134 



JOUENAL OF HORTIOULTDBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ February IB, 1877. 



believed it to be the best. Whatever liquid was used it onght 

 to be clear, and should DOt be allovied to touch the foliage. 

 Unless seed be wanted the pods should not be allowed to re- 

 main on the plants. 



CARROT CULTURE. 



On page GO " B. G." records a plan by which he secured a 

 supply of Carrots free from the maggot, and aeks others to 

 give their experience. In complianco with his request I shall 

 state briefly the method I adopted last season, which proved 

 successful ; for here, in common with many other places, it is 

 impossible in ordinary circumstances to grow Carrots in the 

 garden free from that abominable pest the maggot. 



Last season, before cropping time, I procured a quantity of 

 peat dross — the refuse of the peat stack, that material being ex- 

 tensively used as fuel in this locality. This I spread 6 inches 

 deep over part of the ground intended for Carrots. I then 

 gave it a slight fork-over, only mixing a very little of the 

 original soil with the peat, the ground having been previously 

 trenched and well pulverised. On this I sowed the Carrot 

 seeds in the usual way, and the result was a crop of perfectly 

 sound and healthy roots, and quite free from the maggot. 

 The sorts grown were Altrincham (select) and James's In- 

 termediate, and the time of sowing was about the end of 

 April. 



I have no doubt ordinary peat or leaf soil would answer 

 the purpose as well as the dross. On the portion of ground 

 that had not the peat dressing the maggot did its usual 

 work. — Jno. Hakdie. 



I HAVE grown Carrots successfully for the last twenty years. 

 First of all I have the land well drained ; next I have it trenched 

 18 inches deep to provide depth for tho roots to grow straight 

 down without being forked. In February or March, according 

 to the weather, I give the ground a dressing of quicklime, one 

 bushel to each pole of ground in the kitchen garden, and I 

 give one ton to each 20 poles of arable land when the Carrots 

 are to be sown in the field. The ground requires forking over 

 and raking in dry weather in the kitchen garden. Ploughing 

 and harrowing answer equally as well in the field. If any- 

 thing should attack tho young Carrots in May they will require 

 to be gently dusted over with a mixture of lime, soot, and 

 wood ashes ; and all that is afterwards necessary is thinning 

 the plants and hoeing the ground till the crop is ready to be 

 stored, and that ought to be a month before the frost sets 

 in. — William Gain, Gardener, Lyncwood. 



P.S. — Those that would grow tliis useful root 



Free from blight and magt?ots, 

 Must freely uko both lime and foot, 



And they will have fine CarrotP. 



Our garden soil is cold, stiff, and heavy — very unsuitable to 

 the growth of Carrots. I am tcld for years previous to last 

 Eeason they wore invariably injured by the maggot, but last 

 year wo had a heavy crop of large clean roots. We sowed 

 James's Intermediate Scarlet as a main crop during the first 

 week of April, on a plot which had been double-dug the pre- 

 vious autumn and heavily manured for the preceding crop. 

 We drew the drills deep, half filled them with wood ashes, 

 sowed the seed, and covered slightly with light dry soil. I 

 have one of your correspondents to thank for my success. 

 I think it was Mr. Abbey who recommended wood ashes to 

 prevent wireworm. I would advise your correspondent " B. G." 

 to give wood ashes a trial. — Tnos. Coomeee. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We have received the Eupplementary programme of the 

 Inteenational Hortici'ltdpal ExniBiTioN to be held at Am- 

 sterdam from the 12th of Apiil to the 2nd of May. Intending 

 exhibitors must notify their intention to the Secretary-General 

 before the 1st of March. The programme is divided info ten 

 sections. — 1, Plants for the stove and temperate house; 

 2, Greenhouse and conservatory plants; 3, Open-air plants; 

 4, Arrangements of plants and flowers ; ."), Fruits, vegetables, 

 and seeds ; 5, Industry as applied to horticulture ; 7, Art, as 

 applied to horticulture and botany ; 8, Progress; !i, Horticul- 

 tural science; 10, Awards, medals, and cpitificates to native 

 and foreign gardeners. Many hundreds of medals, diplomas, 

 end certificates are provided, tho value of the medals ranging 

 from upwards of £U to 8s. Exhibitors have the option of re- 

 ceiving money instead of medals, provided they give a written 



notice to that effect on or before March 15th. The sections 

 are divided into several sub-sections, and a great exhibition ia 

 anticipated. The programme is signed Hoeufft van Velsen, 

 President; J. B. Groenewegen, second Secretary. 



