JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. [ January 21, 186S. 



EOYAL HOETICITLTtTUAL SOCIETY. 



The promiuont feature on this occasion was tlie mngnifl- 

 cent bunches of Grapes from Mr. Miller, gardener to the 

 Earl of Craven, Coombo Abbey. The six bunches of Bar- 

 barossa which he sent weighed collectively 3G lbs ; the largest 

 ■was 7 lbs. weight, and about 16 inches long from the 

 shoulders to the tip. and .all the bunches wero handsome, 

 compact, and even in the size of the berries. The six 

 bunches of Lady Downes' from the same exhibitor were 

 also very fine, with lai-ge regular berries. Mr. Miller also 

 exhibited a skilfully drawn plan of a portion of the gardens 

 at Coorabe Abbey which he has laid out, representing the 

 firuit and kitchen garden, a long parallelogram with the 

 forcing-houses on the north and cast sides, the wholo sur- 

 rounded by pleasure-grounds. The extent is from 16 to 

 20 acres, but when finished these gi-ouuds will occupy about 

 40 acres. As a specimen of garden design this plan was 

 highly ci-editable to Mr. Miller. 



Mr. Bull of Chelsea exhilnted a collection of Auoubas com- 

 prising a variety with leaves longer and more lanceolate 

 than the common kind, a variety called elegantissima, with 

 large leaves, of which the central portion was yellow, broadly 

 margined with gi-een, and the male and female plants of the 

 species, the latter in berry. For the last-named, also for 

 the collection, tiist-class certificates were awarded. From 

 Mr. Bull came also an Elasagnus. brought by Mr. Fortune 

 from Japan, and having handsome white-variegated foliage, 

 and another called aureo-marginata, in which the leaves 

 were dark green with a yellow margin. For the former a 

 first-class certificate was awarded. 



F. J. Graham, Esq., of Cranford, sent a seedling Eussian 

 Violet called the Czar, with dark blue flowers double the 

 ordinaiy size. This variety, it is stated, has been in bloom 

 for two months out of doors, and flowers most abundantly 

 in spring. It promises to be an acquisition. 



Of other objects, Mr. .Udred, Elburn, sent LUium auratum, 

 seedling Cinerarias, one with variegated leaves, and Double 

 ■White Primulas, for which he had a second-class certificate. 

 X similar aw.ird was made to Mr. Ingram, gardener to Her 

 Majesty, for six Chinese Primulas. Mr. Stedman, Thornton 

 Heath, contributed Violets; Miss JS". Ffarington, Wooden 

 Hall, Lancashire, a dish of home-grown Almonds ; and Mr. 

 Bullen, gardener to E. Budd, Esq., Leatherhead, three good 

 Queen Pines, for which ho had a fiirst-class certificate. 



EETI2\0SP0EA OBTTTSA AND OTHEE 

 CONIFEES. 



I AM much obliged to Mr. Welsh for his statement con- 

 firmatory of the hardiness of .lapanese Conifers in the north 

 of Ireland, but I am still at a loss to understand the cause 

 of Eetinospora obt-usa being here yellow at the tips — in 

 fact, in the case of small plants, the greater portion of them 

 are of a bright golden colour, not the sickly hue arising from 

 the shoots being unripened, as we see in so many things, 

 but they appear as if it wero the character of the plant to 

 be yellow, instead of green, like the Golden Holly and 

 some other trees. I have no doubt that this Eetinospora, 

 as well as its fellow, 11, pisifera, will be found ijuito haidy : 

 but so far as I can judge from what I have seen and what 

 is known of Sciadopitys verticillata, it will never become a 

 useful tree in this country. One that I liave had for three 

 years makes no progress whatever, or next to none, and 

 some other growers report on it in a similar way. I am 

 afraid that Torreya grandis will not prove hardy, which is 

 much to be n-gretted, as it promisi's to bo of better habit 

 and quicker giower than most now things in its way. 



