732 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 18, 1891. 
FliO^ICUliTU^E. 
Seasonable Work of the Florist. 
The florist has no idle moments. In the height of 
summer and the depth of winter there are many 
details which claim his attention coming under the 
head of seasonable work. In the case of his 
Auriculas 
The plants may now be said to be resting from their 
spring growth, preparatory to making another start 
a little later on. Plants that were potted in May 
have done well, and now that their outer leaves 
begin to decay they should be picked off, the surface 
soil be stirred, the plants kept as clean as possible, 
for cleanliness is an important factor in promoting 
rude health during the summer, and the plants not 
be allowed to suffer from want of water. Plants 
that do not carry seeds should be potted in May if 
possible, so as to have the advantage of growth 
during June ; those that carry seed should be re¬ 
potted immediately the seed is ripe, so as to catch 
the period of growth in August. Shade, coolness, 
and plenty of air are the summer conditions con¬ 
ducive to good health and development in the 
Auricula. Ruthlessly destroy any slugs found among 
the plants, and give green fly no quarter: fumigations 
soon get rid of them. 
Carnations and Picotees 
Move slowly into bloom, and I am inclined to think 
that the help of glass is being resorted to to have 
the flowers ready for the show of the National 
Carnation Society on the 2ist inst. So far from 
shading, all the sunlight possible is necessary to 
assist the flowers. On Sunday, the 5th inst., we 
had a dull and somewhat cold day, and in the even¬ 
ing it was more like October than July. How can 
the flowers advance? One must wait and watch, 
keeping the plants clean, trapping insects, waging an 
exterminating war against green-fly as in the case of the 
Auricula, disbudding constantly as required, and tying 
all buds that need it. By gently opening the points 
of the calyx, so as to admit of the petals expanding 
easily, a split pod may be avoided ; in fact, much of 
the June work is now necessary, so late is the season. 
A little weak manure water may be given occasionally 
with advantage. 
Dahlias 
Require constant attention ; .they have started into 
good growth, but there is nothing like plenty of 
summer sunshine to help the plants to grow short- 
jointed and stocky. We are having boisterous winds, 
so the shoots should be carefully secured against 
damage. The showers of the past ten days act as 
sprinklings overhead and root waterings. With a 
rank growth, a little judicious thinning out may be 
attempted, though the end of the month is the usual 
time for this operation. Keep the plants free from 
all dangerous insect pests. 
Pinks 
Are in the height of their bloom, and it is an old 
saying “ that a late bud brings a fine bloom.” For 
the first time for some years past Pinks can be shown 
in the middle of July. The present season has 
brought a curious state of things in regard to 
matters floricultural; and it does seem as if the 
clockwork of Father Time had gained a month, for 
we are found doing in July the necessary work of 
June. Piping—that is, the propagation of Pinks by 
slips or cuttings—can now be proceeded with. 
When I w'as visiting Mr. James Thurstan, of Cardiff, 
in August last, I found his method of propagating 
Pinks a very homely but decidedly successful one. He 
puts a little batch of cuttings in the border among 
his herbaceous plants, using some sandy soil, and 
covers them with the body of a glass jam jar, the 
upper portion being cut away just below the shoulder. 
The patches of cuttings are covered with one of 
these, and they rarely fail to strike root. This is a 
useful hint as to how Pink cuttings can be struck 
with little trouble. They can be struck among 
Gooseberry trees by placing an ordinary hand-light 
over them, 
Show Pelargoniums. 
Those plants of the large-flowering section which 
have gone out of bloom can be stood out-of-doors in 
a shady place to ripen their wood before being tut 
flown I am so sensible of the value of the Pelar¬ 
gonium as a mid and late summer-flowering plant for 
house decoration that every gardener should grow a 
quantity, using them as succession plants. He can 
easily arrange a succession by pinching out the 
points, and driving the flowering time on to a later 
period of the year, and he can have them in bloom 
in May by pushing a few plants on into flower in a 
gentle warmth. Cleanliness is all important, as they 
are liable to attacks of green-fly, and soon become 
foul. Pelargoniums want light and air ; unfortu¬ 
nately they are too often overmuch crowded, and 
these plants do not do so well as they might. 
