328 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Ma; 3, 18i7. 



KeUock for Agave Bchidigera prlncepB, a striking plant; Mr. 

 Bull for Zamia Lindeni, also for Z. Boezlii and Z. obliqna; Mr. 

 Sweet, LeightoD, for Pelargonium Empress of India; Messrs. 

 Paul it Son, CheBhunt, for Rose Emily Laxton, vigorous plant, 

 fine flower with capped petals, colonr rosy Balmon ; to Mr. 

 B. S. Williams for Aralia filicifolia, highly distinct and elegant, 

 and Adiantnm Williamsii, a great acquisition in the way of 

 cnneatnm, but perfectly distinct ; to Mr. James, Redlees, for 

 Cineraria Mrs. Beck, massive flower, purplish maroon ; to Mr. 

 Douglas for Alpine Anrionlas Prince, also to Florence, a magni- 

 ficent flower, which will carry Mr. Douglas's name to posterity. 

 Mr. Moore, gardener to B. C. Pickersgill, Esq., BUndon Hall, 

 exhibited a remarkably fine specimen of Dendrobium densi- 

 fiorum with over twenty fine racemes of flowers, and was awarded 

 a cultural commendation. A fine plant of Cffilogyne cristata 

 was exhibited by Mr. Stevens, Trentham Gardens ; the plant 

 was i feet in diameter, and laden with flowers. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Since nnwarrantable insinuations, imputing duplicity to 

 the gentlemen who signed the memokial to the Council of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society for the alteration of the days 

 of meeting, have been published, we have thought it advisable 

 to make known the names of those memorialists, bo that the 

 public may judge for themselves whether they are capable of 

 doing that which has been ascribed to them. These gentlemen 

 are so well known for honourable and straightforward conduct 

 that we should have thought their names were sufficient to 

 protect them from such an imputation that they said one 

 thing and meant another. The following are the names 

 attached to the memorial in question : — Jas. Veitch & Sons, 

 Chelsea ; Jas. Douglas, Loxford Hall Gardens ; Maurice Young, 

 Milford ; Charles Noble, Bagshot ; Robert Parker, Tooting ; 

 James George, Putney Heath ; Geo. Thos. Miles, Wycombe 

 Abbey Gardens ; W. Wildsmith, Heckfield Gardens ; John 

 Standieh & Co., Ascot ; Henry Bennett, Stapleford ; John 

 Wills, Kensington ; Henry J. Wimsett, Chelsea; John Wood- 

 bridge, Syon House Gardens ; Jas. Catbush, Highgate ; Geo. 

 Sage, Ashridge Gardens ; H. Lane & Son, Great Berkhamp- 

 Btead; John Lee, Hammersmith; F. R. Kinghorn, Sheen 

 Nursery; J. James, Isleworth ; John Fraser, Lea Bridge. Mr. 

 Bull, who is only an occasional exhibitor, did not sign for 

 private reasons, but stated that he would not offer any oppo- 

 Bition to the change ; and Mr. B. S. Williams had not an 

 opportunity of signing, but afterwards expresBed in strong 

 terms his approval of the change and his disapproval of the 

 absurdity that has too long existed of the exhibitions of the 

 Royal Horticultural and Royal Botanic Societies occurring on 

 the same days. The mere catching at accidental circumstances 

 by way of proving the judgment of the memorialists erroneous 

 is no answer to so powerful an argument as they urge, and 

 anonymous criticism of such a question merely indicates how 

 very feeble the opposition to it is. 



We note from the schedule of the Crystal Palace Ex- 

 hibitions that third prizes are abolished, the effect of which 

 wiU in all probability be to reduce the number of exhibitors. 

 The first show (of plants and flowers), is to be held on May 

 12th. The principcil prizes offered are £15 and £10 for twelve 

 stove and greenhouse plants (nurserymen), and tho same 

 amounts for nine plants (amateurs). Frizes of £10 and £7 

 are also offered to nurserymen and amateurs for Orchids, and 

 £12 and £8 for nine greenhouse Azaleas (open). But the 

 greatest amounts of all are £20 and £15 for nine Roses in 

 pots (nurserymen). The Rose Show (one day only), is an- 

 nounced for June 23rd, when no third prizes are provided, but 

 the first and second prizes are liberal. In the classes for table 

 decorations third prizes are not withheld. 



The Wimdledon and District Royal Horticdltubal 



AND Cottage Garden Society have submitted their schedule 

 of prizes. The Show is to be held in the grounds of Mrs. 

 Evans, Park House, Wimbledon, on July 5th. Several special 

 prizes are offered, and the executive hope to be able to receive 

 support enabling them to provide for a group of open classes 

 by way of rendering the exhibition additionally attractive. 

 The Show last year was an excellent one, and the Society is 

 worthy of the support of the afllaent residents of the district. 



