November 21, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
389 
favourable moment of the planting season. That season has 
again come round, and is likely to be a busy one, for the past 
summer was remarkable for the robust growth of almost all 
trees and shrubs. Above all plant early and plant well, and so 
avoid those vexatious losses so frequently resulting from tardy 
planting and a dry spring; for it is those scathing parching 
blasts from the bitter north-east that so often cause branch and 
leaf to shrivel and to disfigure the garden with those unsightly 
objects—half-dead shrubs.—HEDWARD LUCKHURST. 
CELOSIA PYRAMIDALIS. 
ALONG with this I send you a few sprays of Celosia, which 
are extensively grown here for autumn and winter decoration. 
It is a wonder they are not more generally and extensively 
cultivated than they are, for few plants are more ornamental 
and useful at this season. They last in bloom for months, and 
are yery lasting in a cut state—D. THOMSON, Drumlanrig. 
[We never saw such handsome plumes ; the crimson variety 
combining elegance with richness’in colour in a remarkable 
degree, and the yellow variety is extremely chaste. They re- 
present a splendid strain of a valuable section of Celosia, and 
have been admirably cultivated.—EDs. ] 
NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
“AN OLD EXHIBITOR” writes—“Some of your grateful 
readers would propose to join in a little TESTIMONIAL, to take 
the form of a silver inkstand, as a slight tribute of gratitude 
to our ‘returning officer,’ Mr. JosePpH H1nTOoN, for his valued 
labour of love now extended over several years; and I feel 
sure many of your readers who have benefited by the election 
of Roses would feel obliged if the Editors of the Journal 
would kindly undertake to receive their subscriptions for this 
purpose.” 
— WE have received a long letter from Mr. Wills on the 
subject of a COLONIAL MusruM ror LONDON, in which he 
assumes that “the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society 
have taken steps with a view of allocating as a site for the 
Colonial Museum the situation I had the honour of suggesting 
in my memorial to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales 
and Her Majesty’s Commissioners of 1851.” As we are in a 
position to state that the Council of the Royal. Horticultural 
Society have taken no such steps as were indicated in Mr. 
Wills’s letter, and that such a matter is quite beyond their 
province, we suspect that Mr. Wills must be labouring under 
some misapprehension on the subject, and we have therefore 
thought it better that this letter should not be published. 
—— Visrrors to the CRYSTAL PALACE during the past three 
weeks must have greatly admired the fine display of Chrys- 
anthemums grown by Mr. Thomson. The plants during previous 
years haye been arranged in a semicircular group at the front 
of the orchestra, but this year it has been found necessary to 
place them in other parts of the building. The change is.an 
improvement rather than otherwise. Splendid groups are now 
arranged at both ends of the great transept and in one of the 
side courts. The most striking blooms are those of Golden 
Empress of India. These are indeed magnificent, and un- 
doubtedly the finest that have ever been produced. Ail the 
varieties of Queen are similarly remarkable for their great 
size, as also are Prince Alfred, the Beverleys, Guernsey Nugget, 
Bronze and Yellow Jardin des Plantes, Lady Hardinge, Dr. 
and Mrs. Sharpe, Abbé Passaglia, Peter the Great, Lady Tal- 
fourd, Mr. Murray, Alfred Salter, Golden Eagle, and John 
Salter. Very rich are Mount Etna, Julie Lagraviére, and 
Bernard Palissy ; and a white reflexed variety of moderate 
size, and extremely floriferous demands special attention— 
Sceur Melanie; for general decorative purposes and for 
affording a supply of cut blooms for vase decoration this is 
one of the best varieties that can be grown. About four thou- 
sand plants of Chrysanthemums are grown at ‘‘the Palace,” 
and the display has never been finer than during the present 
autumn. 
WE have seen a very useful contrivance introduced by 
Messrs. Tidcombe & Son of Watford, Herts, called THE GRAVEL- 
WALK METAL SCRAPER MAT. The name indicates its use. 
Tt is to be placed at the entrances to residences, conserva- 
tories, greenhouses, and flower gardens, to clean the feet from 
accumulations of gravel, which too frequently cling to them 
in certain states of the weather. This it does very effectually, 
as we have proved by using it ; and as the material of which it 
is composed is iron, it is far more durable than anything of a 
similar nature made from yulcanite, cocoa-nut fibre, or such 
perishable materials. Why should it be called “a mat?” 
