Jona 8, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



443 



effioaoious against insect ravages than the mere use of the 

 syringe. 



It is a common practice to place plants making fresh growth, 

 notably Camellias and Aiialeas, in a warmer, closer, moiater, 

 and more shady atmosphere. This orthodox plan I at one 

 time held to bo of such importance that any departure there- 

 from would have been considered suicidal as to future pro- 

 epecta of flowerin(j ; but I now have collections of both these 

 plants in a lofty airy house, and no artificial heat only to keep 

 the temperature between 45° and 40°, and I do not think the 

 plants have been syringed overhead a dozen times in seven 

 years. Sufficient moisture is had from the floor surface, the 

 drip from tho plants through watering being considerable, 

 for if there is anything these plants require it is thorough 

 moisture at the roots ; and if we want thrips on Azaleas keep 

 thorn dry at the roots, deluging the top as much aa we like, 

 the road is clear for the insects. Atmospheric moisture alone 

 does what is wanted for these plants ; and so satisfactory is 

 the result that I shall no more follow the " stew pan " system. 

 If the foliage is free from dust there is no need of water over 

 it, but is more iojarious from causing tho leaves of Camellias 

 to spot, and those of Azaleas to brown at the ends and drop in 

 winter than any b?netit conferred in warding off insect attacks 

 — in fact, the "stew pan" principle is most productive of 

 Camellias oastiog their buds, from the moisture being eo much 

 less after the luJs are formed and swelling to that afforded 

 during the making of new growths. The evaporation from 

 the leaves is so great that the buds lack support and drop, and 

 with Azaleaa a like tendency prevails in casting the leaves — 

 viz., an overdryneas after the buds are set, which not unfre- 

 quently results in the buds formed becoming " deaf," causing 

 the emission of fresh growth from their base. Coolness, 

 moisture, and light, with the powerful rays of the sun broken 

 by alight shade, is what these and most plants with firm-tex- 

 tured leaves require, for plants, as a rule, with the hardest 

 leaves suffer more from a dry atmosphere than those with thin 

 or succulent foliage. 



Evidence of the inutility of syringing over the foliage when 

 a moist atmosphere is maintained is had from the now general 

 practice of not syringing Vines, the most successful cultivators 

 being aa acrupuloua of applying water to the foliage aa were 

 those of a former date in insisting upon its practice. 



With but a few exceptions the syringe might, for purposes 

 of distributing wat;r over the foliage, be dispensed with, sur- 

 faces kept constantly moist being available for evaporation ; 

 and this with a properly regulated temperature must be calcu- 

 lated to meet the requirements of the plant better than water 

 applied directly to the foliage. Moisture is given over the 

 foliage naturally, and benefits the plants by freeing their 

 upper surfaces of obstructing matter, the great stimulus to 

 healthy growth being produced by the moisture afforded the 

 roots — in fact, a moist soil for the roots and water disposed on 

 surfaces available for evaporation ia clearly nearer nature than 

 forcing water against the under sides of the leaves of plants. 



What would be the result of not syringing auch subjects as 

 Peaches I am not prepared to say at present, but it aeema to 

 me singular that these trees should require to be drowned 

 twice daily to keep under red spider ; but I think its necessity 

 ia a consequence of a too dry atmosphere — indeed I am about 

 certain that from the amount of ventilation considered neces- 

 sary, and the artificial heat required to maintain it, that the 

 atmospheric moisture is very little as compared with the 

 requirements of the foliage. I thought of solving this pro- 

 blem by increasing the sprinkling, and went so far as the 

 stoning process without wetting the foliage or the appearance 

 of red spider when the syringe was brought into play for the 

 purpose of staving off its attacks. Nothing certainly is more 

 certain than that water does not kill red spider. Drive it off 

 the water may and does, when applied with a force greater 

 than the resistive power of the inaecta. 



Ferna are moisture-loving, delighting with very few exoep- 

 tiona in shade ; but these plants do not require to have their 

 fronds always dripping with water, or to have it ejected over 

 them two or more times a-day. Some kinds are posilively 

 injured —notably Cheilanthes, Nothoehlfenas, and Gymno- 

 grammaa; and none are benefited by the presence of water 

 upon their fronds, except it be Leptopteris or Todea, with 

 other of the Filmy Ferns. Even the Lattice-leaf Plant 

 (Ouvirandra fenestralis), though an aquatic, ia found to thrive 

 best when watered overhead at least once a-day — proof deci- 

 sive that water stationary upon the leaves ia not an essential 

 of suooessful culture. 



