264 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 16, 1899- 
Downie, nurseryman and seedsman, Edinburgh, for 
a splendid collection of stove and greenhouse plants. 
The total receipts of Saturday and donations by 
patrons are/70 os. 8d..after payiDg the expenses and 
prizes. The society has handed over ^34 to charity, 
the District Nurses' Association. 
-•*>- 
OBITUARY. 
Mr. Alfred Outram. 
It is with very much, regret that we announce the 
death of Mr. Alfred Outram, at his residence, 7, 
Moore Park Road, Fulham, London, S.W., on the 
night of Friday, the 8th inst., at the age of 52. He 
has been ailing for some time past, in fact since 
September last, but the end came rather suddenly, 
owing to a complication of diseases, He was up on 
Friday, but died on retiring upstairs for the night, 
tbe immediate cause of death berng heart desease. 
Mr. Outram was borne at Tooting, in Surrey ( 
where his father still lives in good health. At the 
early age of thirteen he was engaged in the then 
famous nurseries of Messrs. Rollison & Sons, going 
through all the operations which an apprentice is 
supposed to, such as the washing and crocking of 
pots. He soon found himself in the propagating de¬ 
partment, where, owing to his diligence and useful¬ 
ness, he received every encouragement from his 
employers. Mr. George Rollison was fond of 
hybridising Ericas, and put many of them into com¬ 
merce, as most gardeners of that period knew. It 
was part of Mr. Outram’s work to assist in the labell¬ 
ing of the crosses, and from all accounts he did his 
work well, for he rose a step higher, getting into the 
order office, under the late Mr. William Buckley, one 
of the best plantsmen of his day, who gave 
young Outram a good drilling in the correct naming 
and labelling of plants. Besides Heaths, the Toot¬ 
ing nursery was famous for seedling Rhododendrons 
and fine-foliaged Begonias. 
Mr. Outram went from Tooting to the late Mr. 
William Cole, who, with his sons, carried on a pros¬ 
perous business at the Fog Lane Nurseries, Wnhing- 
ton, near Manchester, where he accumulated much 
knowledge in the art of propagation, and the grow¬ 
ing of specimen plants, for which the nursery was 
famous in those days. All this meant hard work and 
long hours, for the Coles were reckoned amongst the 
most extensive exhibitors of their day. From here 
the next move was to Manley Hall, Manchester, the 
residence of Sam. Mendell, Esq., whose famous gar¬ 
dens were then under the management of Mr. 
Sharman. Life in a private establishment proved 
too monotonous for Mr. Outram, and after two years 
he made a move to get into the trade again. 
Somewhere about the latter end of the sixties or 
early in the seventies he weDt into the nurseries of 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, where he took 
charge of the stove department, and kept it for a 
period of three or four years. Here he added im¬ 
mensely to his knowledge of plant life, which aided 
him greatly in his after career. 
About twenty-five years ago an opening occurred 
as traveller in the establishment of the late Mr. B. 
S. Williams, of Holloway, and though Mr. Outram 
was rather young for such an occupation, he never¬ 
theless accepted it. The wise counsel and liberal 
encouragement offered him by his employer enabled 
him to pull through the more difficult task of that 
calling. He travelled in all parts of Great Britain, 
Ireland, United States of America, and Canada for 
his firm. In 1876 he, in company with Mr. Henry 
Williams, the head of the business to-day, took a 
valuable collection of plants to the Philadelphia ex¬ 
hibition, where the highest award, a Gold Medal, 
was awarded them. This was the means of opening 
up a lucrative business with America, and Mr. 
Outram paid an annual visit for many years, going 
to all quarters of the United States. 
Alter leaving Messrs. B. S Williams & Son about 
three years ago. he received an appointment with 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, for whom he 
travelled regularly till more recently. 
