350 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  17,  1902. 
'tion  is  filling  a  useful  position  in  the  insurance  world,  and  is  a 
igreat  protection  to  glass  owners,  who  may  now  insure  their 
houses  and  contents  at  reasonable  rates. 
ReadiDg  Gardener?. 
At  the  last  meeting  of  the  above  association  a  large  number 
of  members  was  present  to  hear  the  chairman  of  the  association 
(Mr.  G.  Stanton,  Park  Place,  Henley-on-Thames)  read  a  paper  on 
“  The  Carnation.”  In  introducing  the  subject,  he  said  that  next 
to  the  Rose  the  Carnation  was  the  most  charming  and  popular 
garden  flower.  It  had  of  late  years  been  so  vastly  improved  in 
variety  and  constitution  that,  instead  of  only  two  or  three  months 
in  bloom  in  summer,  we  are  able  in  some  form  or  other  to  enjoy 
its  beautiful  floaters  and  tiieir  fragrance  all  the  year  round.  In 
dealing  with  the  general  treatment  of  the  flower,  Mr.  Stanton 
divided  his  remarks  under  the  following  headings:  Classification, 
propagation  and  culture,  uses,  faults,  insects,  and  diseases.  An 
animated  discussion  followed,  in  which  Messrs.  Neve,  Barnes, 
Kxler,  Judd,  Wilson,  Fry,  Powell,  Townsend,  Galt,  House, 
Hinton,  Goodman,  Cretchley,  Lever,  and  E.  J.  Bore  took  part. 
The  exhibits  were  exceedingly  interesting,  and  consisted  of  Iris 
tuberosa  and  Fritillarias  from  R.  H.  Hatton,  Bill  Hill, 
Gardens,  Wokingham;  Prunus  Pissardi  and  a  beautiful  piece  of 
Dendrobium  atro-violaceum  from  Mr.  W.  Townsend,  Sandhurst 
Lodge ;  seedling  Amaryllis,  with  twenty-six  blooms,  from  Mr. 
W.  Butler,  Fernleigh,  Maidenhead;  and  a  grand  specimen  of 
Cymbidium  Lowianum  Orchid  from  Mr.  W.  G.  Pigg,  Trevercli, 
Maidenhead.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded  to  the 
lecturer  and  exhibitors.  One  new’  member  was  elected. 
Lecture  on  Hybridisation  at  Birmingham. 
It  may  be  said  without  the  slightest  sense  of  invidiousness 
that,  interesting  and  instructive  as  the  dissertations  wdiich  have 
so  far  characterised  the  spring  session  may  have  proved,  none 
were  more  so  than  that  afforded  by  Mr.  Robert  Cock,  F.R.H.S., 
Lecturer  on  Horticulture  to  the  Staffordshire  County  Council,  on 
the  7th  inst.  Mr.  W.  B.  Latham  presided.  The  address,  which 
was  given  orally,  was  entitled  “  Hybridisation,  and  Plants  that 
have  Benefited  Thereby.”  In  his  prefatory  remarks  Mr.  Cock 
said  that  this  was  his  first  visit  to  the  society’s  meeting,  and  he 
felt  honoured  by  the  attendance  of  especially  so  large  an  attend¬ 
ance  of  the  younger  members.  He  also  congratulated  the  society 
in  being  blessed  with  such  an  excellent  and  invaluable  library, 
containing  as  it  does  volumes  of  the  best  w’orks  extant  relative 
to  horticulture,  botany,  &c.  Prefacing  his  remarks  on  the  science 
of  hybridisation,  the  essayist  succinctly  expounded  the  process 
of  fertilisation,  assisted  by  a  few  illustrations,  and  he  strongly 
recommended  especially  young  gardeners,  to  adopt  the  science 
of  hybridisation  and  cross-breeding,  not  only  as  a  pleasing  and 
interesting  avocation,  but  also  one  that  has  led  to  results  wdiich 
transcend  everjdhing  else  in  the  realm  of  horticulture.  Con¬ 
sidering  the  comiiaratively  short  time  that  artificial  hybridising 
■and  cross-breeding  had  been  in  existence,  marvellous  wmre  the 
results  obtained.  There  is  still  an  enormous  future  for  the 
improvement  of  our  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables,  and  a  great 
opportunity  for  the  hybridist,  as  in  the  past,  for  producing  some¬ 
thing  that  might  immortalise  his  name  in  the  clomain  of  horti¬ 
culture.  In  the  province  of  the  floral  kingdom  the  Orchid  and 
the  Narcissus  offer  a  grand  field,  though  it  might  be  difficult  to 
