December 13 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



489 



needing improvement in the habit and floriferous character of 

 bedding Pelargoniums. Those that are of Tom Thumb habit 

 are Little Excellent, cerise scarlet, with a very slight purple tint ; 

 Bayard, deep crimson; Cramoisie Superieure, crimson, 'with 

 orange shade ; and Crimson Perfection, velvety crimson ; 

 Waltham Seedling has long shoots not sufficiently branched, 

 with very large trusses of dark crimson ; it is, however, a very 

 fine bedder; Mdlle. Nilsson, lilac rose, white centre, and large 

 trusses, habit almost erect; Queen of Nosegays, large trusses, 

 bright crimson, compact growth, fine ; Murillo, blood crimson, 

 a great bloomer, and dwarf habit, good ; Vesta, crimson 

 scarlet, of free growth, extra ; Mrs. Upton, pink, undoubtedly 

 the best pink bedder. Jean Sisley and Vesuvius may justly 

 claim to be the best of the bright scarlets. In whites The 

 Bride is superior to Madame Vaucher ; Little David still holds 

 its own as a dwarf scarlet ; also Cybister, scarlet crimson, 

 and Indian Yellow, orange scarlet. Alexandra, crimson and 

 magenta, and Amy Hogg, purplish rose, are not amiss ; and 

 what fine subjects both Blazer and Soleil would be if they grew 

 less strong and upright ! Blazer is the very finest of the bright 

 scarlets. Soleil is orange scarlet. The double-flowered sorts, 

 what fine foliage they had this year, and how few their flowers ! 

 A fine, hot, and dry season is needed for these ; in a wet year 

 they are of no use. 



Calceolarias have been good. They started very badly after 

 planting, but the wet brought them on well, and they were 

 good until late. I have an idea that these plants are quite 

 hardy, if the cuttings be put-in in a sheltered border. 



Imperial Dwarf Ageratum has shown great diversity in the 

 lieight of the plants, the habit, too, being very different. It is 

 more dwarf and floriferous from cuttings than from seeds; 

 the latter, however, make the best plants : select only those 

 that have a stiff and dense broad leaf-habit, rejecting those 

 having long joints with leaves far apart. 



Gazania splendens has grown exceedingly well, and notwith- 

 standing the wet, has been fine ; it is now (November 20th) 

 full of flower. Its neat habit renders it very desirable in many 

 arrangements. 



Tropffiolum compactum luteum gave a mass of bright green 

 foliage, and numerous yellow flowers well elevated above the 

 foliage, which last is very much too abundant. It is, however, 

 much superior to the Tom Thumb type. 



Lobelias have done extra well ; there was no want of vigour 

 in the plants from cuttings, and they bloom much more pro- 

 fusely, have larger flowers, and produce these earlier than 

 seedling plants. 



How fond rabbits and hares are of Roses ! We planted 

 some last spring in masses, and no sooner had they made 

 shoots a few inches long than they were eaten close to the old 

 wood. In consequence of this the groups had to be wired 

 round. Notwithstanding these pests the Roses have grown 

 fairly, and the following are good here : — Countess of Oxford, 

 Baroness Rothschild, La France, John Hopper, Edward Morren 

 very fine, Alfred Colomb, Charles Lefebvre, Comtesse de Cha- 

 brilliant, Senateur Vaisse, Thyra Hammerick, Xavier Olibo, 

 Princess Christian, Maurice Bernardin, Marie Baumann, 

 Marguerite de St. Amaud, Charles Rouillard, Duke of Edin- 

 burgh, and Gloire de Dijon. There has been no mildew or 

 fungus. The ground is well and deeply trenched — it is a good 

 stiff loam — and heavily manured. 



■ Alluding to hares and rabbits reminds me that they eat the 

 Lobelia to the ground. They seem fonder of this plant than 

 any other I know. It would be a good subject to plant for 

 those wanting to attract those animals to a particular spot. 

 Spmeas they eat completely down in summer, and Skimmia 

 japonica they cut off to the ground. They have been keener 

 of " tasting and trying " this summer than I have known them 

 in a mild winter. 



The wet season has been very favourable for newly-planted 

 trees and shrubs.— G. Abbey. 



P.S. — It may not be generally known that Ficus repens is 

 quite hardy. It escaped from a fernery through a chink, and 

 became attached to the wall outside, which has a north aspect. 

 It has a much finer appearance out of doors than in-doors, 

 and will no doubt prove useful for covering walls and rock- 

 work. — G. A. 



Stoking Steawbeeeies. — I have for many years past used 

 Right soil or sometimes some coal ashes, &c, but they are all 

 objectionable in wet winters, generally part or all giving way. 

 1 this year have tried sawdust, which answers admirably if 

 care is taken not to have too great a bulk together ; mine is 



3 feet at bottom, going up to a point. If there is too great a 

 bulk the dust heats. — R. Gilbeet. 



BOYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTUBAL 

 SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION. 



The last Exhibition for the season of flowers, fruits, and vege- 

 tables in connection with the above Society, was held in the 

 Music Hall, George Street, Edinburgh, on the 11th inst., when 

 excellent collections of fruit, numerous interesting groups of 

 plants, and large quantities of vegetables, &c, were staged for 

 competition. 



