450 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 12, 1878. 
similar amounts being offered for garden farms exceeding 
fifty acres. Prizes of the same amounts are also provided for 
farms not exceeding one hundred acres in extent where gar- 
den and agricultural crops are combined, situated within a 
radius of within fifty miles of the Mansion House. This isa 
step in the right direction, for no class of cultivators merit 
official recognition more than those who supply the great 
markets with wholesome and necessary food of the nature 
indicated. 
THE schedule of the NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE SPRING 
SHow (April 9th and 10th) has reached us. It is comprehensive 
and well arranged in three divisions :—1, open to all ; 2, open to 
all except nurserymen ; 3, open to amateurs (not professional 
gardeners) only. There are no entrance fees in any division, and 
the prizes throughout the schedule are liberal without being ex- 
travagant. We note a great improvement in the wording of 
the chief class for Hyacinths, in which £11 is offered in four 
prizes. Last year the condition was “thirty-six Hyacinths, 
three bulbs in a 7-inch pot.”. This year the prizes are for 
“twenty-four Hyacinths, singly in pots, not less than twelve 
varieties.” Tulips last year were shown six in a pot; this 
year the number is reduced to three bulbs. There is a great 
increase in the Auricula classes. Last year there was only 
one ; this year there are five. The total number of classes is 
ninety-two, and the amount offered in prizes exceeds £174. 
A great and good show is anticipated. Messrs. Taylor and 
French remain the Honorary Secretaries, and Mr. Gillespie 
the acting Secretary, and a more competent trio it would be 
difficult to find. 
In the report of Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ Root Show 
CAPSICUM PRINCE OF WALES was incidentally mentioned 
as contributing to the attractive appearance of the tables. 
The plants as grown by Mr. Wildsmith demand more par- 
ticular notice. They were dwarf standards. having stems 
about 18 inches in height, and compactly-formed heads about 
9 inches to a foot in diameter. They were heavily laden with 
bright scarlet fruit, which was set off to advantage by healthy 
green foliage. The plants were in 6-inch pots, and had, we 
believe, been plunged in a warm position in the open air for 
some time during the summer. Plants so short-jointed and 
heavily fruited as these were could not have been produced 
under glass in a heated structure. They were admirably 
grown and remarkably ornamental. 
— WE are glad to learn that the NATIONAL CARNATION 
AND PICOTEE SOCIETY and the NATIONAL AURICULA So- 
CIETY are ina flourishing state, the Treasurer of the former 
having a balance in hand of £7 4s. ld., and of the latter 
£13 4s. 7d. The Auricula Show, we believe. is fixed for April 
22nd, and the Carnation and Picotee Show on July 22nd, both 
shows to be held in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens 
at South Kensington. We presume the above information is 
correct, as it has not been officially communicated to us. 
OuR correspondent “W.J. M.” informs us that from 
12° to 16° of frost have been recently registered in Tipperary, 
and that Chrysanthemums in an unheated orchard house have 
been despoiled of their beauty. Much injury has also been 
done to Cinerarias and bedding plants owing to the suddenness 
and unusual severity of the frost so early in the season. 
— WE have received from Mr. Christison, gardener to R. 
O. White, Esq., The Priory, Lewisham, a very fine truss of 
LAPAGERIA ROSEA containing eleven richly coloured flowers. 
It was cut from a plant planted out under one of the stages in 
a span-roofed greenhouse, and trained to a trellis upon the 
roof. We have seen equally fine, even finer, trusses, yet the 
one sent is noteworthy and very beautiful. We noticed a 
truss of the charming white-flowering variety in Messrs. 
Veitch’s nursery a short time ago with twelve flowers. These 
are two of the most valuable plants which Messrs, Veitch have 
ever introduced into this country. 
—— THE gardener above mentioned also sends us a flower 
of ONCIDIUM UNGUICULATUM with the following note :—“ This 
beautiful Orchid is not grown nearly so much as it ought to 
be, considering the time of year it flowers and the length of 
time the flowers last after opening. The flower which I 
enclose for your inspection has been open over five weeks. 
