is(V 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t August 32, 186T. 



haps separates them from the plot of Potatoes, affords many a 

 dieh of excellent food, and is at the same time ornamental, 

 and the Lettuce and Onion beds are more profitable adjuncts 

 than Carnations or Chrysanthemums. But it must not be 

 supposed that I would discard flowers entirely ; on tlie contrary, 

 let them be duly credited with what merit is their due, still let 

 them be subordinate to vegetables and fruits. 



In looking over a number of cottage gardens with a view to 

 award prizes to meritorious ones, the directions given to judges 

 contain so many features, that the duty requires more care and 

 thought than is generally supposed. In general, however, it 

 may be observed, that in country districts where such dwellings 

 are scattered singly, in pairs, or only a few together over a 

 district, some easy mode of taking notes of the merits or defects 

 of each garden will suggest itself to the judges. It is 

 diflerent in a show-tent, where the contending objects can be 

 inspected in juxtaposition ; but to go a mile or two to refresh 

 the memory of the features of a garden No. 1,3 when the in- 

 spector is perhaps at 63, is inconvenient and troublesome. To 

 those, therefore, who may have to undertake such a duty for 

 the first time I here beg to suggest a mode which I believe 

 I have once before explained in the pages of this Journal, 

 iut which may have not come under the eyes of the present 

 readers. I have at various times adopted it for twenty years 

 cr more. 



Assuming, therefore, that a party of two or three jurors is 

 appointed to look over a number of cottage gardens and pre- 

 mises generally, many of which may perhaps stand singly 

 and in sequestered spots — and assuming that perhaps a hun- 

 dred or more of them have to be looked over in a day, or rather 

 in less than half a day, perhaps, as far as working hours are 

 concerned — it becomes necessary for after-comparison of merits 

 to take such short notes as will assign a proper position to each 

 holding as progress is made. Now, in the brief space of time 

 which can be bestowed on each, it would take a clever short- 

 hand writer to note down all particulars ; and even if that were 

 done, great delay must take place at last in reading over each 

 of the hundred or more observations so made. To obviate 

 this, and at the same time to have a clear and distinctive mark 

 attached to each holding, I have for many years adopted a plan 

 somewhat resembling that recommended by Mr. Thomson for 

 judging Grapes, which is by using figures instead of written 

 descriptions. My plan is this : On glancing over the contents 

 of a garden, or rather, I may say, on looking over it carefully, 

 and ascertaining its merits as well as its defects, and taking as 

 a guide an assumed idea of perfection to represent 100, a little 

 thought is required to consider how far the holding in question 

 falls short of this. It is rarely that I have met with one that 

 I was disposed to place higher than OO ; but whatever figure 

 was thought a jast and fair one was at once appended to garden 

 No. 1, and the same to all the others in succession ; so that at 

 the end of the inspection it was only necessary to look back 

 to the figure, and the highest, if it corresponded with the fellow- 

 judges' opinions, was awarded the first prize. I ought also to 

 say that it was customary for the judges appointed to discuss 

 the figures of the first garden inspected, and thereby enable 

 each other to judge of the position it was supposed to stand in, 

 J)ut all notes on the following ones were taken independently 

 of each other ; yet at the end of the inspection the respective 

 merits of each were set down in much the same order in every 

 book, and a decision was made easy. 



The advantage of this plan is more apparent when a large 

 number of prizes are to be awarded. For instance : a gentle- 

 man owning a number of cottages scattered variously over the 

 parish he resided in, was in the habit of giving a liberal sum 

 each year in prizes as a reward for the industry and good 

 management of the occupants of the holdings, which numbered 

 somewhere about a hundred. Now, to give this sum all to the 

 fcest three was neither just nor fair, as most likely the same 

 thing would be repeated another year. A naturally good garden, 

 in the hands of an industrious occupant, was very likely to 

 keep its place, or at all events the possessor of a small one, 

 however well tilled, could not have much chance to compete 

 ■with him. It was, therefore, advised to divide the gardens into 

 two classes, large ones and smaller, and apportion one first 

 prize to each, that for the larger garden being somewhat more 

 than for the small one. The after-apportionment of the prizes 

 was often left with the judges, who not unfrequently placed 

 three or four as seconds, and a still greater number third, and 

 STen fourth prizes were awarded to half a dozen or more, the 

 result being that often one-half of the occupants received 

 prizes. Of coarse no one v&b awarded a prize who did cot 



deserve it, but a small prize was always encouraging; and the 

 interest felt in the matter, with the knowledge that an inspec- 

 tion was annually made, kept up a higher state of order and 

 neatness than would have been the case amongst the more 

 careless ; while amongst the industrious and enterprising a 

 great stimulus was given, as all the deserving were sure of a 

 prize, and the higher its grade so much the more honour. 

