July 2, 187i. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



From G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybriage, came beautiful pans of 

 the iuteresting and oruameutal little Nertera depressa, aa well 

 as correctly-named cut specimens of Lilium Washingtoijianurn, 

 Humboldtii, pardaliuum, pubenilum, philadelpbicum, caliform- 

 cam, Inngiflorum, and varieties of cauailense, &c. Mr. E. Barr, 

 juu., also sent a large collection of cut ilowers of Lilies. Froni 

 Messrs. Backhouse, of York, came Oucidium stelligerum, of 

 Reioheubach, with graceful wreaths of flowers. This was 

 awarded a certificate. 



STRATFOBD HORTICULTUKAL SHOW. 



A GR,<ND horticultural Exhibition is held in West Ham Park, 

 in connection with the Essex Ajvicultural Society's Exhibition. 

 It opened on June 30lh, and closes to-day. We have attended 

 many of these annual gatherings, but none of them with which 

 we have been acquainted on previous occasions has been at all 

 equal to that held this year. A series of large tents is devoted 

 to the different horticultural productions. A very large circular 

 tent in the centre of the grounds contains the flowering and 

 fine-foliaged plants. In the former, for twelve specimens, Mr. 

 J. Ward is first, a long way ahead of the other competitors ; he 

 has Erica Parmentieriana rosea, Statice profusa, Bougainvillea 

 glabra, and a gorgeous Authurium Scherzerianum. Mr. J. 

 Wheeler, gardener to J. Phillpott, E«q., Stamford Hill, is second 

 with nice plants. Erica Cavendishii is well flowered. Mr. D. 

 Donald, gardener to J. G. Barclay, Esq., Leyton, is third. For 

 six Mr. Ward is again first, Mr. Wheeler second, and Mr. Donald 

 third. 



The fine-foliaged plants in the amatem-s' classes are not quil^ 

 EG good as we have seen them in London this year; the speci- 

 mens are smaller, though in other respects they are well grown 

 and very effectively disposed. Mr. Donald has the first prize, 

 Mr. Ward the second, and Mr. Douglas, gardener to F. Whit- 

 bourn, Esq., Loxford Hall, Ilford, the third. Before leaving 

 this tent a word of praise must be accorded to the magnificent 

 group of ornamentftl-foliaged aud flaa-ering plants sent by Mr. 

 B. S. Williams, of Upper Holloway, Loudon. In tlie centre is a 

 splendid Cycas revoluta and Gleichenia speUioc.-c. These are 

 flanked by magnificent tree Ferns, Crotons, and the graceful 

 Cocos We'ddelliana. Mr. Williams also takes the first prize for 

 twelve stove aud greenhouse plants in flower. Ericas come 

 from Mr. J. Ward ; he has twelve matchless plants, aud takes 

 two first prizes for them. 



Orchids are also sent by Mr. Ward, such as he usually ex- 

 hibits, Epidendrum vitellinum majus, Dendrobium Bensonife. 



Exceedingly good groups of stove and greenhouse Ferns are 

 exhibited in quantity from Mr. Donald, first; Mr. Simmouds, 

 gardener to Alderman Finnis, Wanstead, second; Mr. Douglas 

 third. Mr. Lane, gardener to Major-General Fytche, Romford ; 

 Mr. Wheeler, and others. 



Fuchsias were not nearly so good as we have seen them at 

 country shows. Mr. G. Wheeler, gardener to Sir F. H. Gold- 

 smid. Regent's Park ; and Mr. D. Donald are exhibitors. Mr. 

 J. Ward sent six very good Show Pelargoniums, and Mr. D. 

 Donald six Fancies. Mr. G. Wheeler, Mr. Simmonds, and 

 Mr. Donald have Coleus. Some of these are pretty, others are 

 coarse in appearance and far from effective. Liliums come from 

 Mr. Douglas and Mr. C. Parker, Clay Hall Works, Old Ford. 

 The first-named has five pots of L. auratum, and a fine pot of 

 L. Humboldtii. 



As we expected, cut Roses are very fine. Mr. W. Ingle, gar- 

 dener to Mrs. Round, Colchester, is first with a fine stand of 

 fresh blooms in twenty-fours. Mr. W. Harrington, Corbetstay, 

 Romford, is second. Mr. lugle is also first for twelve. There 

 is a good competition in twelve trebles. Here Mr. Ingle had to 

 give way to Mr. .1. C. Quennell, Brentwood, who was first. 



Mr. W. Paul, of Waltham Cross, sends a very fine group of 

 variegated Zonal Pelargoniums, and cut blooms of the plain- 

 leaved sorts. 



Table decorations are in a tent by themselves, and are dis- 

 posed on a double row of tables, plenty of space being allotted 

 for each exhibitor. For three vases, Mr. Burley, nurserymen, 

 Brentwood, and Mr. Soder arranged their vases much in the 

 same way, and very well finished they are. Mr. Seder's is 

 rather heavy, although Mr. Burley, who obtaiued the first prize, 

 would have improved his if less materials had been used. Tlie 

 tbird-prize three are much too heavy. The prize went to Miss 

 Hill, Bow Road. Briza gracilis and some of the finer Grasses, 

 Adiantum cuneatum, Rhodanthe, pink Geranium, and Water 

 Lilies form the make-up of the prize vases. Mr. Soder is first 

 with a single vase, Mr. Burley second, aud Miss Hill third. 

