208 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 21, 1867. 



\rith these feathered depredators in the country, when a few 

 modest Primroses have ventured to show themselves, to see 

 them speedily nipped off and strewed upon the ground. Their 

 dust-baths, also, which they are so fond of taking in dry weather, 

 are an awful nuisance, spoiling the surface of the newly-raked 

 beds, and often exposing the roots of plants to destruction. I 

 remedied this, however, in some measure by placing garden- 

 pot saucers filled with water on the spots which they attacked, 

 which the generality preferred ; but a few of the old school, 

 bigotted to their ancient ways, still took to the dust, delighting 

 to half bury themselves in it, as a hen does, and to lie basking 

 in the sun. Watering the bed well at the top will prevent this, 

 but it is not always expedient to do so in the morning of a hot 

 day, as it scorches the plants. 



Annuals next invite attention. Marigolds, Asters, and Stocks 

 all do well, but I should advise that they be purchased always 

 of the gardeners at the season when they are brought into the 

 markets in bunches for planting out. A penny will buy a 

 dozen, and they are hut precarious if raised from seed. The 

 German and French Asters should be purchased in pots just 

 when first putting forth their flowers. They last well, and are 

 very handsome. Lobelia gracilis andNemophilaare also safest 

 if bought in pots, and transferred to the earth. The Lychnis 

 does best if bought in the plant, and with care, cutting the 

 stems down to the roots after flowering, is almost perennial, 

 certainly the scarlet variety will last for three or four years. 

 Convolvulus major and minor, Nasturtium (now termed Tro- 

 paeolum). Mignonette, Virginian Stock, Clarkia, Godetia, Sweet 

 Sultan, Sweet Pea, Sweet William, Erysimum PeroiTskianum, 

 Wallflowers, Zinnias, and Canterbury Bells, purple and white, 

 also succeed. This list might be considerably added to, I have 

 no doubt, but it contains what were abundantly suilicient for 

 my wants, and I only occasionally tried others. Having no 

 space to spare in my miniature garden, I used to sow or plant 

 annuals among and closely around those bulbs which flower 

 in the earlier part of the year, and they were ready in their 

 places when it was time to cut down the decaying leaves of 

 the bulbs. 



Of those annuals which will not succeed, I may just mention 

 the pretty scarlet Linum, which I have tried both from seed 

 and by purchasing plants, but it would not be persuaded. 

 Lupins of all sorts I consider a failure, the larger and smaller 

 blue and the rose Lupin especially. The common yellow 

 sometimes put out a few miserable spikes, both in form and 

 colour, so I discarded them. 1 must except, however, one of 

 the perennial kinds, Lupinus Moritzianus, which does tole- 

 rably for two or three years. The Silenes and the Eutocas 

 fail ; so, also, do the Gilias, Limnanthes, Lasthenias, Cenias, 

 Monolopias, Schizopetalons, and many others, which I con- 

 sider only as rubbish in any garden, whether in town or country. 



Most of the usual bedding plants will run their summer 

 course satisfactorily, though some better than others. Ver- 

 benas mostly do well, the scarlet and the white the best ;' the 

 former will often stand the winter. All the Pelargoniums 

 succeed, especially the old scarlet. They continue in flower 

 for four or five months, till the frosts cut them down. Latterly 

 instead of throwing them away I used to anticipate the frosts, 

 and in October gave them away among the working men of the 

 town, who nursed them in windows and considered them great 

 prizes. Cinerarias, though pretty while they last, I discarded 

 because they were so soon over, aud left only unseemly stumps. 

 For the same reason I did not care for the generality of Calce- 

 olarias ; but the bright yellow herbaceous sorts are admirable, 

 keeping up a gay appearance throughout the season by simply 

 taking care to cut off the stalks as soon as the heads of buds 

 have dropped their little slippers. Petunias do not relish 

 smoke ; as soon as they are brought under its influence the 

 flowers begin to dwindle. I purchased a magnificent plant in 

 full flower of the Double White variety, took it with its ball of 

 earth out of the pot, and plunged it in one of the best situa- 

 tions in a border. The plant continued to look healthy through- 

 out the summer, and buds showed themselves profusely ; but 

 the flowers, which at first were the size of a florin, soon 

 dwindled to that of a i-hilliug, then to that of a sixpence, after 

 which they refused to open, and when the frosts came it had 

 at the least a hundred buds upon it not larger than a pin's 

 head. Ageratums, Heliotropes, Pentstemons, and Cupheas all 

 do tolerably ; but the last-named make but little growth. 



If the reader should be ambitious of a rockery he will find 

 several of the plants already named of a dwarf character suc- 

 ceed upon it, to which may be added the common Bracken 

 Fern, which dies down in the winter, but puts up its fronds 



again in the spring ; the Ciazania, which largely increases, ap- 

 parently unconscious of smoke, sometimes surviving the winter ; 

 and, for the season, most species of the Mesembryanthemum. 

 Nor should I omit to state that, if vegetables are desired, 

 Rhubarb aud the Jerusalem Artichoke will thrive. I planted 

 tbem in a very narrow border at the south end under the dwarf 

 wall, and though they had but little sun they yielded well. — 



I'niLOKEPOS. 



(To be continned.) 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



March 19th. 

