452 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 21st, 1885, 
effect of the change, we are pleased to say, 
will he that the increased pensions will he 
paid for the quarter ending March 25th. To 
commemorate the successful termination of the 
scheme about forty members of the Committee 
and subscribers dined together at “ Simpson s ” 
in the evening, under the presidency of the 
Treasurer, and Flora and Pomona were well 
represented on the table by choice contributions 
from Mr. T. A. Dickson and Mr. James Webber, 
of Covent Garden. 
Far it Packing. —Scarcely a week passes that 
evidence does not come before us of the fact that 
much fruit is sent into Covent Garden Market by 
growers who do not yet understand the simple art 
packing it neatly and efficiently, so that it shall 
arrive in the market sound and free from injury. 
Probably the worst packers are those private 
gardeners—and their name is legion—who send off 
their spare produce to the market, and do so, it 
would seem, in a slipshod fashion. It was to 
correct and duly teach these growers that the 
Messrs. Webber, the well-known salesmen of 
Covent Garden Market, offered prizes for the 
best packed boxes of fruits, at South Kensington 
for several years past; and although the com¬ 
petitions have always been limited, some good 
doubtless has resulted. 
It was made a condition that the packages 
should be sent a certain distance by rail to South 
Kensington, just as if they were consigned to the 
market, so that the efficacy of the packing might 
have the fullest trial. Curiously enough, only 
private gardeners have competed for the prizes 
Previously, these prizes have been given in one 
class for three distinct kinds of fruit, and in 
separate packages ; but in the Boyal Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s Schedule just issued we note 
that the Messrs. Webber have thrown their 
competition over three Shows ; for packed boxes 
of Strawberries are invited on May 26th, boxes 
of Peaches on July 14th, and boxes or baskets of 
Grapes on September 9th. No doubt, as a con¬ 
sequence of this division, the competitions will be 
larger, greater attention will be drawn to them 
and most probably the travelling test will be 
more severely applied than it has been in the past. 
Eschscholtzias. — A beautiful old-fashioned 
flower with an intolerably stupid name, because 
it is so difficult to spell and to pronounce. Why 
we do not the more often see these flowers in our 
gardens is not easily explained, for they are very 
hardy and need little trouble, but the inference is 
that the intolerably difficult name with which 
they are endowed militates against their popu¬ 
larity. Subject, of course, to possible eventualities 
should a hard winter prevail, the best course to 
adopt in the securing of a brave show of bloom 
from Eschscholtzias is to sow in the open ground, 
about the middle of the month of August, allow¬ 
ing the plants to remain in the seed-bed for the 
winter, and then lifting and dibbling out thinly in 
March. Such plants not only bloom early but 
continuously and finely, making a brilliant display 
all the summer. It is, perhaps, an additional 
drawback to “ Scholtzias ” that they are fair- 
weather flowers, opening in the sunlight, and 
closing when the rain falls or night comes; but 
then, in those respects, the flowers show sense 
perhaps. Certainly, the blooms are produced on 
strong plants with wonderful rapidity. It is not 
certain whether they are much in favour for cut- 
flowers, but if not so, then all the better for the 
garden, which gets far too much robbed to 
suit aesthetic tastes. There are several kinds of 
Eschscholtzias, that is, as far as variety in flowers 
is concerned, the most beautiful being Carter’s 
Mandarin, which has a rich orange-yellow front 
and deep buff back. Sometimes the flowers 
come striped and these are very beautiful. 
E. crocea rosea is a charming kind, the flowers of 
rosy-pink, and if the two kinds are mixed the 
effect is singularly pleasing. 
(Sartrwmg Itthcclhmir, 
The Committees of the Royal Horticultural Society 
will meet at South Kensington on Tuesday. 
On Wednesday, the first spring Show of the Royal 
Botanic Society will be held at Regent’s Park. 
There will also be a spring exhibition at Bath on 
Wednesday and Thursday. 
