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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 11, 1877. 



by calling general attention to the fact, that when a garden is 

 planted for an immediate as well as a future effect due atten- 

 tion must be given subsequently to the thinning and re-arrange- 

 ment of shrubs, and to such alterations as the development of 

 growth invariably proves to be necessary — a work of such im- 

 portance as may fairly be claimed to require mature experience, 

 sound judgment, and cultivated taste. — Edward Luckhukst. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



I thine the authorities I mentioned are right in saying that 

 the Buccess-of Strawberries in this country depends more upon 

 the nature of the soil than the climate, but nevertheless I 

 believe climate has something to do with it. La Constante 

 ■does not succeed in some places in the south of England 

 because the fruit is stewed on the plant by a too powerful sun. 

 Myatt's Prolific would never be a first-rate Strawberry grown 

 on any soil, and Nicholson's May Queen does not succeed in 

 some places because the spring frosts are too severe ; and ac- 

 cording to Mr. Marsden Carolina Saperba would not succeed 

 in a rich loam, but requires a soil where red sand abounds. 

 These instances might be multiplied. 



If Mr. Luckhurst's ideas on this subject are right, and I 

 ■cannot say that I agree with him, they are impracticable. It 

 was easier for Mahomet to go to the mountain than for him 

 to get the mountain to come to him — i.e., you may select 

 Strawberries that will be likely to thrive in your present soil 

 more readily than you can change the whole nature of it. 

 Supposing you have a light soil on gravel, to change the whole 

 of it, it would be necessary to go at least 6 feet deep ; and if 

 you kept the top foot of soil and carted away the rest, and 

 brought back clay to go at the bottom and loam to go at the 

 top of that, and had a mile or two to cart the materials, it 

 would be a very expensive affair, and the alteration of a stiff 

 clay to a loam would be nearly as bad. The mere addition of 

 3 or 4 inches of clay would not convert a light soil into a 

 loam. — Amateur, Cirencester* 



tinct. In Messrs. Darnell's great collection we noticed a round 

 variety named Masterpiece, certainly one of the most handsome 

 Potatoes in the Exhibition, and which would doubtless have 

 received a certificate had it been brought to the notice of the 

 Judges with that object. 



A few of the more handsome dishes and varieties suitable for 

 exhibition purposes were the following : — Kidneys — Albion, 

 Edgcott Seedling, International, Waterloo, Salmon Kidney, 

 Sutton's Magnum Bonnm, Lapstone, Yorkshire Hero, Ashtop 

 Fluke, Perfection, and Fenn's Bountiful (red), Veitch's Royal 

 Ashleaf, and Myatt's Prolific. Bounds — Rector of Woodstock, 

 Model, Bresee's" Prolific, Climax, Fenn's Onwards, Taylor's 

 Seedling, Porter's Excelsior, Red Emperor, Bresee's Peerless, 

 Coldstream, Early Goodrich, and Carter's Main Crop (red). 



INTEKNATIONAL POTATO SHOW. 



Wo one not having seen the great exhibitions of Potatoes 

 which have been held in previous years at the Alexandra Palace, 

 and recently at the Westminster Aquarium, can appreciate their 

 magnitude, character, and the interest which has been mani- 

 fested in them by cultivators and visitors. Thousands of dishes 

 of seiected tubers carefully washed have an imposing appear- 

 ance. Such shows afford evidenoe that the Potato has fanciers 

 as ardent as has the Rose or any other product of our gardens. 

 They represent also the magnitude of the trade which is esta- 

 blished in the " noble tuber" — trade, too, of a decidedly "in- 

 ternational " character, which has increased immensely during 

 recent years, and which is not likely to collapse if commercial 

 enterprise can maintain it in its present high position. A glance 

 at the schedule of the Aquarium Show tails convincingly of the 

 importance that is attached to Potatoes as a " fancy " crop by 

 those who are intimately identified with the production and 

 distribution of "show" varieties; for prizes — some of them 

 extremely liberal — were provided by several firms, who thus 

 seek to encourage the extended culture of the prince of root 

 crops, and to promote the diSusion of improved varieties. It 

 may be urged, indeed often is urged, that we have too many 

 ■varieties already. Regarded strictly from an utilitarian point 

 of view that may be true, as it is true of Peas, Broccolis, and 

 other vegetables ; yet new varieties of all these vegetables 

 have caused a vastly increased interest to be manifested in 

 the kitchen garden, and have stimulated high culture to an 

 extent that would not have been indulged in if a few old 

 varieties only had been adhered to. The present season has 

 been one of the worst on record for Potato cultivators, on account 

 of the prevalence of disease consequent on protracted wet and 

 dull weather; yet it is highly probable that those who have 

 been the most successful in producing sound crips are the 

 " fanciers " who have given special attention to the selection cf 

 sorts and the best modes of cultivation. They have thus derived 

 both pleasure and profit— the object, and a laudable one, of the 

 promoters of the displays such as those referred to. 



