July H, ISCi. 



JOUESTAL OP HOETICTJLTUEE AND COTTAOE GABDENBE. 



25 



The adjudication for the decorated vases or baskets seemed 

 to me and others very odd. The first prize was ^ven to 

 a stand which contained not one good Rose, and violated all 

 the pi-ineiples of taste by having- a huge piece of coral on 

 the top and shells on the bottom stand — it was one of Mr. 

 March's stands. It seems to me that the Judges are per- 

 plexed between the stand and the iiowers, but in neither 

 case do I think the award was a correct one ; and the worst 

 of such awai-ds is, that they peiijetuate that veiy badness 

 of taste they are intended to destroy. The gi-oup which 

 obtained thu-d prize was a magnificent bxmch of fine Eoses, 

 such as any one might place on then- table ; whereas the 

 first was one I should have scouted for nunc. But I suppose 

 one must only say, '-Chacun a son godi " but if the " gout " 

 be bad it is luifoi-tunate. Mr. WUson Saunders' prize was 

 won by CecUe de Chabiillant ; and in the class for six 

 bouquets of Eoses Mr. W. Paul was fii-st with Coupe d'Hebe, 

 Senateur Vaisse, Madame Vidot, Pidnce Camille de Eohan, 

 Chai-les Lefebvre, and Celine Forestier. 



I have thus noticed the more remarkable featui-es of the 

 Show of Eoses, and ma,y at some futm-e time give the general 

 result of my observations. I regret that eu-evunstanees 

 hinder my being present this year at the Birmingham Show, 

 which I contemplate wHl be the best of the three. 



And so ends the Eoyal Horticultm-al Society's Exhibitions 

 for 18G3, in which it may safely be said that as noble col- 

 lections have been exhibited as were ever brought together, 

 but of which a great deal of the beauty was lost by the 

 place of exhibition. It is, however, diwmed ; and let us 

 hope that next year may witness some attempt at tasteful 

 arrangement in a place more suitable for the display. — 

 D.. Deal. 



CLIANTHUS DAMPIEEI CULTUKE. 



This most exqiusite plajit is a native of New Holland, 

 where it goes by the name of the Glory Pea. I have had 

 many losses in trying to grow it, and probably I am not the 

 only one who has suifered. Such being the case, these few 

 remarks may assist some, who, Kke me, have a great love 

 for this beautiful climber. Many a batch of seedlings I have 

 lost after potting-oif, but at last I had the pleasure of seeing 

 it grow and bloom most gloriously. 



The secret I consider lies in not injm-ing in the least the 

 young roots, for in this respect it is the tendei-est plant I 

 ever handled. The seeds should, therefore, be sown singly in 

 small pots, and placed in a gentle bottom heat ; but they 

 must be removed, to a cooler place so soon as they have ger- 

 minated. The seedUngs should be shifted into a larger-sized 

 pot before they have time to root to the side of the one in 

 which they were sown, and when they have gi-own to some 

 5_or 6 inches in height, they should have their final shift 

 either into a large pot, or be planted out in a greenhouse, 

 and ti'ained against a rafter. They will succeed either way, 

 but if a suitable place can be found, I shoidd prefer the 

 latter. 



The soil I find this plant thrive in is a good fibry loam, 

 with a slight addition of dung, leaf mould, and silver sand. 

 It requires plenty of drainage, and will tal:e a liberal supply 

 of water. It also requires strict watching in its young state, 

 pai-ticularly to keep its gi-eatest enemy, red spider, away ; 

 but it will amply repay by its splendour any amount of cai'e 

 bestowed during the two years of its existence. — Juvenis. 



A SUHE WAY TO SUCCESS IN STRAWBEKEY 

 GEOWING. 



In No. 116 of The Journal of Horticulture, page 432 

 there is an interesting answer fi-om aii-. Eobsou to " A. Z." 

 on the siibject of Strawberry-growing. I am able to con- 

 firm aU Mr. Eobson says, and I will add a few simple direc- 

 tions which wiU enable any one to command success with 

 Strawbenies of all kinds, provided those directions are faiily 

 carried out. 



The plan, which I gave in The Cottage Gardener some 

 yeaiB ago, is nothing more than this. About the second week 

 m March place roimd each plant a heap of half-rotten stable- 

 manui-e, and if any fresh di-oppings can be added to it before 

 putting on so miidh the better. A small quantity scattered 



round the plants is not sufficient, but enough should fee 

 placed round each plant to stand 8 or 9 inches high after 

 being fii-mly pressed down with the hands ; and the ring of 

 manui-e thus pressed down should extend to about 10 inches 

 aU round. Of coiu'se the plants must be 20 inches apart at 

 the least. 



