284 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 1, 1887. 
son’s, Vineuse, Marie Louise, Beurre superfin, Emile 
de Heyst, Doyenne du Comice, Glou Morceau, Passe 
Colmar and Winter Nelis.— H. Markham, Mereworth 
Castle, Maidstone. 
Should Chrysanthemum Cuttings be 
"Watered? —Mr. W. E. Boyce sends me this morning 
a very carefully compiled descriptive catalogue, with 
unusually full cultural directions for the successful 
propagation, treatment and growth of the Chrysan¬ 
themum, with the customary list of varieties, including 
the new introductions. He concludes his article on 
propagation and watering by saying “from the time 
the cuttings are put in until February, they will require 
no further attention than careful watering and pro¬ 
tecting from frost.” I am inclined to question the 
judiciousness of “ watering,” except where the cuttings 
are in a dry atmosphere, which they should not be in, 
if possible. I have a large pit-full, and instead of 
watering, I give plenty of air on all suitable occasions 
to prevent damping. — IV. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
--*3=«-- 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY’S COMMITTEES. 
Floral Committee, 1887. Chairman, Geo. F. 
Wilson, F.R.S., Heatherbank, Weybridge Heath. 
Vice-Chairmen, J. Shirley Hibberd, 1, Priory Road, 
The Green, Kew ; Rev. W. Wilks, Shirley Yicarage, 
Croydon ; Major Lendy, F.G.S.,F.L.S., Sunbury House, 
Sunbury-on-Thames. Secretary, Archibald F. Barron, 
Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick, W. 
Baines, Thomas, Fern Cottage, Palmers Green, N. 
Ballantine, H., The Dell Gardens, Egham 
Bennett, H., Shepperton, Walton-on-Thames 
Bradshaw, A., Waddesdon Manor Gardens, Aylesbury 
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, Bramford Lodge, Winch- 
more Hill, N. 
Fraser, John, Lea Bridge Road, Leytonstone 
Goldring, Wm., 52, Gloucester Road, Kew 
Herbst, H., Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey 
Hill, E., The Gardens, Tring Park, Tring 
Holmes, W., Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney 
Hudson, James, The Gardens, Gunnersbury House, 
Acton 
Lowe, Dr. W. H., Woodcote, Inner Park Road, Wim¬ 
bledon 
Masters, Maxwell T., M.D., F.R.S., Mount Avenue, 
Ealing 
Maw, George, F.L.S., Benthall, Kenley, Surrey 
Noble, C., Suuningdale Nursery, Bagshot 
O’Brien, James, West Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill 
Paul, George, “Old” Nurseries, Cheshunt, N. 
Perry, Amos Isaac, Stamford Road, Page Green, 
Tottenham 
Pilcher Charles, 84, Ringford Road, West Hill, 
Wandsworth 
Pollett, H. M., Fernside, Bickley, Kent 
Turner, Harry, Royal Nursery, Slough 
Walker, J., Whitton, Middlesex 
Wynne, B., 17, Catherine Street, Strand, W.C. 
Fruit Committee, 1887.— Chairman, Robert Hogg, 
LL.D., F.L.S., 99, St. George’s Road, S.W. Vice- 
Chairmen, John E. Lane, Berkhampstead ; T. F. 
Rivers, Sawbridgeworth ; Arthur W. Sutton, Reading. 
Secretary, Archibald F. Barron, Royal Horticultural 
Society, Chiswick, W. 
Barr, Peter, 12, King Street, Covent Garden 
Blackmore, R. D., Teddington 
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 
Fitt, Joseph, Cashiobury Park Gardens, Watford 
Ford, Sidney, The Gardens, Leonardslee, Horsham 
Goldsmith, G., The Gardens, Floore House, Weedon 
Haywood, T. B., Woodhatcli Lodge, Reigate 
Lee, John, 78, Warwick Gardens, W. 
Miles, George T., The Gardens, Wycombe Abbey, High 
Wycombe 
Myers, Jonathan, The Grove, Watford 
Norman, G., Hatfield House Gardens, Hatfield 
Paul, William, Waltham Cross, N. 
