December  12.  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
549 
tight  tin  has  been  made  to  fit  this  table,  the  sides  are  5  or  6  inches 
in  depth,  and  are  painted  green.  In  this  a  few  Palms  and  other 
graceful  plants  are  arranged  to  form  a  background,  the  remaining 
space  being  dotted  with  well-grown  Ferns.  Between  the  pots  a 
little  moss  is  packed  to  keep  them  in  position.  Hyacinths  in 
glasses  can  then  be  dotted  between  the  Ferns,  and  a  bright  and 
delightful  arrangement  quickly  completed.  These  Palms  and 
Ferns  will  last  a  considerable  time  in  good  condition,  and  when¬ 
ever  any  particular  Hyacinth  becomes  faded  the  glass  can  be  lifted 
out  and  another  substituted  for  it  in  less  time  than  I  can  pen  this 
sentence. 
It  has  occurred  to  me  that  manufacturers  of  glasses  might 
with  advantage  depart  from  the  beaten  track  and  give  us  more 
variety.  In  addition  to  the  stereotype  single  glass,  triangular 
stands  made  to  hold  three  bulbs  would  be  extremely  useful  for 
placing  in  various  positions.  These  might  be  made  of  different 
heights,  from  6  to  a  foot,  or  even  18  inches,  as  it  is  frequently 
desirable  to  have  a  few  brightly  coloured  flower  spikes  raised 
conspicuously  above  surrounding  objects.  A  necessary  detail  to 
observe  in  the  manufacture  of  stands  of  this  type  would  be 
to  have  a  rather  large  heavy  base  to  prevent  them  from  being 
overturned  at  the  slightest  touch.  Other  stands  might  be 
made  in  a  circular,  oblong,  or  irregular  form  large  enough  to  hold 
from  six  to  a  dozen  bulbs.  These  might  be  quite  objects 
of  artistic  beauty  in  themselves,  and  when  surmounted  by 
large  showy  spikes  of  scented  Hyacinths  would  form  a  fitting 
embellishment  for  the  drawing-room  or  boudoir  of  the  noblest  in 
the  land. 
Critical  decorators  may  perhaps  be  inclined  to  urge  that  a  mass 
of  Hyacinths  without  an  admixture  of  graceful  foliage  plants 
would  be  somewhat  stiff  in  appearance.  I  grant  that  it  would  be 
so  if  no  means  were  taken  to  dispose  in  various  parts  of  each  room 
plants  of  bold  or  elegant  foliage,  if  of  more  sombre  hues.  This, 
however,  is  exactly  what  is  done  in  houses  where  decorations  are 
well  carried  out ;  tall  plants  are  placed  here  and  there,  so  that  the 
fronds  arch  well  above  the  heads  of  the  average  sized  mortal. 
Under  the  spread  of  the  Palms  is  just  the  position  to  select  for 
placing  a  mass  of  Hyacinths,  as  the  overhanging  canopy  of  green 
will  be  found  to  give  that  touch  of  lightness  and  informality  which 
an  artistic  eye  requires. 
Now  for  a  few  practical  hints  on  the  management  of  Hyacinths 
under  this  method  of  culture.  These  must  be  concise,  but  I  think 
they  will  be  sufficient,  for  in  truth  this  is  one  of  the  simplest 
phases  of  gardening,  but  even  in  simple  things  it  is  easy  to  err.  I 
discovered  the  force  of  this  truism  when  quite  a  boy,  for  the  first 
Hyacinths  I  attempted  to  grow  in  glasses  were  failures,  caused 
solely  by  standing  the  glasses  in  a  light  position  as  soon  as  the 
bulbs  were  placed  in  them.  The  top  growth  for  a  time  made  more 
rapid  progress  than  the  roots,  the  result  being  puny  flower  spikes, 
not  much  more  than  an  inch  in  length,  and  a  determined  disbelief 
on  my  part  in  this  method  of  bulb  growing.  Fortunately,  how¬ 
ever,  my  opinion  on  the  latter  point  has  undergone  a  complete 
change. 
Preparatory  to  placing  the  bulbs  in  glasses  I  find  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  set  them  upon  damp  sand  for  a  few  days.  After  that  time 
has  elapsed  fill  the  requisite  number  of  glasses  with  soft  water  and 
place  a  lump  of  charcoal  in  each.  As  the  bulbs  are  placed  in  the 
cup  at  the  top  of  the  glass  see  that  the  base  is  just  above  the  water. 
