405 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



I November 9, 187©. 



this season amongst three or fonr other kinds ; for while 

 White Dutch, Golden Ball, Chirk Castle, &c, were rendered 

 keen and stringy by the very hot weather we had this last 

 Fummer, Veitoh's was mild and tender, which is a great con- 

 sideration." 



The floral decorations at the Guildhall on the 



Oth inst. have been entrusted to Mr. John Wills. Nine hun- 

 dred button-hole bouquets will be made-up by Mr. Wills for 

 the occasion. The groups of plants employed in the decora- 

 tion of the oorridors, porticos, &c,, will also be of the choicest 

 character. 



We have received from Messrs. Dick Badclyffe & Co. 



samples of toughened glass for horticultural structures and 

 roof lights, and find it what it is represented— as being really 

 tough and unbreakable by any fair means. The square which 

 we tested was at least ten times stronger than ordinary glass of 

 tho same thickness. It was little more than one-sixteenth of 

 an inch thick, and might be termed 16-oz. glass. When laid 

 on the floor it was trampled upon by a person weighing 

 14 stones and bore the weight bravely. It was broken at laBt 

 by a test far exceeding the force of any hailstones which we 

 have observed. It is as clear as ordinary glass, but not quite 

 smooth, beiDg " wavy " and containing some lens. If the 

 glass retains its extraordinary cohesion under the heat of 

 summer and the frost of winter, and if the foliage under it 

 does not scorch, the invention will prove of great value. The 

 tile made of the same glass combines great strength with 

 admission of light. 



We recently saw a break of Carrots in old kitchen- 

 garden soil where for years they had been destroyed with worms, 

 part of which was this year well watered, before the seed was 

 sown, with water to every four gallons of which were added 

 two wine-glassfuls of paraffin oil, and the portion of the break 

 so watered was bearing a luxuriant crop of Carrots, while on 

 the portion not watered they failed as usual. — (Gardener ) 



A veby successful instance of growing Grapes in the 



open air is afforded in the gardens at Vinters Park near Maid- 

 stone. A Sweetwater Vine on an east aspect has this season 

 ripened four hundred bunches of really excellent Grapes, which 

 have been very serviceable and greatly esteemed for dessert 

 purposes. To grow out-of-door Grapes successfully the same 

 care in thinniDg the fruit and dressing the growth is necessary 

 that Mr. Becord has given to this Vine. When we saw it the 

 wall was literally covered with well-finished bunches. It is 

 passing strange that while so much attention is readily given 

 to Vines under glass, those on walls are almost systematically 

 neglected. By a selection of proper sortB and good cultural 

 attention many having south walls might have Grapes equal 

 to those which Mr. Becord produces on an eastern exposure, 

 and for which he received a cultural commendation last year 

 from the Boyal Horticultural Society. As to the management 

 of out-of-door Vines Mr. Douglas giveB sound instructions in 

 another column. 



At Muckross Ab'oey, the seat of H. A. Herbert, Esq., 



M.P., there are Beveral specimens of Cedrus deodara bearing 

 cones. These are borne on the branches that come quite to 

 the ground, continuing to within 3 feet of the top. They 

 are not borne on the young wood, but are found on the upper 

 side of the branches, growing perpendicularly, and not nearer 

 than 12 inches to the ontBide of the branch, which leads Mr. 

 Campbell, the gardener, to think that it is the old and matured 

 wood that bears cones. The size of the cones are increasing 

 rapidly. Some are 2 J inches in length by 2 J in circumference, 

 but he doubts if they will perfect their seed. 



■ At the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition the show 



of Potatoes is described as exceedingly fine. Messrs. Bliss 

 exhibit 387 varieties, including fifty fine English and five 

 French seedlings; also a hundred new seedlings from Pringle's 

 hybridised seed not yet in commerce. In the immense collec- 

 tion shown by Dr. Hexamer may be seen side by Bide the work 

 of the past with the promise of the future. Every known 

 variety of excellence both in Europe and in America is brought 

 together, making in all five hundred named kinds. 



