250 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 13,189^. 
The NATio>rAL Rose Society and its Membees. 
Dueing the last few months the Committee of this Society has 
received a good deal of rough usage at the hands of those who have the 
pen of ready writers. These criticisms have been of a very varied 
character—the incompetency of the Committee in not being able to 
forecast the character of the season and not regulating their shows 
accordingly ; their slowness to perceive the change in public opinion, 
and I know not what else have been brought against them. I do not 
think it is all fair this one-sided sort of game should go on, and as the 
members have roundly censured the Committee and its officers, I, as 
one of the latter, wish to buttonhole the members for a few minutes. 
You are aware, gentlemen, that we are honorary officers and not 
well paid officials. Mind, we do not complain of this, but we do think 
that it ought to have some weight so that we might be saved as much 
trouble as possible. But how stands the matter ? You all know (at least 
you ought to know) that the subscriptions of the Society are due on the 
1st of May, but as many of you have proved oblivious on this subject 
you received this year an additional reminder in that month, while 
those of you who were secretaries of affiliated societies were distinctly 
to'd that you might order medals to any amount you liked, but that 
none would be supplied to you until you sent the cash. Had all this 
any effect on you ? Not an atom that I can see. 
I have just received from the Treasurer a list of those who have not 
yet paid their subscriptions. Remember this is the 5th of September, 
and 1 find that whereas we have 530 members, 115 of you, with that 
delightful consideration for the labours of the officers which so cheers 
them and so lightens their burdens, have made not the slightest move' 
ment towards paying your subscriptions. Moreover, it must be recol¬ 
lected that all this invokes expense, and that by the time your 
subscription is received and acknowledged (for I do not imagine, like 
Pennsylvanian bondholders, you will repudiate) an additional pound at 
any rate has been added to the expenses of the Society. But, says some 
charitable member who has paid his subscription, there are perhaps new 
hands who do not yet know the methods of the Society. Lay not this 
flattering unction to your souls, for in the list furnished to me I find 
members of the Committee, local honorary secretaries, secretaries of 
affiliated societies, and others, and what I think is the most aggravating 
part of the business the same names occur every year in the list of 
defaulters. Whether it is carelessness, or that putting off the payment 
of money which many find so distasteful, or lazmess, I do not know. 
Perhaps those of you who read this may find one or more of these 
excuses suited for your purpose, and if not, pray invent one. 
I know not whether what I have here written may do any good, 
“ but I have delivered my soul,” and that if it does you no good will 
reconcile me a little more to what I regard as a great lack of considera¬ 
tion. There seems to be an idea amongst secretaries of affiliated 
societies that if they do not order medals their affihation fee is not to be 
paid. This is entirely a mistake, for the fee is due whether medals are 
ordered or not.—D., Deal. 
[If our correspondent does not think it fair that what he calls a 
” one-sided sort of game ” at criticism bearing on the National Rose 
Society should go on, whose fault is it, if fault there be, that the “ other 
side” has not been heardi? No attempt is made in the above com¬ 
munication to meet the propositions which have been fairly and 
temperately advanced, and supported by gentlemen whose position in 
the Rose world entitles them to express their views on matters which 
they believe affect the usefulness and prosperity of the N.R.S. The 
non-payment of subscriptions on the part of one-third of the members of 
any society does not indicate anything like the active interest and zeal 
that it is desirable should be manifested in its work and progress. Are 
there no causes for this apathy other than those included in the list of 
pleasantries above recorded? N.B.—A communication from Mr. E. 
Mawley in which, at last, the other side of the question of the trophy 
class is presented, arrives too late for insertion this week,] 
CAMPANULA PYRAMIDALIS. 
SuEELY this is an age of general advancement and constant change 
in horticulture, as in everything else ; the rolling tide of fashion is ever 
on the alert for new departures and fresh species. Every year new 
varieties of plants and flowers, in all branches of horticulture, are 
brought out, some to take the public mind by storm for a while, then to- 
sink into obscurity and make room for something else; others only to 
reign in a narrow circle, as if they were not sufficiently strong to rise 
beyond the lowest staves of the ladder of popularity. 
Amid this unceasing rush it is not a surprising, though still a 
deplorable fact, that many fine old flowers are left by the wayside and 
for a time forgotten. It is doubtless owing to this reason that 
Campanula pyramidalis is not more widely cultivated, for grown as ft 
pot plant for decoration it has few superiors. The conservatory here 
now presents a gay appearance, and pleasingly conspicuous are the 
attractive spikes of Campanula, ranging about 4 feet high, and thickly 
clothed to the pot with masses of bloom, the pure white and pale blue 
forming a charming contrast. The hardiness of its nature and compara¬ 
tive ease with which it may be grown are recommendations. 
