July 25, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



69 



this climate are that it ia very injurious, and sooner or later 

 will result in the total loss of the trees to which it is applied. 

 3, Earth, such as muck, loam, &c. This is often an important 

 modifier, and useful over coarse light litter to prevent its 

 being scattered by the winds. 4, Vegetable manure in the 

 form of half-rotten straw, fresh-cut weeds, Clover, &c. Doubt- 

 less the most practical and appropriate of any material. 



5, Wood-chips, sawdust, tan bark, &a. If you want to have 

 your trees infested with borers, &c, use old chips and you 

 will not wait long. Our observation and experience are adverse 

 to the use of chips on that account, and because they seem to 

 mould and mildew the soil below. Concerning tan bark we 

 have no experience, but think none of these on decaying 

 would give such congenial fertility as vegetable manures. 



6, Mineral fertilisers, such as lime, aBhes, &c ; not so much as 

 a mulching proper, however, as a sort of modifier and accom- 

 paniment of the foregoing. Lime is especially useful in fruit- 

 age, and for assisting in giving health and ripening-up each 

 summer's growth. Ashes act more like animal manures in 

 having a stimulating effect. When mulching is applied, care 

 should be taken to protect against vermin, both insects and 

 rodents, for many suoh may harbour in the material used. 

 To proteot against mice, remove the mulch close to the trunk 

 of the tree, and bank with clean earth a foot high. — A. L. 

 Hatch (in Transactions Wis. Horticultural Society). 



THE AQUABIUM KOSB SHOW. 



There is something very sad to us rosarians about the last 

 Rose show of the season. Though we are in the height of our 

 short English summer, though the Teas are still in lull bloom, 

 and in the north of England at least the Hybrid Perpetuals have 

 still to blossom, yet to know that another twelve months mast 

 elapse before we shall exhibit our pets again is, to say the leaBt, 

 by no means an exhilirating prospect. So it is with mixed 

 feelings of sadness and delight that I sit down to write a few 

 lines about the Aquarium Rose Show — sadness caused by the 

 above reflection, and delight inspired by the vivid memory of 

 the beauties exhibited that day. 



It was indeed the last show, but certainly it was not the least. 

 Perhaps in numbers the Exhibition might be called a small one, 

 but if Bmall it was like a Duke of Wellington, good. There was 

 no class for seventy-two or forty-eight trebles. The Aquarium 

 people were both generous and merciful. They, no doubt rightly, 

 considered that the 18ch of July was a late fixture for the great 

 nurserymen, and that Beventy-two would be a difficult number 

 for any to stage well, and so they made forty-eight singles the 

 highest class and reduced the trebles to twenty-four; but they 

 by no means reduced to any extent the prizes, and offered nearly 

 as much (within £1 indeed) money for forty-eight singleB and 

 twenty-four trebles as other exhibitions offer for the higher 

 numbers. The same generosity was extended to the amateurs, 

 who, instead of being asked to stage forty-eight and twenty-four 

 trebles, were let off easily with twenty-four singles and twelve 

 trebles. The consequence was that the stands throughout the 

 Show were very good and the exhibitors much pleaBed, while 

 the JudgeB' duties were proportionately lessened. The arrange- 

 ments also were very good : there was no hitch of any kind, and 

 a very pleasant day was spent. The list of the prizewinners 

 was given last week, so I need only make some cursory remarks 

 on Roses and exhibitors such as appear, according to my judg- 

 ment, to be most worthy of recording. 



As I had prophesied, the fixture suited Mr. Cranston better 

 than any other London show, and he showed his grand form by 

 winning both the leading classeB and by almost carrying off the 

 class for twenty-four singles ; but even this Show was a little 

 too early for him, and I can well helieve that if the Agricultural 

 Hall Company were to give a Rose show — (why don't they ?) — 

 during the next fortnight Mr. Cranston would show in much 

 finer form than he did on Wednesday. His blooms were very 

 large and fine, and some of the novelties in the stands exceed- 

 ingly good. Abel CarriiSre again came to the front, also La 

 Rosiere and Marguerite Brassac. Too much cannot be said in 

 favour of these Roses. They are grand additions to the dark 

 class. Abel Carriere has not only colour very like Pierre Notting 

 or Jean Cherpin, but also grand form. If you were to take a 

 perfect bloom of Centifolia Rosea as shown by Mr. George Paul, 

 and by some magical means change its colour to a dark velvety 

 purple, you would have a good imitation of Abel Carriere. La 

 Rosiere is an improved (or will, I think, prove so) Prince Camille 

 de Rohan, and Marguerite Brassac is a second edition of Charles 

 Lefebvre._ Perhaps it has not quite the substance of the latter, 

 but then it is a new Rose and there cannot be a large stock of 

 it, and it would indeed be giving a high character to any Rose 

 tosay that it equalled Charles Lefebvre, the grandest of Roses ; 

 still in time it may, and now with the above exception I don't 

 see that, as Bhown this year by MeBsrs. Corp and Cranston, it is 



far behind. Mr. Cant was a good second, but his Roses gave 

 evidence that his blooming season was, alas ! near the end. 

