506 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 7, 1888. 
the root-stock or permanent axis, with the young and 
pushing hud of the current season occupying a central 
or slightly lateral position in the bulb. This is really 
the apex of the short, horizontally-creeping, and fleshy 
stem, which is the more permanent part of the plant, 
although never attaining any great age, as the older 
portion as well as the older fleshy scales keep con¬ 
tinually dying away, so that the scars marking the 
progress and age of the bulb are as constantly becoming 
obliterated. Next year’s flowering stem arises as a bud 
in the axil of one of the scales, a little in advance of 
the old one, so that the stem keeps travelling relatively 
in one direction as it makes its annual but extremely 
short-jointed growth beneath the soil. 
This horizontal mode of growth explains why the 
bulbs always keep about the same average depth be¬ 
neath the soil. Even if carefully examined to the last 
leaf on the young and incipient flower-stems, there are 
no traces of flower-buds, they not being developed till 
a much later date, owing to the great amount of growth 
that must take place before the flower-stem elongates 
and reaches its proper height. A good-sized bulb 
would consist of about 112 leaves, all clustered 
round the upper side of the persistent stem and on 
the incipient floral axis. Of these fifty-eight are 
moderately large, and the rest in the form of very 
small scales. 
The apex of the flower-stem consists of a bluntly 
conical nodule of cellular tissue, enclosed by the true 
foliage leaves ; otherwise it is naked and exhibits no 
trace of flowers. The full development of the stem and 
the production of flowers then depends on the amount 
of food supplied to the plant during its growing stage. 
The amount and luxuriance of growth, as well as the 
number and size of the flowers, would therefore, in a 
great measure, correspond to the character of the soil in 
which the plant is grown, and the nature and quantity 
of the manurial ingredients supplied artificially in the 
solid or liquid form. The inference is that even with 
good bulbs to commence with, much yet remains for 
the horticulturist to accomplish. 
The structure of Yallota purpurea is very different. 
The bulb examined was one which had been removed 
from the soil in the spring of 1887, after passing the 
winter in a resting state, and after having laid in a 
drawer in a perfectly dry state since that time. Whereas 
the axis is horizontal in Lilium, it is vertical in Yallota, 
while the more permanent or persistent part is very 
thin, or in other words extremely short. The flower 
stems are axillary in this instance, and not terminal as 
in Lilium. Several scapes in a more or less advanced 
state may frequently be found in bulbs of this character 
in the Amaryllis family. In the present instance there 
were two, concentrically arranged in the axils of the 
sheathing scales, the largest and oldest being 
farthest from the central bud, as in the natural 
order of development. The outer and larger scape 
bore ten flowers, while the smaller and inner one 
carried six. 
Now there are always some, sometimes a number of 
incipient scapes bearing well-developed flowers in large 
bulbs of this family ; but it is a matter of cultivation 
whether they run up and expand their flowers during 
the current season or not. Although they may exist 
even in an advanced stage, they will remain quiescent 
for another year or more, unless circumstances are 
favourable to their full development. There is then 
nothing surprising in the fact that Eucharis bulbs may 
flower several times in one year. After flowering once, 
it is a question of nourishment when a bulb may be 
able to complete another set of flowers ;from those 
existing in an incipient state in the axils of the bulb 
scales.— J. F. 
-- 
THE HARDY PLANT HOUSE 
AT KEW. 
The new hardy plant house at Kew is just now in a 
perfect blaze of beauty. Here are collected together 
representatives of the bulbous, evergreen, herbaceous 
and alpine forms of vegetation. The structure in 
which their merits are exhibited is a span-roofed house, 
30 ft. by 10 ft., having a door at each end, a pathway 
down the middle and a stage on either hand; the floral 
contents being so disposed as to be brought well under 
the eye of the careful observer. The dwarf subjects 
occupy the first line, the others being so arranged, in 
proportion to their respective heights, as to form en 
masse an exceedingly beautiful picture. 
