April  5,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
283 
placing  the  pots  on  a  warm  shelf,  and  admit  air  by  tilting  the  glass. 
\V  hen  the  seedlings  have  gained  strength  dispense  with  the  latter, 
but  the  pots  may  remain  plunged  in  a  larger  one  until  the  time 
arrives  for  pricking  out.  This  can  be  done  in  pans  or  small  pots. 
The  latter  seem  to  be  the  best  for  subsequently  easily  dividing.  Use 
similar  compost  to  that  for  sowing,  and  place  not  more  than  three 
seedlings  round  the  edge  of  3-inch  pots.  Sink  the  seedlings  down  to 
the  base  of  the  leaves,  which  will  materially  assist  in  strengthening 
them.  In  pans  or  boxes  give  a  space  of  2  inches  asunder.  To  place 
them  closer  results  in  the  leaves  growing  too  closely  and  crowding  the 
plants,  preventing  that  sturdiness  which  more  space  insures.  A  little 
heat  and  moisture  will  give  them  a  start,  which,  on  being  assured, 
permits  of  assigning  the  plants  a  light  position  on  a  cool  airy  shelf  in 
the  greenhouse. 
The  next  process  consists  in  placing  the  plants  singly  in  3-inch  pots, 
which  should  be  efficiently  dra  ned.  Prepare  the  compost  with  rather 
less  leaf  soil,  but  add  a  little  well  pulverised  manure  to  the  materials 
recommended  previously.  In  potting  secure  the  full  share  of,fibrous 
roots  belonging  to  each  plant,  and  place  low  down,  so  that  the  plant 
rests  securely  on  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Make  the  compost  firm,  but 
not  hard.  Frame  culture  may  obtain  now,  standing  the  pots  on  a 
moist  base  and  near  the  glass.  Water  carefully  at  first,  increasing  the 
Fig.  78. — OdONTOGLOSSUM  RuCKERIANUM  SPLENDENS,  {See  page  281.) 
supply  as  the  plants  become  established.  The  frame  should  be  stood, 
if  possible,  on  the  north  side  of  a  wall,  which  will  obviate  the 
necessity  of  shading  from  the  sun,  but  if  in  other  positions  shade 
during  the  midday  hours  must  be  given.  A  free  circulation  of  air  is 
also  of  importance. 
The  final  potting  may  take  place  from  this  size  pot,  3-inch, 
employing  6  or  6-inch  according  to  the  strength  of  the  plants.  Loam, 
leaf  soil,  decayed  manure  and  sand,  with  a  proportion  of  crushed 
charcoal  will  form  a  suitable  compost.  See  that  the  plants  to  be 
potted  are  thoroughly  moist,  as  it  will  be  a  difficult  matter  to  moisten 
the  ball  of  roots  afterwards  without  unduly  saturating  the  new  soil. 
Employ  efficient  drainage  in  the  pots.  Place  the  plants  low  down, 
and  work  the  compost  carefully  round  the  ball,  tilling  it  up  to  within 
half  an  inch  of  rim  of  pot.  It  may  be  made  firm,  but  not  hard. 
Stand  the  plants  back  again  in  the  frame  on  a  moist  base  of  ashes, 
and  for  a  week  or  so  keep  the  frame  close.  Afterwards  give  air  in 
increasing  quantity  as  the  plants  become  established,  drawing  off  the 
lights  entirely  on  favourable  occasions.  If  the  sun  reaches  the  frame 
at  midday  shade  must  be  given. 
In  September  the  plants  may  receive  full  sun.  At  all  times 
carefully  water,  keeping  the  heads  as  near  the  glass  as  possible.  At 
the  end  of  September  remove  to  shelf  in  greenhouse,  where  they  may 
remain  until  flowering  commences.  At  that  period  weak  supplies  of 
liquid  manure  will  be  benwficial  in  strengthening  the  flower  spikes 
and  intensifying  the  colours  of  the  bloom-'.  During  midwinter,  how¬ 
ever,  liquid  stimulants  are  not  needed  quite  so  often. — E.  D.  S. 
Reminiscences  of  An  Old  Florist.— No.  6. 
Although  the  Rose  was  the  main  object  of  my  visit  to  France 
with  Mr.  Standish,  and  although  for  many  years  I  was  in  the  habit 
of  making  an  annual  visit  there,  it  was  not  the  only  flower  which 
attracted  me  thither ;  I  had  been  for  many  years  an  admirer  of  the 
Gladiolus,  and  it  was  on  the  occasion  of  one  of  my  visits  that  a  kind 
friend  said  to  me,  “  As  you  are  fond  of  the  Gladiolus  you  ought  to  go 
and  see  M.  Souchet  at  Fontainebleau.” 
M.  Souchet  at  the  tinoe  held  the  position  of  chief  gardener  at  the 
chateau — a  chateau  inseparably  conntcted  with  the  beautiful  and 
extravagant  Diani  of  Poictiers,  who  had  left  her  mark  in  well  nigh 
every  room  in  the  building.  Most  of  the  French  monarchs  of  later 
years  have  occasionally  made  it  their  res  dence,  and  in  point  of 
historical  incidents  there  is  perhaps  none  of  the  royal  palaces  of 
France  more  full  of  interest.  The  gardens  were  laid  out  in  the  formal 
style  so  beloved  in  France,  and  of  which  Versailles  and  St.  Cloud 
form  perhaps  the  most  notable  examples.  I  do  not  know  exactly 
when  Souchet  took  up  the  hybridising  and  culture  of  the  Gladiolus, 
but  I  think  it  must  be  more  than  half  a  century  ago;  at  that  time 
there  was  little  done  with  it  in  England,  and  in  fact  the  whole  culture 
in  France  was  of  a  peculiar  character,  for  although  a  very  few  other 
cultivators  appeared  for  a  while  on  the  scene,  they  gradually  retired, 
and  anyone  who  wished  to  obtain  any  roots  had  to  do  so  through  other 
sources,  especially  that  of  Messrs.  Yilmorin,  and  the  roots  are,  I 
believe,  all  supplied  from  Fontainebleau. 
