March 3, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
429 
of a bract, and attain considerable length and strength, 
producing a raceme of flowers. This applies to P. 
grandiflora, P. amabilis, and P. Sanderiana; but it 
would, no doubt, be equally effective in the case of 
P. Schilleriana and P. Stuartiana, where the lateral 
branches develop naturally iu considerable strength, 
provided the plants are strong and well grown. P. 
Luddemanniana will often develop flowers a second 
time from the same flower spike if not cut down, as 
well as young plants occasionally. 
-—- 
FLORICULTURE. 
The Yellow-ground Picotee. 
In the last annual report of the Carnation and Picotee 
Union, from which 1 have already noticed extracts in 
your pages, there are some remarks by Mr. Dodwell 
relative to the above beautiful class to which attention 
deserves to be directed, as they indicate a new de¬ 
parture, the most remarkable, I think, in the history 
of this flower. 
Speaking of a batch of yellow-ground seedlings 
received from a friend at Waterford, Mr. Dodwell 
says : “An important and most interesting feature of 
these seedlings is their distinct advance towards the 
longitudinal markings of the Carnation—a feature from 
which grand results may surely be looked for ; for 
notwithstanding the prettiness of the curved markings 
of the Picotee, every student will, I am sure, agree 
with me that incomparably more force exists in the 
longitudinal markings and masculine beauty of the 
Carnations.” 
Hitherto we have been able to speak of the yellow- 
ground flower—other than the seifs—as the yellow 
Picotee only—the pricked, spritted, or spotted flower, 
which is the Picotee in its pristine form, and from which 
form in the white grounds our bizarre and flaked Car¬ 
nations and edged Picotees have been alike developed. 
Here would be a fine opportunity for some of our 
critics—whose knowledge of the Carnation and jealousy 
of the florist usually go in inverse proportions—to frame 
a grand indictment of the latter for his neglect of the 
development of the yellow-ground flowers. An adverse 
verdict on the ground of neglect generally, I am afraid, 
would have to be submitted to this time, and all the 
evidence we could bring in mitigation would be the late 
Mr. Hogg’s “Publicola,” a genuine yellow-ground heavy- 
red edged Picotee, figured in the Floricultural Cabinet for 
1835, and the tradition only of Mr. Smith’s light-edged 
flowers, which were unfortunately lost—presumably 
owing to their delicacy of constitution. 
The remarkable thing in connection with the yellow- 
ground Picotee is that when people have spoken of its 
development from the pounced or spritted form with 
which we are familiar, they should apparently have 
thought of this development only in the direction of 
the edged flower, which has become to us the best 
known, and to many doubtless the only type of the 
Picotee. It might be thought that the yellow Picotee 
—the pricked and splashed flower as we have known 
it—would have been at least as suggestive of the 
characteristics of the flake or bizarre Carnations as of 
those of the edged Picotee. Possibly people’s ex¬ 
pectations have turned rather to the latter form, 
because it seemed more difficult of attainment, and to 
promise the greater satisfaction and triumph in its 
realisation. Quite as likely also the term “Picotee,’’ 
which has been retained equally for the crude and the 
developed flower, has had an unconscious influence in 
keeping attention fixed only on this form of develop¬ 
ment. 
But the yellow-ground flower represents, more than 
any other of its tribe, the grand qualities of 
picturesqueness, variety, and richness. In these the 
white-ground Carnations and edged Picotees are no 
match for it. As little can the yellow-ground in its 
turn compete with the surpassing refinement possible 
only with the purity of the white-ground flower. A 
pretty flower, without doubt, will be the yellow Picotee 
—light or heavy edge—whenever it is got, but it 
cannot in the nature of things take the same high rank 
in this class as its white-ground rival. 
