230 



JOUENAL OP HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ March 29, 1877. 



two others advancing; the individual blossoms, of a rich creamy 

 white aud powerfully scented, measured 7 inches in diameter 

 and nearly as much in depth. I was told by Mr. T. Neil, the 

 civil and intelligent head gardener, that with one exception 

 he had succeeded in flowering this specimen every year since 

 it had been under his management. The plan he adopts is to 

 allow it to complete its growth in the conservatory. It is then 

 removed to a sheltered spot in the open air, and allowed a 

 moderate amount of water aud exposure to the sun. Before 

 the autumn rains set in it is placed in a cool vinery, where 

 it remains until the early spring. When the blossom buds 

 comraenco swelling it is removed to the conservatory, freely 

 supplied with water, and in a short time the scales are cast 

 off and the blossoms become fully expanded. The specimen 

 at Cleydene, which is over 7 feet in height, is grown in a 

 li-inch pot. — East Sussex. 



THE BOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 



ANTWERP. 



The 123th Exhibition has been recently held, and notwith- 

 standing the early period of the year the Show, by the diversity, 

 beauty, and abundance of the plants, was a groat success. The 

 splendid room of the Eoyal Society of Harmony, in which the 

 Show was held, presented a dazzling appearance, aud the cold 

 rigid weather out of doors made a singular contrast with this 

 attractive garden. A detiiiled account of the Exhibition is not 

 necessary for English readers, therefore only the more promi- 

 nent collections will be mentioned. 



Let us speak firstly of the amateurs. Mr. Beaucorne of 

 Eename carried off the palm of the day. He staged remarkable 

 Orchids, magniticent Coniferie aud ornamental plants, with 

 Azaleas aud Camellias of uncommon excellence. The Ericas, 

 Epacrises, and New Holland plants of the Baron de Caters, the 

 honourable President of the Society, also Orchids, Palms, itc, 

 and especially the Orchids of Mdme. Le Grelle-Dhanis, obtained 

 general admiration. A brilliant collection of bybrid Amaryllises 

 raised by Mr. H. Vander Linden charmed all spectators. Abun- 

 dant foliage, glossy colours, flue forms, aud strong flower Btems 

 were combined in these handsome flowers. Mr. landen also 

 exhibited a seedling Crinum ttiat we esteem one of the fairest 

 of that kind. The excellent Azaleas and Cinerarias of Mr. 

 Flor. Pauwels wcro noticeable, and still more so bis splendid 

 group of hardy Ebododendrons. Amongst them Prince Camille 

 de Eohan displayed its enormous crown ornated with more than 

 four hundred fluwer trasses. The fine varieties of Coniferte, 

 Aucubas, Euonymuses, aud Pelargoniums of Mrs. Rigele, the 

 elegant collection of Count de Bergeyok's hardy plantsi, the 

 splendid Anthuriums and CycadiB of Mr. Vander Wouwer, the 

 striking standard Kosos of Mr. Van Bomberghen, the dis- 

 tinguished new Azaleas of Mr. De Graet of Ghent, with the 

 superb Cinerarias, Roses, and Cyclamens of Mr. Everaert's, 

 deserve all a most honourable mention. 



The horticulturists, too, contributed very much to the beauty 

 of the exhibition. Mr. Do Beucker furnished very fine Phor- 

 miums, extremely varied Cactuses, aud a quite new Maranta 

 from Brazil. Mr. L. Berckelaers wen great success with his 

 Cyclamens and his large group of flowering plants ; ?ilr. H. 

 De Benhelaor also with his bouquets of natural flowers. Mr. 

 Vuylsteke at Loochristy, near Ghent, sent a most delightful 

 coUeclion of quite new Azalea iudica, with an exquisite group 

 of hardy Ebododendrons, truly magnificent plants, with large 

 trusses of bloom, ranging from the purest white to the brightest 

 re-l. The valuable collection of plants staged by Mr. Vander 

 Meersoh were highly attractive; and the variegated products 

 aud Conifera' of Mr. Nagels produced an excellent effect. 



And last but not least, a great number of artists ornated the 

 room with their pictures. Amongst them Miss Anna Peters of 

 Stuttgart exhibited " Roses in Autumn," very charming, Mr. 

 Mattele of Ghent and Mr. De Naeyer of St. Josse-ten-Noode also 

 displayed their great talent. 



Through this snccesbful Show Antwerp proves once more that 

 it has made, particularly this last year, rapid improvement in 

 horticnlture, and follows resolutely the bright way pointed out 

 by Ghent, the famous Belgian flower city. 



[An esteemed cnrrcspondeut has favoured us with the above 

 report, which will bo perused with pleasure by many who are 

 interested in the progress of Belgian liorticultnre. — Ens.] 



EXPERIMENTS IN VINE CULTURE. 