I have not jet seen a good specimen of 'J'hujopsis dola- 

 brata, and wotUd like to know if it is likely to assume the 

 character of a. tree. Most of the plants tliat havo come 

 nndcr my notice, including one or two we havo here, seem 

 to require a stick and close-tyinif to make thom anything 

 like upright, while the stem docs not seem to increase in 

 thickness like CapresBua Lawsoniana and others, whif h, when 

 in a young state, have a semi-penduloua character. I expect 

 it will havo to bo coaxed into HJinpo if it ever assumos tree- 

 like proportions. When speaking of these matters might I 

 ask if any one has grown Araucuria Kulci, and can report 



favourably of it? Some time ago I heard of it exceeding 

 A. excelsa in beauty and symmetry. Is this reaUy so ? and, 

 as new Pinuses are so eagerly sought after, it would be well 

 to let the merits or failings of each bo made known by those 

 who have had experience with them. 



I am sorry I can neither confir-m nor difl'er from Mr. Fish 

 in his report of rabbits eating oiV the young shoots of 

 Mahonias, but I wiU take more notice of them when the 

 growing season comes round again. — J. Eobson. 



TLANT JUDGES. 



The remarks made by your correspondent respecting the 

 management of flower shows, appears to me to deserve the 

 attention of all interested in floral exhibitions, and lest it 

 should be thought an officious obtrusion in me saying any- 

 thing upon the subject, I will state my reasons for so 

 doing. 



Last summer I was appointed one of the plant judges at 

 a large exhibition in the north. I soon found that my 

 colleague was intimate with some of the exhibitors and 

 knew their plants, and the same remark applies to my- 

 self. On two or threo occasions wo differed as to which 

 collection should' have the first award; on each occasion 

 an umpire was called into the tent, whose decision, of 

 course, was final, and in each case ho decided against me, 

 the umpire, of course, having the same leanings as my 

 fellow judge. 



Now, I do not mean to impute unworthy motives, because 

 that would cut both ways, although I may state that in one 

 glaring instance the collection that was jjut second was 

 about 50 per cent, superior to the first. What I denounce 

 is the principle of having judges acquainted with the col- 

 lections they are judging. They ought to be, as far as 

 possible, strangers to the exhibitors and their products. I 

 know in some cases this is almost impossible, more pai'ti- 

 cularly at small shows ; but in the case of large exhibitions, 

 such as the one to which I have alluded, it would be much 

 more satisfactory to secure men irom a distance and unac- 

 quainted with the collections they adjudicate upon, and I 

 have an impression that this course would give satisfaction 

 to exhibitors. — Bkuce Fixdlay, Botanic Qardais, Manchester. 



OBITUAEY. 



The late Mk. William Cole. — We much regret to an- 

 nounce the death of Mr. William Cole, of Fog Lane Nursery, 

 Manchester, who has occiapied a high position as a plant 

 grower during a period of twenty-three years. Those who 

 had watched him for tho last three or four years, saw that 

 hard work and mental anxieties wero telling upon him. 

 The up-hill work of establishing a large nursery business, 

 and maintaining a world-wide rei^utation as a most success- 

 ful plant grower and exhibitor, was no ordinary task, and, 

 as with thousands of others. Nature gave way, but the name 

 will long remain in tho memory of phuit growers. Erysipelas 

 and fovur laid hold of him, and after a brief illness a peaceful 

 de.ath awaited him. He died December 2S, aged fifty-two. 

 Originally following another pvn'suit, circumstances led him 

 to adopt that of gardening, and ho at once placed himself 

 under Mr. Eobinson, gardener to — Delafield, Esq., Tun- 

 bridge Wells, with whom ho remained threo years. He 

 then went into Messrs. Cormack's Nursery at New Cross, 

 and we believe Mr. Charles Tiu'ner, of Slough, was in the 

 establislnncnt at the same time. Both have become emi- 

 nent, each taking a load in the two sections of plant-gi'ow- 

 ing, and continuing i'ast friends. In 1841 ho went as gar- 

 dener to — Lewis, Esq., of BlacUheath, and here began his 

 career as an exhibitor. Commencing with ]''uchsias, and 

 being encouraged by Mr. Lewis, ho followed with Heaths, 

 Ac. In 1845 ho became gardener to H. Collyor, Esq., of 

 Dartford, and remained with him \intil Christmas, 1853. 

 During that period he fought many a hard battle at Chis- 

 wick and the Kegent's I'ark with the late Mrs. Lawrence, 

 and being well matched, Mrs. Lawrence, who at that time 

 stood liigii for plant culture, found in Mr. Cole sometimes a 

 defeating opponent. As a sound, practical plant grower. 



