July 4, 1908. TUB 
GARDENING WORLD. 449 
imerset, had an exhibit of their well- 
lown grand strains of Delphiniums, 
,-rethrums, and Paeonies. 
Messrs. Richard Smith and Co., Wor¬ 
ker, had a similar group of Paeonies, 
elphiniums, Pyrethrums, Carnations, 
c. 
Mr. John Forbes, Hawick, N.B., had 
1 exhibit of his notable strain of 
entstemons, all named varieties, includ- 
g Mrs. Callendar, John Michie, and 
hloxes, such as Mme. G. Marie, Avia- 
on, Violas and Pansies. 
-- 
dontoglossum gioriosum citrinum. 
This is a variety in which all the brown 
nd purple has been washed out, leaving 
othing but pale yellow blotches on the 
hite ground. This would correspond with 
■hat has happened in Cypripedium callo- 
um Sanderae and some others. Award of 
lent by the R.H.S. on June 9th to 
Iessrs. j. and A. McBean, Cooksbr'idge, 
iussex. 
he N.R.S. Metropolitan Exhibition. 
This, the leading Rose Show-of the sea- 
on, which will be held on Friday, July 
,rd, in the beautiful gardens of the Royal 
Botanic Society, Regent’s Park, promises 
0 be one of the finest the National Rose 
Society has held for many years. The 
previous weather conditions which, as a 
rule, mar most Rose shows, are late 
spring frosts and a long continuance of 
;old weather in June. This year both of 
these conditions have been absent, for 
seldom has there been so few frosts late 
in the spring, while during the present 
month the cold periods have never lasted 
more than a day or two, so that the growth 
of the plants has at no time received any 
seiious check. Among other interesting 
new features of this exhibition will be 
competitive groups of the varieties which 
obtained the first, second and third places 
in the recent ballot for the best dwarf 
and climbing Roses for ordinary garden 
cultivation. 
Edward Mawley, 
Hon. Secretary, N.R.S. 
A New Kodak Competition for Eastman 
Plates. 
A competition, in which handsome cash 
i prizes amounting to ^240 are offered, is 
announced by Kodak, Ltd. The com¬ 
petition is for amateur work done upon 
Eastman Plates, and is divided into three 
classes. Class I., novice, restricted to 
those who have never won a prize in any 
photographic competition. Class II., 
open for amateurs not competing in Class 
I. Class III., a special class for nega¬ 
tives developed in the new Eastman Plate 
Tank. The prospectus, which can be ob¬ 
tained from any dealer or by addressing 
a postcard to Kodak, Ltd., 57-61, Clerken- 
well Road, London, E.C., gives full parti¬ 
culars of the competition, including prize 
list .and entry forms. The competition 
will be taken in three sections, closing 
respectively on August 20th, September 
21st, and October 20th, 1908, /80 being 
offered in each section, in amounts rang¬ 
ing from £1 to /15. Amateur photo¬ 
graphers who are glass plate workers will 
doubtless be quick to grasp the oppor¬ 
tunity of winning one of the attractive 
prizes offered by Kodak, Ltd., and the 
competition will doubtless repeat the suc¬ 
cess which has attended previous contests 
of this nature organised by Kodak, Ltd. 
Address: The Editor, The Gardening 
World, 37 and 38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
The Editor invites enquiries, which may 
cover any branch of gardening. Questions 
should be as brief as -possible and written on 
one side of the paper only; a separate sheet 
of paper should be used for each question. . 
Replies cannot be sent by post. 
Garden Plans. —Gardeners who would make 
the best use of this column are invited to 
prepare and forward to us a rough outline 
drawing or plan of their gardens, indicating 
the position of beds and lawns, the charac- 
STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 
2984. Primulas Poisonous or Not. 
I should be obliged for information in 
this week’s Gardening World re Primulas. 
There is a species called P. obconica, which 
I am informed is very dangerous, causing 
blood poisoning from being scratched by it, 
and in one case it resulted in death. I en¬ 
close you a bloom of the plants I have, but 
not named. Kindly furnish name of the 
variety. Tell me also the colour of the 
bloom, etc., of P. obconica. I may also add 
that my employer has an objection to them 
in the greenhouse if considered dangerous. 
(G. Beverley, Yorks.) 
