AprU 13. 1876. 1 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



285 



prize going to Mr. James, ReJleee, Isleworth. Than the Cycla- 

 mens no collections of plants in the Exhibition are more 

 effective, and these plants have probably never been staged so 

 well and in such great numbers before. 



In the nurserymen's class for nine Cinerarias Messrs. Dobson 

 and Sons, Isleworth, are the only exhibitiirs, and were awarded 

 a second prize. In the amateurs' class for sis plants the first 

 hoDoars went to Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., 

 Kedlees, Isleworth, for splendid dwarf plants with perfect 

 blooms of Crown Prince, Ann Page, Purple Gem, Her Majesty, 

 Thomas Lockland, and Mr. Ghilds; a third prize being awarded 

 to Mr. Hepper, gardener to 0. 0. Ledward, Esq., The Elms, 

 Acton, for large seedling plants. 



For twenty-tour hardy spring flowers in pots, not leas than 

 twelve kinds, .£10 was offered in three prizes. 'The first award 

 (£5) being won by Mr. Robert Parker, Exotic Nursery, Tooting, 

 •who had large plants ; Mr. R. Dean being second with a smaller 

 but bright collection; and Mr. Henry Hooper, Bath, third. 

 These plants are very effective. For twelve hardy Primroses 

 in pots Mr. R. Dean is the only exhibitor, and was deservedly 

 awarded the first prize. Mr. Dean also staged a basket of seed- 

 ling Polyanthuses, the best we have seen exhibited this year, the 

 plants being healthy, flowers flue, and colours rich and varied. 

 In the class for twelve hardy Polyanthuses Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, 

 is placed first with an effective collection of well-grown plants, 

 and comprising varieties of great usefulness ; Mr. Pestridge, 

 Boston Road, Brentford, being placed second for compact plants 

 in laced varieties, Mr. Turner, Slough, having the third place. 

 Mr. Douglas exhibited a miBcellaueous group of Primula amoena 

 in variety, and Mr. Henry Hooper excellent Pansies. 



Auriculas are well exhibited, but we can only now say that 

 in the open class for twelve Alpines Mr. Turner, Slough, is 

 placed first; Mr. Douglas, Loxford, second; Mr. James, Eedlees, 

 third ; and Mr. R. Dean commended. For twelve show Auri- 

 culas Mr. Turner is again placed first, Mr. Douglas second, and 

 Mr. James third. For fifty Show and Alpine Auriculas Mr. 

 Douglas won the first honours with a fine collection; Mr. Turner 

 being placed second, and Mr. James third. 



Violets are not superior. The first prize for six pots went 

 to Mr. Ward, gardener, Longford Castle, Salisbury, and second 

 to Mrs. Torr, Garbrand Hall ; both collections being Neapolitans 

 potted from frames. 



Fruit. — For two bunches of Black Grapes, old or new, Mr. 

 Sage, gardener to Earl Brownlow, Ashridge Park, is placed first 

 for Black Alicante; Mr. AUward, gardener to T. G. Barclay, 

 Esq., Lower Woodside, Hatfield, second with LadyDowoe's; 

 and Mr. Folkes, gardener to T. F. Halsey, Esq., M.P., Gaddes- 

 den Park, Hemel Hempstead, third. An extra prize was also 

 awarded to Mr. Hill, gardener to Rev. W. Sneyd, Keele Hall, for 

 Black Alicante. The above are all old Grapes. Extra prizes 

 were awarded to Mr. Hepper, gardener to C. 0. Ledward, Esq., 

 Acton, for new Black Grapes, well coloured and in good con- 

 dition. For White Grapes Mr. Miles, gardener to Lord Carring- 

 ton, is the only exhibitor, and was awarded a second prize for 

 new Grapes. For fifty Strawberries Mr. Sage is first with 

 splendid highly-coloured fruits of Sir J. Paxton; Mr. Ward, 

 gardener to the Earl of Radnor, Longford Castle, being second 

 with a mixed collection; and Mr. Phillips, gardener to A. Moss, 

 Esq., Chadwell, third. 



Iri this department of the Exhibition by far the most note- 

 worthy collection is supplied by Messrs. Webber & Co., fruit- 

 erers, Covent Garden, who stage twelve Smooth Cayenne Pines, 

 many of them weighing 8 lbs., and altogether most perfect fruit, 

 being fresh, bright, and plump, and with small crowns. This- 

 collection elicited the remark from many growers, " We may 

 give up growing Pines in England when such fruit as this can 

 be brought from St. Michael's." 



For the best brace of Cucumbers Mr. E. Cherry, gardener to 

 E. R. Slee, Esq., Streatham, was placed first; Mr. E. Bates, 

 gardener to E. Moore, Esq., Appleby Hall, Atherstone, second; 

 and Mr. Rapley, gardener to R. Hudson, Esq., Clapham Com- 

 mon, third. 



For fifty heads of Asparagus Mr. James, Eedlees, is the only 

 exhibitor, and receives the first prize for excellent heads. 



The Exhibition continues open to the public until 10 p.m. this 

 (Thursday evening. 