In order to afford adequate convenience for expected 



large importations of plants from his foreign collectors Mr. 

 B. S. Williams is enlarging his nursery at HoUoway and erecting 

 new structures. The general stock of plants now in the nur- 

 series is in superior condition. Amongst the new plants 

 Araucaria Goldieana is being largely increased, and a largo 

 stock is being established of the new and elegant Panax laci- 

 natus. An Australian Fern, Dennistaidia davallioidcs Youngii, 

 ia elegant and stately, and the fine Gleicbenias rup3atris 

 glaucescens, and Mendelii, are very noticeable. Amongst the 

 stately Tree Ferns in the conservatory Dicksonia Youngii ia 

 growing with great freedom and elegance ; and especially 

 attractive amongst the Palma are Arecas lutescens and Ver- 

 schaffeltii, Kentia australis, Stevensonia grandifolia, a new 

 Martinezia with marbled stems, and Brahea filamentosa — a 

 pair of fine specimens from California. Many choice Orchids 

 are flowering, including Lamias Dayii and superbiens, Odonto- 

 glossums, Zygopetalums and Cypripediuma ; and an extensive 

 importation of Odontogloseum cirrhosum and Oncidium Ko- 

 gersii ia being established. The hardwooded plants — Ixoras, 

 Camellias, Heaths, &c. — are equally worthy of notice for their 

 health and cleanliness. In "another department" is the 

 magnificent prize of china — timepiece, urns, and candelabra — 

 frem the Crown Prince and Princess of Germany, the premier 

 prize of the Cologne Exhibition ; another honour of note being 

 the King's gold medal which was awarded at the last Brussels 

 Exhibition. 



At the last meeting of the Committee of the National 



Rose Society a satisfactory statement as to the progress of the 

 Society both as to funds and members was made by the Secre- 

 taries. Amongst the announoementa made was one which we 

 are sure will be hailed as a token of suocesa — namely, that 

 Mr. Cranston of Hereford had made the munificent offer of a 

 challenge cup of the value of fifty guineas to be competed for 

 by amateurs, the cup to be won in three years : thus, if Mr. A 

 wins it in 1877 and Mr. B in 1878, then only A and B are to 

 compete for it in 18'/ '.I. The schedule was arranged, and a 

 circular drawn up by the Secretary was approved and ordered 

 to be printed and circulated. It was the opinion of all present 

 that a prosperous future might be safely relied upon. 



We have just been informed that the Grand Quin- 



I.IUENNIAL HOETICDLTOEAL EXHIBITION AT GlIENT wiU be held 



in April, 1878. This will no doubt prove equally attractive 

 with those that have for so many years brought together 

 horticulturists from all parts of Europe, and we trust that our 

 national horticulturists will bestir themselves and send such 

 a representation of British horticulture as will do credit to the 

 country. 



The Judges in the horticultural department of the 



Philadelphia International Exhibition, 187(i, recommended to 

 the United States Centennial Commission for awards a " very 

 choice collection of new and hare ilants, well grown and in 

 excellent condition after trans-shipment of such delicate articles 

 ^au exceedingly creditable display," exhibited by Mr. B. S. 

 Williams ; also " a small collection of Filmy and other Ferns," 

 exhibited by the aame nurseryman. " A very rare collection of 

 Rhododendrons, Holliea, new and rare Conifers, broad-leaved 

 evergreens of the best kinds for lawn decoration," exhibited 

 by Messrs. Jas. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea; also " an exhibit of 

 evergreen plants, consisting of the best varieties of Rhododen- 

 drons, Holliea, Aucubas, &c., for fine growth and careful train- 

 ing, and unique in new kinds," shown by tho same firm. A 

 medal was also awarded to !\Ir. W. Ball for " coloured plates 

 of flowers." 



TuE next International Potato Snow will be held in 



the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society some time in 

 September next, and the prize list will probably include a set 

 of the Society's medals. The promoters of this Show offered 

 it to the Society in the first instance, but Lord Bury's Council 

 failed to perceive that South Kensington was the proper place 

 for it. 



The Galloway Rose Snow ia to be held this year at 



Newton Stewart, Wigtonshire, on the l7th of July. 



The floV.er market at Covent Gabi'EN is attractive at 



any period of the year, but especially so during the opening days 

 of spring. Bulbous plants — 'Tulips, Narcissuses, and Hyacinths 