What a contrast this structure presents with the cut¬ 
up and withered aspect of plant life outside ! Even on 
the rockery, in sheltered nooks, vegetation has not 
escaped the blighting effects of the late cold north-east 
winds. Here, however, with the simple protection 
afforded by wood and glass, many of our spring-flower¬ 
ing plants not only come into bloom four or five weeks 
earlier than they otherwise would do were they left to 
their own resources, but they are actually presented 
to us in a cleaner and more interesting condition ; 
their flowers and foliage may thus be examined more 
intently and minutely, and, perchance, the observer 
may alight upon some pleasing feature or botanical 
peculiarity, which is calculated to gladden and elevate 
the mind. 
Of all descriptions of garden subjects, none, I think, 
appear so fresh and lovely as those which come to us in 
the juvenile days of early spring ; and if these can 
only be accommodated with a little shelter, they w'ill 
be much fresher and more lovely. Moreover, their 
foliage and their flowers being thereby preserved from 
the vicissitudes of our “sample” ■weather, will un¬ 
doubtedly be exhibited to us in finer form. A small 
house, therefore, after this model, containing a well- 
assorted collection of these hardy children of nature, 
may, without much expenditure of time, money, or 
exertion, be made conducive to many a pleasant hour of 
relaxation. 
Before quitting this subject I would like to add the 
names of a few of the more notable flowers which are 
at the present time displaying their charms in this 
glasshouse. There are Christmas Eoses, Cyclamens, 
blue and scarlet Anemones, blue and pink Hepaticas, 
golden, pale yellow and milky white Narcissi, rosy 
red, lilac and pale primrose Primulas, Crocuses in 
variety, golden Doronicums, pure white Snowflakes, 
Saxifrages without stint, and a host of other good 
things too numerous to mention in a short note. 
To the lovers of hardy plants I would say, Go to 
Kew, if possible, and inspect for yourselves ; and I 
promise you that a journey made to that end will not 
prove otherwise than highly gratifying.— C. B. G., 
Acton, W. __ 
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
Your courtesy in inserting my note on guinea Fellows 
for the Eoyal Horticultural Society has had the effect 
of bringing in some first-class names of candidates. 
Will you allow me now to say that the council has 
decided to make the personal admission given to guinea 
Fellows transferable. This will meet two difficulties, 
one of which was pointed out by an influential friend— 
an energetic believer in “the guineas,” who gave me 
one day sixteen quite first-class names of candidates. 
He found that some of his leading City friends desired 
to become Fellows, but being too busy to attend the 
“fortnightly shows” could not use the ticket, while 
they wished their wives should be able to do so. The 
transferable ticket will admit of this. Again, friends 
of the society living in distant parts of the country and 
never coming to London, feel that if they became 
Fellows they ought to be allowed to send the ticket to 
a friend who could attend the shows. This was 
strongly urged long ago by my old friend, the late 
Mr. Isaac Anderson-Henry, of Edinburgh. They will 
now be able to do this, and the result will be that we 
shall have the right sort of visitors to the “ fortnightly 
shows.” 
It was often grievous to many of us at South Ken¬ 
sington to see at the really beautiful and interesting 
little “fortnightly shows” that the greater number of 
those present to benefit by them consisted of gardeners, 
nurserymen and amateurs who had served upon the 
committees, who looked at each other’s exhibits, and at 
the same time to know that there were numbers of 
ladies and gentlemen within easy reach of the shows, 
with a real love of flowers and plants, who would 
have delighted in seeing shows which, though small, 
contained the pick of the plants of the most celebrated 
growers of each class, and also new, little known and 
interesting plants, fruits and vegetables sent up for 
judgment to the committees from all parts of the 
country. 
Now that the society will consist of Fellows who 
join to advance gardening, and not merely to have the 
use of a London garden for their children to exercise in, 
it may be expected that these “fortnightly shows” 
will be popular to an extent they have never been, at 
least, since I have known the society—more than 
twenty years. Judging from the first most beautiful 
and interesting show in the new quarters, the London 
Scottish Drill Hall, on the 28th, the London leaders 
of the trade and some of the greatest amateurs mean 
to make the “Fortnightly Exhibitions” most at¬ 
tractive ones. The natural effect will be that before 
long they will be attended by numerous visitors. This 
will prompt still greater exertions on the part of the 
exhibitors, followed by a greater number of visitors, 
and so onwards. 
