§48 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 29, 1898. 
FLORICULTURE. 
The large-flowering Pelargonium. 
iT is difficult, if not impossible, to over-estimate the 
value of the show or large-flowering Pelargonium for 
summer decorative purposes or for exhibition. 
Scarcely can another soft-wooded plant be named so 
readily managed, so free of bloom, and so durable as 
the show Pelargonium. That it has fallen some¬ 
what into neglect as an exhibition subject is 
quite true, for we do not now witness the grandly 
grown and flowered specimens we used to see twenty 
years ago. I can remember the time when speci¬ 
mens were grown to such a size at the Royal 
Nursery, Slough, that they could be got out of the 
house only by taking a portion of the glass side 
away, the doorway not proving sufficiently wide to 
enable plants to be brought out in the ordinary 
method. I have known a clever tyer engaged for 
three days on one exhibition specimen. But, apart 
from the value of the large-flowered varieties as 
show specimens, they have such value also as 
summer decorative subjects that too high praise 
can scarcely be bestowed upon them. 
As a matter of course it will be obvious that any 
one commencing to grow the show Pelargoniums at 
this season of the year would be under the necessity 
of obtaining plants from a nursery. These could be 
had in 48-size pots, the plants bushy and likely to 
produce useful and attractive heads of bloom, and 
supply what is known as good “ bottoms ” for 
another season. 
Upon the autumn treatment ;of the showy Pelar¬ 
gonium much of the probable success of the future 
depends, and it is mainly at that season of the year 
young plants are purchased by those having a suit¬ 
able house in which to grow them. Such young 
plants received in October or November need every 
assistance which can be given them, to encourage 
them to grow into size ; any delay in repotting when 
necessary, or if the plants are permitted to become 
unclean and infested with green-fly; any neglect 
that militates against their well-being is fatal to a 
good head of bloom at the proper season. 
If the plants are sent from a nursery—say the 
first week in November—they should be cleansed 
from any dust gathered during the transit, the sur¬ 
face soil gently stirred and the plants then placed in 
a light and airy part of the house to recover from 
the effects of the journey. This done, the roots 
should be examined, and if they have filled the pots, 
a shift into a size larger one is necessary, using a 
compost made of good mellow yellow loam, enriched 
with an equal bulk of well decomposed stable 
manure, and the addition of a fair sprinkling of 
silver sand. This should be turned over two or three 
times before using, and any insects likely to be in¬ 
jurious picked out. Repotting done, a small stake 
can be placed to each plant, and the water that is 
needed given, with air and light in abundance. In 
a month or so, another shift will be necessary if the 
plants are kept in a moderately warm house, and 
they can be placed in the next larger size, the same 
compost being used. In these they can remain until 
the end of February or early in March, when they 
can be repotted into pots in which they will bloom, 
adapting the sizes of the pot to the strength of the 
plant, but in no case over-potting, because it cannot 
be too closely borne in mind that it is necessary the 
pots be well filled with roots by the time the plants 
come into bloom To overpot at this stage will be 
injurious to the plant. Even with the best treatment 
plants that are well established in their pots will 
show a little yellow upon the lowermost leaves, and 
some clear but weak manure water may then be given 
with great advantage, say twice a week, and be con¬ 
tinued until the flowers are ready to expand. But 
anything like forcing should be avoided, but a little 
fire-heat is decidedly beneficial in damp, dull, foggy 
weather, and also when the temperature sinks as low 
as forty degrees. 
I again allude to the importance of cleanliness, 
such as the removal of decaying foliage, the washing 
of any leaves which become dust-covered. Air is 
necessary on all favourable occasions, even during 
winter, taking care that cold draughts of air do not 
play direct upon the plants, and at all times keeping 
them clear of damp. No flower is more easily 
cultivated than the Pelargonium, at the same time, 
we fear we must say, none is more mismanaged. 
As soon as the flowering season is over the plants 
may be placed in any situation, so that they be 
not exposed ro heavy rains, this being done for the 
purpose of ripening the wood, water being at the 
same time somewhat sparingly given. The 
importance of hard well ripened wood cannot be 
over-estimated. At the end of July, or early in 
August, or later, according to the month when the 
plants flower, cutting down takes place, and in 
doing so the operator has to keep in view the 
desirability of laying a good foundation to the future 
specimen. The plants should then be put into a green¬ 
house or frame, kept dry, and exposed to sun and 
air, but protected from rain. In about a month the 
buds will have begun to push, and then repotting is 
necessary, turning them out of the pots, shaking the 
soil from the roots, and pruning the latter by cutting 
away the long straggling ones. They should then 
be placed in pots just large enough to take the roots 
and be kept in a frame closely shaded for a few days, 
and then inured to the light, air being given. Water 
should be sparingly given, and care should be taken 
to avoid wetting the foliage during the winter 
months. A shift into a size larger pots will soon be 
necessary, and a compost such as that before men¬ 
tioned employed. When growth sets in in spring, 
the supply of water must be increased to suit the 
requirements of the plants. 
