464 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ June 9, 1887. 
It will be seen, then, that not only does the Royal need reorganisa¬ 
tion, but other societies in a better financial condition according to 
their size require a thorough overhauling, and their base of operations 
widened. The result would be that the membership would be materially 
increased in proportion as they extended their influence and created an 
interest in their varied work. Could there be a better or more appro¬ 
priate time for commencement ? Let the Jubilee year of Her Majesty 
be also the jubilee of horticultural societies for increased effort and 
usefulness in the progress and advancement of the profession in which 
we are so deeply interested.— A Northerner. 
THE NORTON PANSY SOCIETY. 
Mb. C. E. Scarne, the Chief Librarian of the Birmingham Library 
and a few friends who reside at King’s Heath, near to King’s Norton, 
one of the most pleasant suburbs of Birmingham, initiated a Pansy 
Club in 1886, and held their second Exhibition Whit Monday. The 
season has not been a favourable one by any means for Pansies in the 
Birmingham district, but there was a fair display of blooms, many of 
those from the local growers being of very fine quality. The chief 
winners were Mr. Alfred Hunt, Mr. John Hunt, Mr. G. F. Bullock, Mr. 
John Simkins, and Mr. C. E. Scarne, who exhibited some good Pansies 
and Violas in pots, which took leading honours. 
The silver medal for the best named seedling not yet sent out, thre e 
blooms to be exhibited, was awarded with a certificate also to Mr. James 
Fig. 78.—Spirsea confusa; 
Simkins for Syren, a full sized flower, of first-class form and smoothness, 
colour, violet top petals, with wire margin of white, immense deep rich 
blotch with well defined margin of white. Messrs. Laird & Sons, Edin¬ 
burgh, obtained a certificate for three blooms of Fancy Pansy John 
Pope, an improvement on William Dean, a very fine variety. Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Paisley, were awarded certificates for a Fancy Pansy Alfred 
Hunt, a good variety, also for a fine show yellow ground Pansy named 
William Dean. Messrs. Laird & Sons, Edinburgh, contributed a quan¬ 
tity of leading Fancy Pansy blooms, Mrs. R. Young, Mrs. Orr, Mrs. H. 
Hunter, William Allan, very bright; Princess Beatrice, Mary Tate, Wm. 
Dean, Mrs. J. C. Hope Vere, William Dick, Campbell Bannerman, 
Brightness, and Gem, being especially fine. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Paisley, contributed a very fine lot of blooms of 
Fancy Pansies, containing many promising seedlings, and the following 
named varieties were very fine Mrs. J. P. Frame, Wm. Dick, Pilrig, 
Evelyn Bruce, Mrs. J. Dobbie, Lord Rosebery, Louise Dottie, William 
Cuthbertson, and Miss Bliss. Messrs. Laird & Son sent a very fine lot of 
Viola blooms, the most noticeable being Archie Grant, Arthrey (very 
distinct and pretty), Harlequin, Duchess of Albany, Pantaloon, Emilyn, 
Lady Sophia, Topsy, and a bright striped seedling. 
Messrs. Pope & Son of the King’s Norton Nurseries, sent a grand lot 
of Fancy Pansy blooms, quite equal in quality to the best Scotch flowers 
sent, the finest being Bob Montgomery, Lord Rosebery, Koningsberg, 
Mrs. Scott, Princess Beatrice, Pilrig, Miss Bliss, Charlie Stansell, My 
Lady, William Dick, Mrs. C. P. Frame, Evelyn Bruce, Mr. Mclnnes. 
Maggie Edgar, A. Grant, May Tate, Bellona, and Wm. Duncan. This 
firm also contributed a handsome group of plants not for competition. 
The first prize for six blooms of any sort of Pansy was gained by 
Mr. Alfred Hunt, with six fine blooms of William Dean, Fancy variety. 
Mr. Cooper, gardener to the Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., sent 
for decoration a fine group of plants. Judging from the great interest 
taken in the Pansies and Violas by the visitors a great impetus will be 
given to the cultivation of both plants in the district. 
SPIR2EA CONFUSA. 
