324 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 23, 1886. 
tine, Madame B. Pigny, Sunflower, Lady 
Margaret, Madame Eugenie Langelet, Fabian 
de Mediana, Julia Lagravere, and Boule de 
tSTeige. Tliere were several others shown that 
did not appear quite fresh enough to merit 
notice, and, of course, there was much difference 
in the relative merit of those named. Grandi- 
florum, Ceres, and Fanny Boucharlet were 
generally well represented; Mons. Lemoine, 
an extremely bright reddish bronze variety, and 
the pure white Boule de Neige being especially 
attractive. 
-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Royal Horticultural Society. —The annual 
meeting of this Society will be held at South Kensing¬ 
ton, on February 9th. The following are nominated 
as officers President, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., 
M.P. ; Treasurer, William Houghton; Secretary, 
William Lee (Downside) ; Auditors, John Lee, James 
F. West, and W. Richards. The vacating members of 
the Council are 6. T. Clark, F. Du Cane Godman, 
F.R.S., and Sir P. Cunliffe Owen, and the following 
are recommended to fill these vacancies:—Sydney 
Courtauld, A. B. Mitford, C. B., and Baron Schroder. 
National Chrysanthemum Society.— The 
Annual General Meeting of this society will be held on 
Monday evening next, January 25th, at the “ Old Four 
Swans,” 83, Bishopsgate Street Within, City. The 
president, E. Sanderson, Esq., will take the chair at 
seven o’clock, precisely. 
Two Good Winter-flowering Carnations. 
—Carnations that bloom freely during January, and 
especially in the early part of the month, have earned 
the right to be termed winter-flowering varieties. Two 
in particular richly deserve this character, viz., L’Ale-„ 
gatiere, bright scarlet, very free, and good habit ; and 
Vulcan, bright red, large, full, and finely-formed 
flowers. How these can be depended upon. L’Alega- 
tiere, now largely represented in lists by fine selected 
seedlings, is one of the most persistent in flowering that 
can be found. 
Covent Garden Lifeboat.— A Yarmouth cor¬ 
respondent informs us that the Covent Garden Lifeboat, 
which is stationed at Caistor, was the means of saving 
the crew of the Schooner “Syren,” which sank between 
the Scroby and Cross Sands, on Monday morning last. 
The late Mr. R. P. Percival’s Orchids.— Our 
readers will observe from an announcement in our adver¬ 
tising columns that the fine collection of Orchids which 
belonged to the late Mr. R. P. Percival, and which is 
known to be specially rich in fine specimens, and the 
best types of Cattleyas and Leelias, has been removed 
from Birkdale, Southport, to the nursery of the Liver¬ 
pool Horticultural Company, at Garston, for disposal 
in a novel manner. The Company have arranged the 
plants for inspection, and prepared a catalogue for the 
use of buyers, who can give their orders at once, but 
will not be allowed to take the plants away until the 
2nd of February. 
Bisulphide of Carbon.— M. Pasteur thinks 
this cheap but offensive-smelling substance is the best 
insecticide known ; 8,000,000 lbs. of it are used annu¬ 
ally in France to check the ravages of the Phylloxera. 
Mr. Bruce Findlay. —The many friends of the 
esteemed Curator of the Botanical Gardens at Old Traf- 
ford, will, we are sure, learn with regret that Mrs. 
Findlay is dangerously ill. 
Special Prizes. —Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, 
offer a number of special prizes for competition at the 
meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society on the fol¬ 
lowing dates:—May 25th, six prizes for Cucumbers and 
Melons; June 22nd, three prizes for Melons ; July 27th, 
ten prizes for Cauliflowers, Peas, and Cabbages: Septem¬ 
ber 7th and 8th, six prizes for Carrots and Tomatos ; 
October 12th and 13th, twelve prizes for vegetables and 
Onions ; October 26th and 27th, twenty-six prizes for 
Potatos, Celery, Beet, Carrots, Leeks, and Parsnips. 
Prizes are also offered by the same firm at Oxford on 
July 30th, and at Reading on June 1st and August 
26th. Messrs. Lucombe, Pince & Co., offer three 
prizes at the show of the Devon and Exeter Botanical 
and Horticultural Society, to be held in Exeter 
on August 20th, for a collection of twelve distinct vege¬ 
tables. The prizes will vary from 15s. to £3. Also op 
March 5th, at an exhibition of Hyacinths to be held in 
their nurseries, three other prizes, varying from 10s. 6 d. 
to £2 2s., for a dozen distinct named Hyacinths. 
