March 13, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
445 
and Deutzias must not, however, be thus treated, but 
room in some temperate house must he found for them 
if the plants are required for next season’s forcing. 
Spiraeas and Dielytras should be placed in the pits as 
they go over, and hardened off preparatory to their being 
put outside. Hyacinths, Tulips, and such like are 
better planted out in soil when they have done flowering, 
for if left in the pots they are invariably neglected in 
the way of watering, and becoming prematurely ripened 
are spoiled for next season. 
Where Primulas are required to flower early in the 
autumn, a sowing may be made at any time, and also 
one of Cinerarias for the same purpose, only be careful 
that the plants are not in any way coddled. Celosias 
for early work may be sown at once, as they are ex¬ 
tremely useful for staging, and last a long time when 
properly treated. While growing, and until the plumes 
are forming they require generous treatment, and will 
not hear neglect in any way, or they become attacked 
by red spider and lose their foliage. Alocasias, 
machoriza variegata.and purpurea may now be started, 
so that the most suitable of the former (of which I hope 
to speak later on) may be selected and grown on. 
While the easterly winds prevail, be extremely cautious 
in the way of ventilating, or injury to the young growth 
will soon be perceived. 
FORCING HOUSES. 
Let the disbudding and heeling in of the Peach trees 
be carried on at regular intervals of three or four days 
as growth may warrant, always being careful not to 
rob the trees of too much of their young growth at one 
time, or a check wall be given to the roots, which 
should now have become active ; if a good set, let the 
fruits which are on the underside of the branches be 
removed, and those better placed be allowed to remain. 
If the trees are in a healthy condition, no anxiety need 
be entertained as to the stoning period, as if the trees 
are furnished with plenty of good foliage all will go on 
well; if any doubt exists, give the borders a good 
soaking with tepid water 
The same remark applies to the Vine borders, only 
that water of a much higher temperature should be 
given, say 90°. Look well to the looping down of the 
laterals, disbud, and stop as growth proceeds, in fact, 
work in the Vineries increases almost hourly. In case 
of the Grapes being set, commence thinning as soon as 
large enough to discern which should remain, or they 
will become troublesome before the operation is com¬ 
pleted. The Figs which were started last month 
should now have made a good start, syringe freely, and 
be sure the border is thoroughly soaked, or the young 
fruits will be certain to fall off; when the trees have 
made sufficient growth, stop, say at the third or fourth 
leaf to help in producing a second crop, which often 
comes in extremely useful for dessert about August; 
two of the best varieties for this purpose are Violet 
Bed and Blanche du Saissons. 
The standard Roses which we put in some time since 
are now just showing colour, and on one of the Jules 
Margottin I counted to-day forty-three buds, this, in my 
opinion giving a far better return than a dwarf plant would 
do. Marechal Niel is likewise flowering very freely ; 
Devoniensis always does well, and is one of the sweetest- 
scented and prettiest for button-hole work. The 
Persian Lilac in pots may now be staged in the green¬ 
house without forcing, they will open so rapidly that 
it would be a waste of time. We have to-day planted 
out our first batch of Melons, and the third house of 
Cucumbers; the second house has just commenced 
fruiting, the older ones giving us some nice useful fruit, 
but, of course, havingbeen so long on hand we cannot 
expect them to do much, so we have got up another 
set ready to take their place as soon as they can be 
spared. Be very careful in ventilating, ply the syringe 
freely, damp down frequently, and shut up early so as 
to prevent all the firing possible 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Still no progress can be made, and with the ther¬ 
mometer registering 15° of frost it can hardly be 
expected. Where, as with us, the forestry for estate 
planting has to be looked to, something may here be 
done, such as the lifting of any that may require 
transplanting ; and if they have been thickly on the 
ground the frost will not have taken sufficient hold to 
prevent the ground being re-planted. As we were 
rather behind-hand with the burning of the refuse, the 
frosty mornings have given us a rare opportunity, which 
we gladly availed ourselves of, to wheel it on to the 
squares which will be devoted to Potato-growing. 
Should the weather continue as at present, it will be 
necessary to sow inside Cauliflower, Couve Tronchuda, 
Savoys, and Lettuce, or it will be late before they can 
come into use. Let the autumn-sown Cauliflowers 
remain in the cold frames, or they will he nipped unless 
protected with hand-lights ; ours are in pots, as they 
do not suffer in planting out so much as if lifted. 
Where any digging remains to be done lose no time, 
and let all squares which have been occupied with green 
stuff, and which are over, be cleared without delay, 
and according as the cropping of each has been deter¬ 
mined upon so let it be treated, by manuring according 
to the wants of the crop, double digging, and so on. 