These  glasses  ought  then  to  be  placed  in  a  dark,  but  not  damp, 
cupboard  or  room,  where  they  should  remain  till  roots  an  inch  in 
length  have  been  formed.  Light  may  then  be  gradually  admitted 
by  opening  the  door  of  the  cupboard.  After  a  couple  of  days  of 
this  treatment  the  whole  batch  should  be  transferred  to  light 
positions  near  the  glass  in  windows,  greenhouses,  or  frost-proof 
frames.  From  this  stage  the  glasses  may  be  kept  filled  to  the  rim 
with  water.  If  this  at  any  time  becomes  very  dirty  in  appearance 
it  may  be  turned  out  and  fresh  water  substituted. 
The  present  time  is  suitable  for  placing  bulbs  in  glasses  when  it 
has  not  already  been  done,  or,  if  necessary,  any  that  have  been 
started  in  pots  may  be  taken  out,  and  after  having  the  soil  washed 
from  the  roots,  be  transferred  to  glasses,  "Where  supports  are 
usually  necessary  for  the  strong-growing  kinds,  these  should  be 
fastened  to  the  glasses  as  soon  as  the  plants  show  signs  of  departing 
from  the  perpendicular  by  reason  of  their  weight. 
For  amateurs,  and  indeed  for  every  householder,  this  aquatic 
form  of  Hyacinth  culture  is  a  fascinating  recreation,  a  study  in 
science,  and  a  simple  art,  and  I  predict  that  those  who  for  the  first 
time  take  up  and  pursue  it  with  diligent  intelligence  are  not  likely 
soon  to  abandon  so  simple  yet  so  refreshing  a  pleasure,  for  in  the 
tender  leaves  and  flower  spikes  which  make  slow  yet  daily  progress 
we  may  find  a  fitting  emblem  of  the  gradual  march  of  life,  and 
with  spirits  refreshed  with  these  diverting  thoughts  gather  strength 
and  courage  to  our  battles  on  its  sterner  side. — H.  Dunkin,  Castle 
Gardens,  Wanviclc. 
NATIONAL  ROSE  SOCIETY. 
General  Meeting. 
The  nineteenth  annual  general  meeting  of  the  above  Society  was 
held,  by  permission  of  the  Horticultural  Club,  at  the  rooms  of  the  latter 
in  the  Hotel  Windsor,  Westminster,  on  the  5th  instant,  to  receive  the 
report  of  the  Committee,  pass  accounts,  elect  Committee  and  officers 
for  the  ensuing  year,  and  transact  other  general  business.  Among 
those  present  were  E.  Mawley,  Rev.  H.  H.  D’Ombrain,  H.  Shackleton, 
M.D.,  W.  J.  Jefferies,  Conway  Jones,  J.  R.  Mattock,  G.  Mount,  B.  R. 
Cant,  H.  P.  Landon,  Captain  Christy,  J.  D.  Pawle,  T.  W.  Girdlestonej 
Rev.  H.  A.  Berners,  A.  Prince,  O.  G.  Orpen,  Rev,  F.  R.  Burnside,  Rev. 
A.  Foster- Melliar,  G.  Prince,  Rev.  J.  Pemberton,  Rev.  G.  E.  Jeans, 
W.  Taylor,  J,  H.  Laing,  R.  H.  Langton,  C.  E.  Cant,  W.  Colin  Romaine] 
R.  C.  Mount,  J.  T.  Strange,  W.  D.  Prior,  W.  Boyes,  C.  J.  Parker, 
G.  Monies,  G.  W.  Cook,  C.  E,  Shea,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  T.  B.  Haywood, 
George  Gordon,  J.  Bateman,  W.  H.  Burch,  G.  Burch,  and  R.  Harkness. 
Mr.  George  Gordon  was  elected  Chairman,  and  after  the  usual 
preliminaries  had  been  disposed  of,  he  called  on  Mr.  E.  Mawley,  co-Hon. 
Secretary,  to  read  the  report  of  the  Committee  and  balance-sheet 
for  the  year  ending  November  30th,  1895,  the  text  of  which  is  herewith 
appended. 