The Late Severe Weather. —Writing from 
Coppins, Iver, on the 18th inst., Mr. J. T. Fletcher 
says :—“ The weather appears to have been more severe 
here than in most parts of England. On the 6th inst. 
we were favoured with 8 ins. of snow, and on the follow¬ 
ing morning we registered 21° of frost; on the 8th we 
registered 25°; on the 9th 14° ; and on the 10tli 14°. 
This is very much sharper weather than we have ex¬ 
perienced in this district since January, 1881. I have 
seen no such low readings of the thermometer as the 
above in any of the daily papers during the late severe 
storm, but was told that on the morning of the 8th 
January 28° of frost, or 4° above zero, was iudicated at 
Windsor, where meteorological observations are ac¬ 
curately kept. Perhaps some of your readers will give 
us their experience in other localities.’’ 
Reading Chrysanthemum Society.— The. 
second annual meeting of the above society, which has 
an existence independent of the Reading Horticul¬ 
tural Society, was held on Friday, January 15th. The 
following gentlemen were present:—Mr. W. Neal (in 
the chair), in the absence of the president (Mr. J. Har¬ 
greaves), Messrs. R. D. Catchpool (hon. sec.), R. 
Bradley, H. Williams, W. Smith (assistant secretary). 
The committee reported another successful year. The 
success of the annual show was gratifying, considering 
the lateness of the season and the cold wet month of 
October, both as to the number of exhibits and the 
quality of the flowers. The show compared most 
favourably with other similar shows. There was a 
balance of £83 14s. The chairman said the show was 
very successful and was appreciated out of doors, and 
they were much indebted to the hon. secretary for 
having worked up the society to its present state. The 
report was adopted, and the president and other officers 
were re-elected. A vote of thanks to the chairman 
brought the proceedings to a close. 
Carnations and Picotees. —We have just had 
an opportunity of inspecting the fine stock of these 
at Slough, and we can scarcely imagine anything could 
look finer. Two long cold frames of many lights, 
each filled with young plants in pots, generally 
there being two plants in a pot that are in the best of 
health to all appearance, and yet it is said that, owing 
to the dry character of the weather which followed the 
layering season and a consequent want of moisture, 
the layers did not draw roots so quickly as usual; but, 
as stated above, the potted off plants look as strong and 
healthy as any one could desire to see them. There 
must be a great demand for Carnations and Picotees 
judging from the immense stock to be seen at Slough. 
When did the practice commence of sending out Carna¬ 
tions, Picotees, and Pinks, in pairs ? The reason for this 
is, perhaps, not difficult to trace. Years ago, when 
the constitution of the plants, generally, was not so 
good as in the present, it was doubtless thought 
advisable to have two plants of a variety, in the case of 
the failure of one. Thus it is that those who deal 
largely in Carnations and Picotees, make a practice of 
potting up pairs of one variety in the same pot for the 
convenience of sale. But winter-flowering Carnations 
are generally catalogued at per plant, and not in pairs. 
Gardening Appointments. —Mr. Charles 
Conning, lately foreman at Benmore, Argyllshire, as 
gardener to Mrs. Senhouse, of Netherhall, Maryport, 
Cumberland. Mr. Peter Newton, lately foreman at 
Callendar Park, Falkirk, N. B., as gardener to H. H. 
Trevethick, Esq., Tolroy, Hale, Cornwall. Mr. William 
Pirie, lately at Gallowhill, Paisley, as gardener to Mrs. 
Scott Plummer, of Sunderland Hall, Selkirkshire ; and 
ill - . Robert Knox, lately at Annat Lodge, Perth, as 
gardener to Mrs. William Simpson, Milton Court, 
Milton, near Gravesend, all through the agency of Mr. 
John Downie, seed merchant, Edinburgh. 