A LINCOLNSHIRE CORRESPONDENT informs us that the 
RUSSIAN TRANSPARENT APPLE has been selling in the local 
market at 4s. the stone of 14 tbs.—more than double the price 
of ordinary market Apples. In the same market the selling 
price of Beurré Diel Pearis 5s. perstone. On the above grounds 
our correspondent recommends the fruits named as being pro- 
fitable for market purposes. 
A GRAND and extensive display of CHRYSANTHEMUMS 
is now arranged in VICTORIA PARK for the gratification of the 
‘“‘east-enders”” and visitors generally. The plants are in pots 
and haye been excellently grown. They are arranged under 
canyas, the front of the improvised tent, facing south, being 
rolled up during fine days. The group is about 100 yards in, 
length and 9 feet wide, the taller plants at the back being 
7 feet in height. the others in front sloping down and finishing 
with Pompons little more than a foot high. There is thus a 
face of bloom of about 900 square yards in extent. Between 
three and four thousand plants are employed, and the group 
has, as may be expected, a very imposing appearance; hundreds 
of blooms are of exhibition quality. Upwards of 120 large- 
flowering varieties are grown, and about thirty varieties of 
Pompons. Recently the weather has been unfavourable for 
visitors, but during fine days the numbers attending to inspect 
the display prove how much the flowers are admired, and how 
thoroughly, and deservedly, Mr. McIntyre’s efforts to render 
the Park to the fullest extent possible enjoyable and attractive 
are appreciated. 
WE are informed that the excellent arrangements of 
the PuTNEY SHOW were due to Mr. Stevens of St. John’s 
Nursery, who gaye valuable assistance to Mr. Moore, the 
Secretary. 
“ A METROPOLITAN NURSERYMAN” writes to us as 
follows on ROSE-SHOWING :—‘I am very glad to see in your last 
issue the letter signed ‘A LOVER OF ROSE SHOWS,’ because I 
think it is quite time that we metropolitan nurserymen had a 
share of the prizes at the great Rose tournaments. What your 
correspondent says as to the uselessness of our competing with 
those who usually carry off the prizes is quite correct, and for 
the reasons he mentions—viz., unfavourable conditions of soil, 
atmosphere, &c., and the much smaller numbers that we have 
to cut from ; so that I hope the National and other Rose Show 
committees will offer prizes for suburban nurserymen and also 
for amateurs.” 
STANDARD CHRYSANTHEMUMS, three or four varieties 
being grafted on one stock, are really attractive when well grown. 
By far the finest we have yet seen were exhibited at the 
Walton Show by Mr. Ploughman. The stems were nearly 3 feet 
in height and the heads 23 feet in diameter, not trained on 
umbrella trellises, but grown in a more natural manner, the 
shoots being bent and secured to each other. It is important 
that varieties be selected for this mode of culture that flower 
at the same time. Those grafted on the same standard by 
Mr. Ploughman were Mrs. Haliburton, Venus, Mrs. G. Rundle, 
George Glenny, Mrs. Dixon, and Hereward, all of which pro- 
duced excellent blooms. They were much admired. 
— ONE of the finest ZONAL PELARGONIUMS for winter 
decoration, writes ‘‘A CONSERVATORY FOREMAN,” is DAVID 
THOMSON. Its large glowing crimson-scarlet trusses never 
appear more freely than during the dull months of the year, 
and few flowers are now more rich and useful. The plants 
flower freely in a temperature of about 45°. This valuable 
variety was raised by Mr. Pearson at Chilwell, and is well 
worthy of cultivation for the purpose indicated. 
— “D. J., Honich,”’ writes as follows in reply to “A 
PUZZLED HOUSEWIFE,” as to the best way to PRESERVE SOFT 
FRUIT, such as Gooseberries, Cherries, Currants. Plums, 
Apricots, Damsons, and Peaches :—* After filling the bottles 
with fruit, place them in a fish kettle in cold water, packed 
closely with soft hay to prevent them from shifting. After 
the fruit is cooked take them out and fill them with boiling 
water and cork them at once. not permanently; let them 
stand till cold, then uncork and fill up with salad oil; then 
cork and tie down tight and seal them closely. ‘Treated such 
the fruit will keep for years : in fact, I have known a Melon 
to haye been over twenty years in the bottle and taken oue 
fresh. J may mention that the coarse wax should be used, and 
have it boiling in a pan, and dip the bottles in till the corks 
