April 21, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



291 



Floral Committee. — Rev. Joshua Dix in the chair. On this 

 occasion there was not a large show in the Council Room, but the 

 awards were numerous. Some of these have, been already noticed 

 where the subjects to which they were given formed integral parts of 

 the exhibition in the Conservatory. Mr. C. Noble sent a basketful of 

 two very beautiful Clematises, which, having already received certi- 

 ficates as novelties, were awarded a special certificate. One of these 

 was Miss Bateman, white, with a faint flush of violet, and when it 

 opens having a lemon band in the centre of each petal; the other was 

 Lord Londesborongh, pale lavender. Both of these are very fine, 

 broad-petaled varieties, in which the regular arrangement of the 

 stamens in the centre add to the effect. Mr. Williams, of Holloway, 

 was awarded a first-class certificate for Gloxinia Scarlet Gem, an 

 erect flowering variety, very intense in colour. Mr. R. Veiteh, Exeter, 

 received a special certificate for a specimen plant of seedling white 

 Azalea Lady Poltimore, in excellent bloom and condition notwith- 

 standing its long journev : and Mr. Atkins, Painswick, had a similar 

 award for a fine pot of Cyclamen repandum (Sibthorp), C. vernum of 

 Do Candolle and othei-3. A special certificate was also given to Mr. 

 W. R. Morris, of Deptford, for a basketful of Tricolor Pelargoniums, 

 interesting as showing the development of variegation; and a like 

 award was made to Mr. Needle, gardener to the Comte de Paris, 

 Twickenham, for a collection of Orchis and Ophrys, chiefly from Spain. 



Messrs. K. G. Henderson Ac Son had a first-class certificate for 

 Pansy Golden Redder, as a showy variety for garden decoration ; and 

 the same firm sent a variety of Hoya carnosa with leaves edged with 

 cream colour, a Eranciscea, stated to be a hybrid, and a variegated 

 Cauna, not. however, effective in its present state. From Messrs. 

 A. Henderson & Co., Pine Apple Place, came Hydrangea Otaska, with 

 large heads of pale blue flowers passing to white ; and from Mr. Hooper, 

 Bath, a stand of cut Pansies, of which Sunshine, yellow, with a broad 

 belting of orange brown, and Mrs. Shirley Hibberd, the prevailing 

 colour of which was purplish lilac, received first-class certificates, the 

 former as desirable for bedding. 



Mr. Green, gardener to TV. Wilson Saunders, Esq., Hillfield,Reigate, 

 exhibited, besides other plants, a Brazilian Dorstonia called argentata 

 with silvery variegation. Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesbo- 

 rongh, Grimston Park, sent a new Cattleya ; Mr. Turner, Auricula Col. 

 Champneys, a very beautiful grey-edged variety, for which a first-class 

 certificate was, given ; and a special certificate was awarded to a fmely- 

 flowered specimen of Azalea Grande Duchesse de Bade, grown in the 

 same style as the Azaleas exhibited by him in Class 3. "White Rhodo- 

 dendron Edith, and cut blooms of Azalea Reine Marie Henriette, the 

 latter, a very beautiful soft rose, with crimson spots, were also shown 

 by Mr. Turner. 



Mr. Garland, gardener to Sir T. D. Ackland, Bart., Killerton, re- 

 ceived a special certificate for magnificent cut spikes of Phalsenopsis 

 Schilleriana. Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing exhibited several 

 Gold and Bronze Pelargoniums ; Messrs. F. & A. Smith, seedling 

 Cinerarias; Mr. Wiggins, gardener to E. Beck, Esq., cut blooms of 

 seedling Cyclamens and Polyanthuses ; and Mr. Keller, Colworth 

 Gardens, cut flowers of Hippeastrunis. Messrs. Veiteh sent their 

 hybrid Echeveria, already noticed; and J. Anderson- Henry, Esq., 

 Primulas with leafy calyces, and a hybrid Rhododendron between 

 R. ciliatnm and R. Brookii, by no means attractive. 



Special certificates given to Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londes- 

 borongh, Messrs. Veiteh, and Messrs. Roliisson have been recorded ' 

 our report- of the Show. The same award 



He then noticed the Epidendrnm, as being one of a class of Orchids 

 not showy, but which, growing up among bushes, would some day- 

 be very valuable from the numerous heads they produce. Though 

 their flowers were small, they should not b<; ueglected. He then urged 

 the claims of terrestrial Orchids on attention, and charming as those 

 from the south of Europe were, those from the tropics — from the Cape, 

 from Australia — were far more brilliant. They could be easily secured, 

 easily sent home, but not easily growu. The difficulty in their culture 

 arose from a want of knowledge of the conditions they required, and 

 especially the hygrometrical state of the atmosphere; this, more than 

 temperature, he believed to be the main point. 



FLOWER SHOWS AND COMPETITORS. 