At the National Auricula Show which was held at 



Manchester on the 27th ult. the Rev. F. D. Horner secured 

 nearly all the first prizes; Mr. B. Simonite, Mr. Barlow, Mr. 

 Cooper, &e., were also suceessful exhibitors, Mr. Barlow being 

 awarded a silver medal for an extensive miscellaneous collec- 



tion. At the exhibition of stove and greenhonee plants, whiob 

 was held at the same time, the gold medal was awarded to 

 Mr. Broome of Didsbury. First-class certificates were awarded 

 to Mr. Leech, Fallowfield, for Epidendrum Frederick William ; 

 to Col. Clay, Birkenhead, for a new Zygopetalon; to Mr. 

 Davis, Ormskirk, for a new hybrid Rhododendron ; and to 

 Mr. Harrison, Leicester, for Mimulus moschatns Harrisonii. 

 Several cultural certificates and commendations were also 

 awarded. The combined Exhibition was a successful one. 



The first prize for the best nine Auriculas at the 



spring Exhibition of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ire- 

 land was taken by the Rev. F. Tymons with splendid flowers 

 of Superb, Turner's 0. J. Perry, and Finlayson's Sir R. Peel ; 

 Mr. Leland coming next in merit with a first-rate collection. 

 In the class of six the last-named exhibitor took first place, 

 his lot comprising very fine flowers of Barker's Nonsuch and 

 Headly's Royal Purple; and in Mr. Tymons' lot, which was 

 next in merit. Metropolitan and Sir W. Peel were the most 

 noticeable flowers. The Exhibition is described by the Farmers' 

 Gazette as having been a very good one, and was visited by 

 the Lord Lieutenant and suite. 



A " Suburban Gardener " writes to us as follows on 



the late planting of Tulips ; — " Towards the close of January 

 I read in the Journal that Tulips then remaining in paper 

 bags, owing to the continuous rains of the autumn and winter 

 months, might yet be planted with a fair prospect of their 

 thriving. At that time a small portion of my bulbs had been 

 planted, the remainder being regarded as wasted, or, at least, 

 comparatively worthless. I, however, planted them according 

 to instructions (it was then early in February), covering them 

 only an inch deep with leaf soil. The present condition of 

 the beds now is, that those bulbs planted 4 inches deep in 

 November are flowering, but the plants are irregular, the foliage 

 ragged, and the flowers malformed ; while those planted in 

 February are level in growth, have ample and healthy foliage, 

 and fine flowers are expanding. They are a week later than the 

 autumn-planted bulbs, but in condition are very far snperioj 

 to them." 



Many of the species of Primulas are extremely beauti- 

 ful during the spring months. One very distinct is P. ver- 

 ticillata. This species has very bright primrose- coloured 

 flowers produced in whorls, and the foliage and flower stems 

 are slightly mealy. Not the least advantage relative to this 

 Primula is its property of coming quite true from seed. This 

 Primula is of very easy culture, a frame free from frost cr a 

 greenhouse being only required to preserve the plants during 

 the winter. They flower profusely in tho early days of spring, 

 and produce a pleasing effect in various modes of grouping. 



" A Kitchen Gardener " writes : " I quite agree with 



all your correspondents who say the bullfinch is destructive 

 in the garden. I do not know of another bird, neither large 

 nor small, that will do so much mischief. They have put me 

 in a worse temper this spring than even the bad wet weather. 

 They not only eat the buds of every kind of fruit tree, but 

 when they can eat no more they continue picking them off 

 and letting them fall to the ground. I have seen a single bird 

 make the ground as green as the lawn underneath Plum trees 

 and Carrant bushes in less than an hour. If they are fright- 

 ened from one tree they only go to another. The only cure 

 for them is to kill old and young without mercy." 



A well KNOWN and successful grower of Grapes informs 



US that Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat flourishes much better on 

 the long-rod than the short-spur system of pruning. We have 

 frequently heard the same remark made by lesser oultivalora 

 who grew this Grape very well when the Vines were in a young 

 state ; but by yearly spurring the bunches became smaller and 

 the Grapes did not sustain their former excellence. As this ia 

 the period for training-in young rods the matter may be sea- 

 sonably alluded to. In the meantime further information on 

 the point would be acceptable to many readers. 



"An Old Subscriber " writing to us on hedgehogs 



AND tomtits, states : " The popular error there alluded to by 

 " A Master Gardener" respecting hedgehogs and cows, arises 

 mainly from the fact that in early morning and at dusk the 

 hedgehogs are often seen running round cows which are lying 

 down. I have seen them, but they were always engaged in 

 catching insects disturbed by the cow ; they might also be 

 attracted by her warmth. As regards tomtits, of which lovely 

 little birds I am a warm admirer, I regret to say that while 

 they eat insects they also eat Peas. About a dozen of these 



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