478 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 13, 1889. 
-Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. —At a meeting of the Com¬ 
mittee held on Friday evening last, Mr. G. Deal presiding, it was 
^announced that, apart from the proceeds of the Covent Garden Floral 
Fete, the contributions during the past month amounted to £97 3s. lOd. 
—namely, £73 from Mr. T. Whillans of Blenheim, £14 16s. lOd. from 
Mr. D. T. Fish of Hardwicke, and £9 5s. collected by Mr. J. Crawford, 
gardener, Coddington Hall, Newark-on-Trent, which with £1 12s. pre¬ 
viously sent, entitled him to a life membership, with two votes at elec¬ 
tions. The handsome contribution from Blenheim, it may be remem¬ 
bered, was the result of the Duke of Marlborough kindly opening the 
gardens to visitors during the Oxford Agricultural Show week, on 
payment, for the benefit of the Fund. The contribution from Mr. 
Fish was from visitors to Hardwicke on a very wet day, and consider¬ 
ing the unpropitious circumstances the result must be regarded 
as highly satisfactory and encouraging. Experience proves that 
much good may be done by the kindly disposed in opening their 
■gardens for a day now and then in the interests of charity, and 
the inhabitants of adjacent towns are at the same time accorded 
-a privilege which is highly appreciated. The accounts of the 
■Covent Garden Fite were presented to the meeting. The receipts, 
including £7 9s. 9J. from money boxes, amounted to £314 11s. 3d., and 
the expenditure to £114 6s. 9d., thus the Fund benefits by the sub¬ 
stantial amount of £200 4s. 6d. The chief items of expenditure were 
nearly £40 for advertising, £25 for canvas erections and furniture, 
£15 for music, and £17 for printing, smaller amounts being disbursed 
■amongst porters, police, and other necessary assistants on the occasion. 
The result was considered highly gratifying, and the more so since a 
letter was read from Mr. J. R. Bourne, the London agent of the Duke of 
Bedford, expressing the pleasure His Grace, with the Duchess of Bed- 
Lord, derived by a visit to the Show, and announcing a proposal to give 
a. donation of £500 to the charity. Letters of thanks were directed to 
be sent to all who had contributed to the success of the Fite, also to 
■those who had in other ways, above indicated, given valuable support to 
the Institution. At a future meeting the question of life membership 
■ to standholders in the Covent Garden Flower Market will be considered, 
in recognition of their great and successful efforts in the interests of 
the Fund. 
- Double Solomon’s Seal.—T wo or three years ago a double- 
flowered form of Convallaria polygonatum for the first time came under 
■my notice, and I then sent sprays bearing blooms to the Journal for 
inspection. The circumstance was forgotten until a few days ago, when 
casually standing by the same clump, which had, in the meantime, 
been removed from its former situation, its widely expanded flowers 
again attracted attention. From the flower and sprays now sent it will 
’be seen that the variety has remained perfectly constant, and it would 
be interesting to know whether it is cultivated to any extent, or if it 
may not be met with in gardens where its presence is unregarded. 
The flowers are as double as many of those of the Hyacinth, and are 
highly scented. It may be superfluous to add that Solomon’s Seal is one 
of the most desirable plants to establish in a shady situation, even if it 
•be somewhat overhung by trees, and there are many of these even in 
■unpretentious places where they might be introduced with advantage 
—J. J. 
-Cucumbers in Conservatories.— 4Ve contrive to get a nice 
supply of Cucumbers throughout the summer and autumn from our 
■ conservatory, without materially encroaching upon the space devoted to 
the flowers. It came about in this way. We wanted some Cucumbers, 
'.but we had no garden frame, and there was not a foot of spare room in 
-our pit except to raise a plant from seed, which was done early in 
IMarch, but when the plant was large enough it was turned out of the 
seed-pot into a big pot containing fully a peck of rich soil. It was 
then put in a back corner of the conservatory upon the floor, and by 
•careful watering it was induced to grow freely and strongly, the growth 
being made fast to some wooden supports against the wall. As the 
.plant became large the roots came out at the top and through the holes 
at the bottom of the pot, so we made a mound of soil around and over 
the pot, into which the roots spread quickly, keeping the plant sur¬ 
prisingly vigorous and fruitful. During the full heat of summer it had 
a thorough drenching of water twice daily—not clear water, for a little 
Artificial manure was always put in it after the plant was in full bear- 
and it were to this treatment that its long-sustained health and 
■fruitfulness was undoubtedly very much owing. Since then I have 
sometimes sown the seed in the conservatory, and although it germinates 
cslowly there the plant invariably appears more robust and sturdy than 
avhen raised in heat.— Amateur. 
