272 



THE FLORAL WOELD AND GfARDEN GUIDE. 



Harrison. Six pompouo anemones, Hutt, N. Bolton, Pratt. Tweiity-four cut 

 blooms, Harrison, N. Bolton, Pratt. Twelve blooms, Hutt, Pratt, Harrison. Six 

 blooms, and six anemone blooms, Mr. Harrison first in each. In the extra class, for 

 the largest plant of any kind, Mr. West was the winner with Helene, which was 

 admirably grown, bvit was not quite out. The extra class for six blooms, with the 

 Ibliage, is one in which we arc much interested, and in reference to which we have to 

 regret that such a method of showing makes but slow progress. At this show Mr. 

 Butt was the winner, with six noble specimens, undressed, with healthy foliage 

 attached. Among them were Trilby, Annie Salter, and Queen of England. A 

 word of praise should be awarded to Master Bolton for the painstaking manner in 

 which the plants he exhibited had been grown. His Helene was well trained, and 

 his Cedo NuUi had its true colour, and in that particular he may be considered to 

 have outstepped many old exhibitors. Mr. Holland sent Miss Augusta. During the 

 first evening, the band of the employes in Mr. West's brewery cheered the company 

 with excellent music. At the close of the show, the plants were removed to Mr. 

 West's, Three Crowns, North Woolwich, where they constituted a very attractive 

 exhibition in a quarter where the chrysanthemum is not yet an old inhabitant. 

 Other exhibitions we shall notice next month. 



WET SOILS, SMALL SEEDS, AND EAELY EADISHES. 



BT H. IIOWLETT, Or WHITWELL, 



WET SOILS. 



How many amateurs feel a degree of vexa- 

 tion at seeing early peas, potatoes, ra- 

 dishes, lettuce, etc., at their friends' table 

 before their own are nearly ready ; and 

 how many gardeners work and watch in 

 vain to have the same ready for their 

 masters' table as early as some neighbour 

 has them ; and what unpleasantness does 

 it sometimes cause between master and 

 gardener, whilst the cause of his failure 

 lies to a great extent beyond his control, 

 from the fact of his soil being wet and 

 cold, flat, or even sloping to the north, or 

 particularly exposed to cold winds, whilst 

 his neighbour sufiers from none of these ; 

 but, on the contrary, cultivates a dry soil, 

 sloping well to the south, in some liighly 

 sheltered nook. To remedy, then, these 

 natural defects constitutes a part of the 

 gardener's art ; and many have little con- 

 trivances of their own to that end, apart 

 from the great and fundamental principle 

 of thorough drainage. That being accom- 

 plished, we will suppose him destitute of 

 further ideas on the matter, and endeavour 

 to assist him by a few remarks on the 

 treatment of the soil, and protection. 



To render a cold, retentive, clayey or 

 stifi" loamy soil friable, easily worked, and 

 capable of producing delicate and early 

 crops must be both a work of time and 

 labour ; but, in the proportion in which 

 •the latter is bestowed, so will the former 

 be reduced or lengthened. As before ob- 

 served, the first thing to do is to drain 

 thoroughly ; then, by frequent and heavy 



dressings of sand, broken charcoal, or 

 charred rubbish and burnt earth, leaf- 

 mould, or peat earth, accompanied with 

 frequent forking and stirring, to thoroughly 

 disunite and ovei'come its adhesive nature. 

 The application of old tan, cinder-ashes, 

 and old mortar rubbish we do not ap- 

 prove, all possessing deleterious qualities. 

 The former breeds fungus, and the two 

 latter concrete and bind together, rather 

 than the contrary. Our remai'ks on pro- 

 tection are to relate to simple methods. 

 We, therefore, do nob touch on the sub- 

 ject of walls, but suppose them already to 

 exist, or to be too expensive for our read- 

 ers. Where, then, good south borders 

 under a wall are not to be had, such sub- 

 stitutes as sloping banks and reed fences 

 or hurdles may do much to rectify the 

 want ; drive down stakes three feet long 

 in rowSj and one to two feet apart in the 

 row, so that they stand about two feet 

 out of the ground. Place against these 

 rough boards or slabs from the sawpit, or 

 otherwise weave hazel-rods between them, 

 as hurdles are made ; mark off twelve feet 

 on the south side of these, and proceed to 

 dig over the ground, working it into a slop- 

 ing ridge as the work proceeds, thus : — 



Then, upon the most northern one, place 



