48 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



f July 18, 1865. 



Some good Cttcnmbers were shown, also herbaceous plants from 

 Eallymouough» Ireland ; and we noticed a pretty Cape Heath, called 

 Exquisita, exhibited by Messrs. Low. 



TODMORDEN EOTAJS'ICAL SOCIETY.— July :Jrd. 



De. W. p. H. Schtupee, G. ct M. Pr.. Ac. Sc. J. G. M. C, &c., 

 *'Bryolog. Europ. Auctor.'" was admitted an associate member. In 

 pi"opo£iiig the above-named gentleman the Cbaii-man took occasion to 

 pay a high compliment to Ibe character and abilities of Dr. Scbimpcr, 

 remarking that he bad a world-wide and also a well-earned reputation, 

 and that the Todmcrden Botanical SocietT, in confeiing an associnte- 

 membership on such an indi\-idnal received a far greater honour than 

 it conferred. "VN'e noticed on the table a plant of a splendidly ramulose 

 var. of Polystichuni acnle.ltnm. AVe nnderstood the plant in question, 

 along with some twenty others equallv chai-acteristic. liiid been collected 

 in Dcvonsbiie w-ithia "the last few days by Mrs. Thornton, of Holds- 

 worthy rectory. Noith Devon, anil lately"of Eawtenstall, Rossendale. 

 Mr. H. Halstead contributed a frcnd of a new Athyrinm, with 

 curiously-ovate pinnules, and which, if quite pei-manent, promises to 

 be a valuable acquisition. The plant in question had been gathered 

 near to Castle-Carr, in Yorkshire ; several very rare and curious plants 

 and tlowers were sent from other sources. The Hon. Sec. read a 

 communication from Mr. Fielden Hartley, Alton, Illinois, N.A., report- 

 ing the discoveiy of Botrychium virginicum and other rare plants, and 

 enclosing a fine specimen of the one first-named. 



The Vice-President (Mr. Nowell) having accompanied Drs. Schimper 

 and Wood to Snowden, reported the discovery of the following rarities, 

 none of which had ever before been seen in a gi-owing state by the 

 celebrated Schimper; Arctoa fnlvella, linely in fruit; (Edipodinm 

 Griiiithianum, splendidly in fruit : Kacomitrium ellipticmn, do ; 

 Bartramia arcuata, this is altogether unknown on the continent ; 

 Andrara alpina, abundantly in fruit. 



WORKING-CLASS FL0AM3R SHOWS. 



We visitecl, diu-iiig the past week, one of the.se iu Blooms- 

 htuy Square, and another in the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 Garden at South Kensington, and well gratified were we to 

 find the competitors so numerous. Great excellence is not to 

 be expected, but there were many specimens very creditable to 

 the growers, and CTideuce luimistakeable of an increasing 

 fondness and seeking after these beautiful adornments of a 

 house. 



The Earl of Shaftesbury, who distributed the prizes at the 

 Bloomsbury Show — and let us add that the Bloomsbtuy window 

 gardeners keep ahead in this race which they originated — ob- 

 Kerred that he was glad that the movement, originating as it 

 did in Bloomsbtuy, and so well carried otit by the Bev. E. 

 Eayley assisted by Jlr. Bosanquet and others, had now spread 

 all over London. He thought, also, they ought not to forget 

 the inventor of the movement, the Eev. H. Parkes. He held 

 that a man who invented a movement like that, which was 

 accomplishing so vast an amount of moral good, was a bene- 

 factor of the age. He went much about ths town, and he 

 saw the good effect of such shows amongst the people. The 

 Bloomsbury folk ought to be very proud of originating a move- 

 ment which was spreading all over Loudon. He had three 

 flower shows to attend that week; last year there were not 

 above two such flower shows iu the metropolis, this year there 

 were twenty o? thirty, and next year he hoped there would he 

 a hundred. 



There are a lew minor points about these exhibitions which 

 deserve alteration. We think, for instance, that a little more 

 regard should be had to neatness ; and if two plants showed 

 equal good cultivation, and one was exhibited iu a pot rendered 

 inoffensive to the eye by being enclosed in a piece of crenulated 

 green paper,, we would give its opponent in a bare stained pot 

 the second place in the award. 



Labels or patches of white paper, even if all of a size and 

 well-written upon, we would banish from the sides of the pots. 



Then we would have distinct prizes for treUised plants and 

 plants imtreUised. A Fuchsia, we think, looks best tr.iined as 

 a pyramid rather than as a fan. A Gerauiimi we consider more 

 difficult than a Fuchsia to grow meritoriously. Lastly, a plant 

 taken out of a border or a large pot, cut down, and then grown 

 5n a small pot in a window for next year's exhibition, is not 

 " a plant raised and flowered within twelve months." A plant 

 to come within this definition should be raised from the cut- 

 ting iu one year and exhibited before the close of the next. 