readily  obtain  another  Weardale  Perfection  Narcissus  and  prove  an 
El  Dorado  to  its  possessor.  The  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  vege¬ 
table  physiologists  knew  comparatively  little  about  botany,  and 
were  ignorant  of  artificial  hybridisation.  It  w’as  Thomas  Fair- 
child,  of  Hoxton,  wdio,  scarcely  two  hundred  years  ago,  pro¬ 
duced  the  first  recorded  artificially  secured  hybrid  plant.  It  wms 
neither  Sweet  William  nor  Carnation,  but  resembling  both 
eciually,  wdiich  w’as  raised  from  the  seed  of  a  Carnation  that  had 
been  impregnated  by  the  pollen  of  the  Sw’eet  William.  Fairchild 
w’as  a  commercial  gardener  or  nurseryman,  carrying  on  a  large 
trade.  He  died  in  1729,  leaving  funds  for  ensuring  the  delivery 
of  a  sermon  annually  in  the  church  of  St.  Leonard’s  Shoreditch, 
on  Whit -Tuesday,  “On  the  Wonderful  Works  of  God  in  the 
Creation ;  or.  On  the  Certainty  of  the  Resurrection  of  the  Dead, 
Proved  by  the  Certain  Changes  of  the  Animal  and  Vegetable  Parts 
of  the  Creation.”  Fairchild  w’as  thus  not  only  the  raiser  of  the 
first  garden  hybrid,  but  the  originator  of  the  flower  services  now’ 
popular  in  our  churches.  To  such  as  Limiseus,  Thomas  Andrew 
Knight  (president  of  the  Horticultural  Society),  Dean  Herbert, 
■Charles  Darwin,  Mons.  de  Vilmorin,  and  of  our  present- 
day  hybridists  are  we  indebted  for  the  splendid  and  multitudinous 
hybrid  productions  populating  our  gardens.  Mr.  Cock  enumerated 
many  of  the  varieties  of  flow’ers  and  fruits  that  had  been  pro¬ 
duced  from  hybridisation,  at  the  same  time  acknowledged  that 
numerous  of  the  varieties  of  fruits  of  half  a  century  and  upAvard 
ago,  still  maintained  their  excellent  qualities,  and  that  some  of 
the  Grapes  of  his  boyhood  Avere  not  to  be  eclipsed  by  recent  nerv- 
comers.  The  late  liour  alloAved  of  only  a  very  short  discussion 
folloAving  the  lecture,  and  Mr.  Cock  aa-us  kindly  thanked  for  his 
absorbing  theme. 
Shirley  and  District  Gardeners. 
The  annual  report'  of  this  society  shoAvs  it  to  have  completed  . 
a  useful  year’s  Avork  of  a  varied  and  interesting  nature.  Besides 
the  monthly  essays  and  cempetitions  in  connection  with  them, 
the  society  had  a  most  instructive  and  enjoyable  outing  to 
Coombe  Wood  in  the  summer  time,  and  also  visited  Hampton 
Court.  The  balance-sheet  shoAvs  a  credit  of  £46  Os.  lid.  on  the 
general  account,  and  £2  Is.  4d.  on  the  outing  fund.  It  is  hoped 
that  each  individual  member  will  take  a  deeper  interest  in  the 
monthly  meetings,  that  they  Avill  not  only  come  themselves,  but 
bring  a  friend  Avith  them,  and  so  induce  others  to  become  active 
members  of  the  society.  The  meetings  are  held  in  the  Parish 
Room,  High  Street,  Shirley,  at  eight  o’clock  on  the  third  Mon¬ 
day  in  the  month,  and  all  gardeners,  and  amateurs  interested  n 
gardening,  are  cordially  invited  to  become  members.  Mr.  John 
Miles  is  hon.  secretary.  The  programme  of  lectures,  &c.,  from 
April  to  September,  1902,  is  as  folloAvs : — April  21 :  Lecture, 
“Modern  Bee-Keeping,”  by  Mr.  J.  Miles,  222,  Port.SAvood  Road. 
Southampton.  May  19 :  Lecture,  “  Floriculture  and  Florists  of 
the  last  Fifty  Years,”  by  Mr.  Richard  Dean,  V.M.H.  June  16: 
Lecture,  “  CAdture  of  Fruit,  FloAvers,  and  Vegetables,  Avith  the 
aid  of  Chemical  Manure,”  by  Mr.  W.  Bushell,  The  Gardens, 
RoAA’nhams  House.  July  21:  Lecture,  “Stone  Fruits,”  by  Mr. 
J.  W.  Mitchell  The  Gardens,  Chihvorth  Manor.  August  18 : 
Lecture,  “The  Malmaison,”  by  Mr.  J.  F.  McLeod,  The  Gardens, 
Dover  House,  Roehampton.  September  22 :  Open  night  for 
discussion. 
Young  Gardeners’  Domain. 
Hints  for  the  Coming  R.H.S.  Examination. 
