September 25, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



235 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



MANCHESTER BOTANIC GARDENS, 



AND HORTICULTURAL SHOW OF 1867. 



AVJLNG visited the Manches- 

 ter Botanic Gardens some 

 days ago, I was astonished 

 to see a houseful of Indian 

 Azaleas looking so healthy ; 

 every plant was clothed with 

 foliage of a beautiful dark green, and not a yellow leaf 

 was to be seen, nor any signs of thrips. On asking Mr. 

 Findlay what he had done to cause this vigorous state of 

 health, he told rne that he could attribute it to nothing else 

 than to the use of Standen's " gardeners' and amateurs' 

 friend." He then very kindly told me how and when 1. • 

 had applied it. As soon as the plants had ceased flowering, 

 they were placed in a house where they could be subjected 

 to a moist atmosphere. Most of them are growing in large 

 Nos. 1 and 2 pots ; a double handful of Standen's manure 

 was put on the top of the soil, and spread evenly over it 

 every time the plants were watered, and thus the manure 

 was washed down amongst the roots. It has certainly 

 produced a marvellous effect, for plants of such extraordi- 

 nary vigour I have never seen ; they were also splendidly 

 set with bloom-buds, which promise to produce flowers 

 remarkable both for size and substance. Mr. Findlay told 

 me that a gardener in the neighbourhood had used Stan- 

 den's manure for his Peaches, and that the trees had pro- 

 duced some very fine fruit. I have the more pleasure 

 in making public mention of tins manure, because I had 

 in my own mind condemned it. Some time ago, a canister 

 of tins manure was sent for me to report, on. After try- 

 ing it, in various ways I could not see that it had any 

 beneficial effect on the plants experimented with. It may 

 have been that the canister which I had was inferior in 

 quality, but having seen the extraordinary results produced 

 on Mr. Findlay's Azaleas, I am inclined to think the fault 

 lay in my not knowing the proper mode of application. I 

 certainly should have been afraid to have used it so ex- 

 tensively as Mr. Findla}* did. However, I am now con- 

 vinced of its efficacy, and have no hesitation in strongly 

 recommending it as a valuable manure. It has this much 

 in its favour, too. it is easily applied. 



I was too late to see the bedding- out plants in the 

 Botanic Gardens in good condition, but there bad evi- 

 dently been a very good display. All the arrangements 

 appear t" have been very judiciously made ; for although 

 the late rains had completely destroyed the flowers, one 

 could easily see. from the kinds med. that when in their 

 beauty they must have had a very pi - Feet Some 



beds of Mrs. Pollock Pelargonium, edged with Perilla nan- 

 ldnensis, were still very beautiful. I should almost, have 

 been afraid to have used so strong a colour with Mrs. 

 No.287.— Vol. XL, >*ew Series. 



Pollock Pelargonium as the Perilla ; but it certainly looked 

 well, and did not in any way spoil the effect of the beautiful 

 foliage of Mrs. Pollock. 



The following arrangement, I am sure, would look well, 

 although I should not by any means have recommended it 

 had I not seen Mrs. Pollock as above described. For a 

 large bed, a three-feet centre of Perilla nankinensis ; next 

 it 2 feet of Mrs. Pollock, good plants ; then 2 feet of Lresine 

 Herbstii: a band, 1* inohes wide, of Viola cornuta. and 

 between it and the grass ). foot of Viola lutea (Mr. Tver- 

 man's variety i. 



Some large beds of Gladiolus Brenchleyensis were magni- 

 ficent : the whole of the ground between them was covered 

 with Verbena venosa, with an edging next the grass of 

 Saponaria calabrica. This combination had a very charm- 

 ing effect. I also noticed some fine beds of Methven's 

 Crimson King Verbena, edged with Dactylis glomerata. 

 The Verbena was one mass of bloom. A large round bed 

 was planted very effectively as follows :— Centre, Pelargo- 

 nium Stella, which Mr. Findlay flunks the best of its 

 colour amongst all the Nosegays : then 2 feet of Silver Nose- 

 gay, followed by a chain of Christine, and then by Lobelia 

 speciosa ; this filled up the intermediate lobes of the chain. 

 The effect was very pleasing, but would no doubt have been 

 very much improved had there been an edging of Ceras- 

 tium tomentosum next the grass. 



The beds above described formed part of a panel garden 

 in front of the show-house. On the outside of this panel 

 garden there is a walk forming half a circle, and beyond this 

 a chain of beds running all the way round it ; these were 

 planted with large patches of Pelargonium Brilliant, Cal- 

 ceolaria Aurea floribunda, and Perilla nankinensis. with 

 lobes of Lobelia running into and between the patches of 

 Pelargonium, and on the outside next the grass was a good 

 margin of Cerastium tomentosum. This arrangement must 

 have been very beautiful, presenting to the eye a fine mass 

 of colours well blended together. 



After seeing Viola cornuta at Ilimtroyde, Mr. Findlay 

 has been so fully persuaded of its usefulness that he in- 

 tends to plant it in large quantities next year. The va- 

 riety he has, and which he thought was the right one, is 

 worthless : it is. therefore, very evident that all those who 

 have expressed their dissatisfaction with it have been 

 supplied with the wrong variety. Mr. Findlay says "the 

 plant is evidently waterproof." Here we have scarcely had 

 three hours of s'unshine for the last three weeks, yet this 

 Viola is almost as beautiful as ever; whilst every thing 

 else, with the exception of the fine-foliaged Pelargoniums. 

 has " come to grief." Altogether I was very much pleased 

 with my visit to the Manchester Botanic Gardens. 



In conclusion, I will detail what I learned relative to the 

 Horticultural Exhibition which is to be held in the Man- 

 chester Botanic Gardens in .Tune. 1867. T had also an 

 opportunity of seeing a proof of the si hedule, which is on 

 a very extensive scale, and many of the prizes are well 

 worth competing for. There are several prizes of £20 

 offered for stove and greenhouse plants, Orchids. Roses, 

 Pelargoniums, &c. There will dso 1 ■. lod inducement 

 for some of our Azalea-growers. I considered the schedule 



No. 039.— Vol.. XXXVI., Old Series. 



