1869.] HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 173 



enough to moisten all the soil. Any plants pot-boiind must have the 

 roots undone a little, and if the ball is very dry, it should be wetted 

 through by placing it in a pail or tank of water : this treatment is 

 necessary when potting all kinds of plants. A dry hard ball placed in 

 fresh pots, though ever so well attended to, will do very little good, and 

 probably the plants may gradually die off. Moisture through the whole 

 ball of soil in pots is of the greatest importance with pot-culture; water 

 given only to wet the surface, leaving the principal roots dry, is a slow 

 but certain way of killing plants. Watering, when repeated too often, 

 is also very injurious, especially when plants are tender and in cold 

 quarters. It is hardly possible to mention the various soils suitable 

 for all kinds of plants, but we might mention that few things do not 

 thrive in a mixture of loam, peat, charcoal, and sand in equal parts. 

 Plants becoming too large may be cut back after they have bloomed, 

 and allowed to break ; when the shoots have fairly pushed, the plants 

 may be taken out of the pots, the balls carefully reduced, and a fresh 

 coating of soil pressed all round the balls, leaving no vacant space. 

 Watering may be done in proportion to the growth of the plants and 

 the quantity of roots to receive it. If catalogues gave cultural " hints " 

 for plants as well as for vegetables, it would be of great value to 

 amateurs, as it is often difficult to find the kind of soil adapted for 

 various kinds of plants. Window-boxes will now require attention. 

 Mignonette, Stocks, and Geraniums are still favourites for boxes. 



M. T. 



HORTICULTUKAL EXHIBITIONS. 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S, LONDON, FIRST SPRING SHOW. 



On March 1 3th the battle of the floral exhibitions opened for the present 

 season. Hyacinths were the prime feature, and they were produced to an 

 extent almost unprecedented in a London show. In addition to the 

 usual prizes given by the Royal Horticultural Society for Hyacinths, 

 there were also some special prizes given by the bulb-growers of Hol- 

 land severally for thirty-six Hyacinths, distinct sorts, and the same 

 number in twelve sorts, three of a sort. In each instance Messrs W. 

 Cutbush & Son, Highgate, London, were first, and Mr W. Paul, 

 Waltham Cross, second, with splendid collections of Hyacinths, the 

 superb finish of the flowers, and the dwarf yet vigorous foliage of the 

 plants shown by Messrs Cutbush & Son giving them the pre-emi- 

 nence. The latter had, in thirty-six distinct sorts, the following : Baron 

 van Tuyll, Feruk Khan, Leonidas, Garrick, Charles Dickens, Oron- 

 dates, Couronne de Celle, General Havelock, Marie, Grand Lilas, Lord 



