February 9, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
377 
later on behalf of his father, for the purpose of making 
a selection of Orchids, which Mr. Chamberlain desired 
to send as a present to some friends in France. The 
letter stated that the Orchids to be selected must not 
exceed £300 in value, and added that at the same time 
Mr. Austen Chamberlain would also select a few 
Orchids, to cost about £5, for Highbury, and 
would pay for these. Having thus carefully prepared 
the nurserymen he put in an appearance, in the guise of 
Mr. Austen Chamberlain, and the unsuspecting trades¬ 
men, who did not know Mr. Chamberlain’s eldest son 
personally, attended him in his selection of the most 
valuable Orchids until his purchases reached the amount 
specified in the letter of advice. During the selection he 
chatted freely and exhibited an intimate acquaintance 
with the contents of the Orchid houses at Highbury, 
a circumstance which, combined with the letter and 
bold misrepresentation as to personality, threw the firm 
thoroughly off their guard. Having completed the 
selection for France, and given the address to which 
the collection of plants was to be forwarded, Mr. Ritchie 
picked out a few small Orchids, which he asked might 
he sent to Highbury. In payment for these he tendered 
a 100-dollar bill, which was promptly cashed, and the 
balance of about £15 handed to him ; with this he 
departed, no one at present knows whither. This fraud 
was, fortunately for Messrs. Sander, discovered before 
the consignment for France had been despatched. 
The head of the firm, in invoicing the small parcel for 
Highbury, wrote to Mr. Chamberlain—who had by 
this time returned to Birmingham—a letter, in which 
he thanked him for his generous order, and entered 
into such further particulars as showed Mr. Chamberlain 
that a fraud had been committed in his name. He 
immediately replied to Mr. Sander’s letter, with the 
result that the consignment to France was stopped, and 
the firm saved that heavy loss. The 100-dollar bill 
was, as may be anticipated, found to be a forgery. 
-- 
HORTICUL TURAL S OCIETIES. 
National Chrysanthemum— January 31st. 
The annual general meeting of this society was held at 
Anderton’s Hotel, Fleet Street, Mr. R. Ballantine 
presiding. There was a good attendance of members, 
and the minutes of the previous annual meeting having 
been read and confirmed, the honorary secretary, Mr. 
~W. Holmes, read the report of the General Committee, 
which discussed the various matters that comprised the 
society’s operations during a very busy year, and con¬ 
gratulated the members upon the growing prosperity of 
the society and the large amount of good work which it 
had done in the cause of Chrysanthemum culture in par¬ 
ticular and some other branches of practical horticulture. 
The statement of accounts showed the total receipts 
from all sources to he £851 15s. lid., and the expendi¬ 
ture £818 Os. 9 d., leaving a balance in hand of 
£33 15s. 2d. The main items in the revenue account 
were :—Annual subscriptions, £201 6s. ; donations, 
special prizes, &c., £110 8s. 6d.; contributions from 
the Royal Aquarium Co., £215 Is.; received from the 
Sheffield and Hallamshire Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society, £102 9s.; affiliation fees, sale of medals, 
&c., £61 2s. Qd .; advertisements in schedule and 
catalogues, £39 6s.; sale of admission tickets, £64 2s. 
On the other side, the amount paid in prizes, including 
medals, was £500 14s.; judges’ fees, £13 13s.; judges’ 
and committee’s luncheons, £22 13s. 9d. ; hire of 
foliage plants, £17 6s.; bill-posting, £15 Is.; miscella¬ 
neous exp Buses incurred at the exhibitions, £13 0s. 6d.; 
printing, £50 7s. 9 d. ; printing the new catalogue, 
£ 35 10s., &c. On the motion of the chairman, seconded 
by Mr. R. Dean, the report and statement of accounts 
were adopted. Mr. Jukes expressed the regret which 
he, in conjunction with the other members of the 
society, felt with reference to the retirement of Mr. 
Sanderson, and moved a resolution expressing their 
deep sense of the long and valued services which he 
had rendered to the society. The motion was seconded 
by Mr. Holmes, one of the late president’s oldest 
friends in the society, and carried unanimously. 
The usual vote of thanks having been accorded 
to the auditors; the new set of rules, presented 
for adoption by the sub-committee appointed to 
prepare the same, were next read and discussed 
seriatim, and finally, on the motion of Mr. Jukes, 
seconded by Mr. A. Dean, were unanimously 
adopted. With reference to the election of a new pre¬ 
sident, Mr. Jukes stated that the sub-committee, which 
had the matter in hand, were not in a position at that 
meeting to nominate a successor to Mr. Sanderson, 
and moved that, with a view to giving the committee 
more time, theelection of president and vice-presidents be 
deferred to an adjourned meeting to be held on February 
28th, which was agreed to. The following officers 
were then elected, in every case unanimously: — 
Treasurer, Mr. J. R. Starling ; chairman of com¬ 
mittees, Mr. R. Ballantine; vice-chairman of com¬ 
mittees, Mr. E. C. Jukes ; honorary secretary, Mr. Wm. 
