278 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 4, 1890. 
gularly favourable, and now we see on our 
fruit trees, evidences unmistakeable of promise 
for a grand produce next year. It may be 
true that such produce, if not harmed by 
late spring frosts, should be placed to the 
credit of the new year, but at least the dead 
year prepared the trees for production. On 
the whole, the past year will, so far as trade 
is concerned, bear pleasant remembrance. 
he Royal Horticultural Society. —It 
would be both unwise and unfair to 
omit mention of the work and progress of 
the Royal Horticultural Society during the 
year that is past. It is true that the 
Society has adhered to its James’s Street 
institution with very indifferent success, so 
far as getting visitors to the meetings have 
been concerned; but at least the meetings 
generally have been of exceeding interest, 
and very often plants or other exhibits have 
been found which are alone worth the atten¬ 
dance. We do not know how far the Society 
may be pledged to stay at James’s Street 
during the year that is coming, but it is 
not now a matter of very great consequence. 
The real work of the Society has, without 
doubt, been done at Chiswick, where the ordi¬ 
nary labours have been supplemented by three 
conferences, all more or less successful ; but 
the palm for success, we think, is to be found 
in the Vegetable Conference, which not only 
provoked the greatest attention, but brought 
together by far the largest number of gardeners 
from different parts of the kingdom. Roses 
and Chrysanthemums, Queens, literally as 
well as metaphorically, of summer and winter 
flowers, yet find their special fanciers amongst 
specialists, whilst vegetables interest every one. 
The Society has some three conferences in 
hand at Chiswick during the coming year, and 
only at the latter, when the subject of Grapes 
is dealt with, will cultivators generally be 
interested. We would therefore suggest, 
both as a matter of policy as well as of 
garden usefulness, that one conference yearly 
should be devoted to some subject which 
should interest gardeners universally. 
(flTHER Gatherings. —Without doubt, the 
“ various exhibitions held at tlie Crystal 
Palace during the year, command attention 
and respect. In that noblest of buildings, 
good shows are almost always found, and 
this was so last year—notably the fruit and 
Dahlia show of September, the hardy fruit 
show of October, and the Chrysanthemum 
exhibition of November—take high rank 
amongst the year’s display, whilst the Co¬ 
operative Exhibition in August last was, 
without exception, a wonderful show, and 
second to none of its kind in the king¬ 
dom. The conference of the practically 
moribund British Fruit Growers’ Association 
held at the Palace in October, showed how 
feebleness and impotence can wreck what 
Avas a promising prospect, Avhilst the im¬ 
promptu Dahlia Conference, held in the same 
place, evidenced that in good hands a most 
pleasant and practical gathering could be 
evolved out of disjointed materials. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society has 
had a most successful year, holding a capital 
conference in September, and a grand show in 
November, whilst its provincial shoiv at Hull 
seems to have been specially successful. We 
may not forget the Plum Conference held in 
Edinburgh in the autumn, nor the grand 
exhibitions of horticultural subjects held in 
that city, in Manchester, Birmingham, Liver¬ 
pool, Shrewsbury, and other provincial centres 
during the year, nor can we omit reference to the 
various gardeners’ associations, which are doing 
so much to promote the intellectual ivelfare of 
our gardeners. Finally a Avord is due to our 
great philanthropic societies, the Benevolent 
and the Orphan Fund, Avliich have had pros¬ 
perous years, as also the matter-of-fact 
Gardeners’ ProAddent and Benefit Society. 
he Year’s Ripenings. —In nearly all cases 
full of years and honours, because of lives 
Avell spent in the service of our loved 
vocation, have gone to their rest during 1889 a 
notable detachment of horticulturists. We 
desire' not to make a distinction in this case 
between botanists and horticulturists, though 
essential sometimes; but Avhen Ave include in 
the list of the fallen, Mr. Berkeley, the grand 
old parson gardener; II. G. Reichenbach, the 
famous old German orchidist; Robert Marnock, 
prince of landscape gardeners ; good old John 
Lane, so notable amongst nurserymen, and so 
highly esteemed; that capital and respected 
gardener, George Sage ; Avith such enthusiastic 
horticulturists as the Hon. and Rev. J. T. 
