534 
April 23, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
FLORICULTURE. 
National Auricula Society.—Southern 
Section. 
The annual exhibition, held in the Drill Hall, James 
Street, Westminster, on Tuesday, was greater in 
extent than was generally anticipated, but as on 
account of the early date fixed, the plants had more 
or less been brought on in heat, that the flowers 
should have been rough and uneven in quality to 
such a marked extent was not to be surprised at. 
The Rev. F. D. Horner, of Kirkby Lonsdale, was the 
only northern exhibitor, though not present in 
person, and northern growers generally were repre¬ 
sented only by Mr. Ben Simonite. We noticed the 
names of a few new growers in the small classes, but 
the exhibits all round call for no special comment. 
The attendance was poor throughout the day. 
The following is the prize list:— 
Twelve Auriculas, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. James 
Douglas, Great Gearies, with Elaine (Horner), 
Prince of Greens (Traill), Black Bess (Woodhead), 
Rev. F. D. Horner (Simonite), Mabel (Douglas), 
Mrs. Potts (Horner), Acme (Read), Marmion 
(Douglas), Fanny Glass (Douglas), Abbe Lizst 
(Douglas), and Magpie (Horner) ; 2nd, Mr. T. E. 
Henwood, Reading; 3rd, Mr. C. Turner, Slough; 
4th, P. J. Worsley, Esq., Rodney Lodge, Clifton ; 
5th, Mr. A. J. Sanders, gardener to Viscountess 
Chewton, Bookham Lodge ; 6th, G. Edgar Frere, 
Esq., The Camels, Wimbledon Park. 
Six Auriculas, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. Douglas, with 
Mrs. Potts, Rev. F. D. Horner, Abbe Lizst, Marmion, 
Acme, and George Lightbody (Headly); 2nd, Mr. 
T. E. Henwood; 3rd, Mr. A. J. Sanders; 4th, Mr. 
J. Sargent, Millfield, Cobham ; 5th, Mr. C. Turner ; 
6th, P. J. Worsley, Esq. 
Four Auriculas, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. W. Badcock, 
Reading, with Rev. F. D. Horner, Marmion, Black 
Bess, and Richard Headly (Lightbody) ; 2nd, Mrs. 
Kyrke Penson, Dinham, Ludlow ; 3rd, Mr. C. 
Phillips, Reading ; 4th, Mr. W. L. Walker, Reading; 
and 5th, the Rev. L. R. Flood, Merrow Vicarage, 
Guildford. 
Two Auriculas, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. W. Badcock, 
with Rev. F. D. Horner and Richard Headly ; 2nd, 
Mr. C. Phillips; 3rd, Mr. W. L. Walker ; 4th, Rev. 
F. D. Horner; 5th, Mrs. Kyrke Penson; 6th, Rev. 
L. R. Flood. 
Single specimens. — Green - edged : ist, Mr. 
Douglas ; 2nd, Mr. W. Badcock; and 3rd, Mr. 
Henwood, with Rev. F. D. Horner; 4th, Mr. 
Douglas, with Monarch; 5th, General Neil (exhibitor’s 
name not discoverable); 6th, Mr. Henwood, with 
Rev. F. D. Horner; 7th, Mrs. Kyrke Penson, with 
Colonel Taylor (Leigh) ; 8th, Mr. W. Badcock. with 
Rev. F. D. Horner. Grey-edged : ist, Rev. F. D. 
Horner, with Samuel Barlow (Bolton); 2nd, Mr. W. 
Smith, Bishop’s Stortford, with George Rudd; 3rd, 
Mr. W. L. Walker, unnamed ; 4th, Mr. Douglas, 
with Marmion; 5th, Mrs. Kyrke Penson, with 
Conqueror of Europe; 6th, Mr. A. J. Sanders, with 
Lancashire Hero; 7th, Mr. C. Turner, with A. 
Meiklejohn ; 8th,-, with General Bolivar 
(Smith). White-edged : ist, Mr. T. E. Henwood, 
with J. Simonite (Walker); 2nd and 3rd, Mr. 
Douglas, with Acme; 4th, Mr. Turner, with Beauty 
.(Traill); 5th, Mr. A. J. Sanders, with Acme; 6th, 
Mr Henwood, with Mrs. Dodwell (Woodhead); 
7th, Mr. W. Badcock, with Conservative (Douglas) ; 
8th, Mr. Turner, with Gannymede (Turner). 
Selfs: ist, Rev. F. D. Horner, with Precision 
i(Horner); and 2nd, with Kathleen (Horner); 3rd, 
_Mr. Douglas; and 4th and 5th, Mr. Henwood, with 
Mrs. Potts; 6th, Mr. W. Badcock, with Heroine 
'(Horner) ; 7th, P. J. Horsley, Esq., with Heroine; 
•and 8th, Mr. R. Dean, with Mrs Potts. 
