842 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 29, 1887. 
follow the rales relative to the election of officers, the 
concluding one of which states that “any member 
refusing to take upon him the office of president, 
steward, secretary, or judge, shall forfeit the sum of 
half-a-crown, and the next in rotation shall be taken, 
or a new list shall be made if necessary.” Proceeding, 
the rules set forth that any gentleman desirous of 
becoming a member must he supported by two-thirds of 
the members present, and “he shall, after signing his 
name to these regulations, and paying two shillings and 
sixpence unto the stock, he deemed a member, and have 
a copy of these rules delivered unto him.” “The ad¬ 
mission money, or fine, paid by every member, is one 
shilling on the Auricula, and sixpence on every other 
day of the show. The sum of sixpence must be paid 
by the owner of every flower shown for a prize unto the 
receiving steward at the time it is entered. There 
shall be annually five shows. . . . Each member 
to be allowed to show one flower in every class in each 
show, and no more, and to weigh one Gooseberry in 
each colour.” 
Detailed directions to exhibitors are then given, and 
in regard to the judging it is stated “every flower 
shewn to be privately numbered by the receiving 
steward at each show, and a sealed paper containing 
the numbers and owner’s name of each flower to be de¬ 
livered by him unto the president, who shall, after all 
the flowers are adjudged, open it and declare the 
prizes. Any member claiming a prize, or naming the 
owner of any flower shown before the president has 
declared all the prizes, shall be fined two shillings and 
sixpence, to be immediately paid. The secretary, 
under the direction of the president, shall nominate six 
persons at each show, and the members shewing 
flowers shall chuse three of them for judges.” Fol¬ 
lowing this are several rules for protecting the society 
against offences, such as “ any person presuming to find 
fault,” of a winning prize being “fraudulently made 
up,” or of “ cutting or clipping any part of a flower 
shewn for a prize,” the penalty in such cases being fines 
of one shilling, two shillings and sixpence, or depriva¬ 
tion of the privilege of showing a flower for twelve 
calendar months ; while for the more serious offence 
of “any members using false pods or petals, putting the 
interior in place of the exterior petals of Tulips, or 
practising any similar fraud in making up or dressing a 
flower for show,” he should be immediately expelled the 
society. A notd hene states : “The evil consequences 
of political or religious disputes being self-evident, it 
is earnestly desired, and indeed presumed, that no 
member will introduce them, as such a dispute would 
compel the president to be peremptory in enforcing the 
above regulation,” i.e., in the event of a dispute to 
impose a fine of one shilling, or to expel the parties from 
the room. 
Then follow instructions to the judges. These 
stipulate conditions as to pots and phials wherein 
flowers are shown, and state that “all flowers, which 
the judges are convinced contain clipped or cut petals, 
must be delivered unto the president and the cause 
stated. Should any flower ever come under the in¬ 
spection of the judges which is artificially made up as 
being pasted or glued, or containing false leaves or 
petals, bells, pips, pods or any part thereof, or Tulips 
with the leaves transposed, or which they are convinced 
are in any respect fraudulent, such must be also 
delivered unto the president, and the reason why 
explained unto him publicly. As it very seldom 
happens that any flowers are shown which can be con¬ 
sidered perfect, the judges will have to decide which 
approach the nearest unto that state, and will, no 
doubt, examine strictly, first the form of such as are 
under their inspection, and, secondly, the colouring ; 
and they will, it is presumed, always decide that those 
flowers are the best which, along with the best formation, 
carry the highest and purest colour, and the best dis¬ 
tributed according unto the nature of the respective 
flowers they have to decide upon.” Detailed descrip¬ 
tions are given of the properties of the Auricula, the 
Polyanthus, the double Hyacinth, the Tulip, the 
Anemone, the Ranunculus, the Pink, the Carnation, 
the Picotee ; and instructions are added for the culti¬ 
vation of most of the above-named flowers. 
Lachexalias. —The stock of Lachenalias must now 
be looked to ; a few T of the most forward pots may be 
placed on the shelf in the intermediate house, so that 
they may precede the main batch. These early pots 
will be found most useful and lasting for house decora¬ 
tion, keeping fresh for a long time ; added to which, 
the colour of the flowers is of a pleasing hue, and much 
appreciated. Do not allow them to suffer for want of 
water, dryness at the roots during the growing season 
will be fatal to them. 
