AaprdBt 0, 1877. J 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



113 



sow the seeds thinly over a good space, and allow the plants to 

 remain where sown till removed to the flower garden. On the 

 appearance of the seedlings, should they be too thick, thinning 

 is resorted to, allowing the plants sufficient space to develope 

 themselves. By this means thousands of sturdy plants are 

 obtained at a minimum cost of time and labour. The plants 

 are removed to the flower garden at the latter part of October 

 or beginning of November, choosing mild open weather for the 

 operation. 



The varieties I find most useful and reliable for spring 

 bedding are Silene pendula rubra and alba, S. compacta rubra 

 and alba, Myosotis dissitiflora, M. sylvatioa, Limnanthes 

 Douglasi, white and crimson Candytuft, Nemophila insignis, 

 Saponaria calabrica and alba, and Collinsia bicolor. In addi- 

 tion to the above I secure a few plants of Pyrethrum aureum, 

 which should be sown about midsummer in a cool situation. 

 There are many others that are doubtless good, but I have 

 found the above succeed best with me, and quite sufficient for 

 my purpose. The following are some of the most effective 

 arrangements : — 



For large beds — 1, Centre Myosotis, band of Limnanthes 

 Douglasi, edge Silene compacta rubra. 2, Centre Silene pen- 

 dula rubra, a band of Nemophila insignia, edge Saponaria alba. 

 3, Centre Silene pendula alba, band of Saponaria calabrica, 

 edge Nemophila insignis, which will require slightly pegging- 

 down. For smaller beds either of the taller Silenes edged with 

 Nemophila will make an effective bed, also Saponaria calabrica 

 or Silene compacta edged with Pyrethrum have a good effect. 

 The Nemophila will also make a pleasiDg bed edged with 

 Pyrethrum or white Saponaria. These annuals also make 

 most effective ribbon borders either for spring or summer, and 

 from their slight ooBt and easy culture are within the reach of 

 all lovers of a garden. — -A. E., Heanton Satchville. 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Auqust 7th. 



Fruit Committee. — Bev. M. J. Berkeley in the chair. Mr. J. 

 Ollerhead, The Gardens, Wimbledon House, sent an excellent 

 Queen Pine weighing about 6 lbs., to wbioh a cultural com- 

 mendation was unanimously awarded. Mr. B. Gilbert, The 

 Gardens, Burghley, Stamford, Bent a seedling Melon, the result 

 of a cross between Hero of Bath and Cox's Improved, but it was 

 too far gone. Mr. J. Thomas, The Gardens, Brockham Park, sent 

 a seedling Green-fleBhed Melon, but it was not thought worthy of 

 commendation. Messrs. BiverB & Son, Sawbridgeworth, Herts, 

 sent a dish of Hale's Early Peach from a cold house. The fruit 

 were large and of fairly good flavour. It was considered to be 

 the best of the early Peaches, and on this account a first-class 

 award was voted to it. A diBh of Pine-Apple Nectarine was 

 sent by the same exhibitor. The fruit was large and flavour 

 first-rate. A cultural commendation was awarded to it. Nec- 

 tarine Advance, a new variety, was alBO sent, but the fruit were 

 small and the quality inferior. A collection of Cherries was 

 also sent by Messrs. Rivera. Early Bivers was excellent, of the 

 Black Circassian type ; Blaok Bigarreau was not good ; Bigar- 

 reau Napoleon, large and of good flavour, an excellent sort ; 

 Bigarreau Noir de Schmidt, an excellent Black Cherry ; Bed- 

 ford Prolific, a form of Black Tartarian, but as shown was of 

 poor flavour; Bohemian Black Bigarreau is an excellent 

 Tariety well worthy of extended culture ; Monstrueuse de Mezel, 

 a good Cherry of the Bigarreau type, of the largest size, but the 

 flavour was not first-rate ; Bigarreau Gros Cceuret is of a similar 

 character and considered worthy of commendation. 



The Welbeck Seedling Nectarine was sent by Mr. Tillery of 

 The Gardens, Welbeck ; aB shown the fruit did" not seem to be 

 different from Elruge. An excellent dish of the Grosse Mignonne 

 Peach was also sent. A cultural commendation was awarded to 

 Mr. Tillery. A dish of Peaches and one of Nectarines were sent 

 by Mr. H. Pressley, gardener to G. Jennings, Esq., Nightingale 

 Lane, Clapham Common. Acultaral commendation was awarded. 

 Mr. Lane, gardener to Major-General Fytcbe, Pyrgo Park, 

 Bomf ord, Bent a dish of Barnngton Peaches, to which a letter of 

 thanks was awarded. Mr. J. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, 

 Esq., Loxford Hall, was awarded a cultural commendation for 

 excellent Strawberries, also Kerry Pippin Apples from the 

 orchard house. The former were very highly coloured. A 

 diBh of Chasselas Hatif de Tonneins White Grape was sent from 

 Chiswick, and was recommended by the Committee as the best 

 out-of-doors Grape. A new Black Currant was sent by Messrs. 

 Carter & Co. of High Holborn. The Committee requested to 

 see it again in September, as it was recommended for its late- 

 hanging properties. 



Mr. Thomas Miles, gardener to Lord Carington, Wycombe 

 Abbey Gardens, sent some splendid examples of Tomatoes, a 

 variety named Stamfordian. It was thought to ba a good se- 



lection of Hathaway 's Excelsior. Mr. Hunter, Lambton Castle, 

 sent a dish of a new Fig, but the Committee decided that it was 

 not different from Brunswick, although they did not doubt its 

 being a seedling. H. M. Dnnnett, Esq., of Messrs. Carter &Co., 

 sent a brace of Cucumbers, to which a cultural commendation 

 was awarded. Mr. G. Cooling, nurseryman, Bath, sent seedling 

 Potatoes, but the Committee did not oomment upon them. 