Fifty Auriculas.—ist, Mr. Douglas; 2nd,; Mr. 
Turner; 3rd, Mr. W. Harper, Mill Mead Nursery, 
Guildford; and 4th, J. Weston, Esq. 
Twelve Alpine Auriculas, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. 
W. L. Walker, with Mrs. Martin, Hotspur, Defiance, 
Edith and eight seedlings ; 2nd, Mr. Turner ; 3rd, 
Mr. Douglas; 4th, J. Weston, Esq. ; and 5th, Rev. 
L. R. Flood. Six Alpine Auriculas.—ist, Mr. W. 
L. Walker, with unnamed seedlings raised by Mr. 
Henwood ; 2nd, Mr. Turner; 3rd, Mr. C. Phillips ; 
■and 4th, Mr. Douglas. Four Alpine Auriculas, 
dissimilar.—ist, Mr. A. J. Sanders, with King of the 
Belgians, Diadem, Sensation and Mercury ; 2nd, 
Mr. C. Phillips ; 3rd, J. W. Melles, Esq.,Chingford; 
4th, Rev. L. R. Flood. Single specimens, gold 
centre.—ist, Mr. Turner, with J. Beswick; 2nd and 
3rd, Mr. Henwood, with Florie Henwood and 
Hotspur; 4th and 5th, Mr. Douglas, with Unique 
and Nellie Hibberd. White centre.—ist, Mr. 
Henwood with Mary Francis ; 2nd, Mr. Turner, with 
Countess; 3rd, Mr. Henwood; and 4th, Mr. Turner, 
with Edith. 
Six Gold-laced Polyanthuses, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. 
R. Dean, Ealing, with Lord Beaconsfield, 
George IV., S. Smith, William IV., and two 
seedlings. Three Gold-laced Polyanthuses, dis¬ 
similar.—ist, Mr. A. Mottershead, Slough, with 
Napoleon, Prince Regent, and George IV. ; 2nd, 
Mr. J. Douglas ; 3rd, J. Weston, Esq. Single Speci¬ 
men Polyanthus, Gold-laced. — The winning flowers 
were George IV., William IV., Lancashire Hero, 
and Prince Regent, but we could not discover the 
names of the exhibitors. 
Twelve Fancy Auriculas.—ist, Mr. Douglas. 
Twelve Polyanthuses, dissimilar.—ist, Mr. R. 
Dean ; 2nd, Mr. Douglas. Twelve Primroses.— 
ist, Mr. R. Dean; 2nd, Mr. Douglas Twelve 
Primulas, distinct species.—ist, Mr. Douglas. Six 
Primulas, distinct species.—ist, O. T. Hodges, Esq., 
Lachine, Chislehurst. Basket of Primroses.—ist, 
Mr. R. Dean. 
Seedlings.—First prizes were awarded to the Rev. 
F. D. Horner, for a green-edged variety named 
Commander ; and to Mr. C. Phillips, for a self-named 
Mabel Phillips. In Alpines Mr. Phillips took ist 
and 2nd prizes with Evelyn and Emily, gold centres; 
and Mr. Henwood took a first, and Mr. Turner a 
second, with Winifred and Phyllis, white centres. 
-- 
ROSES. 
Both in the forced and the cold houses, these 
flowers will now be making quantities of young 
growth. All gardeners and amateurs know how very 
necessary it is to keep these clean, but very few of 
them start upon the right lines and begin the war 
against insects in time. Here and there a fly may be 
seen, and too often these are neglected for a few 
days. In such a case, before a week is gone the 
house will often be badly infested ; whereas a very 
slight fumigation or gentle syringing would have 
stopped and prevented such harm. 
My plan, after considerably over twenty years of 
practical work among Roses under glass, is to begin 
as soon as I see the first insect. There are bound 
to be many that do not meet our eyes, and when we 
bear in mind how very rapidly they increase, it 
stands to reason that it is the height of folly to 
neglect them for a few days. Oftentimes they are 
left under the impression that it is scarcely worth 
while to fumigate for so few. This is altogether bad 
economy ; stop the few first, and you then prevent 
the birth of thousands during the next few days. 
It does not matter what insect or disease you are 
threatened with, prompt and early measures must 
undoubtedly be the best. Whether it be scale, fly, 
red spider, thrip, maggot, or mildew, no excuses can 
be made for leaving it a few days because in your 
opinion it is not bad enough yet to take much trouble 
over. If you allow yourself to be deluded with such 
an idea as this, you will soon discover that their in¬ 
crease and spread has got beyond your control witn 
injury to the plants. 
I cannot too earnestly recommend that all insect 
pests be battled against immediately they appear. 