These concluding notes aie in answer to some queries we 

 have received. 



BEGMUS SCHECEDERI-ZIZ.VXIA AQUATICA. 



I SEE that Messrs. Carter advertise this Grass amongst their 

 novelties, and give a glowing description of it in the adver- 

 tising columns of yom- Number of Apiil 11th. I have known 

 and had it for some time, but never sowed any tiU this spring. 

 Having just returned from London, I am glad to find a fine 

 bunch of it about a yard high and in fxil! ear. It was sown long 

 after the general com crop, so that Messrs. Carters' remark 

 as to its pecuharity in sending up seed at a veiy early stage of 

 its growth seems to be conect. Probably, if I had been at home 

 and pushed it on with hquid manure during the late impre- 

 cedented hot weather, it might have been higher, but "the 

 Derby," and such like, must be seen — " mat ecelum.'' 



Being a member of Council of the AecUmatisation Society, 

 I have devoted much time and attention towards introducing 

 such hardy shrubs and Grasses as will afford food for game ; 

 and my respected fi-iends, P. Lawson & Son of Edinburgh, who 

 in the kindest manner iilwavs send me anything they meet 

 with tending to that object, forwarded me, some time ago, a 

 spike of this Brome Grass. I distributed it among a few 

 members of our Society, and a fine head of it was shown at the 

 council meeting last Thursday. I believe Messrs. Lawson had 

 it long since from Berhn, but I think it is a native of Virginia. 

 There is no doubt it will be excellent food for game or poultry, 

 but I doubt its perennial character, as well as its hardiness, 

 as it grows so fast. 



Kespecttng the Zizania aquatica. or Wild Bice of Canada, 

 with the re-introduction of which my name has been so much 

 coupled, I am soriy to state that we have tttterly failed in 

 raising it. Mi\ Thomas Moore of Chelsea and I have tried it 

 all ends up without gettingit to show the least vitahty. I have 

 gallons of it left, but it is no good giring it to any one. We 

 are goiug to try to get yoimg plants of it over. — Jackson 

 GiLLBA^KS, Cutuherlaitd. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



MAKCH. 



This, the busiest month of the twelve in the kitchen garden, 

 must be made the best use of if the weather is at all propitious : 

 but in the last .season or two, owing to the inclemency of the 

 weather, it has been impossible to keep to any method as to 

 time of sowing, &c. ; hut on the proper use of any opportuni- 

 ties occurring during the month, will, in a great measure, 

 depend the vegetable supply for summer, autumn, and winter. 



The first day the ground is in a proper state for sowing, 

 which may be ascertained by its crumbling beneath the tread, 

 the main crop of Onions should be sown in diiUs 9 inches 

 apart, the earth being well trodden and neatly raked after 

 sowing. I lay great stress on getting them iu as early as 

 possible in the month, as they will be fit for drawing yotmg 

 sooner, and the main crop will be superior in every respect to 

 those later sown, with the additional advantage of being ready 

 to be taken off earlier in the season, thus leaving the ground 

 at liberty for Winter Spinach,- Cabbage, iSrc. Mine were sown 

 this year on the 3rd of March, after which time, if I remember 

 aright, we had some rather severe weather, and they are now 

 looking first-rate, owing, I beUeve, in a great measm-e to their 

 having had a good start before the dry weather set in. 



The Cauliflowers, too, should receive immediate attention. 

 Presuming that the trenches are thrown out between the Peas 

 for Celery, these can be used for the reception of the surplus 

 stock from the hand-lights, which will be off by the timfe the 

 trenches are wanted for Celery. As regards those that are to 

 remain under the hand-hghts, of com'se, selecting the most 

 forward, they should be watered, earthed-up, and the Ughts 

 raised by placing bricks under them, but by no means coddle 

 the plants too much, or they will ultimately assume too 

 much the appearance of a flower. Next to the Cauliflowers, the 

 Asparagus-beds should receive attention. I generally cover 

 mine all over with about 6 inches of manui-e the first brosty 

 day in the autumn or winter, and let it remain on till this 

 month when the littery portion is forked off and the rotten 

 part is merely loosened with a fork, digging the alleys to make 

 all look neat and clean ; but I never earth it up any more than 

 I have now stated. 



The main crop of Carrots and Beet should now be sown in 

 the same way as advised for Onions, but before sowing be sure 

 to make up your mind what crop is to foUow ; by so doing 

 you wiU be better able to determine how much ground you 