Extraordinary Tithes. —There was a large 
attendance of market gardeners and Hop and fruit 
growers from Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire, at 
the Bridge House Hotel, London Bridge, on Monday, 
to hear Mr. T. H. Bolton, M. P., explain the provision 
of his Bill for the abolition of extraordinary tithes, 
drafted in accordance with the wishes of the Anti- 
Extraordinary Tithe Association, and from his statement 
it appeared that the proposals will be to restrict ex¬ 
traordinary tithes to the particular parcels of land now 
paying such tithes, and to redeem at a reasonable rate 
of compensation, having regard to the special circum¬ 
stances connected with each particular parcel of land, 
and especially to the fact that the charge is terminable, 
and depends upon the continuance of the particular 
cultivation. The Bill was very fully discussed, and 
Mr. Bolton was highly complimented on the skill with 
which he had prepared it. On the proposition of Mr. 
W. Yinson, of Orpington, seconded by Mr. J. Chapman, 
of East Sutton, both extensive Hop growers, it was 
unanimously decided that the Bill drafted by Mr. Bolton 
should be approved and adopted by the association, and 
that he be requested to introduce the. same in the House 
of Commons as soon as possible. 
Royal Honours to the Seed Trade.— 
Messrs. James Carter & Co., who have supplied then- 
celebrated Grass Seeds and other specialities to Her 
Majesty the Queen for nearly 20 years, have received 
the honour of a Royal Warrant appointing them upon 
Her Majesty’s service as seedsmen. Messrs. Carter 
have for many years held special Royal Warrants as 
seedsmen to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, 
His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, His Im¬ 
perial Majesty the King of Italy, and His Imperial 
Majesty the King of Portugal. 
Aberdeen Horticultural Association.— 
The monthly meeting of the members of this associa¬ 
tion was held on Friday evening, 15th inst., in the 
Christian Institute Hall, Aberdeen. There was a large 
attendance of members, and Mr. P. Harper, president, 
occupied the chair. The subject under discussion was 
“ Should science or practice obtain most prominence in 
discussions on horticultural subjects ?” Mr. A. Robson, 
Market Street, Aberdeen, opened the discussion in 
favour of science with a capital paper in which he 
dwelt on the importance of a scientific growth and re¬ 
production of plants, &c. Mr. Henderson, Wellwood, 
in a vigorous and telling speech supported the idea of 
practice being of the first importance to gardeners. 
After the reading of the paper and the remarks of Mr. 
Henderson, a long discussion ensued, at the close of 
which the advocates of science were found to be in a 
great minority. A hearty vote of thanks was passed 
to Messrs. Robson and Henderson, and a like compli¬ 
ment having been paid to the chairman the proceedings 
terminated. 
-- 
ON PRUNING CLEMATISES. 
The season for pruning climbers has not yet arrived, 
but still it will be well to look over the Clematises, as 
they start into growth very early. Of course, those 
that flower on the last season’s wood must not be 
touched ; but those of the Jackmanni and other types, 
which flower on the current season’s growth, may at 
once be pruned. I have many times noticed how very 
bare the pillars and walls, or whatever it may be trained 
against, as a rule, are at the base, which need not be 
the case. I have always made it a point when anything 
of the sort has come under my charge in the condition 
described, if more than one stem from the ground 
existed, to cut one or more, as the circumstances may 
allow, down to about 1 ft. from the roots ; on the stem 
left there will be a chance of four or six breaks, but, as 
a rule, only the two top buds start. 
Even if only one stem from the ground existed,' I 
have no hesitation in saying it would be preferable in 
the long run to cut it down as described above, as it 
will be generally admitted that walls or anything else 
look far better furnished with healthy foliage from the 
bottom, even if the first season it does not reach to the 
same height as previously, and then it will be all but 
certain to give material to continue the process each 
season without interfering (that is, if judiciously 
managed) with the highest part after the base is put 
right ; and the required height having been attained, 
the shoots will only require to be annually shortened to 
within a few inches of the previous year, so that they 
may be kept within bounds. 
Sometimes, as is here the case, Clematis is grown to 
cover the top part of walls and copings, with Tea 
Roses trained over the lower part of the wall, in which 
case it is not so essential for the Clematis to clothe the 
base ; but even then, if without destroying the effect 
desired, it adds to the appearance of the whole, if 
young wood can be got from the bottom to do so. 
Should only one shoot start after being cut down, it 
may be stopped after two or three joints, and this 
will induce it to break again aud give two or more 
shoots.— E. Dumper, Limerick. 
