JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 2, 1863. 



testefe- superba. This collection from the beauty as well as 

 jj^tjst Talue of the subjects shown well deserved the first place. 



S&, Baker, gardener to A. Bassett, Esq., Stamford Hill, came 

 mant- and his collection was also of great merit, containing 

 several beautiful examples, of which the following are a few — 

 ©sljk'ja Mossise, Vanda suavis, Dendrobium macrophvllum 

 gsgssteum, with three immense spikes, the curiously-spotted 

 ©jrpjipedium Lowii, from Borneo ; Lselia einnabarina and pur- 

 ItEzMs, Cypripedium barbatum superbum, Anguloa Clowesii, 

 48»e red-flowered Saccolabiurn curvifolium, retusum, and others, 

 together with iErides and Oncidiums. 



My.Bullen, gardener to A. Turner, Esq., Leicester, came third, 

 aaw3 bad the same plants as exhibited at the Regent's Park and 

 iGrjrstel Palace. Among them were some fine iErides and Vandas, 

 SagstSner with Orchis foliolosa, &c. Mr. Peed was fourth. 



Ira 4he Nurserymen's Class, 6, for twelve Orchids, Messrs. 

 'Weikch were first with a Phalaenopeis grandiflora, with magnifi- 

 seort spikes of its large pure white flowers ; Cattleya Mossise ; 

 Ssraeolabium guttatum major, of which there were twelve fine 

 »g»jte ; Cypripedium barbatum superbum ; a very large "Vanda 

 SrooJor ; Vanda suavis ; Calanthe veratrifolia ; iErides Larpentse 

 SBt3 3?ieldingii ; Odontoglossnm Pescatorei ; Chysis Limminghi, 

 sane! Lsslia purpurata major, with eleven flowers. Mr. Woolley, 

 sS Cfceshunt, was second, having also a nice collection. 



Cfess 7 was for ten Orchids, and here Mr. Penny obtained 

 fi»Srst prize. He exhibited Ccelogyne Lowii, Anguloa Ruckeri, 

 Wacds suavis, and good examples of other species already named. 

 Mr. Page, who was second, had Dendrobium formosum gican- 

 tenr», with its large white and yellow rhododendron-like flowers ; 

 ISiffi EBsrmingiE rides Lobbi, Saccolabium retusum, &c. ; and Mr. 

 fflbsKE and Mr. Chilman were likewise successful competitors. 



la Class 8, for six Orchids, Mr. Wiggins, of Isleworth, had 

 ©ntsdsarn Laneeanum ; Mr. Smith, of Syon House, Lycaste 

 JEroffirtiea, and a fine Dendrobium nobile ; and Mr. Wheeler 

 SteieitKT,in altissimum with a very long spike of bloom. Mr. 

 Wiggna had a first prize, the others stood second and third. 



l>eejdedly the most brilliant feature of the Show were the 

 AsslesSj which were immense masses of bloom, such as no one 

 »le» ba3 not seen the specimens which are exhibited at the me- 

 Sicpo&an shows could believe it possible to produce. But on 

 &n& wcasion even persons who had been accustomed for years 

 to exhibitions, expressed their surprise and unqualified admi- 

 OTtifHi at the plants shown by Mr. Turner, Messrs. Veitch, and 

 Mr. Sreen. 



3fe. Turner, who showed the finest plants, had Arborea pur- 

 ines, a beautiful purple mauve ; Chelsoni, Glory of Sunninghill, 

 Satraaei, Criterion, Juliana, Iveryana, Murravana, and Alba 

 Magna. These could not be less than 5 or 6 feet high, and were 

 eerlsjrjy from 4 to 5 feet through. They were finely grown, and 

 s© (tSsBsely covered with flowers that scarcely a leaf was to be 



Messrs. Veitch who were second, had also magnificent plants, 

 waretiy yielding to those from Mr. Turner. They consisted of 

 MagaiSeent ; Extranei ; Broughtoui, very fine ; Perfecta elegans, 

 Set p scarlet ; Mrs. Fry, bright crimson ; Criterion ; Trotteriana ; 

 JfegHisita ; and Triumphans, rosy crimson, large and fine. 



Mf»»rs. Eraser received a third prize for some nice pyramids, 

 3XB0T:-g which were Holfordi, roBy purple ; Lateritia; and other 

 ffiEris already named, but, none of the plants nearly approached 

 HB size- and beauty to the two collections above referred to. 



My, Turner also exhibited several very fine plants in the Mis- 

 ©BlkEeoua Class. 



In She Amateurs' Class for nine, Mr. Green carried all before 

 fcan, and though his specimens were not so large as Mr. Turner's, 

 they wer e remarkably fine, being densely covered with bloom. 

 One in particular, Coronata, which was placed at the corner 

 wifoere the nave and principal passage from the gardens inter- 

 sected, was a perfect pyramid of rosy red, forming a glowing 

 object even when viewed from a long way off. Among the others 

 were the fine yellow Sinensis, Perryana, Iveryana, Symmetry, 

 Siory of Sunninghill, and Sir Charles Napier. The second 

 jwise fell to Mr. Page, who had Compacta, small, but very densely 

 (SOTered with bloom, and good plants of Juliana, Criterion, and 

 ©pJsisaa. Prizes were also awarded to Mr. Lavey and Mr. Peed. 



