February 17, 1S00 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
397 
for longevity. The trunk of this ancient Oak has a 
diameter of over 27 ft —American Gardening. 
ROSE NOTES. 
Roses which are being brought on under glass, 
should now require feeding. Give weak doses and 
let it be chilled. Be very careful not to let the beds 
or the pots become soaked, especially as the days are 
yet dull. Look to those in the cutting stage, see that 
fungus does not attack them.— R. 
CRIMSON RAMBLER ROSE, FOR EASTER. 
Plants of the above, which had been grown last 
summer in pots, are suitable subjects to force for 
Easter flowering, April 15th. Place them in gentle 
heat to start with, and whenever the foliage has 
somewhat expanded, a higher rate of temperature, 
more sunlight, water and feeding should be given to 
them. For a high and wide, indoor, temperate 
corridor, no plaDt is finer than the Crimson Rambler 
Rose. Plants lifted from the open require very 
cautious treatment. 
BEGONIA SILVER BRONZE. 
In a late issue of the American Florist a very faithful 
portrait of the above appears, together with the 
following description :—" This plant of neat habit is 
a cross between B. decora and B. Silver Grey, with 
beautiful undulated foliage, the colour being a most 
charming combination of minute specks of straw¬ 
berry-red, pea-green, and silver-rose si> minutely 
scattered as to give the appearance from a distance 
of one colour. Short scarlet hairs further orna¬ 
ment the leaves. The under surfaces of the leaves 
and petioles are a rich terra cotta red. Introduced 
by Sander.” 
IRIS UNGUICULARIS. 
This dwarf-growing Iris is in bloom, and may be ex¬ 
pected to remain so for some weeks to come. Flower¬ 
ing as it does in the sheltered but open borders, and 
being a beautiful Iris too, of all flowers, it ought to 
be planted on as liberal a scale as circumstances 
allow. It grows no more than a foot high, the 
foliage being more slender, yet very much like those 
of English Irises. The flowers are, in a manner, 
hidden by the upright foliage, yet the bright violet- 
blue, or the pure white of I. u. alba makes a pretty and 
conspicuous show. They form long enough stalks 
to be serviceable in the cut state, being, in this 
respect, superior to the dwarf I. persica, or I. reticu¬ 
lata, which are so often grown in pots for later 
flowering. It is well to avoid the name of I. stylosa, 
for this is given on standard authority as merely a 
synonym of I. unguicularis. A well sheltered garden 
with a south, or south-western aspect, and a well 
drained and properly prepared border, must needs 
be accorded to this pretty, early flowering plant. It 
would be an interesting experiment, and certainly a 
worthy precedent, for growers in favoured parts of 
the country to try the naturalising of this Iris in 
well-drained, sheltered woodlands.— D. 
PHORMIUM TENAX VARIEGATUM FROM 
SEED. 
Variegated plants are usually propagated by layers, 
cuttings, division and graftin ; but there are several 
things that may be raised from seed with greater or 
less certainty of success. In ether words a good 
percentage of them come true to the general char¬ 
acter of the parent. For instance, Aucuba japonica 
can be raised in hundreds with the variega'ion quite 
equal to and sometimes better than the parent. The 
same may be said of Acer Pseudo-Platanus, Bar- 
baraea vulgaris variegata, and others. A plant of 
Phormium tenax variegatum produced seed in the 
Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, and Mr. Dewar, sowing 
the seeds, raised between 300 and 400 seedlings. In 
this instance the seedlings were more decidedly 
variegated than the parent, in fact they were white, 
being entirely devoid of chlorophyll or leaf g'reen. 
They lived so long as they were sustained by the 
nutriment stored up in the seeds, but after that they 
all died one after the other. The entire lack of 
chlorophyll made their continued existence impos¬ 
sible. 
HYDRANGEAS. 
As these break into growth they should be constantly 
syringed. Green flies and red spider, &c., are thus 
kept off. The large flowered H. paniculata should 
be grown on till Easter, April 15th. 
SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL. — Feb. 1 3 th. 
Chinese Primulas, Cyclamens, Clematis indivisa 
and two or more large collections of Apples were the 
principal features of the meeting on Tuesday last. 
There was considerable surprise that so many 
flowers were brought out considering the bitterly 
cold nature of the weather. 
