126 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 22,1887. 
Our next work will be the clearing away of all 
summer bedding plants, except Dahlias, which we allow 
to remain for a time after cutting down ; if lifted at 
once they are very liable to rot during the winter. As a 
rule, they will be found to keep best when stored bottom 
upwards, placing them, of course, out of the way of 
frost. "Where spring bedding is followed let the bed 
be at once prepared by giving a dressing of half-decayed 
leaf-soil, allowing a couple of days to settle, and the 
beds then replanted ; this work we hope to complete 
this week or nearly so, if the weather continues fine, 
and there is every appearance of its doing so. 
Be careful that as Cauliflowers become fit for use they 
are lifted and stored in some airy shed or cellar, or the 
frost will completely spoil them. The stock of bedding 
Calceolaria cuttings should now be put in without 
further dejay ; and, if desirable, some of the best of the 
stools may be potted up, and will be found serviceable 
for decoration next spring. — Walter Child, Croome 
Court. ^ 
FLORICULTURE. 
Atthiculas. —These have looked well until now, 
and, indeed, do so still, the open weather having kept 
them active. Water should now be given sparingly, 
for they may be said to be subsiding to their winter’s 
rest, and the lowermost leaves are beginning to turn 
yellow. It is, therefore, well to go over the plants 
twice or thrice a week, removing the decaying leaves, 
carefully getting rid of anything that is likely to 
encourage damp, and giving a stirring to the surface 
soil where it is solid and hard. About the second 
week in September, and again early in the present 
month, I fumigated my plants well when they were 
quite dry, choosing a still evening for the operation, 
and there does not appear to be a trace of green-fly 
upon them. But very few autumn trusses have put in 
an appearance, but when they do, I pinch off the bud 
only, leaving the stem to gradually decay ; and, in 
regard to watering, all that is wanted is just enough to 
keep the soil from becoming dust-dry. I have to 
winter my plants on a north aspect; but the stage is 
raised some distance above the floor of the house, and 
on all favourable occasions I allow a current of air to 
pass through it. When cold winds blow from the 
north and east, air is given from the south side only. 
In all cases where the plants are on the north or east 
aspect, and so liable to be frozen, water should be 
given with extreme care, and never when the weather 
is likely to change from a mild to a severe form. 
New Northern Raised Roses. —At the National 
Rose Society’s exhibition at Edinburgh in July, and at 
the Rose Show in the Exhibition Palace at Manchester 
during the same month, special awards were made to 
H.P. Rose, Sir Rowland Hill, raised and shown by 
Messrs. R. Mack k Son, of Catterick. At Manchester 
the flowers were characterised by a deep purple colour, 
with a shading of bright blackish maroon; but 
decidedly the most attractive feature was the distinct 
glow of purple ; it appeared to be a large, full and 
finely built flower, and a decided acquisition to the 
exhibition Roses. Another new H. P. Rose, raised and 
sent out by the same firm, is Duchess of Leeds, a 
seedling from La France, but several shades deeper in 
colour, which is on the reverse sides of the petals ; the 
habit of growth and character of foliage are similar to 
those of the parents, and it is also said to make an 
excellent garden variety. Our English raisers of Roses 
have been so successful of late, that home growers are 
becoming independent of new Roses of French origin, 
owing to a good number of them being of questionable 
excellence. 
Exhibition Fuchsias. —Mr. James Lye, of Clyffe 
Hall, has just sent me a bunch of blooms of a novel 
and distinct light Fuchsia, which he has named 
Heroine. The flowers are of large size, the tube and 
sepals being of a delicate blush colour, with distinct 
lines of bright pink on the former, whilst the corolla 
is bright carmine, slightly flushed with magenta. 
Mr. Lye, who pays great attention to the habit of 
growth of his new Fuchsias, says that he thinks this 
will make a very fine exhibition variety. It must be a 
good grower, for he states “ I have a plant about 2 ft. 
high now ; I think I can venture to say I can make it 
9 ft. high by August next.” As an exhibition Fuchsia 
it is difficult to imagine anything more perfect than 
Lye’s Charming—a dark variety of the highest value 
for show and decorative purposes. This is the ideal 
habit of growth and freedom of bloom to look for ; and 
1 know that in selecting his seedlings Mr. Lye makes 
habit a first consideration, and very properly so, 
Dahlias, —The two or three sharp frosts of last 
week have quite settled the plants of these ; and seeing 
that they were late in flowering, I should think the 
seed crop has been a small one. "When possible to do 
so, it is usual to leave a few early flowers of the best 
varieties, so as to secure some for sowing. "Where the 
seed-pods are still standing, it is a good plan to go 
through them after rain, and squeeze the wet out of 
them, otherwise the seeds are apt to rot. It is also 
well to remove all leaves near the seed-pods, so that 
anything which tends to attract damp may be taken 
out of the way. So far, frost has injured the shoots 
only. It requires to be very sharp to reach through 
the main stem down to the roots ; but if any danger is 
to be apprehended, it is well to heap up some soil 
about the roots. As a rule, they are not lifted until 
November, because the frost is not keen enough until 
then to do them any injury, and they are better in the 
ground than out of it. Seedlings have been late in 
flowering. If any have survived the frost, and are 
still expanding, the promising ones should be marked 
for another season’s trial.— E. D. 
