244 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 19, 1885. 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of Man¬ 
chester. —It has been decided to hold next year’s 
exhibitions on the following dates :—Floral meetings, 
16th and 17th March, and 27 th April ; National Hor¬ 
ticultural Exhibition to be opened on the 11th of June; 
Rose Show, 17th of July ; Chrysanthemum Show, 23rd 
and 24th November. The Annual Meeting of the Society 
will be held on the 25th of January. 
The Paterson Testimonial —We are requested to 
state that the testimonial to Dr. Paterson is to be closed 
on Christmas day, and that intending subscribers would 
greatly assist the movement by remitting at once to 
Mr. R. P. McCagie, Bridge of Allan, N. B. 
The Carnation and Picotee. —Mr. E. S. Dodwell, 
Stanley Road, Oxford, is doing good service to flori¬ 
culture by publishing, in four monthly numbers, the 
first of which has already appeared, a reprint of the 
Essays and Papers he has from time to time contributed 
to various periodicals; but revising them and bringing 
up the information to the present time. Some of the 
papers were written thirty years ago, others at a much 
more recent date, and all that can be said about the 
flower by an expert in its culture, as well as by the 
most successful raiser of modern times will, no doubt, 
be found in the work when completed. The introduc¬ 
tory paper is in the form of the lecture delivered by 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd to the Carnation and Picotee 
Society in July 1881', which Mr. Dodwell regards as the 
most trustworthy sketch which has ever appeared. 
The essays are printed on excellent paper, and the 
numbers are well adapted for binding. 
Portsmouth Chrysanthemum Society. —The late show 
held by this society was in every way a great success 
judging from the balance sheet presented by the hon. 
secretary, Mr. F. Power, to the Committee on Decem¬ 
ber 8th. It shows a balance in hand of £42 4,s. id ., 
thus proving what an interest is taken in the exhibition 
by the residents of the town. The visitors to the show 
numbered upwards of 10,000, and £22 was taken in 
pennies after five o’clock on the second day. With 
such successful results the Committee are stimulated 
to go still farther in 1886, when it is their intention to 
offer at their show which has been fixed for November 
11th and 12th next, a silver cup, valued at £25, for 
thirty-six cut blooms ; such a handsome prize as this 
ought to tempt some of the most noted growers of the 
day. Great credit is due to the Committee, who are so 
ably led by the hon. secretary and their chairman, 
Mr. G. Ellis. 
Carter's Illustrated Vade Mecum for 1886 , the 
first of the new season’s catalogues to reach us, contains 
amongst a mass of other interesting information an 
announcement of a novel character with regard to 
a new series of prizes offered for competition during 
the ensuing year. Five prizes consisting of silver 
plate or cash, and ranging in value from the highest 
of ten guineas to the lowest of one guinea, are 
offered for the best record of the season—that is to say, 
to the exhibitors who carry off the greatest number of 
prizes with produce from their seeds, and exhibited at 
any show or shows in any district between January 1st 
and September 30th, 1886. For the first time in the 
history of the seed trade, we believe, we note that the 
firm offers for sale Potato seeds saved from several 
hundreds of carefully-raised seedlings of their own, and 
which should prove a subject of much interest to 
amateurs and others. Amongst floral novelties probably 
the most novel are the St. Brigid Anemones, to which 
special reference was made in these columns on Sep¬ 
tember 12th last. This strain can be sown in March 
and flowered the same season, an advantage in its 
favour that all lovers of these charming and most 
useful flowers will doubtless duly appreciate. We 
note, also, that a prominent position is given to the 
Holbom Blue Primula, and among other good annuals 
are included a pretty double pink variety of Silene 
compacts, and a new dwarf white everlasting, Rlio- 
danthe Manglesi alba nana, both raised by the firm, and 
novelties of sterling merit. 
The Barnet Recreation Ground, —The Barnet Local 
Board have recently! decided toj extend the Recre¬ 
ation Ground on the eastern side, on the site of what is 
known as the Black Horse Pond. This entails the necessity 
of stopping up a public road running between the two 
sites, which has been unanimously agreed to as a public 
improvement and a boon to the inhabitants. We are 
pleased to hear that the work has been entrusted to Mr. 
