May '30, 1869. ] 



joubnaij op horticultuue and cottage gardeneb. 



389 



clenched on the ontside, extending diagonally acrosa every four 

 widths of the glaaa, thua trusaing the whole together. A walk 

 :s feet wide edged with stone paasea along the centre, and on 

 each side there ia a narrow border, in which the Vines and 

 other fruit trees are planted. The doors at the ends are like 

 wise tied by wires crossing each other diagonally, and these are 

 tightened by simply pulling downs ring of copper wire at their 

 intersection. Of course, the two sides inclined towards each 

 other mast be tied by cross pieces every so far, where any con 

 siderable length is put up. The Peach trees in a wall of this 

 description planted about a month ago, as well as the Vines, 

 were in excellent condition, notwithstanding the frost ; and in 

 addition to their value for fruit culture, such walla would form 

 an agreeable promenade, besides affording shelter to vegetation 

 near them. They are very cheap, coating only ChI. per square 

 foot, very simple, and will, doubtless, prove very durable. They 

 are, of course, at present on trial : there is much to learn re- 

 specting them ; temperatures will have to be observed by day and 

 night, for comparison with those in the open ground, and crops 

 will have to be gathered in successive years, and their quality 

 tested, before all the advantages of the double walls of glass 

 can be said to be proved : still from what has been already ob- 

 served, they appear to possess the elements of success, and that 

 in no small degree. Let their merits be once established, and 

 the inventor will have added yet another claim to the debt of 

 gratitude which the horticultural world already owes him. 



The orchard house ia another structure well worthy of re- 

 mark. It was erected ten years ago, and is constructed in the 

 most solid fashion, the walls below the front and end sashea 

 being of stone from a large quarry close at hand. It is "1 feet 

 long, by 30 feet wide, and 1-1 feet high to the top of the span 

 roof, and though provided with hot-water pipes, these are only 

 used in frosts and for ripening the wood. The Vines, which are 

 41 feet apart, are spur-pruned, and sufficient light is thua ad- 

 mitted to the thick-stemmed standard Peach and Nectarine 

 trees, which are planted out in the central border. One of 

 these alone produced twenty dozen of Peaches one season, 

 but the result of such a heavy crop being taken was a small 

 production in the following year. Ten or twelve dozen are 

 found to be enough. Some idea of the large return which may 

 be obtained from a well-managed orchard house may be 

 formed from the fact that, besides other fruit, two hundred 

 dozen of Peaches and Nectarines, and 700 lbs. of Grapes, were 

 the return of last year. Two large Cherry trees, one a May 

 Duke, the other an Elton, form a grand arch at the entrance, 

 and their cordon branches are yearly set with fruit so thickly as 

 to resemble ropes of Onions. Near these was Standish's Early 

 Frontignan Grape, anew kind, which is spoken of very highly. 

 This was worked on the Black Hamburgh, and was gr5^^iag 

 most vigorously. It made a growth of li> feet last year. It 

 may be useful here to note that the following temperatures 

 were observed in this house — on the 11th of April, at noon, 83° ; 

 on the loth, at 12.25, 'JO' ; and on the 27th, at 11.13 a.m., 91°. 



In addition to the foregoing, there are other features about 

 the place worthy of notice, but we shall only mention the 

 warm vinery. This ia 110 feet long, by 20 feet wide, and was 

 formerly in two divisions, but the partition has been taken 

 away, it having been found that one end, which is 5 feet higher 

 than the other, is always the warmer, and that the crop is 

 there ripe a fortnight earlier than in the lower end of the 

 house, owing to the natural ascent of the heated air. The 

 Vines are planted inside, and a portion of the width of the 

 border is covered with sashes, which, when the crop is off, are 

 removed, and the Vines have all the benefit of the free ex- 

 posure of the soil to air and moisture. Among the varieties 

 are Chasselas Vibert, White Tokay, bearing immense bunches, 

 Muscat of Alexandria, Chasselas Musqn§, White Frontignan, 

 Koyal Ascot, and Royal Muscadine. With Grapes from the 

 first two several prizes have been taken. It may be added 

 that " Observer," like other people, has been troubled in sum- 

 mer and autumn with wasps, and, determined not to be con- 

 quered by them, employs for their exclusion cotton netting 

 brushed over with indiarubber dissolved in shellac, thus 

 rendering the fabric not only stiff and waterproof, but wasp- 

 proof as well. 



CATS VEHSLS NEMOPHILAS. 



Cats are peculiarly partial to these pretty annuals; their 



fondness is not confined to one variety, but seems to be shared 



by all alike. The beds here are nightly overrun with them, 



and even in the daytime I find them squatting amongst the 



Nemophila, and evidently enjoying it much. Others have re- 

 marked it, aa well. Cats are also, as you observe, partial to the 

 roota of Valerian, but not more so than to the Nemopbilas, and 

 to some of the species of Viburnum, against the bark of which 

 they rub, so as to give it quite a polished appearance. Can 

 anyone assign a reason for these fancies or preferences of our 

 feline friends ? It can be little else than fancy, aa they do not 

 eat any of the plants, so far as I am aware. — Poss in Boots. 



CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW. 

 May 15th. 

