210 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 20, 1877. 



till the foliage falls, and then if the fruit is still hanging on 

 the Vines it has to be done rather more carefully, choosing 

 dry days for the operation, and afterwards sprinkling dry soil 

 over the borders. 



But " what about cracking?" Well, cracking is generally 

 the result of insufficient watering at a certain stage ; the berry 

 gets hidebound, and then when water is applied the berry 

 swells, while the skin having lost its elasticity cracks. Too 

 much growth of foliage at the ripening stage will sometimes 

 cause cracking ; but, on the other hand, growth of foliage 

 prevents shanking and helps colouring, therefore it must be 

 dealt with very cautiously. 



In conclusion, I have to say that shanking is not a disease; 

 it can be produced at will by overcropping, defoliating, hard 

 forcing in the firBt stages of growth, or semi-starvation ; and 

 that it is not incurable, although at times the remedy would 

 be too costly, as it would take a considerable amount of 

 time. — William Taylor. 



BRIGHTON AUTUMN SHOW. 



September 12th and 13th. 



With the exception of just one or two of the very great sum- 

 mer Bhows held in London, the Brighton Autumn Exhibition 

 may be truly said to be equal in every respect to the rest of our 

 London shows. It occupies a very high position &3 a provincial 

 Show, and situated as it is in one of the most fashionable as 

 well as one of the wealthiest of seaside towns, we were not 

 surprised to see the numerous exhibits and the excellence of 

 the productions exhibited. The schedule was both large and 

 comprehensive, and both the inhabitants and county residents 

 exhibit and respond with a spirit worthy of such a town. This 

 Show was held in the Royal Pavilion, which is an admirable 

 place for such a scene ; and the brilliant company, the rank and 

 fashion, shows that horticulture here must be advancing and 

 going hand-in-hand with other sciences and institutions. 



In the large tent were staged the specimen stove and green- 

 house plants, Geraniums, Fuchsias, &o., and several of the spa- 

 cious rooms of the Pavilion were filled with massive specimens 

 of fine-foliage plants and Ferns, while other rooms were devoted 

 to fruit and cut blooms of Roses. These two latter were repre- 

 sented moBt abundantly. The Committee and Managers of this 

 most excellent Show will pardon us, we know, if we suggest that 

 in future they should vary their productions and arrange them 

 so that the fine-foliage and graceful Ferns should relieve and 

 soften the glaring colours of the flowering plants, more especi- 

 ally the scarlet Geraniums, of which these occupied the whole 

 length of one side of the centre Btage without a break. Fancy 

 a double row of Zonal Pelargoniums covering a space about 

 150 feet by 10 or 12 without an interruption of any kind, while 

 in the dark rooms the fine-foliage and Ferns were placed alone. 



Stove and greenhouse flowering plants were well shown con- 

 sidering the lateness of the season, and in the class for eight 

 Messrs. Balchin & Nell, Western Road, Brighton, were a good 

 first with AUamandas parjx nsis and Hendersonii, Ixora am- 

 boynensis, Stephanotis floribunda, Ericas retorta major and 

 Austiniana, Dipladenia Brearleyana, and Dracophyllum gracile. 

 All with the exception of the last named were exceedingly well 

 bloomed. Mr. Meacham, gardener to C. Armstrong, Esq., With- 

 dean, second ; and in the corresponding class for four, Mr. 

 Child, gardener to Mrs. Torr, Ewell, was first with Bplendid 

 plants of Bougainvillea glabra, Erica Austiniana, Allamanda 

 Hendersonii, and Vinca oculata; MeSBrs. Golding & Co. second; 

 and Messrs. Miles and Verrall equal thirds. Other classes were 

 set apart for stove and greenhouse plants open to the county 

 only, in which several of the above obtained awards. 



The principal prize of the day was one given by the Directors 

 of the Brighton and South Coast Railway, a ten-guinea cup, for 

 ten variegated or fine-foliaged plants, which brought together 

 three collections. The first was gained by Messrs. Balchin and 

 Nell for massive plants of Crotons angustifolinm, pictum, varie- 

 gatum, and Johannis, Phormium tenax variegatum, Cycas revo- 

 luta, Areca sapida, Encephalartos villosus, Pandanus Veitchii, 

 and Phcenicophorium Beychellarum. Mr. Miles of the West 

 Brighton Nurseries was placed second with plants somewhat 

 smaller, but a very fresh and even collection, having grand 

 examples of Alocasia macrorhiza variegata, Oycas revoluta, 

 Euterpe edulis, Crotons pictum, variegatum, interruptum, and 

 angustifolium, Alocasia Lowii, Maranta zebrina, and Dracaena 

 Shepherdi. Mr. Meacham was placed third with much smaller 

 plants, but they were good. 



In the claBS for eight exotic Ferns Mr. Milea was awarded the 

 first prize for grand examples of Davallia Mooreana, Adiantums 

 concinnum latum, farleyense, and trapeziforme ; Cyatheas 

 arborea, medullaris, and dealbata, the whole occupying a space 

 of not less than 40 feet, completely covering one end of the 

 spaoious room. Mr. Child waB placed second for good plants of 

 Todea superba, Gleichenias diacarpa and Mendelli, Adiantums 



tenerum and farleyense,DavalliaMooreana,Dicksoniaantarctica, 

 and Cyathea dealbata. Messrs. Balchin & Nell third with larger 

 specimens still. The first prize single foliaged-plant was awarded 

 to Mr. Miles for Encephalartos villosus ; and for single flower- 

 ing-plants Mr. Rutland, gardener to the Duke of Richmond, was 

 placed first. 



