212 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 5, 1885. 
it was ultimately decided that the show should take 
place ou Wednesday and Thursday, the 10th and 11th 
November, 1886, at the Royal Aquarium, as on former 
occasions. The roll of members was increased at this 
meeting by the election of fourteen new members ; this 
brings the total up to 323. The annual dinner of the 
society is fixed to take place at the “Four Swans,” on 
Monday, the 14th December next, and we hope the 
officers and committee of the society will receive that 
support on this occasion from the members and their 
friends which they so well deserve. 
The Proposed National Dahlia Show, 1 8S6 (Northern 
Section).—This proposal must, . we fear, be classed 
among the floricultural abortions of the year. It will 
be remembered that the committee of the Grand York¬ 
shire Gala were prepared to promote such an exhibition, 
and hold the same in the exhibition building of the 
Yorkshire Fine Ai't and Industrial Exhibition, and a 
circular was issued by Mr. John Wilson, the secretary, 
asking for subscriptions and donations to a guarantee 
fund of not less than £400. The project included 
prizes for fruit, plants, and cut flowers in addition to 
Dahlias. We regret to have to state that the response 
to Mr. YCilson’s circular is so small—showing a strange 
lack of interest on the part of the Dahlia exhibitors—that 
it appears as if the project must be abandoned. 
Whether the committee of the Grand Yorkshire Gala 
have decided not to proceed farther we cannot say, but 
we could wish another effort should be made in early 
spring, because it r may be imagined the general scope 
and character of the proposed enterprise is already 
roughly sketched. What help have the Dahlia growers 
in the north rendered ? They should certainly take the 
initiative in the matter. 
West of Scotland Horticultural Society. — The 
Directors of this Society have decided to hold their 
1886 Exhibitions in the St. Andrew’s Hall, Granville 
Street, Glasgow, on the following dates:—Spring, 
Wednesday, 24th March, 1886 ; Autumn, Wednesday, 
8th September, 1886. 
The Naughty Chrysanthemum,—Of late the Chry¬ 
santhemum has become fashionable. It has been long 
a favourite among artists, and probably these facts have 
turned the head of the formerly prim little blossom, 
and caused it to assume the wild exuberance of spirits 
which now characterises it. For the audacious and 
utterly preposterous rambling of the Chrysanthemum 
through the entire gamut of colour is something quite 
paralysing to the ordinary observer. One finds them 
of maroon, cuir, old gold, pink, white, brown, every 
imaginable shade and tint of yellow, down to cold 
matter-of-fact white. Colours that no other flower- 
wants the Chrysanthemum greedily absorbs. Colours 
that are the pride, hope, and ambition of Rose, Pansy, 
Tulip, Lily, and the rest—scarlet, crimson, blue, royal 
purple—are flouted by the Chrysanthemum, which 
rejoices in vagaries of neutral tints charged with the 
least suspicion of the primary colours. It is as though 
the specious flower desired to exhibit the possibilities 
of hues which have hitherto been considered attributes 
of a modest and retiring disposition, the furthest pos¬ 
sible from the insidious daring of the wily Chiysan- 
themum. The chromatic extravagance which permits 
this aggressive plant to perpetrate the floral anach¬ 
ronism of half-a-dozen blossoms of utterly unheard-of 
hues, all different, calmly projecting themselves from 
one mother stem, is something so perfectly ridiculous 
that only a gardener could contemplate it with im¬ 
punity. And as for form, the Chrysanthemum is a 
wilderness of startling surprises. From the simple, 
diminutive, harmless-looking ordinary Chrysanthe¬ 
mums of the period to the Medusa head creation of the 
erratic recent gardener, is a wonderful and unprece¬ 
dented stride into the abnormal. Our own belief is 
that the Chrysanthemum is a colossal Japanese im¬ 
posture, a spasmodic effort of floral witchcraft which 
should be abated in the interest of morality. — New 
York Herald. 
The Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution. —Mr. 
Charles Ellis, Chudleigh Knighton, South Devon, 
writes, under date of November 26th:—“In reading the 
notice in the Times of the ‘Memoir of Henry Fawcett,’ 
I am reminded of the gardeners’ ‘self-help,’ the Bene¬ 
volent Institution, to provide annuities for the aged 
and infirm, and the widows of that interesting body of 
intelligent and useful men. The great majority of 
them are sober, industrious, and earning good wages. 
