April 10, 1866. } 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



271 



"When the seeiUings come up they must be well looked after, 

 'for I find every Hort of insect will eat them off almost before 

 you can see them. To prevent this, about a vreek after they 

 make their appearance I give them one watering of weak 

 guano water through a very tine rose, and then in a few days 

 1 shake a slight dusting of soot and lime on them. If they 

 begin to damp off, which the3* often do in a moist vinery, I 

 take them to a drier place, but warm ; if not, I prick them off 

 in GO-sized pots in the vinery, put them under hand-glasses, 

 and shade well until they are pretty strong. In about a fort- 

 night I remove them from the vinery to a warm dung frame, 

 the dung being covered with ashes to prevent their rooting 

 into it. Afterwards I keep them in the frame, harden olT by 

 degrees, and plant out as soon as I think we are safe from 

 frost, which is here generally about the first week in June. 



The plants will grow in any place not too hot and dry. If 

 the weather should prove very dry I stir the soil with a fork, 

 and give them a good soaking of guano w.iter early in the 

 morning, then cover the ground over with a mulching of leaf 

 soil. No one should be disappointed if his plants do not grow 

 so strongly as here, for the soil is peculiarly well suited for the 

 growth of Tobacco, being light and porous, and we have much 

 rain at midsummer. 



Tobacco ought never to be pulled up before there are signs 

 of the approach of a sharp frost, for the older it is the 

 stronger. I pull up the plants by the roots, lay them in an 

 -open shed for the night, and hang them up next day as thinly 

 as I can. I let them hang about two or three weeks to dry 

 a little, and then I have the leaves picked off and put in a 

 •tub to ferment. Sometimes they take a month or six weeks 

 to do this, and during that time I turn them once. When the 

 tobacco has well fermented, shake it out on some dry shelves 

 or staging to dry. Lay the stems on a boiler at work. In about 

 a month or six weeks chop the stems up with a billhook, and 

 mix them with the leaves, and the tobacco will be ready for 

 use. If there are plenty of leaves without having to use the 

 stems, so much the better. — Rhug. 



INTERNATION^VL. HORTICULTUR.AL 

 EXHIBITION. 



We are authorised to stuto that the Executive Committee of the 

 Interuatioual Hoi-ticnltnral P3xlubition have ruled as foILiws ou certain 

 ■points relating to the Exhibition which had been othcially brought 

 before them. As the replies may be of use to others besides those 

 immediately coucerued, it has been thought desirable to give them 

 pnhUcation iu the present form. 



lu respect to Variegated Plants, the inquiry wa^ put whether 

 Anthurium eoriUfolinm. and the Alocasias Lowii. Veitehii, aud 

 zebrina, were admissible as variegated plants under Class 17 of the 

 schedule. It was ruled by ii majority of votes that tliey were nut to 

 be admitted. Another intjuiry as to the same plants, also Alocasia 

 macrorhiza, being eligible to be shown in Classe^i 14 to 16 inclusive, 

 was made, and it was decided that they were eligible in those classes. 

 It was further ruled that varief^ated plants — a group exceedingly 

 dithcult of accurate defiuition — were to be understood as those having 

 two (hstinct colours on the upper sui-face of the leaf, exclusive of that 

 of the coBta and ribs. This appHes also to Class "25. 



As ref:;arda Orchids, in reply to a suggestion that Class 28. that for 

 twenty distinct sorts, should he taken as the leading collection iu that 

 group of plants, the Committee thought it sufficieut for them to poiut 

 out, that Class '27 was intended by them to include a mass of showy 

 plants staged entirely for their effectiveness and splendour, wliile Class 

 2H was intended for specimen plants of cUstinct kinds, showing high 

 cultivation. 



The first six classes in the schedule relating to New Plants had 

 given rise to the inquiry whether specimens of the same species 

 (duplicate plants) were admissible in more than one class. This was 

 ruled in the affirmative. One querist desired to know if tree Ferns 

 might be shown in Classes 42 to 4.'), aud was told, Yes. though their 

 exhibition there would confer no sjwcial advantage, as they would have 

 to ]te judged as Fei-us. not as tree Ferns. Another inquiry related to 

 hardy Conifers, in this form — Is 3iovelty or size and beauty to be the 

 test of merit in Classes 01 to 03 ? The reply was to the effect that 

 size and beauty combined were the qualities to be preferred. 



An intending exhibitor desired to know how Forced Vegetables 

 (Class 201) were to he determined— what was to be understood by 

 forcing? It was in this case ruled, that to be forced the vegetables 

 must be grown by the aid of artificially applied heat. Mere protection 

 was not to be understood as constituting forcing. 



The classes for Designs and Water-colour Drawings also elicited 

 some inquiries which may he answered thus : — The designs must he 

 ^ted in the usual way ; they must be monnted so as to admit of 

 being BUBpended against a wall, framing and glazing being optional ; 

 and they must be sent in with mottoes. As to the drawings whict ar» 



invited on folio paper, this was ruled to mean any foho not larger 

 than imperial, and these also are required to be mounted or framed, 

 su as to be easily suspended. 



A\ e may add that the Committee decided in favour of holding an 

 auction sale in the tent ou the Saturday following the Show Any, for 

 the sale of such of the exhibited subjects as their owners might desire 

 to dispose of in this way. 



