September 9, 1905. 
THE 0 A R DEN I NO XVORL D. 
709 
Mignonette that was sown in pots last 
month will now be in the rough leaf, and for 
pots 5in. in diameter they should bo thinned 
out to from three to five plants, leaving the 
strongest; as far as possible expose !o furl 
sunshine. 
Schizanthus. —Pot up into 3in. pots, three 
in a pot, and fully expose to the light after 
the first few days. 
Stage Pelargoniums. —If the plants have 
broken freely, shake them out, considerably 
reducing the ball, especially in the case of the 
older plants, which should be potted into a 
size less than the pots they occupiel. Toung 
plants may occupy the same size as before. 
Return to former quarters, keeping the house 
rather close for the first week, and for the 
same period sprinkle overhead and water 
sparingly at the root. 
Hardy Fruit. 
Wall fruit now beginning to ripen oil will 
require constant watching and careful loo*v- 
ing to, for the ravages of woodlice and earwigs 
are very destructive, especially to Apricots 
and Peaches, when little now can be done to 
ward them off, except by trapping them with 
small pots filled with moss at the foot of the 
wall. Examining the pots daily over a pail of 
hot water is the best means of destroying the 
earwigs. Stalks of the ordinary beans cut 
into 9in. lengths, behind a joint, and placed 
at the back of the supporting wires or shoots, 
make an excellent trap, and can be emptied 
over the pail of hot water every morning as 
the daily round is made. 
Plums are now swelling fast, and will be 
greatly benefited by a good watering; add 
liquid from the farmyard at the rate of one m 
four. Examine fruit and relieve any over¬ 
crowded or misplaced fruit. 
Figs are now swelling, and at a stage to be 
greatly benefited by a good soaking of the 
same mixture. 
Pears are ripening fast, and will need look¬ 
ing over and pulling as they ripen. Citron 
des Carmes and Jargonelle are coming pre¬ 
maturely with the dry season. 
J. Fraser Smith. 
A GREENHOUSE SHRUB IN THE OPEN 
(Caesalpinia Gilliesii .) 
The Caesalpinias are usually regarded as 
greenhouse shrubs, so that one rarely finds 
them in the open, while cultivators can 
scarcely afford them space under glass. For 
cool and tall conservatories, however, these 
shrubs would certainly be at home. They be¬ 
long to the Pea family, but to a section in which 
the dowers are regular and not in shape like 
tb.ose of the garden Pea. The subject of this 
note was introduced from South America in 
1829, and has hitherto been grown under the 
name of Poinciana Gilliesii. A specimen 
planted against Museum .No. 1 at Kew shows 
that it is a very rampantly-growing plant, 
which may be treated as a climber, as it is 
in this case. The stems have reached a 
height of 25ft., and during the past month 
flowered freely on the top. The petals of the 
flowers are yellow, but the chief ornament of 
the flowers is due to the cluster of long red 
filaments of the stamens,, which reach a 
length of 3in. to 5in. The flowers are, there¬ 
fore, very striking and uncommon in appear¬ 
ance, due to the great length and dark colour 
of the stamens, while the contrast between 
them and the petals is also notable. 
OCCASIONAL 
-e I NTERVI EWS 
Mr. H. BOSHIER, 
Hon. Seen lary of the Croydon and Listricl Ilcrlicul ural Mutual Imirovemenl Society. 
A cardinal necessity of the horticultural 
society, as indeed of any similarly constituted 
body, is a secretary with a big appetite for 
work, with heart and soul in that work, and 
possessed of at least a fair quantum of organis¬ 
ing capacity, and preferably also with ideas 
and the faculty of initiative. Admitted, this 
is reiteration, for I have remarked as much 
several times before. But the more one be¬ 
comes acquainted with the history and con¬ 
dition of these societies the greater reason 
has one to be assured of this fact, a fact which 
stagnation or actual retrogression. Be sure 
that here is secretarial ineptitude. Per¬ 
sistent hard work (and I emphasise this 
qualification), of course, intelligently directed, 
is demanded and is a prime factor of the 
successful secretary of a society. Therefore, 
when I heard of the go-ahead character of the 
Croydon and District Horticultural Mutual 
Improvement Society, I concluded at onie 
that the secretary must necessarily be the 
essential stamp and pattern of man which 
I have portrayed. 
Mr. H. BosHttR. 
is plainly not too well recognised or appre¬ 
ciated ; if it were we should not hoar so many 
perplexed surmises concerning the languish 
ing or moribund state of this and that 
society, not only from irresponsible members, 
but from officials as well. If told that a certain 
society was in low water or had ceased to 
exist, I should unhesitatingly suspect that 
the secretary was at fault, just as I should 
imply, if told that a society was flourishing 
and going strong, that the secretarial office 
was occupied by the right .man. And the 
diagnosis in nine cases out of ten, probably 
in ten cases out of ten, would be correct. 
By those with any considerable knowledge cf 
societies and society work I may be accused 
of merely labouring a truism, but it is a 
truism that may well be restated for the 
benefit of members of horticultural bodies 
whose affairs never seem to prosper, and 
where, instead of progress, is demoralising 
And I was not in the least disappointed 
in this respect concerning the gentleman wdio 
acts as secretary for this live and prosperous 
association of those who have been drawn 
together by a common interest in gardening 
pursuits. 
When I called at No. 62. High Street, Croy¬ 
don, where Mr. Boshier is engaged in busi¬ 
ness, I was confronted by a spruce, dapper 
man of average height and apparently on the 
right side of 30. This turned out to be my 
quarry. To employ an apt colloquialism, one 
might describe him as being "all there." 
While, I fancy, not addicted to self deprecia¬ 
tion, he has an eminently pleasant and affable 
manner, which doubtless largely accounts for 
his popularity with his colleagues. As I was 
to learn later, he is a good talker, and has a 
well-informed mind ; and as a man of busi¬ 
ness is, I should suppose, capable much above 
the average. Energy and “ go ” are written 