Captain Holford (gardener, Mr. Chapman), 
Weston Birt, Tetbury, Gloucester, exhibited 
Cattleya Trianaei Weston Birt var. and Cypripedium 
Calypso Oakwood var. C. J. Lucas, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. G. Duncan), Warnham Court, Horsham, staged 
the strangely peculiar Dendrobium macrophyllum 
Richardii and Cypripedium lathamianum superbum. 
R. Brooman-White, Esq., Arddarroch, Gaerloch- 
head, staged some fine panicles of Odontoglossum 
andersonianum. Norman C. Cookson, Esq. (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. Wm. Murray), Oakwood, Wylam-on- 
Tyne, exhibited a vase of cut flowers, consisting 
chiefly of varieties of Odontoglossum crispum. A 
splendid variety was O. c. mundyanum to which a 
First-class Certificate was awarded. He also had 
flowers of Phaius grandifolius, P. sanderianus and 
P. sanderianus x Calanthe Wm. Murray. 
M. Ch. Maron, Brunoy, France, had a splendid 
bigeneric hybrid named Laeliocattleya Bertha 
Fournier var. splendida, which received a First-class 
Certificate; also Lc. Ernesti pallida. Messrs. 
Heath & Son, Cheltenham, staged Cyp r ipedium 
lathamianum giganteum and Dendrobium barbat- 
ulum. Cypripedium Savagei (Charlesworthii x 
concinnum) was shown by Frank A. Rehder, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. Harris), The Avenue, Gipsy Hill, 
S. E. 
Walter Cobb, Esq (gardener, Mr. J. Howes), 
Dulcote, Tunbridge Wells, staged Cypripedium 
Bassano (insigne x Chautini) and two fine trusses of 
Laelia anceps Stella. 
L'Horticole Coloniale, Brussels, exhibited Odonto¬ 
glossum crispum Goliath, O. Ruckeri rubiginosum 
and Cypripedium schusterianum, a hybrid. From 
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, F. W. 
Moore, Esq., sent up two racemes of Zygopetalum 
murryanum. J. Gurney Fowler, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. J. Davis), South Woodford, Essex, exhibited cut 
flowers of Laeliocattleya Miranda, Cattleya Trianaei 
Glebelands var., Cypripedium woodfordiensis and 
C. chamberlainianum. 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent, staged 
a highly creditable display of Primula sinensis, the 
varieties shown including all of the new style being 
developed by their energetic firm—the pyramidalis 
type. Queen of Roses, a pinky-lavender variety ; 
Princess Eva, pure white; Miss Irene, Pink Lady, 
and others supply a pretty selection. The merits of 
this pyramidalis type of Primula lies in the fact that 
the flower stems rise tali and clear above the 
foliage, the blooms themselves being numerous and 
beautifully smooth, lacking the compactness which 
stiffens the effect of the original P. sinensis. (Silver 
Flora Medal) 
Mr. John May, Gordon Nursery, St. Margaret’s, 
Twickenham, set up a long table of very strongly- 
flowtred Cyclamen persicum. Thevigourand large 
size of the blooms plus the strength of the foliage, 
betokened a good strain and careful culture. (Silver 
Flora Medal.) 
Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, Herts., 
exhibited Clematis of the indivisa type in large 
selection. The show proved in a capital way the 
best manner in which to effectively grow and flower 
these pretty early-flowering climbers in the young 
stage. The plants were trained to neat stakes, 2^ ft. 
high, all being well-flowered in 4J in. pots. (Silver 
Flora Medal.) 
Messrs. John Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, S.E., 
brought together a collection of stove and greenhouse 
flowering and foliage plants all of superior quality. 
The Ericas and Indian Azaleas, the Cocos, 
Dracaenas, Begonias, and Ferns being sui'ably 
arranged together. 