There is no class of noble labour better capable of 
‘ self-help ’ by an annual subscription to that excellent 
institution. Of Mr. Fawcett, it is remarked, ‘ he 
declined to entertain the request to authorise a com¬ 
pulsory deduction from wages of letter-earners to 
provide a pension on retirement. He preferred that 
they should rely on their own habits of thrift.’ Now 
it is a fact that comparatively very few gardeners sub¬ 
scribe to the institution founded for their benefit, and 
those who do are by no means the most able to do so, 
and why ? It is to be feared the answer is the selfish 
hope that they themselves will never need such help ; 
but if this hope were a truly healthy one, it would be 
an additional incentive to support an institution 
which benefits the less fortunate of their own 
fraternity. As to employers support, that would be 
better done by a life subscription—a donation of ten 
guineas. I trust you will give this insertion, and that 
other gardening journals will prominently and per¬ 
manently advocate ‘ self-help. ’ ” 
Chrysanthemums on the Stage.—The American 
Florist, states that at the close of the Chrysanthemum 
show recently held in New York, the plants were sold 
at auction, realizing nearly $3000, at which some 
spirited competition was displayed. A standard 
grown plant of Golden Gloire de Rayonnante brought 
$105, and was purchased for the “ Mikado ” company at 
the Fifth Avenue Theatre. Many other fine plants were 
obtained for this company and were used in the garden 
scene the same day, giving the stage a very realistic 
appearance. 
-- 
FRAME POTATOS. 
In these days of free trade and cheap transmission by 
steam, from earlier and more sunny climes, the culti¬ 
vation of Potatos in frames may seem to many to rep¬ 
resent so much wasted energy ; especially, as we find 
good looking samples of new Potatos in the markets 
and shop windows at prices which bring them within 
the means of many, to whom, not so many years back, 
they were unattainable luxuries so early in the season. 
But still, although many samples are doubtless very 
passable, they do not, as a rule, equal home-grown 
frame produce, which must still be the luxury of the 
privileged few ; and as they are generally highly ap¬ 
preciated, it behoves all who have the means at com¬ 
mand to secure one or more crops, according to the 
accommodation available. Those who have brick pits 
with hot-water pipes running through them may soon 
commence operations, for with the aid of fire heat 
a steady uniform temperature, of about 60 degrees, 
may be maintained in adverse weather, but those 
who have to depend entirely on fermenting materials 
had better defer commencing till the middle or end of 
February. 
Leaves are the best material for making the hot beds 
with, as they do not heat so violently as manure, and 
retain the heat for a greater length of time. If manure, 
owing to a scarcity of leaves, must be used, some old 
dry litter mixed up with it to moderate the heat would 
be advantageous. I have myself mixed disused dry 
potting bench soil to moderate the heat, and can recom¬ 
mend the practice to those who have no choice but 
fresh stable manure. Whatever material is used, it 
should be trodden down firm. Where moveable frames 
are employed for the purpose, the beds must be made 
some inches wider all round than the frame, and may 
be made up to a height of from 4 ft. to 5 ft., according 
to the material at command ; with these it is not essen¬ 
tial to tread tight, because the frame will sink with the 
bed and keep the haulm of the Potatos at an equal dis¬ 
tance from the glass. 
Those who have to depend on this plan should well 
consider when they begin, if they can command 
sufficient material to keep up an equable temperature 
from the time of starting the crop till it is ready for 
table, because should the bed lose its heat from the 
want of fresh linings being placed round it, the crop 
must be checked in its growth, and a partial failure will 
be the result. After the beds are made, 9 ins. of soil, 
moderately rich and of medium texture, should be 
placed on them, and when at a suitable temperature the 
sets may be planted 4 ins. deep. The advantage of 
this plan is that the soil gets properly heated, and there 
is no checking the young sliaws by the introduction of 
a lot of cold soil. A sprinkling of Radish-seed can 
be sown after everything is finished and the soil properly 
levelled. Plant in drills 16 ins. apart, and have the 
sets carefully prepared for planting by placing them in 
a temperature of from 55° to 60’ for about a fortnight 
to start the shaws, and the stouter and deeper colour 
these are at planting time the better chances are there 
for a good crop. 