DEUTZIA GRACILIS. 
How often do we see this chaste and beautiful plant 
grievously mismanaged ? and that, too, in places where 
something different might reasonably be expected. The 
cause, however, is not far to seek. Its adaptability to 
exist and, to a certain extent, thrive under almost any 
conditions, renders it peculiarly liable to treatment 
which would be attended with greater risk if applied to 
a more intrinsically valuable subject. When well 
grown, however, Deutzia gracilis is worthy of a promi¬ 
nent position in every garden, particularly when in 
winter and early spring any great quantit 3 r of white 
flowers are required ; and even as a specimen there are 
few more telling objects than a well-furnished plant of 
the same. 
Itsculture is exceedingly simple. Cuttingsof theyoung 
and tender shoots cut clean below a joint, dibbled into 
sandy soil or cocoa-nut fibre, kept close and shaded for 
a few days, readily root, and if gradually inured to 
light and air, potted on as required and given an inter¬ 
mediate temperature, will make nice little plants for 
blooming the succeeding year. Useful furnishing stuff 
can then be obtained in one season. It is, however, 
with established plants, such as no gardener should be 
without, that I have to deal. These, after flowering, 
I have seen occasionally placed in the first position 
available ; perhaps laid on their sides underneath a 
plant-stage, there to perfect that growth from which 
the following year’s flowers are expected. It is useless 
to say such a method as this seldom, if ever, succeeds, 
and subsequent excuses are made to account for a poor 
display. Rational treatment will, however, obviate all 
this, and remembering that in good wood and plenty of 
it thoroughly ripened, depend all the elements of future 
welfare. The careful cultivator, who estimates at its 
proper value the beautiful subject under notice, w T ill 
endeavour by judicious management to attain the 
end he has in view. 
The plants being on the move — I allude to the time 
immediately following its blooming period — all that is 
required is to see that they are placed in a good light 
and open position, with a liberal supply of w’ater at 
the roots ; varied occasionally with good doses of weak 
liquid manure. If also a slight top-dressing of -well- 
decomposed cow-dung and loam in equal proportions 
be added, the beneficial results will soon be apparent to 
the most casual observer. A Peach house at this 
period is, if available, an admirable place in which to 
grow your plants. The constant syringing, beneficial 
to the one, will be equally conducive to the welfare of 
the other. They may here be allowed to complete 
their growth, provided always that their position in 
the structure mentioned is sufficiently lighted. Should 
they exhibit a tendency to ‘ ‘ draw, ” they should 
immediately be removed to a more airy situation. 
For the sake of argument, we shall suppose your plants 
have flowered in February, and the method here 
advocated has been adopted. By the middle of May 
the plants in question will be fit for removal to a cold 
pit or frame, there to remain for about anuther three 
weeks previous to being turned out of doors for the 
summer. 
How do not by any means allow them to receive a 
check, or very shortly afterwards a second growth will 
ensue, and this means leaves and unripe wood in 
September, when the plants, if required for very early 
forcing, should be at rest. Gradually inure them to 
any change likely to occur in their position, so that 
they may be kept steadily moving on to the end. 
Their deciduous character will then be perfectly 
apparent, and by the middle of September, the foliage 
having fallen, the plants will require only a limited 
supply of water, never, however, allowing them to 
become dust dry. At the commencement of October 
the plants may with advantage be placed in any cool 
dry situation, where they may remain until required 
for forcing purposes. About the last week in this 
month, if a few are placed in any structure where the 
night temperature does not fall below 45°, they will 
soon be on the move. "When this is observed, by 
gradually increasing the warmth the plants may be 
hastened, and by the middle of January a quantity of 
graceful wreaths of flowers will be at j T our disposal. 
If a week previous to the complete expansion of their 
blossoms the}'- be placed in a temperature of about 48°, 
their duration and beauty will be considerably pro¬ 
longed to great advantage at this dull period of the 
year, when flowers are by no means too plentiful. If 
a few plants are introduced into heat at intervals ol 
a fortnight and treated as here described, Deutzia 
gracilis may be had at any time readily from the date 
mentioned till the middle of May. At this time other 
and more lasting subjects will be at hand to take the 
place of a plant which is undoubtedly, during the 
dreary and sunless period of the 3 -ear, a “gardener’s 
friend.”— J. H. H. 