BoscaAven, Mr. J. T. Peacock, of succulent 
fame; Mr. Tyerman, the Cornish gardener; 
Dr. Sankey, the able hybridist; John Ball 
and Dr. McNab, the botanists, and others, it 
will be seen that the dead year has taken home 
to that bourne from Avhence there is no return 
some fine human fruit Avhich time and ex¬ 
perience had Avell ripened for the harvest of 
eternity. 
To mention the dead is to stimulate the 
living to noble aspirations. Those Avho are left 
may find in those gone before AA T orthy objects 
for imitation. To live lives that are noble 
and practical may Avell be the aim of all, and 
though not inclined to moralise dolefully noiv 
that the neiv year of 1890 is with us, yet it is 
certain that some others will fall as ripened fruit 
into the basket ; and of those thus gathered 
may it in due time be said that they too have 
fallen full of years and honours. 
-»-> 2 «-- 
New Year's Honours. — Among the New Year’s 
honours and appointments announced on Wednesday 
we note that the Queen has been pleased to approve 
the appointment of Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., 
as a Member of the Privy Council; and to confer a 
baronetcy upon J. T. D. Llewelyn, Esq,, of Penller- 
gare, Swansea, a gentleman well known as a patron of 
floriculture, and highly esteemed in the horticultural 
world. 
English Vegetables anil Flowers in India and 
Ceylon is the title of a work, just to hand, by Mr. 
Donald McDonald, and published in London by 
J. Haddon & Co., Bouverie Street, E.C. We shall 
take an early opportunity of noting its contents. 
Death of Captain Maxwell.—We regret to record 
the death in London, on the 21st ult., of Captain 
Alfred Constable Maxwell, of Terregles, Dumfries, aged 
forty-eight years. The deceased gentlemen, who was a 
nephew of William, thirteenth Baron Herries, was an 
enthusiastic horticulturist, with a strong penchant for 
hardy trees and Orchids. Conifers he planted exten¬ 
sively in his pleasure grounds and woods, and took 
great delight in their growth. Of Orchids he was a 
great admirer, and during the last four years had 
gathered together a valuable collection, flowers from 
which often found their way to this office. Captain 
Maxwell had long been in delicate health, and occa¬ 
sionally made lengthened visits to Teneriffe, where he 
had an estate. 
Florida Lemons.—Florida will soon be the greatest 
lemon-growing country in the world. Lemons weigh¬ 
ing a pound each are reported common in Florida, and 
along the banks of Caloo3ahatchie there is a single tree 
which bears 5,000 lemons, many of which weigh a 
pound each. But, except for show, such large lemons 
are of little value, as they are coarse-grained and 
pulpy. The best lemons are grown on poor soil, and 
for that reason they are a very profitable crop. Florida 
Oranges have been plentiful in the London markets for 
some time, and, we believe, have sold well. 
The Bees’ Christmas Dinner.—A paragraph going 
the round, states that the coachman to Mrs. Durnford, 
of Farington, Hants, observing his bees busy on 
Christmas Day, went to the hives, and to his surprise 
found them coming home laden with pollen, or “ bee 
bread.” This must have been gathered from the Ivy 
or from some Cinerarias in a greenhouse, nothing else 
being in bloom. 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the usual monthly 
meeting of the Executive Committee, held on the 27th 
ult., the honorary secretary, Mr. Barron, announced 
that during the month he had received some £22 los. 4(7., 
and had been advised of other sums which would 
be handed over shortly amounting to a considerable 
total. The list included £1 19s. collected by Mr. G. 
W. Cummins ; £1 Is. from the Croydon Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Society ; 13s. 2d. collected at the Isle of Thanet 
Chrysanthemum Show ; £4 Os. 2d. collected by Mr. 
