February 13, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIGULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



127 



{orcing bouses, stove. Orchid bouse, greenhouse, and pita and 

 frames, toaethor with directions for the management of window 

 plants. There are in addition remarks on pruning and train- 

 ing fruit trees, with several illustrations ; on orchard-house 

 management, on the preparation of Mushroom beds, and soma 

 other subjects. 



MARRIOTT'S SELl'-REGULATING BOILER. 



In reply to " Rose," we have two of the largest-sized of this 

 boiler at work here. My experience of them only extends to 

 last November, during which time they have done their work 

 60 satisfactorily that I have formed a very high opinion of 

 their capabilities and simplicity. I have bad a fair share of 

 experience with other boilers, and consider Marriott's superior 

 to any I have before had in giving; a more regular heat if at- 

 tention is paid to the regulator, ^'ou can then have the water 

 at the ooiling point by opening the regulator to its fullest 

 extent, or try closing it you can completely stop combustion, 

 and, therefore, stop the circulation of the water in the pipes. 



The economy of fuel is also great in comparison with the 

 old saddle boiler, as we are enabled to prove by having three of 

 them at work as well. One of Marriott's boilers can work 

 17lX) feet of 4-inch piping as well as our largest saddle boiler 

 can work 500 feet, and not consume any more fuel, although I 

 must acknowledge that the former is rather more particular in 

 regard to the quality than the latter. On the other hand, 

 Marriott's when tilled-upin the morning, if the weather is mild, 

 requires no more attendance till about nine o'clock at night, 

 than to set the regulator at whatever degree of temperature you 

 require ; whereas the old saddle-boiler may bo set down as re- 

 quiring to be looked to at least from eight to ten times in the 

 course of the twelve hours. 



Another great advantage of Marriott's boiler is its requiring 

 Eo brickwork in the setting, as the tubes are encased in sheet 

 iron and merely set down in the stokehole. Many thought the 

 casing would become so hot that there would be a great waste 

 of heat, but we find it quite the reverse, as so much heat is not 

 given out as by an old furnace. 



There are, however, a few drawbacks to this boiler. The 

 first is the great depth of stokehole required ; the second is, 

 where coke is scarce, that I am afraid it will be difficult to burn 

 coal in the furnace, but of the latter fuel for it I have had no 

 experience. — James Stewart, Niiiii'ltam Park. 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY S 

 EXHIBITIONS. 



I HAVE read with much interest flic observations of "Another 

 F. K. H. S.," in last week's Journal, on the Royal Horticidtural 

 Society's Exhibitions for 18G8, and although I do not agree with 

 him in all he has said in his conununication, there is a groat 

 deal in which I quite concur, and which is in my opinion well 

 worth the consideration of the Council and FeUowa of the So- 

 ciety. The point to which I mainly refer is the encouragement 

 that the Society has for some years past given to horticultural 

 exhibitions. 



Now, there are two views in which these exhibitions are popu- 

 larly regarded — the one is as a som-co of revenue, and tho other 

 as an encouragement to horticulture. Let us see how far these 

 popidar views are correct. The foimer so long as it is success- 

 ftil is defensible ; but whenever exhibitions become unremu- 

 nerative, and a burden to a Society, then not only prudence but 

 common sense would dictate their obandonmeut. So long as 

 the Horticultiu-al Society's Exhibitions were without a rival, 

 and had the advantage of novelty ;md fine weather, they con- 

 tributed very largely towards the Society's prosperity and use- 

 fulness, and after a successful season it awoke like "a giant 

 refreshed," full of vigour, and, no doubt, well-uitentioned 

 designs. But the evil days uf rivalry and competition arose, and 

 from that time the Exhibitions both of the Society and its 

 rivals, while they became important features in their consti- 

 tution, were b\it the insidious flush that betokened disease and 

 decay. All experience has proved this, and hence the popular 

 idea that great i xhibitions, as at pnscnt conducted, are advan- 

 tageous to any society, is an erroneous one. 



