March 21, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
467 
pinching, or pruning, and if left to nature and 
the gardener's eye will beautify and give an air of 
distinction to many a spot in the garden. 
After giving a few valuable hints on the culture of 
hardy perennials and annuals, the lecturer proceeded 
to deal with the descriptions and uses among others 
of the following kinds :—Hardy Perennials : Achillea 
Eupatoria, Ranunculus aconitifolius, fl.pl., Papaver 
alpinum, Commelina coelestis, Armeria formosa, 
Chelone barbata, Coreopsis grandiflora, Eryngium 
alpinum, Eryngium giganteum, Agrostemma coron- 
aria, Calandrinia umbellata, Gypsophila paniculata, 
Iberis Pruiti, Lychnis chalcedonica, Ononis rotundi- 
folia. Hardy Annuals: Phacelia campanularia, 
Gypsophila elegans, Larkspur Stock-flowered rosy- 
scarlet, Lavatera rosea splendens, Linaria reticu¬ 
lata aurea purpurea. 
The lecturer concluded by advising those present 
to grow a dozen of the kinds he had mentioned as 
he felt sure they would be more than pleased with 
the result. 
A lengthy discussion took place on the various 
plants brought before their notice, in which Messrs. 
Martin, Prince, Chamberlain, Woolford, Townsend, 
Dockerill, Bright, Hobbs, Turton, and Lees took 
part. Mr. Lees remarked that the paper had 
carried him back some forty years ago, when these 
beautiful flowers were the principal things used for 
bedding, and up to the time the carpet-bedding craze 
pushed them into the background ; but he was glad 
to see that this had had its day, and that the Begonia 
and annuals were coming to the front. Various 
flowers were staged by Messrs. Tufnail, Alexander 
& Townsend. Some bunches of Sutton’s Earliest of 
All Wallflower attracted much attention. 
-- 
POPULAR EXHIBITION POTATOS. 
Ax different times and under different circumstances, 
mostly all of the Potatos in cultivation have been 
placed on the exhibition table; but, when the 
exhibits are limited to a small number of dishes, 
then it is certain that the best-shaped and otherwise 
suitable varieties are brought to the front. The 
growing of them is the most important operation_ 
but the exhibitor, to be successful, must also know 
how to prepare them so that they may be clean and 
appear to the best advantage in the eyes of the judges. 
Amongst white Kidneys, Snowdrop is a model 
exhibition variety, with a clear, smooth, and perfectly 
white skin and very shallow eyes. Reading Giant 
is much larger, with a rough straw-coloured skin, 
and sometimes takes the first prize as the best white 
Kidney in the show; but as it often comes badly- 
shaped it is necessary to grow a large quantity of it 
so that the best tubers may be selected. It gives 
most satisfaction in light sandy soil, which favours 
the best form. Other prize-winners in this group 
are Sutton’s Perfection, Purity, Lapstone or Ashtop 
Fluke and Prime Minister. The last two may 
indeed be described as lapstone or pebble-shaped 
Potatos; and Sutton's Triumph, Nonsuch, and 
Covent Garden Perfection may be placed in the 
same category. There is much diversity of opinion 
as to whether they should be classed amongst the 
Kidneys or the round varieties. Lapstone and 
Covent Garden Perfection were certainly classed 
amoDgst the Kidneys in the Potato trial at Chiswick 
in 1881. 
The more popular of the coloured Kidneys include 
Edgecote Purple, Reading Ruby, Mr. Bresee, red, 
and Mottled Beauty, the colours of which are mostly 
indicated by their names. Many others equally 
suitable for exhibition might be included in this 
group; but the above are beautiful varieties of good 
quality and heavy croppers. 
Some of those already mentioned as pebble¬ 
shaped Potatos often do duty amongst the round 
white sorts. Somewhat flattened forms are often 
looked upon with favour by judges, especially if the 
eyes are very shallow. London Hero sometimes 
turns up in splendid form, and occasionally takes the 
prize as the best round white Potato in the show. 
Other noble tubers are Abundance, Satisfaction, 
Windsor Castle, Webbs' Renown, Come to Stay, and 
Schoolmaster. The last-named and Renown are 
remarkably globular in shape, being as round as a 
cricket ball, with shallow eyes. 
