M»y 17, 1877. 1 



J0DRK4.t. OF HORTI^aiiTDRE AND OOTTAOB GARDENER. 



363 



Tadgey, gardener to T. F. Williams, Esq., was second with ex- 

 cellent specimenB. 



Six collections of six plants suitable for dinner table were 

 staged. The first prize was awarded to Mr. J. Lambert, gar- 

 dener to H. VT. Stealcke, Esq., Heme Hill, Dalwioh, for graceful 

 plants of Cocos Weddeliana, Geonoma gracilis, Daainonorops 

 palembauicns, Dracena gracilis, Pandanua javanious, and Croton 

 angustifolium. Mr. Wills, llelboorne Nursery, was a close 

 second, having staged an admirable collection. 



For eight Pelargoniums in 8-inch pots Mr. Charles Tamer 

 was awarded a first prize. In the corresponding class for ama- 

 teurs Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Rodlees, 

 Isleworth, was the only exhibitor, and to him first honours were 

 awarded for eight very even and well-bloomed plants. In 

 classes 20 and 21 (for eight fancies), the first for nursorymen, 

 the other for amatenrs, Mr. Turner and Mr. James were the 

 only exhibitors, and were awarded first prizes. Pelargoniums, 

 however, were not superior, nearly all the plants showing 

 signs of having been advanced in a close artificially heated at- 

 mosphere. 



For nine Calceolarias Mr. Salter, Laurie Park, Sydenham, was 

 first; Mr. James, Redlees, second ; and Mr. Bristowe, gardener 

 to G. Campbell, Esq., South Dalwich, third. The date, how- 

 ever, was too early for Calceolarias as well as for Pelargoniums. 



For nine Cinerarias (open) Mr. James staged excellent plants 

 of Thomas Brown, crimson, and Purple Gem, two fine selfs ; also 

 Princess of Wales, Her Majesty, Compactam, Favourite, and 

 Lord G. Hamilton. He was the only exhibitor, and was awarded 

 the first prize. 



For twenty-four Alpine and Herbaceous plants (open) Mr. 

 Robert Parker, Exotic Nurseries, Tooting, had first honours for 

 a very good collection, including fine pots of Soillas in five 

 varieties, Polygonatum multiflorum, Doronicum auitriaoum, 

 Symphytum caucasicum. Amongst the dwarfer plants were 

 Lithospermum prostratum, Adysetum orientale. Phlox Nelsoni, 

 Oalthapalustris.Alyssumsaxatile, Iberia G»rTexi»na,Cheiranthu9 

 Dillenii, and Saxitraga Stansfieldii. Mr. Coppin, The Rose 

 Nurseries, Shirley, Oxford, staged capital plants of tricolor 

 Pelargoniums 3 feet over, and excellent trusses of Verbenas in 

 twelve varieties ; and Mr. Hooper, Bath. Marfichal Niel Rosea 

 and Pansies, the latter commanding a large share of attention. 

 Especially flue were Jupiter, yellow and black ; La Brillante, 

 orange red ; Mrs. Bull, violet ; Dawn of Day, blue ; and The 

 Dove, white. 



Miscellaneous collections of plants were staged by Messrs. 

 RoUisson & Sons, Tooting; Mr. Laing, The Nurseries. Forest 

 Hill; and Mr. Wills, the collection of the last-named exhibitor 

 consisting of a grand dispUy of Dracajuas which Mr. Bause has 

 raised and cnltivateil. They were deservedly admired. Mr. 

 James Chunfield, gardener to H. Littleton, Esq., Westwood 

 House, Sydenham, exhibited some good Cucumbers of Tele- 

 graph, Tender and True, and Kirklees Hall Defiance. The 

 second variety named, however, did not appear to be "true," 

 the fruit being neither so short in the neck nor so deep in colour 

 as this variety is when exhibited by its raiser Mr. Douglas. 

 First-class certificates were awarded to Mr. B. S. Williams for 

 Maranta Massangeana, Bertolouia Van Huuttei, Panax lacini- 

 atus, AraUa gracillima, Lomaria discolor, Phyllanthus roseo- 

 pictus ; Mr. Charles Turner for Azalea Jean Vervaene ; Messrs. 

 Paul & Son, Cheshunt, for Rose Emily Laxton; Mr. Henry 

 Hooper for Pansy New Guinea. 



Besides withholding third prizes from the schedule the Com. 

 pany was further economical in withholding breakfast tickets 

 from the exhibitors and without having given notice of the 

 change. Complaints were heard also that tickets enabling those 

 in charge of the plants to pass in and out of the Palace were 

 not distributed as usual, and one assistant has complained to us 

 of having been a prisoner in the building from i o'clock a.m. to 

 10 P.M. Many will regret to hear also that the services of Mr. 

 Wilson are no longer at the command of exhibitors. Mr. Wil- 

 son's aid was very valuable at flower shows as well as at exhi- 

 bitions of poultry, birds, l-c, but his term of twenty-flve years 

 of service was suddenly terminated on Saturday last in the 

 interests of "economy." 