The frames may remain closed till the shaws push 
through the soil, when ventilation must be commenced 
and be regulated by the state of the weather. Let it be 
sufficient to ensure a stout short-jointed growth. With 
crops started in March it will sometimes happen that 
the lights may occasionally be taken oil’ with advantage 
for a few hours, but this will seldom happen with the 
earlier crops. The soil musf .be kept in a moderately 
moist condition, and whenever watering is necessary 
take care to saturate the soil and use only chilled water. 
A temperature of 60’ when cloudy, with a rise of from 
10’ to 15° with sun heat is suitable. In unheated 
frames some covering material should be kept at hand 
in sufficient quantity to prevent any great lowering of 
the temperature during the night; but keeping it on 
longer during daylight than is absolutely necessary 
should be scrupulously avoided, for the more daylight 
they can have the better - . 
With regard to varieties, there is room for differences 
of opinion ; but the old Ashleaf is, in respect of flavour, 
quite unsurpassed. I have found the Victory Ashleaf 
give good results, both as to quality and quantity of 
produce, and think it cannot, for forcing purposes, be 
beaten. I have sometimes, when the crop has been fit 
to lift and the frame has been wanted for other things, 
lifted it and placed the tubers in damp soil in a cool 
place, taking them out as required for use, and can 
recommend the plan to anyone who may not have tried 
it. — IF. B. G. 
-- 
ORCHARDS—MARKET GARDENS. 
From the agricultural returns of Great Britain, 
which have recently been published, we gather that 
there has been a further increase this year in the area 
of the orchards of Great Britain, there being now 197,539 
acres, as compared with 194,723 acres in 1884. Many 
of the collectors, it is stated, refer to new plantations 
of fruit trees, of all descriptions, in consequence of the 
continually growing demand for fruit in the large 
towns. Part of the addition is, however, owing to 
ground so occupied having being previously returned 
as under grass only, without including it as it should 
have been under orchards also. It appears that rate 
books, if consulted, do not always show the acreage of 
orchards, except where they are separately assessed, so 
that omissions under this head are not easily discovered. 
Market gardens have, likewise, extended, more land 
being annually appropriated for the growth of Straw¬ 
berries and bush fruits, as well as with the object of 
increasing the supply of fresh vegetables. The acreage 
under market gardens is, this year, 59,473 acres, as 
compared with 52,975 acres in 1884. For land used by 
nurserymen for the growth of trees and shrubs, &c., the 
returns for 1885 show practically the same acreage as 
last year, the total being 12,594 acres. 
The county which has the largest acreage of orchards 
in England is Hereford, 27,164 acres ; Devon following 
closely with 26,426 acres. Somerset has 23,660 acres ; 
Worcester, 18,190 acres; Kent, 17,926 acres; Glou¬ 
cester, 15,179 acres; and Rutland may be quoted as 
the smallest of all, having only 79 acres. In Scotland 
the highest county on the list is Lanarkshire, 613 acres, 
and the lowest, Selkirk and Kinross, which are only 
credited with the possession of one acre each. In 
Wales the county of Brecon heads the list with 1,097 
acres, and the lowest is Anglesey, with eight acres only, 
or one more than last year. 
Of land used by market gardeners in England, Kent 
has the largest acreage, the returns this year being 
8,817, as compared with 8,07k*acres last year. Mid¬ 
dlesex, which comes next with 7,670 acres, also shows 
an increase to the extent of 88 acres. Bedford is the 
next highest, 3,885 acres, and the other counties, which 
contain above 1,000 acres, are Cambridge, Cheshire, 
Cornwall, Devon, Essex, Gloucester, Hants, Lancaster, 
Norfolk, Surrey, Sussex, Worcester, and the West 
Riding oi \ orkshire. In A\ ales the largest acreage is 
in the county of Glamorgan, 332 acres ; and in Scotland 
Lanark takes the lead with 1,400 acres, followed by 
Edinburgh with 814 acres. 
Surrey stands far in advance of all other counties as 
regards the extent of land used for nursery purposes, 
the acreage being, this year, 1,458 acres, as compared 
with 1,380 acres last year. The next highest total is 