Besides his ordinary occupation Mr. Outram was 
connected with various bodies and societies. He was 
one of the founders of the Hortus Lodge of Free 
Masons, and remained a member till the time of his 
death. He was also a sub warden of the Gardeners’ 
Charity Guild. He was one of the first helpers that 
Mr. John Burn had in organising the Leicester show, 
and has acted as judge there every year since. The 
same may be said of the Hanley show, in conjunc- 
tian with Mr. Kent, the superintendent of parks for 
the borough. At the time of his death Mr. Outram 
was a member of the committee of the Royal Gar¬ 
deners’ Orphan Fund ; of the committee of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society; and of the 
Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. 
His brother is one of the famous detectives of 
Scotland Yard. His son is a clerk in the office of 
Baron Schroder, in the City of London. His 
daughter has accomplished the clerical work in con¬ 
nection with the Moore Park Road business. He 
also leaves a widow, a genial lady, in good health, 
though now prostrated with grief. We were under a 
wrong impression when we mentioned his name as a 
judge at the recent N.C.S. show, as we expected he 
would be well enough to act in that capacity. He has 
made a great many friends all over the country, who, 
as well as his own family,have now to deplore his loss. 
His funeral takes place at the Fulham Cemetery, at 
12 noon, on Wednesday, as we go to press. 
QO€$€IODS SOD 
Potting" Bulbs to flower in April.— Beginner : The 
best time to put bulbs to fl iwer in the beginning of 
April is during the month of October. Indeed, for 
flowering during March. April and May, they should 
all have been potted during October last You may 
pot them at once, if you have not already done so; 
but they would have given you more satisfaction if 
potted at the time stated, because they get time to 
form roots and get well established long before they 
are required to throw up flower spikes. The great 
object should be to bring them on as slowly as 
possible under cool treatment, because then the roots 
have time to collect food from ihe soil, and the 
foliage and flower spikes grow up sturdily and short. 
Your best plan now is to pot them up and plunge 
them in a hes ; or better still, cocoanut fibre, in cold 
frames. Tnen cover them to tne deptn oi 2 in. with 
the same material, and leave tnem there till the 
spikes begin t) push through the fibre, when they 
should be uncovered and gradually accustomed to 
light. If they appear backward about the end of 
February you must put them in a moderately warm 
greenhouse, on shelves or close to the light. As the 
time approaches when they will be required, gradually 
raise the temperature to hurry them on. Much de¬ 
pends on the state of the weather ; but you may 
ha ten them by heat, or retard them in a cool, well 
lighted place accordingly. Weak liquid manure 
wili be a safe stimulant for them while throwing up 
their spikes or flowers. 
Cultivation and Treatment of Begonia met- 
allica— R. A.: This species may ofien be seen 
doing well in a greenhouse temperature whether 
grown in pots or planted out. It also does well in 
an intermediate house, that is in a temperature be¬ 
tween that of a stove and a greenhouse. Some 
fairly goof plants have been grown in ihe windows 
of dwelling bouses. It will succeed then under a 
fairlv wide range of temperature. We should give 
it greenhouse temperature in summer, after the 
weather gets fairly warm, and though the plant will 
grow more slowly it will be more sturdy and last 
longer in good condition. Use a compost of three 
parts of good, fibrous loam to one part of good leaf 
mould, and one part of well decayed cow manure, 
With sufficient sand to make the whole porous and 
open. Supposing you begin with small plants, give 
them a small shift from time to time as the roots get 
well through the fresh soil. In the early stages 
pinch off the tops to lay the foundation of a bushy 
plant, if you want it of large size. Another way is 
to let the few shoots grow till they reach the flower¬ 
ing stage, then allow the plants to become dry after 
flowering is finished. Then cut the shoots well back 
and repot into a larger size as growth commences in 
spring. During winter the plants should be kept 
rather dry after being cut back, and in a temperature 
of 45 0 or thereabout. 
