JuJy 10, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



and the newly- crowned Queen with obedient attendants at their 

 feet; encircling them, were a lot of pretty 1)ots and girls with 

 countenances beaming with happiness and delight ; and the 

 higher ground for some distance was covered with spectators of 

 all ages and sizes, am ngst them being a large number of ladies 

 whose gala attire dazzling in the setting sunshine, contributed 

 greatly to the gaiety of the scene. The coronation was followed 

 by some singint^, the songs selected being the following : — ** Long 

 may Life and Health be Spared Us," *' Away, Away, to the Woods 

 Away ! " *' Harvest Time," and '* Home, Sweet Home." 



Three cheers were then given for the rector (the Rev. W. 

 Quekett), Mrs. Quekett, the curates (the Revs. J. Tedman and 

 J. p. Petty), the churchwardens and sidesmen, the subscribers 

 to the schools, and for the King and Queen. Their majesties 

 acknowledged the compliment with a gracious bow. 



KOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETX'S SHOW. 

 July 9th. 



The last Exhibition for the seasou was held yesterday, and 

 •we have no hesitation in saying that it was one of the poorest 

 ever witnessed at the Kegent's Park. Hitherto we have been 

 Accustomed to have a flue display of fruit at the July Show — 

 fruit there was none. Its place was usurped by an exhibition 

 of table decorations, very meritorious it is true — light, airy, and 

 elegant, with but few exceptions; but we are sorry to see such 

 things encouraged at the expense of cultural skill. Flowers 

 are beautiful to the e3'e, many of them delicious in scent, but 

 fruit combines with these qualities flavour as well; it is an im- 

 portant article of food, and one which greatly contributes to 

 ihe preservation of health. Surely something should be done 

 by our leading societies — in fact, by horticulturists generally, 

 to bring back fruit from the cold shade of neglect with which it 

 is overclouded. The Veitch prizes given last week were a step 

 in the right direction, but we must not leave these things to 

 iadividnal effort — united action should be taken. After all, the 

 most beautiful table-arrangement is but an adj uuct to tlie viands, 

 and these, whether fish, flesh, fruit, or vegetable, must be pro- 

 daced, and it is more to the national benefit that they should be 

 produced well and abundantly than 'that such undue prominence 

 should bo given, and so much time and money expended on the 

 passing fancy of the hour. Mauy a gardener would rejoice at 

 their restriction within the narrowest bounds, for the demands 

 made in many instances on the gardener for time and flowers 

 for these decorations are something enormous. Whilst making 

 these remarks we by no means %vish to advocate the neglect of 

 the elegancies of the table, but we merely utter a protest against 

 their encouragement at the expense of legitimate horticulture. 



Stove aud greenhouse plants in flower were but few, and on 

 the whole not remarkable for quality. Mr. .J. Wheeler, how- 

 ever, exhibited a good half-dozen in the amateurs' class, whilst 

 in that for nurserymen Mr. Williams, of HoUoway, to whom the 

 Show was indebted for most of its best features, contributed a 

 Jine specimen of Aerides odoratum majus, Cypripedium barba- 

 tum superbum, and Anthurium Scherzeriauum, the last some- 

 what tarnished. 



Of iine-fohaged plants Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, had a very fine 

 Cycas revolnta, a large Latania borbonica, Dracaena lineatn, and 

 a fine Encephalartos ; he likewise exhibited the best four Dra- 

 caenas — viz., fine plants of Shepherdi, Chelsoni, Regiua, and 

 grandis; Mr. Bester, of the Pine Apple Nurseries, and Messrs. 

 Carter & Co. having the next best. Among Caladiums we noticed 

 excellent plants of Cannartii, Chautini, Max Kolb, and others 

 from Messrs. Jeal, Ritchie, and G. Wheeler; also good Canuas 

 from the last-named and Messrs. E. G. Henderson. Palms cnme 

 from Mr. Bull, Mr. Croucher, gardener to J. Peacock, Esq., 

 Hammersmith, and Mr. G. Wheeler; aud a fine group of six 

 «xotic Ferns from Jlr. Williams. Of hardy Ferns good collec- 

 tions were exhibited by Messrs. Ivery, James, aud Wheeler. 



Of Fuchsias, Mr. Walker, gardener to H. Atkinson, Esq., 

 Acton, had fine specimens of Rose of Castile, Keine Blanche, 

 Conspicua, and Souvenir de Chiswick, Messrs. Weston, 

 Wright, and G. Wheeler also showing well. Mr. Turner, of 

 Slough, sent a splendid lot of new Show Pelargoniums, most of 

 which have been noticed before ; Protector, Ruth, Duke of 

 CamliridgH. and Prince of Wales were very striking. Mr. 

 Weston aud Mr. Burley had good Zonal Pelargoniums in flower; 

 and fine collections of Tricolors came from -Air. Pestridge, Ux- 

 bridge, Mr. Turner, Slough, and Mr. Wright, Lee. An uufor- 

 -tonate accident happened to those of Mr. Turner, which caused 

 their removal from the tent. 



Messrs. I^ane, Great iierkhampstead, exhibited in a collection 

 of six hardy Conifers nice plants of Thujopsis dolabrata, Juni- 

 perus hibernica compressa, a very compact sort of erect growth ; 

 Reliuospora squarrosa, very handsome; Cryptomeria elegans ; 

 Retimspora leptoclada, forming a lovely, bright green column ; 

 and R. plnmoaa aarea. The same firm also sent the only group 

 of lardy evergreens that we noticed. 