With regard to the second idea, that great exhibitions, as at 

 present conducted, are an encouragement to horticidtiue, I hold 

 it to be to some extent also erroneous. I should be sorry to say 

 that they have no beneficial elfcct on horticulture, because I 

 believe they have ; hut the question that suggests itself to mo is, 

 WoiJd not smaller exhibitions, such as yom- correspondent ad- 



vocates, he equally as stimulating to horticultural taste ? If we 

 take the magnificent specimens that constitute tho collections 

 exhibited at our great shows, wo find that very few of them are 

 grown by private individuals, but are shown by nurserymen and 

 others with a view to trade advantages, and without any feel- 

 ing whatever as to tho advancement of horticulture, except in 

 so far as thoy themselves are advam-cd also. 'J'hoso that are 

 generally shown from private gardens will on investigation be 

 found to have very nmch of the same stimulus infused; the 

 prizes obtained forming not unfrequently an important element 

 in the gardener's wages, while the employer derives both the 

 pleasure and the merit of having produced them. So far as hor- 

 ti(;uUure, therefore, is affected by these large (and bear in mind, 

 I am .speakingonly of metropolitan) exhibitions, I am of opinioa 

 that this second popular view is also erroneous. I am of opinion 

 that smaller and less pretentious exhibitions would have even a 

 gi'eater effect in diffusing a horticidtural taste, and cncouraginor. 

 the spread of practical horticulture than these groat exhibitions 

 have. When it is considered at how much cost and trouble 

 the gorgeous plants exhibited at these great shows are pro- 

 duced, I am inclined to believe that so far as the masses o£ 

 amateur horticulturists are concerned, they are rather deterred 

 from following the example than encouraged to imitate it. 

 Hence it is that I agree with your correspondent in advocating 

 smaller shows, where smaller growers would have a field suited 

 to their means, on which to enter the lists with each other, and 

 contest the honour of having produced exhibitions not less meri- 

 torious, because they are less demonstrative and produced at a, 

 smaller cost. 



It is upon this ground that I always advocate, while I admire 

 and derive so much more pleasure and instruction from, thes 

 minor shows of the Fruit and Floral Committees, and the spiing 

 shows of the Royal Horticultural Society, than I do at any o£ 

 the great exhibitions ; and I am sure that if the shows indicated 

 by your correspondent were to bo submitted for the approval of 

 the exhibitors, they would meet with a large measure of success. 

 I refer more particularly to those which have been distinguished 

 by the name of " Sweepstakes," and I venture to say that the 

 forthcoming "Pelargonium Sweepstakes" will be the most ex- 

 citing, as it will be one of the most interesting competitions of 

 the season. And why should wo not have more of these sweep- 

 stakes, augmented it may bo in some way or another by the 

 Society, in the same way as is done at horse races ? There is 

 something analogous to this practised in most provincial horti- 

 cultural societies. Before an exhibitor can enter his plants, he 

 must pay his "entry money," which goes towards the prize 

 fund of the society. To me it is as unreasonable to expect the 

 Royal Horticultural Society to bear the responsibility of all the 

 prizes, as it would he for the Jockey Club to bear that of the 

 Derby Stakes, which are weU known to attain the enormous 

 amount they sometimes do by the subscriptions of the owners 

 when they enter their horses being added to tho amount offered 

 by the Race Fund. 



As an amateur ardently devoted to the pursuit of horticulture, 

 and one deeply interested in the prosperity of tho Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society, I hope that the time has come when something 

 will bo done to promote the extension of the one, and to secure 

 the permanency of the other, and it is with the hope that both 

 may be secin-ed that I have ventured to trouble you with my 

 views on the subject.- — S. T. P. 



GALVANISED WIRE TRELLISES. 



Wherever galvanised wire trellises are attached to walls 

 and employed for the purpose of training fruit trees upon, I 

 think it may be safely stated that they have always given the 

 utmost satisfaction to the fruit-grower. I have seen the trellis 

 in use in several fruit gardens myself, and in not one instance 

 did I ever hear it condemned ; but, when the number of fruit 

 gardens that there are in the kingdom is taken into considera- 

 tion, how seldom is the trellis used for the above purpose. 

 This consideration prompts me to ask the question — Why is 

 it so seldom employed ? I have tried to find a suitable answer, 

 but without success. Its many good qualities make it appear 

 to be almost faultless, for in whatever way it may be viewed, it 

 shows a decided superiority over tho other systems of training. 



To those who have not given tho subject any consideration, 

 I hope it may be of service to them if I first say that the prin- 

 cipal methods of attaching fruit trees to walls are by nailing 

 with strips of cloth, and by fastening the branches to studs, 

 which are fixed in the wall ; and, in the second place, I will 



