Malcli 2G, 1B74. ] 



JOUiiNAIi Oi? EOiiTICUliTUilE AND COIXAGE OAliDE-SEXi, 



255 



for the most part will be composed of varieties of Ebododen- 

 drons hitherto nnlcuown. Messrs. Waterer, we need hardly 

 say, are celebrated growers of Rhododendrons. 



HYACINTH SHOWS. 



Last week we had Konsiugton, which, as usual, was the great 

 tattle-ground of the London nurserymen, this week we have 

 the Eoyal Botanic, where the combat is generally renewed ; 

 but all the while there is going on a mild form of warfare, in 

 which the leading growers try to outvie each other by holding 

 an exhibition in their several neighbourhoods. In each ease 

 the Hyacinth is the principal object, in fact plays the lion's 

 part ; but it is presented in so many different aspects and with 

 30 many different accompaniments, that the capabilities of the 

 flower in a decorative point of view are thoroughly brought. 

 out. Of late years no spring flower that we know has risen 

 to such a degree of favour as the Hyacinth. Go where you 

 will about London you will see it in window or in front garden, 

 and where there is no real horticultural love you will see well- 

 contrived paper imitations of it, which afford neither pleasure 

 to the sight nor any other sense. It is, too, so easily cultivated 

 by anyone having but a little common sense that failure in 

 attaining respectable results, provided good bulbs are obtained, 

 is almost an impossibility ; and no one who sees the splendid 

 spikes which are brought to the exhibitions, and which it is quite 

 withiu the power of the amateur to equal, would be without 

 at least a small collection at this season. 



Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, have, as they have had since 

 they took up Hyacinth-growing, a fine display at the Eoyal 

 Exotic Nursery, the merits of which can easily be surmised 

 from the specimens shown at Kensington last week, and then 

 reported on. 



Messrs. Cotbosh, of Highgate, again, are not behind ; and 

 although they only took second honours at the show just 

 referred to, no one who has seen their admirable groups can 

 «xpect other than a fine exhibition from them. Though the 

 varieties are not so numerous as in former years, by judicious 

 weeding-out the quality on the whole is better. We noticed 

 none of the inferior kinds, and many fine examples of such 

 well-established favourites as Charles Dickens (S. E.), General 

 Havelock, De CandoUe, Von Schiller, Grand Lilas, Macaulay, 

 Grandeur X Merveille, &a. Along with these were some new 

 kinds, as Qurine Christine, Christine Henderson, noticed last 

 week; Habit d'Etfi, pale porcelain; Progress, porcelain blue, 

 and Spark of Fire, bright crimson ; both, however, past their 

 best. Along with these were Tulips, Crocuses, Cyclamens, 

 Cytisuses, and a variety of other plants serving to afford variety 

 and to form a setting to the whole. 



Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laino have this season for their 

 field of operations the Crystal Palace, where their show occu- 

 pies a double range of staging, extending 100 feet in length. 

 The centre is occupied with Palms, Azaleas, the variegated 

 Acer Neguudo, Spirfea japonica, Dielytra speotabUis, and other 

 plants ; the lower stages with Cyclamens, Tulips, Chinese and 

 other Primulas, together with the Hyacinths, of which there 

 is a very good show. We will not particularise kinds, as the 

 best of these have been so often mentioned before. 



LAZY-BED POTATO CULTURE. 



[We sent the letter from " An Old Subscriber " to Mr. E- 

 Fenn, and this is his reply.] 



I never recommended the lazy-bed system, nor do I, and I 

 bave not practised it since 1838, when I acceded to what I 

 styled to my neighbours the "lazier-bed" — viz., instead of 

 casting-out the soil on to 2-feet alleys, merely to be cast back 

 again over the seed tubers in their damp bed, I placed the 

 Potatoes 1 or 1 J foot apart each way, according to the sort, upon 

 a measured 4-feet parallelogram of surface soil, and cast-up 

 the soil from two 2-feet alleys running along each side to the 

 depth of 8 inches upon the sets at two operations, guided by 

 the time for the second when the sets were just beginning to 

 " push through." In short, this was just the reverse plan to the 

 lazy-bed, with very little laziness about either in regard to the 

 operator, that I could ever find out ; but the lazier-bed pro- 

 duced for me far better crops of Potatoes, and so it would be 

 with your correspondent's Myatt's Ashleaf. 



What I would recommend to " An Old Subscriber " in pre- 

 ference to either, is the ridge-and-trench system, and hereby 

 hangs a tale. I remember in 1840 I was staying at a gentle- 



man's house in Sussex. The soil of the kitchen garden was 

 very stiff and retentive, producing very unsatisfactory crops 

 of iPotatoes. I was sufficiently a Potato devotee at that pri- 

 mitive time even to be consulted about what was best to be 

 done to produce a better-eating esculent. A half-rotting 

 furze-stack happened to be near, and it struck me to advise 

 its being cut into refuse, excluding merely the largest stems, 

 and to have it placed about 2 inches thick on the surface of 

 the garden in measured plots, and a little soil cast first upon 

 the chopped furze, then the sets to be placed upon it and 

 Eoiled-up as for the lazier-beds described above. 



