J^aary 80. 1866. ] JOURNAL OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



87 



the plant waa left iu the dai-k, aud many of its beauties were con- 

 senuentlv hidileu. If he were askei how best to secure the gi-eatest 

 amonut of li^^ht, he would answer, In a tent. As an example of the 

 fine effect produred by the intermixture of flowers and foUage in tents, 

 he cited the Rhodode"udi-on Show held last year in the tent erected by 

 the late Capt. Fowke, R.E., a tent of which the Uke had never been 

 constructed in this or any other country. There, instead of all the 

 flowers beins put together and all the toUage, the two were mixed, and 

 to the best advantage, ^\^lell a large number of flowers were col- 

 lected together without a proper amount of foUage, the eye could not 

 see theii- separate fonns to the best advantage, and could not take in 

 the ovei-powei-ing amount of colour so produced. Flowers, theretore, 

 should be mixed with foUage ; and in the case of plants gi-owiug 

 naturally there was gi-ass and a beautiful irre,gularity ot surface, ine 

 chief points to be kept in view in arranging plants, said Mr. Pollen, are 

 — l3t li"ht ; ind, backgi-ound ; 3rd, surface. With regard to the third 

 point, some plants are better when below the eye, others when above 

 it, but for the puiToses of a judge the nearer the eye they are 

 brought the better. Mr. PoUeu then stated, that he had seen on the 

 Continent, but never in England, long or square boxes of gi;ass made 

 avaUable for setting plants ou, and he recommended exhibitors to 

 have such boxes prepared beforehand, by tui-fing or sowing, so as to 

 be ready for use in any way that might be necessaij when the plants 

 came to be set up. mite paper might also be usefully employed 

 more frequently than it is in exhibitions. In the flower markets it 

 was always used with the finest bouquets, and all the finest prints were 

 mounted on it. Mr. Pollen then described an ornament which he had 

 seen when iu the Apennines, where, on entering a monastery and in 

 vain looking for auv one for a long while, he came on a monk tracing 

 out on the pavement a design in chalk, which was afterwai-ds hUed up 

 with Box, and Poppies, and other wQd flowers. This, Mr. Pollen said, 

 was the most beautifnl thing m its way that he had ever seen. Other 

 means of decoration not made use of so often as they might be, were 

 ^ravels, sands, and other coloured materials— such as might be seen in 

 Mr. Nesfield's patterns, and which were especially useful when flowers 

 could not be had. By such means most pleasing results might be 

 obtained. One other 'point to which he would advert, was the best 

 mode of shoxviug fruit ; and he could not help think-ing that, as m the 

 case of flowers, the best way of doing so was on the boxes of grass as il 

 the fruit had fallen on them, or on very white china. Moss was some- 

 times used, but unless veiy gi-een it had not a good effect. Mr. Pollen 

 said in conclusion, that his remarks were merely made with the vie_w 

 of provoking discussion, and dra^ving forth some hints on the best mode 

 of showincr flowers and frnit. If all the world were judges the present 

 mode of doing so was the best, but a vast number came to exhibitions 

 to learn how to improve their gardens, and on that account it was 

 necessary to introduce as much art as possible into the arrangement ot 

 the subjects shown. , , . , ■ , i 



The Chaii-mau, after thanking Mr. PoUen for his remarks, said he 

 should be glad to hear any gentleman inclined to offer observations on 

 the subject. , , 



rThe'Eev. Dr. Rock fully coincided with the observations made by 

 M Pollen, and remarked in connection mth what Mr. PoUeu had seen 

 in the Apennines, that he had himself seen a road near Rome covered 

 with flowers ; and as an illustration of a somewhat similar style ot 

 decoration, meutioned the festival among the hiUs of Derbyshire, 

 known as the well-di'essing of Tissington. Such customs had a 

 civilising' tendency in oiu- villages, by implanting a love ot flowers and 

 brin"ing°the villagers iu contact with the neighbouring gentiy. 



Mr W WUsou Saunders said the question was. What are exhibi- 

 tions 'instituted for? If they were only intended to please the eye 

 then the artistic mode of arrangement would be veiy well ; but there 

 was another object to be kept in view— that the subjects exhibited should 

 be so placed that the judges could decide on their comparative ments. 

 He thou"ht that the present high state of horticulture m this country 

 was in sSme degree to be attributed to the fact, that our exhibitions 

 were exhibitions of merit and not of art. He fuUy concurred with 

 Professor Eeichenbach as to the difiiculties which judges have to 

 -undergo when the subjects of exhibition are scattered here and there 

 for the sake !of artistic arrangement, and whilst he hoped that horti- 

 cultural exhibitions would be made attractive to the eye, the main 

 object should be to render them as instructive as possible. 



Jaxc.m-.y 27th. 



At the ExHbition held this day, there was a Pi'^^f^jl'^y °* 

 -reenhouse plants exlubited by WiUiam Bartlett Esq., Shaftesbui-y 

 Terrace, Hammersmith, which contained two fine large specimens ot 

 Adiantum cuneatum, a nice specunen of .\diantum capillus-Venens 

 and various other Fenis and fine-fohaged plants, interspersed with 

 well-giown Hyacinths, TuUps, and Polyanthus Narcissus in bloom. 

 This'receiveda first prize. i„ •n',,!,-^ 



In the Frait depax-tment, Mr. William Eariey, gardener to Felix 

 Pryor, Esq., of Welwyn, exhibited a coUection ot Apples which had 

 S merit of being weU gi-o™ and weU kept. They consisted of some 

 of the finest dessert Muds, such as Cox's Orange Pippm, Eibston 

 Pippin, Golden Pippin, Cockle Pippin, &c consisting ^ all ot 

 eighteen dishes ; and for this he was awarded a first prize. He also 

 eiibited a dish ot weU-preserved Walnuts, which were quite fresh ; 

 some exceUeut Salsafy, which received a first-class certificate ; and a 

 (Ush of Shallots, which also receives ii first-cl«ss eertihcat?. 



