106 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ August 8, 1878. 
very fine lot of flowers ; and Mr. Smith of Stranraer showed such 
blooms as he has never before exhibited. In Mr. Dickson’s stand 
Richard Wallace, Duchesse de Vallombrosa, Star of Waltham, 
Sophie Tropot, Sultan of Zanzibar, Alexander Dickson, John 
8. Mill, and Mons. E. Y. Teas were especially fine, while his box of 
Teas, including Reine de Portugal (rarely seen), Homeére, Smith’s 
Yellow, another uncommon Rose ; Souvenir d’un Ami, Souvenir 
d@#lise, &c., was excellent. In Mr. Smith’s stand Oxonian. 
Madame Therése Leyet, Baronne de Rothschild, Mons. Fournier, 
Prince Arthur, and Charles Lefebvre were especially good. The 
gardeners and amateurs contributed some excellent stands, especi- 
ally considering the season. Such a summer has not been known 
in Scotland for twenty or thirty years—no rain for nearly 
two months, the burns nearly all dry, and the rivers very low. 
All this combined with most scorching weather deprived many 
an exhibitor of his hoped-for blooms ; but there was a great im- 
provement in the quality of the stands, fewer bad Roses, and 
many very excellent blooms which would not have discredited 
any show. I must here also tell a wee tale which I was per- 
mitted to tell at the dinner. I have said that Mr. Mackenzie the 
founder of the Show had gone to Ceylon. Well, a letter had been 
received from him a few days before I was there, in which 
in speaking of his neighbours, who he said had been so kind, he 
added, “ —— has given me a pig, and now I shall have plenty of 
(pork and sausages? oh, no!) good manure for my Roses.” I 
think the most thoroughly rosarian view of the gift of a pig I 
ever remember to have read. 
One great treat I enjoyed was the inspection of Mr. Vernon’s 
new patent toilet ware, which is really most beautiful and 
elegant. One treat I did not enjoy was in stepping out of a 
drag I jarred my ankle, which will give me a memento of 
Newton Stewart for some time to come. I cannot close these 
rambling notes without expressing my deep sense of grati- 
tude for all the kindness I have received in my ramble, 
and have again to bear witness to the heartiness of Scotch 
hospitality—D., Deal. 
A PLEA FOR TYDAAS. 
Durine the hot months of summer it is not easy to find 
plants for keeping greenhouses and conservatories gay without 
arranging the same kinds of plants under glass that are grow- 
ing in the flower garden. While such plants as zonal Pelar- 
goniums are admissible for indoor decoration in summer, some 
of the better and newer varieties being indispensable, it is not 
well that they should unduly preponderate. A change is 
always refreshing, and the eye generally rests with more 
satisfaction on plants in houses when they are not merely 
duplicates of plants growing and flowering in equal or better 
condition in the open ground. 
Amongst plants that are extremely attractive when well 
grown and displayed under glass, and of which there are at the 
same time no representatives growing and flowering outside 
the houses, are Tydzeas. The varieties of this genus are ex- 
tremely diversified in colour and many of them are very 
beautiful. The lighter colours are remarkably chaste and the 
darker varieties intensely rich. These plants, however, are 
not exclusively summer flowers, for by starting the plants at 
different periods they will produce flowers “all the year round.”’ 
In the depth of winter I have seen them much admired. but 
not more so than during the sultry months of summer, when, 
as before observed, they afford an agreeable change from the 
ordinary popular flowers that are usually grown in large 
quantities both in and out of doors. The varieties are very 
numerous, and some of them are not particularly striking, but 
the following half-dozen, selected from a collection in Messrs. 
Rollisson’s Nursery at Tooting, are distinct and good. 
Rosenovia Hanstenii—Creamy white, with lilac and purple 
stripes, and rose blotches on the lobes. The flowers are large, 
and the plant is a strong grower, but does not flower so con- 
tinuously as some other varieties. Good. 
Rosenovia ornata—Tube scarlet ; upper sepals of the limb 
bright scarlet, lower one light amber spotted with scarlet. 
Very rich and glowing. 
Venusta.—F lowers of excellent shape and good substance ; 
colour purplish lake with crimson veins and spots. Very dis- 
tinct and attractive. 
Sape.—Intense velvety crimson, with crimson-purple spots; 
flowers large, well formed, and remarkably rich. 