The  Committee  have  much  pleasure  in  presenting  their  annual  report 
to  the  members,  and  are  glad  to  be  able  to  state  that  the  past  year  must 
be  regarded  as  one  of  steady  and  satisfactory  progress.  The  southern 
show,  which  was  held  at  Gloucester  on  June  27th,  was  undoubtedly  the 
largest  Rose  show  that  has  ever  been  held  in  the  provinces  so  early  in 
the  season.  The  success  of  this  exhibition  was  no  doubt  in  a  great 
measure  due  to  the  very  liberal  policy  adopted  by  the  Committee  of  the 
Gloucestershire  Rose  Society,  and  the  arrangements  in  connection  with 
it  were  admirably  carried  out  under  the  able  direction  of  Rev.  Thomas 
Holbrow,  Hon.  Secretary  of  that  Society.  The  Crystal  Palace  or 
Metropolitan  exhibition,  owing  to  the  dry  and  forcing  weather  which 
preceded  it,  was  less  extensive  than  usual,  the  first  flowering  of  many 
Roses  in  the  more  forward  districts  being  over  before  the  date  of  the 
show.  The  exhibition  at  Derby  was,  on  the  contrary,  the  largest 
northern  show,  with  the  exception  of  that  at  Birmingham  in  1890,  that 
the  Society  has  yet  held.  The  attendance  of  visitors,  however,  was 
unfortunately  not  nearly  as  large  as  had  been  anticipated,  on  account  of 
the  South  Derbyshire  election  having  been  fixed  for  the  same  day.  The 
Committee  desire  to  acknowledge  the  great  assistance  they  have 
received  during  the  year  from  the  New  Permanent  Sub-Committee, 
known  as  the  General  Purposes  Committee,  and  more  especially  in  the 
revision  of  the  rules  for  judging,  in  drawing  up  the  lists  of  judges  for  the 
three  shows,  and  in  the  preparation  of  the  “  Hints  on  Planting  ”  recently 
issued  to  members. 
It  is  with  much  regret  that  they  have  to  record  the  loss  to  the  Society 
through  death  of  one  of  its  Vice-Presidents,  Mr.  R.  L.  Knight,  who  ha.s 
so  frequently  presided  at  the  meetings  of  the  Committee  ;  of  Mr.  C.  F. 
Hore,  who  had  not  only  been  a  member  of  the  Committee  for  many 
years,  but  who  was  also  the  most  successful  local  Secretary  the  Society 
has  ever  had  ;  also  of  Monsieur  Camille  Bernardin,  Editor  of  the 
“  Journal  des  Roses,”  and  one  of  the  Society’s  hon.  foreign  members.  On 
the  return  of  the  President  in  the  spring  from  a  tour  in  the  United  States 
several  leading  American  horticulturists  and  rosariana  were  at  his  sugges¬ 
tion  elected  honorary  foreign  members  of  the  Society,  as  a  recognition 
of  the  friendly  feeling  existing  between  the  rosarians  of  both  countries. 
Ever  since  the  Society  was  established  nineteen  years  ago  there  has  been 
a  gradual  increase  in  the  number  of  members.  This  is  perhaps  best 
shown  by  taking  the  last  eighteen  years,  and  dividing  them  into  periods 
of  three  years  each,  when  the  average  annual  amount  received  in 
subscriptions  is  found  to  have  been  as  follows: — 1878-80,  £215  ;  1881-3, 
£263  ;  1884-G,  £283  ;  1887-9,  £305  ;  1890-2,  £346  ;  1893-5,  £373. 
Financial  Statement — The  Treasurer  is  again  enabled  to  report 
favourably  upon  the  Society’s  financial  position.  The  total  expenditure 
was  £742  6s.  4d.,  while  the  receipts,  including  the  balance  from  last 
year,  amounted  to  £788  Os,  7d,,  thus  leaving  £45  143.  3d.  to  be  carried 
forward  to  1896. 
Arrangements  for  1896. — The  Committee  have  again  made 
arrangements  for  three  exhibitions.  The  first,  or  Southern  Show,  will 
be  held  at  Reading  on  Wednesday,  June  24th,  in  conjunction  with  the 
Reading  Horticultural  Society  ;  the  Metropolitan  Show  at  the  Crystal 
Palace  on  Saturday,  July  the  4th  ;  and  the  Northern  Show  at  Ulverston, 
in  connection  with  the  North  Lonsdale  Rose  Society,  on  Wednesday, 
July  15th.  Three  years  having  elapsed  since  the  official  catalogue  of 
exhibition  and  garden  Roses  was  issued,  the  Committee  are  of  opinion 
that  it  will  be  advisable  for  a  supplement  to  this  catalogue  to  be 
prepared  during  the  course  of  the  ensuing  year. 
Members’  Privileges. — Members  subscribing  £1  will,  as  usual, 
be  entitled  to  two  private  view  and  four  transferable  tickets,  the  latter 
admitting  at  the  same  time  as  the  general  public,  while  subscribers  of 
lOs.  are  entitled  to  one  private  view  and  two  transferable  tickets.  Each 
of  these  tickets  is  available  for  any  one  of  the  Society’s  exhibitions. 
Members  joining  the  Society  for  the  first  time  in  1896  will  also  receive 