Mr. John Watkins, Fruit Grower, Withington, 
Hereford, staged 100 dishes of Apples, a happy 
sight at this season of fogs. The bright colours of 
the fruits were richer than anything, flower or plant, 
in the hall. Good samples, both in respect of size, 
form, and general quality, were seen in Annie 
Elizabeth, Blue Pearmain, Cobham, Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, Cathlin Pippin, Teigende Reinette, Emperor 
Napoleon, Nelson's CodliD, Golden Noble, Dumlow’s 
SeedliDg, Striped Beefing, &c., &c. The Apples 
were divided into 50 dishes of laie cooking and 50 of 
late dessert Apples. (Silver Gilt Knightian Medal) 
Messrs. Barr& Sons, Covent Garden, W.C , had a 
neat little group of hardy flowering and greenhouse 
plants in pots. Lachenalia Garnet, with tall spikes, 
the common Snowdrop, and the variety robustus, 
Narcissus minimus, hardy Cyclamen, Primulas, and 
the fragrant Honeysuckle. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sans, Ltd., Chelsea, showed 
trusses of their perpetual flowering Javanico-jasmini- 
flarun Rhododendrons. These are always much 
praised, and deservedly so. Multicolor Neptune, a 
bright crimsoa-orange, Rose Perfection, and Cloth 
of Gold are three of the very finest. 
Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans, showed blooms 
of new varieties of Camellia of great strength, size, 
beauty, and good colour. 
Mr. Wm. Bull, 536, King’s Road, Chelsea, showed 
a large number of the individual blooms of his strain 
of Primula sinensis. Some of these, particularly 
Duke of York, a rich crimson, were very nice. 
Messrs. Van Waveren & Kruyff staged Astilbes in 
flower. 
Mr. W. Poupart, Marsh Farm, Twickenham, ex¬ 
hibited an assortment of Rhubarbs, firm, well- 
coloured, and nice length and thickness for forced 
samples. Linnaeus, Victoria, Daw's Champion, from 
Victoria x Champagne, being as early as Champagne, 
but much finer,and the old Champagne itself were all 
to be seen. Forced Asparagus and Seakale were also 
shown. (Silver Knightian Medal). 
Messrs. Geo. Bunyard & Co., The Royal Nurseries, 
Maidstone, exhibited 100 splendid dishes of late 
keeping Apples. Mr. Bunyard is well known for 
these late exhibits of fruit, and anyone who has seen 
his earlier exhibitions, may form their opinion of the 
high quality of the present show. Golden Noble, 
Peasgood’s Nonsuch, Beauty of Kent, Wealthy, 
Striped Beefing, Annie Elizabeth, Swedish Reinette, 
Bow Hill Pippin, Mother, Tyler’s Kernel, and many 
others were simply perfection. (Silver-gilt Knight¬ 
ian Medal). 
Annual General Meeting. 
The annual general meeting of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society was held in the society’s offices, 117, 
Victoria Street, Westminster, at 3 p.m., on Tuesday 
last, the chair being taken by the President, Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart. 
The past year has been one of continued pros¬ 
perity. A new privilege held out to Fellows is in 
the provision which the council have made for send¬ 
ing out a fully qualified “ inspector ” to advise upon 
the gardens or alterations, &c., in them, belonging 
to Fellows. A sum of £2 2s. is charged per day, or 
3s. far two days, when such inspector is called 
for. £1,810 have been spent in the ordinary work 
and maintenance of the society's garden at Chiswick. 
The receipts by sale of surplus produce amount to 
£330, making the net ordinary cost of the gardens 
£1,480. Good work is reported by the council, as 
being done by Mr. Wright, the superintendent of 
the Chiswick garden. The students there are 
rendering a capital account of themselves, and are 
receiving numerous and valuable calls to appoint¬ 
ment. The supply, indeed, is not sufficient to meet 
the demand. But those who go there must all be 
workers. The meetings and lectures at the Drill 
Hall, Westminster, have been productive of much 
good and in all respects satisfactory. 
The grand total of the awards made during the 
year at the various meetings, on the recommenda¬ 
tion of the committees, amount in all to 931. This 
includes gold medals, memorial medals, cups, silver- 
gilt, bronze, banksian and other medals and Awards 
of Merit, &c. The good work of the scientific com¬ 
mittee is referred to, with the hint that more ex¬ 
tended use might be made of the scientific com¬ 
mittee's services. The international conference on 
hybridisation held in July was considered an 
unqualified success, as likewise were the shows held 
at the Inner Temple, and at the Crystal Palace, the 
latter the fruit show. 
Very special stress is placed upon the necessity 
for Fellows and others interested in this autumn show 
of British grown fruits, to subscribe toward the 
necessary funds yearly asked lor. At least £too 
have annually to be collected extraneously, the 
R.H.S. and the Crystal Palace Company being other 
parties in providing money. The latter body, how- 