The saving in labour and insecticides is sufficient 
reason for this, independently of the more satisfactory 
results to your plants. You will find it is an excel¬ 
lent plan to use a solution of half, or even of a third, 
of the strength recommended upon the bottles. If you 
will only use this very weak solution three times a 
week, giving them a thorough good syringing with 
it, you will prevent any insects from establishing 
themselves. This is really the great point in cul¬ 
tivating Roses under glass, and far more general 
success would be met with if such a simple idea was 
more strictly carried out. 
As for insecticides, bad ones are not worth putting 
upon the market, and so my readers may use any of 
those advertised in your columns with confidence. 
If your plants are already much infested you must 
take measures to get them clean, and then follow on 
upon the lines I have already indicated. This opera¬ 
tion will require a great deal of care as the young 
growth of Roses is very tender ; consequently it will 
need judgment to apply sufficiently strong measures 
for killing the insects without injuring the young 
growths. Proceed in this way:—Give the house a 
fumigation at night, not filling it with dense fumes of 
smoke but keeping up a slighter fumigation for a 
much longer time than is generally the case. You 
need use no more material, and will most assuredly 
do more good and with far less risk of injury. A 
lengthened fumigation of less strength is more 
effectual. It worries or suffocates the insects to 
death, if I may so describe it, and will kill older flies 
as well as the younger ones. A stronger and shorter 
application may kill the young flies, but many of the 
older ones will recover, to say nothing of the risk of 
injuring the plants. I apply a little tobacco paper or 
rag early in the evening and again the last thing at 
night. Never have the fumes so dense that you can¬ 
not see fully ten to twelve feet into the house. 
After fumigating give a thorough syringing the 
following morning, using the weaker solution I have 
recommended. Syringe again the next morning, but 
use the insecticide at the full strength advised on the 
bottle. This will effectually clear off the young 
insects born or hatched in the meantime, and also 
finish off the few that may have survived the weaker 
solution and smoke. Continue to use the weaker 
solution as I advised in the earlier part of this paper ; 
you then keep the enemy down with very little 
trouble. Sometimes, more especially after an east¬ 
erly wind with bright sunshine, green-fly and other 
insects increase with extraordinary rapidity, so much 
so that it has even been considered they were borne 
to their quarters by these winds. It is the same in¬ 
doors and out, therefore this cannot be the case. 
However, it is very certain that there are times when 
these pests increase much more quickly than usual, 
and in such cases it will be well to fumigate and 
follow this with a syringing. Fumigation will not 
kill scale. It is best to burn the plant, or at any 
rate remove it from all others, giving it a stronger 
solution of the insecticide and applying this with a 
sponge or brush. You cannot kill scale with any 
solution that would not be too strong for the young 
foliage, therefore you must take due care when try¬ 
ing to eradicate this very injurious and hardy insect. 
A few words devoted to mildew, and this short 
paper will close. It is generally accepted that cold 
draughts, drought, and sudden changes in the tem¬ 
perature are the causes of this very insiduous disease. 
By avoiding the causes as much as possible, and 
syringing with a weak solution of any good insecti¬ 
cide, mildew may be prevented. To cure this disease 
when it has once gained a foothold is a very difficult 
matter, and one which takes time. Flowers of sul¬ 
phur, wet into a paste and smeared here and there 
upon the hot-water pipes, will check it; but I find 
that any ordinary insecticide with a solution of half 
strength, and quarter of a pint of paraffin to about 
twenty gallons of the solution, will kill. Care must 
be taken to keep the whole well itirred, as the oil 
does not assimilate readily. The moral of this paper 
is to syringe your Roses frequently, and use a weak 
solution of some good insecticide ; of these there are 
many, and I have no preference for one over the 
other.— Experience. 
-- 
CULTIVATION OF THE 
PLUM. 
In offering a few remarks on the cultivation of 
the Plum, the first question which presents itself 
is one of very grave importance, and one which I am 
afraid we shall have to leave just where we found it, 
as it is in a state of great confusion at the present 
time. Our authorities are not at all agreed regarding 
the most suitable stocks on which to grow our Plum 
trees for particular purposes. There areseveral stocks, 
all called Plum stocks, but the term is very misleading, 
as wehave the Mussel, Brussels, Brompton, St Julien 
and several more all called Plum stocks. But there is 
no certainty which is the most suitable for working 
different varieties of Plums upon. Plums to a very 
great extent are not influenced very much by any of 
the known stocks, but all seem to grow very much 
alike. The stock has yet to be discovered to influence 
the Plum in the same manner as does the Paradise the 
Apple and the Quince the Pear. This question of 
stocks is one that it is hoped the next Plum 
Conference will take in hand and leave in a satis¬ 
factory state. 
As a rule Plums succeed best in a good sound loam 
of fair depth, resting on an open dry subsoil. They 
are not, however, very fastidious as to soil, and will 
