562 
May 7 , 1892. 
TH 
and then they will bear exposure to the light. The 
soil should be used fairly moist, but not to the degree 
of soiling the potter's fingers, and no water should be 
given until the plants ask for it, which they do by 
the flagging of their leaves. So much for the present, 
I will return to the subject in a week or two. — R. D. 
National Auricula Society. 
Northern Section. 
This annual exhibition was held in the Town Hall, 
Manchester, on the 26th ult., but owing to the cold 
and unfavourable weather experienced this spring, 
the display of blooms was not at all equal to the ex¬ 
hibits of previous years, nor were the specimens so 
numerous as would otherwise have been the case. 
Still, on the whole, the stands were fairly well filled, 
and the show 1 may be regarded as satisfactory. The 
Rev. F. D. Horner had some grand seedlings on 
view, and Mrs. Kyrke Penson included in her collec¬ 
tion a very fine green-edged, which she has named 
"Dinham,” after her place of residence. Another 
special flower was a seedling, John Bright, shown by 
Mr. S. Barlow 7 , of Stakehill, Castleton, who had also 
six species of Primulas, a lovely collection. Mr. B. 
Simonite’s collection contained some fine green- 
edged seedlings, which excited general interest. The 
prize for the best Auricula in the show was awarded 
to the Rev. F. D. Horner, for Ossian (Simonite), 
green-edged, a very beautiful specimen. The awards 
were as follows : — 
Class A. — Six dissimilar : 1, Rev. F. D. Horner, 
Kirkby Lonsdale ; 2, Mrs. Iv. Penson, Ludlow ; 3, 
Mr. G. Middleton, Prestwich ; 4, Miss Woodhead, 
Halifax; 5, Mr. Irving Hind, Halifax ; 6, Mr. G. 
Clements, Birmingham. 
Class B. — Four dissimilar: 1, Rev. F. D. Horner; 
2, Miss Woodhead ; 3, Mr. H. Wilson, Halifax; 4, 
Mrs. K. Penson ; 5, Mr. Irving Hind ; 6, Mr. J. 
Wood, Stalybridge ; 7, Mr. J. Clements, Birmingham. 
Class C.—One pair : 1, Mr. B. Simonite, Sheffield; 
2, Mr. W. H. Midgley, Halifax ; 3, Mr. T. Buckley, 
Stalybridge; 4, Mr. E. Shaw, Moston; 5, Mr. J. 
Stelfox, Stalybridge; 6, Mr. S. Barlow, Stakehill, 
Castleton ; 7, Mr. J. Beswick, Middleton. 
Class D.—One pair, maiden growers only : 1, Mr. 
W. H. Midgley, Halifax; 2, Mr. G. Stokes, Bir¬ 
mingham ; 3, Mr. T. Barrow, Rock Ferry. 
Class E. — Four Alpine, shaded, dissimilar: 1, Mr. 
J. Beswick, Middleton ; 2, Mr. J. Clements, 
Birmingham ; 3, Mr. G. Stokes, Birmingham. 
Class F. — Single plant, green edges : 1,2 and 3, 
Rev. F. D. Horner; 4, Mrs. K. Penson; 5 and 6, 
Rev. F. D. Horner ; 7, Mr. John Taylor, Hoole 
Hill, Chester; 8, Miss Woodhead. 
Class G. — Grey-edges, single : 1 and 2, Mrs. K. 
Penson; 3 and 4, Rev. F. D. HoTner; 5, Miss 
Woodhead; 6, Rev. F. D. Horner; 7, Mrs. K. 
Penson ; 8, Miss Woodhead. 
Class H. — White-edges, single: 1, Rev. F. D. 
Horner ; 2, Miss Woodhead ; 3, Rev. F. D. Horner; 
4, Miss Woodhead ; 5 and 6, Rev. F. D. Horner ; 7, 
Mr. John Taylor ; 8, Miss Woodhead. 
Class I. — Single, seifs: 1 and 2, Rev. F. D. 
Horner; 3 and 4, Miss Woodhead ; 5 and 6, Rev. 
F. D. Horner; 7, Mrs. Iv. Penson; 8, Mr. B. 
Simonite. 
Class Iv.—Alpines, shaded singles, yellow centres : 
I, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Mr. J. Beswick, Middleton. 
Class L.—Alpines, shaded, white centres, singles : 
1 and 2, Mr. J. Beswick ; 3, Mr. G. Stokes ; 4 and 5, 
Mr. J. Clements. 
Class M.—Polyanthuses, black grounds, three 
dissimilar: 1, Mr. J. Beswick; 2, Mr. T. Barrow; 
3, Mr. G. Thornley ; 4, Mr. G. Middleton, 
Prestwich ; 5, Mr. S. Barlow. 
