September 5, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
LOT 
Mr. Sibbald the Superintendent, and an active Committee, all of 
whom discharged their duties with much tact and courtesy. 
NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
We find from a prospectus we have received that Mr. 
Laxton, who is so favourably known as a_ hybridist and 
the raiser of many excellent Peas, Roses, Strawberries, 
Geraniums, and other garden plants, is about to establish 
AN EXPERIMENTAL GARDEN in which to carry on the work 
of hybridisation in which he has already been so success- 
ful. In his prospectus Mr. Laxton says, “The plan has 
already received the approval and concurrence of many scien- 
tific horticulturists, agriculturists, and botanists. The whole 
time, experience, judgment, zeal, and energy of Mr. Laxton, 
who has been so many years successfully engaged in cross- 
breeding, selecting, and raising new fruits, vegetables, Roses, 
and other flowers and plants, will be brought to bear, and as 
the garden will also to some extent fulfil the only practicable 
objects of the mis-named acclimatisation societies of other 
countries, as applied to the vegetable kingdom, it is confidently 
anticipated that the proposal will meet not only with the 
approbation but the material support of all interested. It is 
desired as far as possible to make the garden self-supporting ; 
but as experiments in horticulture and agriculture are always 
costly, and, although frequently precarious in their results, 
generally conduce somewhat towards the public weal, it will 
hardly be considered inappropriate that the means should be 
at least partly provided by the public. For the purpose of 
successfully carrying out the plan endeavours are being made 
to secure two or three acres of good staple garden land with a 
limited amount of glass in a central and sheltered situation, 
for which a moderate capital and some choice stock will be 
necessary. Donations in furtherance of the objects in view 
will be received by Mr. Thomas Laxton, 53, Tavistock Street, 
Bedford, who hopes also, so soon as a suitable site can be pro- 
cured, to receive contributions of plants, stock, &c. The terms 
of subscription with regulations and full particulars will 
shortly be issued. The privileges to be accorded to subscribers 
will include a. priority in the distribution of all novelties raised 
at or secured by the establishment. and a right to a copy of 
the reports of the work carried on in the garden, as published 
from time to time, and to a share of the surplus plants, seeds, 
&e.”’ We wish Mr, Laxton every success, and we have no 
doubt that if he has the opportunity he will add very consider- 
ably to his other achievements in this branch of horticulture. 
—— WE are glad to learn that the IsLe OF THANET 
FLOWER SHOW, held on the 31st ult. in the grounds of 
Bromstone Park, kindly lent by G. E. Hannan, Esq., was a 
successful one, and was attended by a great throng of visitors. 
Plants, flowers, fruit, and vegetables were alike good and 
creditable to the several exhibitors. The arrangements were 
complete and excellent, and reflected credit on Mr. C. D. Smith, 
the Honorary Secretary, and the other officials of the Show. 
—— THE late excursion of the NORTHAMPTON NATURAL 
History Socrery to Rothwell, Rushton, and Lamport proved, 
says the ‘‘ Midland Counties Naturalist,’ a very enjoyable one. 
The party first visited the gardens and grounds of Rushton 
House, in which is situated the Triangular Lodge where the 
conspirators met to concoct the gunpowder plot. The wilder- 
ness used to be the habitat of the Fly Orchis, but this was 
searched for in yain. Rothwell Church and Market House 
were then visited, the misereve seats in the former being very 
curious. After a pleasant drive through the Harrington Valley 
and Orton to Foxhall, near which occurs the almost sole piece 
of bogland left in Northants, the botanical section eagerly 
searched over this ground, which yielded among other plants 
Pinguicula vulgaris, Eriophorum angustifolium, Carex puli- 
caris,* C, stellulata,* C. flava,* C. fulva,* Carduus pratensis, 
Pedicularis palustris, Pimpinella magna, Gymnadenia conopsea, 
Orchis latifolia, Ophioglossum yulgatum, Molinia ccerulea,* 
Triodia decumbens,* Valeriana dioica, and a very rare plant, 
Blysmus compressus.* In the hedgerows nearer Mosely Wood 
Rosa tomentosa, R. micrantha, and R. Donianaoccur. Rejoin- 
ing the photographic section at Foxhall the party proceeded to 
Lamport, noticing on the way Festuca Myurus. At Lamport 
the grounds of Sir Charles Isham afforded some pleasant 
rambles, the rockeries being covered with some interesting 
alpine plants. The rectory pond is said by Rey. J. M. Berkeley 
- to yield Acorus calamus. [Plants marked thus (*) are not 
included in “Topographical Botany.’’] 