This  visit  paved  the  way  to  a  long  and  lasting  friendship,  which 
only  ended  with  the  death  of  my  revered  friend.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  genial  and  pleasant  of  men,  and  though  suffering  from  a  very 
sad  complaint,  his  serenity  and  cheerfulness  were  always  unruffled  ; 
and  it  used  to  be  one  of  my  great  anticipations  as  summer  came  on 
that  I  should  once  more  see  him.  What  stories  he  used  to  tell  about 
the  difficulties  he  experienced  in  the  cultivation  of  his  favourite 
flower.  His  greatest  trouble  arose  from  the  larva  of  the  cockchafer, 
or  Ver  bianc.  The  perfect  insect  appears  in  May  or  early  in  June, 
when  it  deposits  its  eggs  in  the  soil,  and  after  the  larvae  are  hatched 
they^  burrow  beneath  the  surface,  where  they  continue  in  the  pupa 
state  for  three  years.  During  this  time  they  work  untold  mischief  on 
every  kind  of  produce  with  which  they  can  come  in  contact.  Souchet 
used  to  employ  an  army  of  women  and  girls  to  collect  the  perfect 
insects  before  they  had  time  to  begin  their  work  of  depositing  the 
eggs.  He  has  told  me  that  bushels  upon  bushels  of  these  pests  were 
collected  and  destroyed  every  year,  their  numbers  being  much  increased 
by  the  nearness  to  the  forest.  I  have  seen  at  Versailles,  at  Truffaut’s 
nurseries,  whole  quarters  of  Wellingtonias  completely  killed  by  these 
insects  barking  the  young  trees. 
However,  Roses  were  after  all  the  chief  object  of  my  visit,  and 
every  year  I  was  able  to  bring  back  some  definite  information  con¬ 
cerning  those  that  were  likely  to  be  brought  forward.  There  are  one 
or  two  noticeable  incidents  in  connection  with  these  visits.  Intelli¬ 
gence  had  been  brought  to  us  thai  Lacharme,  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  some  ot  our  best  Roses,  hsd  raised  a  yellow  Hybrid 
Perpetual.  Now,  as  this  was  one  of  the  great  desiderata  of  the  Rose 
world,  on  mentioning  it  to  a  London  nurseryman  he  authorised  me  to 
offer  a  good  round  sum  for  it.  Alas  !  however,  when  I  got  to  Lyons 
I  found  it  was  all  a  myth  !  It  was  true  he  had  found  in  one  of  his 
seedlings  a  slight  tinge  of  yellow  at  the  base,  but  this  vanished  as  the 
flower  opened,  and  it  was  simply  a  white  Rose.  On  leaving  Lacharme’s 
nursery  I  went  to  Guillot’s  (young  Guiliot,  as  we  used  to  call  him 
then,  though  he  too  has  passed  away,  and  the  Guiliot  of  the  present 
day  is  his  son).  On  going  over  his  garden  we  came  to  one  Rose  tree, 
and  he  said,  “  I  think  this  is  the  beginning  of  a  new  race,  and  I  expect 
great  things  from  it.”  It  was  indeed  a  great  beauty,  very  sweet,  and 
leally  one  of  those  Roses  which,  like  good  wine,  needs  no  bush.  I 
was  so  struck  by  it  that  I  ventured  to  offer  him  the  sum  which  I  had 
been  authorised  to  offer  for  the  yellow  Rose,  thinking  it  would  have 
tempted  any  French  nurseryman.  Guiliot,  liowever,  wished  to  have 
the  honour  of  sending  out  this  new  Rose  himself,  and  probably  there 
has  been  no  more  popular  Rose  than  La  France  (for  it  was  that  Rose), 
which  he  sent  out  as  a  Hybrid  Perpetual,  bat  which  after  some  years 
was  placed  in  the  class  for  Hybrid  Teas. 
Another  incident  was  my  first  introduction  to  Mardchal  Niel. 
M.  Euvene  Verdier  brought  to  me  one  morning  at  my  hotel  in  Paris  a 
box  of  Rose  blooms.  They  were  of  various  shades  of  red  and 
crimson,  but  though  pretty  did  not  seem  to  me  anything  remarkable. 
Glancing  at  the  box  1  remarked,  “  But  what  is  that  ?  ”  “  Oh,  that  is 
a  yellowf  Rose,”  he  replied,  “  which  came  from  the  south.”  “Then,”  I 
said,  “  that  is  worth  all  the  rest  of  the  Roses  you  have  brought  put 
tot^ether.”  I  advised  him  to  keep  it  over  for  another  year,  bring  over 
a  box  of  blooms  at  one  of  our  exhibitions  or  to  the  R.ILS.,  and  added, 
“I  venture  to  say  you  will  reap  a  golden  harvest.”  There  were. 