August is early enough to put in cuttings, the best 
being made from the ripened wood, and they root 
quickly in a light sandy soil. The cuttings of zonal 
Pelargoniums can be struck at any time. 
Tulips. 
The best time to take up the bulbs is generally 
about the third week in June, but owing to the late¬ 
ness of the season it is a week or two later. As soon 
as the bloom is over, Tulips ripen rapidly for rest 
and removal. When I was with Mr. Joseph Lakin, 
on June iSth, he said he should begin to lift in a 
week at least, but as he was able to show some good 
blooms at the Temple Show, at the end of May, his 
bloom was early. The stems had by no means 
completely died down, but it is not necessary that 
they should remain until they have done so. The 
old bulb which produced the foliage and flowering 
stem will have disappeared ; the new bulbs are com¬ 
plete and ripe, the old one being merely a few 
loose skins wrapped round the new, and though 
he latter may appear at this stage white, and 
apparently naked, it is not really so. When lifted 
and dried it will be found very tightly bound in 
a thin brown satiny skin that will admirably cling to 
it and thus prevent loss by evaporation.— R. D. 
The Martin Smith Prizes. 
I observe the pronouncement in the above relative 
to disbudding, and should greatly like some informa¬ 
tion as to the means that should, or may, be adopted 
to wake up these sleeping beauties—the buds—to 
become active competitors for honours on the 21st 
inst. 
Like General Trochu I have a plan, the precise 
particulars of which I shall not be expected to dis¬ 
close now ; but I should like to know whether any 
arrangement of hot water bottles or warming pans 
below or burning glasses above would be considered 
as legitimate means to a much desired end. Or 
might the electrician’s artful aid be properly invoked 
by growers at their wits’ end ? Anyhow, I do hope 
that the clever men who are going to compete for 
these prizes on the 21st will not keep the secret all to 
themselves. 
The wise men, we have always been taught, came 
from the East, but surely due South will be the 
quarter from which they must be expected on this 
occasion. The advent of these floricultural sages will 
be looked forward to with the greatest interest next 
Tuesday by A Puzzled Grower. 
Laced Pinks. 
Mr. C. Turner took advantage of the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick, on the 7th 
inst., to send from the Royal Nursery at Slough a 
few blooms of laced Pinks from his collection. 
Foremost among them was the Rector (awarded an 
Award of Merit), a dozen or more blooms being shown 
to display its constancy. The lacing is rose deepening 
to red ; the flowers of good size, and not too crowded 
with petals, which are broad, rounded, and smooth, 
and the flowers need but little dressing. Princess 
Louise, pale rose, with broad lacing, fine petal, large 
and full, and Ophelia, with very broad pale rose 
lacing, are also new varieties, but, as shown, they fall 
behind the Rector for quality. Boiard, one of the 
best dark laced Pinks; and Minerva, with a broad 
pale rose la.cing and finely-formed petals, were also 
shown, and it was pleasant to see the flowers in such 
good condition.—/?, D. 
EARLY PEAS. 
A few of the round white Peas still maintain their 
ground in gardens simply on account of their earlh 
nesjj, *fbey a*6 of eoijrsg gown jn srpall quantify, §q 
to yield a supply for a week or ten days, till some 
of the many choice marrow-fat kinds come into 
use. Two early kinds grown at Tower House, 
Chiswick, are Extra Early and William I. The first- 
named is a round white Pea, from which the first 
gathering was made in the third week of June. The 
stems were 18 ins. to 2 ft. in height, clothed with dark 
green foliage, and bearing small pods containing 
relatively few seeds, which, however, were poor in 
flavour, notwithstanding their fresh condition. 
