372 



JODENAL OF HOBTIOULTOEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



I April 22, 1869. 



quantity of air will prevent a stagnant atmosphere, and that 

 there are eome trees, such as Cherries and Apricots, that will 

 not set their blooms freely in a stagnant atmosphere, whether 

 the temperature be low or somewhat high. In such cases a 

 little air will make all the difference. If you choose to give 

 heat enough to keep an average temperature of 50' at night for 

 your Peach trees in pota now, give air at night ; if not, shut 

 Tip, and give air early in the morning before the sun touches 

 the house much to raise it. 



This is a simple but a great point, and one which many of 

 our amateur friends are slow to learn. Suppose, now, that we 

 had a lean-to Peach or orchard house that in the beginning of 

 April averaged from io" to 50' at midnight, and the house 

 closely shut up ; provided we gavealittleair.evenaninch or two, 

 at the top of the house before the sun raised it 5°, we should 

 consider that house quite safe, though the sun heat raised the 

 temperature gradually to as much as from 80° to 85", and even 

 90", although we should give more air before it rose quite so 

 high. In such a house, however, with no air given, the rise 

 from 45° or 50° to 75° or 85° would be very likely to cause 

 most of the young fruit to fall, and so scald the trees as to 

 make them liable to casualties and the inroads of insects. We 

 have seen houses thus left shut up until, say, ten or eleven 

 o'clock in a bright morning, and then rushed out the par- 

 boiling moist air, and in rushed the cold dry air as the venti- 

 lators were opened at last right fully. In such a case of for- 

 getfulness little air should be given at first, floors damped, &c., 

 and the amount of air increased by degrees. We once saw a 

 beautiful house of Peaches where almost every young fruit 

 dropped solely from this cause, though it was never assigned 

 as the reason. One advantage of giving air all night is, that 

 there is not the same necessity for early air-giving in the morn- 

 ing ; and if even the morning were bright there would be no 

 danger from confined heated vapour in the house. 



We do not think we can enter into the question of mulching 

 and manure-waterings more than was stated in reference to Vines, 

 only that as a general rule liquid manure should be weaker for 

 Peach and Nectarine trees, &c. ; and though it may be a pre- 

 judice of ours, we prefer the manure to be clear rather than 

 muddy. Where mulching is used we think it a great advan- 

 tage, as it acts as a filter to the manure water. We think 

 manure water should seldom be used oftener than alternately 

 with clear soft water. It is always best to err on the side of 

 weakness. As a rule, manure- watering is of little benefit until 

 growth is proceeding freely. Gorging the roots with rich liquids 

 before the buds are more than opening is very much the same 

 as the practice of those nurses who put pieces of pork and 

 salmon within the lips of very young infants. ' 



THE MYSOKE AGRI-HORTICULTUKAL 

 SOCIETY. 



On the afternoon of the ."Jth of Februarj- another of the sliows 

 periodically given by the Agri-Horticultural Society came off at 

 Bangalore with great success. Althongli tie day was Lot and sultry, 

 the public put on its best manners and mastered strongly, eviJcntiv 

 determined to enjoy the treat provided for it. The ladies, the Chie'f 

 and Judicial Commissioners, the General of the division, who was em- 

 jdoyed part of the time in awarding prizes. Majors Puckle and Bod- 

 dam, and " every one else," were present ; and although the exhibi- 

 tion building was rather too small to walk abont in, comfortably, con- 

 aidering the large number of people present, there is no reason what- 

 ever to donbt that all enjoyed themselves amazingly. The show of 

 fruit was excellent. The Apples and Pears especially excited great 

 admiration, and were, we are informed, sold at very high prices after 

 all was over. In the vegetable department, the Cabbages, Pumpkins, 

 Knol-Khol, and Carrots outvied all previous competition ; and while 

 there was a falling-oil in flowers, it was a wonder that even such a 

 good collection as was exhibited could have been got together during 

 this season of the year. We also noticed a few good samples of silk 

 and cotton. Altogether the Society are to be congratulated on the 

 success of the Show. The natives appear to thoroughly appreciate 

 the benefits of raising good agricultural and horticultural produce, 

 aud we beheve we are only stating the truth when we say that our 

 local Society is in a fair way of proving itself the most successful in 

 India. The prizes were all gained by native mallees (gardeners). 



The Apples and Peaches were particularly line ; the latter were 

 allowed to ripen on the tree, and were in consequence of excellent 

 Uavour aud bouquet, a gieat improvement in this respect over last 

 year. There were no Pine Apples, and the prize was given for Pears 

 in consequence. The medal was not awarded for a general coUectiou 

 of ^ fruit, as there was not one considered worthy of it, but the money 

 prize (second) was given for a collection of seven kinds of fruit. The 

 Strawberries were finer than were exhibited last year. There was 



some dif&culty in deciding who was entitled to the above, so close was 

 the competition. For the rest of the prizes there was not the com- 

 petition that was expected, but the Committee can safely say that 

 there is a steady progress in fruit culture, which they hope will yearly 

 increase. The cultivators are beginning to appreciate the value of 

 quality over quantity. 