A dozen fine show varieties, equally well adapted 
for ordinary decorative purposes will be found in the 
following: Ambassador (Foster), Amethyst (Brehaut), 
Chief Secretary (Foster), Claribel (Hoyle), Crusader 
(Turner), Excellent (Foster), Fortitude (Foster), 
Illuminator (Foster), Magnate (Foster), Prince 
Leopold (Foster), Royal Review (Foster), and The 
Czar (Foster). The decorative varieties, as they are 
termed, may be similarly treated ; and a dozen fine 
varieties are as follows : Digby Grand, Duchess of 
Albany, Duchess of Bedford, Edward Perkins, 
Kingston Beauty, Lady Isabel, Magpie, Mon^. 
Desmoulin, Mrs. Ashby, Rosetta, Spotted Beauty, 
and Triomphe de St. Madne.— R. D. 
National Auricula Society. 
The annual exhibition of this society, held at the 
Drill Hall on Tuesday, far exceeded our expectations 
in regard to numbers, having regard to the unusually 
bright, dry, forcing weather of the past five weeks 
which growers have had to contend against. On 
the score of quality there is not much to say, for, as 
only could have been anticipated, it was generally 
poor. Still, we had a show, and under the peculiar 
circumstances of the season, that is something to be 
thankful for. It was a northern florists’ day, and 
the Rev. F. D. Horner again held his own against 
all comers in the principal classes. 
For twelve show Auriculas, dissimilar, the Rev. 
F. D. Horner, Burton-in-Lonsdale, was well first, 
with bright fresh examples of the following varieties: 
—Doris (Horner), a rich plum purple self; Achilles 
(Simonite), green-edged ; Charmer (Horner), ruby 
red self ; Dusk (Horner), plum-black self; Alexander 
Meiklejohn (Kay), Magpie (Horner), white-edged; 
Monarch (Horner), green-edged ; Shirley Hibberd 
(Simonite),a promising green-edged,and subsequently 
selected as the premier Auricula in the exhibition ; 
Geo. Lightbody (Headley), green-edged ; Heather- 
bell (Simonite), white-edged ; and Chloe (Simonite), 
green-edged. Second, Mr. T. E. Henwood, Read¬ 
ing; third, Mr. James Douglas, Great Gearies, 
Ilford; fourth, Mr. A. J. Sanders, Cobham; and 
fifth, Mr. J. Weston, Ravenholme, Balham, S.W. 
For six distinct varieties the Rev. F. D. Horner 
was again first, with Ladybird (Horner), white- 
edged; Alex. Meiklejohn (Kay), Rev. F. D. Horner 
(Simonite), Magpie (Horner), Grayling (Horner), 
green-edged, and Dusk (Horner). Mr. T. E. 
Henwood again came in second; Mr. A. J. Sanders, 
third; Mr. James Douglas, fourth; and Mr. J. 
Weston, fifth. For four Auriculas, distinct, the 
premier award went to W. Smith, Esq., The Links, 
Bishop's Stortford, who staged Mrs. Dodwell 
(Woodhead), white-edged; the Rev. F. D. Horner, 
Mrs. Potts (Barlow), and George Lightbody 
(Headley); Mr. Leonard Brown, Brentwood, coming 
in second, and Mr. Patterson, Ashburn, Sunder¬ 
land, third. The first award for a pair also went to 
Mr. W. Smith, for the Rev. F. D. Horner and 
Richard Headley ; Mr. Leonard Brown being again 
second, with Mrs. Dodwell and Rachel; and Mr. C. 
Phillips, Reading, third. 
The single classes were more sparingly contested 
than usual, and there was nothing special among the 
plants staged. In the green-edged class the Rev. F. 