The Primula you sent us was P. cortu- 
soides, and as far as we know, or ever have 
heard, if does not injure anyone. We have 
worked amongst Primulas of all sorts and 
they did not affect us. Some people are, 
however, liable to a trouble closely resem¬ 
bling eczema when they get their hands or 
arms smeared with the clammy hairs upon 
P. obconica. This latter has larger flowers 
than that you sent and larger leaves, though 
somewhat similar in form. You may recog¬ 
nise it, however, by the bladdery, cup¬ 
shaped calyx not quite so large as that of 
the common Chinese Primula, but more fun¬ 
nel-shaped. The colour of the original in¬ 
troduction was white,, but many new varie¬ 
ties have been developed with larger flowers 
of various pink and rose shades. It is 
blamed for being dangerous to some people, 
although hundreds of people handle it with 
impunity. Many people keep on growing it, 
notwithstanding the bad name given it. A 
good antidote in the case of those affected 
by it is to wash the hands and arms with 
a weak solution of Condy’s Fluid. If you 
are in doubt as to v.hether you have it in 
your collection or not you could send us 
specimens of the various sorts you have in 
the greenhouse. 
2985. Amaryllis Bulbs Decaying. 
Some of my Amarvllis bulbs look in a 
bad way, although they flowered well about 
six weeks ago. Some of the leaves have red 
streaks on them, but the outer scales of the 
bulb are rotting at the neck. Is this a dis¬ 
ease; and if so what is the remedy for it? 
(J. H, R., Lines.) 
‘ We suspect that they have been subjected 
to some unsuitable cultural treatment, such 
as low temperature, or the}' have been al¬ 
lowed to get dry at the root and the bulb 
ter and height of the fence or wall ; posi¬ 
tion of vegetable garden, orchard, etc. The 
north side of the garden and any over¬ 
shadowing buildings should be denoted. It 
should also be stated whether the garden is 
flat or on a declivity, and all large trees 
should be marked. Particulars of the na¬ 
ture of the soil will also help us to give 
satisfactory replies. When such plans are 
received they will be carefully filed, with 
the name and address of the sender, and 
will be consulted by the Editor whenever an 
enquiry is sent. 
mite has got established. Wait till the 
leaves die down, then turn them out of their 
pots. All the soil in the pots should be 
taken away some distance from the garden. 
You could then wash the bulbs in clean 
water. Then place them in rather a strong 
solution of Condy’s Fluid for an hour, then 
lay them out to dry. Repeat this operation 
in the course of a week, and when the bulbs 
have got dry, store them in moist sand until 
potting time.’ If you grow them on without 
check we think by this means you will get 
over the trouble. 
2986. Rooting Begonia Cuttings. 
Do vou think it possible for me to root 
cuttings of tuberous Begonias during the 
summer ? I have only a small greenhouse 
and two cold frames. I shall be much 
obliged if you will help me. (H. Paget, 
Beds.) 
We should think you would be able to 
root cuttings of tuberous Begonias in a cold 
frame turned round so as to face the north. 
They take some little time to form tubers, 
but should be kept as cool as possible, and 
the frame should also be shaded during the 
warmer part of the day. Get a box about 
5 in. deep, fill it with sand, either silver 
sand or clean river sand. Water this down 
with a rosed watering pof, and when the 
water has drained away get ready and in¬ 
sert the cuttings. Cut them just below a 
joint, using a sharp knife and not cutting 
away the joint. Insert them rather thickly 
in this sand, label them, if they are named 
ones, and then water down, the sand again 
to settle it close about the cuttings. If the 
frame is much exposed to sunshine a thin 
shade of whiting would serve to break the 
force of the sun and save a lot of work in 
putting on and removing the shading. Some 
time in October or earlier when the stems 
die down you can lift the tubers and keep 
them in moist cocoanut fibre or sand till the 
end of March, when you can pot them up 
singly. 
ROOM PLANTS. 
2987. Treatment of Arum Lily. 
I am a constant reader of vour valuable 
paper and should be very glad if you could 
tell me what to do with an Arum Lily which 
has finished blooming. I have no green¬ 
house. (Lawyer, Beds.) 
You should stand the plant out o r ^oors 
and gradually withhold water —^ £le leaves 