The time for doing this is about the second week in March ; 

 if it is done before, or during winter, the plants are lifce'ly 

 to run too much to leaf ; if later than March the benefit is 

 lost. When the right time is taken advantage of the next 

 rains wash the rich juices of the manure to the roots of the 

 plants, and the midching material wiiich remains protects 

 them from di-ought during the rest of the season. 



1 have had sixteen yeai-s' experience of this plan, and 

 never yet failed in having a 'first-rate crop of all kinds oi 

 Strawbenies, British Queen included. I never gave, and 

 never shall give, a drop of water to a Strawberry plant. I 

 find that a much smaller number of plants is sufficient to 

 satisfy my wants for presei-viug, for Strawberry feasts, and 

 for two large dishes a-day dm-ing the season, than would be 

 necessary imder any other system. In fact, I estimate the 

 produce of each plant, except British Queen, which is raiher 

 less productive, at one good dish li-om fii-st to last. 



Now it is a very easy thing to give these directions, and 

 very easy also to follow them, but it is quite another thing 

 to find people willing to carry them out. One man wiU 

 sprinkle only a little fresh litter round his plants; another 

 ] win say it is altogether too much pains to bestow on each 

 Strawberry plant. In such cases I never take the trouble 

 i to say anything more about it. I have the satisfaction of 

 I knowing-, however, that those who have followed out tliis 

 plan fairly were well pleased with the results. 

 I Last year a fiieud from Lincolnshii-e paid me a visit, and 

 admii-ed my success with Strawbenies. I gave him fal] 

 directions for his gardener to follow, and told him that the 

 only difficulty was to get them carried out. He said, " Oh, 

 I wiQ take care of that." This year, at the end of May, I 

 paid him a visit in Lincolnshire, and the fii-st thing I did 

 the moi-ning after my arrival was, of com-se, to inspect the 

 gardens, and make friends with the gardener. He at once 

 took me round liis houses, and showed some very fine cmws 

 of Gi-apes in aU degrees of forv,-ai-dness ; then" I saw 3e 

 Pine and Melon-pits ftdl of magnificent fruit, and some of 

 both ready to cut; fi-om these we v,-ent to the orchard- 

 house, where everything looked healthy and productive; 

 and finaUy we stroUed round the kitchen gai-den. I stopped 

 opposite to some Strawben-ies, of which thei-e uviden% 

 would not be a quarter of a crop, and said, " You won't have 

 much of a crop this year." He repUed, "No; we never get 

 much of a crop in these pai-ts ; the soil does not seem to 

 sirit them." "Do you never mulch them?" I said. "Oli! 

 I declare, I beUeve you ai-e the gentleman that wanted 

 master to put heus' -nests round the Strawben-ies." I con- 

 fessed to the soft impeachment. " Ah ! " his reply was, " that 

 might answer aU very well in some places, but we ha-ye such 

 a lot of bu-ds here that they 'd be always pulling them down, 

 and littering the garden about'." I left huu without alluding 

 to the subject again. It was a hopeless affafr. It never 

 oceiuTed to him to ti-y and see whether his fears were weU- 

 grounded or not. I myself am pestered with thi-ushes iisd 

 blackbii-ds, but I never saw any litter in my garden ; they 

 may puU one or at most two heaps about once in the season, 

 but the gardener sets them right again in half a mimite. 



The remaining advantages of this plan, besides being 

 independent of the season, are fr-eedom fi-om slugs and from 

 the splashing of the bemes vrith the sofl during heavy rains ; 

 and Strawberries may be gi-own for many yeai-s upon the 

 same groimd without degenerating in any way. I have 

 already kept one piece of ground under Strawberries for 

 sixteen yeai-s without the sUghtest loss of either quality or 

 quantity. 



In conclusion, the sorts I recommend for cultivation are 

 British Queen, which is by very fai- the best of aU ; Keens' 

 Seedling ; Filbert Pine, an admirable Strawben-y, and but 

 little known, very exeeUent in flavom-, and an astonishing 

 bearer; and Black Prince for the early crop. For a laAe 

 crop I prefer placing Keens' Seedling in a somewhat shaded 

 and cool situation. 



For greenhouse cultm-e the Black Prince is by far the best. 

 Of com-se the plants should be placed close to the glass ; 



