June 3, 1875. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



429 



plants were Holfordiana, Miltoni, Criterion, Stella, Gledstaneeii 

 formoea, and Extranei. Mr. Child was second with obtuse 

 pyramids 6 feet high, and Mr. Roach, gardener to C. Dorman, 

 Esq., The Firs, Sydenham, third ; the most attractive plant of 

 Ms group was Model. Mr. Peed also exhibited well. In the 

 open class for twenty plants Mr. Ratty was first with immense 

 globular and pyramidal specimens in 15 and 18-inch pots ; Mr. 

 Turner, Slough, being second with medium-sized plants in 8 and 

 9-inch pots, the best sorts of which were noticed last week. In 

 this class was a disparity between the schedule and exhibition 

 card, the latter stating the pots should not exceed 12 inches in 

 diameter, but as the schedule did not determine the limit Mr. 

 Ratty was entitled to the prize for his fine collection, anomalous 

 as appeared the award and condition card. 



Orchids were a rich display. In the nurserymen's class for 

 twelve Mr, Williams was first with the finest group this year 

 exhibited. His Cattleyas were grand, Cypripedium barbatum 

 very fine, Dendrobium deusiflorum an excellent example, and 

 the rest good. Messrs. Jackson & Son had second honours with 

 a fine CattleyaMossiee, a beautiful C. Mendeli, excellent Vandas, 

 xfec. In the corresponding class for amateurs Mr. Ward won the 

 premier place with a fine collection, the best being Dendrobium 

 thrysiflorum with four fine racemes, Lycaste Skinneri, Odonto- 

 glossums Bluntii, Pescatorei, and phalsenopsis, Cattleya Mossije 

 superba, Oncidium Barcodes, itc, all the plants being in rare 

 health and finely bloomed. Mr. Gray, gardener to H. Smithies, 

 Esq., had second place with good plants, and Mr. Wheeler being 

 placed third. In the class for six Mr. Ward was again to the 

 fore; in this group he staged Odontoglossum vexillarium in 

 fine form and colour, PhaU-enopsis grandiflora, Odontoglossum 

 phaltenopsis, Oncidium ampliatum, &a. Mr. Child was second 

 wi;h, amongst others, good plants of Aerides Fieldingi, Dendro- 

 bium Farmed, Oncidium ampliatum major, and Cypripedium 

 Stoneii. Mr. Budd, gardener, Heathfield, had the third place. 

 Mr. Peed also exhibited. 



Mr. Lambert, gardener to H. W. Segelcke, Esq., Heme Hill, 

 was placed first for six table plants with Cocos Weddelliana and 

 other Palms, Adiautum gracillimum, Draoieaa gracilis, &c. 

 These plants were fresh and bright in small 32 sized pots. Mr. 

 Hudson, gardener. Champion Hill, and Mr. Wills, Exotic Nur- 

 sery, Onslow Crescent, were equal second. Mr. Hudson's best 

 plants were Pandanus Veitchii and Croton Johannis, both in 

 fine order ; Mr. Wills having Aralia Veitchii, Pandanus Veitchii, 

 Terminalia elegans very fine, Croton Weismannii, &c., Mr. 

 Wheeler having the third place. Six excellently-!?rown Sela- 

 ginellas were staged by Mr. Collins, gardener to R. H. Bristowe, 

 Esq., Sydenham Hill, which were worthy of recognition. 



In the class for nine Dracsanas Mr. Wills was the only ex- 

 hibitor. He staged plants of rare excellence. 



Pelargoniums were well represented. For nine plants '"J 

 3-inoh pots Mr. Turner had the premier award with symmetries'' 

 plants 3 feet through, good in bloom and colour. The best were 

 Example, Mary Doyle, Blue Bell, Prince Leopold, Pompey, and 

 the delicate white and pink Claribell ; second honours going to 

 Messrs. Dobson & Sons with Conqueror (lilac), Beacon, Thetis, 

 Atalanta, Eclipse, &c. The above were not flat, but naturally- 

 grown plants. In the corresponding amateurs' class Mr. Ward 

 was first with the largest flat-trained plants in the Show, the 

 most noticeable being Warrior, Prince Leopold, Maid of Honour, 

 Royal Albert, and Mary Hoyle. Mr. James, gardener to W. F. 

 Watson, Esq., having the second award with a level excellent 

 group, the best being Prince Leopold, Snowflake, and Mary 

 Hoyle. In the Fancy class Mr. Turner was first with well- 

 bloomed medium-sized plants of Mrs, A. Wigan, Brightness, 

 'Neatness, Madame Sainton-Dolby, Ellen Beck (good). Acme, &c. ; 

 Messrs. Dobson & Sons being second with nearly the same 

 varieties ; a third award being given to Mr. Foreman. Mri 

 James, however, exhibited in the miscellaneous class the six 

 best Fancies in the Exhibition. 



Roses were numerous and fine. For nine plants Messrs. Paul 

 and Son, Cheshunt, and Mr. Turner, Slough, the redoubtable 

 champions, being placed first and second respectively. Messrs. 

 Paul's plants were uniformly large ; Mr. Turner's containing 

 specimens unequal as to size. The blooms in both groups were 

 grand, of the same sterling old varieties which have been pre- 

 viously enumerated. Who after witnessing these noble bushes 

 would spend their strength on perfecting standards ? In the 

 class for twenty plants Mr. Turner walked over with fresh and 

 beautiful specimens of popular varieties. For six plants (ama- 

 teurs) Mr. E. Ellis, gardener to J. Galworthy, Esq., Coombe 

 Warren, Kingston Hill, was first, and Mr. J. Mooreman, gar- 

 dener to the Misses Christy, Kingston, second, with highly 

 creditable collections. 