Be  in  the  room  or  hall  for  examination  in  good  time,  having 
first  cast  your  mind  over  all  the  scope  of  the  sections  of  horti¬ 
culture.  Thus  it  Avill  be  AA’ell  to  think  of  the  Apple,  Peach,  Pear, 
Plum  and  general  bush-fruits  in  turn,  asking  oneself  questions 
on  the  propagation,  pruning,  training,  soils,  aspects,  and  on  the 
diseases,  pests,  and  varieties  of  each.  The  action  of  chemical 
fertilisers  and  of  the  mechanical  effects  also,  of  “natural” 
manures  on  soils,  should  be  reflected  on,  and  the  question  of  the 
suitability  of  certain  plants  for  certain  soils  Avill  likeivise  arise. 
As  one  or  tAvo  of  the  practical  questions  are  generally  set  to 
prove  one’s  knoAvledge  of  the  culture  of  a  genus,  it  is  advisable 
to  knoAV  the  leading  points  in  regard  to  the  treatment  of,  say. 
Cinerarias,  Primulas,  Chrysanthemums,  Auriculas,  and  tiorists’ 
floAvers  in  general ;  the  same  Avith  vegetables.  But  as  the 
difference  in  culture  is  not  great  in  the  case  of  many  of  tlie 
genera,  it  is  better  to-  knoAv  the  routine  Avork  AA’ith  one  genns 
thoroughly,  and  to  let  that  be  the  guide  in  ansAvering  questions 
relating  to  nearly  allied  plants.  Sometimes  a  question  is  put 
asking  for  the  natural  order  of  a  number  of  plants.  About  a 
dozen  orders  may  be  embraced,  and  it  Avould  be  Avell  to  knoAV 
the  classification  of  most  of  the  better-knoAvn  floAA'ers.  When 
the  paper  Avith  the  questions  is  handed  out,  it  is  of  jjrimary 
importance  to  read  each  question  carefully  before  deciding  Avhich 
you  Avill  attempt.  Having  decided,  be  sure  you  fully  grasp  the 
exact  purport,  and  let  your  reply  be  to  the  point.  There  is  the 
possibility  of  laeing  too  curt,  but  the  chances  are  the  other  Avay. 
Write  plainly  and  endeavour  to  avoid  erasures  or  alterations.— 
F.  C.  C.  ■ 
Impatiens  Sultani  (Sultan’s  Balsam). 
This  plant  is  not  grown  so  much  as  it  might  be,  considering 
its  usefulness  for  house  and  conservatory.  It  is  elegant,  with 
crimson  flowers,  and  a  satiny  gloss  on  the  face,  and  silvery  re¬ 
verse.  It  can  be  raised  from  cuttings  or  seeds,  the  latter  prefer¬ 
ably.  The  seeds  should  be  sown  in  pots  or  pans  in  a  compost  of 
finely  sifted  loam,  leaf  soil;  and  silver  sand,  about  the  end  of 
February,  in  a  temperature,  of  60deg  to  65deg.  When  large 
enough  to  handle,  the  seedlings  should  be  pricked  out  into 
thumb  pots  in  the  same  compost  as  used  for  soAving  the  seed,  and 
given  an  ordinary  Avarm  house  treatment,  keeping  them  well  up 
to  the  light.  The  seedlings  should  not  be  kept  wet,  as  they  are 
liable  to  damp  off.  The  next  shift  should  be  into  3Jin  pots.  The 
compost  may  consist  of  loam  and  leaf  soil  in  equal  parts,  AA'ith  a 
fourth  part  of  Avell-decayed  manure.  The,  whole  should  be  passed 
through  a  |in  sieve  and  enough  sand  used  to  keep  it  porous. 
Following  this,  they  should  be  pinched  a  little,  to  make  them 
form  nice  bushy  plants,  and  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  become 
pot-bound,  as  they  are  very  susceptible  to  any  check.  When  well 
rooted,  a  little  stimulant  may  be  given  about  once  a  Aveek.  The 
plants  should  be  potted  on  as  they  require  it,  increasing  the 
amount  of  manure  each  time.  The  compost  for  the  final  potting 
should  consist  of  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  well-decayed  manure  in 
equal  parts,  Avith  sand  as  before.  When  w’ell  rooted  in  their 
flowering  pots  they  Avill  need  copious  supplies  of  water  and  stimu¬ 
lants  about  three  times  a  week.  They  require  shading  Avhen  the 
sun  is  very  powerful.  The  chief  insect  pests  are  black  fly  and 
mealy  bug.  It  is  best  to  fumigate  for  the  fly,  and  the  mealy  bug 
can  be  kept  in  check  by  using  methylated  spirit  on  a  brush.  They 
should  be  well  syringed  occasionally,  to  keep  red  spider  down. — 
Geo.  Barfoot,  Mabledon  Park  Gardens,  Tonbridge,  Kent. 
