444 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t November 23, 1S76. 



ons species of the scale insects love to congregate, disturbing 

 the horticulturist's equanimity, and forcing him to infect the 

 atmosphere with unpleasing odours, their proceedings cannot 

 be counted upon with certainty. Occasionally there would 

 seem to be two broods in a season. 



So deadly is the influence exerted upon some plants by 

 scale, apparently out of proportion to the exhaustive effect 

 of their mere sucking, that theories have been suggested 

 by speculative pers >na giving other explanations. It hss 

 been thought that the Cocei may give cut some hurtful 

 secretion, or that by their hold upon the young twigs they 

 thwart the natural growth and impede respiration or assimi- 

 lation. Small consolation is it to be told of the benefits 

 bestowed upon us by some of the Coccidje ; and even as no 

 one, Shakespeare being witness, can hold fire in hand by 

 thinking of the Arctic regions, so is it impossible to excuse 

 the scale, which, if permitted, would swarm over our choicest 

 plants in the hothouse or pinery, for the Eake of its valuable 

 brethren, which, ia sunnier lands, yield that useful product 

 lac, or the splendid colour which is obtainable from coohineal. 

 Some years ago I read particulars of a scheme for the intro- 

 duction to this country of the Mexican specieB (Coccus Caoti), 

 which, it was supposed, under skilful management, might 

 prove a new source of national revenue. As no recent details 

 have been published, I presume the matter has been dropped. 

 That choice plant ihe Pine Apple, and the favourite exotic 

 Orange Tree, have each their enemy of the Coccus tribe, though 

 both these pests are occasionally found on other plants or trees ; 

 the Pine Apple Scale (Aspidiotus bromelia?), clustering some- 

 times on Matvaoeous plants. The Vine Scale (Lecanium vitis) 

 is so conspicuous where it occurs that its destruction by 

 hand-picking is comparatively easy, and it only affects Vines 

 under cover. The Turtle Scale (L. testudo) is one of the 

 commonest, frequenting our conservatories, escaping notice 

 often when it has placed itself on the leaves of plants. The 

 Coecidje are not without their insect parasites, eome of the 

 four-winged flies belonging to the family of the Chalcidfe 

 deposit eggs amongst them, and they have doubtless other 

 parasites as yet unrecognised by us. — J. R. S. C. 



THE NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETY. 



My attention has been directed to the paragraph at page 425 

 by " D., Deal," in your last week's issue — viz., " The National 

 Auricula Society will not hold its Show iu London," and I 

 am to request your permission to say this paragraph is quite 

 inaccurate and can only mislead. 



Not only is there no refusal on the part of the Society to 

 hold the Show in London, but the suggestion to hold it comes 

 from the Honorary Secretary and other of its principal mem- 

 bers ; and every step taken and to be taken has been, and will 

 be, in full accord with Mr. Horner's mind. Had " D., Deal," 

 said the London exhibition of the National Auricula Society 

 is not proposed to supersede the exhibition of the same Society 

 at Manchester he would have recorded a fact, and one rejoicing 

 to the hearts of florists. 



It has been arranged by the Crystal Palace Company to 

 hold the National Auricula Exhibition for 1877 at the Palace 

 on Tuesday, April 24th. — E. S. Dodwell, Hon. Sec. pro tern , 

 London Division, National Auricula Society, 



BRIXTON HILL CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW. 



Cheysanthemums are the princes of autumn flowers, and if 

 we want to see them in fullest beauty we must visit the metro- 

 politan shows of them. The plants at a few shows have been 

 noticed — the tall robust specimens at the Temple and the Crystal 

 Palace ; Mr. Turner's upright-trained plants, so fine for the 

 sizes of their pots; Messrs. Veiteh's sturdy specimens and 

 splendid blooms ; and MesBrs. E. G. Henderson's luxuriant 

 plants at South Kensington. But distinct from all these were 

 many plants at Brixton which were artistically trained, proving, 

 as so many other similar exhibitions have proved, the great 

 tractability of the Chrysanthemum when handled by skilful 

 cultivators. 



The Brixton, Streatham, and Clapham Horticultural Society 

 was established nearly twenty years ago for "promoting the 

 superior cultivation of plants, fruit, and vegetables by means of 

 exhibitions, at which all members may enter into friendly com- 

 petition." The district, being salubrious, has been chosen by 

 many gentlemen for their residences, gardeners are consequently 

 numerous, and horticultural exhibitions have improved yearly. 

 The last was held in the Holy Trinity schoolroom on the 17th 

 and 18th inst . and was an undoubted success. The spacious 



room was not only crowded with Chrysanthemums and other 

 flowers, fruit, and vegetables, but the attendance of visitors, 

 especially during the evenings when the room was well lighted, 

 was enormous ; the dense crowd, in fact, demanded a building 

 of at least three times the Bize to have enabled them to enjoy 

 the Exhibition in comfort. Neither was it a concourse of mere- 

 sightseers visiting the Show for momentary gratification, but 

 the majority were evidently earnest workers in the floricultural 

 hive, and were diligent iu jotting down names and "wrinkles,"' 

 such as might be of service to them individually. It was grati- 

 fying to notice this assiduity on the part of so many in adding 

 to their stores of knowledge, and was a complete answer to the- 

 question — half cynical, half sceptical, which one is often com- 

 pelled to hear — " Of what use are flower shows ?" 