Several friends whom I have asked to join as guinea 
Fellows, have answered by applying to be made 
2-guinea Fellows. I should hope that the much larger 
privileges given to the 4-guinea and 2-guinea Fellows 
will have the effect of causing many ladies and gentle¬ 
men able to be pretty constant visitors to the 
“fortnightly shows,” to subscribe at the higher rates, 
and that some will become 4-guinea Fellows mainly 
to give a helping hand to the society in its new and 
purely horticultural start of life ; but I feel sure that 
the great bulk of the society will, like the Eoyal 
Agricultural Society and the National Eifle As¬ 
sociation, consist of guinea subscribers, aud I believe 
that a society mainly supported by a very large number 
of guinea subscribers will be stronger and more lasting 
than one dependent on a smaller number of subscribers 
at higher rates .—George F. Wilson, Heatherbanlc, 
Weybridge Heath, April 2nd. 
Some time before the annual meeting of the Eoyal 
Horticultural Society, I visited Chiswick, and spent 
most of the day in not only making an examination for 
myself of the state of the garden, but also in taking a 
rough survey of the neighbourhood, in order to satisfy 
myself to what extent the society might reasonably 
hope for help from the residents. At the time of my 
visit I found the garden work well forward compared 
with the state of my own, the ground well trenched, 
and the fruit trees, what there are, as far as any person 
could judge in winter, in a sound and healthy con¬ 
dition. The vineries, Mr. Barron informed me, 
contained a large selection of the best known varieties, 
and were being put into order for spring. 
Some of the houses and frames, no doubt, are very 
old, and some are not worth repair, whilst others are in 
a very fair condition, and only require a coat of paint 
to make them look smart. I noticed that they were 
not nearly so full of plants as I should like to have 
seen them. In one structure, however, I saw a large 
collection of Fuchsias stored away for the winter. It 
is only just to observe that two of the houses which 
were empty had contained the plants belonging to the 
Commissioners of the Colonial Exhibition, which had 
only been sold and removed a few weeks previously. 
My idea is that the true work for Chiswick is to 
keep a collection of Pears, Apples, Plums, wall and 
other fruit trees, to make experimental trials of new 
fruits, flowers, and vegetables, and to keep collections 
of most horticultural plants in ordinary horticultural 
use true to name. For instance, I should like to see a 
specimen or two of each kind of Chrysanthemum, so 
that persons who visited the gardens would be able to 
obtain the true name, and see the habit of the plants. 
To hold an occasional exhibition in the summer to 
draw the public. Flower shows, or rather floral fetes 
for the display of huge plants cut into all sorts of 
monstrous and unnatural shapes, grown solely for the 
purpose of giving gardeners an opportunity of putting 
prize money into their pockets, I hold is not the true 
object of the society ; this class of work can be more 
efficiently performed by local shows. 
I do not think that Chiswick is suited for the offices 
of the society ; it is not sufficiently central. I do not 
think it is adapted for the fortnightly meetings, which 
I hold are not shows for mere floral displays, but should 
be intended for the exhibition of new and rare species 
of plants, vegetables and fruit, and other horticultural 
curios. These meetings should be held handy to the 
City, so that business men may have an opportunity 
of seeing the progress of British horticulture. I am 
certain that men in business cannot spare the time to 
run down to Chiswick constantly in business hours ; it 
would take two or three hours out of their day. At 
Westminster, however, they have a chance of seeing 
the plants either during their lunch hours or after the 
close of their business. To carry out at Chiswick 
horticultural operations to the full extent that it is 
possible of development, and which I, for one, hope 
for, will require a large expenditure, which means a 
large increase of Fellows. 
I trust that the new grade of Associates of the 
E. H. S. will become popular with gardeners. The 
Associateship I hope to see become the gardener’s 
guild, and should be worth at least £5 a year to the 
possessor. I look forward to the time when every 
gardener will, from necessity, be obliged to become 
enrolled. I think the society should grant certificates 