The annual general meeting of the West of Scotland 



Bosarians' Society was held in the Town Hall, Helensburgh, 

 on the 28th ult. The Society appears to be in a very satis- 

 factory condition, the membership being considerably larger 

 than that of last year, and after paying all accounts, including 

 over £70 for prizes, there is still a balance left in the hands of 

 the Treasurer. The office-bearers and Directors for the ensuing 

 year were elected, and it was resolved that the next exhibition 



of the Society should be held in Helensburgh on July 13th 

 and 14th. Votes of thaDks were awarded to the office-bearers, 

 and Directors for their services, also to Alexander BreingaD, 

 Esq., for the use of WeBtwood Park, gratuitously granted for 

 the use of the Sooiety. Mr. John Mitchell, Brooklee, ia the 

 Honorary Secretary. 



— — For producing a rich glow of brilliant scarlet flowerB 

 during the autumn months on walls and trellises the Lobbi- 

 anum section of Trop-eolcm are well adapted. They are far 

 more effective and floriferoua than the common Nasturtiums, 

 and grow with even greater freedom than these. We have 

 to-day (November 6th) been admiring a variety of T. Lobbi- 

 anum which is covering a wall having a due north aspect, and 

 the effect is quite dazzling, while the Dahlias near are killed 

 by the frost. Under glass these Tropasolums continue flower- 

 ing throughout the winter, and are valuable in producing a 

 6upply of orange-scarlet flowers. The plants may be raised 

 either from cuttings or seed. 



The appointment of Mr. Frederick Moore, eldest son 



of Dr. Moore of Glasnevin, to the curatorship of the Uni- 

 versity Botanic Garden, Ball's Bridge, is calculated both to 

 give satisfaction to the governing body of the institution of 

 which the garden is an appanage, and to enhance the teach- 

 ing value of the latter to students and visitors. Mr. Moore is 

 highly educated, and has had careful training both at home 

 and on the Continent to fit him for filling this or a similar poBt. 

 Mr. Moore has been perfecting himself in the practical part of 

 his profession at the establishment of the late M. Van Houtte 

 at Ghent and also at Leyden. 



The next Bath Meeting of the Bath and West of 



England Agricultural Society is fixed to be held on the 4th of 

 June, 1877. 



Instead of finding Veronica Blue Gem indifferently 



grown in only a few gardenB, we can only wonder that it is not 

 well grown in all gardens. Where a profusion of blue flowers 

 are required for cutting from the present time until January, 

 this Veronica should certainly be grown. The plant is of 

 compact yet pleasing habit, and its small glossy-green leaves 

 set off the lovely-coloured flowers to great advantage. The 

 plant is of the easiest culture — so easy that perhaps the best 

 mode to adopt is to plant it out in good soil and an open 

 situation in May, and pot it in October. We have recently 

 seen plants 2 or 3 feet in diameter which have been so grown 

 now perfectly established under glass, and. yieldirjg large 

 quantities of flowers much prized for bouquets and room 

 decoration. 



A fine companion plant to the valuable scarlet Gera- 

 nium Vesuvius for winter flowering, is the roBy-salmon varieiy 

 Mrs. G. Smith. We have lately seen batches of these varieties 

 which cannot fail to be of great value for a long time to come. 

 They are throwing-up trusses as freely as in summer, and the 

 brightness of one variety and the soft pleasing colour of the 

 other produce an effect which none can pass without acknow- 

 ledgment. Mrs. G. Smith is a perfectly-formed flower, and 

 is a very desirable variety for cultivation in pots. 



We have accounts from various districts of the spreads 



of the Potato disease. Since the rains have abated and the 

 temperature has fallen the disease has been ohecked so long 

 as the tubers remained in the ground, but when stored at all 

 thickly it has spread with considerable virulence. EBpeoially 

 since the disease has asserted itself the advice to " Btore dry, 

 thin, and cool " cannot be repeated with too much emphasis, 

 as the best means of modifying the effects of an unfortunate 

 visitation. 



We regret to announce the death of Ms. Edwasd. 



George Henderson of the Wellington Nursery, which took 

 place on the 4th inst., in the ninety-fourth year of his age. 

 Mr. Henderson was the founder of that important nursery, 

 and was an energetic and successful hortioulturiet. On 

 account of advancing age he had for some years prior to bis 

 death ceased taking an active part in the business, which will 

 therefore be continued without any change in its management. 



METROPOLITAN FLORAL SOCIETF. 



In his paper on Tulips in last week's Journal Mr. Douglas 

 has made a statement with reference to this Society at whiah 

 I am very much surprised , and which I take the earliest oppor- 

 tunity of correcting. He says that its members did not pull 

 well together, and that hence nothing was done this year. I 



