500 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  29,  1898. 
Mrs.  W.  Mease  is  the  finest  of  the  Carnot  family;  the  colour  is  a 
lovely  pale  shade  of  primrose  or  sulphur  yellow. 
Mrs.  White  Popham  is  a  very  large  incurved  Japanese  with  broad 
grooved  pointed  florets ;  colour  pale  purple  mauve. 
Lady  Phillips  is  a  bold  incurving  Japanese,  solid  in  build  with 
very  broad  florets ;  colour  pale  mauve,  reverse  silvery  pink. 
President  Bevan,  a  Japanese  incurved,  is  a  fine  closely  built  flower 
with  pointed  florets  deeply  grooved;  colour  deep  yellow  shaded  bronze. 
Madame  Couvat  de  Terrail  is  a  Japanese  with  florets  long  and 
twisted  somewhat  after  the  Good  Gracious  type ;  colour  white,  tinted 
in  the  centre. 
Le  Grand  Dragon  is  a  large  Japanese  with  long  droopiDg  florets 
of  medium  width  ;  colour  rich  deep  golden  yellow. 
Jane  Molyneux  is  a  Japanese  with  very  long  florets;  it  is  a 
flower  of  great  depth,  colour  creamy  white. 
Sir  Herbert  Kitchener  is  another  gigantic  Japanese,  with  florets  of 
medium  width,  long  and  drooping  ;  colour  rich  shade  of  golden 
chestnut,  reverse  golden. 
Miss  Mary  Leschelles  is  a  pure  white  sport  from  Reine  d’Angleterre, 
aod  resembles  that  variety  in  every  respect  save  the  colour. 
R.  Hooper  Pearson  is  a  Japanese  of  colossal  dimensions,  with 
rather  broad  florets,  curly  at  the  tips ;  colour  rich  shade  of  golden 
yellow  with  a  paler  reverse. 
Emily  Towers  is  a  Japanese  with  medium  sized  florets  incurving 
in  the  centre  ;  colour  rosy  lilac  mauve,  reverse  silvery  pink. 
Mrs.  Combe  is  a  Japanese  with  long  florets ;  large  full  blooms  ; 
colour  deep  rosy  mauve. — C.  Harman  Payne. 
SOILS  AND  ANALYSES. 
It  is  obvious  that  homogeneous  soil  alone  admits  of  broad  and  simple 
lessons  being  obtained  from  its  analysis.  “  Gardener,”  writing  in  your 
issue  of  22nd  December  (pace  481)  is  unfortunately  in  charge  of  soil  of 
great  vaiiabilitv.  It  is  difficult  to  advise  in  this  or  any  case  in  the 
absence  of  exact  knowledge  of  the  results  of  many  analyses  and  what 
depth  of  soil  was  submitted  to  the  operation.  Let  us  proceed  delibe¬ 
rately.  If  only  a  sufficiency  of  lime,  the  presence  of  which  is  a  sine 
qua  non  for  rendering  plant  foods  available,  can  be  demonstrated  to 
exist,  and  this  to  the  extent  of  half  per  cent.,  it  will  be  an  immense 
benefit  in  matters  horticultural  and  agricultural.  By  the  simple  analysis 
previously  referred  to  as  costing  only  10s.,  this  question  would  be  settled, 
so  that  even  a  dozen  of  such  analyses  would  be  a  justifiable  outlay.  I 
referred  to  this  matter  in  a  detailed  article  on  17th  March  last  in  this 
Journal,  to  which  I  should  like  to  draw  “Gardener’s”  attention  ;  and  cer¬ 
tainly  Mr.  Cousins,  in  his  “Chemistry  of  the  Garden,”  insists  rigorously 
on  the  necessity  of  knowing  all  about  this  useful  commodity'.  I  cannot, 
however,  although  no  chemist,  admit  the  proposition  that  science  would 
ormulate  a  mixture  of  manures  as  based  on  the  average  of  the  consti¬ 
tuents  of  differing  soils  on  a  small  area.  The  peaty  medium  would  be 
naturally  deficient  in  lime. 
I  say  to  Mr.  Neild  when  he  asks,  Is  it  possible  for  a  plant  to  be  starved 
while  it  is  in  the  midst  of  an  abundance  of  plant  food  ?  Yes,  undoubtedly, 
in  the  very  midst  of  an  abundance  of  plant  foods,  like  farmyard  manures 
and  fertilisers,  as  the  result  of  insufficiency  of  lime  to  render  such  plant 
foods  available.  I  do  not  merely  admit  this,  but  affirm  it.  Mr.  Neild’s 
question  as  to  plant  food  really  available  for  immediate  consumption,  Dr. 
