764 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 31, 1886. 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Chrysanthemums will now need staking, and in doing 
this, avoid as much as possible that bunching together 
of the growths, which is a certain source of mildew, 
and which robs the plant itself of all beauty ; this 
mode of training is all very well if the plants are to 
be staged along a narrow border at the back of the 
fruit houses as one so frequently sees them in many 
places, but this is surely giving scant courtesy to so 
useful and valuable an autumn-flowering plant as the 
Chrysanthemum undoubtedly is. If the plants were 
stopped as advised, from six to a dozen good growths 
should be on each plant, and these if nicely staked out 
should form the nucleus of a good specimen, whereas 
if bunched together, staging to anything like advan¬ 
tage is an impossibility, and most, if not all, the interest 
in a collection destroyed. 
What can be more interesting than, say a Peach 
house or Vinery in the months of October and November 
filled with nicely trained specimen plants, more par¬ 
ticularly as the regular occupants at this season are 
utterly devoid of interest, except to those in charge ; 
awkward questions are often avoided by a little fore¬ 
thought, and particularly where flowers are concerned. 
If the plants were half plunged, as previously advised, 
free access is obtained without removal from their 
positions, which is a great saving of time : each plant 
after staking should have sufficient room to be turned 
once a week without interfering with its neighbour. 
We are to-day looking over last season’s stock of 
Cyclamen, they are not as satisfactory as we could wish, 
many of them having been kept far too dry, conse¬ 
quently the roots are for the greater part dead. We 
are shaking them out, removing all the old soil, and 
repotting them in a good sound mixture of loam and 
leaf-mould, with just a little peat added. The loam 
being of a rather light nature, little sand is needed ; it 
is, however, particularly necessary that the pots are 
well drained. As soon as they are potted they will be 
placed in a warm pit, and kept shaded close until 
started, when they will be gradually hardened, and 
encouraged to make a stocky growth. 
The spring-sown batch are making nice stuff, and will 
receive a shift into 5-in. pots, and be kept on the shelves 
in the intermediate house. We trust to these more 
than the old stock, and find them much more reliable. 
Of course, where plants, say in S-in. pots, are required, 
it is absolutely necessary that the best of the old stock 
should be marked when flowering, and carefully stored, 
but never allowed to dry off, or the fleshy roots will 
disappear also, and then success is quite out of the 
question. Where pit-room is abundant, probably a 
part of it may be devoted to Bouvaxdias. In this 
case let the lights be constantly off, except in the case 
of heavy rains, which would cause the soil to become 
soured, but at all times it is necessary that the plants 
be freely exposed, and growth encouraged; then the 
very best results are certain to follow in an abundant 
cutting of flower later on. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Although we are experiencing a somewhat dull time 
just now, it will not do to rob the Muscat or other 
white Grapes of too much foliage. If for show or other 
purposes a few bunches are required, it is only neces¬ 
sary to tie back the leaves from each individual bunch 
selected for the purpose ; a too free cutting away of 
laterals only tends to produce a stagnation of root 
action, so fatal to next season’s crop, so avoid it. 
Much rather prune back non-bearing laterals and tie 
the leaves than severely prune, especially at this 
season, because surely we may hope to have some hot 
weather yet ; and should severe pruning in have been 
resorted to, scorching or browning of Muscats will be 
sure to follow, and a consequent disfiguring of the 
clusters ensue. 
Most unfortunately, we have got the disease in our 
Melons ; this is the first time we have had it, and we 
hope it may be the last. We shall burn all seed by 
us, and trust to the generosity of neighbours who are 
not thus infested to help us. Perhaps this may catch 
the eye of some good Samaritan—if so we shall be 
gratefuL This past week I visited a good establishment, 
unfortunately similarly afflicted. Be careful that 
an abundance of air is always admitted to the 
Peach-houses or cases which are ripening their crop, 
and freely syringe those from which the crop has been 
gathered. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN 
The early Ashleaf Potatos being quite ripe, it will be 
advisable to lift the whole, selecting each day those fit 
for table, and storing them in some cool shed or cellar, 
and allowing the seed to remain for some days on the 
ground to become hardened and greened before storing 
them away in the seed loft; by this means abundance 
of seed will be obtained for a good early planting, which 
will be found more satisfactory than having to purchase 
from seedsmen. Second earlies will also very shortly 
be ready to treat in the same way, and by such a mode 
I am quite convinced a great deal may be accomplished 
in warding off the attacks of disease. So far with us 
no trace has appeared, and with the rains we have 
lately experienced, everything points to an abundant 
crop. That most reliable variety, Cosmopolitan, is with 
us of the best quality, and I strongly recommend it to 
the notice of all requiring a change in second earlies. 