Where the Roses are sheltered, pruning may now be 
done so as to get work as forward as possible ; but if 
very much exposed, leave them alone until warmer 
weather prevails. — Walter Child, Croome Court. 
-*>£-<-- 
HORTICUL TURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural. —March 9th.— Consider¬ 
ing the severity of the weather the display of spring 
flowering plants on Tuesday was of a singularly bright 
and enjoyable character. The honours of the day were 
divided between Daffodils and Cyclamens, both of 
which were represented by large collections of unex¬ 
ceptional quality. With the former Messrs. Barr & 
Son, took the lead as regards numbers, staging an 
extensive and most interesting group. Then came 
Mr. T. S. Ware, and Messrs. Collins Brothers & 
Gabriel, with collections of great merit, in which were 
many species of great interest to enthusiasts. Some 
brilliantly coloured Anemones also came from Messrs. 
Barr, while Mr. Ware’s group was heightened in 
interest by the addition of numbers of other choice 
plants, including a pretty set of hardy Cyclamens. 
Banksian medals were awarded to all. The main 
groups of Cyclamen persicum came from Messrs. H. 
Page & Sons, Teddington, the St. George’s Nursery 
Co., and Mr. B. S. Williams, the former having 
besides a beautiful lot of coloured varieties—a fine 
batch of single whites, robust, free flowering plants in 
48’s, only seventeen months old. Mr. B. S. Williams’ 
strain requires no comment, for there are few better, 
but we must add a word of praise on behalf of a col¬ 
lection of Chinese Primulas which he staged with the 
Cyclamens, of which the whites in particular were also 
exceedingly good. Bronze Banksian medals were awarded 
to these. A collection of some dozen varieties of Primulas 
was also staged by Messrs. James Carter & Co., 
and which were principally named in accordance with 
their colours. Thus there were Holborn Blue, rose, 
purple, mauve, carmine, magenta, white, and vermilion, 
with the Fern-leaved white ; another good white in 
Elaine, represented by plain and Fern-leaved varieties ; 
and Holborn Rose, Fern-leaved, and of a very pretty 
shade of colour. 
The New Plants certificated were Cyrtopodium 
Saintlegerianum, the fine Central Paraguay form of 
C. punctatum, and which was represented by a strong 
plant with two large spikes, staged by Mr. Cummings, 
gardener to A. H. Smee, Esq.; Begonia gigantea rosea, 
a robust-growing variety of the Semperflorens section, 
with large heads of bright rose-coloured flowers, shown 
by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons ; and the very fine 
form of Narcissus bulbocodium, called citrinus, from 
Mr. T. S. Ware. Other interesting subjects staged 
were the Donnianum form of Odontoglossum macu- 
latum, from Mr. Smee’s garden ; the new Cattleya 
Laurenciana, from Messrs. John Laing & Co.; Cattleya 
Trianee Ingramii, a fine form with broad white petals and 
a large richly-coloured lip, from C. L. N. Ingram, Esq., 
Elstead, Godaiming ; Coelogyne cristata maxima, a 
massive-looking variety, from Messrs. F. Sander & Co.; 
the hybrid Dendrobium Leechianum, which caused 
several to alter their opinions as to its distinctness, from 
Messrs. W. Thomson & Sons, Clovenfords ; the superb 
Dendrobium nobile nobilius, a spike of seventeen flowers, 
and a white form of D. crassinode, from Mr. Salter, 
gardener to J. Southgate, Esq.; a fine specimen of 
Laelia lilacina, a supposed natural hybrid between 
Cattleya crispa and Laelia Perrinii, with pale lilac or 
mauve-coloured flowers and a purple blotch on the lip, 
from Mr. Heims, gardener to F. A. Philbrick, Esq., 
Q.C. 
The chairman, Mr. G. F. Wilson, exhibited a fine 
pot-full of Galanthus Imperati, to compare with G. 
Elwesii, certificated at the last meeting, and which 
certainly lost nothing by the comparison. When 
strongly grown, as were Mr. Wilson’s plants, G. Im¬ 
perati is quite the equal of G. Elwesii, and many 
considered that its longer petals gave it a more pleasing 
contour. Mr. William Bull showed half-a-dozen well- 
bloomed specimens of the Easter Lily of Bermuda, 
Lilium longiflorum floribundum ; and Mr. J. James 
Woodside, Farnliam Royal, sent some cut blooms of his 
unrivalled strain of Cinerarias. 
Manchester Horticultural Improvement. 
