February 18, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
397 
bye-law to the contrary notwithstanding, subject to not 
less than a week’s notice being given.” 
Colonel F. Trevor Clarke, rising to acknowledge the 
vote of thanks in which he had been included, said he 
had joined the society when he was young, he had 
grown old amongst them, he loved and honoured the 
society, and hoped to die in its service. 
The council’s report and balance sheet for the year 
were formally adopted, and a vote of thanks to the 
chairman terminated the proceedings. 
Fruit and Floral Committees. 
The conservatory on this occasion wore a much gayer 
and more interesting aspect than at several of the 
mid-winter meetings. Not only were the exhibits 
numerous, but some of them were large. Herbaceous 
plants that have been forced or brought into flower 
earlier than they would under natural circumstances, 
Orchids, Primulas, Cinerarias, Rhododendrons, and 
magnificent collections of Apples, considering the late¬ 
ness of the seasou, made altogether something more 
important than a mere fruit and floral committee 
meeting. 
A fine and interesting group of Orchids was contri¬ 
buted by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M. P. (gardener, 
Mr. Bickerstaffj, Burford Lodge, Dorking, it included 
Pleurotliallis Roezlii (anew and rare plant), Masdevallia 
leontoglossa, M. gargantea (singular-looking species), 
M. Fraseri, Dendrobium amethystoglossn, Odonto- 
glossum crispum punctatissimum (splendidly grown), 
Cattleya l’ercivaliana, and several other fine things 
that were certificated. A. H. Smee, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. G. W. Cummins), The Grange, Walliugton, exhi¬ 
bited Ophrys lutea, an interesting and pretty yellow 
species, together with Dendrobium Kingianum album, 
Masdevallia culex, Oncidium Russellianum, Vanda 
cristata striata (for which he received a vote of thanks), 
and several others. Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. 
Albans, exhibited Lycaste Skinneri alba, Odonto- 
glossum maculatum anceps, and another Lycaste that 
was certificated. Several interesting hybrids were sent by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, notably Dendrobium 
splendidissimum, D. eusmum, D. e. leucopterum (for 
which they received a vote of thanks), and several 
varieties of Odontoglossum triumphans. A Cultural 
Commendation was awarded to Baron Schroder, The 
Dell, Egham, for a magnificent inflorescence of Odonto¬ 
glossum crispum Stevensi, branched and bearing fifty 
flowers. He also sent 0. c. xanthotes, Dendrobium 
speciosum Hillii, and varieties of Lielia anceps. 
Holothrix (Tryphia) secunda, Bletia verecunda, and 
Coelogyne lentiginosa came from the Royal Gardens, 
Kew. 
A Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to Mr. T. S. 
"Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, for a beautiful 
group of Daffodils interspersed with Snowdrops, Scilla 
siberica, Bletia hyacinthina, Chiouodoxa sardensis, and 
others. A similar award was made to Mr. J. James, 
Woodside, Farnham Royal, Slough, for a well-grown 
group of Chinese Primulas and Cinerarias, the latter 
especially showing flower-heads of rare merit. Messrs. 
Barr & Son, King Street, Covent Garden, exhibited a 
very interesting group of Narcissi, Croci, Chionodoxa 
Lueilise, Scilla bifolia, Laehenalia Nelsoni, Colehicum 
eroeiflorum, Narcissus monophyllus, and others, for 
which they received a Bronze Banksian Medal. 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent, exhibited 
a group of Chinese Primulas of great merit, one of 
which was certificated. They were awarded a vote of 
thanks for the collection. 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, staged a beautiful 
group of herbaceous plants, including Saxifragas, 
Cyclamens, Violets, &e. Besides new varieties of 
greenhouse hybrid Rhododendrons that were certificated 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons also showed several others, in¬ 
cluding a grand box of cut blooms, and a Lilaceous 
plant, Korolkowia discolor. Mr. F. Ross, Pendell 
Court Gardens, Bletchingley, exhibited specimens of a 
pendulous variety of Acacia vertieillata, Brunsfelsia 
calycina, and a fine umbel of Astrapaea Wallichi. 
Seedling Lenten Roses of the Helleborus orientalis 
and H. purpurascens type came from the gardens of the 
Royal Horticultural Society. Mr. Charles Turner, Slough 
showed a new tree Carnation, named Novelty, with 
scarlet flowers, flaked with a slaty colour, and deliciously 
fragrant. A fine truss of Brownia grandiceps and 
Lilium Thomsonianum came from the Royal Gardens, 
Kew. G. F. Wilson, Esq., Heatherbank, Weybridge, 
showed some dried and very ornamental specimens of 
the grass Eulalia japonica. Mr. L. Slatter, Banbury, 
exhibited specimens of Helleborus niger variety. 