-—- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES, 
Birmingham Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association.— October 1 1th. —Being 
in Birmingham last week, I was invited by Mr. 
Hughes, the courteous secretary of this flourishing 
society, to attend the meeting held on the 11th inst., 
in a spacious room in the Midland Institute, and 
thither at the proper time I wended my way. The 
main business on the agenda was the reading of a 
paper on the Cypripedium by Mr. G. Barnes, gardener 
to C. Winn, Esq., of Selley Oak, who owns a fine 
collection of Orchids. Over a hundred members were 
present, the chair being occupied by Mr. Latham, the 
much-respected curator of the Botanic Gardens, and 
the minutes of the previous meeting having been read 
by the secretary, Mr. Latham introduced Mr. Barnes, 
who proceeded to read a paper, which proved to be full 
of good, sound and useful information. He first related 
his experiences in the cultivation of these plants, and 
the different modes of treatment required by individual 
species of this now popular genus. Then he alluded to 
the origin of many of the fine hybrids now in cultivation, 
and gave the date of introduction of most of the species 
we now possess. The paper was listened to with great 
attention by all present, the subject being rendered the 
more interesting by the exhibition on the table of some 
well-executed paintings by Mr. Barnes himself, some 
ninty-nine species and varieties being represented ; 
and flowering plants of Cypripedium Harrisianum, 
(the first hybrid raised by Mr. Dominy), and C. 
Spicerianum (both examples of good cultivation), and 
cut flowers of some dozen hybrids and species kindly 
brought by Mr. Cooper, gardener to the Right Hon. 
J. Chamberlain, M.P. 
A discussion followed the reading of the paper, in 
which several members took part. Mr. Cooper alluded 
to several points in which he entirely agreed with Mr. 
Barnes; and then Mr. Alfred Outram—Mr. B. S. 
Williams’ representative—was called upon by the 
chairman for a few remarks on the subject. Mr. 
Outram showed in a very clear manner that he was 
quite at home with the subject, and made some perti¬ 
nent observations on the various practical points at 
issue. Several others joined in, and a very pleasant 
evening was spient, the members evidently going away 
much pleased with what they had seen and heard. I 
thought, as I left, what a pity it is that there were 
not many more such associations established in the 
country. Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Manchester, Liver¬ 
pool, Preston, Sheffield, &c. all have their Gardeners’ 
Improvement Societies, and which are the means of 
doing a wonderful amount of good. The useful know¬ 
ledge to be learnt at such meetings is a great boon to 
the rising generation of gardeners, as well as to the 
older ones. This society has met with most hearty 
support since it was formed in February, 1886, and 
now numbers over 300 members. It is not confined to 
professionals alone, as amateurs are allowed to join ; 
and it is pleasing to record the fact that many have 
done so. It is also gratifying to know that a hearty 
response was made to the appeal of the committee for 
books to form a library ; and a good collection of most 
useful works has been obtained, and they are much 
used by the members. Anyone having gardening books 
to dispose of, might do much worse than present them 
to such a society as this, where their value is so greatly 
appreciated. — TJrbanus, 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
(Revised. List to Bede.) 
OCTOEEE. 
26.—National: Meeting of Floral Committee at the 
Royal Aquarium. 
November. 
I, 2.—Southampton. 
3, 4. —Havant, and Henfield. 
4. —Exeter. 
4, 5.—Crystal Palace, Bradford, and Leicester. 
7, 8.—Surrey, at Peckham. 
8, 9.—Highgate, Brighton, Kingston-on-Thames, and 
Southend-on-Sea. 
8, 9, 10.—Lambeth, and Southwark. 
9. —Croydon. 
9, 10.—National, at the Royal Aquarium, Ascot, Bath, 
Bournemouth, Cornwall, Guildford, and 
Southgate. 
10. —Dawlish, Tiverton, and "Walton-on-Thames. 
10, 11.—Portsmouth, Ipswich, Buxton, and "Weald of 
Kent. 
