426 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ December 5, 1878. 
in the aggregate to two thousand, or something like twenty 
fruit daily for a period of three months ; and the vigorous con- 
dition of the trees gaye ample promise of an equally fine crop 
next year. The upper end of this house is several feet higher 
than the lower, and I was told that in winter when the pipes 
are heated the upper end is apt to become too hot while the 
lower is comparatively cold. To counteract this fault in this 
and other houses partaking of its peculiar character, I may 
suggest that piping need only be taken from the lower end up 
halt or two-thirds of its entire length to generate suflicient 
heat for the whole, the heat being quite certain to ascend to 
the upper end with sufticient promptitude to exclude frost 
however severe it might be. 
The other glass houses consisted of a span-roofed conser- 
vatory on an elevated plateau near the house, with sloping 
banks below planted with Clematis and other choice trailers. 
A central stage and side shelves contained a creditable collec- 
tion of plants of the ordinary type, Vallotas, Liliums, and 
Begonias being all well represented, while the roof was gay 
with lovely clusters of the delicate blue flowers of Plumbago 
capensis and the deep crimson waxen clusters of Habrotham- 
nus elegans, a great favourite of Mr. Down’s, and deservedly 
so, for it is undoubtedly one of our best greenhouse climbers, 
continuing in bloom throughout the year. Two vineries in 
the kitchen garden contained heavy crops of Grapes, which 
for size of bunch and berry and for finish were quite in keep- 
ing with the magnificent crop of fruit in the Peach house. 
Flourishing young Camellias were being trained up the back 
walls, and some few of the numerous flower buds were already 
beginning to expand, which was doubtless owing to the prema- 
ture growth annually excited by the heated air in which they 
grow. Upon the sound policy that plenty of heating surface 
is true economy each house had six rows of 4-inch piping, and 
I strongly commend this matter to the notice of everyone 
engaged in the construction of new vineries, and may also 
usefully point to the importance of letting the pipes stand out 
clear from all walls as well as being raised a few inches from 
the floor. 
Pits, frames, and a little stove all afforded a pleasant sight 
in the clean healthy condition of their occupants. Cream Pine 
Melon was fruiting well, so were some plants of Telegraph 
Cucumber, which latter I commend to the notice of such as 
tind Cucumber culture a difficult matter, for they were grow- 
ing in an ordinary garden frame, and had afforded an unfail- 
ing supply of fruit since April, a fruit having been cut regu- 
larly every alternate day, and a goodly number at other times. 
“To what do you attribute your success?” was my question. 
“To a regular daily attention to every apparent want of the 
plants,” was an answer which is quite worth recording here. 
The kitchen garden was remarkable for its good vegetable 
crops and its trim neat appearance, to which the firm walks of 
tar concrete materially contributed. Other walks were in 
course of construction of this substance, and I gladly seized 
the opportunity to watch the process for my own instruction 
and the benefit of my readers. <A heap of building débris, con- 
sisting principally of sandstone, had been broken as if for a 
road ; on this heap coal tar had been poured in the proportion } 
of one part of tar to three of sand; it was then turned over, 
well mixed, and would be left afterwards lying in a heap for 
two days; lime would then be added and mixed with it in the 
proportion of three bushels to twenty or thirty bushels of the 
tarred sand ; it would then be spread upon the paths 2 inches 
thick, and at once pressed carefully down with a roller, sand 
being first sprinkled over if it prove at all sticky, or better still 
some small sea-beach pebbles, which impart a better appear- 
ance to the surface. 
Among the vegetables a large bed of Cauliflowers was worthy 
of especial notice. The seed was sown on the 10th of April, 
the sorts being Walcheren, Carter’s Mont Blanc, and Veitch’s 
Autumn Giant. The two first were then (August 22nd) coming 
into use, and would afford a supply till the Autumn Giant was 
ready, which in due course would be-followed by Veitch’s 
Autumn Broccoli, which Mr. Down finds decidedly later than 
the Autumn Giant Cauliflower, and then for midwinter Snow’s 
Broccoli comes into use. 