 First Spring Show. — A heavy sky, a keen northerly wind, drifts 

 of snow, slush under foot, aud then a close driK-zle — such was the 

 character of Tuesday last, when the first Spring Show of the season 

 took place ; but though the weather was about the worst that could 

 have been, not so was the Exhibition, for take it all in all, it was one 

 of the finest which have been seen at South Kensington so early in 

 the season, and that season, too, one of the most unfavourable that 

 could well have happened for the development of the fine productions 

 which were exhibited. These productions were a triumph of horti- 

 cultural skill, and a proud evidence of what our horticulturists can do 

 in contending with adverse circumstances of climate ; for to attain 

 such perfection in cultivation requires years of experience, and to 

 show flowers as they were shown on this occasion months of unre- 

 mitting attention, and at last no small degree of courage to expose 

 them iu such a day. The Fellows of the Society ought to feel much 

 indebted to the numerous exhibitors for the support which was so 

 heartily alforded under such trying circumstances, and that that sup- 

 port was most fully and generally appreciated we have every reason to 

 believe ; indeed, had there been an opportunity, some exjiression, we 

 understand, would have been given to the feeling entertained on the 

 subject by the Council. 



Hyacinths formed the most important feature of the Show, the 

 principal exhibitor being Mr. William Paul, of Waltham Cross, who 

 was far in advance of any other iu the size and beauty of the noble 

 spikes which be placed in competition. It would be dithcuU to say more 

 in their praise than that they were quite equal to those which he exhi- 

 bited last year, and were remarkable for tbe same vigonr aud the same 

 freshness of colour. In the class for eighteen he was first with magnifi- 

 cent spikes of King of the Blues, Princess Mary of Cambridge, and 

 Bloudin (new), much paler in colour than tbe preceding, and broader iu 

 the petal ; Charles Dickens, Van Speyk, Baron Von Tuyll, all three very 

 fine ; General Havelock and Feruek Khan, two varieties closely ap- 

 jjroaching to black, aud both vei^ good; Solfaterre, Koh-i-Noor, 

 Maciiulay. Vunxbaak, all excellent, the latter large and very compact 

 ill spike, but scarcely so brilliant in colour as last year ; Prince Albert 

 Victor, a l^w and very hue purplish crimson with lighter edges ; a 

 splendid spike of Sir Heurj- Havelock, Grandeur i'l Mervcille, Snow- 

 ball, a fine spike for that kind, Mont Blanc, and La (irandesse, a large 

 pure white. Messrs. Cutbush, of Highgate, were second with an ex- 

 ctlk-nt collection, though tbe spikes were scarcely so fine as those 

 which they usually exhibit, and which have given them so well-deserved 

 ■ a reputation in connection with this flower. The sorts were Baron 

 ' Von Tuyll, Charles Dickens, Grand Lilas, General Havelock, Cavaig- 

 nac. Von Schiller, fine colour ; Gigantea, Princess Clothilde, Florence 

 XiKhtingalc, immense spike; Le Prophite, Grand Vainqueur, Ma 

 caulav, Due de Miilakoll, Mrs. James Cutbush, Mont Blimc, Snow- 

 ball, 'Princess Helena, like tbe preceding three, a vei-y good white, 

 aud Hnvdn. a beautiful mauve. Mr. J. Kirtland, Albion Nursery, 

 ' Stolie Newiiigton, and Mr. William Cutbush, of Barnet, were equal 

 third with collections coutuining good examples of Von Schiller, 

 Sultan's Favourite, Charles Dickens, Grand Lilas. Baron Von Tnyll, 

 Orondates, Mimosa, Argus, tjueen of the Netherlands, Maria Catha- 

 rina, fine iu colour though not largo in spike, and Ida, yellow. 



In the Amateurs' Class for twelve Hyacinths, of six lands, Mr. 

 Biirtlett, Sliaftesbury Road, Hammersmith, bad a third prize ; and in 

 tbe open class for six kinds Mr. W. Paul was first with splendid 

 examples of Grandeur ii MerveiUe, Prince Albert, Macaulay, King of 

 tbe Bhies. a magnificent spike ; Lord Cowley, pale porcelain, fine 

 spike, large bells ; aud Victor Emmanuel, pale crimson, striped with 

 deeper crimson. Mr. W. Cutbush, of Barnet, was second with very 

 good examples of General Havelock, Macaulay, Mont Blanc, Conronne 

 de Celle, remarkable for its beautiful azure colour ; Alba Maxima, 

 and Von Schiller, tbe last very fine. Mr. Kirtland, who was third, 

 had the same variety and Macaulay very good. 



Hvacintbs grown in pots aud glasses in windows were not as a 

 whole so good as could be desired. Some very good specunens in 

 4Hpots from Mr. Beach, gardener to C. J. Herries, Esq., Sevenoaks, were 

 awarded a first prize, aud Mr. Bartlett, of Hammersmith, was second 

 with fair but rather unequally grown spikes in 32sized pots. For 

 Hyacinths in glasses Mr. Ruinsey, Waltham Cross, had a first and 

 Mr. Beach a third prize. It may be remarked that Charles Dickens 

 was shown both in glasses and in pots better than most of the other 

 varieties. 



In tbe class for six Hyacinths, new kinds of 1866-67, the only 

 exhibitor was Mr. William Paul, who had a first prize for Bird of 

 Paradise, Linnaeus, Sir Henry Havelock, Blondin, Lord Shaftesbury, 



