488 



JODBNA.L OF HORTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jnne 22, 1876. 



Ramsey, Waltham Cross, Lobelias, L. compacta purpurea being 

 a. distinct and promising -variety; and Mr. Miles, West Brighton 

 Nnraerv, Cliftonville, a very fine variety of Mignonette. 



H.E.H. the Princess of Wales and the Duke and Daohess of 

 Tecb honoured the Exhibition by their presence, and examined 

 minutely and greatly admired the several collections, and it 

 must be admitted that the display was worthy of their patronage. 



The plants were artistically yet conveniently arranged, reflect- 

 ing credit on the new Superintendent, Mr. Coomber. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



CoNSiDEEiKG the perfect hardiness of Ghent Azaleas, and 

 their free-growing and free-flowering properties, also their 

 varied and distinct colours, it is surprising that they are not 

 more freely planted ia gardens and shrubberies. No shrubs 

 are more effective than these during the spring months. For 

 affording cut sprays they are also very valuable, the soft colours 

 of the flowers and bright green fringe of foliage rendering 

 them highly attractive. Many of them are also, as a lady ad- 

 mirer of them recently remarked, " as sweet as the Honey- 

 suckle." 



As will be seen on reference to our advertising columns 



the Hereford Rose Show has, on account of the backward 

 state of the Roses, been postponed to July 13th, the entries 

 closing three days previously. By this judicious alteration it 

 18 hoped that a display equal to those of previous years will 

 be produced. Messrs. Cranston & Mayos announce that they 

 will give a silver cup value fifteen guineas (in addition to the 

 Society's prize of £5) for the best thirty-six varieties of cut 

 Roses exhibited at this Show. 



A CORRESPONDENT iuforms U8 that a " Tea tree " (Thea 



bohea) has endured the winter uninjured in his garden in 

 Surrey. This we may inform our friend is not an unusual 

 occurrence, for this shrub will probably pass uninjured our 

 ordinary winters in the south of England. We lately saw a 

 specimen of this shrub in the small but interesting garden of 

 Dr. Rogers at East Grinstead, which had been growing on the 

 lawn for more than twenty years without receiving any pro- 

 tection whatever. 



A CLERGYMAN in Lincolnshire writes to say that his 



greatest friends in the garden, especially during the spring 

 months, are a pair of " peewits." These birds, he states, hunt 

 out the snails and slugs from amongst the Strawberries and 

 young seedlings of all kinds, and effectually prevent any injury 

 being done to plants or fruit. For two years he was without 

 peewits, and the slugs increased to such an extent that he 

 could scarcely pick sound Strawberries, but since procuring 

 more birds he has had no more " slug grievances." He finds 

 the peewits superior to both young ducks and seagulls as 

 foragers for grubs, the birds being ornamental as well as useful, 

 and are special favourites of the old as well as the young mem- 

 bers of his family, and are also "highly respected" by his 

 gardener. 



We are informed that in a recent consignment of 



Orchids Mr. Bull has received a large number of Odonto- 

 GLOssuM VEXiLLARiuM — a fortuuate addition to his collection, 

 and arriving at an opportune moment. 



The bedding at the Cbtstal Palace promises to be 



highly effective during the present season. The planting of 

 the beds, which has been deferred in consequence of the cold 

 weather, is nearly completed, and the plants being of large 

 size and well prepared wiU be attractive at once. The design 

 around the rosery is somewhat similar to that of last year as 

 to pattern, yet is distinct bvthe Geranium groups being bolder. 

 The sorts relied on are Waltham Seedling as a crimson and 

 Cleopatra as a pink. The triangular spaces between the 

 Geraniums are furnished with Iresine Lindeni, and the scol- 

 lops in front are being filled with Alternantheras, edged with 

 Echeverias. The two large scroll-shaped beds at the foot of 

 the central landing of the terrace are planted in the carpet 

 style, and are particularly free and smooth in design. Yellow 

 is afforded by Crystal Palace Gem and Robert Fish Geraniums; 

 neutral colours, which are ample, being provided by broad grey 

 bands of Veronica incana and the more silvery hue of Leuco- 

 phyton Browni. In these beds succulents in variety are in- 

 troduced, including small circles of Sempervivum arboreum 

 variegatum, which is one of the most beautiful of the family. 