—March ith. —The last meeting for the present session 
was held on the above date, Mr. Bruce Findlay, the 
president, in the chair. Mr. Richard Astley exhibited 
to the members under the microscope a few botanical 
specimens. The chairman said there is what is termed 
the external structure of the plant and the internal 
structure or anatomy of the plant. The former included 
such parts and peculiarities as are discoverable by means 
of outward inspection, and the latter such portions 
or organs as are discoverable only by means of dis¬ 
section ; their attention was about to he called to the 
second part. If a plant is surveyed externally it may 
be perceived even by the most inattentive observer to 
be composed of the following distinct parts :—The root, 
the trunk, the branch, the leaf or frond, the flower, the 
fruit, and the seed. These are called the conservative 
organs, inasmuch as they are absolutely necessary to the 
growth and preservation of the plants, but these organs 
are themselves reducible to component organs which 
are again resolvable into constituent and primary 
organs. It is a lamentable fact that many gardeners 
do not give this subject a moment’s consideration. 
They go about their work in a mechanical sort of way, 
and often deal with their plants as if they were in¬ 
animate and destitute of feeling or life ; hence it is that 
one so frequently meets with plants in an unhealthy 
and sickly state. Water is poured into them daily 
without a moment’s thought as to their requirements 
or organisation. How often one meets with plants 
suffering from chronic indigestion, which is mainly 
brought about by over-potting and over-watering. The 
roots cannot imbibe the elements by which they are 
surrounded, and the result is a sickly appearance, and 
if the supplies are not stopped the poor plant dies. 
We know very well what the wise doctor prescribes to 
his dyspeptic patient—a plain diet, and a diet that his 
patient can digest. Sometimes a plant is greatly bene- 
fitted by a climatic change ; one thing is certain, that 
if a plant is doing badly under a certain treatment, it 
is high time that a change of treatment was made ; but 
is this always done ? Not a bit of it—and why ? Just 
because gardeners forget the important fact that they 
are dealing with the precious thing called life, w r hich 
unless properly tended will die. It is to be hoped that 
their meetings during the past session would have the 
effect of making the members feel their responsibility 
in connection with the beautiful and perishable subjects 
with which they have to do, and that they should feel 
more than ever that their calling as professional Sons 
of Adam is both ancient, honourable, and dignified. 
A short paper treating of the internal structure of 
plants was then read by Mr. J. S. Butterworth. The 
paper included the following passages. Plants exhibit, 
he said, great diversity in their length of existence. 
Some of them live onty one year, some two, and some a 
few years. The Elm lives 300 years, the Ivy 400, the 
Maple 500, the Larch 600, the Olive 800, the Lime 
1,100, the Oak 1,500, the Cedar 2,000, the Yew 3,200. 
These figures were given by Mr. Leo H. Grindon. All 
plants are simply composed of cells, and the develop¬ 
ment of these cells varied in the different sections of the 
vegetable kingdom. The cells in the varieties of plants 
expand and develop in their own special manner, and 
performed the manifold duties they were called into 
life to execute. 
Birmingham and Midland Counties G-ar- 
deners’ Mutual Improvement Association. 
—The first lecture in connection with this association 
was delivered on Wednesday evening, March 3rd, at 
the society’s rooms, Albert Chambers, Paradise Street, 
Birmingham, by A. W. Wills, Esq., F.C.S., one of the 
vice-presidents. The chair was occupied by Mr. W. 
B. Latham, Curator, Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, 
and about 120 members were present. The lecturer, 
who is an enthusiastic admirer of nature and a close 
observer of the process of reproduction, spoke of the 
great honour conferred upon him in being asked to 
deliver the first address or lecture to the members of 
the association, and expressed his entire sympathy with 
the establishment of the association, which he hoped 
would have a bright and prosperous career. After 
pointing out that the principal object of the Gardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Society should be to stimulate its 
members, by intercourse and study, to acquire a better 
knowledge of the wonders of creation into contact with 
which they are brought by their daily work. Mr. 
Wills proceeded to explain the chief subjects comprised 
in the study of botany, and pointed out that this may 
be made one of the most uninviting or one of the most 
fascinating of pursuits, according to the manner in which 
it is approached ; and as an illustration of one of its as¬ 
pects which lifts it into the region of poetry and romance, 
he chose the topic of “The Mutual Relations of Flowers 
and Insects.” His object in selecting this subject was 
to prove how and why it is that but for the co-existence 
of insects and their services in the fertilisation of flowers, 
the glory and the grace of the plant world would vanish 
from the face of the earth, and all the myriad forms 
of beauty which adorn the forests of the tropics, and 
the moorlands, woods, and meadows of temperate regions, 
would disappear, so that only a few tribes of plants, 
all bearing sombre and inconspicuous flowers, would 
survive, whilst all colours, scent, and variety of form 
would cease to exist. In tracing this subject, Mr. 