Among miscellaneous groups foremost must be mentioned 

 those of Mr. Williams and Messrs. Rolliason, consisting of 

 Orchids, Palms, Ferns, aud other stove md greenhouse plants, 



that from Mr. Williams being especially remarkable for its 

 number aud excellence. From Messrs. E. G. Henderson cama 

 a group of Tree Carnations, Tricolor and other Pelargoniums, 

 Coleuses, itc. ; from Mr. Ware, Pentstemons, Delphiniums, 

 bedding Violas, and blooms of Carnations and Picotees ; from 

 Messrs. Carter & Co. a pretty lot of Lobelias named after the 

 three Christian graces ; and from Messrs. Veitch, spleudid boxes 

 of cut blooms of Roses. For three trusses of forty-eight 

 varieties Messrs. Paul & Son were first, Mr. Tiu'uer second, 

 both exhibiting remarkably fine trusses ; aud for yellow Roses 

 Mr. Webb, of Reading, took the first place with Marcchal Niel. 



Botanical certificates were awarded to Messrs. Veitch for Si 

 Japanese Elaeagnus with pale rose-coloured fruit; to Messrs, 

 Carter for Campylobotrys Ghiesbreghtii variegata, aud Lilium 

 Krameri; to Mr. Croucher for Agave VerschalTeltii variegata, 

 A. Corderoyii, and A. perbella; to Mr. Williams for Phaius 

 Marshalliai ; to Mr. Ware for Acantholimon venustum ; and to 

 Messrs. Dixon & Co., Amhurst Nurseries, also to Mr. Forsyth, 

 Stoke Newington, for Lobelia pumila grandiflora flore-pleno, 

 which has been reported upon before as a fine, compact, double 

 blue variety. 



OLD DOUBLE WHITE BOCKET. 



Some ini|ULries having been made of late about this favourite 

 of olden times, and as it happens to be in flower at present 

 I may add that those who have been looking far and wide for 

 this now almost-lost ornament of the gardens of our forefathers, 

 will, on finding it, be somewhat disappointed, for it is certainly 

 inferior to the tall Rocket for the generality of purposes for 

 which a white Rocket is wanted. Dwarfer it C'Hainly is. The 

 spike I send you was taken from a plant growing in good ground, 

 and was fully a foot high — about half the height of its taller 

 brother. Its foliage is also smaller and of a brighter green, 

 less inclined to be downy ; but in other respects the plants are 

 much alike, except in one point, and that to me an important 

 one — the taller one is by far the easier to grow aud manage. 

 The dwarf one has a tendency to die-oft' at all times of the 

 year, even sometimes when just throwing up its flower-stem; 

 and it is, as most sickly plants are, of such uneven growth, 

 that I cannot recommend it with so much confidence as I do 

 the taller kind. Perhaps the soil here may not suit it ; or as 

 a variety, which I presume it must be considered, it is worn 

 out. Certainly it is not very common, for after having lost 

 sight of it several years before the first Reform Bill became law, 

 I did not see it again until, some five or six years ago, I met 

 with it in a very old-fashioned garden in Lanarkshire ; but I 

 am somewhat disappointed in it, and cannot give it that cha- 

 racter for general utility I would like to do. As a white it is 

 more pure, perhaps, than the tall kind, quite as double, the 

 flower-spike more densely set with flowers, and a prettier 

 foliage decks the stem, but the tendency of the plant to die-off 

 unexpectedly counterbalances these advantages in my idea. 

 Perhaps, however, in the fine sandy soils that margin the 

 coasts or are found in many inland districts, it may do better. 

 I think I have been told of its doing well about Preston ia 

 Lancashire, but I may be wrong. Perhaps those having it in 

 a thriving condition will tell us its whereabouts aud other par- 

 ticulars. — J. ROBSON. 



AMEEICAN WILD PLUMS. 



A WRITER recently, when giving an acount of his travels in 

 a region called Kansas, or Arkansas, states that an arid sandy 

 desert in that part of the world produced in great abundance 

 a Plum tree not so large as a Gooseberry bush, bearing very 

 large and luscious fruit. I want to learn if any such desirable 

 shrnb is known to our horticultural experts. Is there any 

 account or mention of it in any authentic work on Ameri- 

 can trees, if there be any such book ? Without doubting the 

 veracity of the writer, " E. A. C," I have often been struck 

 with the fact that when travellers stumble upon some won- 

 drous novelty a long way oft', by some unaccountable neglect 

 they omit to bring a specimen home or seeds thereof. The 

 introduction of such a plant would bo a small fortune to the 

 discoverer, since, if not hardy enough for out-doors, it would 

 obviously be specially adapted for an orchard house, now so 

 common. I have np doubt that thoro arc yet many wild fruits 

 in the American wilderness which might be successfully intro- 

 duced here. 



I enclose a small twig of Shepherdia argentea, now laden 

 with flowers; each, as you will see, is trumpet-shaped, like a 

 Cowslip. As there is no thorn or prickly spine on it I cannot 

 see the use of it as a fence. It is so brittle, that in trying to 

 take off a twig I broke oil a largo branch. Would you oblige 

 me by stating what sex you think my plant is, aud how lanx 