ONIONS AND THEIB CULTUEE. 



Under the above heading a correspondent, "E. Fish's 

 PnpiL," has contributed some useful and seasonable notes. 

 He has not, however, enumerated all the modes of growing 

 Onions, and respecting one very old plan I will submit an ex- 

 tract from a letter which was written by Sir John Swinburne, 

 Bart., F.H.S., more than half a century ago. The mode was 

 communicated to Sir John by Mr. Falla of Newcastle, and ia 

 thus described: — "The practice of the market gardeners at 

 Hexham in Northumberland in raising Onions, for which 

 article they are very celebrated, so contrary to received opinion 



and practice in both agriculture and horticulture, ia as follows. 

 They sow their Onion seed on the same ground for twenty or 

 more years in succession, but annually manuring the soil. 

 After digging and levelling the ground, the manure, in a very 

 rotten state, is spread upon it, the Onion seed sown upon the 

 manure, and covered with earth from the alleya, and the crops 

 are abundant and excellent in quality." 



I wish to add that this old plan is as good as ever, for I have 

 seen it carried out extensively, and have also practised it with 

 the beat results. Where the soil is light and the Onion maggot 

 troublesome I am not aware that a better plan of raising a 

 good crop can be adopted than the spreading of 3 inches of 

 rich but decayed manure on the surface, and on this place an 

 inch of soil, sowing the seed in drills in the usual way, or if 

 the manure is not too wet the seed may be sown as above 

 described. This plan ia frequently adopted by cottagers in 

 many parts of the country, and they seldom fail in having 

 good Onion beds. By this mode the Onions have what they 

 require — a rich medium, which induces a quick early growth, 

 and the firmness of the ground facilitates their forming, if 

 not large, yet clean, sound, and handsome bulbs. I do not, 

 however, consider it essential that the crop be grown on the 

 same ground every year, but that it can be so grown is no 

 small testimony to the usefulness of this old plan, which I 

 submit as worthy of notice. — A Schoolmaster. 



KOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 We are glad to be able to announce that the financial diffi- 

 culties under which the Eoyal Horticultural Society has been 

 labouring so long are at an end. By an arrangement with Her 

 Majesty's Commissioners the sum of £5000 has been made 

 over to the Society on the security of the CommiBsioners, and 

 by the end of this week every debt owing by the Society on 

 the 31st December last will be paid, including prizes, medals, 

 and tradesmen's bills of every kind. It ia to be hoped that 

 this new state of things will encourage many to become 

 Fellows who have been holding aloof because of some personal 

 responsibility they were supposed to incur. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



EoYAii HoETicULTnnAL Society, South Kensington. — At a 

 General Meeting of the Society held on the 5th of April, G. F. 

 Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair, the following candidates 

 were duly elected Fellows :— William Barber, Worsley Battersby, 

 D. A. Carnegie, M.D., W. T. Cavendish, W. H. CuUingford, 

 Miss A. Derriman, Alfred M. Djummond, Col. C. Elliott, C.B., 

 Miss C. A. Ellison, Henry Ellison, W. F. Elrington, Mrs, 

 Clayton Freeling, J. Gardiner, Viscounteas Glentworth, Mrs. 

 Gordon, Eear-Admiral Kennedy, G.B., A. Lichtenstadt, Sir 

 George Maoleay, Mrs. M. E. Milroy, Mrs. Partington, H. W. 

 Eipley, M.P., Hon. H. Dudley Eyder, James Stern, Mrs. F. S. 

 Teesdale, Mrs. Whigham, Lady Simmons. The following bond 

 fide gardeners were also elected : — J. George, Putney Heath ; 

 Robert Laing, Furzedown, Tooting; W. Taylor, Longleat, 

 Warminster ; Mr. Smith, Dover House, Eoehampton. 



From various districts we have hopeful accounts of the 



FRUIT PROSPECTS of the year. They may be generally snm- 

 maiiaed thus : The early Apricot blossom where unprotected 

 has been destroyed by the severe frosts of March, but in most 

 cases a suiScient number of late blossoms have opened to 

 insure fair crops of fruit. Peach and Nectarine trees are also 

 similarly spoken of. The blossoming of the hardier fruits of 

 Pears, Plums, Apples, and Cherries is much more profuse than 

 had been anticipated considering the heavy crops of laat year, 

 and if the favourable weather which has set in continues to 

 prevail a good " fruit year" may be expected. 



We are informed that the able cultivator of Auriculas, 



the Eev. F. D. Horner of Kirkby Malzeard, Eipon, has suc- 

 ceeded in raising a yellow self Auricula of high quality, and 

 a great advance on other varieties of this colour, especially in 

 the more perfect outline of the flowers and the smoothness 

 and substance cf the petals. It is remarkable that this pro- 

 mising yellow flower is a seedling from a green-edged variety 

 — Charles E. Brown. 



■ Antigonon leptopus is one of the finest climbers of 



the Weat Indies and some parts of America, but in this 

 country it has been found extremely difficult to induce it to 

 flower. It was introduced to Kew some years ago, and was 

 distributed to nearly all the chief nurserymen, none of whom, 