The real strength of the yellow-ground flower lies in 
quite an opposite direction, and I hail with satis¬ 
faction the fact that our leading raiser so thoroughly 
appreciates this truth, as he has indeed been the first 
to give effect to it, and I trust it may not be so long 
before he may be enabled to present to us some 
realisation of the grand possibilities that lie before us 
in the development of the yellow Picotee, as we know 
it, into the fuller beauty of the yellow-ground Carna¬ 
tion.—if. Rowan. 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
ErACRis. —The show house or conservatory should now 
be gay with all the later-flowering species and varieties 
of this genus ; but many of the earlier ones, if not 
already past their best and faded, will soon be so. As 
the flowers become faded and useless prune the shoots 
hard back, making the plants close and bushy. Stand 
them and all plants of this character in a place by 
themselves, where the required treatment can be given 
and to make sure that their wants do not get over¬ 
looked—an omission that is likely to happen if they 
are left amidst an assemblage of plants of all kinds 
that have just finished flowering and been removed from 
the conservatory. After being pruned back a vinery 
that is just beginning to start would be a good place 
for them, and generally they may be allowed to remain 
there till the foliage of the Vines shades them, causing 
the shoots to become drawn and slender. Before this 
happens remove them to a cooler house which can be 
freely ventilated on all favourable occasions, and where 
the plants can be well exposed to the light. If any of 
the plants require potting let it be done after the buds 
are fairly well started afresh, using good fibrous peat 
and silver-sand. Bam the fresh soil well down the 
sides of the pot and around the ball of the plant with a 
blunt tapering piece of wood made for the purpose. 
New Holland Plants generally should have a 
good exposure to light, and not be allowed to suffer 
from shading or overcrowding. The flowers are better 
developed, better coloured, and last longer when proper 
treatment is given them. 
Camellias and Azaleas. — As these go out of 
flower they must needs be removed from the greenhouse 
or conservatory, as the case may be, and placed in a 
vinery, forcing house, or some similar place, as may be 
convenient, to induce a free and early growth, and in 
order that next winter’s flower-buds may be developed 
early. Before doing so, however, see that they are 
properly cleaned from scale. Syringing with a mixture 
of paraffin-oil and water, well stirred all the time it is 
used, will assist greatly in removing dirt ; and by the 
use of a small brush made of coarse hair or bristles, the 
scale may easily he eradicated. Afterwards syringe 
with clean soft water. _ 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Vineries. —During the prevalence of cold east winds, 
be careful not to maintain excessively high temperatures, 
especially where the Vines are making rapid growth. 
This applies more especially at the present time to the 
Muscat houses, which are now well started into growth, 
and to succession or second early houses, as they are 
called. Perform the necessary work of disbudding as 
soon as it can be seen which are the best shoots to 
retain, and remove all superfluous bunches, so as to 
encourage those that are left, and to prevent over¬ 
crowding afterwards. 
Melons and Cucumbers. —Look to those Melons 
that require regulating and training. If trained to 
wires, stop the shoots that have attained the desired 
length, to encourage the growth of laterals. Set the 
flowers when the atmosphere of the house and the 
pollen are dry. Set a considerable number at one time, 
and as soon as they commence swelling, showing that 
they have taken, remove all but four of the best on a 
plant, which should be as equally distributed as possible 
over the stems. See that later plants are not allowed 
to suffer for want of root room, and plant out as soon as 
possible. As roots show themselves on the outside of 
the soil add more. Assist Cucumbers in full bearing 
with weak liquid manure, which may be applied pretty 
frequently provided the roots are vigorous, healthy, and 
the drainage good. At this stage the temperature may 
range from 65” to 70° by night, and from 75° to 85° by 
day, especially with sun-heat, closing the house early 
in order to economise sun-heat, which the plants 
like better than fire-heat. Damp down heavily, 
however, when this is done ; but be careful not to 
maintain too high a temperature if dry east winds 
prevail. Succession batches should be encouraged to 
grow freely, and attend to the pinching and regulating 
of the required number of shoots. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Peas. —Examine the ground from time to time and see 
that mice are not destroying the sowings that have been 
made. They are especially prone to such mischief 
during the prevalence of severe weather, and should be 
caught by means of baited traps. Whenever the 
earliest sowings appear above the ground cover with a 
thin layer of burnt wood or coal ashes to keep slugs at 
bay. 