Bernard  Dyer  has  elucidated.  The  multitude  of  text  books  existing 
would  show  the  particular  kind  of  foods  most  largely  drawn  upon  by  the 
various  kinds  of  crops.  It  would  certainly  have  been  more  literally 
correct  had  I  stated  in  reference  to  absorption  of  substances  by  plants  that 
I  reckoned  water  among  those  drawn  from  the  air  mostly  through  the 
agency  of  the  soil  and  roots. 
The  Editor  in  his  footnote  on  pages  412,  413  (December  1st),  quotes 
the  Rev.  G.  Henslow  as  saying  it  is  because  horticulturists  have  discovered 
for  themselves  what  their  plants  require  that  they  succeed  so  well, 
though  without  knowing  the  why  and  wherefore  in  each  case,  and  adds 
“this  is  quite  true.”  The  familiar  praciice  of  liming  as  a  cure  for 
clubbing  in  the  Brassica  tribe  is  an  illustration  of  direct  experiment 
thus  accomplished  without  science. 
As  to  No.  3  in  the  charter  of  your  last  issue  (page  481),  “elevation 
above  sea  level,”  does  not  entirely  convey  my  meaning.  The  disposition 
of  the  property  should,  in  case  of  sites  at  a  distance  from  the  sea,  be 
supplemented  by  reference  to  elevation  relative  to  the  surrounding 
neighbourhood. 
In  reply  to  “A.  D ,”  on  page  476,  of  your  last  issue,  it  is  not  his, 
but  Mr.  Brotherston's  remark  which  is  quoted  by  me.  I  should  be 
sorry  to  quote  “  A.  D  ,”  Mr.  Hall,  or  anyone  incorrectly. — H.  H.  R., 
Forest  Hill. 
[The  Editor  has  nothing  to  modify  in  the  note  referred  to,  nor 
in  any  other  of  his  notes  on  the  subject  of  increasing  the  productive¬ 
ness  of  the  soil.  The  intuition  of,  and  experiments  conducted  by,  our 
most  successful  cultivators  have  led  to  far  more  discoveries  than  the  one 
alleged  relative  to  the  clubbing  of  Brassicas.  The  greatest  antidote, 
however  (gas  lime),  against  this  evil  was  not,  we  think,  discovered  by  a 
gardener,  but  by  a  scientist  of  the  first  eminence  in  agriculture.  We 
think  it  impossible  to  overestimate  the  value  of  scientific  research, 
Tout,  like  gardeners,  scientists  differ,  and  so  do  their  disciples.] 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
On  Visiting  Flower  Shows. 
On  perusing  “The  Young  Gardeners’  Domain”  roy  ambition  was 
aroused  to  a  degree  which  urged  me  to  adopt  bold  measures  to  comply 
with  its  requirements.  I  trust  my  comrades  will  view  the  few  remarks  I 
address  to  them,  not  as  possessing  any  claim  to  originality,  but  simply  as 
bringing  to  notice  a  few  facts  which  may  prove  of  mutual  benefit. 
My  subject  is  a  peculiar  one,  but  I  consider  it  most  important.  It  is 
beneficial  to,  and  in  my  humble  opinion  incumbent  on,  every  young  gar¬ 
dener  who  wishes  to  attain  to  the  highest  grade  of  horticultural  profi¬ 
ciency  to  visit  as  many  flower  shows  as  possible,  and  few  there  are  who 
live  in  such  an  outlandish  place  as  to  be  out  of  convenient  reach  of  any. 
By  a  careful  and  attentive  survey  of  the  various  exhibits  may  be  gathered 
the  standard  of  excellence  as  viewed  by  the  ablest  and  most  skilful  culti¬ 
vators  of  the  neighbourhood,  and  this  may  be  made  an  ideal  to  the 
attainment  to  which  our  future  efforts  should  be  directed.  Moreover,  it  is 
as  essential  to  the  gardener,  as  to  men  of  every  other  calling  and  profession, 
to  be  able  to  judge  and  appreciate  or  condemn  the  perfections  or  short¬ 
comings  of  his  productions. 