Class N. — Three dissimilar, red grounds : 1, Mr. J. 
Beswick; 2, Mr. G. Thornley; 3, Mr. S. Barlow; 
4, Mr. G. Middleton ; 5, Mr. T. Barrow. 
Class O. — Single plants, red grounds : 1, Mr. J. 
Beswick, Middleton ; 2, G. Thornley, Middleton ; 3, 
Mr. S. Barlow; 4, Mr. J. Beswick; 5, Mr. S. 
Barlow ; 6, Mr. G. Thornley ; 7, Mr. S. Barlow. 
Class P. — Single plants, black grounds: 1, Mr. 
J. Beswick; 2, Mr. T. Barrow; 3, Mr. G. 
Thornley; 4, Mr. J. Beswick; 5, Mr. J. Beswick; 
6, Mr. S. Barlow ; 7, Mrs. Kyrke Penson. 
-—5.- 
New Books Received. — The Horticultural Exhibitors 
Handbook by William Williamson, revised by 
Malcolm Dunn, Dalkeith (William Blackwood 
& Sons).— Practical Fruit Culture, by J. Cheal, F.R.H.S. 
George (Bell & Sons.) 
E GARDENING WORLD. 
THE CHICAGO EXHIBI¬ 
TION. 
Horticultural Department. 
The glazing and lathing of the horticultural build¬ 
ing is practically finished, as also the ironwork and 
rough carpentry, and the floors are being laid. The 
roofing is nearly completed, the greenhouse and 
nursery annex will be-ready in a few weeks. A 
leading feature of the department will be the broad 
terraces, medusaline walks, and miles of flowers and 
shrubbery which are to rise on both sides of the 
canals in Jackson Park, which run from one end to 
the other. A six feet retaining wall will rise from 
the w'ater's edge ; at its summit will be the first 
terrace, sixty feet wide. Flowering plants and 
shrubs will occupy a space in the centre tw r enty feet 
wide, and on either side of this will run the walks, 
each twenty feet wide, and made of the newly 
invented material, medusaline, which is harder than 
stone, can be molded into any shape, and can be 
highly polished. 
A second wall will rise to the same height, and 
from its top, extending outward, will be another 
sixty feet wide arrangement, same as above. An 
ornamental balustrade will extend the whole length 
of the terrace, on the inner edge. Medusaline 
stairways will lead from the water to the second 
terrace, varying from twenty-four to sixty feet wide. 
There will be numerous boat slips, and the whole 
will be lighted by electricity. 
Pennsylvania has been making a strenuous effort 
through Governor Pattison to secure a suitable 
floral display from the state, being somewhat 
handicapped by reason of their appropriation for 
the purpose being only seven thousand dollars. 
However, many owners of fine collections in 
Philadelphia (including Geo. W. Childs) have 
promised to send some of their rarest plants. 
Their outdoor plants will arrive probably next 
month, so that the lawn round the state building 
may be put in order at once. Had the appropria¬ 
tion been augmented, the idea was to purchase 
sufficient to make a fine exhibit. Roses still pour in 
on Chief Thorpe. Messrs. Dickson & Son, Belfast, 
have sent 1,500, and MM. Kilter Freres, 
Luxembourg, a shipment of 800. Plants from all 
countries are constantly being received; 27,00 
flowering plants of various kinds already are to 
hand. 
The general department of awards will be divided 
into twelve sections. The committee on awards 
consists of twelve. The idea is to place the distri¬ 
bution of awards in each class in the hands of a 
committee of three, the chairman to be in sole 
command and to be solely responsible, unless he 
should prove incompetent. Jurors will be required 
to remain here during June and July, and the pay 
will be 1,000 dollars for foreign, and 600 dollars for 
home jurors. The American system of giving a 
medal for the best article, with an accompanying 
diploma statingthe excellingpoints, has been adopted, 
instead of first, second, third, and fourth class 
diplomas, and it is expected that this arrangement 
will give more general satisfaction. 
Of interest to lady exhibitors or assistants is the 
proposed women's hotel, to be built within a short 
distance of the north entrance to Jackson Park, on 
a site lent free by Geo. M. Pullman. It will be 
wooden, and the materials of the democratic 
wigwam, which will only be in use for a short time, 
will be acquired for the purpose, possibly free, and 
at all events advantageously. The ground is 450 
by 150 feet. An interior Spanish open court is 
contemplated, 100 by 40 feet, containing a fountain, 
lawn, flowers, and shrubberies. It is intended that 
the building shall accommodate 5,000 women daily, 
and only women will be employed about the hotel. 
