388 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ November 21, 1878. 
mondi, Anthurium Dechardi, Lilium neilgherrense, Draczenas, 
Palms, and Crotons. <A second-class certificate was awarded to 
Odontoglossum madrense. It has white sepals with maroon 
blotches and a rich yellow lip. The flowers are about 14 inch in 
diameter. and are highly perfumed. Mr. Bull also exhibited 
Croton Dormanianus, a distinct variety of the volutus type, but 
the leaves somewhat spathulate—a promising variety. A gold 
Banksian medal was recommended to be granted to Mr. Bull for 
his excellent group. 
Mr. Rowley, gardener to W. H. Covington, Esq., Esam Lodge, 
Streatham Common, exhibited large plants of standard Helio- 
tropes, which were shaken in transit, and was awarded a vote of 
thanks. A similar award was made to Mr. Smith for Cyclamens, 
which were very fresh and fine considering the earliness of the 
season. To one of them, Mont Blanc, white, large, well-formed 
flowers borne on footstalks a foot high, a first-class certificate was 
awarded. 
A first-class certificate was awarded to Messrs. Veitch & Sons 
for Calanthe Sedeni, the result of a cross between C. vestita and 
C. Veitchii. It is a splendid addition to this valuable class, being 
much deeper in colour than C. Veitchii. The flowers are the 
largest and richest of all, being very deep rose suffused with ma- 
genta, and a richer throat margined with white. The colour 
increases in intensity with the age of the flowers. The spike is 
robust and gracefully arched. This will become a_ standard 
variety, and will be coveted by all growers. Messrs. Veitch also 
exhibited Cypripedium Laurenceanum with grand marbled foliage 
and a very large expanded flower, and another forming on the 
same spike. It is of the C. barbatum type, and was sent from 
Borneo by Mr. Burbidge. 
Mr. Jacques, gardener to J. Perrin, Esq., was awarded a first- 
class certificate for Odontoglossum Alexandre var. Perrini, the 
most distinct variety that has yet been exhibited, every flower 
being broadly margined with purplish lilac. It is both novel and 
attractive. Mr. Cannell exhibited wonderfully fine groups -of 
Geraniums White and Salmon Vesuvius in 5 and 6-inch pots, each. 
plant carrying six to eight fine trusses, the tops of the flowers not 
being more than 6 inches from the surface of the pots. Mr. 
Cannell also exhibited grand bunches of cut blooms of leading 
zonal varieties, and was worthily awarded a vote of thanks. Mr. 
Gilbert, The Gardens, Burghley, Stamford, exhibited cut flowers 
of double Primulas, one of which—Lord Beaconsfield, is very rich 
in colour, and all were fine. Some of them had been previously 
certificated, and the variety named would possibly have received 
the same honour had a plant of it been exhibited instead of cut 
flowers. : 
Messrs. Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, exhibited about fifty 
plants of Begonia Freebelli raised from seed sown in the spring. 
The plants were in 5-inch pots, and had fine foliage and flowers— 
valuable and attractive. A silver medal was recommended. The 
same firm also exhibited good Cyclamens and cut blooms of 
Chrysanthemums. Mr. Atkins, gardener to Col. Loyd Lindsay, 
Lockinge, Wantage, also exhibited a stand of Chrysanthemums, 
the blooms being arranged on moss, and was awarded a vote of 
thanks. 
Mr. A. Waterer exhibited Conifers and a bright golden Holly— 
Ilex scotica—to which a first-class certificate was awarded. Mr. 
C. Noble exhibited Thujopsis borealis aureo-variegata, which has 
been previously certificated. It is a free-growing and valuable 
Conifer. Mr. Ford, gardener to W. E. Hubbard, Esq., Leonards- 
lee, was awarded a vote of thanks for cut sprays and cones of 
Conifers. Messrs. Veitch’s collection of.winter bedding plants— 
Conifers, berried shrubs, dwarf evergreens, &c.—was exhibited 
in a hundred flat baskets each 4 feet in diameter. The plants 
could not number less than two thousand, and probably much 
exceeded that number. It was altogether a remarkable contribu- 
tion, and a gold Banksian medal was recommended to Messrs. 
Veitch. Sir C. W. Strickland, Bart., exhibited a flowering plant 
of Coburgia trichroma, for which a cultural commendation was 
awarded. A botanical certificate was awarded to Mr. Green, gar- 
dener to Sir G. Macleay, Bart., for Hoplophytum calyculatum, 
and a vote of thanks to Mr. Noble for Crimson Bedder Rose as a 
late-blooming variety. 
Abutilon igneum with pendant crimson flowers, Begonia 
Moonlight very fine, and cut flowers of Bouvardias in upwards 
of a dozen varieties, were sent from the Society’s gardens at 
Chiswick. The meeting was an excellent one, and there was a 
large attendance of visitors. 