Kitchen Vegetables are also well grown, and prizes were given for 

 Potatoes, Savoy, Ked, and ordinary Cabbages; Brussels Sprouts, 

 Caulitlowers and Broccoh, Carrots, Turnips, Knol-Khol, Beetroot, 

 Lettuce, Endive, Artichokes, Jerusalem Artichokes, Celery, Onions, 

 Vegetable Marrows. Cucumbers, Radishes, Kidney Beans, Asparagus, 

 Peas, Tomatoes ; Thyme, Parsley. Mint, Sage, itc, in bunches, Sweet 

 Potatoes, Capsicums. Nepaul Chdies, Pumpkins, Snake-kai, aud 

 Brinjals. 



In flowers, prizes were given for Zonal Pelargoniums, Begonias, 

 Tropa?olum3. Pansies, Delphinium formosum. Common Larkspurs, 

 (Knotheras, Petunias, Stocks. Asters, Silver-foliaged plants, LobeUas, 

 Antirrhinums, Phloxes, and New Annuals. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Second SpRn^o Show, April ViOi. — On this occasion there was 

 a good display, which occupied a doable row of staging along the 

 centre of the Conservatory, one side being wholly filled with miscel- 

 laneous collections, the other by plants for which classes were specially 

 provided; and although the exhibitions iu each class were not nume- 

 rous, the deficiency in this respect was compensated by the long array 

 of interesting plants contributed by Mr. BuU, Mr. Williams, and 

 Messrs. Lee. and by Messrs. Lane's beautiful collection, which, aug- 

 mented in number, still adorned the adjoining arcade. There, indeed, 

 were to be found the only Roses shown, and ahvays welcome they are. 

 Leaving these, however, the Cinerarias, and the Auriculas to our co- 

 adjutor, " D., Deal,' we will proceed to the other features of the 

 Show. 



The Azaleas afforded a very effective display, their bright colours 

 being especially cheering in such a dull, wet day as that of the Show ; 

 it was too early for those gigantic pyramids of bloom which are ex- 

 hibited later in the season to make their appearance — some of them, 

 perhaps, will never do so again — but there were, nevertheless, some 

 large specimens well covered with flowers. In the nurserymen's class 

 for six, Mr. Turner, of Slough, was first with plants grown in a form 

 altogether different from the one usually seen at exhibitions, which 

 has been stigmatised as the crinoline shape. Mr. Turner's specimens, 

 on the contrary, were round-headed dwarf standards, on stems 

 measuring about 21 inches from the sod to the forking of the branches, 

 about a foot of clear stem being visible from the outside, and having 

 globular heads 2 feet in diameter densely packed with flowers, so much 

 so that nothmg was visible but flowers, except where a few sprays with 

 bright green leaves had been purposely pei-mitted to escape. The 

 varieties were — Etendard de Flandre, white streaked with red ; Dae 

 de Nassau, rosy purple ; Hooibrenkii, purple ; Souvenu- de I'Exposi- 

 tion, lilac, bordered with white; Rosea odorata, rosy crimson, and 

 Baronne de Pret, purjilish rose. Messrs. Dobson & Sons, of Isle- 

 worth, were second with small plants, the best of which was WiUiam 

 Bull. In the amateurs' class for the same number of plants, Mr. 

 Wheeler, gardener to Sir F. Goldsmid, Bart., Regent's Park, was first 

 with Stella, orange scarlet shaded with violet, a tine variety and in 

 fine bloom ; Prince of Wales, with small bright rosy purple flowers ; 

 Etoile de Flandre : Holfordi ; Criterion, a fine mass of flowers ; and 

 Glory of Sniininghill. Mr. Wilkie, Addison Road, Kensington, was 

 second with Perfection, rose-coloured, the plant rather straggling ; 

 Marie Vcrvaene and Fiehlerii, white ; Pctuni^flora, Burlingtonii, and 

 Admiration. The third prize went to Mr. Fairbaim, gardener to 

 the Duke of Northumberland, Sion House, for good-sized plants of 

 Iverj-ana, Alba, Souvenir de I'Exposition, Triampbans, and others. 

 Of single specimens only three were shown. A well-bloomed conical- 

 headed standard of Sir Charles Napier, from Mr. Wilkie, took the first 

 prize, Mr. Turner being second, and Mr, Wheeler third, the former 

 with Marie Vervaene, grown as a round-headed dwarf standard, and 

 forming a beautiful mass of white flowers, occasionally flaked with red. 

 Of Calceolarias, the only collection c.imefrom Mr. James, gardener 

 to W. F. Watson, Esq., of Isleworth, who received a first prize, the 

 plants being healthy, well grown, covered with flowers, and of an ex- 

 cellent strain. This' flower "being seldom raised otherwise than from 

 seed, there would be no advantage in particularising the names of the 

 varieties shown. Their colours were pale cream spotted with crimson, 

 dark crimson veined with yellow, yellow spotted with crimson, and 

 crimson veined with yellow. 



Camellias were but poorly represented, both as regards plants and 

 cut blooms. Mr. Wilkie took the first prize for each, and Mr. Fau:- 

 baim the second for cut blooms. 



Cyclamens were again shown in fine condition by Mr. Wiggins, 

 gardener to W. Beck, Esq., of Isleworth, whose specimens of this 

 flower have placed him in the front rani wherever they have been shown. 

 His neishbour, Mr. .James, was second with very good plants ; and Mr. 

 Fairbaim was third with plants in excellent bloom, but their beauty 

 somewhat marred by the sun or moisture, probably a result of the very 

 hot sun which we have lately had. Mr. Turner also contributed soma 

 nicely flowered plants. 



Miscellaneous collections, as already remarked, formed a large 



