THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 27, 1859. 
that it is yet two months, if not three months, too soon to put a 
single bulb, or a double bulb either, in any one flower-bed in Her 
Majesty’s British dominions. Also, that it is just now one 
month behind the right time for all the spring bulbs to be in the 
ground. Of all the improvements which we should like to effect 
and to push into the exact groove for that end, none is of more 
importance than that all flower-garden bulbs should be in the 
ground by the middle of September. Ours were all bedded in 
the framing-ground by the 14th of the month, and some of them 
have already made great progress in the roots with the warm 
light rains. Every week now that the bulbs are out of the ground 
they lose one month’s strength from it, which is one-twelfth less 
strong to stand over another season. Those who do not put 
them in the soil before the end of October lose eight months out 
of twelve in the keeping and strength of them future bulbs. The 
wonderful superiority of massing colours in bedding plants over 
the old dotting and patching has so endeared one’s garden to all 
who see it, that every plan and move for prolonging it, at the 
end of the season, are resorted to for keeping it up to the last 
moment. Then it takes a good while, with all one’s hand^, to 
clean and clear up the garden, store away the plants for the 
winter, and regulate the flower-beds for the winter and for spring 
work, and all this time it is far worse than useless to think of 
putting a single “ root ” into one of the beds or borders. That 
being so, we should be most surely in a great fix if the spring 
bulbs must be first set in the places where they are intended 
to flower. The whole race of them need no such treatment at 
all; but one and all of them are endowed by Nature with a force 
which is sure and as certain as instinct is in animals. That 
force is absolute, and to force and fight against it is another 
absolute not worth naming just now. That force begins its sway 
each year by the beginning of August, moving for the production 
of a fresh set of roots. As soon as the point of the first roots 
feels the ah’, that bulb is out of its element—-the soil. Nothing 
on earth, or in the brains of men, will ever alter this force in 
the autumnal-rooting bulbs, which suffer in different degrees 
by being out of the ground one moment longer than is natural 
for them to make roots. But with two or three inches of soil 
over them and about them in the spare ground, every one of 
them will keep quite safe till the month of Eebruary, if need be, 
and to the time, if earlier, the beds are made ready for them.] 
BRITISH POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
A meeting of the British Pomolog'cal Society was held at 
St. James’s Hall on Thursday last. Robert Hogg, Esq., Vice- 
President, in the chair. 
The following twelve gentlemen were elected ordinary- 
members 
Geo. Kirkpatrick, Esq., Newport, Isle of Wight. 
Jos. Narrow, Esq., Oatland House, Bungay. 
Geo. Knayett, Esq., Mogden House, Isleworth. 
Josiah Moorman, Esq., Bexhill, Sussex. 
J. J. Draper, Esq., 2, Wellington Street, Strand. 
Mr. G. Jackman, jun., Woking, Surrey. 
Mr. John Cattel, Westerham, Kent. 
Mr. James Duncan, Basing Park, Hants. 
Mr. G. Cameron, Goodwood Park, Chichester. 
Mr. W. Fob.syth, Gunnersbury Park, Ealing. 
Mr. Jas. Dale, Brancepetli Park, Durham. 
Mr. Nathan Cole, 42, Albany Road, St. John’s Wood. 
Several more of the present members, being private gentlemen 
or nurserymen, consented to be placed on the list of those sub¬ 
scribing One Pound annually. 
At this Meeting prizes were offered for the best collections of 
Grapes, which were competed for by Mr. Hill, gardener to Ralph 
Sneyd, Esq., of Keele Hall, Staffordshire, and Messrs. Lane and 
Son, of Berkhampstead. Mr. Hill’s consisted of thirteen very 
distinct sorts, among which were Trewtham Blade, Lady Bovine's, 
JEarly Samier Muscat , Golden Hamburgh, and BidwelVs Seed¬ 
ling. The first and Golden Hamburgh fully maintained the 
high character they have already earned, both as regards the size 
of the bunches and berries, and flavour. Lady Downe’s was not 
ripe, but well grown ; and Bidwell’s Seedling, a long loose bunch 
in the way of Black Prince, was quite ripe, but the flavour w*as 
destroyed by bemg in contact with some substance, o" by some 
application. Early Saumer Muscat has a small bunch and 
berry, the latter of an oblate shape. It is a nice sweet Grape, 
but there was no trace of Muscat flavour about it. The first 
prize was awarded to Mr. Hill, and the second to Messrs. Lane. 