Jerusalem Artichokes. —The weather recently has 
not been such as to encourage planting out of doors, but 
Jerusalem Artichokes may be planted without further 
delay, provided the ground is moderately dry, and 
perfectly free from frost. Give plenty of room, as the 
tubers are frequently small, and spoiled through over¬ 
crowding and improper light to the foliage, without 
which it is impossible to get good sized tubers. 
-—>X-<-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Esher Gardeners’ Improvement. 
The annual social gathering of the members and friends 
of this society was held at “ The White Lion, ” Esher, 
on Thursday, evening, Feb. 23rd, Mr. Bedson presiding, 
and Mr. Child (the treasurer) occupying the vice-chair. 
About fifty members and friends sat down to dinner, 
and the toast of the evening, “Success to the Esher 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society,” was proposed 
by Mr. Everett, who in the course of an excellent 
speech alluded to the very useful and most laudable 
character of the society, and remarked that any 
institution whose members met together for mutual 
instruction was essentially a society calculated to do 
much good. An old writer had said that “A man 
who made two blades of Grass grow where only one 
grew before was a benefactor to mankind ”; and that 
was what gardeners were doing every day of their lives. 
The toast was acknowledged by Mr. Child, who 
referred to the good done by the library, which is a 
very useful one, and to which has lately been added a 
number of new works. Financially the society was in 
a flourishing condition. Mr. Price also replied, and 
testified to the great good the society had done in the 
past, and alluded to the great loss they had all suffered 
through the removal of their late secretary, Mr. King, 
from the neighbourhood. Mr. Price then introduced 
the new secretary, Mr. Holden. Some capital songs 
and toasts followed, and a very enjoyable evening was 
spent. _ 
We regret to record the sudden death last week of Mr. 
James Betteridge, the well-known nurseryman and 
Aster grower of Chipping Norton. From a newspaper 
cutting we learn that deceased’s wife had been ill during 
the previous week, and Mr. Betteridge, feeling 
exhausted through broken rest for many successive 
nights, resolved to sleep in a room at the top of the 
house, his wife being in an apartment below in charge 
of a niece and another young woman. About three 
o’clock in the morning the niece awoke and found Mrs. 
Betteridge raking out with her bare hands the burning 
coals from the grate in the bedroom. She raised an 
alarm, and it is supposed that Mr. Betteridge, startled 
by her screaming, rushed out of bed, and forgetting 
there were no balustrades to the landing, fell downstairs, 
fracturing his skull and breaking several ribs. Medical 
attendance was at once obtained, but the case was seen 
to be hopeless, and Mr. Betteridge died, the actual 
cause of death being, it is believed, the penetration of 
the pericardium by a broken rib. 
-- 
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS. 
Cucumbers. — H. I.: Your Cucumbers appear to have been 
too hard forced, while little ventilation has been used. The 
stems are consequently thin, while the leaves are also small and 
without substance. During the prevalence of such bitterly cold 
east winds as we have experienced lately, a high temperature 
should not be kept up, as it is injurious to the well-being of the 
plants in a house. To prevent the temperature rising too high, 
in mild but cloudy weather give plenty of ventilation on all 
suitable occasions, that is when not fieezing, nor when the wind 
is too boisterous. On no account subject your plants to cold 
draughts. 
Exhibiting Plants. — Exhibitor : If the facts are as you state, 
and the accident took place in public, and there was no attempt at 
wilful deception, the judges did not err in not disqualifying the 
exhibitor; but if they had any reason to suspect that the 
accident was open to suspicion as regards its genuineness, then 
they would have, undoubtedly, been justified in disqualifying 
the exhibitor. It seems to us to be a case in which the judges 
should be guided by common sense, rather than the strict letter 
of the law. 
Cattleva and L^lia. — T. E. Waite ; The two so-called 
genera are intimately allied both in habit, appearance, and 
structure ; the broad distinction being in the number of pollinia 
or pollen masses. These are four in Cattleya, and eight in 
Laslia; hut this distinction sometimes breaks down or becomes 
inconstant, as in C. Dormaniana, and some others where the 