Zonal Geraniums, as we above intimated, were extensively 

 shown, several classes being provided for them, a ad the dis- 

 tinction was zonal, not scarlet and zonal scarlet. Mr. Miles was 

 here very successful, winning the two first prizes, while Messrs. 

 Balchin & Nell were placed Becond in both cases. Other suc- 

 cessful exhibitors in these and other zonal clasBes were Mr. 

 Meacham, Mr. Howick, Mr. Townshend, and Mr. Wickham, the 

 whole of them Bhowing well grown examples of about 4 to 5 feet 

 through, globular in Bhape, and free from any hard training. 

 Perhaps the individual trusses were not so large as is to be 

 met with about London, but they were in greater profusion. 

 The best double Geraniums we have ever seen came from Bal- 

 chin & Nell, who were the only exhibitors, but worthily deserved 

 the first prize awarded to them. The varieties shown were 

 Jacobea, Sceptre Lorraine, Madame Lernoine, and Madame 

 Schmidt. Tricolors were on the whole small, and Fuchsias 

 were very poorly represented both in quality and quantity — the 

 worst we have seen for many a day. Dahlias were most nume- 

 rous and exceedingly fine, Mr. W. Seale, nurseryman, Seven- 

 oaks, being the principal prizetaker. Asters, Gladioli, and Ver- 

 benas were also very good, and the collection of twenty-four 

 varieties of cut flowers set up by MesBrs. Balchin & Nell was 

 a masterpieoe of arrangement; Mr, Morse, Epsom, was placed 

 second with a very good collection. 



Dinner-table decorations were also very good, and showed 

 considerable taste in arrangement — the firBt-prize stands ex- 

 ceedingly light and graceful. Mr. Seale first; Mr. Downing, 

 Crawley, second; and Mr. Miles third, all exhibiting well. 



Thirty classes were set apart for fruit, which was both shown 

 numerously and particularly good. Mr. Rutland was placed 

 first for a collection of ten diBhes, containing very large and 

 well-formed bunches of Mrs. Pince's Muscat, but not quite ripe, 

 very fine; Royal George Peaches, Morelio CherrieB, Golden 

 Perfection Melon, Black Ischia Figs, Smooth Cayenne Pine, 

 Pitmaston Orange and Stanwick Nectarines, and Muscat of 

 Alexandria Grapes. Our space will not allow us to particularise 

 the many other exhibitors who deserved the prizes awarded to 

 them, but mention should be made of a grand dish of Red 

 Astrachan Apple shown by Mr. Worafield, gardener to Lady 

 Dickens, Horsham, and a very fine bank of decorative plants 

 set up by Mr. Miles, occupying a space of not lesB than 80 feet 

 by 20; this collection contained all that was new and Hseful in 

 the way of Ferns, Crotons, Palms, and other plants used for 

 decorative purposes. 



Roses. — We have left these for last, not that they were the 

 least showy subjects in the Show, nor that they were not fairly 

 represented, for they were shown moBt numerously, and from 

 the numerous visitors that clung around them we had a diffi- 

 culty in gaining the names of the principal prizewinners. 

 Messrs. Mitchell & Sons, Piltdown Nursery, Uckfield, took the 

 first prize for forty-eight varieties in threes, Mr. W. Seale se- 

 cond, and Messrs. Virgo & Sons third. Mrs. Woolard, Mr. 

 Piper, the Rev. C. Hales, Mr. Gravelly, Mr. Davis, and Mr. 

 Marsh were all prizetakers. A box of twelve varieties of Tea 

 or Noisette from MesBrs. Mitchell & Sons were almost as good 

 as those they took the first prize with at the Crystal Palace this 

 season, and amongst them were Belle Lyonnais, DevonienBis, 

 Perle de Lyon, Marie Van Houtte, Catherine Mermet, Adam, 

 Madams Margottin, Souvenir d'un Ami, Elise Vardon, and 

 Souvenir de Paul Neyron. All the Roses shown were very good 

 for so late in the season, and from the extensive quantity ex- 

 hibited it must be inferred that it has been a good Beason for 

 autumnal Roses. We have other notes of Brighton horticultural 

 doings which we must defer until our next. — J. W. Moobjian. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HARDY FEUIT GARDEN. 



Allusion was made two weeks ago to the gathering of Apples 

 and Pears. It will only be necessary to say now that the work 

 must be proceeded with as fast as the fruit ripens, but it is not 

 well to do this until it is quite lipe. Many personB have not 

 patience to wait, especially when they see the fruit being daily 

 shaken down by the wind; but if the fruit that falls is examined 

 it will be seen that muoh of it has been attaoked by the Apple 

 maggot. Wall trees require to be looked over in order to aeoure 

 the loose branches to the walls and also any young growths 

 recently formed. Peaches and Nectarines ripening must be 

 exposed to the sun. Many of the fruits are shaded by the leaves, 

 and these muBt be removed either by pioking them off or laying 

 them aside. Vines on the walls will require similar attention 

 to other trees ; and, quite independently of the fruit that is pro - 