After we had left the Show last week certificates were awarded 

 to the following varieties : — To the Rev. Mr. Peake for Vicar of 

 Laleham, a red Paterson's Victoria; to Mr. MeKinlay for 

 McKinlay's Pride, a fine variety of the Ashleaved type; to Mr. 

 Farquhar for Ice Cream, a handsome white kidney ; to Messrs. 

 Bliss & Sons for Trophy, a red variety of Snowfiake ; to Mr. 

 Charles Turner for Early Bird, a beautiful kidney of the Ash- 

 leaved type ; and to Mr. R. Dean for Radstock Beauty, a round 

 exhibition variety of handBome shape, and for Bedford Prolific, 

 a fine kidney of the shape of Jackson's Kidney, but quite dis- 



VIOLETS EVERT MONTH IN THE YEAK. 

 In your Journal of October 26th, 1S76, Mr. Beachey gives 

 directions for the culture of Violets and how to have them for 

 six or seven months in the year, but Bays that everyone is not 

 so advantageously situated aa he is, Devonshire being the land 

 of Violets. 



I have had Violet plants in my garden as long as I can re- 

 member, which bloomed a month or two in the year as other 

 peoples' do, and I thought that quite enough ; but now I have 

 Violets not only every month but every week in the year, and 

 that without frames, pits, or forcing of any kind. The secret 

 liea in my growing a particular kind of Violet, the name of 

 which I do not know nor have I been able to find anyone who 

 could tell me, so I send you a bunch, and perhaps you may be 

 able to enlighten me on the subject. 



About four years ago a friend of mine gave me a few plants, 

 which he said he had had from a gentleman who had raised 

 them from seed, and who told him they would bloom for nine 

 months in the year. I divided and planted them in good soil, 

 and in 1875 had Violets every month with the exception of 

 June ; in 1876 I had some every month, and this year I have 

 hitherto had them every week, and shall doubtless continue 

 gathering them to the end of the year. 



I divide the plants in spring, cut runners off in Bummer, 

 and keep them at all timeB free from weeds, and have often 

 had Violets measuring more than an inch across, with stalks 

 7 inches long. — G. E. M. 



[A valuable variety, resembling The Czar in size, colour, and 

 perfume. — Er>s.] 



PORTRAITS of PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 



Yucca orchioides var. major. Nat. ord., Liliaceas. Linn., 

 Hexandria Monogynia. — Native of Southern United States. 

 Flowers white. Hardy.— (Bot. Mag., t. 6316.) _ 



Odontoglossuh. cieehosum. Nat. ord., Orohidacess. Linn., 

 Gynandria Monandria. — " This beautiful plant waa discovered 

 in the Eucadorean Andes in the valley of Mindo, at an eleva- 

 tion of 6000 feet, by the late Col. Hall, who sent dried speci- 

 mens to Sir W. Hooker that were imperfectly described by 

 Dr. Lindley, and it has since been gathered in the same locality 

 by his fellow explorer of the Andes, Dr. JameBon, and others. 

 As a species its nearest allies are 0. Hallii and inter-purpureum, 

 both natives of the Andes, but it is abundantly distinct from 

 these and all other species. Since its importation by the 

 Messrs. Klaboch O. cirrhosum has flowered with many col- 

 lectors, amongst the first of whom, I believe, is Sir Trevor 

 Laurence, Bart., whose gardener, Mr. Spyers, informed Dr. 

 Reichenbach that thirty flowers might be produced on a single 

 panicle."— (Bid., t. 6317.) 



Pitcaienia flavescens. Nat. ord., Bromeliacese. Linn., 

 Octandria Monogynia.— Native of Tropical America. Bloomed 

 during April in the Kew Palm stove. — {Ibid., t. 6318.) 



Dendrobium CBTSTALLiNDii. Nat. ord., Orchidaceas. Linn., 

 Gynandria Monandria. — Flowers white, yellow, and pink. " It 

 was discovered by Col. Benson, F.L.S., in Birma, and intro- 

 duced by Messrs. Veiteh, who first flowered it. The Royal 

 Gardens are indebted to MeBsrs. Low for a fine specimen of 

 it, which flowered freely, and the drawing was made from a 

 plant in Mr. Ball's nursery in June, 1874."— (Ibid., t. 6319.) _ 



Alliuh unifoliuji. Nat. ord., Liliaceaa. Linn., Hexandria 

 Monogynia. — " This is one of several handsome new_ Alliums 

 which have lately been discovered in California. It is found 

 in the vicinity of Oakland, and about the bay of S in Francisco. 

 It was first named and described by Dr. Eellogg in 1861. It 

 was afterwards found that name was not an appropriate one, 

 the number of leaves not being a constant character. Of well- 