A Yorkshire correspondent writes as follows in respect to the ^4^/- 

 iHtsnutu of tlttnh'nci's at the forthcoming International Kxhibltion : — 

 " Many gardeners about the country wish to know if there will be a 

 day devoted to them, say a 2.s-. 6(/. day ? If not an entire day, there 

 should he at least the half of one day given up to them. I have heard 

 that the mornings up to 9 o'clock are to be given to the gardeners, but 

 as it will he impossible to get more than a passing glimpse of things 

 in two or three hours, it would not only entail additional expense hut 

 great waste of time if they had to go two or more mornings." This 

 correspondent and others will be glad to learn that the Executive 

 Committee have already decided that Jkhiu p'<h' gardeners shall be ad- 

 mitted on the 23rd for 'Is. M., and on the 24th for l.s., provided tickets 

 are secured before the 1st of May ; these tickets admitting — not from 

 fJ to 9 .i.ii. as originally set down in the regulations, hut from 10 a.m. 

 to 7 P.M., that is during the whole time the Show is open to the public. 

 We thiuk this is a just concession to the class of practical gardeners, 

 from whom the Show itself must derive its chief attractions, and we 

 trust they will know how to profit by it. ■ ■ 



The same correspondent adds : — '* I would also suggest to the 

 Executive that steps should be taken to induce all tlie railway com- 

 panies to run special trains at excursion prices for the Pjxhibition, say 

 for three days, chiefly to accommodate gardeners, who cannot in the 

 mouth of May spare much time from home." We can in respect to 

 this matter report that the convenience of gardeners and exhibitors, so 

 far as travelling is concerned, has not been overlooked. The princiiial 

 railway companies, including the London and North-Westem. South- 

 western, South-Eastera. London, Chatham, and Dover, Brighton, 

 Great Northern, and Great-Western, have undertaken to convey sub- 

 jects for the exhibition at half rates. They poiut out, in respect to 

 passengers, that, the Show being held during Whitsun week, there will 

 be unusual facilities for cheap travelling ; but the Committee hope to 

 obtain further concessions, not only from the foregomg, but from other 

 companies, and if thoy are successful in their efforts, the gardening 

 community, we may venture to say, ivill be duly apprised thereof. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ArniL 3iiD. 



Floral Committee. — At this meeting Messrs. Veitch it Sons were 

 the principal exhibitors. A first-class certificate was awarded them 

 for Maranta splendida, a very beautiful-fohaged ]dant, distinct from 

 any other species, with dark gi"een markings on a lighter ground ; one 

 of the second class for Angracum species, from Madagascar, a very 

 pretty white Orchid ; a similar award for Dieffenbachia gigantea, a 

 useful fine-foliaged plant ; aud a first-class certificate for Camellia 

 Triomphe de Lodi, a beautifully- formed pale flesh-coloured flower, 

 with pale stripes. Messrs. Veitch also exhibited Ananassa Porteana, 

 which it was requested should he sent again, Aucuha bicolor, Camellia 

 L'Insubria, and Camellia Storyii. very pretty. Special certificates 

 were awarded to the same firm for a very beautiful collection of seed- 

 hng Sparaxis, containing many veiy pretty varieties, and for a miscel- 

 laneous collection of plants. Among these was a basket containing 

 specimens of Mr. Vcitch's exquisite Azalea Stella, the plants covered 

 with brilliant scarlet flowers. This Azalea was awarded a first-class 

 ceilificate ou a former occasion. 



Mess-rs. E. G. Henderson & Sons exhibited a specimen of Pelar- 

 gonium So])hia Cusack. one of the highly tricoloured section of which 

 Mrs. Pollock seems sliU to stand at the head. This seedling api)eared 

 to have more red in the zones ; it was requested that this ])lant should 

 be sent again later in the season. Pelargonium Beauty of Guestwick, 

 a white variegated-foliaged seedlmg. also from Messrs. Henderson, 

 was required to he seen again. First-class certificates were awarded 

 them for Enonymus japonicns macrophyllue, a distinct and useful 

 shrub with broad leaves, said to be hardy, and Cynosurus cristatns 

 argenteus, a most beautiful variegated form of the Crested Dog's- 

 tail Grass. This will be a most useful plant for edging-purposes, the 

 white being so clear and distinct. Lysinema floribundum producing 

 flowers something like an Epacris, Enonymus alatus, and Enonymus 

 japonicus rathcans pictus also came from Messrs. Heuilerson. 



Mr. Staudish, Ascot, sent a specimen of the true Rhododendron 

 Griflithii. with very large pure white flowers, perfumed like the Haw- 

 thorn. This beautiful plant was much admired, and received a first- 

 class certificate. Mr. Watson. St. .Albans, brought a small plant of a 

 seedling Pelargonium, Miss Watson, one of the tricoloured sect on, 

 with very distinct and bright zones, a veiy promising variety. He was 

 requested to send it again later in the season. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders. Esq., exhibited a col- 

 lection of curious and interesting plants, for which a special certificate 

 was awarded. Among them were Sanromatum asperum ; a species of 

 Amorphophallus ; Bonatea spociosa, a Cape Orchid; and Hippeas- 

 trnm regium. Mr. Blair, gardener to Sir G. W. B*oke Middleton, 

 Bart., Shrablaad Park, exhibit^^d ont ipecimena of BoagamTillfie^ 