Class 11 was for six kinds ; in this Mr. Penny was first, with 

 Madame Miellez, white, somewhat striped with rose ; Prostii, 

 JToImto, Duke of Devonshire, Model, and Criterion. Mr. A. 

 lasgraur!, of Heading, had a third, and Mr. Wheeler a fourth 

 Wiw, eatra ones being also given to Mr. Lavey, Mr. Chilman, I 

 (and Mr. Kaile. 



Of Rhododendrons, which were shown in Class 12, only one 

 collection was exhibited — that from Mr. C. Noble, of Bagshot. It 

 consisted of The Sentinel, dark rosy purple ; The Princess, 

 white ; The General, rosy purple ; Princess Alexandra, deep 

 rose, with dark spots ; Snowball, white tinged with lilac ; and 

 The Prince, with a fine large truss of deep rosy crimson. 



Prizes were offered for the best group of plants, showing 

 effective arrangement for decorating a small conservatory, and 

 for these there were several competitors. Mr. Turner obtained 

 the highest award, Messrs. Veitch and Messrs. Lee being 

 second and third. Mr. Turner's arrangement consisted of a 

 compact mass, chiefly of flowering plants, with tall Azaleas at 

 the back, and there appeared to be too small a proportion of 

 graceful-foliaged plants. The arrangement of Messrs. Veitch 

 and Lee afforded room to pasB among the plants ; and in the 

 former flower and Fern stands were introduced, forming a nic ely- 

 balanced design, whilst Messrs. Lee had a vase and pedeBtal 

 in front, round which a Bpace was left to walk in, and beyond 

 this the plants were ranged in three sides of a square, with the 

 angles taken off. The other competitors were Mr. Bull, Messrs. 

 A. Henderson & Co., and Mr. Shenton, of Hendon. 



In the remaining classes there were several very fine exhibitions, 

 particularly of Hoses in pots, and Pelargoniums ; but these it 

 will fall to other hands to describe, while the subjects brought 

 before the Floral and Fruit Committees will be noticed in our 

 report of the proceedings of these bodies. 



In the eastern arcades, besides the implements, &c, which 

 have remained there since previous shows, some fresh ones made 

 their appearance. Mr. Clarke, of Brackley, had his new and 

 extremely light iron-handled scythe, so favourably reported on 

 in our last issue ; Mr. Read, of Regent's Circus, his excellent 

 garden syringes, also tub engines, and a very efficient pail 

 engine ; Messrs. Warner, pumps, garden engines, and syringes, 

 included among which were a double-action garden syringe, and 

 an American garden engine apparently on the same principle. 

 MessrB. Rosher exhibited garden edging-tiles. Flower-baskets, 

 garden chairs, &c., of wirework came from Mr. Watts, of 

 Brompton ; and a model of a greenhouse with a double glass 

 roof and Bides, from Mr. H. Barnwell, of Colney Hatch. It is 

 claimed for this that it possesses the advantages of economising 

 fuel and preventing scorching, the confined air being a non- 

 conductor of heat. Air is admitted both into the house and 

 between the double glass by ventilators at the bottom. 



POTTING HEATHS AND AZALEAS. 



"Elizabeth" deserves a most courteous anBwer were it for 

 nothing else than her letter of inquiry being a model of what 

 such a letter should be. Here it is as 9n example to those who, 

 after a page or two, still leave us in a kind of maze as to the 

 information they really want :— 



" Elizabeth will be obliged by being informed if it is requisite 

 to fresh-pot Heaths and Azaleas every year, and what time it 

 requires to be done ? Also the proper soil for each plant?" 



Here are three questions in just as many lines. Well, then, 

 the best soil for Heaths and Azaleas is heath soil — that is, soil 

 composed chiefly of decayed vegetable matter mixed with the 

 worn-down and disintegrated pieces of stone and rock, such as 

 is to be found on elevated ground where Heath naturally 

 flourishes. This differs in all its properties from what is usually 

 called peat bog — such as the peats used for fuel — as that is 

 always composed of vegetable matter more or less decomposed, 

 but under water ; and not, therefore, like heath soil, exposed to 

 the sweet breezes of the atmosphere. This heath soil, if not 

 naturally sandy, Bhould have a little silver sand mixed with it. 

 The soil itself should be a little rough rather than dust-fine. 

 For instance, in a four-inch pot, a good part of the soil should 

 be in bits like peas ; for a six-inch pot a good portion should be 

 in pieces like the size of field beans ; and for an eight-inch 

 pot a number of pieces should be as large as walnuts. Drainage 

 should also be well secured, and the potting should be done firm. 

 When plants get large and established, so as to need a large pot, 

 say 10 or 12 inches in diameter, a little fibry loam may be used 

 along with the heath soil; but in the case of young plants it 

 will be best to keep to the heath soil. A few bits of charcoal 

 for drainage will be an advantage, and some small pieces like 

 small peas among the soil will help to keep it Bweet and open. 



Now as to the time of potting. Other things being suitable, 

 the best time for potting is early enough in spring and summer, 



