January 9, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
301 
Saccolabiums, especially S. giganteum, throw out long 
roots above the pots, &c. ; Yanda Sanderiana, V. 
ccerulea, and Cattleyas, root over the sides of pots and 
baskets, and are out of the way of the spout of the 
water pot, and these we syringe all the year round at 
intervals, as also Vanda teres, Vanilla, and Dendrobiums, 
rooting in the same manner during the growing period, 
but after damping walls, staging, &c., we have no other 
use for the syringe in our Orchid houses. 
A plant cannot be thoroughly cleaned with the 
syringe where it stands among others, either of insects 
or dirt, but must be taken out and washed properly 
with sponge and water. I make these remarks because 
I think the syringe may be used where the water pot 
cannot be. I would advise all interested, to study Mr. 
O’Brien’s article on p. 268, from which much good will 
be learnt.— G. W. Cummins, The Grange, Hackbridgc. 
-- 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
The Fruit and Floral Committees for the present 
year are constituted as follows : — 
Floral Committee— Chairman, Geo. F. 'Wilson, 
F.R.S., Heatherbank, Weybridge Heath. Vice- 
Chairmen, James O'Brien, West Street, Harrow-on- 
the-Hill; J. Shirley Hibberd, 1, Priory Road, The 
Green, Kew; B. S. Williams, Victoria Nursery 
Upper Holloway; Secretary, Archibald F. Barron, 
Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick. W. 
Baines, Thomas, Fern Cottage, Palmers Green, N. 
Ballantine, H., The Dell Gardens, Egham. 
Bealby, William, The Laurels, Roehampton Park, 
Putney Heath, S. W. 
Bennett, H., Shepperton, Walton-on-Thames. 
Cannell, Henry, Swanley. 
Dean, R., Ranelagh Road, Ealing. 
Dominy, John, 11, Tadema Road, Chelsea, S.W. 
Douglas, J., The Gardens, Great Gearies, Ilford, E. 
Duffield, G., The Gardens, Bamford Lodge, Winch- 
more Hill, W. 
Herbst, H., Richmond Road, Kew, Surrey. 
Hill, E., The Gardens, Tring Park, Tring. 
Holmes, H., Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney. 
Hudson, James, The Gardens, Gunnersbury House, 
Acton. 
Kellock, W. B., F.L.S., Stamford Hill, N. 
Laing, John, Stanstead Park, Forest Hill, S.W. 
Lendy, Major, Sunbury House, Sunbury-on-Thames. 
Loiv, Hugh, The Nurseries, Clapton, E. 
Lowe, Dr. N. H. Woodcote, Lower Park Road, Wim¬ 
bledon. 
Noble, C., Sunningdale Nursery, Bagshot. 
Paul, George, “Old” Nurseries, Cheshunt, N. 
Perry, Amos Isaac, Stamford Road, Page Green, 
Tottenham. 
Pollett, H. M., Fernside, Bickley, Kent. 
Turner, Harry, Royal Nursery, Slough. 
Walker, J., Whitton, Middlesex. 
Wilks, Rev. W., Shirley Vicarage, near Croydon. 
Fruit Committee. —Chairman, Robert Hogg, 
LL.D., F.L.S., 99, St. George’s Road, S.W. ; Vice- 
Chairmen, R. D. Blackmore, Teddington, John E. 
Lane, Berkhamstead, T. F. Rivers, Sawbridgeworth ; 
Secretary, Arbhibald F. Barron, Royal Horticultural 
Society, Chiswick, W. 
Bunyard, George, The Old Nurseries, Maidstone. 
Burnett, J., The Gardens, Deepdene, Dorking. 
Crowley, Philip, Waddon House, Croydon. 
Denning, W., The Gardens, Londesborough Lodge, 
Norbiton, Surrey. 
Ellam, Joseph, The Gardens, Cliveden, Maidenhead. 
Ford, Sydney, The Gardens, Leonardslee, Horsham. 
Godman, F. du Cane, F.R.S., 10, Chandos Street, 
Cavendish Square, W. 
Goldsmith, G., The Gardens, Floore, Weedon. 
Haywood, T. B., Woodhatch Lodge, Reigate. 
Mason, Major F., The Firs, Warwick. 
Miller, W., The Gardens, Coombe Abbey, Coventry, 
Miles, George T., The Gardens, Wycombe Abbey, 
High Wycombe. 