There is no lack of beautiful varieties amongst 
the coloured round Potatos. Leading places are 
taken by Vicar of Laleham, dark purple ; Reading 
Russet; The Dean, deep violet ; King of the 
Russets; Pink Perfection j and Peachblow, a pink¬ 
eyed variety. Unless very large collections are 
desired for any particular class at a show, the above 
should meet the requirements of most gardeners, 
and certainly prove quite sufficient to commence with. 
It is questionable whether any collection could ever 
be complete. 
-- ««• - 
CALANTHE VEITCHII. 
Batches of this are about the most useful winter¬ 
flowering Orchids we have. They bloom at a time when 
flowers are scarce. For dinner table decoration they 
are most useful, as the single flowers are so light for 
tracing, and when the spikes are cut they last for a 
fortnight, and sometimes longer in water. 
As regards the culture, I might say we have been very 
successful at Byrkley by the following method:—■ 
As soon as they have done flowering, they are shaken 
out of the pots, and the old roots cut back; they are 
then placed in boxes with a little dry leaf mould, and 
kept in a temperature not falling below 50°. When 
growth commences about the middle of March, they 
are carefully potted up in 5 in. and 6 in. pots. The 
largest pseudo-bulbs, are placed singly in 5-in. pots, 
and the smaller ones we place three together in 6-in. 
pots. The compost we use is good fibrous loam, leaf 
mould, cow dung and sphagnum moss, with good 
drainage. They are then put in a house with a 
temperature of 65° by night, running up to 8o° or go 0 
by sun heat, kept well damped between the pots, and 
watered very sparingly till the growths get a good 
hold of the compost, when more is given ; about the 
end of May we commence giving them a little manure 
water, and as the pots get full of roots, we 
occasionally sprinkle a little of Clay’s Fertiliser on 
the top of the soil. 
By following the course given in these remarks, we 
get pseudo-bulbs 12 in. to 13 in. long, and spikes with 
forty to fifty flowers on each.— J. Thatcher, Grower, 
Byrhley Gardens, Burton-on-Trent. 
-HI--- 
SUMMER-FLOWERING CHRYSANTHE¬ 
MUMS. 
It is a matter for surprise to many that, while the 
late-flowering section is receiving so much atten¬ 
tion, the summer-flowering class is almost over¬ 
looked. Why these fine flowers are so much 
neglected I cannot understand, unless it is the absence 
of shows in September. Anyone with a little fore¬ 
sight can easily forsee that the time is not far dis¬ 
tant when these flowers will become almost as 
popular at our autumn shows as Dahlias are. at 
present. For a small amount of labour expended, 
they will give a splendid return in fine flowers very 
suitable for all sorts of cut-flower work. 
To have a good display cuttings must be struck 
early, if cuttings can be had—August is not too 
early. Insert the cuttings about 3 in. apart into 
boxes filled with sifted loam, leaf soil, and sand in 
equal parts. Stand the boxes in shady frames, 
which should be kept close until the cuttings are 
rooted. The shelf of a greenhouse, where the frost 
is just excluded, is the best place to keep the young 
plants through the winter. Although a greenhouse 
is to be preferred, they can be brought through an 
ordinary winter in a cold frame, with the help of 
a few mats, in very hard weather. Plenty of air must 
be admitted on all favourable occasions. The 
plants make more progress if left in the boxes until 
after the New Year, when they may be transferred 
into 3-in. pots. Early in March another shift will 
be required, this time into 5-in. or 6-in. pots. It 
is better now to remove the plants when potted to 
a cold frame facing south. 
The most suitable situation to plant out these 
Chrysanthemums is a well-manured south border 
well sheltered from the north. After planting very 
little attention is required unless to keep them clear 
of green fly, and to water and stake any that 
require support. 
The most useful sorts are Blushing Bride, blush 
with white centre, very free and early ; Baronne C. 
des Brailles, large, Japanese, with fine habit, and 
carmine-rose colour ; it flowers in September. 
Clariae, blush, forms a fine bush 3 ft. across, and 
requires no sticks ; it blooms in August. Flora is one 
of the best; the colour is bright yellow; on this 
variety nearly all the flowers are expanded at the 
same time in August. G. Wermig (Golden Des- 
granges) is golden-yellow. Grace Attick is pure 
white with quilled petals and flowers about 3 in. 
across; it blooms in August and September. 
