110 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ February 6, 18€8. 



next season. What I wish to know is, Whether the pods will 

 perfect seeds, and bow long I ought to allow them to remain :' 

 — H. M. 



|_One of the most experienced of Orchid-cultivators informs 

 ti3 that the seed pod of the Odontoglossum should be left on 

 the plant until it bursts. As the pod in the above instance 

 is still green, there seems to be no doubt it will perfect seed. 

 The time occupied in ripening it varies from ten to twelve 

 months, or even more.] 



CRACKING OF CHASSELAS MUSQUE GRArE 

 AND STANWICK NECTARINE. 



It may not be generally known, that the cracking of Chasse- 

 Sas Musquu Grape can be prevented bv making a notch in the 

 wood between the rod and the bunch. The operation should be 

 performed immediately after the stoning of the berries, and 

 the notch should be cut at least half way through the wood. 

 The border at ripening time should be rather dry, and the 

 usual amount of air ought to be given. 



This Grape does with less stimulant at the roots than many 

 other kinds ; indeed, the Vines re(iuire soil specially prepared 

 for them. 



We have for several seasons past been successful in securing 

 good crops of the Stan wick Nectarine, almost free from cracking, i 

 by applying the knife to the fruit-bearing wood. Immediately j 

 the fruit has begun the " second swelling," a notch is made 

 into the pith, the same as with the wood of the Cbasselas 

 Musque Vine. The fruit ripen-off of a golden colour, the side 

 Dext the sun is of a deep crimson tinge, and the flavour is of 

 the finest description. 



Last season a few of the fruit were allowed to crack before 

 they were observed ; the notching of the wood was then resorted 

 to, and the wounds in the fruit soon healed up, and they 

 swelled to a fair size, ripening equally well with the general 

 ■crop, and being little inferior, except that they exhibited some 

 scars where a little gum oozed out, and which was carefully 

 taken off after it became hard. The wood thus notched is, of 

 ■ootirse, cut out at pruning time, to be succeeded by shoots left 

 for bearing the following season. The tree thus receives no 

 injury from the use of the knife. Previous to notching, to 

 prevent the Ftanwick Nectarine cracking, we tried every means 

 we could devise, such as lifting the tree, placing it in a position 

 on the back of a Peach house where the sun had greater power, 

 keeping it dry at the roots, and giving an extra circulation of 

 air, but with no apparent beneficial results. The crop always 

 set as thickly as Gooseberries ; all the fruit became cracked 

 when of the size of Walnuts. 



I should be glad to learn the experience of others with this 

 excellent Nectarine, as it is seldom to be seen. It may be 

 moire successfully managed in orchard houses. — M. Temple, 

 Gardener, Balbirnie, N.B. 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 EXHIBITIONS FOR IHOH. 



At the risk of appearing captious in finding any fault with 

 the just and interesting review by your contemporary of the 

 programme of the Eoyal Horticultural Society for the coming 

 season, I will venture a few observations upon it. 



It recommends certain additions to the rewards offered by 

 the Society to exhibitors, but I feel confident that this course 

 will not secure the permanent and mutually beneficial arrange- 

 ments which are aimed at. Better results may be obtained 

 by some course in which the exhibitors and the Society shall 

 iiAve an interest in common, and by which exhibitions shall 

 be self-supporting. We have evidence that such a course is 

 possible. 



Mr. Paul receives no prizes for his show of spring flowers, 

 but the exhibition must repay him in some way. He finds, 

 probably, that his reputation as a man of skill and enterprise 

 is advanced by it, that Fellows and other visitors go to see it, 

 6Ui<i that trade naturally follows. Messrs. Waterer & Godfrey 

 are also willing to show their plants without direct money 

 reward ; and I see in the Society's Almanack that Messrs. 

 Iiane are about to follow in the same footsteps. Here, then, 

 are exhibitions, and very fine ones, made without any induce- 

 ment in the way of prizes. 



Nor is this all. In June a glorious display of Zonal Pelar- 

 goniums is to be anticipated, this being the growers' own day 



when the "subscription prizes, in u-Jiich tltoj naturalbj take 

 more tlian a passiun interest [the italics are mine], will be 

 competed for." 