Fruit was a fine feature, more especially Apples, 
which occupied a considerable length of staging. A 
Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to Messrs. Geo. 
Bunyard & Co., Maidstone, for a collection, consisting 
of 106 dishes of Apples in excellent condition. A 
similar award was made to Messrs. T. Rivers & Son, 
Sawbridgeworth, for eighty-five dishes of Apples and 
Oranges, including several forms of the Shaddock, 
Citron, Lemon, Lime, and Orange, popularly known 
as such. A Bronze Banksian Medal was awarded to 
Messrs. J. Cheal k. Sons for a collection of Apples, 
which contained some seventy-six dishes of late-keeping 
and valuable sorts. A similar award was made to 
Mr. G. W. Cummins, gardener to A. II. Smee, Esq., 
The Grange, Wallington, Surrey, for a collection of 
seventy dishes of Apples. Mr. C. Ross, Welford Park, 
Newbury, received a Bronze Banksian Medal for 
sixteen dishes of Apples and five of Pears, the former 
especially being of large size and in good preservation. 
A similar award was made to Mr. S. Ford, Leonardslee, 
Horsham, for a collection consisting of twenty-five 
dishes of Apples, four of Pears, and some well-coloured 
bunches of Lady Downe’s Seedling Grape that had 
been cut for twelve weeks. 
Several smaller exhibits were made by Mr. R. Dean, 
Ealing, who received a vote of thanks for Danesfield 
and Tennis Ball, two varieties of Onion, and he showed 
also some Apples ; by Mr. Burnett, The Gardens, 
Deepdene, Dorking, who showed Apples and Lady 
Downe’s Grape, by Mr. J. Crook, Farnboro’ Grange, 
who received a vote of thanks for some Apples ; by 
Mr. P. Blair, Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent, who 
received a Cultural Commendation for good specimens 
of Calville Blanche Apple ; and specimens of Wrench’s 
variegated Kale came from the gardens of the Royal 
Horticultural Society at Chiswick. 
-- 
FLORICULTURE. 
Pinks. 
Unlike Carnations and Picotees, Pinks are planted 
out of doors in beds in autumn, the beds being raised 
above the ground-level in order to throw off the wet. 
The Pink is less liable to injury from severe weather. 
Now that w r e are getting through the winter, advantage 
should be taken of a fine day, when it is drying some¬ 
what, to go over the beds, stir the surface, and clear 
away all weeds. Another thing that is required to be 
done is to press firmly into the soil all plants that may 
have become loosened by the action of the frost, and 
adding some fresh rich soil on the surface. Indeed, 
plants that are isolated in borders may be gone over in 
this way with great advantage, the addition of some 
surface soil to these being very beneficial. Any loose 
branches should be secured in some way, so that they 
may be safe from harm when the sweeping March 
winds come. It is a matter for regret that the beau- 
ful laced and fragrant florists’ Pinks are not so much 
grown as they once were. They are of hardy constitu¬ 
tion, free growth, profuse blooming, and exquisitely 
scented. 
Forcing Pinks .—Let me add a word or two in favour 
of these also. There are now a large batch of these, 
and one great use to which they can be put is to bloom 
early in pots in the cold frame or greenhouse, before 
those in the open ground flower. I confine myself to 
one variety only—Lord Lyon. I have a dozen or so 
plants of this in pots in a cold frame, and they have 
done well, and are becoming active. They will go 
into the greenhouse presently, and be brought on 
into flower gradually. These charming varieties are 
frequently recommended for this purpose ; but people 
spoil them by forcing too much, and giving them 
too much heat. They require to be brought on gently, 
undue haste causing the plants to become drawn and 
infested with green-fly. The following list includes 
some of the best varieties :—Anne Boleyn, deep rose, 
with dark centre ; Derby Day, deep pink, laced with 
purple ; Lord Byron, deep rosy purple, a good grower ; 
Mr. Sinkins, large, pure white ; and Lady Blanche, 
pure white, small and very compact. These can be 
highly recommended for pot culture, and, in order to 
have good plants by autumn, cuttings should be put in 
as early as possible in spring. 
