Maroh 3, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



171 



individual flowers being finely formed, large, and finely coloured ; 

 third, that the plants be choice — novelty and tolerable size being 

 always superior to age and large size. Thus, if ten plants were 

 competing, one introduced ten years back and the other only 

 two; and if each required the same Bkill in management, the 

 new plant, if it had been well cultivated, would be the most 

 meritorious, and should have the first prize. Thus far we have 

 indicated our opinion of some of the rules which ought to be 

 observed by plant-censors, and those who judge individual 

 flowers cannot do better than take " Glenny's Properties " as 

 their guide, for though some of his rules may appear arbitrary, 

 they are in the main correct, and the best that have been 

 published. — (A., in Gardener's Magazine of Botany.) 



GARRYA ELLIPTICA. 



Eew plants, even under glass, are more beautiful than this 

 hardy shrub has been the whole of the present winter. Planted 

 against a wall, and only very Blightly trained, its beautiful droop- 

 ing trusses have been elongating since October, and at the pre- 

 sent time many of them are upwards of a foot long, the individual 

 florets composing them being fully expanded, and the whole in 

 such abundance as in a great measure to cover the plant, which 

 is at all times a beautiful evergreen. It blossoms and looks well 

 every year, but I have never known it so fine as it is the present 

 season ; and to all having a low wall to cover I would by all 

 means recommend this shrub as one of the most suitable ; while 

 even as an open standard, or, rather, low bush, it is equally at 

 home. — J. R. 



CONSTRUCTION OF CONSERVATORIES. 



Amongst the manifold subjects treated of in your Journal 

 there is one which seems not to have received its meed of atten- 

 tion — "The construction of conservatories." 



True, it frequently happens that this important matter is 

 entrusted to some architect whose taste induces him to con- 

 sider certain conventional architectural forms more than the 

 welfare of plants : consequently an unsatisfactory state of growth 

 follows. 



In other cases where the well-being of plants has been con- 

 sidered, external and internal ornament has so swelled the cost 

 that the building of the conservatory has been the cause of 

 checking further improvement. 



A few guiding principles as to what really constitutes elegance 

 in glass structures would be of much service to many of the readers 

 of this Journal, and I hope some one well veiled in the subject 

 will detail his views. 



It would be wrong in me to endeavour to limit these remarks 

 in any way ; but one or two simple yet very important questions 

 I should like to see discussed. 



Eirst, The relative merits of iron or wooden houses ; and if the 

 former are adopted, of what construction ? 



Secondly, What is the best kind of glass, and what sized sheets 

 are most economical, taking appearance, economy, and efficiency 

 into consideration ? 



Thirdly, Are domes hurtful or otherwise to plants, and what 

 is the general feeling on their appearance ? 



Fourthly, What is the best substitute for shading ? 



Fifthly, Is top ventilation required in a conservatory ; and if 

 so, how is it best managed ? 



Some other useful desirable information may be added to the 

 above, which the nature of the subject will easily point out, and 

 I hope that some of your numerous correspondents will give us 

 their opinion on the matter in all its bearings. — W. H. T. 



[We join in this wish, and shall be obliged by the communica- 

 tion of drawings and descriptions of conservatories, whether 

 small or large, that are proved to be handsome and successful as 

 a dwelling for plants. If the cost of construction is added, Buch 

 communications will be still more UBeful. — Eds. J. op H.] 



PRUNING ROSES IN POTS. 



" S.," Hampton Court, has three pot Roses from cuttings taken 

 in the early part of last summer, from 1 foot to 1-| high, a 

 General Jacqueminot, a Mrs. Bosanquet, and a Geant des 



the lowest eye, and entirely do away with one of the two shoots ? 

 He wishes to keep them as pot Roses, and to have them all next 

 winter in a cool conservatory, bo as to bloom earlier in spring 

 than they would otherwise do if kept out all the winter. 