It appears to us that these Saturday meetings open- up ^ fiel^'l^'^^ 

 has never yet been occupied, and offer advantages which a certain class 

 of exhibitors would be too glad to avail themselves of, provided they 

 tre aware of the opportunities they offer. At these meetings ama- 

 teurs, and those who have small space at command f"^' '"'^"^g^? ^^j^'i 

 horticultural tastes, can meet on equal terms and «°>ite * t^^V^/^l 

 one with the other without the fear of bemg ovei-whelmed by the 

 ^eatlr and more professional exhibitors. We have often Mt that 

 the amateur whose^ircumstances or convenience Pf'™" \^J°^ 

 tak-ing part iu the great shows, has no opportumty a«<'»]<"\^™ 'o"^: 

 hibitirig his skill in the art in which he takes so •>i7\.'l;lg^''-i^^t73 

 wHch he cultivates so well ; but from what we saw of Mr Baitlett s 

 exhibition on Saturday, we look forward wrth pleasure *» '^e I^J 

 when Mr. Bartlett will have to compete as weU a,s exhibit, .^''ei^^^ 

 many in town and in the suburbs who have no other convenience than 

 a smaU conservatory, and many who, failing such a structure, im 

 ^rorise any sort of a^ngement so that they may indulge then, favounte 

 puS, who could on these Saturday Shows bring out theu' wo, or 

 three, or half a dozen well-gro^v-n plants, and exhibit their skUl while 

 they contest the honour with their neighbours. 



THE IRESINE HERBSTII. 



YotJR correspondent, Mr. Hill, has not said one word too 

 much L praise of this useful plant. It has e^eeded my ex- 

 ^ec ations^oth for bedcUng and as a decoratxve Pl^nt m the 

 autumn and winter months in the houses and at t^ie ^^nsion. 



Where cToups of plants in the ribbon style are wanted m cor- 

 ridors anf saloon .toe Iresine is indispensable, and it makes 

 an excellent second row if Golden Chain Gerannmr is used for 

 the borrr. Both tho former and the latter -f .^"'-l .^^^^^^^ ^ 

 for such a pm-pose if gi-own in propagatmg-pans about 12 mcnes 

 bv8 and 4 01 5 inches deep, as the foliage ^yiU nearly coyer 

 th'e 'sides 0? the pans. ciiTsanthemnms, Drac-ji^nas, Pom^ 

 settias Cvperus alternifoUus yariegatus, and Feins, aie tne 

 most ekeelfye for the centres or backgrounds of -ch g-P • 

 A yery small and neatly-arranged wreath o f^i greens is 

 necessary to lay down just under the leaves of the Geraniiims 

 SS wTu Mde^ny pait of the pans which may be visible, 

 and al=o enhance the gold colour of the leaves. 

 '"Thte is another pui-pose for which the --- m^ ^^ used 

 with very "ood efiect— ^iz., for decorating the dessert, i nave 

 Tot seen U recommended for that purpose, and wonder Mr 

 Bobson did not mention it in his excellent article lately on 

 fable decoration, as few plants worthy of -/- escape In. 

 mind. Small bushy plants, or say several «"";°f ' Pi^.'/^eJ^ 

 roimd flat tins to be grown on and placed '^.^%l^XiZ^^y 

 ornamental when placed amongst the ^essert. Ferns and majiy 

 other plants give us plenty of green, but high-colomed leaves 



"l^Tg^sh^e^^foflre'sLfirr-stove in the winter month^ 

 is one ofShe most attractive ornaments i" *^t f™'Xto ^ 

 the greenhouse it sheds its leaves, and a «°l'i /^ .f/^^^^'^V'f 

 Few plants are more easy to propagate and « "^J^*^' ^"f^j^ 

 feel assured that it will be one of the most ^f ^^f^ «^^^|X 

 foliaged plants we shall have for some years.— John I-ekkins, 

 Sugolk, January llth. 



NOTES ON GRAPES. 

 Me Hill, of Keele Hall, has sent us a collection ?f Grapes, 

 the foUowing notes on which will doubtless P™^« ^^^^ ^^ °| 

 to many of olr readers, who will appreciate -f°™f "'^^^^^'^^^S 

 from a source so reUable, and from one who has devoted so 

 vZh attention to the study and cultivation of t^e Vme Mr 

 H 11 has for many years been making ^P!^™^*'^; ^°* ^Jeer 

 the merits of different sorts of Grapes, with the view of asoer- 

 tainrg to what extent they are worthy of <=^5't , ?^ 

 Ses but he has devoted a gi-eat deal «£ attention to wha 

 U a snbiect of even gi-eater interest— the influence of various 

 Sock on the e wieUes. We have in the following notes the 

 "of Mr. Hill's experiments during the past season . 



No. l.~Lachj Dow,u:-s grajted on the Black LagU. -in« 

 Black Eagle is a weakly-growing Vine, having no rnent of jts 

 own to recommend it, and yet the bimch of ^ady Do^e s ^^nt 

 br^r. Hill is of full size, and of a fine deep black colom but 

 the berries are not so large as in the foUowing The flavour 

 is excellent, and there is the slightest trace of M^ff^*;/^ ^'^he 

 No 2.-Larfv Dow„e's qmftcd on Grovucr dn ^'"""; J."° 

 .to!k on which' this was P-duced is a strong ^^^^^^^^^^l 

 size of its own bunches is .generally laige- ^t_ee , 



communicated some of its vigour to the scion, tor the ouncu oi 