 I may also add that in some cases the inspection by the judges 

 took place three or four times during the summer, and at periods 

 when least expected by the occupant, and the prize given or 

 withheld in accordance with the general character of the hold- 

 ing at all of the times. 



In recommending a mere column of figures to represent the 

 condition of the object looked at, it does not follow that other 

 notes might not be taken also ; a few words, perhaps, may do ; 

 but in most cases figures will better represent all that is wanted 

 where a great number of gardens must be looked over. To 

 those who like to go into detail, I may say that I have some- 

 times ruled a wide sheet into narrow columns for figures, and 

 allotted one for vegetables, one for fruits, one for fences (which 

 are an important matter in cottage garden^l, one for flowers^ 

 one for window plants, one for wall trees or climbers, and one 

 for general cleanliness and order, with one column as a total — 

 the last not the added-up amount of all the others, but simply 

 its position as so much below the ideal number of perfection. 

 100. The advantages of the above details are, that when 

 comparing notes with a fellow juror at the conclusion of the 

 inspection it is easy to refer to such a cottager being either 

 strong or weak in each department, and to discuss merits 

 without the inconvenience of a second visit. 



The above as a mode of giving encouragement to deserving 

 cottagers for managing their plots of ground at home, is by no 

 means put forth as a plea against exhibitions of garden produce 

 as well ; on the contrary, the two systems can be worked together, 

 and often are ; and the exhibition being an affair which the 

 public at large take pleasure in seeing, it is at all times advisable 

 when the funds are forthcoming to have one, for however small 

 the prizes there is always an honour in being first, and a good 

 competition is often ensured. Many instances of the good 

 effects of such an exhibition might be cited, as well as of the 

 generosity of those who patronise such exhibitions, and who» 

 deserving all praise for their exertions in such a cause, prefer 

 the self-approbation of doing such good deeds in private. — J. E. 



PEACH TREE PRODUCING BOTH PEACH ANI> 

 NECTARINE FRUITS. 



We have growing in the gardens here an old Earrington 

 Peach tree which has produced in three different instances 

 both Peaches and Nectarines on the same wood, and in one 

 case a Peach, a Nectarine, and a fruit half Nectarine and half 

 Peach, one side of it being rough and woolly, and the other 

 smooth, all on the same shoot. Perhaps you or some of your 

 readers will kindly inform me if this is not an uncommon 

 occurrence, as I have never seen anything of the sort before 

 during an experience of upwards of fifty years, as well as 

 several friends to whom I have shown it. 



The shoot mentioned, with the three fruits on, will probably 

 be exhibited by a friend of mine at the next meeting of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society. — David Spaey, Ganlciicr to O. B. 

 Marten, Esq., MarsIiaU's Wick, near St. Alban.'s. 



[It is not a common occurrence, but instances where it has 

 happened are not unfrequent.] 



IMPROVED No. 1 PEA. 



In the spring of this year we had a few quarts of a Pea sent 

 to us by a very intelligent gardener, under the name of " Im- 

 proved'No. 1." We sent a little of this Pea to Chiswick this 

 season for trial, and at the same time sowed the remainder 

 ourselves in our trial grounds. This variety has been pro- 

 nounced by the Committee as identical with Dickson's Favourite. 

 Several of the London and provincial trade, however, who have 

 known and grown the latter variety from its infancy, and who 

 have seen the two here growing alongside of each other, say 

 that they are different. We forward you a sample of the " Im- 

 proved No. 1." What do you say it is ? If you are of opinion 

 that it is Dickson's Favourite, we shall dispose of our stock of 

 seed as such. 



No doubt theie are already too many so-called varieties ot 