[If you wish the plants to bloom this season, merely shorten 

 the shoots about a fifth. If you would sacrifice this and grow 

 them to be finer plants for the spring of 1864, then cut down to 

 6 inches in length, if you wish to make bushes of them, and if 

 so, it matters not whether you have one stem or several. The 

 one stem would look the handsomest.] 



JUDGING GRAPES AND OTHER FRUITS. 



As the season for horticultural exhibitions is again approach- 

 ing, it reminds me of the revival of the discussion of rules for 

 judging fruit, more particularly Grapes, and the desirability of 

 having something like a recognised system, or set of rules for 

 the guidance of the censors. 



I have had considerable experience as a judge of horticultural 

 productions at Bundry provincial shows, but was never until 

 lately aware that at the great metropolitan exhibitions the 

 practice of testing the flavour of the fruit by the most direct and 

 natural process of tasting was not allowed, or, at least, not 

 practised ; but that the flavour was merely assumed from the 

 general appearance. 



With all due deference and respect for such authorities as our 

 great metropolitan societies, I will venture to question the con- 

 sistency of this practice. And the question which immediately 

 suggests itself is this : If the flavour of Grapes can be ascertained 

 without tasting, then why cannot the same rule apply to Melons 

 and other fruit ? as with respect to Melons, at least, the 

 practice appears to be always to cut and taste them ; and as it 

 miiBt be admitted that Grapes as well as Melons are grown to 

 be eaten. This being admitted to be the case, flavour must 

 always be a paramount consideration (without at the same time 

 ignoring in the least degree appearance, for fruit ought to be 

 "good for food, and pleasant to the eye"), and flavour, I am 

 inclined to think, can hardly be correctly ascertained without a 

 direct appeal to the palate. Another consideration is this : 

 a few berrieB can be abstracted from a dish of Grapes without 

 necessarily preventing them from being exhibited on a sub- 

 sequent cccasion, or, at least, from being sent to table, whereas 

 the same cannot, of course, be done with a Melon when it has 

 been cut. And, with respect to the latter fruit, it is the con- 

 stant practice to give the first prize to the best-flavoured fruit, 

 quite irrespective of size or general appearance; and I doubt not 

 many people conversant with the subject, have observed with 

 something like regret, the first prize awarded to a fruit which 

 had nothing but its flavour (o recommend it, while larger and 

 more handsome fruit, only slightly inferior with regard to flavour, 

 had a subordinate prize assigned them, or remained unnoticed. 



To obviate this, in some measure, a system of points or marks 

 has been recommended, and the suggestion, I think, is worthy of 

 consideration. There is nothing new in the matter, as florists' 

 flowers and plants generally are necessarily judged on something 

 like this principle, and with regard to fruit the system might, I 

 think, be more clearly defined, and rendered more easy of appli- 

 cation. 



I hope that you or some of your able coadjutors and corre- 

 spondents may be induced to give the subject consideration, and 

 to bestow on your readers the benefit of the same, and in the 

 meantime, if you will kindly allow me, I will offer a suggestion on 

 the subject. 



First. With respect to Grapes, I would confine myself to 

 11 points or marks, assigning them as follows : — 3 points to the 

 best flavoured ; 2 to the best coloured ; 2 to bloom ; 2 to size 

 or weight of bunch ; 2 to size or weight of berry. 



For Melons I would take 7 points— 3 points to flavour ; 2 to 

 size or weight ; 2 to general appearance. 



I have said nothing of degrees of ripeness, as unripe or over- 

 ripe fruit ought to be disqualified. — P. G. 



PROTECTING YOUNG TREES FROM RABBITS. 



I happened to be in Waukegan about the time Rabbits bark 

 young fruit trees, and as I did not know what to do to prevent 



Batailles. Two are in single stems, and the other has two, both i them^I applied to Mr. Robert Douglas the extensive nursery- 

 apparently equally strong. Ought he to cut them all down to j man, for a remedy and he told me to mix equal quantities of 