-- 
WOODHATCH LODGE, REIGATE. 
At the above place, within the last few years, a 
collection of Orchids has been gathered together, which 
bids fair to figure among the more noted. The 
owner is T. B. Haywood, Esq., and it must be gratify¬ 
ing to this gentleman to find them succeeding so well. 
The many grand examples of cultivation which are to 
be seen in the various departments, show that the 
treatment thej r receive is just what they require, and 
that their management is in the hands of a skilful 
cultivator. The credit of growing them is due to Mr. 
Ridout, who is to be congratulated upon the grand 
results produced. 
Amongst those at present in flower are all the lead¬ 
ing kinds of Calanthes familiar to us at this season of 
the year, and well done. Cattleyas Holdfordii, 
maxima, AVarscewiczii, Triarne, &c. . are in flower, and 
from the healthy condition of this class, and the in¬ 
numerable sheaths showing, there will be a grand treat 
in store for the future. Many fine Cypripediums are 
also in flower, including varieties of C. barbatum, 
callosum, calurum, various forms of insigne, Leeanum 
in fine variety, longifolium, Lowii, Roezlii, Spiceri- 
anum, and the almost perpetual-flowering SedenL A 
few Dendrobiums were also in flower, but the magni¬ 
ficent growths upon D. Wardianum, D. thyrsiflorum, 
D. suavissimum, D. bigibbum, D. nobile and D. 
Devonianum were very noteworthy. These, coupled 
with all the most popular varieties, will produce a fine 
display at the proper time. The lovely winter-flowering 
Lselia albida and L. autumnalis, in variety, are well 
represented; as well as the old favourite Lycaste 
Skinneri, in several forms. 
Masdevallias are superbly done, including M. Chel- 
soni, M. chimtera, M. coccinea, M. infracta, M. ignea, 
and M. superba ; this last was very fine. There were 
fine forms of M. Schlimii, of which one was a first-rate 
dark variety, with five or six flowers on a spike. M. 
tovarensis made a grand display. There are many fine 
well-flowered plants in 48-sized pots, several of which 
have twelve dozen pure fairy-like white flowers. Some 
of these are flowering for the third season from the 
same spikes, a fact well worth knowing. Mr. Ridout 
allows the old spikes to remain, and this is the result 
of his practice. Fine forms of M. Yeitchii are also in 
flower. 
The Odontoglossum house is a grand sight, containing 
many extraordinary fine, forms of 0. Alexandra, from 
the purest white to the familiar spotted one, well 
known to us all, and bearing flowers of great size. 
O. cirrhosum was also in fine form ; Mr. Ridout grows 
the latter with O. Alexandra. The house containing 
them has a very shady aspect ; no sun has reached it 
since October. The impression some people labour 
under is wrong when they state that Odontoglossums 
will not grow in the shade. The examples of 0. cirr¬ 
hosum here are amongst the finest I have ever seen,, 
with fine branching spikes, many of which are showing 
over four dozen flowers ; this, we must admit, is nor 
bad. 0. constrictum, 0. Londesboroughianum, 0. 
odoratum, 0. Pescatorei, 0. Rossii majus, with a 
glorious dark form of the latter, 0 . sceptrum and 
0 . tripudians are nicely arranged, and produce a 
glorious and interesting sight. Oncidium uuguiculatum, 
O. ornithorrhynchum, and 0 . cucullatum are also 
fine ; and a few Saccolabiums and Yandas are also 
amongst those to be seen. Some very fine forms of 
Saecolabium giganteum are conspicuous, with their 
sweet-scented spikes. A pan of Sophronitis grandiflora, 
with a dozen bright flowers of a fine variety, is also very 
showy. 
I must not fail to mention the magnificent specimens, 
Odontoglossum vexillarium. Of these there are many 
of different sizes, including some fine varieties. I have 
seen in my travels a great many, but never have I 
beheld such a fine lot of healthy plants as those here. 
In fact, I had no idea that 0. vexillarium would grow 
so strong, and should anyone interested in Orchids 
visit this place, I think they will agree with me, and 
be well repaid for any trouble they may experience. 
Mr. Ridout is certainly to be congratulated upon the 