- Royal Horticultural Society. — We are requested to publish 
the following revised arrangements for the present year :—June 25th, 
Floral Meeting in the Drill Hall; lecture at 3 p.m. on “ Strawberries,” 
by Mr. A. F. Barron and Mr. Geo. Bunyard. July 2nd and 3rd, grand 
Rose Conference at Chiswick. July 9th, meeting of Committees and 
general flower Show at Chiswick ; also Show of Chiswick Horticul¬ 
tural Society. July 23rd, Floral Meeting in the Drill Hall, and 
National Carnation and Picotee Society’s Show ; lecture at 3 p.m., on 
the “ Florists’ Carnation,” by Mr. Shirley Hibberd. August 13th, 
Floral Meeting in the Drill Hall; lecture at 3 p.m. on “ Peaches and 
Nectarines,” by Mr. T. Francis Rivers. August 27th, Floral Meeting in 
the Drill Hall, and Exhibition of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Sep¬ 
tember 17th, Floral Meeting in the Drill Hall, and Exhibition of flowers, 
fruits, and vegetables. September 24th, 25th, and 26th, great vegetable 
Conference at Chiswick, and Exhibition of all classes of vegetables 
then in season. October 8th, Floral Meeting in the Drill Hall, and 
Exhibition of flowers, fruits, and vegetables ; popular lecture at 3 P.M., 
on “ Conifers,” by Mr. W. Coleman. October 22nd, Floral Meeting in 
the Drill Hall, and popular lecture at 3 p.m., on “ Pears.” Novem¬ 
ber 5th and 6th, Chrysanthemum Centenary Conference at Chiswick, 
and Exhibition of all classes of Chrysanthemums under cultivation in 
this country. December 10th, Floral Meeting in the Drill Hall, and 
Exhibition of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Admission to all the above 
meetings and Exhibitions is free to Fellows of the Society at twelve 
o’clock. The public are admitted on payment of Is., at one o’clock. 
- An unassuming, but pretty and useful little plant in particular 
positions is Geranium striatum, which might be expected to be a 
common occupant of gardens, but this is by no means the case, as 
perhaps owing to its being a native of European countries it shares the 
neglect of many other wild plants that really possess horticultural value 
For shady situations under trees or shrubs, in fact almost anywhere it 
is not liable to be disturbed, it extends rapidly and soon forms a dense 
covering for the ground. The leaves are light green, five-lobed, but the 
upper ones are much more prominent than the others, giving a tri-lobate 
appearance to the leaf. The flowers are borne in pairs on slender stalks, 
the five petals regularly bi-lobed and arranged in a funnel-like manner. 
They are white, distinctly veined with purplish crimson, the marking 
standing out boldly on the pure white ground. The plant continues 
flowering for a considerable time. Few of the Geraniums are much use 
for cutting unless a little clear gum is employed, as the petals soon fall, 
but G. striatum lasts as well as any, except the double G. pratense, and 
its delicate little flowers have a peculiarly graceful appearance in a 
small glass. 
-Another common plant, the Ox-eye Daisy, Chrysanthemum 
leucanthemum, is one that repays for cultivation, and I prefer the 
ordinary single variety to the semi-double form which was brought into 
notice a year or two since. By selecting seeds from the plants with the 
largest flower heads and broadest florets, this Chrysanthemum can be 
greatly improved, aud in its best condition it is quite equal to the 
Marguerites; indeed, it is frequently so named. All the cultivation 
required is providing good garden soil. In any border they will thrive, 
but prefer an open, rather sunny, but not too dry a position. By adopt¬ 
ing the system of selection mentioned I have obtained several well 
marked varieties, quite distinct from and superior to the common wild 
forms.—L. 
- An amateur writes:—“A year or two since a friend in the 
north of England sent me a representative collection of Pansies suit¬ 
able for a beginner, a few varieties in each of the sections, enough to 
give an idea of the characters and attractions of these charming plants. 
They have now taken a place amongst my chief garden favourites, and 
though I have had some disappointments and lost many plants during 
the winter there are still sufficient to make a moderate-sized border very 
bright and pleasing. My losses have been principally amongst the 
Show varieties. The Fancy varieties and some of the Belgian type 
have nearly all survived, though the soil is somewhat damp, and the 
situation a rather cold one. It suits them well enough in the summer 
months, but they suffer in the winter ; still I intend increasing my 
collection, for they are worth all the attention they require.” 
- It may be confidently hoped, now that the Florists’ Tulips 
are being brought before the public by experienced cultivators and 
amateurs in the south of England, that some of the popularity formerly 
extended to these plants will return. Tire fact that a gentleman like 
Dr. Hogg has resumed their culture and formed an extensive collection 
will no doubt assist greatly in calling attention to them, and it is regret 