Jacinthia is pink, very fine, and flowers in Septem¬ 
ber. La Petite Marie is white; plant 12 in. high. 
Lady Fitzwigram, very pure white; comes at the end 
of September. Mons. G. Grunerwald is one of the 
very best, and commences to open its pretty pink 
(changing to white) flowers early in August; flowers 
about 5 in. across ; plant about 20 in. high. 
Mons. Henry Jacotot is large, pink, splashed 
white ; flowers 4 in. across, expanding in September. 
Madame Desgranges is pure white, very fine, with 
flowers 4 in. across, and opens in September. 
Madame Leon Lassali is very large and creamy- 
white. Mrs. J. R. Pitcher is pink, changing to 
white, with flowers 4 in. across, and blooms in 
September. Precocite, yellow, is a very free 
bloomer, with flowers 2 in. across; height, 2 ft. in 
August. Piercy’s Seedling is a brcnze-yellow with 
flowers 2 in. across ; plants 20 in. high, and at their 
best in August. Ryecroft Glory is bronzy-yellow, 
very bushy, and bears flowers 3 in. across in 
September. Souvenir d’un Ami, creamy-white, opens 
in August. Golden Shah is a very bright golden- 
yellow, and a prolific bloomer in August. Madame 
Marie Masse has lilac-mauve flowers 4 in. across ; 
plants 2 ft. high, blooming in September.— J.J.,B. 
‘ -I- - 
THE CULTURE OF MELONS. 
A lecture on the above subject was given by Mr. 
James Barkham at the last meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society. Mr. Horace Cox occupied 
the chair. In his opening remarks Mr. Barkham 
gave a short history of the Melon, saying that it was 
taken from Armenia to Rome, and from thence to 
France, Spain, and England. Whilst in more 
favoured climes—Persia, for instance—Melons might 
be grown successfully outdoors, in our own country 
they needed the assistance of artificial heat, although 
in very hot seasons, such as that of 1876, fruit might 
be ripened in the open air. 
The seed for the first crop should be sown in 
January in a brisk heat. One seed only should be 
put into a small pot, covering this first of all with 
sand, as this, he was of opinion, had a beneficial 
effect in preventing rot. The seed must not be sown 
more than half an inch in depth. The seedlings 
need to be potted on into 48- or 32-sized pots as 
soon as they are large enough. It was also of great 
importance that they should receive all the light it 
was possible to give them, especially during the 
early months of the year, hence ttey should be 
placed on a shelf and kept quite close to the glass. 
The beds should be made up of a layer of leaves, 
those of the Beech or Oak for preference, mixed 
with stable litter. This layer should not be less 
than two or three feet in thickness. Upon this the 
soil must be placed a day or two before planting is 
thought about, in order to allow of its being warmed 
through. As for soil, excellert results might be 
obtained from the employment of a gcod strong yellow 
loam to which had been added a quantity of leaf soil 
and mortar rubbish. It is not advisable to mix 
any manure with the soil as it only tends to induce 
rank gross growth. 
In planting in houses, 3 ft. might be allowed 
between the plants, although one plant to each light 
would be quite enough for frame work. He pre¬ 
ferred to plant upon a ridge rather than upon the 
level, although when this was done it would be 
necessary to give a good top-dressing of soil when 
the roots began to peep through the surface. 
In dealing with the ordinary cultural routine, Mr. 
Barkham strongly advocated the use of the finger 
and thumb for removing superfluous growths rather 
than the knife. It was advisable, he said, to go over 
the plants twice or three time* a week to attend to 
the necessary stopping. Just enough foliage to cover 
the trellis should be left. Pollenising should be per¬ 
formed in the middle of the da^, and during the 
time that the process of pollenising the female 
blooms was in progress the use of the syringe should 
be discontinued. Speaking of syringing, the 
lecturer stated that he thoroughly believed in its 
regular performance, as it served to keep the plants 
clean and healthy. Early crops should have a tem¬ 
perature of from 55 0 to 6o° Fahr. by night, rising to 
6o° or 65° by day, for the first few weeks. This 
should be gradually increased as the year wears on, 
when a temperature of 65° might easily be maintained 
through the night by making use of the sun's rays 
during the day, and also in the case of frames by 
the occasional renewal of the linings of fermenting 
material. 
The number of fruits borne by each plant will 