Seedling Pinks .—These are always interesting if the 
plants have been raised from seeds taken from good 
varieties. I shall presently plant out a number of 
seedlings sent me in the autumn by Mr. E. S. Dodwell, 
raised from seed obtained from the very best laced 
varieties, and also some from the pure white Mrs. 
Sinkins. Thpy were small plants when received, but 
having been potted singly in small pots, they have 
made nice bushy plants, and will bloom well in May 
and June. One great value about the Pink is, that it 
precedes the Carnation and Picotee, and so extends the 
period of floral service of the fragrant Dianthus.— R. D. 
Gold-laced. Polyanthuses in Pots. 
The prizes offered for these at the two exhibitions of 
Auriculas—one in London and the other in Manchester 
—encourage the cultivation of these Polyanthuses in 
pots. At this season of the year, having been kept in 
cold frames, the plants are apt to become infested with 
green-fly, and the leaves should be cleansed by fumigat¬ 
ing the plant with Tobacco smoke, or carefully washing 
them in Tobacco water. When the leaves have become 
dry, then the plants should be turned out of the pots 
to see if the drainage is perfect, and if it be found 
choked remove it with care, add fresh drainage to the 
pot, and then replace the plant, using as much care as 
possible that the balls of soil be not broken. If the 
surface soil has become sour it is well to remove an 
inch or so of it, care being taken that the fibres be not 
disturbed more than is possible. The addition of some 
nice rich soil encourages surface rooting, which is of 
great assistance to the plants. My own plants have 
come through the winter pretty well ; but I find fogs 
are much more trying to them than severe frost. A 
great many plants were lost during the dry summer of 
1887.—A. D. 
--—-- 
We much regret to record the death on Sunday last of 
Mr. John Smith, the veteran ex-curator of the Royal 
Gardens, Kew, who passed away at the ripe old age of 
ninety years. Mr. Smith, who was the son of a gardener, 
was born at Aberdour, Fifeshire, in October, 1798, and 
commenced his gardening career under his father at 
Grangemuir, near Pittenweem. In November, 1815, he 
went as journeyman to Raith, near Kircaldy, and at the 
end of twelve months engaged himself in a similar 
capacity to the gardener to the Earl of Murray, at 
Donibristle. In November, 1817, he left Donibristle, 
for Caley House, Kircudbrightshire, walking the 
distance from Edinburgh, 105 miles, in three days—a 
journey which not many young gardeners would under¬ 
take now-a-days. Here he stayed only for a term, 
and then got employment in the Royal Botanic Garden, 
Edinburgh, which he kept for a similar period, and 
subsequently went home for a time in order to improve 
himself in land surveying. In the following year, 1820, 
he came to London, and through the recommendation 
of Mr. W. T. Aiton, then Director of Kew, he obtained 
employment in the royal forcing garden at Kensington. 
In 1822 he entered the propagating department at 
Kew, and a year later was promoted to the post of 
foreman. 
From this period until his retirement in May, 1864, Mr. 
Smith was curator of the garden, though nominally 
only for some years at first. On April 1st, 1840, the 
gardens were transferred to the Commissioners of Her 
Majesty’s Woods and Forests, and the following year 
Mr. Aiton resigned. A few months later Mr. Smith 
received his official appointment from the Treasury, and 
for twenty years ably assisted the late Sir William 
Hooker in developing and improving the gardens. In 
1861 his sight began to fail, and in May, 1864, he 
retired on the handsome superannuation allowance of 
£183, after forty-four years service. By a strange 
coincidence his successor bore the same name, and he, 
too, has been retired from the service. Mr. Smith was 
the author of several works on Ferns, also of volumes 
on “Domestic Botany,” “A History of Bible Plants,” 
&c. ; but as a botanist never attained much fame, 
being what is popularly known as a “splitter,” as 
distinguished from a “lumper,” in defining genera 
and species, and consequently out of harmony with the 
ideas on this subject which prevail in the Kew school. 
He had, however, a marvellous memory, and was a 
great enthusiast. 
We regret also to hear of the death at Edgbaston, 
Birmingham, on the 6th inst., of Mr. William 
Jennings (aged sixty-five years), who was for many 
years foreman of the herbaceous plant collection at the 
old Wellington Road Nursery at a time when a fine 
collection of plants were there grown ; and his face was 
well known to all who in those days cultivated these 
plants. 
On Sunday last, died at his residence, Putney, at 
the age of seventy-eight years, Mr. J. H. Walsh, the 
famous author of “Stonehenge” ani “British Rural 
Sports,” and for about thirty years editor of The Field. 