In these two classes of phenomena — the desire of nursery- 

 men to exhibit without prizes, and the readiness of exhibitors 

 to subscribe for their prizes, is the best hope for the future of 

 exhibitions. Without much examination of details, it is pretty 

 clear that shows as at present managed do not pay. The Royal 

 has now one great show in lieu of three, and throws out hints 

 of discontinuing even this one ; and the Botanic has cut off 

 all its spring shows. If more shows are cut off, Fellows wiU 

 cut off their subscriptions, and then cultivators in their turn 

 will be cut off' from the opportunities now afforded to them of 

 exhibiting their horticultural successes. The only safety lies 

 in making shows self-supporting. 



.Judging from the Pelargonium example (is there not also a 

 Potato sweepstakes coming off ?) it appears not unreasonable 

 to expect that wherever much interest is felt in the cultivation 

 of a particular flower, whether on account of the profit it may 

 bring to the seller, or by reason of the pleasure it may give to 

 the grower, it is only necessary for the Society to provide the 

 arena, and the competitors themselves will be ready to con- 

 tribute the prizes ; and in prizes contributed by themselves, 

 the competitors will, as is truly observed, " naturally take 

 more than a passing interest." People value most that which 

 costs them something. 



I have, therefore, written to the Council to propose that they 

 shall invite the Tulip fanciers, the Pansy fanciers, and the 

 fanciers of Carnations, Picotees, Dahlias, Hollyhocks, and 

 Chrysanthemums, and their respective growers, as well as 

 cultivators of Strawberries and Cucumbers, Peaches and Peas, 

 to make up so many friendly matches among themselves, 

 offering them every facility for contesting the championship 

 in these various subjects. The Society ought to stand the 

 expense of the bands, provide the judges' fees, and make all 

 the arrangements, as their contribution to the entertainment, 

 and perhaps it might not be too liberal a measure on their 

 part if they contributed towards the expenses of the exhibitors, 

 u-/:etlicr 2>ri:etakcrs or not, one-half the receipts at the doors. 



Such a plan would be safe both for the exhibitors and the 

 Society. Each exhibitor would invite all his friends to the 

 Show ; some part of their expenses at least would be recovered, 

 and the Society would run no risk. And the Society ought not 

 to run risks. Some ten or twelve years since it would venture 

 everything on the chance of a fine day, and we all know the 

 result. I hope that it has now grown wiser. I trust that the 

 Council now feel that the worst misfortune that can befaU a 

 body is not to be able to pay its way, and that their imperative 

 duty is to assure themselves that the arrangements they pro- 

 pose will not entail difficulties and disgrace upon the Society 

 for which they are acting. To send round the hat periodically, 

 and take the sense (ought I not to say, take advantage of the 

 weakness?) of the subscribers concerning their mismanagement 

 amounts to dishonesty, and the liberality of Fellows has been 

 more than once thus imposed upon in days gone by. 



If the Council, then, are persuaded that they already venture 

 enough on prizes, I, for one, am for letting them alone. I 

 greatly respect Mr. Micawber's maxims on revenue and expen- 

 diture. Income, £1. Expenditure. I'Js. Gd. Eesult, happiness. 

 Income, £1. Expenditure, 20s. tij. Kesult, misery. 



Have patience with me while I observe upon one other 

 feature of your contemporary's recommendation. I have no 

 wish to depreciate the value of the labours of the Fruit and 

 Floral Committees. I beheve them to be doing good service, 

 and to be an essential portion of the Society's organisation, 

 but I cannot help remarking, when it is suggested that the addi- 

 tional minor shows recommended shall be tacked on to the 

 Floral and Fruit Meetings, that the general body of the 

 Fellows cannot enter the Exhibition room until the Committees 

 have finished their labours and their luncheons, and that 

 immediately after the eating is done, the talking begins. The 

 consequence is, that unless one is sufficiently bold and rude to 

 walk about the room whilst Mr. Bateman is lecturing, one must 

 rest content with the distant view of the flowers from the seat 

 one happens to occupy, for no sooner is the lecture over than 

 the plants are seized away from under one's eyes or nose, and 

 there is such a general scramble to get them back into the 

 vans again, as to suggest that somebody disagreeable may be 

 expected to catch the hindmost. 



Lectures are all very well ia their way, and I have no doubt 

 of their being very useful to good listeners and inquiring 

 horticulturists. 



