v'rri]  9,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
321 
Hardy  Plants:  Auriculas. 
With  the  continuance  of  open  weather  Auriculas  are  fairly  on 
the  move,  and  are  donning  their  fresh  and  fragrant  livery  of 
lively  green,  silvery  grey,  or  snowy  white.  Few  sights  are  more 
pleasing  than  the  new  and  varied"  foliage  of  a  batch  of  healthy 
Auriculas.  Looking  forward,  the  excessive  amount  of  autumn 
bloom  in  the  past  season  will  tell  unfavourably  on  tbe  display 
this  sea.son. 
At  this  critical  time  a  hint,  although  it  be  also  a  repetition, 
may  be  useful  to  the  less  experienced.  It  will  likely  be  found 
that  a  plant  hero  and  there  fails  to  start  into  growth.  If  the 
collar  be  examined,  a  decayed  spot  will  perhaps  be  observed  there. 
If  .so,  clean  it  out  with  a  knife,  dust  with  powdered  charcoal, 
add  a  little  fresh  soil,  and  the  emis.sion  of  roots  at  the  neck  will 
follow.  If  nothing  wrong  be  detected  there,  the  plant  should 
be  at  once  turned  out,  decayed  fibres  or  parts  removed,  and,  by 
repotting  the  plant  will  be  saved.  Neither  in  potting  nor  in  top¬ 
dressing  should  a  too  rich  compost  be  used ;  tbe  Auricula  is  a 
plain  feeder,  and  no  flower  is  more  easily  killed  by  mistaken 
kindness.  This,  and  the  use  of  .small  pots  are  essentials  to 
success. 
The  10th  of  last  May  is  to  the  writer  a  notable  day  in  the 
calendar  of  the  past  year.  Then  he  and  two  friends  of  kindred 
tastes  made  out  a  long-projected  visit  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Horner  at 
Greeta  House.  Starting  on  the  preceding  evening,  we  reached 
Carnforth,  where  kind 
consideration  had  anti¬ 
cipated  our  arrival,  at  a 
pretty  late  hour.  There, 
at  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Joshua  Sharp,  a  friend 
of  Mr.  Horner,  and  a 
keen  florist,  the  wan¬ 
derers  experienced  no 
little  kindness.  Early 
next  morning  we 
started  on  the  ten  or 
eleven  miles  before  us. 
To  find,  as  we  did,  visi¬ 
tors  converging  to  the 
same  spot  from  the  ad¬ 
jacent  counties  of  Cum¬ 
berland,  Lancashire, 
and  Yorkshire,  as  well 
as  from  mid-Scotland, 
surely  indicates  no  ordi¬ 
nary  attractions  there. 
To  us  three  of  the  Auri¬ 
cula  persnasion,  the 
pleasure  was  heightened 
to  find  with  Mr.  Hor¬ 
ner  an  old  acquaint¬ 
ance,  Mr.  Simonite, 
from  Shefliield.  It  is 
fine  to  see  these  two,  in 
many  Avays  so  dis¬ 
similar,  so  like  in  floral 
taste  s.  Auricula 
such  homely,  genial  hospitality,  and  Avith  Avarm  good-byes  Ave 
hastened  on  our  return.  Such  a  meeting  may  take  place  again  ; 
its  probability  is  very  slight. — A  Northern  Amateur. 
ThD  Blue  Water  Lily  (Nymphgea  stellata).  (See  page  320.) 
growers  can  imagine  m 
what  an  atmosphere  Ave  revelled  for  a  feAv  hours.  These  could 
haA'e  been  spent  over  tbe  unique  collections  of  Cacti  and  Orchids 
at  Greeta  House,  and  tAvice  as  long  Avould  not  have  more 
than  sufficed  for  our  immediate  purpose.  We  Avere  a  month  too 
soon  for  the  Florist’.s  Tulips,  which  did  not  then  look  particularly 
happy  after  their  struggle  through  an  ungenial  season. 
The  Auriculas  we  found  in  a  house  facing  the  north-east,  Avith 
a  centre  path  and  a  broad  stage  on  each  side.  We  made  no  calcu¬ 
lation,  but  as  the  house  is  some  50ft  long,  and  the  plants  stood 
close  together  five  or  six  deep,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
number.  These,  as  is  Avell  knoAvn,  consist  almost  exclusively  of 
varieties  of  Mr.  Horner’s  OAvn  raising.  The  general  view  Avas 
lovely.  Coming  to  closer  scrutiny,  we  found  grand  floAvers  in 
all  the  classes.  Several  greens  were  exquisite,  as  were  a  feiv 
greys.  Still,  George  Lightbody  may  bold  his  oAvn  among  the 
latter.  No  Avhite  Avas  then  in  flower  that  excelled  Acme  at  its 
be.st.  We  looked  eagerly  for  Magpie,  but  it  Avas  not  in  bloom, 
and  from  the  smallne.ss  of  the  stock,  years  may  yet  elapse  before 
it  can  be  sent  out.  Of  the  seifs  it  is  impossible  to  speak  too 
highly.  In  all  colours,  and  shades  of  those,  Mr.  Horner  has 
floAvers  far  ahead  of  those  in  commerce.  In  fact,  one  cannot  con¬ 
ceive  hoAv  such  sorts  as  Favourite,  Dusk,  and  others  can  be 
improved  upon.  With  the  former  Mr.  Horner  had  just  esta¬ 
blished  a  record  in  having  a  self  placed  as  premier  at  the  Birming¬ 
ham  ShoAV.  These  lovely  floAvers  fascinate,  and  haunt  the 
memory,  and  in  inspecting,  as  well  as  in  reflecting  on  them,  one 
feels  that  hoAvever  indifferently  Avell  he  may  muddle  through  the 
other  injunctions  of  the  Decalogue,  he  makes  a  miserable  break- 
doAvn  in  striving  to  observe  tbe  last.  But  inexorable  time 
demanded  that  Ave  take  flight,  even  from  such  a  floral  treat,  and 
Societies. 