Another episode of this Show may be noted, which is as grati- 

 fying as it is rare. When noticing the Chrysanthemums in the 

 Temple Gardens we remarked on the power of a Rose show in 

 subduing a prizefighter and transforming bim into a rosarian, 

 but at the Brixton Show an ex-pugilist of more than ordinary 

 renown vanquished all comers in the premier class for cut 

 blooms, the conqueror of J. C. Heenan having proved victorious 

 with twenty-four splendid blooms, staged by his gardener, Mr. 

 Lee. Mr. King, the "Tom King" of history, is a gentleman 

 highly esteemed in his neighbourhood, a good Eupporter of the 

 Society, and a great lover of and an earnest oulfcivator of plants. 

 The peaceful pursuit cf horticulture is now followed by one 

 who once in another and widely different sphere was " earnest 

 for his country's fame." We have only to say now that Mr. 

 King's blooms were veritable champions, or, as a bystander ap- 

 propriately described them, " regular stunners." Mr. King was- 

 also first in the " maiden class," this having been his first time 

 of exhibiting. 



The most noteworthy plants in the Exhibition were unques- 

 tionably the six large flowered specimens staged by Mr. Hall, 

 gardener to W. Stevens, Esq., Lower Tulse Hill, in ClaBs 1, and- 

 the six pyramid Pompons in Class 3 belonging to the Rev. W. 

 Arthur, Clapham Common, and grown and exhibited by his 

 gardener, Mr. Harding. The plants in these two collections 

 attracted the lion's share of notice as being admirable examples 

 of skilful cultivation. Mr. Hall's specimens were by no means 

 the largest in the room, but for health, vigour, symmetry, and 

 finish tbey were such plants as many aim to produce and but 

 few succeed in producing. They were in lH-incu pots, the- 

 plants being flattened semiglobes 3 to 3J feet in diameter, each 

 plant containing fifty to seventy perfect blooms, each being set 

 in its right place and surrounded with foliage, the leaves being 

 continued to the bases of the stems and the centres of the 

 plants. These plants were so tied that the blooms were not 

 more than 18 inches from the surfaces of the pots, and the stakes 

 were scarcely visible. This almost perfect half-dozen plants 

 comprised Mrs. George Rundle, Prince of Wales, George Glenny,. 

 FauBt, Mr. Brunlees, and Lady Hardicge. Mr. Harding's Pom- 

 pons consisted of the three Cedo NulliB, lilac, white, and yellow; 

 Bob, Madame Martha, and Antonius. All of these were exceed- 

 ingly flue, especially Bob and Madame Martha, probably the 

 best dark and the best white varieties in cultivation. The 

 plants were in 8-inch pots, and were about 2i feet in diameter 

 at the surfaces of the pots, and were about 3i feet high — perfect 

 cones, each terminating with a point, and not a stake was visible. 

 Each plant had a clear Eiusle stem ; and the flowers, which were 

 fine, having been carefully thinned, covered every part cf the 

 cones, the number of flowers on the largest plant probably beings 

 three to four hundred. The second prize in this class went to 

 Mr. Livermore. Mr. Harcing also secured the first prize for 

 three plants " not pyramids," Mr. Betts being placed eecond. 

 These were of semiglobular form, about 2A feet in diameter, 

 and not far exceeding a foot in height from the surface of the- 

 pots. The varieties were Madame Martha, Bob, and Mr. Astie. 

 Mr. Harding also secured the second prize in the specimen class 

 with a handsome pyramid of Madame Martha ; Mr. Livermore, 

 gardener to F. Webb, Esq., Streatham Hill, winning with an 

 admirable specimen of Mrs. G. Rundle, 4 feet in diameter, and 

 carrying seventy blooms ; Mr. Hall securing the third place, alBO- 

 with a large-flowered variety. 



Mr. Harding's plants are particularised in order to dispel a 

 very prevalent yet erroneous idea, that such specimens cannot 

 be exhibited except by large growers — that is, by those having 

 a large number of plants to choose from. We are able to vouch 

 for the fact that Mr. Harding commenced the season with only 

 eleven plants, and ten of them are those above noticed. The gar- 

 den in his charge is small, the houses being also miniature struc- 

 tures, therefore ho wisely limited his plants to under a dozen, 

 and growing them well instead of including a great number cf 

 varieties and growing them indifferently. Two UBffol deduc- 

 tions are derivable from Mr. Harding's success — the necessity for 

 properly estimating conveniences and not attempting too much,, 

 and that a few plants well grown are more creditable and satis- 

 fying than a large number of what Mr. Luckburst designates 

 " miserable starveliDga." Mr. Weston, gardener to D. Marti- 

 neau, Esq., Clapham Park, well known as an experienced, and 



