212 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AKD COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ llarcli 2a, 1871. 



Dentzias, Gneldres Eoses, Fenis, and a great variety of other subjects. 

 The centre is appropriately crowned with a Dicfesonia in an elevated 

 vase, and rising to this from the front are circular bands of Ferns, 

 Hyacinths, Tulips, Spirtea japonica, Narcissus, and erect-growing 

 Arbor- Viffe. The exhibition comnaenced on Saturday last, and will he 

 contiHued till the 1st of nest month. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY'S SPRING SHOW. 



The first spring Show of this Society commenced yesterday, and 

 •will be continued to-day. As before, it is held in the same long narrow 

 f«nt under the lee of the conservatory, and the Eoses, Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, and Cyclamens which constitute the larger part of the display, 

 present a very gay appearance. There are, besides, forced shrubs, 

 greenhouse plants, and miscellaneous collections giving considerable 

 variety ; and the Conservatory, in which the Orchids and some other 

 subjects of exhibition are placed, lends no inefficient aid, as it is more 

 than usually well furnished with flowering plants. It may here be re- 

 marked, that the new wing of this building, long contemplated, is now 

 completed. 



In Hyacinths, ]ifcssr8. Yeitch, of Chelsea, had no competitors ; after 

 their recent triumphal dehut at Kensington no one was willing to enter 

 the lists against them, and, as a matter of course, they carried off the 

 first prize with splendid examples of Vuurbaak, General Haveloct, 

 Alba Maxima, Ida, Eing of the Blues, Leviathan, Haydn, Lord 

 Byron, Macaulay, La Grandesse, Feruck Klian, and Garibaldi. They 

 send in addition a very fine collection, for which an extra prize was 

 awarded. In the amateurs' class the prizes went to Mr. Weir, gar- 

 dener to Mrs. Hodgson, Hampstead, Mr. Douglas, gardener to F. 

 Whitboum, Esq., and Mr. Stephenson, Bow, all of whom have for the 

 most part good spikes. The schedule stated simply '' 1'2 Hyaciuths," 

 without stipulating that these should be of distinct varieties. The 

 first-prize twelve contained two Charles Dickens S.B., and the third- 

 prize twelve four Grandeur a Merveille, two Charles Dickens, and two 

 Gigantea. Surely such cannot be the intention of the schedule, what- 

 ever the letter of it may be, hut by the letter of the schedule the Judges 

 had to award the prizes. It would be well in future years to add 

 " distinct sorts,'' otherwise some one may exhibit twelve pots of one 

 Mnd. Only two new Hyacinths are shown, both named Princess 

 Louise, one being a single white from Messrs. Veitch, the other a 

 double red from Mr. William Paul. Each had a first-class certificate. 

 Mr. "William Paul also exhibits, not for competition, a very extensive 

 and fine collection of Hyacinths, Tulips, and Narcissus, for which 

 extra prizes were awarded. 



In Tulips, Messrs. Yeitch are the only exhibitors in the nursery- 

 men's class for twelve pots of four kinds, taking the first prize with 

 Eose Applati, White Pottebakker, Cramoisie Eoyal, and Yermillon 

 BriUant. In the amateurs' class the prizes go to Messrs. Searle, 

 Weir, and Stephenson. 



Cyclamens from Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Mr. 

 Goddard, gardener to H. Little, Esq., Twickenham, and Mr. Ed- 

 monds, nurseryman, Hayes, are fine, and prizes were awarded in the 

 order of the names, Mr. Edmonds in addition receiving first-class cer- 

 tificates for a large-flowered rosy-purple variety called Giganteum, and 

 Grandiflomm, white. 



Eoses in pots from Messrs. Paul & Son consist of Celine Forestier, 

 Duke of Edinburgh. Elie Morel, and Dr. Andry excellently bloomed, 

 especially the first two. For these the first prize was awarded. Messrs. 

 Paul & Son likewise have several new kinds, of which one called 

 Climbing Yictor Yerdier, of very vigorous growth, had a first-class 

 certificate. Eoses in pots are likewise exhibited in the miscellaneous 

 class by Messrs. Paul & Son and Messrs. Yeitch ; those from the latter 

 in smaU pots are exceedingly beautiful. 



Chinese Primulas come from Mr. Goddard and Mr. James, who each 

 take a place in the prize list ; and Mr. W. Paul was awarded a first- 

 class certificate for his fine white variety called Waltham White. For 

 Cinerarias Mr. James and Mr. G. Wheeler, gardener to Sir F. Gold- 

 smid, Bart., are prizetakers; and so are Messrs. Goddard, Weir, and 

 Searle for Lily of the Yalley. 



Of Dentzias Messrs. Lane, of Great Berkhampstead, have plants of 

 D. gracilis 2 feet in diameter and the same in height, beautiful masses 

 of blossom. For these a first prize was given, the second going to 

 Mj. G. Wheeler ; and for other forced shrubs the same exhibitors 

 take the same relative positions, Messrs. Lane having along with Ber- 

 beris Darwinii, Ehododendrons Prince CamiUe de Eohan and Favour- 

 ite, forming fine masses of flowers though in small pots. Of Azaleas 

 excellent specimens are shown by Messrs. Lane and G. Wheeler, and 

 the latter also receives a first prize for twelve greeenhouse plants in 

 flower, including a well-bloomed Acacia Drummondi, and a large Eri- 

 Ostemon and Chorozema. 