Royal  HorticnKural,  Drill  Hall,  April  7tli. 
The  meeting  on  Tue.sday  last  was  again  an  excellent  one,  and 
very  A^aried.  The  table  occupying  the  centre  of  the  hall  Avas 
entirely  filled  Avith  dried  mounted  specimens  of  trees,  shrubs,  and 
berbaceous  species  of  Chinese  plants  collected  for  Messrs.  J. 
Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea,  by  Mr. 
E.  H.  Wil.son.  Our  notes  of  a  large  number  of  these  are  fairly 
copious,  and  they  are  held  over  until  our  next  issue.  Narei&.si, 
Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Amaryllis,  and  Orchids,  together  Avith  hardy 
forced  shrubs  and  Alpine  plants  Avere  also  prominent. 
The  Right  Hon.  Jos.  Chamberlain,  M.P.,  attended  the  meet¬ 
ing  betAveen  one  and  two  o’clock.  At  three  o’clock,  Mr.  Geo. 
Nicholson,  V.M.H.,  gave  a  lecture  on  “New  or  Little  KnoAvn 
Shrubs  or  Trees.” 
Orchid  Committee. 
A  grouplet  of  strongly-floAvered  Odontoglossum  crispum 
varieties  waiS  .staged  by 
Messrs.  J.  and  A.  A. 
McBean,  Cook.sbridge, 
Sussex,  and  one  of  tbe 
largest  collections  was 
that  from  Jeremiah 
Colman,  Ksq.  (gardener, 
Mr.  Bound),  of  Gatton 
Park,  Reigate.  He  had 
amongst  other  things, 
fine  pieces  of  Ccelogyue 
cristata  alba.  Cattleya 
intermedia  alba.  Odon- 
g  1  o  s  s  u  m  luteo  -  pur- 
pureum,  and  Lycaste 
Skinneri  delicata.  A 
Cattleya  Sebroderse 
bore  five  handsome 
blooms. 
de  Barri  Crawshay, 
Esq.,  (gardener,  Mr.  W. 
J.  Stables),  Rosefield, 
Sevenoaks,  contributed 
a  rich  display,  compris¬ 
ing  an  under-setting  of 
Sophronitis  grandiflora, 
above  which  Odonto- 
glossums  of  rare  form 
Avere  placed. 
Herr  O.  Beyrodt, 
Marienfiehl,  Berlin, 
staged  a  groui>  of 
Odontoglossums,  cris- 
pums  and  Adrianse 
hybrids.  F.  A.  Rehder,  Esq.,  sent  a  profusely  floAvered  Den- 
drobium  nobile  Ballianum,  Avhile  Stanley,  Ashton  and  Co.,  of 
Southgate,  had  Odontoglo.ssum  Cert'antesi  roseum. 
Captain  Holford  (groAver,  Mr.  Alexander),  M  estonbirt,  Tet- 
bury,  Glos.,  had  L.-c.  Highburyensis,  Odonto.  Adriante  A’ar.,  La.dy 
Wantage,  and  tAAm  noble  floAvers  on  a  good  plant  of  L.-c.  Callisto- 
glossa. 
Sir  Trevor  LaAvrence,  Bart.  tgroAver,  Mr.  M  .  H.  Mhite), 
Burford,  Dorking,  was  forward  AA'ith  a  group  of  MasdeA'allias,  also 
Cynorchis  diphylla,  AngrEecum  fa,stuosum,  Bulbophyllum 
Siamense,  and  some  Epidendrums.  From  Messrs.  C  harlesAA  orth 
and  C’o.,  of  Heaton,  Bradford,  came  L.-c.  Heatonense,  L.-c. 
Mercia  Cattleya  x.  Empress  Frederick,  Heaton  var.,  and  other 
things;  and  from  Messrs.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea,,  came 
Dend.  Wiganse  gran diflo rum,  and  D.  Aspasia  A'ar.  pallidum. 
H.  T.  Pitt  Esq.,  Avas  represented  by  some  excellent  plants,  and 
obtained  certificates  for  three.  These  Avere  Odonto.  crrspuni  Per¬ 
simmon  (F.C.C.),  a  noble  flower:  0.  c.  Alpha,  a,  fine  brown 
blocked  form,  and  a  lovely  Cj'pripedum,  named  Mrs.  Pitt. 
Narcissus  Committee. 
An  extensive  display  of  Daffodils  came  from  Me.ssrs.  Ba^  and 
Sons  Covent  Garden.  The  chief  Amneties  Avere  Hilda,  M lute 
Lady  Ranger  Johnston,  Perfectus.  Lady  Sybil.  Madaine  I^emp, 
C  J. ’Backhou.se,  Madame  de  Graaff,  Weardale  Perfection,  Mliite 
Oiieen.  Lucifer,  King  Alfred,  and  C'aptain  Aei.son.  ,  ,  ,, 
A  choice  collection  of  neAv  hybrid  Narois.si  Avas  staged  by  tbe 
Rev  G.  H.  Eneleheart,  Denton.  Herts.  Some  of  the  best  torms 
were  Glitter,  Water  Sprite,  Body  Guard,  .\rgent,  Fu.ulier,  Red 
Di'^k.  Lancer.  liomon  Girl,  and  Plenipo.  A  small  eollectioii  of 