D. Horner was first, with his namesake; Mr. 
Henwood, second and fifth, with the same variety; 
Mr. Horner, third, with Attraction ; Mr. W. Smith, 
fourth, with the Rev. F. D. Horner ; Mr. C. Phillips, 
sixth ; and Mr. Patterson, seventh, with unnamed 
plants. Grey-edged : First, the Rev. F. D. Horner, 
with George Lightbody; second, Mr. Henwood, 
with Lancashire Hero; third, Mr. Henwood, with 
Richard Headley; fourth, Mr. W. Smith, with 
George Rudd ; fifth, Mr. Patterson, with the same 
variety; and sixth and seventh, Mr. Douglas, with 
George Lightbody. White-edged : First and second, 
the Rev. F. D. Horner, with Magpie (Horner); third 
and fourth Mr. Henwood, with Mrs. Dodwell 
(Woodhead); fifth Mr. W. Smith,with Smiling Beauty 
(Heap) ; sixth, Mr. A. J. Sanders, with Conservative 
(Douglas) ; and seventh, Mr. Patterson, with Acme 
(Reid). Selfs: first and second, Mr. W. Smith, 
with Black Bess (Horner) ; third, Mr. Henwood, 
with Mrs. Potts (Barlow) ; fourth, the Rev. F. D. 
Horner, with Pink, a seedling quite novel in colour ; 
fifth, Mr. Henwood; and sixth and seventh, Mr. 
Douglas, with Mrs. Potts. 
With fifty plants, Mr. C. Turner came in first with 
almost an entire group of Alpines, his show varieties 
being over, and Mr. Douglas was second, Mr. W. L. 
Walker, Reading, being third. 
The Alpines were brighter and fresher than the 
show flowers, but still had mostly passed their best. 
With twelve varieties, Mr. Turner was first, with 
Mrs. Harry Turner, Dash, Countess, Roland, 
Patience, Hubert, Winifred, Hotspur, F. Knighton, 
C. Turner, and two seedlings. Second, Mr. C. 
Phillips; third, Mr. Douglas; fourth, Mr. W. L. 
Walker ; and fifth, Mr. A. J. Sanders. Six Alpines : 
first, Mr. C. Phillips, with Saturn, Mrs. Frank 
Barrett, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. G. W. Palmer, Baroness 
Burdett-Coutts, and Mrs. J. F. Blandy. Second, 
Mr. Turner; third, Mr. Douglas; fourth, Mr. 
Walker; fifth, Mr. A. J. Sanders. Mr. Paterson 
had the best four Alpines, in Gorton’s Diadem, 
and Turner’s King of the Belgians, Mrs. Dodwell 
and Philip Frost. 
The gold-laced Polyanthuses were more vigorously 
shown than usual, and Mr. J. Weston had the best 
six in Cheshire Favourite, Lancer, John Bright, 
Lancashire Hero, George IV., and Napoleon III. 
The best three consisting of Napoleon III., John 
Bright, and William IV. George IV., shown by Mr. 
Patterson, was the best single specimen, followed in 
order by Napoleon III., John Bright, and Cox’s 
Prince Regent. Mr. Douglas had the best fancy 
Auriculas, and also beat Mr. Dean with border 
Polyanthuses and Primroses with bright fresh lots. 
-- 
MAXILLARIA SANDERIANA. 
The finest of all the species of Maxillaria yet dis¬ 
covered is M. Sanderiana introduced from the Andes 
of Ecuador about ten years ago. The accompanying 
illustration, for which we are indebted to Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, will give an idea of the 
habit of the plant, which is, of course, greatly 
reduced in size. The single flower given at the top 
of the illustration would represent a bloom of 
moderate size. The scapes are shorter than the 
leaves, but they vary, some being taller than others, 
and bear a solitary flower of massive proportions 
and wonderfully fleshy or almost leathery in texture. 
The ground colour of the segments is white, and 
the sepals are blotched with dark crimson, while the 
blotches run together in a mass at the base of the 
lateral ones. The petals are similarly blotched to 
the upper sepal, but smaller. The lower surface of 
the lip is almost of a uniform dark crimson, and the 
side lobes are blotched on the inner face towards the 
base, and the rest is white. The terminal lobe is 
beautifully crisped, but must be seen in the living 
state to be recognised. The species was discovered 
by Edward Klaboch in 1883 or 1884 at an elevation 
of 4,000 ft. on the Andes of Ecuador. It has already 
found its way into many British collections, where 
it proves of easy cultivation and striking when in 
bloom. 
The Carnation : its History, Properties, and Management, 
with a descriptive list of the best varieties in cultivation. By 
E. S. Dodwell. Third edition with supplementary chapter on 
the Yellow Ground. London : Gardening World Office, 1, 
Clement's Inn, Strand, W.C. is. 6d.; post free, is. 7d.— Ad.J 