Norman, G., Hatfield House, Hatfield. 
Paul, WilUam, Waltham Cross, N. 
Roberts, J., The Gardens, Gunnersbury Park, Acton. 
Ross, Charles, The Gardens, Welford Park, Newbury. 
Rutland, F., The Gardens, Goodwood, Chichester. 
Saltmarsh, T. J., The Nurseries, Chelmsford. 
Silverlock, Charles, 412, Strand, W.C. 
Smith, James, The Gardens, Mentmore, Leighton 
Buzzard. 
Sutton, Arthur W., Reading. 
Veitch, H. J., F.L.S., Royal Exotic Nursery,Chelsea. 
Warren, H., Worton Gardens, Isleworth 
Weir, Harrison, Henwick Lodge, Lansdowne Road, 
Tunbridge Wells. 
Willard, J esse, Holly Lodge Gardens, Highgate, N. 
Woodbridge, John, The Gardens, Syon House, Brent¬ 
ford. 
FLORICULTURE. 
- . — t -- 
Propagating the Dahlia.— At the Royal Nursery, 
at Slough, and at the Castle Street Nurseries, Salisbury, 
where Dahlias are propagated to a very large extent, 
the work has to commence early in the year so that 
a sufficient number of plants might be provided. At 
Slough the work was done in a lean-to propagating 
house, with a level bed in front, and a passage way 
behind next the house, and having hot water pipes 
beneath the house. Previous to commencing the roots 
were all gone over very carefully and closely examined, 
then those selected for the purpose were placed in the 
bed in the propagating house and partly buried with 
soil, but keeping the crowns well above the surface ; 
the points from which the cuttings would proceed would 
then be above the soil, and they can be taken off with 
greater surety and safety. The tubers soon begin to 
push into growth, and when the shoots are 4 ins. or so 
in height, they were taken off, and four or six of them 
inserted round the sides of a large sixty or forty-eight 
sized pot, using a very light sandy soil, and the same 
pressed firmly about them. 
But in front of the Dahlia propagating house, and in 
immediate contiguity to it, were some lines of brick 
frames with pits round them, and holes for the heat 
from the hot dung to pass through to the bed within. 
At a necessary time this dung to be used as lining, was 
prepared for the purpose by frequently turning it over, 
so as to get it thoroughly heated, and then it was placed 
round the frames. When quite ready to receive the 
cuttings, the pots of these were placed in the bed, and 
in the brisk moist heat they struck. When fairly 
rooted they are repotted singly in thumb pots, and 
again returned to the dung heated frame, and kept close 
for a few days till established, and next taken to a 
frame that was a little cooler, and so gradually hardened 
off, until they could be placed in a cold frame, and air 
given when the weather was mild, but kept close when 
it was cold, and carefully covered up when there was 
danger from frost. This kind of work went on for weeks 
at high pressure, and during that time thousands of 
cuttings were struck, and so gradually hardened off 
until ready for sale. 
In those days it was an inflexible rule not to send out 
Dahlias until the 1st of May ; all packing of other 
plants was got through, so that as soon as May com¬ 
menced a start could be made with Dahlias. But a 
week or two previously all plants had to be got into 
their sorts ready for the quick selection of orders, for it 
is obvious that during the process of propagation, 
cuttings were taken off as soon as ready, and no 
attempt at classification of sorts could then be made. 
Advantage was taken of a mild morning towards the 
end of April, a strong active party was set to work, the 
lights were removed, and a commencement made at one 
end of the frame to sort the plants, all of which were 
kept under numbers, and they were placed in the open 
in batches, commencing with the lowest number and 
going on to the highest until all were sorted. Then the 
the plants were returned to the frame, and arranged in 
the order of their numbers, so as to be available for 
ready selection ; a sprinkling of tepid water was given 
overhead as each successive light was filled, the light 
placed over them and a slight shading given. In a few 
hours the plants were as stiff and fresh as could be 
desired, and air was given, hardening them off as 
gradually as possible,* sprinkling them overhead as 
required. 
The plants, except in special cases, were sent out in 
thumb-pots, and the earliest struck cuttings had filled 
the small pots with their tuberous roots. Orders were 
then made up, the plants taken into the packing-shed ; 
two men would place a slight stake against each plant, 
but a trifle taller ; they were passed to two others who 
firmly tied the plants to the stake, placing a small piece 
of cotton wool on the top tie when the plants were a 
little weakly ; sometimes, but not always, a little moss 
was placed on the surface of the soil and tied down with 
matting, and then they were passed on to the packer. 
