268 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



[ April 4, 1365. 



EOYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



WEEKLY SHOW. — APBIL IST. 



On this occasion Mr. Bull sent a small collection of 

 Camellias, striped Azaleas, MediniUa maguifica, a small 

 plant of Alocasia Lowii, Bertolonia mai-^aritacea, the leaves 

 beautifully studded as if with pearls, Arisaema ringeus pur- 

 puratum, Anthurium leuconeurum, his fine Imantophyllum 

 miniatum, Sauromatum gattatum. Cineraria Attraction, 

 with a broad n-hite ring margined with bright rosy purple; 

 and specimen plants of Astrocaiyum mexicauum, and La- 

 tania rubra. 



Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith, also sent Camellias, Medi- 

 nUla, and Boronia pinnata ; Mr. Catleugh, Chelsea, Cytisus, 

 Pelargoniums, and yellow Azaleas ; Lady Cai'oline Legge, a 

 small plant of Hymenophyllum tunbridgense ; and Mr. 

 Coysh, gardener to E. "Wood, Esq., Eagby, three plants of 

 Dielytra speetabilis, in excellent bloom ; also, seven Azaleas, 

 all in good bloom, one specimen grown as a bush, being 

 particularly good. Accompanying these were two Statices, 

 and very good plants of Adiantum cuneatum and pubes- 

 cens. 



Mr. Kilminster, gardener to Mrs. Seaton Laing, sent three 

 stands for dinner-table decoration; also, a flower-basket 

 filled with white Azaleas, Camellias, Deutzias, and other 

 spring flowers. Messrs. Lucking & Greeves likewise con- 

 tributed flower-baskets, bouquets, &c. Lastly, from Mr. 

 Meredith, came his Black Alicante Grapes stiU in excellent 

 preservation ; and from some one unknown some very good 

 specimens of Reinette du Canada, Blenheim Orange, Adams' 

 Pearmain, and other Apples. 



HAYMA^"•S EEGISTERED ALBERT VASE 

 FLOWEE-BOX. 



This newly-invented vase flower-box differs from the old 

 flower-box in its capability of being taken to pieces, and 

 the parts n^od spparately as vases, or together as boxes. 



These are by a simple contrivance attached together, so 



that they cannot be blown down. There is also another 



and far greater improvement in the mode 



by which water and air are admitted to the 



Toote. 



It can be used for decorating the table, 

 hall, or can be placed on brackets, or in 

 conservatories, in verandahs, or in-doors for 

 flowers in the winter. The old form of 

 boxes are too heavy to be removed readily, 

 and are comparatively useless during the winter. 



They have a very ornamental appearance, being made of 

 zinc with ornamental plate glass, or Minton tiles placed in 

 front, and japanned all round. They are calculated to last 

 for many years, and are inexpensive compared to the old 

 boxes. 



CULTUEE OF FIGS IN POTS. 



I AM growing Figs in pots, in a heat of from 70° to 80". The 

 plants are small, but in 13 and 1.5-inch pots. How thick may 

 I allow the fruit to remain ? It is now on some branches as 

 close as 3 inches. The Figs are about 3 inches in circum- 

 ference — Brown Turkey, and White Marseilles. I cut 

 through e.Tch terminal-bud as directed in your .Tournal 

 (February 23rd, 18C4, page 158), and I find some of the 

 bada do not start again at present. Will the Figs on 

 these branches without terminal shoots come to perfection. 

 — C.P. 



pTou are growing your Figg in a great heat, and must 

 give water in proportion ; only let them once be dry, and the 



fruit will fall. The Figs will swell very fairly without the 

 terminal-bud. You must have nipped it through well back, 

 as it has not pushed. We woidd take off a few Figs before 

 the second swelling.] 



ONION CULTUEE. 



In the Journal of the 7th ult., under "Work for the 

 Week," it is recommended in making Onion-beds to raise 

 them 9 inches above the ground level. Surely this must be 

 a slip of the pen ? In light soil, with such a season as the 

 last, it would be next to impossible to obtain a crop on beds 

 of that description. As the system of grov/ing Onions 

 practised here has been very successful, I send you a brief 

 description of it. 



In the first place, I may state that until ten or twelve 

 years ago the crop was annually almost destroyed by the 

 Onion grub. To prevent this I have not found anything 

 equal to charcoal, applied as follows : — Before sowing-time 

 a quantity is pounded and sifted through a half-inch sieve ; 

 the quarter of ground intended for Onions is then well 

 trodden ; the drills are drawn 1 foot apart and li inch more 

 than the usual depth, which extra depth is filled up with 

 the prepared charcoal, on which the seed is sown in the 

 usual way. Since we adopted this plan, with one slight 

 exception, the grub has not troubled us. 



I do not claim the invention of this system. I have only 

 improved upon the original, which I had from an old brick- 

 layer who was noted for growing good Onions. His practice 

 was to collect all his hedge clippings and other brushwood, to 

 char them, and dig all into his Onion-bed. To this he attri- 

 buted his success. — H, P., Elsham Hall. 



[Mr. Keane directs the bed to be raised 9 inches to allow 

 for the treading and rolling, which consolidates the soil.] 



SATUEDAY HALF-HOLIDAYS 

 GAEDENEES. 



FOE 



We think you have signed your somewhat rhapsodical and 

 poetical letter very properly by appending to it " Youthful 

 foUy and discontent." There is such an amount of intelli- 

 gence underlying it that we question very much if you have 

 obtained much relief by " making a clean breast of it." Wo 

 have no belief in reliefs in any trouble or difficulty unless 

 they are based on what is just and right. With a sense of 

 what is right as we think strong in your nature, we can 

 hardly see how you could be otherwise than discontented with 

 yourself, when in such a stormy afternoon you could make 

 a cogitating stool of a reversed large flower-pot, instead of 

 using your hands in the very simple work of picking dis- 

 coloured leaves from bedding Geraniums. The work merely 

 required a little of the eye and the quickness of the hand, 

 and but little of the mind, so that you could easily have 

 worked and thought on other matters too. You might have 

 told " discontent " to be gone if you had just thought of 

 poor fellows working out of doors. Our happiness depends 

 more on the way we look at circumstances than the circum- 

 stances themselves. The advocates of improvements and 

 reformations should show they are fit for and worthy of the 

 improved position. What would never be advanced as a 

 boon to "foUy" may be freely given to prudence and in- 

 tegi-ity. 



From what we have stated in answer to other correspon- 

 dents it will be seen that we are no advocates for long hours 

 of labour. We think it advisable to leave a little earlier on 

 Saturdays, if possible, than on other days. Holidays them- 

 selves at times are very desirable, and are beneficial to 

 employer and employed, and we believe all the more when 

 not looked upon as matters of " right," but of mutual under- 

 standing. Wo have stated why in some cases Saturday 

 would bo the most unsuitable day of the week — otherwise if 

 employers should approve of some of the men having some 

 hours that day there could be no other objection. The lime 

 may come when there wiU be much shorter hours of work 

 in all days, but that is not yet, and we must take matters 

 as we find them. 



Our correspondent wants to know why young gardeners 

 cannot bo treated to the Saturday half-holiday as well as 