Under this name Messrs. James Veitch & Sons have had a number 
of elegant shrubby plants in their flower house this season, and it seems 
so well adapted for forcing that it merits the attention of those who 
wish to provide as diversified a display as possible early in the jear_ 
The branches are very slender, bearing small oval slightly cut leaves and 
most abundant compact trusses of pure white flowers, which last a con¬ 
siderable time. Spirtea confusa (fig. 78) is as easily grown as any other 
form of the genus. A good loamy soil suits it, and after forcing the plants 
should be encouraged to make a free growth, which must be. well 
matured out of doors in a sunny position, as they will thus gradually 
acquire an earlier habit of flowering. If planted out they should be 
lifted early in the year, potted, and introduced to moderate heat, as if 
placed in a strong heat they are not so satisfactory. 
ARE POTATOES DEGENERATING? 
It was not till this morning (June 1st) that I saw the Journals of 
the 19th and 26th ult., in the former of which, at page 392, appeared 
some notes of mine on the above subject, and in the latter number at 
page 419 I see it is suggested that I am one of those enthusiastic growers 
who beg or buy tubers at exhibitions. I first thought of treating such 
a suggestive insinuation with the silence it deserves. I now write to 
inform the suggester that the dart has quite miscarried. Of the eleven 
international exhibitions I have been present but twice when the show 
was over, seldom staying after the first day, leaving others to remove 
my exhibits, which I gave them for eating purposes, “ such well deve¬ 
loped and carefully preserved tubers” not being in my opinion (after 
washing, perhaps scrubbing, and lying on the exhibition table exposed 
to a strong light for three days) either the best for eating or seed. I 
think had suggester been a frequenter of great shows in the metropolis 
during the last three or four years he would have abandoned the idea 
of such tubers having a chance of success in another competition, aa 
they would be sure to be beaten by fresh ones, though not possessing 
their size and symmetry. That the exhibited tubers “ invariably start 
stoutly and strongly ” I deny. I have seen them so much damaged as to 
be worth little for seed purposes. To the question as to purchasing seed 
Potatoes I answer I have for the last seventeen years every season 
bought for seed from one or more of the following dealers :—Messrs. 
Veitch, Carter & Co., Hooper & Co., Daniels Brothers, R. Dean, Sutton 
and Sons, Johnson & Son, C. Sharp, C. Fidler, and W. Kerr. I have 
in the early spring exchanged many varieties with friends in other 
counties, and this, too, with the very marked result I have alluded to- 
In these last few lines of mine on this subject allow me to thank you, 
Mr. Editor, for inserting my notes on this very debateable question, and 
to say to suggester, When argument fails, consider 1 and of all things 
avoid personalities. Hit as hard as you like, but fairly, and keep your 
temper with your faithful friend— Audax Intrepidus. 
THE HANDSWORTH NURSERIES. 
The members of the Sheffield Floral and Horticultural Society,, 
together with delegates from other societies in the Yorkshire Association 
to the number of about seventy, had a very enjoyable excursion on Whit 
Tuesday to the Handsworth Nurseries of Messrs. Fisher, Son, & Sibray. 
Mr. Fisher, the senior member of the firm, being unfortunately confined 
to his house through illness, and the other partners being from home,, 
the visitors were conducted through the extensive ranges of glass houses 
and over the more interesting portions of the nursery grounds by 
Mr. Williams, the able and courteous manager of the indoor depart¬ 
ments. 
The Orchid houses proved a great attraction, as they contain a very 
fine display of flowers of such showy plants as Cattleyas, Cypripediums, 
Dendrobiums, Laelias, Odontoglossums, &c. Especially worthy of notice- 
is a grand bank of large specimen Vandas, all flowering profusely, 
and being in the most vigorous health. The largest specimen of 
V. tricolor planylabris is unequalled in the kingdom. Most of the other 
specimens, which are numerous, of V. suavis, V. tricolor, &c., are 3 to 
5 feet in height, with large very dark green spotless foliage down to the 
pot, and carrying each three or four large spikes of flower, prove unmis- 
takcably that Vandas find a congenial home at Handsworth. 
Another principal point of attraction was a large span-roofed house 
full of the new decorative Pelargonium Duchess of Teck, for which the 
firm have just obtained a first-class certificate at the Manchester Whit- 