The plant was imported last spring, it started into growth 
early, made a fine pseudo-bulb during the summer, and early 
in September began throwing up the flower spike, which at 
the present time has attained the length of 5 feet 4 inches, 
with four side branches from the spike about 14 to 16 inches 
in length each. It has not finished growing yet, as there are 
several flowers to open.” The labellum is a quarter of an inck 
in diameter: colour bright primrose, the sepals being pale 
chestnut marbled with greenish white. It hasa delicate prim- 
rose perfume. 
WHEN visiting the nurseries of MEssRs. SUTTON AND 
Sons AT READING recently we observed a new Primula of 
striking colour and undoubted merit named Ruby King. The 
flowers are very large, admirably formed, and of great sub- 
stance. They are also quite distinct in colour and very rich— 
a glowing purplish crimson with orange centre. The plant is 
of dwarf yet robust habit, and the flower trusses are produced 
just above, almost resting on, ample dark green foliage. 
Amongst a yery fine collection of superior varieties of Primulas 
Ruby King arrested attention. It is a great acquisition, and 
a valuable addition to an important family of plants. 
Mr. BROTHERSTON communicates the following note 
on JULIE LAGRAVIERE CHRYSANTHEMUM :—‘ It is the most 
serviceable plant we have for supplying dark-coloured flowers 
at this season. We have many plants of this variety, each 
producing dozens of deep crimson blooms, which last good in 
rooms for nine or ten days, and then do service amongst the 
servants. How are they grown! Merely struck late in a mild 
heat, hardened otf in the cutting pots, and planted from thence 
in April into a border in the kitchen garden. Staking to secure 
them from breakage by winds is all the attention bestowed 
during summer. They are lifted with other serviceable varieties 
in October, and again planted out in a Peach house, and at the 
foot of walls wherever there is space; and there for three 
months, the dreariest in the year, they supply their lovely 
flowers in galore.” 
MANETTI versus SEEDLING BRIAR. 
WHILE the above subject is being discussed it would be well 
if the following point could be settled: When budded and 
bearing a Rose tree, how is the one stock to be distinguished 
from the other? 
A short time since I saw Roses upon seedling Briar offered 
for sale in the Journal, and bought a quantity of them. When 
they came to hand I sent some of them to a gentleman who is 
one of your contributors, and who has cultivated Roses for 
many years, and he pronounced them to be upon Manettis, not 
seedling Briars. On writing to the seller he denied this, say- 
ing he had not had fifty Manetti Roses in his possession, and 
affirming that his Roses were all worked upon seedling Briars 
or rooted Briar cuttings. 
There are thus two points at issue which might, I think, 
profitably be discussed, and upon which I should like to be 
informed—viz., how can a Manetti-stocked Rose be distin- 
guished from one on seedling Briar? and is a Rose upon a 
rooted Briar cutting as valuable as one upon a seedling Briar? 
—A PERPLEXED ONE. 
HEADINGTON HILL HALL, 
THE SEAT OF G. H. MORRELL, ESQ. 
NEAR to the good city of Oxford is Headington Hill Hall, a 
stately building massive and rich in architectural embellish- 
ments. It occupies a commanding position in the centre of 
gardens tasteful in design and exceedingly well kept. The 
well-timbered grounds are traversed by carriage drives from 
the two ornamental entrances termed the lower and upper 
lodges, erected at different points in the boundary walls, the 
open ironwork of the gates affording the passer-by something 
more than a glimpse of the ornate interior. Although worthy 
of admiration for itself alone, Headington Hill Hall may also 
be regarded as a noble adjunct to the stately old city, which 
abounds with many grand structures which by their quiet 
dignity impress the mind so forcibly as to render it somewhat 
fastidious and not easily pleased with less imposing sights, 
It was with some such impressions that I went to inspect 
Mr. Morrell’s gardens, and so was somewhat more than usually 
disposed to be severely critical. I was pleased, as there was 
ample reason to be, for I found much to admire and little if 
anything to condemn. From the lower or Oxford lodge a 
boldly sweeping carriage drive leads to the dressed grounds and 
the house, as represented in the engraving (fig. 68). A pleasing 
expanse of lawn, well broken but not crowded with shrub 
groups and trees, ascends gently to terraces on the south and 
west fronts, the ground from thence rising abruptly—a steep 
Laurel-clad bank—to a much higher leyel, which imparts an 