The outside of the west garden wall was devoted entirely to 
ornamental climbing plants, and was certainly an agreeable 
and striking sight, being well covered with a mingled growth 
of Clematis, Ceanothus, Cotoneaster, Escallonias, Bignonias, 
Pyracanthas, Magnolias, and Glycine, with numerous Fuchsias 
forming a charming fringe of green and crimson along the 
bottom of the wall, and some Hops embowering an arch over 
a door. Narrow borders of hardy perennial flowers fringe the 
garden walks, Phloxes and Fuchsias being pleasingly con- 
spicuous, and among numerous pretty plants some yellow 
Oxalis told well with rich deep crimson tufts of Linum ru- 
brum grandiflorum, and a very dwarf dark velvety-flowered 
Scabious called nana flore-pleno. 
The terrace lawn had well-filled flower beds, on which I need 
not dwell, except to notice and commend a bed of mixed 
Fuchsias as being quite as charming an innovation as the beds 
of Begonias which I have seen in a few other gardens. 
The collection of shrubs is 2 good one—pleasant to behold, 
because all are in a flourishing condition. Special care has 
been devoted to the planting, every shrub or tree haying had 
a little rich soil placed round the roots to give it that success- 
ful start, to which secure staking to prevent mischief from 
wind till the roots have laid well hold of the soil also 
contributes. 
The garden is not a large one, but it is eminently worthy of 
commendation for the skilrul culture and painstaking care 
evinced in every department, and I heartily congratulate Mr. 
Down on work so well done and abilities so well applied. 
—E.L, 0. 
DRESSING CARNATIONS. 
INCONTESTABLE evidence of the power of dressing flowers 
in winning prizes has been adduced. If I am the best grower 
of Carnations in England, and I obtain previously to the exhi- 
bition the aid of the best dresser, I can then compete in many 
more classes than I possibly could do if I had not been so 
aided ; that is so if I happen to bea bad dresser, and much 
more so if I ama good one. In sucha case the novice intro- 
duced on page 404 by Mr. Dodwell would manifestly exhibit 
at a great disadvantage ; indeed except under those conditions 
I fail to perceive that he would have cause for complaint. I 
have placed the matter so as to show the unfairness of the 
practice in question, and am as far as possible from suggesting 
that Mr. Douglas would knowingly take an unworthy advan- 
tage of any competitor. No one has less reason to do so than 
he has, and it is simply impossible in my opinion that anyone 
who is free from prejudice can defend a practice of the nature 
indicated when its full scope is appreciated. 
T have not read the rules of the National Carnation Society, 
but I readily accept the word of Mr. Donglas that he has not 
infringed them ; but surely that does not prevent me challeng- 
ing a practice that I consider seriously objectionable. If a 
precedent is necessary for such a course I can produce one. 
When Mr. Douglas protested, in much stronger language than 
I have employed, against an exhibitor who defeated him with 
Hyacinths, the said exhibitor did not infringe any rule. Ac- 
cording to the conditions of the Society he was legitimately 
entitled to the prizes, although another had aided him in 
obtaining them; but that did not, and properly so, prevent 
the strong protest referred to. 
I need not discuss the subject further. I haye neyer won a 
prize with flowers dressed by another hand than my own, and 
I never shall. Mr. Beachey has placed the matter in its right 
light, and there I leave it. I have not in this controversy 
thought of ascribing an unworthy motive to anyone, knowing 
that such a course would have weakened, not strengthened, my 
position. I close with a prediction that the time will surely 
come when public opinion, in spite of old authorities, will 
compel exhibitors to dress all their own flowers.—A STAFFORD- 
SHIRE GROWER. 
EXHIBITING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Iy your report of the late Chrysanthemum Show held at 
the Westminster Aquarium on the 19th inst. I observe that 
you describe the flowers in the stand from Liverpool as haying 
been “hideously set up with ornamental papers underneath 
each flower.” Many growers in this neighbourhood think that 
if it is considered bad taste to set up flowers on ornamental 
papers the matter might be discussed in a friendly spirit, and 
let growers both north and south be made aware that the 
practice, if wrong, should be done away with. It has been 
the custom in Liverpool for many years to exhibit Chrysan- 
themums on ornamental papers, and London judges have not 
yet complained of that mode of exhibiting. —W. TUNNINGTON, 
The Gardens, Calderstone, Liverpool. 
EARTH WAX.—AN account of this was, scientifically known 
as ozokerit, which is mined in the Austrian province of Gallicia , 
