128 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE OARDENEE. 



( Asgnst 12, 18C<. 



fairly open to criticism in onr pages ; and if we, in common 

 with a great number more, did not regard it with the same 

 favour that our contemporary did, that is no reason why he 

 should take offence. We would not have noticed the matter 

 were it not that we are called on to answer Eeveral charges. 

 One is that we have called the meeting a Congress when it is 

 nowhere oilioially called so. If we have erred in this we have 

 done so in good company, for our contemporary uses no other 

 designation. Even in the paper in which he makes the com- 

 plaint against us he publishes some of the essays " read at the 

 Manchester Congress " ! The other charge against ns is that 

 we opposed "the larger scheme of a Congress, which was the 

 original proposition." We must respectfully ask our contem- 

 porary to reconsider this statement. When, iu December last, 

 we announced the meeting of a Congress, we said, " We hope 

 it may be well attended and prove satisfactory." We are not 

 conscious of ever having published a word that was opposed to 

 the movement. 

 At a meeting of the English Sub-Committee of the Hiii- 



BURO iNTERN'iTIONAL HoUTICULTDB.^L EXHIBITION held at the 

 offices of the Koyal Horticultural Society, South Ivensington, 

 on the 3rd inst., a letter was read from the Hamburg Com- 

 mittee intimating that exhibitors competing for the Queen's 

 prize lor Grapes would be required to contribute at least three 

 bunches each. Mr. T. Fingens, a member of the Hamburg 

 Committee, has arrived in London for the purpose of aiding 

 the English Committee. Already several entries have been 

 received, and among the most important are the following : — 

 Grapes— Mr. Meredith, Mr. HoUingsworth, and Mr. Thomson, of 

 Dalkeith : Cut Flowers — Messrs. F. & A. Smith, and Messrs. 

 Downie, Laird, &■ Laing; Conifers — Messrs. Barron &■ Sons, 

 of Elvaaton Nursery; Implements — Mr.LeButt; Boilers — Den- 

 nis iSr Co. ; Terra cotta work — Mr. Hudspith. Another long 

 list of extra prizes was also received from Hamburg, and it has 

 been arranged that after the prices have been awarded exhi- 

 bitors will be allowed to aflix their names and price lists to 

 their contribntisns. Dr. Oscar Ciossler, of Hamburg, has, at 

 the request of the Committee, kindly undertaken to secure 

 apartments for visitors, who may write to him direct or through 

 the English Sub-Committee. The official distribution of prizes 

 is fixed for the 13th of September, and a sale by auction will be 

 held in the grounds on the 14th of September, to enable exhi- 

 bitors to dispose of their goods. The English Sub-Committee 

 have appointed as their shipping agents the well-known firm of 

 Weatherly, Mead, ,t Hussey, of Great Tower Street and Cham- 

 berlain's Wharf. The Exhibition is to be opened on the 2nd 

 of September, so that contributors have no time to lose. 



The Metropolitfiu Board of Works have added another 



new park to the metropolis in FiNsnur.v Park, which was 

 opened on the 7th inst. by Sir .John Thwaites, the Chairman 

 of the Board. After performing a tedious circuit of the park, 

 with two Kifle bands " stepping short " nearly all the way, the 

 members of the Board, and those who took part in the pro- 

 cession, entered the enclosure. Sir .John Thwaites then de- 

 clared the park open, and, after doing so, remarked that though 

 the space around had little to do with the district after which 

 it had been named, it was impossible, on account of the ex- 

 pense, to make an open space where the ground was covered 

 with houses ; all that could be done was to preserve open spaces, 

 where these exist, before they became covered with houses, as 

 the whole neighbourhood of this new park soon would be. 

 The Board had been watching with the greatest care the places 

 which had been long enjoyed by the public, and in their 

 efforts to preseve them he hoped they would have the support 

 of the public. The day had long gone by when it was neces- 

 sary to advocate parks and similar places as a means of im- 

 proving health and of bracing up the mind and body ; and 

 he hoped that in time yet more would be added to those at 

 present existing. 



The new Finsbury Park is about 120 acres in extent, and 

 occupies a somewhat elevated position between Wood Green, 

 the Seven Sisters' Road, the Green Lanes, and the Great 

 Northern Railway, and fine views are obtained northwards to- 

 wards Muswell Hill, the Alexandra Park Palace forming a con- 

 spicuous object in that direction. The grounds have been laid 

 ont by Mr. 'Vnlliamv. the architect of the Board of Works, and 

 Mr. Alexander McKenzie, the latter carrying out the whole of 

 the groundwork and planting. The trees and shrubs, with 

 the exception of a few previously existing, are as yet small, but, 

 doubtless, the ultimate effect will be good. The memorandum 

 relative to the formation of the park, issued by the Board of 

 Works, states that a favourite suburban recreation ground, 



known aa Brown's Wood, or Homsey Wood, and Homsey 

 House, also formerly called Copt Hall, was selected as the site 

 for the park. The ancient designation of the estate is the 

 Prebendal Manor of Brown's Wood, in the parish of Ilarringay, 

 otherwise Hornsey. The ground has a gentle southern slope 

 from Highgate on the west, and towards Stoke Newington on 

 the east, and is skirted on the south by the Seven Sisters' 

