4M 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICtTLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDBNER. 



t Klfilt.' 



to bad weather ; a good raany were staged. nevertlieleBd. Ri>ge8 

 were inferior in quality, as is nsnnl at this late Benson. What 

 were shown were of th? Bourbon eection. I never recollect 

 having seen so poor a show of the queen of flowtrn. PaoKies 

 were not so good a-< usual, though competition was being car- 

 ried on in earnest wntli them. I expected to have seen a much 

 better show of tliem and better culture. Some spilies of very 

 fine varieties of Gladiolus attiacted much notice. Some of 

 tiie new varieties amve every year when we receive our annual 

 supply of Dutch bulbs. Marigolds, both French and African, 

 were r.ither meagrely shown ; one or two blooms of the foi-mer 

 were only worth notice. One beiiutiful haudbouqnct exhibited 

 was, to my thinking, faultless. In bouquets, both table and 

 band, I cannot but record a decided and gratifyirg advance on 

 former years. For the first time a collection of Helichrysumg 

 were exhibited, and they were beautifully arranged. 



Of fruit, some of the kinds of fruit exhibited were fine and 

 large, but as to flavour and quality little was said by the .Judges. 

 I will endeavour to make up for this deficiency by stating what 

 I think about the subjects of exhibition. I will begin with the 

 Grapes. The bunches of Blaclc Hamburgh wore a decided im- 

 provement on other years, the bunches much larger, and of 

 course heavier. They were only deficient in colour, having 

 been cut too soon. We grow ve;y good Grapes out of doors 

 now in sheltered pl.-ices, as well as Fig.^, which we could not 

 grow seven year.-- ago. Peaches were well represented by the 

 Boyal (ieorge and other sorts. Royal Georges being the largust, 

 the Judges awarded the first prize to them, though tliey were 

 deficieiit in colour. Other Peaches were there of mnchbetter 

 colour, and, in my humble opinion, a ripe Peach looks nothing 

 without a good rosy cheek. The temptation to help one's self 

 was nearly irresistible, particularly to taste the Grapes and 

 virgin honey in comb. Apples were a great deal better repre- 

 sented than Pears ; some of the Apples were of very large size. 

 For the first time three Water Melons were e chibited, grown in 

 the open air, and of a good average size. I think I have now 

 enumerated all the fruit worthy of notice. 



From some cause or other the exhibition of fruit this year 

 cannot be compared with exhibitions of other years. The in- 

 terest felt in exhibiting fruit seems to be dying out and becom- 

 ing neglected. Exhibitors here, as well as at home, have an 

 eye to profit as well as fame. Fruit and vegetables are the 

 " backbone " of our exhibitions here fox the present, and if 

 our Managing Committee would offer better prizes of real 

 sterling worth they would soon find a great improvement in the 

 productions. With better eucouragemcnt, better productions 

 wiU follow no doubt, and more of them for competition. 



The show of vegetables was highly creditable, and was an 

 evidence of the suitability, soil, and climate of the province to 

 produce, not only the esculents in common use, but likewise 

 those that are regarded as delicacies of the table. 



To finish with. I may mention that in addition to the prizes 

 awarded by the Judges, a gold medal, mannfiictured of Canter- 

 bnry gold, was exhibited during the day for inspection by one 

 of the_ Managing Committee, and the medal is to be presented 

 as a prize to the gardener who shall have obtained the greatest 

 nnmber of prizes at the three last Exhibitions of the Society. 

 I consider the medal to be a very creditable specimen of colonial 

 workmanship. My brother gardeners here, of old Adam's trade, 

 have determined to celebrate the occasion of this medal being 

 presented by an anniversary dinner.— William Swale, Aron- 

 sfrfc ISotanic Gardcm, Cantcrbuitj, New /.ealand. 



I Stir the surface of the soil wherever the late rains have oikeii 



it. Above all things watoli for slugs, which are verv ininioron 



WORK FOR THE \\T2EK. 



lilTCnEX GARDEX. 



See that the directions given in foi-mer calendars have been 

 attended to: where, from unavoidable causos, snch has not 

 been the case, lose no time in doing so now. Prepare trenches 

 for early CehTij by throwing out the soil from 1 foot to 18 inolies 

 deep ; and for the early crop, which is seldom allowed to stand 

 till it attains full size. 21 feet between the trenches will be 

 sufficient. Dig into the trench C inches of old hotbed dung, 

 which for Celery is preferable to that which is rank and new ; 

 and as soon as the plants are ready plant them oarefuUv. 

 making a hole for the ball with o garden trowel, choosinga 

 dnll day for the operation, finishing with a good watering, and 

 where practicable, shade for a time in bright weather. Little 

 else can be added to last week's directions. Keep the hoe 

 going. I'rick-out all sorts of advancing seedlings, that they 

 toay get stocky and gain strength before their final ■planting. 



this season ; sprinkle crops they are apt to attack with Boot aod 

 lime mixetl, and lay traps for them, such as cabhago loavee, 

 slates, pieces of board, &c., and turn them over daily, when 

 ; numbers v.ill be found on the side that baa been nei^t tb« 

 ground, and can be destroyed. 