Were  this  all  that  is  to  be  gained  it  Would  indeed  be  profitable  ;  but, 
if  need  be,  information  may  be  gratuitously  obtained.  It  is  useful,  though 
not  at  all  times  advisable,  to  enter  into  conversation  with  prizetaking 
exhibitors,  and  extort  from  them  (if  indeed  such  stringent  measures  be 
needed)  under  wbat  favourable  conditions  or  by  what  careful  attention 
their  highly  esteemed  products  have  been  brought  to  perfection.  Apart 
from  the  practical  knowledge  gained  our  zeal  will  receive  a  strong 
stimulus,  which  will  urge  us  on  to  strenuous  efforts  in  our  ambition  to 
excel. 
What  I  say  regarding  flower  shows  I  would  wish  also  to  be  applied  to 
the  visitation  of  neighbouring  gardens.  It  is  an  incontrovertible  fact, 
which  I  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  observe,  that  men  who  have 
travelled,  even  in  a  small  degree,  are  far  better  informed  on  matters  of 
importance  than  those  who  have  spent  their  life  solely  in  one  district.  If 
this  be  true  of  ordinary  and  general  topics,  how  much  more  so  when 
confined  to  one  particular  subject  ?  Assuredly  the  young  man  who  has 
seen  more  gardens  will  be  farther  advanced  in  knowledge  than  the  not  so 
fortunate  one  who  has  through  circumstances  or  neglect  seen  less.  The 
former  will  be  enabled  to  draw  comparisons  which  the  latter  would  never 
conceive. 
I  trust  these  few  remarks  will  suffice  to  convince  my  comrades  of  the 
usefulness — nay,  necessity — of  searching  for  knowledge  in  every  possible 
way,  and  may  I  conclude  with  those  beautiful  words,  “It  is  noble  to  seek 
truth,  and  it  is  beautiful  to  find  it.  If  is  the  ancient  feeling  of  the  human 
heart  that  knowledge  is  better  than  riches.” — W.  F.  R. 
POINSETTIAS. 
This  charming  plant  is  now  brightening  our  stoves  with  its  scarlet 
bracts,  and  a  lew  points  as  to  its  culture  may  be  helpful  to  some  of  my 
young  brother  gardeners.  Immediately  after  the  brilliant  bracts  have 
passed  their  best  the  plants  should  be  removed  to  cooler  quarters, 
allowing  them  to  become  gradually  dry.  Cut  them  back  to  within  a 
toot  of  the  base  in  April,  removing  in  May  to  a  temperature  of  between 
60°  and  70°;  shoots  will  quickly  push,  and  those  about  2  or  3  inches  long 
with  a  slight  portion  of  old  wood  may  be  secured  as  cuttings.  Dry 
the  base  before  insertion  in  small  thumb  pots,  using  a  sifted  compost  of 
sandy  peat  and  loam.  A  propagating  case  with  a  temperature  of  70°  to 
80°  will  be  very  suitable.  When  the  cuttings  are  well  rooted  transfer  to 
3-inch  pots,  replacing  into  the  case  for  a  few  days,  when  they  may  be 
brought  out  into  more  light.  Potting  must  be  done  as  required  through 
the  summer,  gradually  hardening  the  plants  until  they  can  go  to  a  cold 
frame,  where  they  may  remain  until  September.  A  temperature  of 
60°  will  then  be  necessary.  Poinsettias  need  very  careful  watering,  as 
they  are  prone  to  lose  their  lower  leaves,  which  detracts  from  their 
beauty.  Soot  water  is  an  excellent  stimulant. — R. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
Dickson,  Brown  &  Tait,  Corporation  Street,  Manchester. — Seeds. 
S.  Dobie  &  Son,  Heathfield  Gardens,  Chester. — Seeds. 
W.  J.  Godfrey,  Exmouth. — Chrysanthemums. 
H.  Henkel,  Durmstadt. — Plants. 
Kent  &  Brydon,  Darlington. — Seeds. 
Little  &  Ballantyne,  Carlisle. — Seeds. 
J.  Peed  &  Sons,  West  Norwood. — Seeds. 
J.  Yeitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea. — Seeds, 
Novelties  and  Specialities,  Chrysanthemums,  Herbaceous  Plants. 
GARDENERS’  CHARITABLE  AND  PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS 
The  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — Secretary, 
Mr.  G.  J.  Ingram,  175,  Victoria  Street,  S.W. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — 
Secretary,  Mr.  W.  Collins,  9,  Martindale  Road,  Balham,  London,  S.W. 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund,—  Secretary.  Mr.  A.  F.  Barron, 
The  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund,  Chiswick,  W. 