—— A CORRESPONDENT. writes :—“At this season of the 
year the labour of sweeping becomes a serious matter where 
there is a large garden. Can you inform me whether there is 
any MACHINE FOR SWEEPING LAWNS AND PATHS, which 
would either gather up the rubbish as the mowing machine 
does, or even sweep it into lines as the machine used in 
the London streets does?” [Is not this worthy the attention 
of some enterprising horticultural engineer ?—Eps. J. or H.] 
Ty another column Mr. Luckhurst adduces examples 
showing the importance of SHELTER FOR FRUIT TREES. We 
may add another instance that recently came under our notice 
of a splendid crop of Apples, the result in a great measure of a 
sheltering belt of forest trees on the north side of the orchard. 
This fruitful young orchard is at Wimbledon, and belongs to 
Sir Henry W. Peek. Many of the Apple trees are crowded 
with fruit, and afford a striking contrast to thousands of trees 
that in other places are barren. Since so much is written om 
the pruning of trees it may be mentioned that for two years 
the trees referred to have not been pruned at all, unless the 
removal of an occasional branch in its entirety can be termed 
pruning, and the trees are as handsome in form and fruitful in 
character as can be desired. 
A MeEErine of the creditors of MEssrs. W. ROLLISSON 
AND Sons of Tooting was held on the 27th ult. at No. 8, Old 
Jewry, H.C., when a trustee was appointed. The meeting was 
largely attended, and at the close the chairman remarked 
that much sympathy had been evinced by the creditors 
present for Messrs. Rollisson whose business is still being 
carried on, and it is confidently hoped that an arrangement 
may be arrived at whereby the uninterrupted continuance 
of the firm, which has now existed for nearly one hundred 
years, will be ensured. 
—— Iv is with much regret we announce the DEATH OF Mrs. 
OsBORN of the Fulham Nursery, widow of the late Mr. Thomas 
Osborn, and mother of Mr. Robert Osborn, who is by this sad 
occurrence left with the sole responsibility of the business. 
Mrs. Osborn died on Friday last, the 30th of August, at the 
age of sixty-one, after having for the last six months been 
entirely confined to the house. 
NOTES ON VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
Tue latter half of August has been excessively wet in the 
neighbourhood of London, if not pretty general throughout 
Europe. The barometer has risen during the past few days, which 
gives us hopes of a change to drier weather which is much needed. 
Flower beds are not so gay as we are wont to see them on the 
1st of September. Geraniums haye grown coarse, while many 
other plants are looking somewhat weedy. It has been a fine time 
for the kitchen garden crops, and the winter supply of vegetables 
has made rapid progress; the only drawback is that the heavy 
rains have in many places, especially on hillsides, washed deep 
holes in garden paths, involving extra labour in levelling and 
rolling. 
The various seeds that were advised in a former calendar to 
be sown have germinated sufficiently, so that there promises to 
be an abundance of every necessary to carry us through the 
winter. Myriads of seedling weeds have also made their appear- 
ance, these we shall take an opportunity of destroying by running 
the hoe through them on the first dry and warm days. The 
spring-sown Onions are quite ripe and have been pulled and laid 
to dry. As soon as sufficiently dry they will be strung together 
in small quantities and hung up. We know of no better way of 
keeping them, for frost and dry cold winds do not appear to 
injure them. Look over Potatoes that haye recently been taken. 
up, for we fear there will be loud complaints about the disease ; 
after lifting we find several diseased tubers amongst ours. Make 
the last sowing of Lettuce for this season of the Bath or Brown 
Cos to withstand the winter, which will give tender and crisp 
Lettuces next May, and prick-out earlier crops a few inches apart 
on a warm rich border, that they may be lifted in the course of a, 
few weeks and placed under protection in frames, &. Thin 
Tumips before they grow overcrowded. These ought to be 
plentiful and good this autumn; the heavy rains have prevented. 
the fly attacking them as much as ordinarily. 
The propagation of next season’s bedding stock must now for 
the present absorb our attention, and the sooner the cuttings are 
now taken off and inserted the greater is the chance of success. 
Geraniums of all kinds are easily detached, but care should be 
taken not to disfigure the beds. It isa very good plan to allow 
the cuttings of Geraniums after they have been made to lay for a 
few hours to heal the wounds caused by separation. By exposure 
for a short time the sap partially dries up, and a callus is the 
quicker formed with less risk of decaying. Place the cuttings 
of Geraniums thickly in shallow boxes, which are usually made 
from 2 to 3 feet long, 9 inches to a foot wide, and from 4 to 