Exotic flne-foliaged plants were not so plentiful as might have 

 been expected from the fine collections of these plants that 

 exist in the vicinity of Edinburgh. This deficiency we cannot 

 be surprised, at, as the Show took place on a day when sharp 

 frost, cold winds, and occasional snow showers were the trying 

 elements to which exhibitors would have had to expose their 

 gems. Constitutional infirmities which ultimately follow such 

 exposures are of a character that even the certainty of obtaining 

 the " red caird," is not adequate to recompense for the risk. 



For three Orchids in flower, Mr. Currie, of Salisbury Green, 

 was first. One plant of Lselia anceps in his collection was a 

 magnificent specimen, bearing fifteen strong spikes, each pro- 

 ducing four or five blooms. 



Mr. Fraser, Cannonmills Lodge, gained an easy first prize in 

 the class of six Ferns of six sorts, with Asplenium fragrans, 

 Goniophlebium subauriculaturn, Adiantum farleyense, A. eu- 

 neatum, Pteris umbrosa, and Todea superba; the last by no 

 means so fine as one of the same in the second-prize group 

 shown by Mr. Paul, a keen amateur residing at 89, Gilmore 

 Place, who was also first for the finest Epiphyllums in the Hall. 

 The second-prize lot from Mr. Gordon, Niddrie House, and nu- 

 merous others were very poor indeed. 



Mr. Currie had Areca Verschaffelti and Astrocaryum mexi- 

 canum very fine in his first-prize group of four fine-foliaged 

 plants. Mr. Gordon took the second. Mr. Murray, gardener to 

 Mrs. Brown, Carlton Lodge, Murrayfield, and Mr. Currie had 

 awards for three greenhouse plants, in the order named. In 

 the ornamental-berried class of plants, Mr. Currie was first, 

 and Mr. Gordon second, with nicely-furnished plants of the 

 Solanum tribe. Draeama regina, D. Guilfoylei, D. terminalis, 

 and D. Cooperii were the finest amongst Mr. Currie's first-prize 

 lot of six. 



Mr. W. Shaw, Donislan House, Newington, was first for three 

 pink and three white Primulas. The plants and strain -were 

 only second-rate, though better than many staged against them. 

 Cyclamens were well shown by Mr. Currie, who got first ; Mr. 

 Allan, Ratho Park, Ratho, taking; second, both having good 

 strains in form and colour of flower. Mr. Anderson, gardener 

 to the Earl of Stair, Oxenford Castle, was first for Zonal Gera- 

 niums Le Prophete, Jules Cesar, and Excellent, showing fine 

 colour and compact trusses for winter blooming. 



Chrysanthemums were poorly shown in all classes. With 

 twelve blooms of the large varieties, Mr. Clark, gardener to 

 W. T. Mitchell, Esq., Parson's Green, was first with some well- 

 formed flowers of Lady H. St. Clair, Jardin des Plants, Jenny 

 Lind, and La Belle Blonde. In the nurserymen's class, Messrs. 

 Downie, Laird, & Laing were first for plants, and also for blooms 

 of Chrysanthemums, Messrs. Methven & Sons taking leading 

 honours in the Pompon section, 



Messrs. Gordon & Sons, nurserymen, Coltbridge, came first 

 for Cyclamens, with some especial good whites. The latter firm 

 had first for Camellia plants in bloom, and cut blooms also; 

 Lady Hume's Blush, Alba plena, and Emilia Campione being 

 particularly fine. 



Amongst exhibits, Messrs. Peter Lawson & Sons occupied 

 their usual creditable position, in having the orchestra taste- 

 fully embellished with the choicest examples of rare Coniferse, 

 for which their nurseries are celebrated ; Palms of the choicest 

 description, tree Ferns of noble proportions, Dractenas, Epi- 

 phyllums, &c. The same firm also exhibited a collection of 

 roots wonderful in size; the Mangold Wurtzels and White 

 Carrots being enormous products. A number of bulbs of Kohl 

 Rabi amongst them were of great interest. Messrs. Downie, 

 Laird, & Laing had a choice display, which filled two tables, 

 and consisted of Yuccas, Palms, Heaths, Crotons, Ferns, and 

 many other fine stove and greenhouse subjects. Messrs. Meth- 

 ven & Sons, Leith Walk, exhibited a large, varied, and effective 

 collection of Pandanuses, fine Crotons, Chrysanthemums, Maran- 

 tas, Cypripediums, &c. Messrs. Gordon & Sons, and Dickson 

 Brothers sent collections which were of the most select and 

 meritorious character. A small collection of grotesque Mam- 

 millaria and other Cacti, shown by Mr. Adamson, 14, Couper 

 Street, Leith, was of great interest, and bore signs of being 

 properly cared for. Mr. Clark, Parson's Green, exhibited a col- 

 lection of beautiful variegated-leaved Beetroot, which if a little 

 taller would be of great service for fine-foliaged bedding. 



Bouquets were elegantly done up, and plentiful; the most 