Peas are greatly benefited by the rains, our old 
friend, Ne Plus Ultra, being as green as a leek, 
although coming on rather quicker than we would wish; 
all other crops are now in a most satisfactory state, 
with the exception of weeds which grow at an alarming 
rate, and tax our energies to the utmost. The Straw¬ 
berry beds must be cleared of the mulching without 
further delay, and the runners removed. 'Where fresh 
plantations are to be made the runners should be saved, 
carefully dressed, and pricked out on a shaded border, 
preparatory to being planted out a little later on ; by 
this means a good gathering from them may be secured 
next season. — Walter Child, Croome Court. 
-—- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
G-rammatophyllum Ellisii.— In the collection 
of G. Nevile Wyatt, Esq., Lake House, Cheltenham, 
might have been seen a few days ago a fine plant of 
the above in flower, and bearing two spikes, the larger 
having forty-four blooms upon it, the smaller one just 
half the number. The finer spike of the two has been 
put into the hands of Mr. E. Sander, to be figured in 
his new work, Heichenbacliia. This Madagascar Orchid 
does not flower freely annually, the plant in question 
not having flowered since 1883. 
Ang-uloa Ruckerii sanguinea, in the same 
collection, is just now bearing seven blooms, and is 
said to be a very fine plant of the kind. 
Houlletia chrysantha.— Like the two preced¬ 
ing ones, this cannot be called an every day Orchid ; 
nevertheless, it is vexy beautiful when in full bloom, as 
it is at present at Lake House. Two plants with six 
flowers upon a spike show up their sweetly scented 
golden yellow flowers in a striking manner, suspended 
above the green foliage of the other occupants of the 
cool-house. 
-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural.— July 27th .—The display 
of Carnations and Picotees held under the auspices of 
TheNational Carnation andPicoteeSociety, was the main 
item in the bill of fare on this occasion, and a notice of 
the same will be found in the next column. For visitors 
other than those specially interested in florists’ flowers, 
there was again a fine show of hardy herbaceous plants, 
and a capital competition also took place with Cabbages 
and Peas, for prizes given by Messrs. James Cartel” k 
Co. and Messrs. Sutton & Sons. 
The new plants certificated by the floral committee, 
were Rhododendron balsamimeflorum Rajah, one of 
the hybrid greenhouse section, with good trusses of 
beautiful, double, rich orange-scarlet blossoms ; and 
which was also specially interesting as coming out of 
the same pod of seed as produced the double white, 
yellow, and pink-flowered varieties. To C. G. Hill, 
Esq, Arnold Hill, Notts., Mr. Davenport, gardener, 
for Cattleya gigas, Hill’s variety, one of the grandest 
things ever shown, a flower of noble proportions and 
brilliant colouring ; the large sepals and petals being 
of a rich rosy purple, the broad expansive lip deep 
plum-purple, with two large bright yellow blotches. 
To R. J. Measures, Esq., Mr. Simpkins, gardenei', for 
Oncidium stelligerum Ernestii, a striking form, with pale 
green sepals and petals, heavily blotched with purple- 
brown, and the lip dull chocolate, with the upper portion 
white. To Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, for l’odea 
grandipinnula, a supposed hybrid between T. Fraseri 
and T. hymentophylloides, and certainlv a very 
beautiful and distinct plant. To Mr. T. S". Mare, for 
Matricaria inodora grandiflora plena, one of the finest 
of double-white flowered herbaceous plants, being a 
good grower and free bloomer, with the blossoms pure 
white, of good shape, and much larger than the old 
double form of M. inodora. To Mr. James Douglas 
for Carnation Terra Cotta, an edged flower of a peculiar 
terra cotta shade of red. 
In Mr. Ware’s extensive and very effective display of 
herbaceous plants, besides the Matricaria above noted, 
there were two other first-class subjects worthy of 
special comment. These were Helianthus japonieus, a 
showy, yellow, and wonderfully free-blooming plant, 
only growing about 2 ft. high • and Chrysanthemum 
leueanthemum maximum pumilum, a fine white, free- 
flowering variety, growing about 8 ins. high, and 
flowering a month earlier than the old maxima. It is, 
we believe, one of Mi - . G. Maw’s introductions from 
Spain. Messrs. Barr k Sons, and Messrs. Paul & Sons, 
Cheshunt, the latter especially, had fine displavs of 
showy summer-flowering subjects ; and Messrs. James 
Veitch & Sons, contributed a splendid collection of cut 
blooms of all the sections of Carnations and Picotees, 
beautifully shown on fresh green moss. Air. T. S. Ware 
also 4 sent a large collection of these showy and popular 
flowei's, set up in bunches, with a toning down of their 
own grass. Messrs. Hooper & Co., Co vent Garden, 
also contributed to this department. ’ Messrs. W. Paul 
& Son, and Messrs. Paul x Son, Cheshunt, were large 
exhibitors of beautiful Roses ; and Mr. R. Owen, 
Maidenhead, had some good stands of seedling double 
and single-flowered Begonias. Mauve Beauty and 
White Intermediate Stocks, both truly beautiful 
things, came from Mr. R. Dean, Ealing; and Air. 