Stock will be issued in 5-dollar shares (20/10), good 
for their face value in lodging, and also for a share 
in the profits if any. 30 cents (1/3) a day will be 
the charge for room, light, &c. 
Four fine drawing-rooms, fitted up with libraries, 
pianos, writing materials, and papers of the leading 
European cities, will add to the attractiveness of the 
w'hole, while from the windows splendid views will 
be had of Lake Michigan, and of the regattas and 
water pageants in connection with the Exposition. 
The music will be pleasantly audible. Shareholders, 
or those to whom they may allot their shares, will 
have the preference, and those shares are only 
intended for working women. Should there be any 
vacancies, outside workers will be admitted at the 
same rates. There will be no kitchen, partly on 
account of the heat and odours, and partly because 
naturally visitors will take most of their meals inside 
the Exposition, but arrangements will be made for 
light repasts at cost. This is a great opportunity 
on account of the exorbitant rates certain to be 
universal next year. The whole will be under the 
control of the Board of Lady Managers.— C. Mac¬ 
quarie, Chicago. 
- —^- 
PINE-APPLES IN 
FLORIDA. 
Owing to the rapid growth of Pine-apple cultivation 
in the south these fruits are no longer considered 
luxuries, Northerners using them (says a writer in 
an American paper) in the summer as they would 
their native products. The Pine-apple season begins 
in February, when the first foreign shipments are 
made, and from that time until the last of August 
nearly 5,000,000 "Pines” are disposed of in the 
United States. On the Island of Cuba the fruits 
ripen earlier than elsewhere, and growers there 
control the market until the first week in May, when 
the Florida and Bahama Pine-apples begin to arrive. 
Later smaller shipments are made from Central 
America, but these never reach very high figures. 
All of the fruit is shipped direct to New York, and 
half-a-dozen large dealers in that city practically 
control the trade. On the arrival of the fruit it is 
bought up by them in bulk, and the prices are fixed 
according to the condition of the market. Pine¬ 
apples are generally sorted over at first and divided 
into three lots, "extras,” No. 1, and No. 2. 
The spring of the year is the time to inspect the 
Pine-apple fields where the fruits are just reaching 
maturity, for at such times one may expect to find 
interesting sights if ever. When the " Pines ” begin 
to mature in Florida, the Oranges and Grape-fruit 
have long since been gathered, and blossoms are on 
the trees for next season's crop. The Bananas have 
also been picked, and the stalks have been cut down, 
or "pruned" as the work would be called in the 
North. Along the Indian River and Key West 
Pine-apple culture has become a leading industry, 
and thousands of the fruits are annually gathered 
for the home markets. The climate near Key West, 
and in the southern tier of counties, is about the 
same as in the Bahamas, and the sandy soil is 
thoroughly adapted to the cultivation of the "Pines.” 
The fruits are planted, and they take care of them¬ 
selves with but little outside attention. The plants 
are largely air plants, and they greatly resem¬ 
ble in appearance the " Air Pines ” which grow so 
thickly upon the tall Cypress trees of the Florida 
hummocks. 
Pine-apples are grown as far north as St. Augus¬ 
tine. but they do not thrive very well there unless 
well protected in winter. On the lower part of the 
Indian River one meets with the first Pine-apple 
groves of any importance, and at Eden, near the 
twenty-seventh parallel, w'hich is considered " below' 
the frost line," the settlers make a speciality of 
growing Pine-apples. The pioneer at this place is 
Thomas E. Richards, and he has the largest plan¬ 
tation within many miles. His first Pines were 
planted as far back as 1879, when Pine-apple culture 
in F'orida was one of experiment. He has now- 
more than forty acres devoted to the cultivation of 
the fruit, and nearly every year the plantation is 
increased in size. The result of this new industry 
on the River front has been to increase the value of 
land from #5 and #10 an acre to $100 or more. 
Propagation and Cultivation. 
Pine-apples are propagated in three w'ays—from 1 
the "crowns,” "suckers," or "slips.” They are 
planted as thickly as Cabbages, and at a little dis¬ 
tance resemble them. From a five-acre plantation 
another plantation several times larger can be planted 
in one season, This rapid method of propagating 
the plants makes the industry comparatively easy of 
extension. Nearly all the planters put out new fields 
every year, provided they have the land at hand, 
From 10,000 to 15,000 Pine-apples can be planted to 
the acre, and in from eighteen months to two years 
after planting the slips the plants produce fruit. 
The plants need little cultivation after the suckers 
have once set, but the top soil requires a little 
stirring in order to prevent too rapid evaporation of 
the moisture. Every sucker, slip, or crown, if properly 
matured, will produce one fine Pine-apple, and each 