 With that desire always to cater to the interest thit the public 

 gmierally take in the tloinl exhibitions at the Crystal Palace, there was 

 this year added to the goncral features of the great Spring Show an 

 Bxhii)ition of bonquets whii-h was intended to be international ; bnt, 

 alas 1 for the pnhlic spirit of our friends across the water, no French 

 exhibitor contributed, and but one Belgian— Mr. Van der Dreiessche, 

 of Ghent. In the general aspect of the Show I may at once say that 

 greenhouse and stove plants were never larger and liner, nor, perhaps, 

 so numerous ; that Orchids, though few in number, were good ; and 

 that there was a great falUng-off in .\zaleas, Pelargoniums, and Roses. 

 In one of these classes this was to be attributed mainly to the total 

 withdrawal from exhibition in Pelargoniums of Messrs. Fraser, Turner, 

 and Bailey, who used so largely to contribute ; while Azaleas, as we 

 have seen them this year, have generally been deficient in quality, 

 looking very much as if the excessive heat of last summer, and the con- 

 stant watering thereby rendered necessary, had weakened the plants. 



As the bouquets were the novel feature of the exhibition I would 

 say a few words on them first. Some were exceedingly creditable to 

 the taste and skill displayed. This was notably the case in those 

 which obtained the first and second prizes. Some were exceedingly 

 ugly ; one, especially, was such an abomination as I could hardly have 

 conceived it possible for any human being, much less a lady, to have 

 attempted. One thing, at least, it showed— a considerable amount of 

 courage in putting it up alongside of the others, instead of putting it; 

 under'the table or anywhere. I may observe that there is one genera! 

 fault to my mind in the arrangement of bouquets as practised here, 

 and that is overcrowding. Fewer flowers would be better, and more 

 scope would be given for arrangement. Another thing I object to is the 

 formal arrangement, which is too much the fashion abroad as well aa 

 here. For instance, there was a very pretty bouquet with some Moss 

 Kose buds to break the uniformity of surface ; but they were, nnfor- 

 tunatelv for the effect, placed in such regular rows round as to com- 

 rletely "spoil it. Had they been irregularly placed it would have been 

 very beautiful. Nor must I omit a very pretty bouquet of wild flowers, 

 which was highly commended. The Belgian collection was not very 

 remarkable. The bouquets were too flat and exceedingly heavy, owmg 

 to the fiowers being placed in clay. There was no doubt as to this 

 being the most attractive part of "the Show, it being most difficult to 

 get anyway near it after the public was admitted. 



Next in point of interest were, I think, judging from the crowd and 

 the note-books in requisition, tho variegated-leaved Pelargoniums — the 

 Tricolors exhibited by Messrs. James Carter & Co. and Mr. Charles 

 Turner, and the Bicojors by Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing. Atnong 

 those of the former firm w"ere Prince of Wales, a very bright variety, 

 which we saw exhibited last year in great perfection ; Sir Robert Nap-.er, 

 a very dark-zoned-leaved plant, with brilliant scarlet blotches and deep 

 golden edge ; Mrs. Dunnett, a very flat-leaved plant of compact habit, 

 which will doubtless be a general favourite by-and-by. Mr. Turner had 

 Mrs. Headlv. vei-y handsome foliage ; and Mdlle. Nilsson, very bright, 

 and of dwa'rf habit. Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing bad Crown 

 Prince, a splendid variety in tho Bicolor section ; Prima Donna, and 

 also still more new, Imperatrice Eugenie and M. Morris. Before 

 leaving these I would notice a very ingenious contrivance for covering 

 plants intended for show. Messrs. Carters' small baskets of Tricolors 

 were covered over with one piece of oiled silk, which was taken off 

 without the least trouble, and perfectly protected the plants from the 

 dust. 



Among new Azaleas there was a very fine light one called Mrs. 

 Turner, and a very dark one. La Superbe, both exhibited by Mr. 

 Turner, of Slough. Of large-flowered and fancy Pelargoniums there 

 were but few staged. Some of the Fancies were very bright, Leotard 

 and East Lvun especially : and a white-edged tedding Pelargonium ex- 

 hibited by ilr. Turner, called Bright Star, deserveiUy received a first- 

 class certificate. The same gentleman also exhibited a tine collection 

 of Tulips, and a large number of Alpine Auriculas, of these Gaiety, 

 Goliath, and Superb, were the most remarkable. Mr. F. Perkins, of 

 Leamington, exhibited a very beautiful perpetual- flowering yellow 

 Picotee, which I venture to think will be much prized if it keep up its 

 character of blooming both in spring and autumn, as it seems dis- 

 posed to do. It does not seem to have the long tree habit, but is more 

 herbaceous. 



In PelarRoniums. the first prize was taken by Mr. Ward, gardener 

 to F. G. Wilkius, Esq., Leyton, who exhibited well-grown plants (I 

 fancy some of Mr. Bailey's famous plants were here) of Garibaldi, 

 Mdlle. Patti, Etna, Fair Rosamond, Norma, Ariel, Lilacinum, Sir C. 

 Campbell, Resina formosa. Empress Enginie, Desdemona. and Lord 

 Cannin<'. In Fancies, the first prize was taken by Messrs. Dobson and 