Thomas Bevan, Landscape Gardener, of 31, York Rise, 
Dartmouth Park, N. W., and is to be carried out from 
plans prepared by him, which include, in addition to 
the planting and turfing, an ornamental piece of water 
with fountains, rockwork, fernery, &c. This will 
very much enhance the present ground, which has 
already become a much frequented and pleasant health 
resort, and reflects much credit upon Mr. Bevan, who 
designed and carried out' the work of laying-out the 
present Recreation Ground to the satisfaction of all 
concerned. 
St. Neots Horticultural Society. —The Annual 
General Meeting of this Society was held on the 10th 
inst., when a most satisfactory report and balance sheet 
was presented. The annual show takes place on Bank 
Holiday in August, and, as the weather was very fine 
on that day and an attractive exhibition was arranged, 
a large company assembled, and the balance, which 
at the end of 1884 was £18 3s. id., is now increased to 
£44 3s. 5 d. ; this is as it should be, and shows what a 
great advantage it is to have a society under good 
management. The acting secretary, Mr. W. Ratchelous, 
has the direction of the affairs of the society, and the 
fact that his work is crowned with so much success is the 
best proof of its great merit. The St. Neots show 
embraces in addition to plants, flowers, fruits, and 
vegetables, many things such as Bees, Song-birds, 
Pigeons, &c., and so it has a wide reaching interest 
which attracts to it large numbers of those resident in 
the district. The method adopted here is one worthy 
of being followed ; the show practically closes at six 
o’clock, the grounds are then cleared, and there is re¬ 
admission at seven o’clock, when there is a special 
musical performance, dancing, &e., ending with a 
display of fireworks. It pays well here, and this is the 
best justification for its adoption. This year the society 
attained to its majority ; the first schedule of prizes 
was issued in 1865, and the amount offered in prizes 
was £18 15s., in the year that has just passed the 
amount of money was £65. This issubstantial progress, 
and the society has our heartiest congratulations. 
National Chrysanthemum Society- — The annual 
dinner of this society took place at the “ Four Swans,” 
Bisliopsgate Street, on Monday last, and like all other 
undertakings of the enthusiastic executive, it proved a 
grand success. Enormous blooms of the autumn queen 
are prominent at almost every meeting of the society, 
and the annual dinner was no exception to the rule, for 
some of the button-holes and the blooms which de¬ 
corated the tables would have done credit in the back- 
row of any exhibition board. The chair was occupied 
by Mr. E. Sanderson, the president, Mr. R. Ballantine 
being in the vice-chair, supported by Mr. Wm. Holmes, 
the hon. secretary, and many well-known lovers of the 
Chrysanthemum, in all about eighty members and 
friends being present. The proceedings commenced 
with the presentation of the prizes awarded at the late 
exhibition, the premier prize, a silver cup, going to 
Mr. E. Sanderson. Mr. Gibson received the Veitch 
Memorial medal and £5 ; silver medals were presented 
to Mr. N. Davis, of Camberwell, and Mr. J. Wright of 
the Middle Temple, and the total amount of prize-money 
paid was £213 16s. 6 d .; thisis farin excess of any previous 
record. Mr. G. Stevens, of Putney, headed the list of 
cash prize-winners. The toast of the evening “ The 
National Chrysanthemum Society,” was responded to 
by the hon. secretary, who, in a few well-chosen 
remarks, dilated upon the renown and prosperity of 
the society during the past year. The toasts of “ The 
President” and “The Vice-President” followed in the 
order named, and Mr. Sanderson received quite an 
ovation when he stated that he had been a member of 
the society about forty years, during the whole of 
which time he had held office. The hon. secretary— 
whose name amongst our readers has now become a 
familiar household word—was received with rounds of 
applause on rising to respond to the toast of the “The 
Hon. Secretary.” Mr. Geo. S. Addison followed with 
the toast of “The Committees,” and amongst other 
things, drew attention to the admirable way in which 
the business of the society was conducted. Mr. G. 
Stevens responded on behalf of the General Committee, 
Mr. N. Davis on behalf of the Floral Committee, and 
Mr. Langden for the Exhibition Committee. The 
remaining toasts were “ The Kindred Societies” and 
“The Visitors.” Amongst the gentlemen who con¬ 
tributed to the musical part of the programme, which 
was highly entertaining, were Mr. Giles, Mr. Noel’ 
Professor Roberts, * Mr. IVinterbottom, Mr. Geo. S. 