II. —Hitchin. 
11, 12.—Lewisham, Canterbury, and Street (Somerset). 
12, 14.—Leicester. 
13, 14.—Ghent, Belgium. 
14, 15.—Sheffield and Hallamshire. 
15, —Putney, St. Peter’s (Hammersmith), and Reading. 
15, 16.—Finchley, Watford, Lincoln, and Winchester. 
16. —Ealing, Chelmsford, and York. 
16, 17.—Birmingham, Faversham, Hampstead, and 
Dartford. 
17. —Taunton, and Hull. 
17, 18.—Bury St. Edmunds. 
18. —Wellington (Somerset). 
18, 19.—Sheffield and West Riding, and Chorley 
(Lancashire). 
19. —Ramsbottom. 
22.—Oxfordshire, and Hanley. 
22, 23.—Liverpool. 
23. —National: Floral Committee Meeting at The 
Royal Aquarium 
23, 24.—Bristol, and Bedford. 
25, 26.—Pontefract, and Eccles. 
29, 30.—Edinburgh. 
December. 
7. —National: Floral Committee Meeting at the Royal 
Aquarium. 
8. —Alnwick. _—->$<«_ 
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS. 
Fruits for Market. — Omicron: Gooseberries : Whinham’s 
Industry, and Monarch, the first for choice if you only want 
one. Plums: Victoria, Rivers’ Early Prolific, The Czar, and 
Belgian Purple. Damson : Crittenden’s. Strawberries: 
Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, Sir J. Paxton, Sir Charles 
Napier, and Dr. Hogg. Much depends upon climate and situa¬ 
tion, and something upon the class of market for which you 
intend to grow. We should have been glad of further in¬ 
formation on these points. 
Silvery-leaved Sunflower. — Mr. Jefferies: The plant in 
question is certainly closely allied to Helianthus annuus, but is 
not new, being a native of Texas, frQin whence it was introduced 
some years ago, and proves a very distinct and ornamental kind. 
It grows to the height of ,6 ft. or 7 ft., and has smaller, less 
decidedly heart-shaped leaves than in H. annuus, but of a 
distinct silvery appearance, resulting from numerous whitish 
hairs or down. Under cultivation it does seem to degenerate 
into H. annuus. 
Apple Tree Unhealthy. — F. G. Henry: Moss on the stems 
and branches has certainly been destroyed by an ap iication of 
lime mixed with water ; but even then we should doubt whether 
the hide-bound tree should grow more vigorously or be fruitful. 
The evil we fear is radical, and implies that something is wrong 
with the soil, either as to its composition or drainage ; or it may 
be that the exposure is bad, and the tree subject to injurious 
gusts of wind in spring while making its growth. The most 
advisable plan would be to lift the tree carefully and examine 
the state of the roots and soil. Should the situation be low- 
lying and moist, drain the ground if possible and necessary, 
afterwards filling in a quantity of fresh soil, or good fibrous turf 
from an old pasture would be better. Plant on the top of this, 
so that the tree will be considerably above its former level; 
mulch with farmyard manure, or something of the kind; and 
secure the tree to a stake to prevent it rocking about with the 
wind. 
Lilium candidum. — J. M.: They would be much better for 
another season's growth. Then lift them earlier, when fully 
ripe, and pot them before they commence to grow. 
Raspberry. — H. I. 0.: Baumforth’s Seedling. E. P. Dixon, 
Hull. 
Names of Plants. — J. Peed £ Sons: The Sunflower is Heil- 
anthus laetiflorus. IF. House: The specimen appears to be 
related to Clematis flammula, but in the absence of either 
flowers or good foliage, it is difficult to determine. 
Names of Fruits.—/. S. T .: 1, Fearn’s Pippin ; 2, Golden 
Reinette ; 3, Devonshire Quarrenden ; 4, Summer Thorle ; 5, not 
recognised. A. Henderson: Old Pearmain. G. Courtsoicr: We 
have failed to recognise any of the Apples, which seem to be 
purely local sorts. T. Simpson: Tibbet’s Pearmain. 
Communications Received.—W. E. B.—B. C.—J. R. (next 
week).—G. B.—G. S. A.—T. S.—H. B.—T. C.—A. G. H.—W. C. 
TKADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
James Cocker & Sons, Sunnypark, Aberdeen.—Select Roses, 
Forest and Ornamental Trees, Fruit Trees, &e. 
Dammann & Co., San Giovanni a Teduccio, near Naples.— 
Wholesale Price List of Seeds. 
W. Drummond & Sons, Stirling, N.B.—Forest and Orna¬ 
mental Trees, Fruit Trees, &c. 