FDHII OABDES. 



I Strawberry plantations mu3t now have a final hoeing tin 

 1 aftei- the fruit is gathered, as any stirring of the surface of the 

 soil amongst them would, when the fiiiit is set, cause the sand 

 to adhere to the advancing fruit, and prove very injurious to 

 them. Where spent hops can be irocured cover the ground 

 between the rows with them ; they will keep the fruit clean, and 

 they banish Euails, especially in dry weather, for, by adhering to 

 ! their slimy skin, they make them feel uncomfortable, and, con- 

 sequently, they change their quarters. Where spent hops can- 

 not be procured, the best substitute is wheat straw. Attend to 

 thinning the shoots of Peaches and Apricots on the walls, and 

 lay-in the Apricot wood where sufficiently advanced. PcrBevaro 

 in the destruction of insects on fruit trees as soon as they ore 

 perceived. P>emove some of the watery wood from the Currant 

 bushes, and thin Raspberry suckers. 



floweb oabden. 

 All annuals should be thinned-out as soon as they are well 

 above ground, for if left to grow too thickly they spoil one 

 another, and never make half the display plants do that are 

 allowed plenty of space, and which are grown strongly from 

 the first. Attend to staking suoh of the herbaeeous plants as 

 require it before they get blown about and injured, and do not 

 huddle the stems together. The early-flowering Tuiij>s, Hya- 

 cinths, Turban Ranuncnlnses, &c., shcidd not be left in the 

 ground after the decay of the foliage, for if wet weather occur* 

 they will bo making fresh roots, which we.iken them for next 

 season. Attend to the propagation of the better t irietiea of 

 Pentstemons, which are very useful plants. Also see to having 

 a good stock of border Picotces and Carnations, whidi are vain- 

 able for cutting. Cuttings of these, if put in before the wood 

 gets too hard, root as freely as Pinks. The time for planting 

 and beddiiii7-out plants in the places where they are to form 

 the great display of the flower garden is now come, and it can- 

 not be too strongly urged upon those who have tliis work to do, 

 that system in arranging the colour is absolutely essential to 

 complete success. By those who have paid much attention to 

 this part of the gardener's business, it must have been often 

 noticed that diiTerent artistes produce very different effects with 

 the same plants, and this upon a careful examination will be 

 fotind to arise more from the judicious arrangement of the 

 colours than from any other circumstance. What can be more 

 beautiful than some of the white Verbenas or the yellow Cal- 

 ceolarias ? but place these two sorts together, and the pure 

 white of the Verbenas is quite destroyed. Neither should 

 colours be placed in violent contrast, because richness of effect 

 is not produced by contrast, but by harmony. Thus, scarlets 

 harmonise with purples or blues ; those again with any orange- 

 coloured flower; pink will harmonise most delicately with 

 any flower of a pure white colour, and violet with yellows. 

 In some eases, however, especially on gravelled terraces, con- 

 trasted colours are very desirable, and the.-e are much more 

 easily managed. Thus, the contrasting colour to scarlet is 

 white, the contrast to purple is yellow, and the contrast of 

 orange is blue, and so on of their different shades. Summer 

 creepers should be grown to some size before being turned out, 

 if early flowers are required. The colours of the flowers of 

 the common Nasturtium are very beantifnl, and if the leaves of 

 the plants are thinned as they grow, interesting effects may be 

 produced by the fli^werp. Plant in rich soil a good supply of 

 Stocks and Asters for the autumn, and sow a succession of 

 anuuaLi for filliug-np any vacancies which may occur, and like- 

 wise another sowing of Mignonette in pots for »he rooms or for 

 filling window-boxes. Look to young shoots of all old Fnohsris 

 stools, let them be thinned out to five or six. Attend dili- 

 gently to standard Roses, constant disbudding is necessary at 

 this period ; also keep down suckers. Let every attention bo 

 paid to propagating reserve 6t<M-k to fill gaps, and let that 

 alrealy rooted or the remains of store pots have kindly cultivB- 

 f ion forthwith, in order to be ready to fill blanks. They shonld 

 1)0 kept in a shad}" border by themselves that the projjer keep- 

 ing of the garden may be as little interfered with as possible, 

 throngh the litter and confusion consequent on " turning out." 

 Use everj- dispatch to bring this work to a finish ; but if any 