Addison, Mr. Wright, and Mr. Steward Robinson. 
During the evening a subscription list was opened to 
meet the requirements of the prize fund for 1886, and 
was well responded to by promises of sums varying 
from five shillings to five guineas. 
Horticultural Ornaments-— One of the prettiest 
objects I have ever beheld, writes a correspondent, is a 
Spruce cone filled with sand and Grass seed which 
sprouted and grew out of the scales. It is now as large 
as a Cocoa-nut with the husk on, and of the most vivid 
green colour. The grass grows with a luxuriance that 
is remarkable. To produce this charming specimen, 
the cone was baked in a stove till the scales opened out 
equally ; it was then carefully filled with equal parts 
of sand and Grass seed, a string tied to the top, and the 
whole suspended in the dark in ajar, with water enough 
to come half-way over the cone. In a week it was 
placed in the sunlight, when the seed sprouted rapidly, 
and in a month filled a gallon jar completely. It has 
been taken out and hung in the window ; every morning 
it is thoroughly soaked in milk-warm water. —Indian 
Gardener. 
Packing Cut Roses- — I use wooden boxes only, which 
are about 8 ins. deep. These I line in the usual way, 
place packing material in one end, so thatthebuds can be 
laid in with the heads raised at an angle of 30°; place 
cotton under the heads of the first layer, and cover with 
a sheet of light manilla paper to protect from the next 
layer ; continue until box is full. If necessary ice can 
be put on the stems which will all be at one end of the 
box, and the drippings of the ice will not injure the 
flowers by soaking them, as would be the case if the 
flowers were placed flat in the box. Any vacant spaces 
should be filled with light packing material so snugly 
that the contents cannot move about; and the box 
should be tied with cord or have sonic kind of a handle 
to pick it up by, as a box so provided will receive much 
more careful handling from expressmen than one which 
is not.— L. B. D. in American Florist. 
■ -->=&«— - • 
CARNATIONS AND PICOTEBS. 
It must not be supposed by the Carnation grower 
that because the winter months are times of what 
may be termed “plant rest,” that but little at¬ 
tention is required by these plants during the dull 
season of the year. There are some sorts that are very 
subject to what is known as the spot—the breaking out 
on the leaves of small brown spots, which greatly dam¬ 
age the leaves and make their entire removal often 
necessary. Of late years there has been such improve¬ 
ments made in the constitutional vigour of the Carna¬ 
tion and Picotee, that varieties are less subject to it 
than were those ol a quarter of a century ago, still 
plants are always liable-to attacks of the spot, and es¬ 
pecially so where a great deal of moisture is in the 
ground, and atmosphere during the short dark days of 
November, December, and January. This spot can be 
resisted only by keeping the plants clean, dry, and 
giving them plenty of air. In addition, the soil about 
the roots should be moderately dry, and where this is 
so the severest cold will not injure them, neither will 
the spot make much headway. 
Varieties that are subject to spot should be first pot* 
ted from the layering pots, so as to give them the 
advantage of shelter in a cold frame. Potting up 
in this way is generally done in October, as by that 
time the majority of the layers will be sufficiently 
rooted. As Carnations and Picotees are almost invar¬ 
iably catalogued in pairs, it is the practice to pot two 
plants of a variety in a 4-in. pot. They are then 
placed in a gold frame, kept a little close for a few days, 
and then hardened off. 
One leading authority on the Carnation and Picotee 
has laid down this absolute rule—that the plant must 
be completely rested throughout the winter, therefore, 
the young plants should not be over potted, so that 
the roots should not be surrounded with a ma«s of dead 
soil outside the area which they occupy. Therefore it 
is that, as a rule, the plants should be placed for the 
winter in such a sized pot as it can comfortably occupy, 
with roots before the fogs of late autumn fall ; such, 
indeed, as will admit of the roots feeling the sides 
freely, and the growth should be as far as possible 
matured,and the growth cannot be said to have become 
matured until the whole of the soil be permeated with 
roots. 