 The Tflgetes, which in previous years has been so pleasing as 

 a green groundwork, is not used this year in consequence of 

 the labour involved in trimming ; but its place is taken by 

 dwarf Saxifrages, which have been fully tested as suitable for 



the purpose. The chain beds are planted alternately with 

 scarlet, white, and pink Geraniums, Lady Constance Grosvenor 

 having been selected as the most suitable scarlet. The whole 

 of the plants employed have been raised by Mr. Thompson in 

 the nursery department of the Palace. 



The Crystal Palace Rose Show, which was announced 



to have taken place on the 16th and 17th inst., was not held, 

 for the sufficient reason that scarcely any Roses were in flower 

 even in the south of England. It can scarcely be said that 

 the Show was postponed, for in the latest issues of the horti- 

 cultural press notifications were issued for the Show being 

 held on the dates named. In consequence of this we know 

 that useless visits were made to the Palace, and more than 

 one correspondent have requested that their disappointment 

 be recorded. It has for some time past been perfectly clear to 

 those particularly acquainted with Rose culture and the back- 

 ward state of vegetation, that a show worthy of the Palace 

 could not be produced on the days named, and no small sur- 

 prise is expressed that the postponement of the Exhibition was 

 not ofiicially and timely announced. The Show is to open 

 on the last day of this month, when it is to be hoped that a 

 display equal to the grand gathering of last year will be pro- 

 duced. 



The report of the Committee of the City of London 



Flower Show for the past year has just been issued, from 

 which it appears that the annual exhibition of plants and 

 flowers held in the gardens of Finsbury Circus in July last 

 proved a great success, exceeding all its predecessors both in 

 the number of plants exhibited and in their mode of culture. 

 The Chairman of the Committee is the Rev. William Rogers, 

 Rector of Bishopsgate ; and among its supporters are the 

 Baroness Eurdett Coutts, the Baroness de Rothschild, the 

 Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, M.P., the Right Bon. J. G. 

 Hubbard, MP., and others. The Rev. F. Bithop is the Hon. 

 Secretary, and all commnnioations should be addressed to him 

 at the Schools, Bishopsgate. The residents of Fmsbury Circus 

 have again granted the use of their gardens for tbe flower show 

 to be held next July, and it is expected that H.R.H. the Duchess 

 of Teck will then distribute the prizes. 



In a MAP OF London of the date 15G0 all the district 



north of Holborn is shown to have been then fields and gar- 

 dens ; one large garden extends the whole length of a lane- 

 that was where Ely Place is now. The district then was noted 

 for the production of Strawberries and Roses. Shakespeare 

 in his " Richard the Third " only slightly altered these words 

 of Hall the chronicler when he wrote this dialogue between 

 the Protector and the Bishop of Ely. " My Lorde, you have 

 verye good Strawberries in your garden at Holborne, I require 

 you let me have a messe of them." " Gladly, my Lorde; I 

 would I had some better thing as redy to your pleasure as 

 that." " And with that in all haste he sent his servaunt for a 

 dish of Strawberries." As to the Roses there. Lord Chancellor 

 Hatton held his estate, now commemorated by Hatton Garden, 

 by paying yearly £10 and a red Rose on Midsummer day ; and 

 its former owner, the Bishop of Ely, also reserved the right of 

 " walking in the gardens and gathering twenty bushels of Roses 

 yearly." 



OUR BOEDER FLOWERS-STAR OP 

 BETHLEHEM. 



Ornithogalum umbellatum, the Star of Bethlehem, will bear 

 a good deal of hard usage. It flourishes in moist borders and 

 in partial shade among trees and grass. Its dwarf habit and 

 lovely white flowers make it desirable for what is termed 

 wilderness scenery. 



There are a few others of this charming family that are to- 

 be met with occasionally, and though seme of them were in- 

 troduced many years ago, they do not appear to be in general 

 cultivation. I cannot conceive why a plant like Ornithogalum 

 fimbriatum has been so long in the background ; it ought to 

 be met with in every garden, for it is a "gem of the first water," 

 of dwarf habit and an early bloomer. 0. narbonense is of 

 taller habit, and when well grown attains the height of 2 feet, 

 and requires staking to keep it from being broken with the 

 wind. It continues in bloom for a considerable time, and 

 when grown in masses has a grand effect. 0. aurenm and 

 0. biflorum are very desirable ; they are of dwarf habit, having 

 yellow flowers, and contrast well with the white varieties. 

 0. arabicum flowers in late spring and early summer; it is 

 one of the tallest of the tribe. O. thrysoides is a charming 

 addition to a selection ; it is not so well known as some of the 



