480 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 13, less. 
perennial, yet the fact remains. For their third season a plant or two 
in my garden are now well above the soil, having passed the winter 
without the slightest protection or care, and I doubt not they will flower 
equally as well during the ensuing summer as they have done hitherto. 
Last season’s flowering was a decided advance upon that of 1887, since 
numerous stems pushed forth, and these latter are equally plentiful now. 
The plants are truly herbaceous, and dying below the surface evidently 
form stools from which buds issue in due time. I have thought the 
fact worth recording, as no doubt many of your readers would delight 
in planting such a plant abundantly in semi-wild places, were they 
assured of its perfect hardiness, and that annual planting, particularly 
in favoured districts, could be dispensed with. What more charming 
"than this delightfully fragrant flower adorning our woodlands at even¬ 
tide ?” 
- At the ordinary meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society, to be held at 23, Great George Street, Westminster, on 
Wednesday, the 19th inst. at 7 P.M.. the following papers will be read :— 
The Climate of British North Birneo,” by Robert H. Scott, M.A., 
F.R.S. ; “ On the Variation of the Temperature of the Air in England 
■during the period 1849 to 1888,” by William Ellis, F.R.A.S., 
F.R.Met.Soc. ; ‘‘Atlantic Weather and Rapid Steamship Navigation,” by 
Charles Harding, F.R.Met.Soc. ; “ Meteorological Phenomena observed 
during 1875-87 in the neighbourhood of Chelmsford,” by Henry Corder ; 
■** Rainfall in China, and Meteorological Observations made at Ichang 
and South Cape in 1888,” by W. Doberck, Ph.D., F.R.Met.Soc. In ad¬ 
dition to the papers announced a communication will also be made on 
the recent thunderstorms, and a number of photographs of lightning 
■exhibited. 
- A Happy Thought. —“ E.” writes :—“ It was undoubtedly a 
happy thought which prompted an old friend of mine to plant a Zonal 
Pelargonium against the back wall of his span-roofed vinery some three 
years ago, and the fact of the name of the Pelargonium being “ A Happy 
Thought ” is so singularly in keeping with the act as to induce one to 
suppose it was suggestive of if. Calling a few days ago to see his gar¬ 
den—a small one, but nevertheless well worth seeing, for it contains 
many instructive and pleasant sights—I saw in the vinery a picture so 
"beautiful and so uncommon that I at once requested permission to tell 
your readers about it, for among them there are undoubtedly many owners 
■of similar snug little town gardens. The vinery is a span-roofed struc¬ 
ture, with the ends facing north and south ; the north or cold end has 
no glass, but is of brickwork right up to the ridge, and it is on this wall 
that the Geranium is trained. The plant is about 9 feet high, and 
qprobablv spreads over some 60 or 70 square feet of wall, which is quite 
hidden behind its clean healthy foliage and abundant trusses of crimson 
flowers, which contrast so charmingly with the white and green leaves. 
As one entered the vinery from the opposite end the effect was singu¬ 
larly striking; the green arch of Vine leaves overhead, the subdued 
light, and the well-chosen position of the plant, all combined to present 
dt to my admiring eyes under a totally new, and certainly most p’easing, 
aspect. As the shade from the Grape Vines becomes more dense its 
"blossom may not come so freely, but of this I am uncertain, for enough 
light reaches through the side lights under the Vine leaves to ensure 
.healthy foliage, and some blossom even at midsummer.” 
GECJM MINIATUM. 
Tf for no other reason this plant should be grown by all on account 
of its extreme floriferousness, for without doubt it is one of the most 
persistent bloomers among the great army of perennials. Last year 
mv plants continued flowering far into December, and even then many 
spikes of flowers were visible, but which could not develope on account 
of the weather. The turn of the days, however, soon made them push 
■forth. and though they did not produce flowers of their usual excellence, 
dt still serves to illustrate its remarkable freedom of flowering. But this 
plant possesses in its rich orange and scarlet shaded flowers that de¬ 
lightful tone of colouring of which we have too little, and therefore we 
prize that we have all the more. It luxuriates in a fairly rich loamy 
soil, not at all particular as to the character of the loam, for I have 
seen it equally fine on heavy and light, a fact which only enhances its 
W-ilue. 
Singular to relate it never or very rarely produces seeds, and its 
mode of increase is therefore confined to division, a rather slow process, 
but in itself a guarantee of keeping the stock pure. This is the more 
remarkable when we consider that the double scarlet Geum seeds with 
great fr edom, the seedlings varying but little from the parent. It is 
best to divide the plants in spring time as soon as active growth com¬ 
mences, but before doing so ascertain that those you wish to operate on 
have several crowns, and if not then you cannot do better than leave 
them for another year. If eligible for division carefully detach the 
.crowns with as many roots as possible, and pot them in 4 or 5-inch pots, 
placing them for a few days in a close shady frame, and transfer them 
to the open ground as soon as they have taken to the soil. 
For nine months cf the year this is a strikingly handsome plant, and 
is in consequence worth a little more consideration than some rarity 
whose flowers endure for a day or two, or perhaps a week, and then 
require searching after to be seen at all. Not so with the plant under 
notice, which may be seen a hundred yards distant, a rich and telling 
shade of colour which bears minute inspection also, well balanced too 
by abundant neat and handsome foliage.—J. H. E. 
BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND SHOW AT EXETER. 