Name and Soil for Orchid.— IV. A., Newcastle- 
on-Tyne : Tne proper name of the Orchid you send 
is Cypripedium insigne. The soil, or rather the 
compost in which you should grow this species is 
good turfy or fibrous peat, mostly fibre, the loose 
stuff being shaken out, with a little fibrous loam, 
and a good proportion of charcoal and broken pots¬ 
herds. They should be potted moderately firmly 
in this not pressed hard nor rammed. The surface 
should be covered with live sphagnum, pressed down 
now and again if it should grow too rank, threatening 
to bury the crowns. Pots may be used up to 5 in. 
or 6 in. in size, but for large plants you had better 
use pans so as to avoid too great depth, which would 
have to be filled up with crocks. You ask whether 
it should be grown in a stove, but if 6o° is the right 
temperature you give, it is already in a stove for all 
practical purposes. It is a cool house Orchid, and 
should not have a higher night temperature from 
November till March than 45 0 , rising to 50° or 55° 
from sun heat by day. It should be resting at the 
present time. As the outside temperature rises in 
March and the light is better, you may then increase 
the temperature to encourage growth. Increased 
supplies of water should also be given in proportion 
to growth. Your object in summer should be to 
keep down the temperature by shading and a little 
ventilation, increasing the latter as growth gets com¬ 
pleted so as to induce the plants to rest and firm up 
the foliage. Towards autumn the flower spikes will 
begin to push up. A temperature of 50° will be 
quite sufficient during the flowering period, keeping 
the atmosphere fairly dry. 
R H.S. Examination in Horticulture— Wm. 
Marsden : You can make enquiries amongst well in¬ 
formed people in your town so as to ascertain whether 
anyone superintends an examination for your district. 
The schoolmaster and clergyman are amongst those 
most likely to know. Should you ascertain that no 
such examination is held, you might induce some 
responsible party, such as those named, or any other 
important person, to oblige you, and possibly others 
in the neighbourhood, by superintending a room in 
which the examination papers are to be written. 
Write to the Rev. W. Wilks, Secretary, Royal Hort¬ 
icultural Society, 117, Victoria Street, London, 
S.W., and he will send you papers giving particulars 
of what is required. You will then know how to set 
about the matter, and prepare for the examination. 
Names of Plants.— R.W. : The shrub you sent is 
Euonymus europaeus fructu albo, a beautiful and 
rare variety.— R. M. : 1, Asplenium flabellifolium ; 
2, Adiantum caudatum ; 3, Fuchsia procumbens ; 
4, Jasmtnum nudiflorum.— G.S. : 1, Nepeta Glech- 
oma variegata ; 2, Othonna crassifolia, with the 
yellow flowers — Sigma : Cotoneaster Simonsii (it 
makes a good hedge).— IV. P. : 1, Miltonia vexil- 
laria ; 2, Oncidium varicosum Rogersii; Cypriped¬ 
ium Sedeni.— J.R.: 1, Petasites fragrans ; 2, Salvia 
rutilans ; 3, Senecio’grandifolius; 4, Daphne indica ; 
5, Eupatoriom weinmannianum.— J. Gales Hardliam : 
Cotoneaster Simonsii. 
Fruits to Name— R. Greig: Apples, 1, Annie 
Elizabeth ; 2, Nonsuch ; 3. Rymer. Pears, 4, 
Josephine de Maline; 5, Easter Beurre; 6, Marie 
Louise d’Uccle. 
Communications Received.—J. G.—Grower.— 
F C. T—0=man & Co.—Toogood & Sons.—G. B. 
■—W. A.—M Temple.—T. B —A. C.—A. G.—H. J. 
—Western.—J. O S.—R. W.—C. D. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
F. Vallis & Son, Bromham Fruit Farm, Chippen¬ 
ham.—Select list of New and Choice Chrys¬ 
anthemums. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading.—Sutton's Amateur’s 
Guide in Horticulture for 1900. 
Theodore Turner, Begonia Nurseries, Great 
Sutton, Chester, — Roses, Begonias, Gladioli, 
Paeonies, Cannas, Lilies, Fruit Trees, &c. 
James Veitch & Sons, Ltd., Royal Exotic 
Nursery, 544, King’s Road,Chelsea,S.W —Catalogue 
of Seeds, &c., 1900 ; also C»talogue of Hardy Trees, 
Shrubs, Cooiferae, American Plants, Hardy Bam¬ 
boos, N.mphaeas; The Chelsea Horticultural 
Manure; New Dessert Apple, Langley Pippin. 