Floral Committee. — W. B. Kellock, Esq., in the chair. 

 Amongst the more prominent of the exhibits on this occasion 

 were two magnificent plants of Odontoglossum vexillarium from 

 Sir Trevor Laurence, Bart., Burford Lodge, Dorking. 0. vexil- 

 larium roseum had six spikes and fifty-four richly coloured 

 flowers of great size and substance. The foliage also was in 

 exuberant health, being deep in colour and leathery in texture. 

 O. vexillarium, the old form of this fine Orchid, had eight spikeB 

 and upwards of seventy flowers ; a cultural commendation was 

 awarded, and a medal waB also recommended to be given. Sir 

 Trevor Laurence also sent Epidendrum nemorale and Eulophia 

 guineensiB. The Eulophia resembles somewhat a large Calanthe 

 in growth, with a robust spike 2J feet high, having about twenty 

 rosy crimson flowers with triangular-shaped lips. A first-class 

 certificate was awarded for this plant. The condition of the 

 plauts exhibited by Sir Trevor Laurence reflected much credit 

 on his grower Mr. Spyers. 



Messrs. John Laing & Co., Stanstead Park Nursery, exhibited 

 thirty plants of perennial Phloxes in 8-inch pots. The dwarf- 

 ness, freBhneBS, and vigour of these plants, with their varied 

 colours and delightful perfume, render them valuable for con- 

 servatory decoration, and it is a little surprising that Phloxes 

 are not more generally grown for that purpose. The plantB 

 exhibited were extremely fine, and a cultural commendation 

 was worthily awarded for them. 



Mr. J. Puttick, florist, Acton, exhibited a collection of Balsams. 

 The plants were dwarf, well branched, and in excellent con- 

 dition, and the flowers were perfectly double and very fine ; the 

 colours were Bcarlet and white, many of the flowers being at- 

 tractively marbled. A vote of thanks waB awarded. 



Mr. B. S. WilliamB, Holloway, Bent a small collection of stove 

 plants, to two of which, Dracaena Bausei and Dendrobium sua- 

 vissimum, first-class certificates were awarded. The Dendrobe 

 resembles D. ohrysotoxum with a dark centre; and the Dra- 

 Cfflna is one of the most richly ooloured of any in cultivation, 

 every leaf being broadly margined with crimson. 



Mr. Cannell, The NurserieB, Swanley, exhibited Pelargonium 

 echinatum, a fine old Cape species, valuable for winter bloom- 

 ing ; also P. echinatum Spotted Gem, the flowers being purplish 

 rose with dark blotches on the petals, the centre of each petal 

 being white. A firBt-class certificate was awarded for this chaste 

 gem. Mr. Cannell also exhibited Antirrhinums and Pent- 

 stemous. 



Hybrid Begonia Defiance, a brilliant-coloured dwarf variety, 

 but deficient in substance, was sent by Mr. Chambers, Westlake 

 Nuraery ; also a salmon variety named Safrano, also Strepto- 

 carpus Bhexi and the elegant Fern Asplenium viviparum. 

 Messrs. T. Sander & Co., St. Albans, sent a baBket of their Tom 

 Thumb Candytuft, which is extremely dwarf and floriferous. 

 Celosia cristata variegata (Messrs. Vilmorin et Cie., Paris) was 

 exhibited, but is more curious than beautiful ; also a collection 

 of Stocks and double Pelargoniums. These came from the 

 gardens at Chiswick, as did Major Clarke's beautiful Begonia 

 Moonlight, Mr. Laing's fine Fuchsia Earl of Beaconsfield, and 

 some Abutilons. 



MesBrs. James Carter & Co. exhibited cut blooms of two 

 varieties of Dianthus Heddewigii named Crimson Gem and 

 Eastern Queen. The size, substanoe, and richness of the flowers 

 were remarkable. TheBe varieties will be valuable for garden 

 decoration, especially as they have been proved after some years 

 of trial to come quite true from seed. 



Messrs. G. Paul & Son, The Old Nurseries, Cheshunt, exhi- 

 bited a very fine and extensive collection of cut Boses, for which 

 a cultural commendation was awarded ; also a new Rose, Mar- 

 quis of Salisbury, a very fine Rose, somewhat resembling Alfred 

 Colomb, but fuller and finer than that good Robo, which is high 

 praise; it is, however, not quite so bright in colour as Alfred 

 Colomb. It received a first-class certificate. 



Mr. Parker, Tooting, Bent cut sprays of Asclepias tuberosa, a 

 hardy North American speoies with orange flowers, and was 

 awarded a vote of thanks. Messrs. Jackman & Co., Woking, sent 

 dwarf Conifers ; Mr. Woodbridge, The GardenB, Syon House, 

 sent flowering sprays of Tamarix galliea, a fine seaside plant, 

 and Ceaunthus americanus roseus ; and Mr. Dean very fine 

 African Marigolds. 



PARAFFIN OIL AND PLANT VERMIN. 

 This powerful remedy must be used very carefully. I 

 followed the last prescription of one gill of paraffin to three 

 gallons of water, and found that where the Bean plants had 

 accidentally received a double watering the leaves were all 

 killed by it. I have therefore reduced the quantity to a wine- 



