Jan» 15, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



467 



onp of the other must be dry. I think that, even in Nature, if 

 the rain could reach the nuder sides of the foliage of trees it 

 would often be of great benefit. 



Cut Mr. Abbey appears to follow Nature in a somewhat 

 fanciful manner. Because it does not rain upwards he de- 

 nounces syringing the under sides of the foliage. That is 

 understandable, but what about the other side of the leaves ? 

 If the under sides of loaves were so placed to be kept dry, 

 may we not opine that the upper surfaces were so placed to 

 receive rain ? But yet Mr. Abbey does not follow Nature here, 

 for his " Azaleas have not been syringed a dozen times in 

 seven years." 



If we follow Nature we find that during a showery period 

 vegetation is freer from insects than during a time of drought. 

 Whether the rain kills the insects or prevents their increase 

 matters not, the effect is the same. I once had two standard 

 Roses having huge heads on stems G feet high. In order to 

 try the effect of clear water as an insect-preventive I syringed 

 one of these Roses twice a-day, not syringing the other at all, 

 and I never had clearer evidence of the value of the syringe 

 and the efficacy of clean water. On one Rose I had healthy 

 foliage and fine blooms, on the other thousands of insects. 

 The water was applied to the under side of the foliage, but 

 it did nothing but good. Since then I have used the syringe 

 and pure water (nothing else) freely to my Roses, and have 

 always prevented the increase of iasecfcs and promoted the 

 health of the plants. 



The importance of pure clean water in preventing the estab- 

 lishment of insects on trees and flowers is, I fear, insufficiently 

 admitted. That the syringe has been frequently abused is no 

 argument that it should not be used. I do not say that 

 Mr. Abbey is wrong in his practice, but I greatly fear that if 

 many were to cease syringing they would not afford adequate 

 moisture by other means to compensate for the absence of 

 artificial rain. I can grow Vines and plants under glass with- 

 out syringing them, but I know there are many who cannot; 

 but I cannot keep fruit trees, Roses, &a., out of doors healthy 

 and clean without the use of the syringe or engine, and I do 

 not think there are many who can : hence my advice is — Use 

 the syringe and engine but do not abuse them, and do not 

 be afraid of wetting both surfaces of the foliage of trees and 

 plants.— W. J. B. 



EABLY PAKIS MARKET CABBAGE LETTUCE. 

 I HASTEN to add my testimony to the truth of Mr. Taylor's 

 commendation of this, to me, new Lettuce. Park of a packet 

 of its seed which I received from Messrs. Veitch was sown on 

 January 23rd on a south border under a span-roof frame, and 

 from this sowing we have now a supply of excellent Lettuces, 

 compact, white, and crisp, and precisely similar in form to the 

 engraving in Messrs. Veitoh's catalogue. Everyone knows the 

 importance of an unbroken daily supply of salading : hence 

 the very great value of a Lsttnce which in such an unfavour- 

 able season as the present is fit for use long before the supply 

 from antumu-Eown seed is exhausted. For the past two 

 months Stanstead Park and All the Year Round, sown on the 

 16th of last August, and both Cabbage Lettuces, have been very 

 good, and there are still a few excellent heads of All the Year 

 Round remaining, so it will be easily seen what a valuable 

 connecting link the new kind forms in our supply of Cabbage 

 Lettuce. I may add that Sugarloaf Cos, sown August 30th, 

 is now fit for use, and will csntinue good for some time. — 

 Bdwabd Luckhuest. 



SALISBUBIA ADIANTIFOLIA AS A WALL 

 PLANT. 



This Japanese plant is very interesting under any ciroum- 

 etances, but it is when trained on a high wall very much like 

 a Pear or an Apple that it presents its Adiantum-like foliage 

 to perfection, presenting as it does a dense mass of its Fern- 

 like leaves all growing in one direction — away from the wall 

 of course. Thus trained I do not know of any wall plant 

 that covers a large space so densely, and it never fails to 

 attract the attention of those who have never before seen 

 it, or seen it grown in this way. 



It is not particular as to situation or aspect provided it is in 

 a well-drained moderately rich border. In order to completely 

 cover the surface of the wall allotted to it a leading shoot 

 should be trained about every 8 inches. To see a tree cover- 

 ing, say, a space of 20 or 30 feet by 15 or 10 in this way is one 



of the most interesting features of a wall devoted to orna- 

 mental plants. It is a deciduous tree, and in its native country 

 attains to a height of 50 or fiu feet, or even more. It is not 

 nearly so often mot with in this country as its merits deserve. 

 Its Fern-like leaves assume a variety of tints in the course of 

 the season, and become of a bright yellow in the autumn. — 

 R. M. (in The Gardener). 



THE SOUTH ESSEX FLORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The summer Exhibition of this Society was held at Leyton 

 on Tuesday, June 13th. The Society has been establiehed 

 twenty year.s, and has been the means in that time of doing a 

 very great deal of good in tbu neighbourhood. It owes much 

 of its success to the President, Joseph Gurney Barclay, Esq., 

 ■who very kindly allows his grounds to be thrown open to the 

 public, and in many other ways aids the Society. 



