1883.] 
THE SCABIOUS AS A WINTER FLOWER.-THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
35 
The bulk of the volume is devoted to the 
descriptions of the several varieties which 
have come under the observation of the 
authors; and here the differences between the 
varieties of each kind of vegetable are very 
clearly set forth. Take the Lettuce for ex¬ 
ample : we find that its scientific name and 
natural family, its synonyms in various 
languages, its native country and its duration 
are stated, and then follows about a page of 
general and historical remarks before the 
descriptions of varieties are taken up. The 
primary division of the varieties is into Laitues 
pommees or Cabbage Lettuces, and Laitues 
Ptomaines or Cos Lettuces. The first group 
is sub-divided into Laitues d’hiver, Laitues de 
printemps, and Laitues d’ete. The second 
group is sub-divided into Romaines d’hiver, 
Romames de printemps et d’ete, and Romaines 
d’ete. The numerous varieties are arranged 
under these several headings, and of each of 
them the synonyms, the description, and any 
special remarks on culture not covered by the 
general observations are inserted. Throughout 
the book, the information is thus full and 
complete, the shorter subjects having the 
special headings of Culture and Usage follow¬ 
ing the descriptions. The whole is very 
freelly illustrated by carefully drawn portraits 
of the principal varieties. 
Besides vegetables proper the work includes 
Pine-apples, Strawberries, Melons, &c., which 
rather belong to the dessert than to the 
culinary department. The Pommes des terre 
are included. The weight in grammes of a 
litre of the seeds, the number of seeds in a 
gramme, and the duration of their germinative 
powers is given in a tabular form, as well as 
embodied with the descriptions. There are 
besides, an introduction, and a remarkably full 
index, by which latter any variety, under any 
of its synonyms, may be found at once, a 
most valuable feature in a book so full of 
detailed information. 
It will thus be seen that Les Plantes 
Potageres consists of a most carefully prepared 
series of descriptions of the vegetables, salad 
plants, pot herbs and culinary plants of all 
kinds, usually cultivated in gardens, the whole 
illustrated profusely by figures drawn to scale 
and giving truthful representations of the 
objects described. The grateful thanks of all 
who have to deal with the subject in any of 
its phases are due to the authors for producing 
a work so complete and comprehensive in its 
design, and so thorough and trustworthy in 
its execution.—T. Moore. 
THE SCABIOUS AS A WINTER 
FLOWER 
S HIS not over-pretty name is applied to dis¬ 
tinguish a very pretty flower. Though 
generally looked upon as an annual, 
both useful and used for summer 
decorations, it is also most suitable for 
flowering in the winter as well as in the spring 
months. The few flowers I send [varied and 
very striking] do not give a full idea of their 
value as winter-flowering plants. The variety 
is just now limited, as we have been cutting 
freely from the stock, and the best flowers are 
run upon ; but nevertheless they give one a 
fair indication of their worth, their long stems 
being not the least valuable part of them. 
For winter and spring work the seed can be 
sown out of doors in August, the plants being 
lifted and potted up before the first frosts 
come on, and housed in comfortable quarters 
•where sun and air can be given them. They 
establish themselves very quickly, and may 
be kept in the pots they are first put into, or 
shifted on for spring supply if they should 
happen to be then in demand. We have 
seven or eight different colours, but use them 
as fast as they open. I hope to send you the 
whole set of colours later on.—H. Knight. 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
HE Royal Horticultural Society held 
its Annual Meeting on February 13, the 
Right Hon. Lord Aberdare, President, 
in the Chair. The report of the Council 
having been taken as read, the President said that 
they had been under a very heavy cloud, knowing that 
as the lawsuit with Her Majesty’s Commissioners 
had gone against them, the Society was responsible 
for the costs—a sum of over £900; and as a conse¬ 
quence they were not last year able to balance their 
expenditure with their income; the expenses of the 
lawsuit had, however, been somewhat mitigated by 
an increase of £500 in miscellaneous receipts, but 
the Society was still left £379 to the bad. The 
Commissioners now being masters of the situation 
the Council naturally expected a considerable 
diminution in the number of Fellows, but the 
number of four-guinea Fellows had only fallen from 
449 to 427, whilst the number of Fellows paying two 