The best method I find is to sow the seeds in shallow boxes during 
the spring and place in gentle heat. When the plants are large 
enough to be handled remove into small pots, and as they require ife- 
< shift into 6 or 7-inch pots, using fibrous loam and a little decayed 
manure, and place outside in a sunny position until severe frosts 
commence, for though the plants will not suffer out of doors in an 
average winter, it is best to either plunge the pots in some refuse to 
protect the roots or keep them in a cold frame during the winter. As 
spring comes on and the plants commence their growth they should be 
finally moved to 8-inch pots for flowering, and be placed out of 
doors in a warm sunny position. As the pots become full of roots and 
flower spikes present themselves, the plants should be well supplied 
with liquid manure until they commence blooming and are placed in 
the conservatory, where their extreme beauty will amply repay for all 
trouble bestowed on them. If the plants are in too large pots they 
often grow very robust, but fail to throw up a flower spike, so that 
discretion should be used on this point, or they may prove a disappoint¬ 
ment. The plants here have been largely commented on, and where 
flowering plants are required for decoration they will be found very 
useful, as the tall bold spikes clothed with bloom cannot fail to excite 
praise and admiration.—G. H., Alton Towers, 
TOMATOES AT THE PRIORY NURSERY, WARWICK. 
Owing to the wet, sunless weather of the last few months the 
Tomato crops in many districts have not been so abundant and good as 
usual, sappy growth and diseased plants being unfortunately far too 
c mmon. It is, therefore, the more interesting to record an instance of 
successful culture, especially when it is found in a neighbourhood 
where the growth of the “ Love Apple ” is carried out on so gigantic a 
scale as at Kenilworth, where Mr. H. Whatley with his town of glass 
promises to become a provincial “Ladds.” Where specialists of this 
type are located gardeners get accustomed to see heavy crops, and are, 
therefore, not likely to be surprised till they meet with something 
particularly good. The few miles which separate Kenilworth from 
Warwick do not prevent those interested in the matter from having 
their “look round” the Tomato-growing establishments during the 
height of the season, to see who is to the front in the matter of numbers 
and quality of crop. 
This year it is generally considered that the palm must be awarded 
to Mr. J. Marsh, the proprietor of the above nursery. I called there a 
few days ago, and was rewarded by the sight of a prodigious crop. The 
plants are growing in light, span-rooofed houses (which were erected 
last spring). They are planted 15 inches apart in the borders on each 
side of a walk running through the centre of the house. Each border 
affords room for four rows of plants. These are trained to strings 
fixed in an upright position, one end of each string being fastened to 
a peg driven into the soil, and the other to a wire stretched under the 
sashbars. When each plant has grown to within a few inches of the 
glass the point is taken out, and side shoots are throughout the growing 
season regularly removed. By adopting this method of planting and 
training it is surprising what a weight of fruit may be cat from a house 
of given dimensions, in fact a far greater one than can ever be obtained 
by growing a single row of plants and training them under the roof in the 
orthodox way. The soil forming the border is of a very simple 
description, being good maiden loam with but little fibre, with which a 
liberal admixture of bonemeal was incorporated. At planting time 
this was rammed very firmly, and during the early stages of grow-th the 
soil was maintained in a comparatively dry condition, the aim being to 
secure sturdy short-jointed growths commencing to produce clusters of 
flowers within 9 inches or a foot of the soil. That this object has been 
attained I can bear ample testimony, for although at the time of my 
visit much of the fruit on the lower part of the plants had been cut 
some still remained which almost touched the soil. Above these in 
regular succession to the top of the plants perfect clusters of fine, even 
fruits were to be seen, some ripe, others just turning colour, while those 
on the extremities of the clusters were still green. The exact weight 
of crop per plant would of course be difficult to estimate, seeing that 
the fruits were in so many different stages, but I opine that no practical 
man could see such striking results without describing the crop as a 
grand one. 
Regular waterings with soot water and other liquid manures have 
been given since the time the first few clusters of fruit were swelling freely. 
The only varieties grown are Ham Green Favourite, Comet, and Per¬ 
fection. The first named is considered by Mr. Marsh to be the best for 