William I. was about a week later, but of much 
better quality than Extra Early. Both were followed 
by Exonian, from which a dish might have been 
culled on the 27th ult. The pods of this blue 
marrow were 2 in. to 2$ ins. long, and contained 4 to 6 
seeds in each, of excellent flavour. Now all were 
sown under precisely the same conditions—in the 
open ground. Had Exonian been sown in pots, 
boxes, or on turves under glass, and planted out 
when the weather became fine, the crop would have 
been greatly hastened. 
GARDENERS’ ROYAL 
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. 
Anniversary Festival^ 
The fifty-second anniversary Dinner of this Insti¬ 
tution took place on the 8th inst., at the Hotel 
Metropole, the Right Hon. J. Chamberlain, M.P., 
in the chair. There was a large attendance of 
supporters of the Institution, amongst whom were 
Lord Stanley of Alderley, Sir J. T. D. Llewelyn, 
Bart., Mr. H. J. Veitch (Treasurer), Mr. N. N. 
Sherwood, Mr. Herbert J. Adams, Rev. W. Wilks, 
Major Mackenzie, Mr. W. Y. (Baker, Mr. Cannell, 
Mr. Corry, Mr. H. J. Cutbush, Mr. G. A. Dickson, 
Chester, Mr. T. A. Dickson, Mr. Douglas, Dr. 
Gorton, Mr. Herbst, Mr. Iceton, Mr. Kelway, Mr. 
Laing, Mr. F. Q. Lane, Mr. John, Lee, Mr. Manning, 
Mr. H. B. May, Mr. Morris, Mr. Munro, Mr. Moss, 
Mr. Nutting, Mr. C. Osman,-Mr. Poupart, Mr. 
Pynaert, Mr. A. H. Smee, General Charles H. 
Taylor, Boston, U.S.A., Mr. H. Turner, Mr. Peter 
C. M. Veitch, Exeter, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Webber, 
Mr. Henry Williams, Mr. Alfred Weeks, and Mr. 
George J. Ingram, Secretary. 
After the usual loyal toasts, the Chairman pro¬ 
posed “ Continued Success and Prosperity to the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution,” coupled 
with the name of Mr. Harry J. Veitch, Treasurer of 
the Institution. 
Mr. Chamberlain said :—I suppose we may differ 
greatly upon many questions, but I think I may assume 
that we are all united in our interest in, and our love of, 
horticulture. Under these circumstances I will not 
attempt to defend our favourite pursuit. It has pro¬ 
vided rest and brought happiness to the greatest and 
wisest of the land. Statesmen have found recreation 
in it ; philosophers have commended it; doctors 
have prescribed it; lawyers have advocated it, and 
poets have sung its praises. The great Lord Bacon, 
who devoted one of his essays to the subject, said, 
" The cultivation of flowers is the purest of human 
pleasures, and the greatest refreshment to the spirits 
of men.” He did not think it at all beneath his 
dignity to leave behind him the most careful in¬ 
structions as to the formation and planting of a 
perfect garden. But I venture to say that one of 
the greatest recommendations of our hobby in this 
democratic age is that it is capable of affording 
delight to rich and poor alike, and that it can with 
the greatest ease be accommodated to the income of 
the millionaire or the scanty pittance of the humblest 
labourer. Another Statesmen, Sir William Temple, 
wrote very truly that "gardening is at once the 
pleasure of the greatest and the care of the meanest, 
and the cottage garden is as capable of affording as 
much delight to its owner as the finest conservatory 
attached to the lordliest mansion.” A new variety 
of Pansy or Auricula, reared by the careful skill and 
tender care of a village amateur, is probably the 
source of as much pride and self-glorification as to 
another can be the most costly exotic or the scarcest 
Orchid that was ever grown. I claim, then, for al{ 
that concerns the cultivation of flowers, that it 
satisfies the love of natural beauty which is inherent 
in almost every human breast, that it cultivates our 
intelligence and powers of observation, and, at the 
same time, provides variety and excitement by the 
constant novelty resulting from the attention we give 
tp it; and that, while it does all these things, it isj 
I believe, the most unselfish of pleasures, for it is 
enjoyed the most by the largest company, and,’, 
unlike some other amusements to which the human 