 What are termed the March vases are used in all the prize 

 stands. 



In fruit the Pines are very poor; but Grapes are very fine 

 indeed, especially Black Hamburgh. Mr. Douglas is first with 

 very fine bunches, large in berry, and beautifully coloured ; Mr. 

 W. Bones, gardener to D. Mcintosh, Esq., Romford, is second ; 

 and Mr. Lane third. Excellent Buelland Sweetwater was sent 

 by Mr. Douglas; Mitscats by Mr. Bones. The best Peaches 



come from Mr. J. Stevenson, gardener to F. C. Barker, Esq., 

 Leigh Hill, Essex : who also s.nds the best Nectarines. 



Mr. Chambers, gardener to H. Fowler, Esq., of Woodford, hag 

 the best black Cherries; and Mr. Douglas the best red. Currants 

 of sorts, and Gooseberries are also exhibited in quantity. The 

 best Green-fleshed Melon was sent by G. E. Wythes, Esq., Copt 

 Hall, Eppiug, the variety beiug Treutham Hybrid ; Mr. Lane is 

 second with Heckfield Hybrid. 



Vegetables are an important and special feature ; some ex- 

 cellent collections are shown, neatly set up in baskets, and dis- 

 posed round the sides of the fruit tent. The best collections of 

 ten sorts is sent by Mr. Wythes, Mr. Douglas, and Mr. Bones. 

 They contain excellent Hathaway's Excelsior Tomatoes ; G. P. 

 Wilson and Huudredfold Peas. Dwarf Kidney Beans are also 

 very fine. An excellent brace of Tender and True Cucumber 

 shown by Mr. Douglas took the first prize. 



FLOWER GARDENS IN WINTER AND SPRING. 



No. 1. 



The principal defect of the bedding-out system is the short 

 time that the masses of colour continue in full beauty, cold 

 ungenial springs and early autumnal frosts curtailing the dis- 

 play BO much, that we cannot calculate with any degree of 

 certainty upon its duration for more than four months. In 

 most large places this is immaterial, owing to the absence of 

 the family in spring aud early summer ; but where this is not 

 the case it becomes extremely desirable to render the flower 

 beds as ornamental as may be throughout the year, and to 

 this end, when the summer plants succumb to the adverse in- 

 fluences of autumn, they should immediately be replaced with 

 some hardy ornamental plants^of which we have now so rich 

 a collection. 



The summer oceupmts of the Cower garden being now fairly 

 established in the beds, the present timo appears to me to be 

 very suit.able for the eonsideratiou of future measures, in 

 order that a clear decision as to our actual requirements may 

 be arrived at before the rapidly approaching season for the pro- 

 pagation of spring-flowering plants is upon us, as well as for 

 showing with what ease, simplicity, and economy spring and 

 winter gardening may be executed. We do not now hear so 

 much about the use of broken brick, spar, coal ashes, and 

 chalk in the formation of fanciful designs upon the surfaces 

 of the beds in wiuter ; aud I am glad of it, for with such a 

 profusion of hardy shrubs and plants ready to our hands, one 

 can hardly understand how the blindest followers of " fashion " 

 could be induced to turn from the use of living forms to that 

 of " dead " materials. It is only in large flower gardens that 

 spring and winter gardening can attain its fullest development, 

 the very term implying a combination of shrubs and hardy 

 flowers, such as necessarily requires considerable space to do 

 full justice to it. Fine and desirable as such extensive dis- 

 plays undoubtedly are, the very numerous modifications of 

 them which may be adapted to the requirements of smaller 

 gardens, are equally beautiful in their way, and it is to one or 

 two of such, as being more generally useful, that I desire first 

 of all to call attention. 



In all gardens of moderate extent it invariably answers best 

 to confine the arrangements to the simple combination of a 

 few choice spring flowers that are tolerably similar in habit of 

 growth and in the duration of their flowers, which may readily 

 be raised and prepared for the beds in large quantities. Pre- 

 eminent among pink flowers in this class is the lovely Italian 

 Soapwort (Sapouaiia oalabrica), perfectly hardy, of a dwarf, 

 dense, yet spreading growth, producing its flowers in rich pro- 

 fusion. Beds of it may be compared to a soft fleecy cloud 

 rather than a mass of pink, for there is nothing heavy in its 

 appearance, the pretty flowers beiug so gracefully disposed 

 upon the slender branohlets that they look like so many pink 

 gems sprinkled over a delicate network of green. To these 

 valuable properties may be added the length of time which it 

 continues in flower ; commencing in March with the bright 

 Catchfly of Sicily (Silene pendula), it continues iu fall beauty 

 late iu June, long after the Silene is " faded and gone." The 

 seed should be sown the first or second week of August, trans- 

 planting into a rich open soil a few inches apart as soon as the 

 plants are large enough, giving careful attention to all the 

 necessary weeding, watering, and stirring of the soil, so as to 

 have the plants in a thoroughly sturdy and vigorous condition 

 by the time they are required for the beds. If this is not well 

 done, and they become crowded in the nursery, a weakly at- 

 tenuated growth ensues, so that when the plants are removed 

 to the beds, instead of being so neat and compact as to be 

 even then ornamental in a certain degree, they present a 