The gardener "couldn't see it," and what was more, he 

 " wouldn't do it," so the coachman was ordered-up to " see to 

 it," and get the affair completed as advised. I felt sorry to 

 have been the innocent cause of an opposing ill-feeling for the 

 time, but I had the opportunity in the following autumn of 

 seeing the Potatoes taken up ; and the very excellent sample, 

 hitherto quite unapproached in the memory of the oldest in- 

 habitant, proved sufficient to heal-up all differences. Astonish- 

 ment, too, was expressed as to what had become of the " fuz." 

 Nothing remained of it but a modicum of mere sticks. 



Well, the lazier-bed led me on eventually to the adoption 

 of the ridge-and-trench plan, which wOl probably remain for 

 me to the end of my time, and which modern writers, I am 

 happy to find, are generally beginning to recommend, along 

 with other ideas promulgated in these pages many years ago 

 and onwards, bo that it would be a work of mere supererogaticw 

 for me to resuscitate them again. Your issue, No. 461, 18'/0, 

 page 57, will describe what I should say appropriate to the 

 subject for the present day; in fact, all that our modern re- 

 commendations do give, barring " Hibberd'a Potato-tile," 

 which, as I trust there are not now many prejudiced " blue- 

 aproners," may meet with a better reception even than my 

 idea did anent the furze-stack. But, however that may be 

 the higher we lay our Potatoes to grow the better fare; and 

 whether on " lazier-bed," or in ridges, with the " tUe " to 

 boot, I will answer for murrain to follow on the heels of sus- 

 tained lightning, thunder, and rain. So allowing the riders of 

 hobbies to pass along with the esteem that each of them owns 

 for the other, let us hope to have in June, July, and August dry 

 and cheery weather, and that will be tantamount to a healthy 

 crop of Potatoes following. 



This brings me to the second question of " An Old Sub- 

 scriber," requiring the name of the largest Potato cultivated. 

 Paterson's Bovinia or American Late Eose, the latter being 

 by far preferable for garden culture, and much the dearer to 

 buy. I have some very large seedlings under my own pro- 

 bation, but two years more will be required of me before I can 

 say which of them is to go forth and run the gauntlet at 

 Chiswick ; and as I daily scrutinise the nonages of some two 

 hundred of them, they seem to say, " Albeit you have given 

 up your old nom de plume, and the frequent use of your pen, 

 you cannot be allowed ' rest ' unless you intend the Americans 

 to beat us Britishers." I answer, " Please the Potato fates, 

 the Americans have got all their work cut out to do so." — ■ 

 Eoeekt Fenn, Rectory, Woodstock. 



EOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



The first spring Show, held yesterday, proved a very attractive 

 floral display, which, like its predecessor at Kensington, was 

 favoured by as bright sunshine as we have bad this year. Hya- 

 cinths, Tulips, and Cyclamens were the leadiug features. Messrs. 

 Veitch and Messrs. Cutbush took the prizes in the nurserymen's 

 class for twelve with splendid examples; and among amateurs 

 Mr. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., Loxford Hall, 

 was foremost with grand specimens of Lord Byron, Marie, Von 

 Schiller, Cavaiguac, La Grandesse, De CandoUe, and others, 

 together with Erebus and Sir Garnet Wolseley, both new addi- 

 tions to the single blue class, the former very dark. Mr. Weir 

 was second. The same exhibitors, both nurserymea and ama- 

 teurs, took the same positions for Tulips ; whilst in Cyclamens 

 Mr. Goddard, gardener to H. Little, Esq., Twickenham, was 

 first, and Mr. James, of laleworth, second with excellent groups. 

 Excellent pots of Lily of the Valley from Mr. Douglas, aiid Mr. 

 G. Wheeler, gardener to Sir F. Goldsmid, Bart., took the houours 

 for that flower ; whilst beautifully bloomed plants of Deutzias 

 from Mr. Douglas and Mr. J. Reeves were deservedly placed 

 first and second in the competition for that plant. 



Mr. Ward, gardener to F. G. Wilkins, Esq., Leyton, sent the 

 best group of twelve stove and greenhouse plants in flower, com- 

 pr sing good specimens of Odontoglossum Pescatorei, Lycaste 

 Skinneri, Dendrobium nobile, and other Orchids, together with 

 Eriostemon intermedium in fine bloom. Mr. G. Wheeler was 

 second. The same exhibitors also sent Azaleas. The half-dozen 