The forty-third annual Festival of the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution will be held on Friday, 
July 3rd, at the Albion, Aldersgate Street, when the 
the Treasurer, Edward Tidswell, Esq., will preside. 
The International Inventions Exhibition at South 
Kensington, will be opened on Monday, May 4th. 
Messrs. William Cutbush & Son’s annual spring 
exhibition of Hyacinths, Tulips, and other spring 
flowers, will be held in their Nursery, at Highgate, 
from Tuesday, March 31st to April 11th. 
A well-attended meeting of growers was held at 
Sheffield, on Monday, the 9th inst., when a resolution 
that a Chrysanthemum Society for Sheffield be at once 
formed, and the necessary steps be taken for organizing 
a satisfactory open Show in November next, was 
carried unanimously. 
The Chair of Botany in the University of Glasgow 
is vacant by the resignation of Dr. Bayley-Balfour. 
Mr. R. Henderson, lately foreman at Alnwick 
Castle, has succeeded Mr. Bowie as gardener to the 
Earl of Tankerville, at Chillingham Castle, North¬ 
umberland. 
The entries for the Grand National Horticultural 
Exhibition to beheld at Manchester next Whitsuntide, 
close on May 15th. Schedules may now be obtained 
from Mr. Bruce Findley. 
The Gardeners' Monthly announces the death of 
Mr. George C. Briggs, one of the famous firm of 
Briggs Brothers, who were the pioneers of fruit- 
culture in California. Every one has heard of the 
wonderful — wonderful for that time—Peach-orchard 
near Marysville, and of the varieties of California 
Peaches which bear his name. Of late years he gave 
his chief attention to the growing of Grapes for 
Raisins, and had at the time of his death no less than 
1,200 acres in Grapes, and was preparing to plant 
6,000 more. 
The Bawtry Floral and Horticultural Society's 
Show will be held on June 18th. Viscountess Galway, 
Serlby Hall, offers a silver cup for the best vase of 
flowers arranged by a lady. 
Owing to the death of Mr. Hardie, and the serious 
illness of Mr. Andrew Sinclair, the firm of Messrs. W. 
P. Laird & Sinclair, of Dundee, Broughty Ferry, and 
Monifieth, was dissolved last week, the whole of the 
business being taken over by Mr. R. B. Laird of the 
firm of R. B. Laird & Sons, Edinburgh, who will 
carry on the business under the same style and title. 
As mentioned in another column, Mr. Sinclair died 
the day after the partnership was dissolved. 
The Late Charles Downing. —At a meeting of the 
Massachusetts Horticultural Society, held on January 
31st, Col. Marshall P. Wilder, introduced the following: 
“ Resolved, That the members of the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society desire to express at the earliest 
opportunity their sorrow at the removal from earth of 
then - late friend and corresponding member, Charles 
Downing, of Newburgh, New York. That his life 
has been a blessing to mankind, and his death 
is a loss not only to our nation, but to the whole 
pomological world. That while we thus speak, we 
would acknowledge most gratefully the Divine good¬ 
ness which spared him to us so long, and that, 
although his star has now set, it has left a golden 
record which shall illumine the annals of pomology 
while the earth shall bear fruit or the love of nature 
shall have a place in the soul of man.” 
— u - ~a — 
Layia Glandulosa.— This very pretty composite is 
the counterpart of Layia elegans, from which it differs 
in having pure white ray-florets instead of yellow. 
It grows about 9 ins. high, each shoot being termi¬ 
nated by a snow-white flower-head, about 1^ ins. 
across, with a yellow disk. White composites are 
by no means abundant; this very neat and desirable 
annual should therefore be an acceptable addition 
to their number. May be treated either as a half 
hardy annual for early blooming, or as a hardy 
annual, in which case seeds should not be sown 
before the end of April.—IT. Thompson, Ipswich. 
EARLY-FLOWERING CHRYSAN¬ 
THEMUMS. 