AV. Bealby, Roehampton, received a cultural com¬ 
mendation for a finely-bloomed plant of Begonia 
Louis d Or, a very fine double, of a rich canary yellow 
colour. 
The Fruit Committee had but few subjects to ad- 
judieate upon, the pri ticipal one being a fine group of 
li'uit tx - ees in pots, and a collection of eleven sorts of 
Cherries from Alessrs. T. Rivers & Son, which included, 
besides the half-dozen sorts named in our last, a few 
other fine black varieties, such as Bigarreau Noir de 
Girben, Bedford Prolific, and Geante de Hedelfingeu ; 
and Griotte Imperialeand Emperor Fi'ancois, both very 
fine reds. 
The Cabbages—Little Gem, Reading All Heart, and 
Carter’s Early Heartwell Alarrow—shown in compe¬ 
tition for the prizes offered by Alessrs. Sutton & Sons 
and Alessrs. Carter & Co., were a most creditable lot. 
For samples of the two first-named sorts, the highest 
prize went to Mr. Cornish, gardener to J. Downing, 
Esq., The Shi'ubbery, Enfield, for examples of remark¬ 
ably fine growth, and the other awards went to Air. G. 
AVoodham, Alodel Farm, North Dulwich, and Air. C. 
Osman, South Metropolitan District Schools, Sutton. 
In the Alessrs. Carter’s competition, extra large ex¬ 
amples of the Early Heartwell Marrow secured the 
principal award for Air. Osman ; and the next best 
came from Air. Timbs, Hammersley Lane, Tyler’s 
Green, Amersham. The last-named exhibitor, "in a 
good competition, secured the premier award for Carter’s 
Leviathan Beans ; and in a competition for three va¬ 
rieties of Lettuce, initiated by the Alessrs. Carter, Air. 
T. A. Beckett, Cole Hatch Farm, Penn, came in first 
with fine samples of All the Year Round, Carter’s 
Longstander Cabbage, and Giant White Cos. In the 
principal Pea class (for Alessrs. Sutton’s prizes) there 
was a fine competition, and again the Alessrs. Alarriott, 
senior and junior, of Boston, secured the two leading 
awards, among their contributions being fine samples 
of Telegraph, Telephone, Duke of Albany, Laxton’s 
Charmer, Evolution, and Sutton’s Satisfaction. 
National Carnation and Picotee.— July 
27th. If we allow for the usual chapter of accidents 
which places some growers a few days too early with 
their flowers, and others a few days "too late, we find 
that this annual exhibition more than holds its own, 
both on account of numbers and quality, though 
being spread over a larger area than usual, it certainly 
seemed to be a smaller exhibition than it real!}’ was, 
for in the small classes there was undoubtedly a greater 
number of fresh exhibitors than we have noticed at any 
previous exhibition. The flowers generally were of a 
good order ot merit, and Air. Turner, of Slough, especi¬ 
ally was in rare form, carrying off the lion's share of 
the awards, with blooms that certainly were worthv of 
their high repute as growers. Air. Douglas, usually 
hard to beat tor first honours, had to be content with 
second honours generally, though his Picotees were 
certainly good, and his seedling yellow grounds were 
simply invincible. The awards made were as follows:— 
Twenty-four Carnations : first, Air. Turner, with Ed. 
Adam, John Ball, H. K. Alayor, Air. Bridgwater, Aliss 
E. AA emyss, J. Douglas, H. Cannell, Alatador, Rifleman, 
4 Ak'dhurst, F. S. Dodwell, Robt. Lord, Rob Roy, 
AY. Skirving, Air. Tombe, George, James Taylor, Airs. 
Payne, and Sporting Lass, all fine in size, perfectly 
fresh and bright in colour ; second, Air. Douglas, 
gardener to F. AA'hitbourn, Esq. ; third, Air. J. Hines, 
SI, Bramford Road, Ipswich ; fourth, Air. T. Garratt, 
Bishops Stortford ; fifth, Air. F. Hooper, A' ine Nursery, 
AVidcombe Hill, Bath. Twelve Carnations : first, Air, 