June 5th, 6th, 7th. 8th, 10th. 
For twenty years the horticultural department of the above Society 
has been under the management of the Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen, and 
great credit is due to that gentleman for the grand collection of plants 
that he got together on the above occasion, and also for the tasteful 
manner in which they were arranged. The plants and cut flowers were 
arranged in one large tent, in the centre of which was planted a large 
Tree Fern, Cyathea medullaris, and hanging from the roof on each side 
were two of the finest baskets of Adiantum cuneatum that we have ever 
seen ; they were quite 6 feet through, and perfect balls. On one side 
of this tent was arranged a group of greenhouse plants consisting of 
Tree Ferns, Palms, Azaleas, Ericas, Pimeleas, Pelargoniums, and others. 
On the other side was a group of stove plants consisting of Palms, 
Crotons, Ixoras, Stephanotises, Allamandas, Bougainvilleas, Pancratiums, 
Orchids, Gloxinias, and others. At one end of the tent was a grand 
collection of Clematises sent by Messrs. R. Smith k Son, Worcester, which 
were much admired. Towering above them were two massive Palms, 
Seaforthia elegans. The whole of one side of the tent was tastefully 
laid out with beds of Pansies from Messrs. Lucombe, Pince & Co., and 
on the other side a collection of Begonias from Messrs. J. Laing k Sons, 
Forest Hill, were much admired. The most noticeable varieties were 
Duchess of Teck, a fine double yellow ; Mr. Hall, a very fine double pale 
yellow ; Duke of Edinburgh, dark crimson, single, very good ; Lord 
Randolph, crimson scarlet, double ; and Star of Gold, single, bright 
yellow, grand flower. This firm also exhibited two boxes of cut 
Pyrethrums and some good foliage Begonias. 
Besides those already mentioned who sent plants were Mr. Garland, 
gardener to Sir T. D. Acland, Bart., Killerton Park, Palms and Ferns ; 
Mr. G. A. Cove, gardener to Col. Cory ton, Pentillie Castle, Orchids and 
Caladiums; Mr. Rugg, gardener to C. R. Collings, Esq., Hele, two 
baskets of Adiantum cuneatum and Gloxinias ; Mr. J. T. Ebbutt, 
gardener to the Rev. W. Hamilton Gill, Tree Ferns and Orchids ; Mr. 
G. Lock, gardener to B. C. Cleave, Esq., Palms, Crotons, Ixoras, 
Alocasias, and Azaleas ; Mr. W. Rowland, gardener to W. Brock, Esq., 
Palms, Dracmnas, Ferns, and Pelargoniums ; Mr. S. Salway, gardener to 
H. B. Mildmay, Esq., a very good lot of Anthuiium Sehertzerianum 
major; Mr. Bartlett, gardener to Lady Hotham, Orchids and Ferns; 
Messrs. Lucombe, Pince k Co. also sent some good specimen Allamandas, 
Bougainvilleas, Ericas, and two grand Stephanotises, of which Mr. 
Luxton, the firm’s foreman, is a noted grower. Dr. Farrant sent Pelar¬ 
goniums ; Mr. Brown, florist, exhibited a grand collection of Pelar¬ 
goniums, the plants being from 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet 6 inches across, 
and a mass of bloom ; Mr. Rendall of Exe Bridge Nursery had a well 
arranged group of miscellaneous p'ants ; Messrs. Webb & Sons, Stour¬ 
bridge, had in the grounds a large stand of seeds and roots ; Mr. Conway 
Warne (late J. Matthews, Weston-super-Mare), had a very attracts e 
stand of ornamental pottery arranged with plants. 
MILDEW ON STRAWBERRIES. 
Some varieties of Strawberries are very subject to mildew, notably 
President and Sir Joseph Paxton, and especially the latter. It prevents 
the fruits swelling and destroys their appearance. I have tried several 
things, but the only effectual method of destroying mildew on the 
plants is by syringing them with a solution of sulphur and water. 
Whenever they are attacked, whether before they come into flower or 
after the fruit is set, growers need not hesitate in syringing with this 
solution. In houses we have devoted entirely to Strawberry forcing, 
the plants have been arranged on the shelves and there syringed 
thoroughly. The sulphur is left on the plants for three or four days, 
then washed off with clean tepid water. The mildew is thus destroyed, 
and scarcely a trace of the sulphur left. 
Last year the appearance of a large number of fruits was destroyed 
on Sir Joseph Paxton by mildew. Several remedies were tried, including 
sulphide of potassium, but with no benefit. Those subject to the 
sulphur dressing coloured well, as I have before pointed out. This year 
it was tried on 500 p'ants, and the fruits coloured well and swelled to 
their normal size. In the future I shall not hesitate to syringe as soon 
as set, or before if necessary, all plants of President or Sir Joseph 
Paxton. It does not appear to injure them in the least. This is a 
cheap and effectual method of extirpating the pest, and it cannot be 
too widely known. I do not doubt there are many cultivators who 
would be afraid to use it for fear of destroying the appearance of the 
fruit. We were at first, but as the remedy could be no worse than the 
disease we decided upon giving it a fair trial. Fortunately it has 
proved effectual, and in every way satisfactory. About a 3J-inch potful 
of sulphur may safely be used to every four gallons of water needed. 
Whatever may be urged in favour of sulphide of potassium, we do 
not approve of it for indoor use, simply because it turns the woodwork 
