February 20.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
315 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
The Society for the Promotion of Floriculture in Great 
Britain have, at their North-eastern Branch, elected 
Charles Palmer, Esq., of Shacklcwcll, president; and 
Mr. Gurney, of Bethnal Green, vice-president, for the 
year 1851; and the City Branch have elected—-Dondy, 
Esq., and Mr. Theodore Lockhart, to the same othecs. 
The judges and committee, who gave such satisfaction 
through 1850, have, for the most part, been re-elected, 
lliis society has determined that no competition of old 
flowers shall bo entertained, the sole declared object 
' being to receive from members newly raised subjects, 
| and to report their character. 
The meetings got up at Worton Cottaye having sig¬ 
nally failed to do any service to the floral public, have 
been very properly given up. The public begin to look 
very jealously at a high priced flower, with even a good 
character, unless they know whose opinion it is that is 
recorded of it. 
A sort of rivalry has sprung up among the leaders of 
London shows, and the Dahlia will be the subject of 
several popular metropolitan exhibitions. The South 
London Florists, who condemned the Marchioness of 
Cornwallis and the Standard of Perfection, which now 
stand their ground among the first class flowers, will 
endeavour to get up a display. The Chelsea growers 
intend to keep up their annual meeting. The Shackle- 
wcll gentlemen, who have this year obtained the pa¬ 
tronage of the leading cultivators for sale, arc making 
great preparations. The Stohe Newington Society goes 
on as usual. The North London Florists, notwithstand¬ 
ing the serious fracas at the dinner, where a gentleman 
showed another’s flowers, having made some changes of 
men, and gained in number, much to the society’s advan¬ 
tage, will not forget the Dahlia; and one of the large 
squares at Nottiug-hill has been applied for, to hold a 
monster show in that locality. The general opinion is, 
that Shacklcwcll will take the lead, and Notting-hill 
come next; but all beyond one, near London, are too 
many. 
Dahlias grown for sale—make cuttings very carefully, 
and so remove merely two joints with the top, that they 
may have all the benefit of a break at any joint; but 
this is not the best plan for those amateurs who want 
but few. One plan for persons who want but two or 
three of a sort, is to throw all the dry roots into a hot¬ 
bed ; or, for want of that, to keep them in a warm place 
until the eyes show where they will break, and then to 
separate the tubers into as many pieces as plants re¬ 
quired, but to leave only one good eye to each piece ; the 
others are easily scooped out. Those pieces of tuber 
may be cut into a reasonable size for potting, and be 
kept growing until planting time. If more plants are 
required, pot all the roots with the crown or collar above 
the soil, and as each shoot that comes up attains two 
inches in length, break it off and pot it singly in a thumb 
pot—not one in fifty will miss striking. The plants thus 
formed are the best and strongest, and form the best 
tubers. These hints are worth tho attention of any 
amateur who has not acted upon tho principles before. 
At Nottingham, the florists, who are enthusiastic in 
the cause, aro getting up a testimonial of respect to 
Mr. Wqod, of the Coppice, a steady veteran advocate of 
the science, and a well known cultivator of the Carnation 
and I’icotee. A great number of men, whose half-crowns 
are more to them than pounds would be to many, have 
joined in this testimonial, which, being tho work of 
numbers, will be highly complimentary to the receiver. 
No florist has earned a reputation by a larger exercise 
of perseverance in the improvement of florists’ flowers. 
The Early Tulip is one of those welcome visitors that 
give brilliance to the garden when flowers are scarce, i 
None but those who have seen the scores of varieties 
now grown in Holland, can form an idea of what may 
be done with them. We have seen in a garden at Ful¬ 
ham, and a regular florist’s garden too, more than fifty j 
varieties, and thousands of each sort, forming a mass of 
colour that would have a beautiful effect in geometrical 
gardens—white, rose colour, brilliant scarlet, yellow, 
and striped of all kinds, are at command; but very few 
of these early kinds aro what the florist would call 
“clean;” they have all stains in the base, which ren¬ 
der them worthless as show flowers. Yet we think they 
might bo subservient to any grand effects to be pro¬ 
duced in fancy beds and borders. 
The well known, but not very old plant, Weigela 
Rosea, has been shown as ill grown as anything we 
know. We have seen it this spring in flower, not twelve 
inches high, quite as much across, or through, and one 
mass of bloom.- It was allowed to grow out of doors in 
its pot (size 32) all the summer, and before it was put in 
the greenhouse it was cut down, the wood having well 
ripened. The result is a very handsome little plant, in 
profuse flower, much less and much better bloomed than 
any we have seen at shows. 
The only safe season to plant Ranunculuses is this: 
as long as wo can remember, Valentine’s Day was con¬ 
sidered so good a time, that the nearest open weather 
was taken to plant all the better kind of tubers for tho 
flowers we depended on to exhibit in June. Autumn 
planting is far better for the increase of the stock; but 
in some seasons we have known them all cut off. This 
may bo obviated by covering effectually; but spring 
planting is always safe; and if we do not obtain quite 
so large an increase, we are much more secure against 
positive loss. 
In Bethnal Green, which, before the ground was 
cropped with bricks and mortar, was a most important 
land of flowers, there are many societies for the promo- i 
tion of social exhibitions. The members pay one shil- 1 
ling per month, which, with donations from neighbours, 
and various sources beyond these periodical payments ) 
form a fund for prizes, deducting merely tho price of an 
annual dinner: the prizes are the same in number as 
the members, all of whom are bound to show the best 
flowers they can, good or bad, or they cannot take the 
prize to which they are entitled, only on condition of 
showing. In the division of this, the members begin 
with their own subscriptions, say twenty members at 
eight shillings each, is eight pounds; and say there shall 
