OCTOBER. 
237 
for to construct our houses so that the plunging of the plants—to some extent at 
least—could he effected, need be no very difficult affair. It is only the principle I 
wish to advocate at present, however; designs, of course, must in every case be 
adapted to circumstances. 
No one would think of attempting to grow Pines without plunging, which is 
probably of more importance to them than any extra bottom heat they receive, and 
any one who ever compared the wan sickly appearance of a Pine grown for the 
sake of variety among a collection of stove plants in the ordinary way, with the 
robust vigorous appearance of those grown in the proper way, can have some idea 
of the disadvantages of the system, for what is applicable to the Pine is applicable 
to a great many of our stove plants ; indeed, I consider it almost impossible to 
grow a great many of our hardwooded stove plants properly without plunging 
and slight bottom heat. 
Whether owing to inattention to these and other requirements necessary to 
their successful cultivation I cannot tell, but a well-grown Ixora, Rondeletia, or 
Franciscea is seldom to be met with now-a-days, or indeed a plant of that descrip¬ 
tion at all, either at our flower shows or anywhere else. Judges and others who 
award prizes to collections of plants ought to see to this. I do not know the 
various meanings that may be attached to the word “ collection ” as used in the 
prize schedules of our horticultural societies ; but judging from experience in 
some instances, “variety ” does not seem to be one of them, a fact which exhibi¬ 
tors are evidently becoming aware of. 
No one who has noted the progress of horticulture for the last ten years, and 
marked the direction in which taste is tending in its various departments, can have 
failed to notice with regret, that many of our best-flowering stove plants, which 
we were wont to consider the gems of the hothouse, and which exhibited the skill 
of the gardener as much as anything else, are gradually disappearing from among 
our collections, and their place being usurped by a race of gay, easily cultivated 
Eegonias and Caladiums—plants, I admit, every way worthy of a place in every 
collection, but surely not to the exclusion of every other. Indeed, I question 
very much if some of those recent introductions, which we all profess to admire 
so much, are at all to be compared with some of the old, either in beauty or 
utility. Effect in-doors as well as out-doors seems now to be the only thing aimed 
at. The flower garden is certainly the proper place for the display of floral beauty 
and colour; but the conservatory ought to present some variety, and be like 
entertaining to all as being a museum of all that is rare, beautiful, and interesting 
in the vegetable world. 
We grumble loudly and justly at our horticultural societies for not doing 
their duty, and for not using aright the influence at their command—but do we 
rightly estimate our own responsibility, and the influence that may be exerted 
through the enterprise of our private-garden establishments P —(Scottish Gardener.) 
OUR MONTHLY CHRONICLE. 
Royal Horticultural Society. — It is 
very gratifying to be able to state that though 
152,962 persons visited the Gardens at South 
Kensington on the 26th of August, the anni¬ 
versary of the late Prince Consort’s birthday, 
no damage was done beyond the trampling of 
the grass on the slopes, and near where the 
bands were posted. This is another instance 
that where the public are admitted to gardens 
the privilege is rarely abused. Where such 
instances do occur, the plan adopted at Hamp¬ 
ton Court and some other places has been found 
to be an excellent deterrent, the culprit having 
the choice of being given into custody or of 
drawing the roller for half an hour—an alter¬ 
native which is invariably preferred. 
Fruit Committees. —At that held at Chis¬ 
wick on the 30th of August, it was decided 
that several reputed varieties of Muscat Grapes 
were identical. These had been obtained from 
the most authentic sources, had been grown 
in the same house, and subjected to the same 
treatment for two years. It was decided that 
Tottenham Park Muscat, Muscat Escholata, 
Denbies Muscat, Barnes’s Muscat, and Charles- 
worth Tokay, were all the same as the Muscat 
of Alexandria; and that Bowood, Tynning- 
ham, and Passe Muscats closely resembled 
each other, but different from the Muscat of 
Alexandria in being better setters. Mr. Yeitch, 
of Chelsea, exhibited at the same meeting three 
bunches of his Muscat Champion, obtained by 