In the collection of the latter were about fifteen varieties, among 
which were, the Boviood Muscat and Muscat of Alexandria; the 
bunch of the former being decidedly smaller, but better set than 
that of the latter. Golden Hamburgh was in admirable condition. 
Nearly all the others were unripe, being grown in an orchard- 
house open at the ends ; but Messrs. Lane intend to exhibit the 
same collection at one of the October Meetings, when they will bo 
in better condition. 
F. J. Graham, Esq., of Cranford, again exhibited his Seedling 
Grape, the flavour of which was exquisite; there was but one 
or two berries cracked, and, to ascertain whether it really is an 
improved foi-m of Ckassela3, or a distinct variety, Mr. Graham 
intends another year to grow both together in the same house. 
A prize was also given for the best dish of Apples of any kind, 
and the first was taken by Mr. AVhiting, of the Deepdene, with 
Bibston Pippin, the flavour of which w r as unexceptionable ; and 
the second by Mr. Swinerd, of Minster, also with Bibston Pippin, 
but the flavour was not equal to those of Mr. "Whiting’s; both, 
however, were very fine specimens. 
Another prize was offered for the best dish of Pears, which 
was taken by Mr. Whiting with Brown Beurre; the others ex¬ 
hibited being either not ripe, or too far gone. 
Josiah Moorman, Esq., of Bexhill, Sussex, sent a Seedling Pear 
named Archdeacon's j Gansel. This is evidently of the Gansel’s 
Bergamot race, and a very excellent pear, but it has not the 
high aroma and flavour of the old Gansel, and the flesh is more 
crisp. 
There were many other exhibitions of Apples and minor fruits, 
a report of which will appear at full length in the Society’s 
circular. 
The question of the' election of a new Secretary to succeed 
Mr. Davidson w\as again brought forward, and Sir. Davidson 
having expressed a willingness to continue in the office if the 
salary were increased, it was thought by several members present 
that it would be to the advantage of the Society now that it was 
acquiring a position of so much importance that no change in 
the management should take place, and that Mr. Davidson’s 
offer be accepted. 
NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Scutellaria Ventenatii. Hoolc, Nat. ord., Labiates. Native 
of Santa Martha; and introduced about the year 1845 into this 
country by Mr. Purdie.—A perennial with sub-herbaceous stems 
and branches. Branches somewhat erect, quadrangular. Leaves 
opposite, petioled, ovate, with a cordate base ; veins reticulated ; 
margin dentato-serrate, covered with downy hairs. Flowers in 
terminal, elongated racemes, with downy peduncles and pedicels, 
and deciduous bracts. Calyx somewhat campanulate, with two 
equal, entire lips ; crested, covered with very short, downy hairs. 
Corolla with a much elongated tube, narrow at the base, but 
gradually dilating towards the limb, which is two-lipped ; the 
upper lip arched over and composed of four lobes, and the lower 
one consisting of one flattish piece. Stamens four, included 
within the corolla. 
The genus Scutellaria contains some very handsome species, 
both tender and hardy, and the above is one of the best of the 
tender kinds. Its flowers are scarlet, and may be bad in pro¬ 
fusion at all seasons of the year; the brilliancy of which makes 
it a first-class ornamental plant. It will succeed well in either a 
stove or greenhouse, in a compost of partially decomposed leaves 
and sandy loam, about two parts of the latter to one of the former. 
If it is desired to have a succession of flowers from the same 
plant, it should be cut back when the first flowering is nearly 
over; aud if excited a little by heat it will shoot again, and flower 
as profusely as before. Cuttings root freely. 
Lapageria rosea. Binz and Pavon. Nat. ord., Smilacece. 
Native of Chili.-—Introduced to this country about the year 1847. 
Stems climbing, extending far, branching, round, scaly on the 
lower parts. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, with five rather 
prominent nerves, and reticulate veins. Flowers solitary and 
axillary on peduncles of moderate length, pendulous. Perianth 
composed of six sepals, the outer three of which are often unequal, 
spatulate, gibbous at the base, deep-rose colour, spotted faintly 
with white; the inner three are broader, more equal, and the 
white is more intense, and without the gibbosity at the base. 
Stamens six, with flattened, subulate filaments, and broad, yellow 