Miscellaneous collections come from Messrs. Yeitch, Mr. Williams. 

 of HoUoway, Messrs. EoUisson, of Tooting, Messrs. A. Henderson and 

 Co., Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Ware, and comprise Palms, Dracaenas, 

 Orchids, Azaleas, Camellias, Amaryllids, ii:c. ; and as extra prizes are 

 awarded to the whole of the exhibitors we need not particnlarise. 



Botanical certificates were awarded to Messrs. Yeitch for the Abys- 

 sinian Primula Boveana noticed last week, and Acropera species; to 

 Messrs, A. Henderson &: Co. for Ficus lanceolata ; to Messrs. Eollisson 

 for Davallifl clavata ; and to Mr. Williams for Ancuba Inteo-carpa. 

 Pirst-claBs certificates were awarded to Messrs. Yeitch for Hippeoatrum 



Chelsoni, Leopoldii, maculatum, and Brilliant ; the first two have 

 been already noticed in our pages ; the last two are also very fine 

 scarlet varieties, with somewhat of the spotting of H. pardinum to- 

 wards the base of the petals. 



VARIEGATED NATIVE PLANTS. 



Seduit acre acbeuh. — This, the most beantifnl of all the 

 British Sedums, ia a Kentish variety, and originated in a sport 

 of one small shoot in a cottage garden at the base of Shooter's 

 Hill, near Blackheath. I wintered it in a cold frame, and it 

 grew rapidly during last summer. It will be one of the most 

 charming companions possible for Sedum glancum in miniature 

 alpine scenery, being throughout Iha season of a yellow tint, 

 and will look well and keep its character all the year round. 

 The variety usually called Sedum acre aureum wiU certainly 

 have to abdicate in its favour; this, Sedum glancum, An- 

 tennaria tomentosa, and Thymus citriodorus aureus with its 

 rich golden yellow tints, are four plants it will be difficult to 

 match for special purposes amongst aU the numerous families 

 of alpine plants now in cultivation. Antennaria tomentosa 

 and Sedum glaucum are suitable plants to represent snowcapped 

 mountains. Sedum acre aureum, with the deeper golden- 

 tinted Thymus citriodorus aureus, may be said to be fit to give 

 a warmer colouring to the sunlit slopes of alpine valleys ; and I 

 think we may congratulate ourselves on securing for this 

 charming style of gardening such valuable acguisitions as these 

 new plants. I mtist confess to a weakness for the natural 

 style of gardening so ably carried out at Battersea under that 

 prince of decorative gardeners Mr, Gibson, who is introducing 

 some still bolder imitations of natui-al scenery in the shape of 

 rugged crags, which will add a grand feature to that Mecca of 

 the flower gardener. 



Helianthemum vulgake vAKEEGATinr. — On the snnniest banks 

 and the most arid crags may be found luxuriating that beauti- 

 ful British plant Helianthemum vnlgare ; it wiU also grow well 

 in any ordinary flower border. It is very easily propagated in 

 sandy soil, in a cold frame, during the months of -July and 

 August, along with the many beautiful double and single gar- 

 den varieties ; but the variety to which I wish to call attention 

 is a form of the ordinary wild H. vnlgare, and it is certainly fr 

 gem of the first water. The foliage is evenly margined with 

 bright yellow, and it will prove one of the very best plants for 

 the sunny rockery or any other very exposed and arid situa- 

 tion. I discovered this plant in BuckiDghamshire last summer ; 

 it is a sport, but from what I can see, it will be permanent. — 

 W. E., CTomicell House. 



HINTS ABOUT HEATING WITH HOT 

 VTATER. 



I WOULD say to those who may contemplate changing their 

 boiler, whether from its being worn out or not being large 

 enough — perhaps through adding a greater length of piping — 

 before you purchase a new boiler be sure you have the correct 

 measurement of the pipe. In measuring, if you have 2-inch 

 pipes, the quantity must be divided by 2 to bring it to the 

 required length of 4-inch pipe, if 3-inch pipes, deduct one- 

 fourth. Should there be any likelihood of additional housee- 

 being buOt, it is well to have a larger boiler than is absolutely 

 required, for I find from my own experience here that it takss 

 proportionally less fuel to heat a large boiler than it does for a 

 small one. I therefore prefer one large to two small boilers. 

 In many oases the cause of boilers not giving satisfaction, is 

 their being too small : a boiler sent out by the maker as cal- 

 culated to heat 300 feet of pipe, cannot be expected to heat 

 500 feet of pipe. I had a boiler which was sent out as capable 

 of heating 350 feet of pipe, and the length of this was 570 feet ; 

 the consequence was that when the frost was severe or likely to 

 be so, a man had to be up all night ; and I remember that on 

 several occasions during December, 1869, though the water 

 was boiling, there was not sufficient power to keep tip the re- 

 quired heat. 



In setting the boiler give the flue plenty of room ; in my 

 case the flue over the boiler is 5 inches, running into a flue 

 12 inches by 9 inches. 



When putting up a Jones's terminal saddle boiler I made what 

 I considered a decided improvement, by adding a dead plate 

 5 inches in width in front of the bars, and striking an arch of 

 firebrick level with the boiler inside, this being independent of 

 the flue over the boiler. The improvement is at once visible, as 