 This gentleman and also Mr. Paul travelled all night from Scot- 

 land in order to be present, leaving their men to cut their 

 blooms, and turning up just in time to put the finishing touches 

 to their stands and, to the great delight of the leading amateurs, 

 to judge. 



There were six stands of twenty-four trebles, all good and 

 worthy of prizes ; in fact, I do not remember ever judging such 

 good trebles. When such a grower as Mr. George Paul is left 

 out in the cold, as he was in this class, the general excellence of 

 the stands may be imagined. Mr. Cranston was easy first, but 

 Mr. Turner and Mr. Cant ran so close together that it was a 

 most difficult matter to decide who was the better. Mr. Turner 

 would, however, have more easily won second honours if he had 

 not put in a very coarse treble of Souvenir de Malmaison and 

 also a bad one of Sir Garnet Wolseley. I hope that good grower 

 will forgive me for presuming to give a hint on such a matter, 

 but over and over again have I seen his splendid stands spoilt 

 by one or two trebles of coarse, large, overblown blooms. 

 Several times I have noticed Paul Neron in his back row, and 

 Antoine Mouton, and (as to-day), Souvenir de Malmaison, and 

 the effect upon the mind of a judge who puts form before size 

 is most deleterious to the exhibitor. Mr. Turner had some 

 splendid trebles, particularly Duke of Edinburgh and Niphetos. 

 Mr. Cant's were smaller but fresher and cleaner, but I have the 

 great pleasure of knowing that all our awards satisfied that 

 " good Judge and good fellow." 



In the class for twenty-four and twelve Mr. Corp of Exeter 

 well maintained his Clifton reputation. I cannot too highly 

 praiBe his stands, they were beauSiful. To my mind Mr. Corp 

 more nearly approaches Mr. Baker (Hercules), in the general 

 excellency of his stands than any nurseryman I know. Colour 

 and freshness and good form are the prevailing features of the 

 stands of both, and in many instances the same blooms are to 

 be found which are pre-eminently good. Mr. Corp also had 

 splendid Teas, and I cannot help thinking that in a few years 

 he will attain a very high position. May I take this oppor- 

 tunity of informing your readers that this grower has an im- 

 mense quantity of Teas on the seedling Briar for 6ale, and I am 

 informed that they are very good plants ? As I for one know 

 the great difficulty of procuring Teas, I think it only kind to 

 mention this. 



The amateurs were in great force, and for the most part 

 showed very fairly. Mr. Jowitt was in grand form again, and 

 easily won the first prize for twenty-four. His great rival 

 Hercules was first for twelve trebles, and Mr. Pochin secured 

 firat honours in eighteen. All these showed very well indeed. 

 I was surprised to Bee how good Mr. Baker was after the storms 

 we have had in the west, but be the weather what it may this 

 grand grower always shows well. 



The class for twelve Teas (open), was more hotly contested 

 than any other, and the exhibits were very fine. When such 

 great nurserymen as Mr. George Paul and Mr. Keynes were 

 not placed the Teas must have been indeed excellent. Mr. 

 Cant won the first prize and Mr. Corp the second. ModeBty 

 forbids my naming the third. 



I do not presume to say a word as to the beauty of the Car- 

 nations, for that is no affair of mine, but the Show appeared to 

 me wonderful, and a better alliance could not have been made 

 than Roses with these lovely florist's flowers. But before I con- 

 clude I must bear witness to the hospitality and kindnesB of 

 the DireotorB and General Manager. It is many years since I 

 have had so pleasant a luncheon, or sat down at a more hospit- 

 able board, or received a kinder and more genial welcome than 

 I did at the Aquarium. Mr. Wybrow Robertson fulfilled the 

 duties of Chairman in a most excellent manner, and not one of 

 the least pleasing incidents of this portion of the day's proceed- 

 ings was his assurance that this was by no means the laBt of 

 the flower shows to be held in the Aquarium, for in future years 

 a Rose and Carnation Show would form part of the annual at- 

 tractions. This good newB will, I know, be welcomed by all 

 your readerB, and it may, perhaps, Enlace a few who, like myself, 

 are sorrowing over the end of the Rose shows. To us, indeed, 

 the summer days are over — the summer, that is, of our hopes 

 and fears and sweet uncertainties, the heyday of our brief 

 festal season, when the enjoyment of one brief month at the 

 outside rewards us for the labour of a year; but still there 

 remains to ns the hope that for many another season we may 

 be spared to enjoy and record a feaBt of such good things as was 

 on Wednesday last the happy lot of your faithful— Wim Savage. 



PETBOLEUM versus MICE. 

 I think your correspondent "J. H. Y." will find petroleum 

 superior to oarbolic acid in preventing mice from eating seeds, 

 &e. I place my Peas, Beans, and other seeds likely to be 

 attacked by mice in a flower pot (corked-up, of course), or any 

 other vessel, with just sufficient petroleum that when stirred 