Outdoors during early summer trees not unfrequently in 

 long-continued dry weather suffer from insect attacks, aphides 

 of varied species cluster upon the young growths and beneath 

 the leaves, and a species of Acarus or red spider infests Plnm 

 and Apple, and a larger kind the Gooseberry, a larger still tho 

 Ivy, the two latter being found upon the upper surface of the 

 leaves (as are attacks of red spider when syringing over the 

 foliage is not resorted to) ; these all disappear or are compara- 

 tively annihilated upon a recurrence of moist weather, retain- 

 ing their last hold of the under surface of the leaves, from 

 which they assuredly are driven, but not by the force of 

 water. — G. Abbey. 



ROYAL HOKTICULTDRAL SOCIETY'S GREAT 

 SUMMER SHOW. 



June Vin and Sxn. 



Metropolitan exhibitions have this year been unusually 

 numerous, and also, it must be admitted, very good, without, 

 however, presenting any features peculiarly striking or signally 

 important. The prizes which have been offered have been on a 

 liberal scale, some of the greatest of them being worthy of a 

 better response— of keener competition, than was forthcoming 

 at the exhibitions, the classes in which the greatest amormts 

 have been offered being notorious for the few competitors who 

 entered the lists. It was not to be expected that a Society 

 having the prestige of the Royal Horticultural Society, which, 

 with all the obstacles it has had to contend with, is still the 

 greatest exponent of the horticulture of the nation — should 

 have entered on a sensational policy of offering unheard-of 

 amounts to attract profeEsional support and public patronage. 

 Such a policy is only necessary in new undertakings, where a 

 name must be made, if possible, to compensate for a history. 

 An old society, like an old family, needs no flourish to attract 

 recognition, providing its age has not merged into feebleness. 

 Only a short time ago this Society was apparently enfeebled, 

 even almost to dissolution, but it has undergone a sort of revivi- 

 fication, has put on fresh strength, and won fresh confidence. 

 Its exhibitions this year have shown a vast improvement, and 

 important practical work has been done in a quiet way under 

 its auspices. Yet with all this the offering of substantial awards 

 has not been neglected, and the Council have combined spirit 

 with judgment in the preparation of the schedule of this their 

 principal summer show. Exhibitors, we are warranted in 

 assuming by the great and gratuitous display of last summer, 

 do not always enter the lists with the prime object of winning 

 large prizes, but they enter with feelings of loyalty to horticul- 

 ture, and exhibit to do honour to the art and to themselves. So 

 long as that spirit exists there is no fear of the art degenerating, 

 for it is an element powerfully sustaining in its nature, and 

 where exercised will achieve successful and substantial results. 



We have said, however, that substantial prizes were offered 

 for competition at this Show. These, by a glance of the schedule, 

 are found to exceed £000— namely, i,'430 for plants, £102 for 

 Roses, and £05 for frnit. In four classes of stove and green- 

 house plants we find £76 provided ; in three classes for Orchids 

 £59; in the Pelargonium classes £53; and for Roses in pots 

 £50. The prizes for cut Rosea also were liberal, but read some- 

 what strangely by the light of the outdoor growth, which had 

 scarcely pushed into leaf, much more into bloom, so inclement 

 has been the season. Such, then, is an outline of the provision 

 made for the Show, and we will now look in what manner the 

 invitations have been responded to. We did not expect a great 

 Show— tew were sufficiently sanguine for that — knowing how 

 much many plants were worn, and how many exhibitors might 

 be expected to be exhausted. The resources of our nurseries 

 and gardens are, however, great, and ardent cultivators are not 

 tired with trifles, hence the really admirable display that was 

 brought together under the great tent. Judging the plants by 

 the effect which they produced, we must write the Exhibition 

 fully equal, if not superior, to the beat displays of the year. 

 Previous exhibitions have been good, but in them formally- 

 trained flowering plants have predominated ; but here the rich- 

 ness of the fine-foliaged plants and the tropical appearance of 

 the Tree Ferns, the distinct Ivies in pots, and the Conifers, pro- 

 duced a fine contrasting effect with the Roses, Azaleas, Pelar- 

 goniums, Orchids, and stove and greenhouse plants. Although 

 tlie competition was not great in the specimen-plant clasaes, and 

 although some exhibitors who entered failed to put in an ap- 

 pearance, yet the large tent was fairly well filled, so that the 

 Show as a whole was better than could have been expected, 

 and what was lacking in some of the classes was compensated 

 for by the excellence of the miscellaneous collections. 



In Class 1, for twelve stove and greenhouse plants (amateurs), 

 Mr. ChUd, gardener t tMrs. Terr, Garbrand Hall, had the first 

 place with a bright and fresh collection, including Aphelexea, 

 Chorozema rotundifolia. Erica coccinea impressa, Anthurium 

 Scherzerianum, Dracophyllum gracile, Pimelea Hendersonii, 

 iSrc. The second prize was awarded to Mr. Wheeler, gardener to 