A TAPER on the above subject has been read at the Darling- 

 ton Gardeners' Institute by Mr. Hunter, the well-known 

 Grape-grower of Lambton Castle. Attracted by the reputation 

 of Mr. Hunter, there was a very large attendance. 



After a few preliminary obaervationa Mr. Hunter said : — 

 Some three or four years ago the influence of soil on Grape- 



growing attracted a fair share of attention, and was criticised 

 freely in the horticultural papers by practical men. It occurred 

 to me that Grapes could be grown without soil, and I resolved 

 to give such a method a trial, and soon after an opportunity 

 was presented, and the experiment was made in a small house, 

 30 feet by 12. In the month of August, 1873, immediately 

 after gathering a crop of Black Hamburghs, the Vines, which 

 for several years had been severely forced, were taken out. 

 Immediately inside of the front wall I had the old soil removed 

 down to the drainage for a width of 1 feet ; this was refilled 

 with the freshest of last year's leaves and green cow manure 

 pressed as firmly together as possible. The Vines were then 

 planted, and a little soil was used to surround the balls; in 

 November I added to the border -1 feet outside and 4 feet in- 

 side, made as before, when I found the roots quite encouraging. 

 The material used was always in a green state, and this pro- 

 cess was continued until last year, when the border was finished. 

 I may add that top-dressing was oftener reijuired than with 

 beds made with soil, as the bed subsided more rapidly ; the 

 whole was covered with charcoal only for appearance, no soil 

 being used. 



After years of experience under the tuition of men famous 

 in the Grape-growing world, I confess the compost described 

 appears to be a most unreasonable mixture in which to plant 

 young Vines. The first part of the border made has become a 

 light black soil without any adhesive texture, and is soft and 

 spongy when trod on. No doubt to some this experiment will 

 appear very startling, more especially to those who condemn 

 the practice of using manure in a raw state in the formation of 

 a Vine border. But we are told clear-sighted men of science 

 sometimes get into mental fogs and make comical displays. We 

 are also told that one fact is worth a thousand arguments. Now 

 the fact is, this border so prepared has produced fruit equal in 

 every respect to what the house before produced, and to what 

 houses of the same size are now producing where the borders 

 have been prepared in the old way. The varieties planted 

 were varied for experiment, and consisted of Dr. Hogg, Canon 

 Hall Muscat, Barbarossa, Poster's Seedling, Black Hamburgh, 

 Duke of Bnceleuch, Waltham Cross, and a seedling. There 

 was nothing in the Vines or fruit that would lead one to sup- 

 pose that they were growing in any other than the usually 

 prepared border. The Hamburghs were fine in colour and 

 flavour. Canon Hall set like Hamburghs, and Waltham Cross 

 had none of the small berries it often produces from imperfect 

 setting. This Grape was good, and well liked at the table in 

 Pebrnary at Lambton. 



la the latter end of August, 1875,1 planted another house of 

 the same dimensions as the one already described, and with a 

 view of retaining the turf as long as possible in a fresh con- 

 dition it was not broken up, as is generally done when making 

 a Vine border, but put in the full size 12 inches by 9, com- 

 mencing at the bottom and working upwards, placing the 

 turves as a mason would bricks in building, and using cow 

 manure as mortar. To quote the words of Mr. Westoott of 

 Eaby, when looking over the gardens at Lambton, after my 

 explanation, ho said, " Well, yon have just gained a year on 

 my young Vines," when only the year before I had congratu- 

 lated him on their vigorous growth. I do not wish it to be 

 understood that I prefer manure to grow Vines, and consider 

 i it better than other mixtures, but believe it to be good along 

 with them, and that in my estimation no newly made border 

 is perfect without it. 



In the many gardening periodicals now published we have 

 writers who may differ in their management of the Vine, but 

 whose articles are hailed with interest and read with pleasure 

 by those in pursuit of knowledge. If everyone was as fond of 

 writing on the Vine as I am of reading about it, we ehould 

 have a periodical devoted to the Vine alone. I read all the 

 conflicting evidence on its cultivation, and hope that we may 

 ultimately arrive at the perfection of Grape-growing. 



Many ills are charged against an over-rich border, such as 

 mildew, gross growth, watery shoots, badly ripened wood, an 

 abnormal amount of pith, shanking, bad-coloured Grapes, and 

 so forth ; but when one ventures an experiment and finds it 

 puts all these aside, what then :' I cannot help thinking 

 there is much to be learned ; but when we are able to put our 

 hand with more certainty ou the causes which produce the ilia 

 the Vine is heir to, we shall become more able to remedy 

 them. I am prepared to say that the constitution of a Vine 

 depends more upon the internal atmosphere, the amount of 

 moisture it is charged with, and the light under which it is 

 grown, than upon the richness of the border; it eeema to me 