 Road, and on the east by the Green Lanes. The Great Nortbero 

 Railway bounds it by a cuttingand embankment on the western 

 side ; and latterly tlie London, Edgware, and Highgate Railway 

 has been made, with a station adjoining the park. Certain 

 public footpaths had to be preserved for the use of the adjacent 

 lands, and the course of the New River is through the northern 

 portion of the land. Since the park was formed. Parhament 

 has permitted the East London Water Company to form a 

 great reservoir, of some acres in extent, under the surface, for 

 the storage of water on a high level ; but as the ground will be 

 turfed over and belted with shrubs, the public will not be losers 

 by the arrangement. Contracts were made in isr.r, for the 

 drainage of roads, &c., the formation of roads, footpaths, and 

 ornamental water, the erection of the entrance lodges and the 

 gateways, inclosure palings, ic. Last year, also, the planting 

 of the trees and shrubs was completed. The expenditure for 

 the park up to the 3(nh of June, has been £97,275 3s. 3d., or, 

 deducting £2,577 Os. '.Ul. received for old materials, &c., £94,698 

 2s. Gd. Of this the cost for parliamentary expenses was £975 

 3.,-. Id. ; property and compensation, £54,847 ISs. 8d. ; profes- 

 sional and office charges, &o., £11,252 0.?. lOd. ; works, £26,814 

 9s. 2d. ; trees, shrubs, planting, &c.. £2,384 a*. 2<i. ; wages 

 for supervision of works, £351 12s. lOd. ; incidental expenses, 

 £619 10s. ad. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEK GAliDEN. 



Stik the surface of the soil among all growing crops, as it 

 is now caked by the action of the late heavy rains. Trench or 

 dig every spare piece of ground for winter crops. Earth-up all 

 the Cabbage tribe sufficiently advanced, and make saccession 

 plantations of Iini.''.^/'li Sprouts, Tiuda Kale, and Broccoli. Prick- 

 out the Cahbape plants intended for spring use in nursery beds, 

 that they may become sturdy previous to their final plant- 

 ing. See that Crlrri/ as it advances has every attention as 

 regards weeding, the removal of offsets, and earthing-np ; but 

 in no case let the earth be raised so high as to injure or choke 

 np the heart of the plant. Sow a small quantity of Cauliflowers 

 for hand-lights ; those to be wintered in frames may be sown 

 eight days later. Plant a considerable breadth of I'.ndirc and 

 Lettuci'if, and make a sowing of the latter for standing the 

 winter. The black-seeded Brown Cog and Hardy Green are 

 very good for this purpose. Sow Tripoli Oniou. Axh-h-aved 

 Kiihioj I\-}tat.ii:-i intended for seed may now be taken np, and 

 exposed to the sun till they are green. Should the disease 

 attack the other early sorts, let them be taken up at once, 

 dried, sorted, and packed in dry earth or charred material. 

 Now is a good time to make a good-sized plantation of Savoys 

 for late-autumn use. Trench, manure, and dig a piece of well- 

 drained soil for n'intcr SpinacJi. 



FRUIT OARDEK. 



Commence layering Strawberry runners in small pots for 

 forcing. Pot for early forcing as soon as they are well rooted, 

 and place the plants in a situation fully exposed to air and 

 light, setting the pots on coal ashes to prevent worms entering. 

 The following are among the best kinds for forcing : — Black 

 Prince, Keens' Seedhng, and May Qaeen for early forcing ; 

 Ingram's Prince Arthur, Sir C. Napier, and Oscar for later crops. 

 Gather Pears and Apples as they ripen. 



FLOWER OARDEN. 



The propagation of all the more important bedding-out plants 

 must be pushed on as quickly as possible. Late-struck out- 

 ings are difficult to keep through the winter, owing to their 

 having an insufficient amount of roots, and the wood being 

 badly ripened. Let Scarlet and other Pelargoniums struck in 

 the open ground be taken up and potted as soon as they have 

 made roots ; they will require a close frame for a week or two, 

 when they should be placed on a dry bottom in a southem 

 exposure to harden them for the winter. For the same pur- 

 pose Verbenas, Petunias, ic, struck in pans and intended to 

 be wintered in these, should be placed in a similar situation, 

 at the same time stopping the points of the shoots. It should, 

 in fact, be a point to keep them as hardy as possible by fully 

 exposing them until they are placed in their winter quarters. 