I am glad to see these subjects set up for discussion in your 

 columns, as I and some of my friends think there is much 

 need of reform. Mr. Turner gives "the most positive contra- 

 diction " to Mr. Paul's statement that Pelargonium flowers are 

 gummed, while Mr. Cutbush asserts " that it is impossible to 

 apply it [dressiug] to the Hyacinth." Now, it is common 

 talk in my circle that the flowers of certain Pelargoniums were 

 found to be gummed at a recent Enfield show, und that the 

 flowers of certain Hyacinths were found to be pinned at a 

 recent Liverpool show, and that the judges, notwithstanding, 

 awarded them prizes. I do not say thi3 report is true ; hut it 

 is generally believed, and if untrue it should be contradicted 

 on authority. Mr. Turner cannot point out, I think, where 

 and in what words Mr. Paul has "denounced" flower shows, 

 and I am similarly of opinion that Mr. Gutbush cannot show 

 where and in what words Mr. Paul has said the public visit 

 the nurseries less frequently than formerly. 



To denounce the practices of those exhibitors who have 

 brought flower shows into discredit is not denouncing flower 

 shows. " Purchasers are now forsaking the flower shows and 

 returning to the nurseries," says Mr. Paul (Journal of Hor- 

 ticulture, page 221). Let me say to the combatants, " Fight 

 fairly, and if you do not all take first prizes you will then all 

 win." — Ax Old Exhibitor. 



a gronp of Azaleas ; to Messrs. Standish for Acers, also for Msrechal 

 Niel Rose; to Messrs. F. & A. Smith, to Mi-. James, ami Mess: -. 

 K. G. Henderson for collections of plants ; to Mr. Laing for Rhodo- 

 dendron Conntess of Haddington, to Messrs. Dobson for V 

 to Mr. Wave for Alpine plants, and to Messrs. Carter A; Co. for Golden 

 Tricolor Pelargoniums. 



PUZZLING HARES AND RABBITS. 



I can strongly recommend a plan adopted by a friend of 

 mine who used to suffer very much from the nocturnal visits 

 of rabbits and hares, that used to eat and destroy nearly every- 

 thing that was green. The plan was this : — While the plants 

 were still wet with the dew, he used to go over the beds and 

 rows, and dust them with pepper from a large-sized tin pepper- 

 box with fine holes in the top. The plan, I must confess, wa3 

 to me a novelty, but theie was no mistake about the effect in- 

 tended, for not a thing was touched wherever the pepper went. 



I have never had any necessity to adopt this proceeding 



myself, but have no doubt it would answer the same end with 



rats and mice, particularly for plants in frames under glass 



made to Mr. Noble for I where they would be kept dry ; as, of course, after a fall of 



rain the operation would have to be repeated. 



The plan is simple and not very expensive ; an ounce of pepper 

 goes a long way. If " K. F." adopt it, perhaps he would kindly 

 favour us with the result in a future number. — T. M. 



General Meeting. — W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in the 

 chair. After tue election of twelve new Fellows, and the usual an- 

 nouncement of the awards, the Rev. M. J. Berkeley addressed the 

 meeting. After stating that tho Primula from Abyssinia shown on the 

 u'th hist, was probably only a form of P. verticillata, he passed on to the 

 supposed identity of Oncidinm amictnm and 0. sarcodes. Although 

 there were some points of difference between the specimen of the latter 

 shown by Messrs. Veiteh and that of O. amictnm sent to the previous 

 meeting, on the whole he considered the former could only be regarded 

 as a fine variety of amictam. A new yellow-flowered Epidendrani 

 shown he proposed should be called E. Bowmanni, that being the last 

 plant sent home by the late Mr. Bowman. The collection of terres- 

 trial Orchids from the gardener to the Comto de Paris then came 

 under notice, and Mr. Berkeley remarked it was very desirable 

 that those having friends in the south of Europe should ask them to 

 collect bnlbs of any plants found there. The hybrid Ivy-leaved 

 Pelargoniums, the extreme difficulty with which they had been ob- 

 tained, and the hundreds of crosses made without success by Mr. 

 Wills before he attained his end, were next referred to. In speak- 

 ing of tho Dorstenia from Mr. Wilson Saunders's gardener, Mr. 

 Berkeley said he beheved it was under consideration to have a set 

 of certificates for plants of botanical interest, and had such been in . 

 existence it would certainly have had a first-class. jumcious way. 



Tho Chairman moved a vote of thanks to Lord Londesborough for explained in a very useful tract that has been put into my 

 his splendid exhibition of Orchids, which was unanimously carried. I hands, published by the proprietors of The Midland Counties 



SHRUBS AND TREES FOR THE SEACOAST. 

 I am living near Weymouth. My garden is exposed to the 

 well-known heavy gales from the Ghesil beach, and also from 

 the Bay of Weymouth, and from experience I can strongly 

 recommend the Evergreen Oak, or Quercus Ilex, Euonymus 

 jiponieus, Tamarisk, Hollies, Berberries, aud both the Pinus 

 insignis and austriaca, also the Cupressus macrocarpa. The 

 first two named no wind will injure, but although the others 

 mentioned may be a little cut by the sea gales, they very soon 

 recover their beauty. I have had the experience of fourteen 

 years. — D., near Weymouth. 



COTTAGERS' HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 

 Amongst the many institutions having for their object the 

 improvement of the homes of the labouring classes, there are 

 nene really more deserving of support than cottagers' horti- 

 cultural shows. The encouragement they give to good culti- 

 vation and careful and well-directed industry has certainly 

 not yet been sufficiently appreciated, while those who coun- 

 tenance and assist such shows do not always do so in the most 

 Others refrain altogether, from reasons well 



