, 
odorus, spurius, major, and Bulbocodium, the last named a great 
favourite with us. It makes a most lovely pot plant, the bulbs being 
small and the foliage being rush like, the blooms are produced very 
freely. It should be allowed to come on in an ordinary greenhouse 
temperature.— Perthshire. 
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 
[Read by Mr. J. Barry at a Meeting of the Ealinj? Gardeners’ Association.] 
It will be generally admitted that to the influence of our flower 
shows in a large measure is due the high state of efficiency attained by 
gardening in this country. They have acted, by the competitions 
aroused, as stimulants to those sending the products of. their cultural 
skill to these gatherings, all imbued with one grand common object—a 
healthy and praiseworthy spirit of emulation and friendly rivalry—that 
has done much to place horticulture on a. very high level. It has 
doubtless struck those of an observant turn of mind that we do not by 
any means utilise and fully bring out the educational capabilities of these 
displays for the general good. I refer, of course, principally to the visitors 
to them—both horticultural and non-horticultural. It is for the latter 
class, perhaps especially, that we should make our shows more interesting, 
attractive, and instructive ; although, as I shall endeavour to show 
further on, that even the horticultural section of the visiting public 
might be a little better catered for than is at present the fashion. 
Plant Names. —Our present system of labelling plants is not 
conducive of interest. A name, said Shakespeare, should be a light¬ 
house, not a dark lantern. A visitor may be inclined to look at a 
pan of the pretty New Zealand Forget-me-not, but its atrocious name, 
Myosotidium nobile, will very likely effectually deter much time being 
spent in examining it. Supposing now at our shows a system prevailed 
of placing, where possible, the English or popular name as well as the 
Latin one, would not more interest be aroused ? interest that would 
probably be turned to good commercially. To refer again to the plant 
just alluded to, the very popular name of the Forget-me-not would 
most likely induce our visitor to make inquiry, and probably cause him 
to cultivate the particular form of it named, one that is not by any 
means so generally cultivated as it deserves to be by reason of its 
grace and beauty, Pleuroschismatypus, or even Cryptophoranthus 