Robert le Diable—Deep crimson, with velvety and nearly 
black veins and spots. A very dark and fine variety. 
Madame Heine.—Although this is mentioned last it is quite 
one of the best and most useful varieties in cultivation. It 
has been previously alluded to as being considerably grown 
and much admired at Kew. Its colour is rosy crimson covered 
with a delicate network of veins and spots. 
Few plants are of more easy culture than Tydxas. During 
the growing season they require the same general treatment 
as Achimenes, but, unlike those plants, they must not be totally 
dried off during the resting period. It is probably to over- 
dryness in winter, or when not growing, that the loss of many 
Tydeas is attributable. Keep the soil moderately moist and 
the plants are safe.—J. W. S. 
THE MADRESFIELD COURT VINE. 
I HAVE made several experiments with this fine Grape, as, 
through its tendency to crack, it had become useless here. 
For several years I grew it inarched on the Black Hamburgh 
and Muscadine, these Vines being on their own roots—that is, 
there were four Vines. This inarching prevented the berries 
cracking, but they all became round and smaller than the 
Madresfield Court on its own roots. My last experiment was 
to inarch the Vine—that is, the Madresfield inarched on the 
Black Hamburgh—on a stout rod of Glendinning’s Seedling, 
a strong-growing variety with large fleshy leaves, the berries 
being semi-oval, thick-skinned, and amber whenripe. The effect 
of this experiment has been to change the berries back again 
into their oval shape, considerably larger than [ have ever 
grown them before and. without any symptom of cracking. 
The Madresfield Court which I inarched on the Muscadine 
produced round berries precisely the same in all respects as the 
one on the Black Hamburgh. After a time I cut this Vine off 
from the Muscadine. For the first year the berries continued 
to grow round, afterwards oval and cracked.—OBSERVER. 
THE ROSE ELECTION. 
As briefly as possible I reply to “ WyLD SAVAGE’S”’ stric- 
tures. I believe his friend did not reply to the circular ; if he 
did he overlooked the taking several prizes at local compe- 
titions as qualification. “WYLD SAVAGE” praised his Roses 
extremely, founded on their excellence—a plea for giving up a 
practice that most successful exhibitors follow, and wound up 
with his success. What more natural than that a returning 
officer, anxious to secure every qualified elector, should apply, 
especially when his productions had been praised by so great 
an authority ? 
Next, I have never claimed for the election that it was a 
“ouide to leading exhibitors.” Why, what could it teach 
them? They know much more than the election or the return- 
ing officer can teach them, and what really is hoped for is to 
obtaim the opinions of these leading exhibitors as a guide to 
the lesser growers. Thatithas thus been useful many willingly 
attest, and to that verdict I look rather than to that of our 
friend ‘‘WYLD SAVAGE,” who, his great knowledge and powers 
notwithstanding, is just a wee bit crotchety, and apt to fire off 
his arrows without stopping to reflect whether the rebound 
might not tell against himself. 
However, there are thorns enough on some of our favourites 
which we need not plunge into each other. 
Meanwhile I may state that the circular this year has been 
sent, with but few exceptions, to prizetakers at the National, 
Alexandra, Hereford, and other shows, and I am quite certain 
beforehand that the result will not please everybody, con- 
soling myself with the reflection that to others it will prove 
useful JOSEPH HINTON. 
Ir may be in the recollection of your readers that when last 
year’s election was first mooted some correspondents expressed 
a desire that Teas might have an especial recognition therein. 
Mr. Hinton’s reply was that he could not attend to it then, but 
if spared to try another year he hoped to do something in this 
direction. Can he attend to this matter now ? 
As the general election is to decide the best forty-eight 
Roses, and as we are never, so far as I am aware, called upon 
to show more than twelve Teas (distinct sorts that is), I think 
it could be managed this way :—Name the best thirty-six Roses 
(Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals) and then twelve Teas in order 
of merit, the hardiest, best growers, and freest bloomers. 
I know “ WYLD SAVAGE” is very partial to Teas, what does 
he think of this plan ?—A LOVER OF ROSE SHOWS. 
THE plan proposed by “‘WyLpD SAVAGE” of obtaining lists 
of Roses from prizewinners at the great shows is an excellent 
one. The elections are primarily for the benefit of exhibitors 
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