I have heard persons say that far too much import¬ 
ance has been attached to these, and for the reason 
that they come into flower at a season of the year 
when there is such a wealth of blossom in the flower- 
garden. The Chrysanthemum, they say, is an autumn- 
flowering plant, and it is not wanted until there is a 
dearth of flowers in the garden. Such an objection 
does not weigh with me in the slightest. Give me a 
subject that is charming when in flower, that blooms 
freely and continuously, that is useful for cutting from, 
and for decorative effect, and let the season at 
which it blooms be what it may, I claim it as a 
valuable acquisition. And I set up this claim for the 
early-flowering Chrysanthemums. There is one part 
of the country they suit well—the late, cold, and 
moist northern districts. 
Not a few writers for the horticultural press, who 
reside round London and in the genial south and west 
districts of England, write as if the conditions of 
climate which surround them are everywhere present. 
But we know it is not so. There are parts of the 
country where it is extremely difficult to get the 
ordinary late Chrysanthemums in flower in the open- 
air ; frost and rain destroy the promise of bloom 
before it can become sufficiently matured to gladden 
the eye of the beholder. Not so with the early- 
flowering varieties. Last September I saw a few of 
them in grand form at Hopetown House, near to the 
shores of the Firth of Forth, at Queen’s Ferry; they 
were in the mixed border; they were of dwarf and 
compact growth, and carrying fine heads of bloom. 
Mr. Muir, the gardener at Hopetown, said that the 
best things he had to cut from at that season of the 
year were these early Chrysanthemums, Hyacinthus 
candicans, and East Lothian Stocks. He was enthu¬ 
siastic in praise of the early-flowering Chrysanthemums 
for cultivation in the open-air in that part of the 
country. 
There are many amateur gardeners who have suffi¬ 
cient space to put up a useful little greenhouse, but 
little or none for an outdoor garden. A wise amateur 
will grow something in pots and confine himself to a 
few subjects that he can manage well. Among these 
the early-flowering Chrysanthemums should take high 
rank. We have now a race, dwarf in growth, robust 
in habit, good-sized full flowers formed of stout petals, 
that can stand wind and rain in the open-air, and 
which are of peculiar beauty under glass. There they 
come to perfection in much less time than the ordinary 
kinds. There are a few so quick in flowering, that 
cuttings put in as late as the end of June will flower 
in October; it is, therefore, easy to perceive what an 
excellent succession can be provided. If an amateur 
wishes to have some really fine specimens under glass, 
let him strike a few cuttings at the end of July; these 
will soon grow into nice little plants, and they can be 
safely wintered in a cold pit if the frames are well 
covered up in times of severe frost, and the covering 
is not removed until after the frost has passed. During 
the winter, when the weather is favourable, plenty of 
air may be given, and only sufficient water to keep 
the plants healthy. In early spring these plants 
should be shifted as required, and kept growing robust, 
wiry, and healthy. As soon as the weather will admit 
of its being done, they should be placed in the open- 
air on a bed of cinder-ashes, and as soon as warm, 
drying weather sets in be stood in earthenware saucers, 
a little larger than the size of the bottom of the pot. 
This is found to be of great advantage’ when the 
weather is hot; and if a little soot be placed on the 
surface of the soil about twice a week, it will help to 
keep the foliage healthy and of a good colour. 
They should be flowered in pots eight, ten, or 
twelve inches in diameter, according to the size of the 
plants. 
I have shown the importance of plenty of water in 
dry weather. Another indispensable requisite is a 
rich light soil. Such a compost can be made up out 
of three parts rotten turf, two parts rotten dung, and 
one part coarse sand well mixed together. When the 
flowering pots are well filled with roots, a little 
manure-water may be given with great advantage, but 
as this is difficult of provision in many cases, Clay’s 
Fertilizer, or some good Peruvian Guano, can be 
employed. In the case of Clay’s manure, a little 
should be spread over the surface twice a week, and 