SPECIAL Prizesi—The prizes offered by Messrs. James Carter 
and Co., Messrs. Sutton & Sons, and Messrs. Hooper & Co. were 
competed for at this meeting. For Messrs. Carter’s prizes for a 
collection of ten dishes of vegetables, the kinds being stipulated 
but not the varieties, there were thirteen competitors. Mr. Prag- 
nell, The Gardens, Sherborne Castle, received the premier posi- 
tion with splendid dishes of Improyed White Spanish Onion, 
Schoolmaster and Magnum Bonum Potatoes, Williams’ Matchless 
Celery, James’s Intermediate Carrot, Veitch’s Autumn Giant 
Cauliflower, Early Snowball Turnip, Carter’s Heartwell Marrow 
Cabbage, Carter’s Maltese Parsnip, and Pragnell’s Exhibition 
Beet. Mr. G. T. Miles, Wycombe Abbey, was an excellent 
second ; Mr. G. Neal, gardener to T. Southby, Esq., Bampton, 
eth third ; ‘and Mr. J. Baker, Broad Street, Bampton, Oxon, 
fourth. 
Mr, Pragnell also won the first position in competition for 
Messrs. Suttons’ prizes for a collection of vegetables with Early 
Snowball Turnip, Suttons’ Improved Reading Onion, Tender-and- 
True Cucumber, Fulham Prize Celery, Suttons’ King of the Cauli- 
flowers, Imported Brussels Sprouts, Schoolmaster Potato, Carentan. 
Leek, Green Curled Savoy, Suttons’ Student Parsnip, James’s In- 
termediate Carrot, and Suttons’ Improved Beet, all in admirable 
condition. Mr. G. Neal, gardener to T. Southby, Esq., Bampton, 
Oxon, was second; Mr. W. Iggulden, gardener to R. B. Wingfield 
Baker, Esq., Orsett Hall, third. Six excellent collections were 
staged, several of the varieties being stipulated. Messrs. Suttons” 
prizes for twelve Magnum Bonum Potatoes brought out fifteen 
competitors. Mr. G. Donaldson, gardener to Lord Kintore, Kort- 
haH, Inverurie, was placed first; and Mr. T. Bailey, gardener to. 
Capt. Drake, Shardeloes Gardens, Amersham, second. For twelve 
Improved Reading Onions there were eight entries, Mr. G. Neal, 
Bampton, Oxon, being placed first, and Mr. John Baker, Broad: 
Street, Bampton, Oxon, second. The produce in these classes was. 
highly meritorious. For Messrs. Hooper’s prizes (offered for six 
dishes of the following new Potatoes—McKinlay’s Pride, Covent 
Garden Perfection, Grampian, Triumph, Trophy, and Burbank’s. 
Seedling), Mr. P. McKinlay, Woodbine House, Beckenham, and 
Mr. James M. Gilks, Wickham, Newbury, Berks, were the only 
exhibitors, and were awarded the prizes in the order named. 
GARDEN FENCING. 
CAN any of your readers offer me suggestions for a cheap, 
durable, and reasonably safe fencing for the experimental 
garden (about three acres, mostly unfenced) at Sandy, Beds ? 
Foreign timber, oak and larch poles, also steam sawing and 
cutting, are tolerably cheap in the locality, A wall, on account 
of the depth of soil and expense, is out of the question. At 
present I can foresee nothing better than a close wooden fence: 
for a portion of about 300 feet on the north side, so as to afford 
a sheltered south border; and for the remainder, of about 
16 chains, a post and rail paled fence, the wood for posts being 
oak, and the posts and rails of red deal, larch I am told being 
best but more expensive, the wood for rails and pales being 
rough-sawn diagonally. Is there anything better or cheaper 
than this? and what are the best materials, especially for the 
close fence? It has been suggested that old railway sleepers 
would make good and cheap posts, and black Italian poplar 
for the boarding of the close fence. If railway sleepers are 
used should they be sawn in two? At what depth in the 
ground and distances apart should the posts be placed for the 
close and paled fences? and what the sizes, thicknesses, and 
distances of the posts, rails, pales, and boards? Will two or 
three arras rails be necessary for a5 feet or 5-feet 6-inch fence ? 
What is the best material to coat it with ? and what should be: 
about the complete cost per chain of the close and paled work ? 
—T. Laxton, Bedford. 
PRUNING SHRUBS. 
THE timely and sensible notes under this heading on page 
361 induce me to call attention to the important fact, that 
shrubs chosen without due thought or knowledge of the lead-. 
ing peculiarities of their fully developed forms often leads to 
crowding, which it is sought to prevent by a system of hacking 
and hewing unworthy of the name of pruning. Almost all 
ornamental shrubs become so naturally with very little assist- 
ance from the pruner’s hands—no more, in point of fact, than 
the “removing one of the leaders when two are forming,” or 
cutting a few points off to impart balance and symmetry, as 
“PRACTICALIST ” points out, provided they have the full benefit 
of light and air on every side. Far better have a dozen really 
well-grown specimens than a hundred wretched starvelings 
crowded together in an unmeaning jungle, often battling for 
bare existence. For securing handsome shrubs thinning, 
transplantation, and re-arrangement are much more important 
than pruning, the necessity for which they in a great measure: 
enable us to ayoid when practised with requisite promptitude 
and care. 
In addition to its beneficial effect upon the shrubs the pro- 
cess of thinning places many thriving young specimens at our 
disposal for the enrichment and decoration of other parts of 
the garden, and so a new shrubbery planted thickly in the 
first instance for the production of a certain immediate effect 
becomes, for a time at least, a nursery whence we ean gradually 
withdraw a store of shrubs at our own convenience and at any 