Holmes ; and as auditors, Messrs. James Crane and 
G. Drain, Jnr. The election of twelve members of the 
committee in the place of those retiring by rotation 
was then proceeded with, and the choice of the meeting 
fell upon Mr. G. S. Addison, Mr. T. Bevan, Mr. R. 
Owen, Mr. Drain (Senr.), Mr. C. Swift, Mr. J. P. 
Kendall, Mr. E. F. Kemp, Mr. G. Prickett, Mr. G. 
Langdon, Mr. H. Cannell, Mr. Shoesmith, and Mr. 
Taylor. Mr. Sanderson and Mr. John Laing were also 
elected to fill the vacancies caused by the election of 
Mr. Jukes and Mr. Harman Payne to the offices of 
vice-chairman and honorary foreign corresponding 
secretary. A cordial vote of thanks to the chairman 
brought the proceedings to a close. 
Manchester Botanical and Horticultural. 
January 30 th. 
The annual meeting of this society was held on the 
above date in the Town Hall. The Mayor, who pre¬ 
sided, congratulated the society upon the good work 
done in the past, and specially upon the large accession 
of new members during the past year, which brought 
up the society’s income from subscriptions to £4,500, 
while the total revenue from all sources amounted to 
the large sum of £12,212 15s. From the report pre¬ 
sented we learn that from the commencement to the 
close of the season the duties of the council were fraught 
with anxiety consequent upon the enlarged scale of 
their operations. Adverting to the last report, in 
which the council stated their intention of increasing 
the number of fruit and flower shows, and to perpetuate 
the musical features connected with the Jubilee exhi¬ 
bition of 1887, it is desirable to place on record that 
this promise has been carried out, and the results have 
proved very satisfactory. The success of the society’s 
operations depends, to a large extent, upon influences 
beyond all human control—namely, the weather ; and 
capricious and unseasonable as this usually is in this 
country, the past year will take its place in the meteoro¬ 
logical records as an altogether exceptional one. Two 
exhibitions of spring flowers were held in the Town 
Hall, and the Chrysanthemum show in the same place. 
The annual Whitsuntide show was held in the Gardens, 
also the Rose, Carnation, Tulip, autumnal fruits and 
flowers, and Apple and Pear shows, and from the floral 
and horticultural point of view they were all that could 
be desired. A great variety of interesting new plants 
and flowers were submitted for adjudication; upwards 
of £1,000 was distributed in prizes, besides several gold 
and silver medals for special exhibits. The musical 
arrangements formed an important feature of the year’s 
proceedings, and the council are glad to know gave 
great satisfaction to visitors. 
From the statement of receipts and expenditure for 
the past year, it would be seen that the income from 
subscriptions is over £3,000 in advance of the preceding 
year. About £5,000 has been expended in new build¬ 
ings, in the alteration and adaptation of the erections 
left in the grounds by the Jubilee Exhibition Committee, 
and in the restoration of the Gardens. The financial 
result of the year’s labour is that the society has 
acquired buildings valued at £5,181, a very consider¬ 
able extension of membership, and a surplus balance of 
£400. The acquisition of this plant has not only 
increased the capabilities of the society for carrying on 
its botanical and horticultural work, but has also pro¬ 
vided means for supplying a want which will tend very 
much to make the social life of Manchester and the 
surrounding districts more enjoyable. The collections 
of plants and trees, to which many important and in¬ 
teresting additions have been made during the year, 
are in a satisfactory state of health and vigour, and the 
garden and houses generally are in good condition. 
The rapid growth and excellent health of the plants in 
the new Palm house bear ample testimony to its suit¬ 
ability to their requirements. The Fernery is a source 
of never-failing attraction. The demand for specimens 
to artists and others is on the increase, and a very large 
number are annually distributed. The botanical 
lectures, which for many years have been delivered 
annually by Mr. Grindon, continue to be highly appre¬ 
ciated. 
Al l the old officers were re-elected, with the addition 
of Mr. T. S. Turnbull, M.A., as a member of the 
council. 
Hull and East Riding Chrysanthemum. 
January 31st. 
The fifth annual meeting of this society was held at 
the Royal Station Hotel, Hull, on the above date. The 
report and balance sheet for the past year was passed, 
and great satisfaction expressed at the healthy state of 
the society’s finances, the balance to the society’s credit 
in the hands of its bankers being £229 14s. 9 d. The 
profit on the year’s working of the society was over 
£50. The last show, on the whole, notwithstanding 
the severe and unexpected frost in October, was equal 
to its predecessors. A deputation was appointed to 
wait upon the Parks Committee of the Hull Corporation 
to ask them to take into consideration the desirability 
of erecting a Chrysanthemum house in one of the Hull 
parks, similar to those existing in several of the 
London parks, and also at Hastings and Leicester. It 
was announced that the Provincial Show of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society would be held in 
conjunction with the show of this society, on the 21st 
and 22nd November next. 