The Exhibition on this occasion was perhaps the best which 

 has ever been held. Mr. John Ward, gardener to P. G. Wilkins, 

 Esq., of Leyton, showed his best stove and greenhouse plants, 

 and gained the first prize. The plants have often been seen 

 this season at the Loudon exhibitions, and are almost as fresh 

 as ever. Statice profnsa was a mass of flowers; Authuiinm 

 Scherzerianum had thirty fine spatbes ; Bougainvillea glabra 

 was a noble plant, its rosy bracts were very conspicuous. Mr. 

 Donald, gardener to J. G. Barclay, Esq., was a goodsecond. He 

 had a fine Clerodendron Balfourii and au excellent specimen of 

 Statice protusa. Mr. Ward was again first for foliage plants; 

 Cocos Weddelliaua, Todea superba, and Sarracenia flava were 

 most conspicuous. Mr. Donald was second. Mr. Ward had the 

 best specimen plant, a fine Erica Cavendishii ; Mr. Donald was 

 again second with a very good Franciscea coufertifolia. Mr. 

 Donald had the best six Ferns, and very fine they were; Dick- 

 sonia antarctica, Alsophila excelsa, Cyathea dealbata, and DavalUa 

 Mooreana were in fine condition. Mr, Ward had the best eight 

 Orchids; Odontoglossum vexillarium had four spikes from one 

 bxilb with twenty flowers ; Odontoglossum crispum, Aerides 

 Lobbii, and Odontoglossum citrosmum roseum were highly meri- 

 torious. Mr. Douglas, gardener to P. Whitbourn, Esq., Loxford 

 Hall, Ilford, had the second place. Mr. T. Foster, gardener to 

 R. Johnson, Esq., Walthamstow, had Bixmagnificent Calceolarias, 

 to which the first prize was awarded. Caladiums were well 

 shown by Mr. Merret, gardener to E. B. Ashby, Esq., of Wal- 

 thamstow, and Mr. Douglas. Fuchsias from Mr. Donald and 

 Cockscombs from Mr. Fisher, gardener to Bev. G. S. Fitzgerald, 

 Waustead, weie highly attractive. 



Mr. Douglas was the principal prizetaker for Grapes; he 

 showed very goodBuckland Sweetwaters, Black Hamburghs, and 

 Muscat of Alexandrias well ripened. Excellent Strawberries 

 were exhibited by Mr. Wighton, gardener to G. A. Grimwood, 

 Esq , and Mr. Douglas. 



The dinner-table decorations were also a principal feature in 

 the Show, the beautiful silver cups offered by the Society bring- 

 ing out some of the best exhibitors. Mrs. Burley, Brentwood, 

 showed three fine pieces and received the highest award. The 

 base of the stands was made up with Maidenhair Ferns and 

 white Water Lilies, Orchids, Spineas, and Rhodanthe Manglesii ; 

 the top was arranged with Grasses, pink Geraniums, and Orchids. 

 Mrs. Soder, Brentwood, was placed second. The vases were 

 done in the same style and with equal taste, but the want of 

 Orchids told against her. For gardeners, Mr. Soder, gardener 

 to O. Hanbury, Esq., Brentwood, was first, Mr. Fogarty, gar- 

 dener to A. A. Wheeley, Esq , Woodford, being a good second; 

 his stands were a little too heavy. 



There were some chaste button-hole bouquets. Mr. Monk, gar- 

 dener to W. Fowler, Esq., was first with three very neat ex- 

 amples; and Mrs. Soder was second. 



The cut flowers of herbaceous plants and stove and green- 

 house occupied a table 15 yards in length, and made a fine 

 display. Mr. Douglas was first in both classes. 



Stage and fancy Pelargoniums were well shown. Mr. Fraser 

 of Lea Bridge Road Nurseries sent a fine group of plants, mostly 

 Dracffinas, Crotons, and Ferns of the newest kinds. Mr. B. S. 

 Williams of Holloway sent Orchids, Palms, and other fine- 

 foliage and flowering plants. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The fine specimens of Odontoglossum vexillarium exhi- 

 bited at South Kensington on the 7th inst., were sent by Mr. 

 J. Richards, gardener to Baron Lionel de Rothschild, Gunners- 

 bury Park, Acton, and not by Mr. Denning as inadvertently 

 stated in our report. 



There is now flowering at Sudbury House, Hammer- 

 smith a remarkable example of Yucca califoenica. We have 

 by favour of Mr. Peacock had the pleasure of seeing this plant 

 and found it as beautiful as it is rare. Y. caUfornica was in- 

 troduced (as its name implies) from California in 1800, and is 