In the Clematis class Messrs. G. Jackman & Son had no comj 

 petitors. They staged Alba magna, the beat of all ; Mrs. Hope, 

 lavender blue; Mrs. Gassiot, silvery lavender; The Queen, 

 Vesta, &c. 



In the groups arranged for effect Mr. Wills and Mr. Waters, 

 gardener to A. Mongredien, Esq., were equal firsts. Mr. Wills' 

 were good rioh-foliaged plants, brightened by Azaleas, Spirieas, 



and Pelargoniums ; Mr. Waters' group was composed almost 

 wholly of flowering plants, which were good, but were too close 

 and formal in the arrangement. Mr. Foreman, gardener to 

 E. E. Nicholson, Esq., was second with a good and well-arranged 

 collection ; Mr. Peed being placed third for good plants, but 

 deficient in foliage. Very effective groups were also staged by 

 Mr. Thompson of the Crystal Palace. 



For new and rare plants Mr. B. S. Williams was placed first 

 with an interesting collection. Towering above the group was 

 a grand weeping Tree Fern, AlsophUa Williamsii, a plant of 

 undoubted value and intrinsic beauty. He had also Dracaena 

 Fraserii, Dipladenia Brierliana (a richly-coloured variety), Croton 

 majestioum, Metroxylum filiare, &c. Mr. Ley, Croydon, was 

 second with ornamental and healthy plants of Zamia Lindeni, 

 Calamus puyamo very good. Palms, Dractenas, &c. 



Seedling Pelargoniums were exhibited by Mr. Foster and 

 Mr. Turner. Of the show varieties Mr. Foster had certificates 

 for Grace, Prince Rupert, and Malcolm ; and Mr. Turner for 

 Fancies Countess of Dudley, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Mrs. 

 R. Baker ; also to Forcing Pink Derby Day, a great improve- 

 ment on Anne Boleyn. 



Miscellaneous groups of plants were exhibited by Mr. Williams 

 and Mr. Wills ; fine tree Mignonette by Mr. Coulter and Messrs. 

 James Carter & Co., who also had their striking Coleus Duchesa 

 of Edinburgh. Messrs. Dobson & Sons exhibited superior Cal- 

 ceolarias ; and Mr. Satchell, gardener to J. W. Anderson, Esq., 

 and Mr. Waters also had good collections. Mr. Parker, Tooting, 

 staged a beautiful collection of hardy plants ; Mr. Hooper, Bath, 

 handsome cut blooms of double Pyrethrums and Pansies ; Mr. 

 Taylor, Headington, Oxford, charming boxes of Rose Devoni- 

 ensis ; and Mr. Chapman, Oxford, highly coloured Marechal 

 Niels. Mr. Smith,Isleworth,had variegated Pelargonium Alice. 

 Mr. Laing exhibited an attractive group of plants, including 

 finely coloured bicolor Pelargoniums ; Mr. John Spittle, Bir- 

 mingham, a collection of Tulips ; and last, but not least, Messrs. 

 Jackson & Sons staged charming plants of a hardy Saxifrage, 

 S. nepalensis. These plants were perfect pyramids of bloom 

 2 feet high, literally covered with thousands of white star-like 

 flowers. 



First-class certificates were awarded to Mr. B. S. Williams, 

 Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper HoUoway, for a number 

 of new plants. 



VINES UNDER GLASS. 



A Practical Treatise on the Cultivation of the Grape Vine. 



By W. Thomson, Tweed Vineyard. Eighth Edition, enlarged. 



W. Blackwood & Sous, Edinburgh and London. 



The fact that seven editions, amounting to ten thousand 

 copies, have been sold in twelve years, and that the eighth 

 edition is then required, is a testimony far surpassing any 

 favourable criticism we can offer on the volume before us. It 

 is the testimony of the gardening community. A thoroughly 

 reliable guide for growing Grapes under glass was expected 

 from Mr. Thomson, his practical knowledge and ability justified 

 the expectation, and it has not been disappointed. In thirty- 

 eight sections everything needed for instruction how to cul- 

 tivate the Vine under glass, to avoid or overcome its diseases 

 and insect enemies are detailed. On open-air culture Mr. 

 Thomson scarcely gives any information, and he should have 

 qualified his sentence that in Britain " the Grape Vine can 

 only be grown in the open air with very partial success," by 

 prefixing the word " North " to " Britain," for in the southern 

 districts of our island it is so grown largely, and the outdoor 

 ctiltivation is annually increasing. 



KOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



My attention has been drawn to your number published 

 May 20th, which evidently refers to me in a manner more 

 pointedly than complimentary. I therefore request yon ia 

 your next issue to state that your informant, whoever he may 

 be, has no authority for the statement supplied you, that " in 

 my capacity of auditor of the Society's accounts I have so egre- 

 giously failed as to pass accounts as paid which never have 

 been paid, and for which I never could have seen the vouchers." 



I beg to assure your readers that the accounts of the Society 

 are well kept, that accounts are no novelty to me, and that I 

 saw vouchers for every item ; that I ventured to examine some- 

 what into the accounts prior to the year for which I was the 

 auditor, and found ample evidence of the recklessness with 

 which the displaced Council has brought this honourable 

 Society to the verge of ruin. 



If rain is the unfortunate fate awaiting us the entire fault 

 lies with the gentlemen who have left the present Council a 

 legacy of debt beyond the power of any body of men to cope 