--»*<-- 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
Errata. —At p. 357, under the illustration in the third 
column, for “ Leeanum " read “ Lecanium." Under the lower 
illustration in the second column, the references should he—A, 
mature female; B, immature female. The words male and 
female scales should be transferred to the illustration of Diaspis 
cymbidii. 
Books for an Amateur. — Wandsworth Common: The best 
works we can recommend you to get are Mrs. Loudon’s 
Amateur Gardeners’ Calendar, Is. (Warne & Co.), and Sander’a 
The Garden Calendar, 2s. (Hamilton, Adams & Co.). There is no 
published glossary of merely technical terms, but any time you 
are in difficulty we shall be glad to help you. 
Climbers for Back Walls. — Edwin Collins : Judging from 
the class of plants you intend to grow, and the temperature you 
must maintain in the houses, Marechal Niel Rose would not be 
suitable for the back wall. It requires to be grown in a cooler 
and more airy temperature, that is, it requires plenty of ventila¬ 
tion. Then the shade produced by Cucumbers would be 
altogether unsuitable for them. Hoya earnosa would succeed 
in either of the divisions, also Rhynchospermum jasminoides, 
Abutilon venosum. Bougainvillea glabra, Habrothamnus elegans, 
Hibbertia dentata, Jasminum Sambac, Passiflora eoerulea race- 
mosa, Physianthus albens, Plumbago capensis, and Tacsonia 
Van Volxemii. All of these are flowering plants, and would 
succeed best where not shaded by the Cucumbers. The division 
of the house next the boiler should be used as a stove, as it will 
be the warmest. The Cucumbers can be grown in the further 
division, and in the shade produced by them you may grow 
Hoya earnosa, Asparagus plumosus, A. p. nanus, Lygodium 
scandens (a Fern), and Myrsiphyllum asparagoldes, the three 
latter being beautiful foliage plants. 
Gloxinias. — J. E: We should hesitate in advising you to 
stand the pots containing Gloxinias in saucers, as we think the 
remedy would be worse than the evil. In the first place the 
superfluous moisture retained by the saucers, even when 
watering was done with the greatest care, would be liable to 
damp the leaves; secondly, a film of water would generally 
remain between the saucer and the pot, thereby preventing the 
access of air to the roots, which would therefore be liable to rot; 
and the soil would almost certainly become sour and pasty. 
However, when making vigorous growth the Gloxinia is a plant 
that likes a good supply of moisture, and you might try the 
plan on a limited scale—say, with a few plants to see how you 
succeed, as there are exceptions to all rules. According to our 
experience, watering is done in the usual way, even by the best 
growers, and must in all cases be done carefully, entailing a 
considerable amount of time. Therefore you ought first to try 
the plan with a few seedlings or unimportant varieties. 
Greenhouse Chimney. — A Subscriber : Without knowing the 
whole of the details it is impossible to advise you as to how far 
you have power to put up the chimney in front of your house. 
Ordinary cast-iron water-spouting, put up in the way you 
propose, would answer the purpose if the local surveyor will 
pass it. 
Insects in Orchid House. — A. R. : The American cockroach 
—Periplaneta americana—a most destructive pest, to which you 
should give no quarter. The best trap is a deep glass jar con¬ 
taining strong-smelling syrup. 
Lichens on Apple Trees. — A. M. : The mere washing of the 
trees with soft-soap and water will do no good at all. The bulk 
of the Moss or Lichen should be scraped off with a blunt-edged 
piece of iron, or hard wood, and the trees afterwards dressed with 
fresh-made lime-wash, put on with a coarse-rosed syringe or 
garden engine. 
Names of Plants.— H . B . : 1, Polypodium pectinatum ; 2, 
Neplirolepis acuta ; 3, Aspidium triangulare ; 4, Pteris scaberula; 
5, Woodwardia radicans. Thos. Read: 1, Russelia juncea; 2, 
Peristrophe speciosa ; 3, Habrothamnus elegans. J. C.: 1, 
Mesospinidium vulcanicum 2, Ada aurantiaca ; 3, Ccelogyne 
ochracea ; 4, Odontoglossum Lindleyanum ; 5, O. Sanderianum. 
R. C. Kingston: Laelia anceps Sanderiana ; the Catasetum next 
week. 
Orchids.— A. R. : We are not likely to get more information 
on the subject, knowing of no one who has tried the experiment, 
but if you will tell us what you have got that you would like to 
try in the frame, we will advise you further. 
Passiflora, Constance Elliott.- I have a Passiflora, Con¬ 
stance Elliott, planted in a properly prepared bed on the south 
side of my house. It was planted at the beginning of last May, 
and has made rapid growth all the summer and bloomed until 
January. It has now some six leaders about 3 ft. long. I 
should be obliged if some reader (who has grown this 
flower) would kindly give his experience of it, and say how it 