In those days the plants were packed in oblong 
hampers made of strong Willow-twigs, and capable of 
bearing a journey of many miles without injury. The 
plants were laid down on their sides and firmly packed 
in soft moss. This was procured in very large quan¬ 
tities from the neighbouring estates, and beaten fine 
ready for use for Dahlia packing, all the coarser parts 
likely to injure the leaves of the Dahlias being re¬ 
moved. It was marvellous how many plants a careful 
and experienced packer could place in one of these 
hampers, and when the package reached its destination 
the plants were taken out, placed in a frame, and 
sprinkled overhead, kept close for a time, and in a few 
hours were little, if any, the worse for the journey. 
This kind of work went on for many days at high 
pressure. I have known as many as twenty persons 
engaged in packing Dahlias, and working fourteen 
hours per day. 
Amateur cultivators of the Dahlia, who require only 
a select number of plants, can do all the propagation 
that is required in an ordinary dung-bed. March will 
be soon enough to make up a bed of this character. 
The cuttings can also be struck in this bed, and re¬ 
turned to it for a time after they are potted off singly 
into small pots, but it is necessary they be looked 
after with care that they do not become drawn. 
I should have stated that when Dahlias are propa¬ 
gated in a propagating-house in the manner above 
mentioned, heat should be applied with caution at first, 
as I have known cases where roots have rotted through 
being subjected to too great a heat at first. 
But there is such a thing as excessive propagation, 
that is to say, taking too many cuttings from a single 
root ; the experience of Dahlia cultivators teaches that 
a certain amount of derterioration results in consequence. 
“There can be no doubt,” wrote one eminent culti¬ 
vator, a few years ago, “ that a weekly and attenuated 
progeny is the result of excessive propagation ; it is in 
fact one of the immutuable laws of Nature.” This has 
been confirmed many times in the past. The growers 
of old were adverse to cheap Dahlias, in consequence, 
they held, that in order to sell cheaply, a great many 
plants were taken from one root, to the certain 
deterioration of many of them. 
Thus I have advanced the Dahlia another stage ; but 
I hope that other readers of The Gardening World 
will take up the subject, setting me right where I may 
be at fault, and supplying any omissions of which I 
may have been guilty. In my next paper I will deal 
with selections of varieties with special reference to the 
new flowers of the past two years.— R. I). 
-- 
CLOVER AND GRASS SEEDS. 
Messrs. Hurst & Son in a circular recently issued 
state with regard to English Red Clover and Cow- 
grass, that the yield of these crops in 1885 will form a 
marked contrast to those of 1884. Whereas the crop of 
1884 was almost the largest on record, that of last year 
is below the average. Some lots of “maiden” seeds 
were saved in different parts of the country, and will most 
likely produce good coloured and well ripened samples. 
A considerable breadth of the second crop was left for 
seed, but the broken weather commenced just at the 
time of cutting, and continued long enough to injure, 
and in many cases quite destroy the crops. This pre¬ 
sumable scarcity should point to high prices, but it 
must be borne in mind that there still remains on hand 
a large quantity of yearling seed to check any extrava¬ 
gant advance. 
Of Foreign Red Clover the German crop is reported 
to be large, and the samples showing good colour, but 
generally smaller in grain than in 1884 ; they have, 
however, a few exceptionally fine parcels, better in 
appearance than any home-grown seed they have seen 
as yet. The French reports speak of a large crop of 
South Country seed with a correspondingly small one in 
the Northern provinces. The former the Messrs. Hurst 
do not recommend for English use, but the latter, stands 
our climate well, and if machine-cleaned no objection 
can be raised against it. American advices report an 
under-average crop, and it is doubtful if Canada will 
be able to send us any. Much will depend upon the 
prices ruling here ; at present, our range of prices offer 
no inducement to shippers, in fact, considerable quan¬ 
tities of yearling reds have already been shipped to 
America. 
A small English crop of White Clover is reported, 
but it is expected that some samples of good quality 
will come to market. The German crop is much less 
than in 1884, but as there is still a large quantity of 
yearling seed on hand, a high range of prices is not 
anticipated. There is also a fair English crop of 
Alsike, and a good crop in Germany ; France has 
some to send us, showing good quality also. This 
article is now much cheaper than usual, and as on 