EABLY VERSUS LATE SOWING OF SEEDS. 



Neably every person who has a kitchen garden is always 

 anxioua to sow the seeds of the principal crops as early as 

 possible in spring. I have been inclined the same way myself, 

 and have acted accordingly in this and former years ; but I 

 have quite made np my mind that in future I will sow no 

 kitchen-garden seeds out of doors earlier than the first week in 

 April, and only then if the weather be favourable. I can give 

 plenty of reasons for coming to this decision, and by stating 

 a few of them they may correspond so far with the experience 

 of others that they may do the same as I intend doing. 



Oar early Peas, Carrots, CauUfiowers, A-c, are raised nnder 

 glass, and I will not refer farther to them. We sowed our 



Onions the first week in March, and taking the advantage of a 

 good day a few short rows of Peas were put in at the same 

 time, as were also Early Horn Carrots, Snowball Turnip on a 

 south border, and email patches of all kinds of Greens, includ- 

 ing Cauliflowers, Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, Lettuce, &!J. The 

 plants from another sowing of all these crops made exactly 

 one month later are now (May -Ith) in advance of the first- 

 sown crops, and apart from their forwardness the plants from 

 the last-sown seed are much the healthiest-looking, as they 

 have not that " stand-still " appearance about them bo 

 characteristic of all plants which have had to struggle long for 

 an existence in a yonng state. 



I did not make a second sowing of Onions, bnt Leeks and 

 Onions just take about the same time to come above gronnd, 

 and the Leeks sown a month later than the Onions are now 

 abreast of them. The Onions have come np well enough, bat 

 they have not moved in the least for the last three weeks, and 

 if they had been sown as late as the Leeks they would have 

 continued growing without ever being checked. The Early 

 Horn Carrots are no farther advanced than the later-sown 

 main crop of James's Scarlet. Although sometimes cold, we 

 have not had much frost this spring ; but it is not this kind of 

 weather that does the most harm to the yonng seedlings. A 

 wet, stiff, cold soil is far more against them. 



It is very seldom that the surface of the gronnd will break 

 fine and freely early in March, and after the seed has been 

 covered if rain oemes in any great quantity the surface of the 

 gronnd becomes hard and cold. This is what my early plants 

 have had to contend against this spring, and I might be caught 

 the same way another year ; bnt I will not risk it, because I am 

 now satisfied that I can have as early and better crops from 

 seed sown the first week in April as that sown the first week in 

 March, and all uneasiness about failure ia avoided. — A Kiicheh 

 Gabsbneb. 



UNHEALTHY VINES. 



Is a vinery in which the Vines broke about the Ist of 

 February the young bunches in half the house have nearly 

 all dropped oft before blooming. It is a very old house, quite 

 noted for itj abundant bearing hitherto. The warmest part 

 has lost nearly the entire crop. In the cooler end some rods 

 are good, and the bunches have been thinned. The Grapes 

 are swelling, and are about the size of No. 1 shot. The house 

 is heated by flues, and the Vines are planted inside and ran 

 through arches into an outside border which has been well 

 manured. The Vines are nearly all Black Hamburghs. The 

 soil ia heavy and is well drained. I have enclosed a conple of 

 the bunches, and should feel obliged if yon will inform me 

 what is the cause of the bunches dying, and what I can do to 

 remedy the mischief another year. — H., Maldon. 



[We publish the above letter as an example of many others 

 of the same nature which we have received during the past 

 month. We have never received so many complaints before 

 as have been addressed to as during the present season on 

 " bunches shrivelling," " shoots decaying," " foliage scald- 

 ing," &a. We suspect that the primary cause of the evils 

 complained of is to be found in the exoessive wet of last 

 autumn and winter. In the particular case of " H., Maldon," 

 (which is typical of many others), we opine that the " heavy 

 soil " of the Vine border was so saturated that the Vine roots 

 (which were freely produced after the autumn rains, the tempe- 

 rature of the ground being then unusually high in consequence 

 of the hot summer) decayed to a considerable extent. The 

 stored-up sap in the rods was suffioient to promote growth up 

 to a certain stage, but the roots were wanting to sustain and 

 perfect that growth, hence the failure of the early Vines, the 

 late Vines having had time afforded them to form fresh roots 

 to support the foliage and crop. Timely and sound advice 

 bearing on this question was given some time ago by Mr. 

 Douglas in his useful " Doings." His Vines, like many others, 

 were not breaking well, and he had recourse to a steady low 

 temperature until fresh roots had time to form in the borders 

 to support the growth. That his praotioe was right the present 

 condition of the Vines at Loxford testifies. We saw them the 

 other day, and they are in excellent health. Had he increased 

 the heat of his vineries byway of forcing the Vines into growth 

 he would have erred, as we are afraid others have erred. The 

 many examples of shrivelled bunches and decayed growths 

 which have been sent to us all tend to force ns to the con- 

 clusion that the growth of the Vines has been unduly accele- 

 rated before the roots were in an active state. The stored-np 



