140 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Fciruary 13, 1873. 



FRUIT AND FLORAL MEETING. 



Febbuaby 12th. 

 Fk^it Committee.— G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 

 Mr. D. PicirUlo, Wigmore Street, London, sent specimens of 

 Pink Naples GarHc, and of Naples Flat Red and Giant Rocca 

 Onions ; also a dish of the Giant Naples Chestnut, containing 

 eighty fruits, which weighed in all 8 lbs., and Violet, Rose, and 

 Orange blossoms for dessert. For this collection the Committee 

 determined that a letter of thanks should be sent. Mr. Dinnock, 

 High Street, Ryde, showed a kind of Red Beet with green 

 leaves, named Dinnock's Green Top. Messrs. Carter & Co., 

 High Holboru, exhibited some variegated sorts of Garnisliing 

 Kale. Mr. Jones, Royal Gardens, Frogmore, sent a dish of 

 Little Gem Pea, a bundle of Asparagns containing forty-six 

 sticks and weighing 3i lbs., and two specimens of Hedsor Winter 

 Cucumber; also a Smooth Cayenne Pine, and a fine bunch of 

 Bananas, consisting of twenty-six fruits. The latter was awarded 

 a cultural commendation. Mr. Henderson, gardener to H. W. 

 Peake, Esq., M.P., Wimbledon House, Wimbledon, showed a 

 bunch of Black Hamburgh Grapes, for which he received a letter 

 of thanks. Mr. Farr, gardener to F. A. Houghton, Esq., Owl- 

 pen Park, Dursley, exhibited a specimen of the Variegated 

 Pine Apple (Ananassa Porteana). Mr. J. Drewett, Denbies, 

 Dorking, sent two varieties of Apple to be named. Mr. Bond, 

 gardener to G. A. Smith. Esq., The Beeches, Walton-on-Thames, 

 submitfed four Queen Pine Apples to the decision of the Com- 

 mittee, which, although well ripened, were not considered to 

 have any extraordinary merit. Dr. Haig brought a specimen of 

 Uvedale's St. Germain Pear, gi*own in the grounds of Mrs. 

 English, Torquay, in the open air. It was well formed, well 

 coloured, and weighed 1 lb. 10 ozs. 



Prizes were offered for the best three dishes of dessert Apples. 

 Mr. Rutland, Goodwood Park Gardens, was first with Cockle 

 Pippin, Ribston Pippin, and Nonpareil Russet, very good. The 

 second prize went to Mr. Gardiner, Lower Eatington Park Gar- 

 dens, Stratford-on-Avon, for Blenheim Pippin, large and very 

 highly coloured; Ribston Pippin, and Cox's Orange Pippin. 

 Good fruit came from several other exhibitors. The only exhi- 

 bitor of Pears was Mr. Miles, gardener to Lord Carington, who 

 had a first prize for Prince Albert, Monarch, and Beurrlj da 

 Ranee. 



Floral Committee. — Mr. J. Fraser in the chair. Messrs. 

 J. Veitch it Sons sent a splendid collection of Orchids. Promi- 

 nent amongst them were some exceedingly fine forms of Odon- 

 toglosBum crispum (Alexandra), some fine spikes of O. gloriosum, 

 and, what is presumably a natural hybrid between the above, 

 O. Andersonianum ; also Dendrobium crassinode with one flower- 

 ing spike, the largest yet seen — it had thirty-five flowers on it; 

 of Mormodes colossus, two fine spikes, eight or nine flowers on 

 each; MasdevalhaVeitchii, wonderfully brilliant in colour; and 

 several specimens of Lycaste Skinneri covered with a profusion 

 of fine flowers, and singularly gay and attractive. An extra 

 prize was awarded for the group, and a cultural commendation 

 for Dendrobium crassinode. Mr. li. S. Williams, of HoUoway, had 

 an extra prize for a fine collection of Orchids, Ferns, and I'alms. 

 In it were Ccelogyne cristata covered with its chaste blooms, 

 Cattleya Trianra with rich-coloured laliellum, Cypripedium 

 Warneri and C. villosum. Mr. W. Bull, of Chelsea, staged some 

 fine plants, including Orchids, for which he had likewise an 

 extra prize. Encephalartos villosua ampliatus with immense 

 spreading leaves was deservedly honoured with a first-class cer- 

 tificate.^ B. villosus expansus is also a very handsome species, 

 Anthnrium Scherzerianum had very large spathes. The collec- 

 tion also contaiued a well-grown pan of Trichomaues radicans. 



From Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, Nor- 

 biton, came a splendid group of Orchids, which had a cultural 

 commendation. It contained a magnificent example of Coelogyue 

 cristata ; very fine examples of Cypripedium villosum ; Odouto- 

 glosBum cordatnm, Alexandr.'e, and roseum ; Dendrobium hete- 

 rocarpum ; Cypripedium Lowii, with three spikes and nine 

 blooms ; the brilliant orange MasdevaUia ignea, Cattleya Skin- 

 neri and TriauiB Ruckeri, the latter very fine ; and La;lia autum- 

 nalis grandiflor,". The latter had five large beautifully coloured 

 flowers, and received a first-class certificate. 



Mr. Lawrence, gardener to Bishop Sumner, Farnham Castle, 

 sent Vanda gigantea with a fine spike of its brown-spotted, 

 yellow, fleshy flowers. This, too, had a cultural commendation. 



Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Redlees, Isle- 

 worth, contributed a group of Chinese Primulas, white and 

 crimson, with very large blooms. One, named Marquis of Lome, 

 was especially fine. For these and a group of Cyclamens an extra 

 prize was awarded. From Mr. Harris, gardener to A. C. Ashby, 

 Esq., Naseby Wooleys, came Chinese Primula Superlative, re- 

 markably double and very free-flowering. Mr. Goddard, gar- 

 dener to H. Little, Esq., Cambridge ViUa, Twickenham, sent a 

 splendid collection of Cyclamens well varied in colour and full 

 of bloom. These received a cultural commendation ; and one of 

 them, called White Perfection, a fine white, had a first-class cer- 

 tificate. A cultm-al commendation was also given to Mr. Kings- 



bury, Bevis Nursery, Southampton, for a group of Primulas. 

 Mr. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, had an extra pi'ize 

 for a good collection of hardy fine-foliaged and flowering plants; 

 and a like award was made to Messrs. Standish & Co., of Ascot, 

 for a charming group of Azaleas, Lily of the Valley, Spirasa 

 japonica, &c., together with cut Roses. Mr. Williams, Hollo- 

 way, had a cultrural commendation for a large and handsome 

 plant of Camellia Jubilee, bearing a p^rofusion of flowers, also 

 one for a group of Chinese Primulas. 



Mr. W. Paiil sent four stands of Camellias, and two boxes of 

 Waltham White Primula, and for each he received a cultnral 

 commendation. The Primulas were snowy white, with yellow 

 eye, petals finely fringed, and of good substance. The best 

 Camellias were the Double White, Imbricata, Mouteroni, Cupof 

 Beauty, l^imbriata, Vicomte de Nieulant, Bonomiana, Adelina 

 Benvenuta, and Rubens. A flowering spike of Sphrerogyne lati- 

 folia, the inflorescense somewhat resembling a flowering spike 

 of the Horse Chestnut, was sent by Mr. Green, gardener to 

 W. W. Saunders, Esq., Hillfield, Reigate, and had a cultural 

 certificate. A first-class certificate was given to Messrs. Jackman. 

 and Son, of Woking, for a beautiful golden variety of the western 

 Arbor Vita?, of dwarf and compact habit. Mr. Rutland, gar- 

 dener to the Duke of Richmond, Goodwood, sent a collection of 

 Cattleyas. 



Prizes were offered for the best six Chinese Primulas. Mr- 

 Goddard was first with extremely well-bloomed plants of red,, 

 white, and lilac varieties chiefly of the Fern-leaved class, and 

 this not only in the size, but also in the colour and profusion of" 

 the flowers. Mr. Farrow, Brigadier Hill, Enfield, was secondl 

 with an excellent group. Of Lycastes, the only exhibitor was. 

 Mr. Denning, who had a first prize for fine SiJecimens of varie- 

 ties varyiug in intensity of colour and marking, but none more- 

 beautiful than the milk-white one. 



STRAWBEEBY PLANTS FOB FOECING. 



YouE correspondent Mr. Mowbray, in asking for opinions oc 

 this subject, is quite right. Here we force Strawberries in large- 

 numbers, but not ten thousand, as reported to be forced at> 

 Sandringham. We generally begin to gather the first week, 

 iu March, and continue gathering until fruit come in outside. 

 Our stock this season is 2500, which keeps us well on until the- 

 last week of May. In July we plant-out good runners iu well- 

 prepared land, taking them up in February or March and pot- 

 ting them, filling the orchard houses with some at once. Our 

 first gathering from the.se plants last year was on the 25th of 

 May. The large quantity of air admitted is the very life of 

 them. The fruit is of fine colour and flavour, and, if Pre- 

 sident and Sir Charles Napier be used, of an enormous size. 



For upwards of thirty-five years I have been engaged in 

 Strawberry-forcing, and for four years I was foreman to the- 

 late lamented Mr. G. McEwau at Arundel, and the records of 

 all our horticultural exhibitions of that day show plainly his- 

 success as an accomplished Strawberry-grower. 



With respect to storing, I use the same plan as my dear old 

 master. When they are ready for storing every plant is pro- 

 perly cleaned and slightly surfaced, all put down level, and 

 the day before storing I give through a rose a good dose of 

 clear lime water, which kills aU worms and keeps the plants 

 sufficiently damp during the time they are at rest. They 

 are then stacked in sawdust, and in snowy weather or very 

 severe frost covered with fern. I find fresh sawdust an ex- 

 cellent material for this purpose, inasmuch as there is a slight 

 heat. Some plants taken out yesterday showed the young 

 white roots at the crock-hole, which is a healthy sign, but 

 all should be set level on the ground before March 1st. The- 

 varieties are Keens' Seedling, Sir Charles Napier, President,, 

 and British Queen for the last crop in the forcing houses. 

 — E. Gilbert, Burghley. 



"THE GORRIE" PATENT GBOUND-FAST 

 PLANT TALLY. 

 Op all horticultural appliances there are none which are 

 more troublesome to gardeners than tallies, and especially 

 tallies for out-door use. Wood quickly perishes, earthenware 

 gets broken, and cast iron both rusts and gets broken. Through- 

 out a long experience we have tried every description of plant 

 label that has ever come under our notice, and we have come 

 to the conclusion that there is none which is so durable as that 

 made of zinc and simply written upon vrith a quill and suitable 

 ink. Moro than thirty years ago we planted an orchard of 

 pyramid fruit trees, in which there were not fewer than five or 

 six liundred trees, all of which were marked with strips of zinc 

 on which the names were written with the ink referred to, and 