Pearson, Alfred H., The Nurseries, Chilwell, Notts 
Roberts, J., The Gardens, Gunnersbury Park, Acton 
Ross, Chas., The Gardens, Welford Park, Newbury 
Rutland, F., The Gardens, Goodwood, Chichester 
Saltmarsh, T. J., The Nurseries, Chelmsford 
Smith, James, The Gardens, Mentmore, Leighton 
Buzzard 
Yeitch, H. J., F.L.S., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, 
S.W. 
Y T arren, W., Worton Gardens, Isleworth 
Weir, Harrison, Hinwick, Lansdowne Road, Tunbridge 
Wells 
Willard, Jesse, Holly Lodge Gardens, Highgate, N. 
Woodbridge, John, The Gardens, Syon House, Brent¬ 
ford. 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The Stove. —The time has now arrived when it will 
be necessary to make preparations for a thorough over¬ 
hauling of the occupants of the stoves. It will be 
advisable that the bins of loam, leaf-soil, peat, and 
so on, are filled before potting commences, so that as 
the plants are brought to the bench each may receive 
the soil best suited to its successful culture ; the mixing 
of a large heap of soil on the potting bench, and the 
indiscriminate potting of all alike in the mixture, very 
frequently leads to serious results. For instance, 
Dracaenas will thrive in the same soil as many other 
stove plants require, but if well-grown, highly-coloured 
Crotons are aimed at, there must be a marked difference 
in the compost ; the latter requiring a free open soil, 
with the addition of charcoal and broken sandstone to 
ensure the compost being kept sweet and open. Once the 
soil becomes soured, good plants cannot be grown, so 
that its preparation is a matter of the first importance 
in plant growing. 
Let the leaf-soil receive careful attention in the way 
of removing all sticks and other refuse which are pro¬ 
ductive of the fungus so injurious to all plant roots. 
I do not advise it being sifted, very much preferring it 
should be of a flaky nature, as it remains as food so 
much longer than if thoroughly decomposed. 
Such plants as Allamandas, Clerodendrons and other 
climbers, if in pots, should, before being disturbed, 
receive a thorough soaking of water, so that the soil 
may be more readily removed. It will be found that 
Clerodendrons make quite as good specimens without 
the usual annual shift given to kindred subjects ; in 
fact, they are rather impatient of potting, every third 
season being quite sufficient, and then the growth 
should have commenced before the operation is at¬ 
tempted, or there is much danger of losing the plants. 
We prefer to remove as much as possible of the old 
surface soil without unduly damaging the roots, 
replacing it with some of the richest we can get, for 
these plants delight in liberal treatment, even to fre¬ 
quent doses of liquid manure water : after growth has 
fairly commenced it will be found to greatly benefit 
both the foliage and flowers. The same remarks apply 
to both the shrubby and climbing varieties. Alla¬ 
mandas should be pruned well back, allowing them to 
start into new growth before potting takes place. If 
they are planted out they will readily start if frequently 
syringed, without deluging the soil in which they may 
be planted. 
Stephanotis should receive a thorough cleansing before 
new growth is made, otherwise endless trouble will be 
caused later on. If the plants are trained on trellises, 
they should be quite removed and cleansed also ; and, 
as new growth is made, twine should be tied from the 
trellis to the roof, to which the growths should be 
trained to ensure thorough ripening of the wood. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Sowing Melons. —With the commencement of the 
New Year it will be advisable to make a sowing of some 
good reliable kind of Melon ; thus early it will be found 
best to sow the seed singly in small 60 pots, so as to 
prevent potting off. Let the pots be plunged in a good 
bottoin-heat, so that the seed may germinate quickly, 
and do not water until they appear above the surface. 
Use seed, if possible, three or four years old, it being 
more fruitful than new seed. 
The Fruiting Cucumbers will again need the 
bottom-heat renewing; they are fruiting more freely, 
and altogether look healthy, and will well repay every 
attention. The second house is rapidly covering the 
trellis, and must now be more closely stopped to pro¬ 
duce fruit. Sutton’s Royal Windsor appears well 
adapted for winter w T ork, and is of much better colour 
than Telegraph. 
The Forcing House. —We have placed a second 
batch of Azaleas in the forcing house, and also more 
Lilacs, Deutzies and Spirsas ; and we have also plunged 
in bottom-heat a good batch of Lily-of-the-Valley. It 
is advisable to cover the crowns with moss, as it greatly 
assists in bringing the flower-spikes above the foliage. 