Scott, Bradfield ; 9s. collected by Mr. C. Gibson, 
Morden Park, at Chrysanthemum shows ; £3 collected 
by Mr. Deverill, Banbury ; £3 Botany Class Fees sent 
by the young gardeners, The Grove, Stanmore ; £10 
from the Ancient Society of York Florists ; £20 2s. 
result of concert organised by the Ealing Gardeners 
Mutual Improvement Society ; and £50, the half share 
of the nett receipts of the Reigate Chrysanthemum 
Show, Mr. J. Brown, honorary secretary. The amount 
sent from Ealing allowed of the election of four life 
subscribers, and these were declared to be Mr. G. 
Cannon, Mr. A. Wright, Mr. E. Fountain, and Mr. E. 
Chadwick. It was also announced that arrangements 
had been made for a ticket benefit at the Covent 
Garden Circus and Pantomime, running from February 
3rd for fourteen days. Tickets for this entertiinment 
during the period mentioned can now be obtained from 
Mr. Barron. 
-- 
THE GREENHOUSE IN WINTER. 
By way of following up my paper of the week before 
last, I may state that a horticultural writer of some 
eminence once remarked that in the successful manage¬ 
ment of plant houses nothing is so necessary as 
courage—courage to avoid filling up the houses with 
worthless plants, courage to throw inferior plants 
away, and courage to give those which are retained 
sufficient space to develop their proportions in a proper 
manner ; and this last kind of courage is perhaps 
needed more than any other, for the tendency to 
unduly crowd is a fatal one with many gardeners. 
Nothing is more common, in arranging plant houses 
in the autumn season for the winter, than for the best 
specimens to be staged first, giving each fair living 
and breathing space, and leaving the inferior ones to 
the last. Then it is that opportunity is afforded for 
the display of courage—to throw away. “Thus,” as 
the above authority observed, “ the dying are crowded 
among their more healthy brethren. Each is deprived 
of the share necessary for existence, and all become 
more or less unhealthy. This is, in plain English, the 
secret of the failures of three-fourths of the gardeners 
in the country, professional as well as amateur. They 
convert their plant houses into something like ‘ black- 
holes ’ of Calcutta ; the plants are so crowded together 
that the weaker ones become fairly suffocated.” I 
think there is much force in this, and, indeed, proof is 
afforded by what is seen in some plant houses—long, 
lean, lanky things which are found crowded together, 
and so become weak and attenuated. Here courage is 
required—that which will commit to the rubbish heap 
a plant of unsightly character, for flowers at the cost 
of an unsightly plant can have but small charm for 
the cultivator. 
"When plants are put into the greenhouse for the 
winter season, care should be taken that the house is 
thoroughly cleansed, the glass and woodwork washed 
with soap and water, and the stone and brickwork washed 
with hot lime, to which a handful of sulphur may be 
added. The advantage of this washing is—first, the 
destruction of insects and their ova ; secondly, more 
light at a season when it is most required; and 
thirdly, as a consequence of cleanliness, a sweet and 
wholesome atmosphere. This cleanliness must be 
extended to the plants and pots in which they are 
growing. The latter should be well scrubbed and 
cleansed of all offensiveness. At the same time clean 
and stir the surface soil, taking away that upon which 
any growth of green may have commenced, replacing 
it with some fresh, sweet and proper compost. At the 
time of surface dressing it will be wise, should the 
earth in any of the pots appear soddened, to turn the 
plant out and wash the inside of the pot, or what will 
be better, put the plant into a clean dry one of the same 
size. At the same time make two or three holes 
vertically through the soil with a thin-pointed stick, 
and with cautious watering for a short time after top¬ 
dressing is applied, the soil will soon regain its wonted 
porosity. 
Then there is the important matter of the cleanliness 
of the houses themselves. I have been into plant 
houses where everything seems as clean as a drawing¬ 
room and its furniture ; the young men washing the 
leaves of the plants and removing every speck of dirt 
with great care and thoroughness. This may be called 
the refinement of cultivation, but it never yet has been 
carried too far. Plants live by a respiratory process, 
