The gardening World 
37 
January 9, 1904. 
they will never recover. Endeavour to grow them on as nearly 
as possible under the same conditions as they would experience 
during April in the open. As soon as the seedlings can be 
conveniently handled, prick out into other boxes, using the 
some kind of 'soil, except that it should be made slightly richer 
by adding a little bonemeial—a safe and lasting manure much 
liked by the Onion. Grow on in a temperature of 55 deg. 
Frequent dampings over the young plants with the syringe, 
using tepid water, will considerably assist them on bright days. 
After the plants become well established, remove them to a 
cooler house or heated pit, gradually admitting more air, re¬ 
moving the lights entirely whenever the weather is favourable 
for so doing, and finally, before planting, place' them either in 
cold frames or under a south wall to thoroughly harden. Early 
in April is the best time for planting, and, providing the plants 
liave been well attended to, a few degrees of frost will do them 
no harm. 
Preparation of the Ground.—It is essential, to' produce these 
at their best, that the ground be well enriched, deeply trenched, 
and made ready some time previous, early in the New Year 
being the best time for this, and here I may mention the same 
plot, of ground may bei used with the best possible results for 
many years, so that extra, pains should be taken in the first 
instance to prepare the ground well. An open, sunny site 
should always be selected, and the land well drained. After 
the trenching lias been done, give a surface dressing of soot, 
wood ashes, and lime, and leave till the time of planting, when 
the whole should be just pointed over with the fork and raked 
down level. Plant 1 ft. apart all ways, using a, garden trowel, 
and make very firm. Syringe or damp overhead with a fine 
rose water-pot several times during the day for a short time 
should dry weather prevail, and give frequent light applications 
of reliable patent vegetable manure in showery weather, and 
slight, dustings of scot weekly. The crop will be much bene- 
fitted with good waterings of farmyard liquid during spells of 
drought, and the tops damped over during evening. 
Harvesting the Crop.—Carefully lift the bulbs, taking care 
not to bruise them in the slightest. Early in September 
expose them fully to the sun, turning them over every other 
day ; any required for special purposes should be finished under 
glass, and store in a cool, airy place for the winter. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. E. Beckett. 
SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL. 
January 5th. 
The meeting at the Drill Hall, Westminster, on Tuesday last, 
was not such a big one as the last September meeting, but a 
very respectable display of exhibits for the season of the year 
was brought up. Orchids were scarcely half so numerous as 
on the last occasion, though fairly well represented. The more 
prominent exhibits consisted of Chrysanthemums, stove and 
greenhouse plants, hardy herbaceous and alpine plants, varie¬ 
gated and berried trees and shrubs, and others of that character 
were plentiful. Amongst winter-flowering plants of recent in¬ 
troduction Jacobinia coccinea, J. chrysostephana, Coleus 
thyrsoideus, and Mosehosma riparium were conspicuous and 
bright at this dull, wintry season of the year. 
Orchid Committee. 
Messrs. J. A eitcli and Sons, Limited, Chelsea, exhibited a 
group of hybrid Orchids, amongst which the dwarf-growing 
Scphrooattleya Saxa stood out prominently on account of its 
cheerful pink flowers with a red blotch on the pale yellow lip. 
Other hybrids with conspicuous and showy flowers were Epiden 
drum wallisio-ciliare, Laeliocattleya Pallas, Lc. Clonia, Lc. 
calistoglossa, Lc. Cappei, and Cattleya Miranda, Several 
Cypripediums were also noticeably fine, including C. Baron 
Schroder, heavily blotched with purple, being one of the finest 
of the C. fairieanum hybrids. Also C. Troilus, C. Eurvades 
guttatum. (Silver Flora. Medal.) 
Messrs. F. Sander and Sons, St. Albans, also staged a group 
of Orchids, including such as Cymbidium lowianum variety, 
Cypripedium Annie Measures, and Lycaste Skinneri alba. We 
were most taken with Cypripedium insigne macnabianum, with 
rich brown spots on the dorsal sepal. The lip and petals were 
also dark brown and glossy, as if varnished. (Silver Flora 
Medal.) 
Messrs. Hugh Low and Co., Bush Hill Park, Enfield, Middle¬ 
sex, staged a small but interesting group, including well-flowered 
pieces of Cypripedium Minos Low’s variety, very finely blotched 
on the dorsal sepal with dark brown petals and lip- Other 
choice things were C. callosum Sanderae, C. insigne Sanderae, 
and C. i. sanderianum, the latter distinguished by having no 
spots on the dorsal sepal and some brown hairs on the base of 
the petals. 
Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., Heaton, Bradford, exhibited 
an interesting group of Orchids, including many hybrids. 
Cypripedium Dora Crawshaw (bellatulum x Charlesworthii 
mosaicum) was the handsomest of its kind which we noted, 
having rich rosy purple flowers netted with darker veins. Other 
choice things were C. Euryades Charlesworthii and Laelia 
Charlesworthii, both very handsome forms. They also had 
striking pieces of Odontoglossum loochristiense and O. Hallio- 
crispum. (Silver Flora Medal.) 
C. J. Lucas, Esq. (gardener, Mr. C. Duncan), Warnham Court, 
Horsham, exhibited a group of well-grown Calanthes in the cut 
state- Amongst these we noted very fine spikes of C. Yeitchi 
superba, C. Sybil, C. Phoebe, etc., all giving evidence of good 
cultivation. (Silver Banksian Medal.) 
F. Wellesley, Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. Hopkins), Westfield, 
Woking, exhibited a fine variety of Laelia autunmalis, also 
Cypripedium rubescens Ranjitsinghi, Cypripedium Charles- 
worthii, and C. Celeus superbum, the latter having the dorsal 
sepal heavily spotted with crimson on a yellow ground with a 
white edge. 
Jeremiah Column, Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. P. Bound), Gatton 
Park, Reigate, exhibited Cattleya Trianae Eleanor, a hybrid of 
C. villosum and others. 
F. W. Moore, Esq., Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, exhi¬ 
bited a number of pet Orchids, including Epidendrum cooperia- 
num, Maxillaria macrura, and others, receiving a number of 
Botanical Certificates for the same. 
Mrs. Haywood (gardener, Mr. C. J. Salter), Woodhatch Lodge, 
Reigate, exhibited a very tine Cypripedium named Mrs. Hay¬ 
wood (T. B. Haywood x Charlesworthii), having the upper 
sepal and petals claret with a white edge, and the lip with a 
yellow edge. She also had some other interesting Orchids. 
Flokal Committee. 
Messrs. William Cut-bush and Son, Higligate, London, N., 
staged a group of hardy alpine plants backed up with Conifers 
and shrubs. Amongst them we noted interesting flowering 
pieces of Iris liistrio, I. sophiensis, Sternbergia fisclieriana, and 
the winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans), the flowers of which 
were distinctly fragrant. (Silver Banksian Medal.) They also 
had a group of Carnations in vases, including Mrs. S. J. 
Brookes, white ; Sir Hector Macdonald, striped ; and William 
H. Cutbush, a fine new one with rosy-carmine flowers. 
Mr. John Russell, Richmond, Surrey, had a very fine collec¬ 
tion of hardy berried shrubs, and also fine foliage subjects of 
a hardy nature. Very finely berried were Skimmia fragrans, 
Aucuba japonica, A. j. longifolia, and others. Fine foliage 
Wants were represented by Aucuba japonica maculata, Eurva 
latifolia variegata, Hedera Helix madeirensis, H. H. flavescens, 
and many others. (Silver Flora Medal.) 
Messrs. J. Yeitcli and Sons, Limited, had a very interesting 
group, consisting of Jacobinia coccinea, with scarlet flowers ; 
J. chrysostephana, with orange flowers ; Peri strophe speciosa, 
purple; and Mosehosma riparium, with pale pinky-white flowers 
and fragrant foliage. (Silver Banksian Medal.) 
Messrs. T. S. Ware, Limited, Hale Farm Nursery, Felthain, 
Middlesex, exhibited a very extensive collection of herbaceous 
plants in qiots and pans. Very few of them were in flower, but 
they served to show the individuality of the plants durum the 
winter months and the method of growing these hardy subjects 
m such a way that they can readily be utilised in the alpine 
house, where such exists, or be stood in cold frames or moved 
about for any other purpose that may be necessary. The collec¬ 
tion included large numbers of Saxifragas, Sedums, Semper- 
vivums, Ramondia pyrenaica, Megaseas, Mesembryanthemum 
uncinatum, Mentha Requieni, Lippia repens, and many others. 
The foliage of the crustaceous Saxifragas being of a permanent 
character is well adapted for a study of the plants at any season 
of the year, and becomes very interesting in winter when hardy 
flowers are less plentiful. (Silver Flora Medal.) 
Lady Plowden (gardener, Mr. W. H. Clark), Aston Row.mt 
House, Wallingford, exhibited a collection of decorative Chry- 
santhemums such as could scarcely be found once in a thousand 
cases in an amateur’s establishment at this season of the year. 