In the Mushroom house we have abundance of Rhubarb, 
Sea-Kale, Chicory and Mushrooms ; we maintain a 
temperature of about 58°, and the house is frequently 
syringed and damped down. We must endeavour to 
put in a couple more lights of Asparagus this week, as, 
from the frequent cuttings, it soon becomes exhausted. 
Seed Sowing. —Be careful to make frequent sowings 
of small salad, and have the hot-bed ready for the first 
sowing of Horn Carrots and Radishes. Be very care¬ 
ful during this unsettled weather that the setting of 
the fruit in the early Peach-house is not neglected, and 
maintain a rather higher day temperature when wet, 
so as to ensure the blooms being quite dry at mid-day. 
Early Yinery. —The temperature of the early 
vinery as growth proceeds may be raised a few degrees 
both by day and night. The second house should also 
be closed forthwith, placing a covering of dry leaves on 
the outer border, over which a layer of litter to keep 
them in place. On bright days the rods may be 
syringed about mid-day. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Pruning and Nailing. —There are signs of the 
snow disappearing, and as there is but slight frost we are 
going on with the pruning and nailing, which we have 
nearly completed with the exception of the Peach wall, 
the trees on which we intend to unnail and bunch, so 
that the wall may be dressed. We are also going over 
the standard Apple trees, removing all small wood from 
the centres of the trees and so admit of the fruit being 
highly coloured— a decided advantage. The prunings 
are carried to the rubbish-heap and assist in burning 
up refuse.— Walter Child, Croome Court. 
-—>!£<-- 
SYRINGING- ORCHIDS. 
The character of my evidence on this subject has 
been misunderstood by your correspondent at p. 268. 
They must forgive me for not having stated before that 
I am only a small grower, and also not over proud of 
my achievements. My plants are chiefly old ones 
which have been in my hands for several years, and as 
I experienced the greatest benefit by discontinuing the 
use of the syringe on the plants, I thought a word on 
the subject might be of use to many of your readers who 
have Orchids ; but I should never think of pitting my 
plants against Mr. Simcoe’s, of which I have often 
seen notes in The Gardening World. Nevertheless, 
comparing my plants as they now are with what they 
were when I used to syringe them, gives to me the 
most incontestable proof that formerly I used to take 
much trouble to injure them. 
It may be said that I did not properly use the 
syringe. That may be so, for not being a professional 
grower I cannot say ; neither could I, among all the 
growers I consulted, find one who could give me any¬ 
thing like lucid instructions about how, when and on 
what plants to use the syringe, and, moreover, I found 
that no two of the growers agreed on the subject. It 
was a knowledge of thege facts, and the very unsatis¬ 
factory condition of many of the plants which induced 
me to grasp with avidity Mr. J. O’Brien’s advice to 
discontinue the use of the sj-ringe, unless for special 
plants or uses other than on the plants. 
The beneficial results have been marvellous. For¬ 
merly I used to lose many young growths and flower 
sheaths, but now it is a rare occurrence to lose one. My 
Aerides, Saccolabiums and Vandas, which used to make 
weak and spotted growth, now make stout leaves, and 
the newly made ones are clean and healthy. But the 
improved state of things is the most evident with the 
Cattleyas and Laslias, which now make shorter and 
thicker growths, sure to flower well; whereas they used 
to be weak and produced poor flowers, if any. With 
these, my most marked success has been with C. gigas 
varieties and L. Perrinii. Formerly the first-named 
were of no use to me, as they never flowered, and L. 
Perrinii was not much better ; but since discontinuing 
the syringe, they have now assumed a showy appear¬ 
ance, and the fine show of L. Perrinii just over, is, in 
itself, a great reward. 
I find the sheaths on the bulbs now clean and bright, 
instead of ragged and dingy, as they used to be when 
I syringed ; and I also find that all unsyringed Orchids 
which I have—provided they are properly watered in 
the pots, and the houses kept moist—root much more 
freely with me than they did when syringed. Indeed, 
for amateur growers, I should say, judging from my own 
experience, whatever may be the benefit of syringing 
on a few species, such as those which Mr. R. C. Fraser 
names—Bolleas, Pescatoreas, &e.—not one of which I 
have, that it is better to run the little risk for the great 
