JOTTENAL OP HOETICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ July 5, 1364. 



Polygalas, Pimeleas, Yincas, Dipladenias, Statices, Ehynco- 

 spermum jasminodes, growing very gracefully, and covered 

 with its white Jasmine-like flowers ; and Eoella ciliata, very 

 conspicuous from its lavender and violet flowers. Lesche- 

 naultia formosa, with numerous scarlet blooms, from Messrs. 

 Lee, forming a bushy little plant, was very pretty. Erica 

 Parmentieri rosea, from Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Ehodes, was 

 covered with its splendid deep rose-coloured blooms ; Mr. 

 Whitbread sent an immense Azalea magniflora in excellent 

 condition, both as regards flowers and foliage ; and from Mr. 

 Gilbert came Ealosanthes superba, with truly superb scarlet 

 flowers. Clerodendron Thomsonias, from Mr. A. Ingram, 

 though not fully out, was also very striking, and when better 

 known this beautiful species will no doubt become a favourite 

 exhibition plant. The prizes awarded were : — For sixteen, 

 Mr. "Whitbread first, Mr. Gilbert (gardener to E. L. McMurdo, 

 Esq., Hastings) second, Mr. May, Hawkesyard Park, third ; 

 for ten, Mr. Eraser, Lea Bridge, first, Messrs. Lee second, 

 Mr. Williams third, Mr. Ehodes fourth ; for ten (Amateurs), 

 Mr. Peed first, Mr. Chilman second ; for six, Mr. Wheeler 

 first, Mr. Eaile second, Mr. Page third, Mr. Cross fourth. 



Eine-foliaged plants were of the usual character, com- 

 prising Alocasias, Crotons, of which the narrow-leaved sort 

 from Messrs. A. Henderson had the yellow variegation fully 

 developed, and the plant formed a beautiful weeping bush ; 

 a very tall Dracaena indivisa from Mr. Williams ; Latania 

 borbonica, Encephalartos latifrons, the rush-like pendant- 

 leaved Littea juncea, and Sabal Blackburniana, a noble plant, 

 from Mr. Taylor. Messrs. Lee were first in the Nursery- 

 men's Class ; Messrs. A. Henderson and Williams equal 

 second. In the Amateurs' Class the collections of Messrs. 

 Baines, of Bowden, Cheshire, and of Mr. Fairbairn, of Syon, 

 who were first and second, were very fine ; Mr. Taylor and 

 Mr. Young were third and fourth. 



Eeexs. — Collections of the exotic species comprising large 

 specimens of Cibotium princeps, Cyatheas, Gleichenias, 

 Dieksonias, Todea africana, &c, were sent by Mr. Williams 

 and Mr. Bull, who received first and second prizes ; and 

 those from Mr. Young and Mr. Martin, which were placed 

 equal third, were also good. In British Perns, Messrs. 

 Ivory's fine collection, as usual, carried off the first prize. 



Oechtds still made a fine display. Among those from 

 Mr. Baker were the curious greenish-yellow-flowered Den- 

 drochilum filiforme, iErides odoratum majus, an old but very 

 free-flowering species, of which this was an excellent speci- 

 men, Cattleya amethystoglossa, Saccolabium guttatum, 

 Holfordianum with six fine spikes, Yandas, Lselias, Cypri- 

 pediums, <ie. In the other collections we noticed the green- 

 and-white-flowered Brassia verrucosa, the rare Brassavola 

 Digbyana, Cypripedmm Hookeri, and several good varie- 

 ties of barbatum, Oncidium Lanceannm, Cattleya citrina, 

 with bright yellow flowers, and which does well under 

 cool treatment ; Oncidium flexuosnm, blooming, as it gene- 

 rally does, very freely ; also a very fine example of Cattleya 

 Mossias from Mr. Penny, besides iErides, Saccolabiums, 

 Yandas, Cattleyas, Laalias, Phalaenopses, in fine condition. 

 A dark crimson and yellow Stanhopea, from Mr. Ehodes, 

 attracted much attention from its remarkably large and 

 handsome flowers ; and by those who did not know that it 

 was a peculiarity of the genus Aeineta Humboldtii, pro- 

 ducing a long spike of flowers from the bottom of the pot, 

 was considered wonderful. This came from Mr. Parker, of 

 Tooting. The prizes awarded were : — For twenty, Mr. Baker, 

 first, Mr. Miiford second, Mr. Peed third; for twelve, Mr. 

 Penny first, Mr. Page second, Mr. Chilman third; for six 

 (Nurserymen), Mr. Williams first, Mr. Parker second, Mr. 

 Woolley third, Mr. Ehodes fourth ; for six (Amateurs), Mr. 

 Wiggins first, Mr. A. Ingram second, Mr. Wilson third, Mr. 

 Wheeler fourth. 



(To be contimied.) 



Both seedlings progressed healthily for some time, but 

 the most vigorous one about two months back suddenly 

 drooped and gradually withered without any apparent cause, 

 the stem of the plant, below the collar, and the roots seemed 

 black and diseased, leading me to suspect that the drainage 

 was faulty, although I had taken great care about it. 



I am glad to say, however, that the surviving plant has 

 thriven well, and during the past month has thrown out 

 several splendid blooms in trusses of three or four flowers, 

 with every appearance of continuing to do so for some time 

 to come. The brilliancy of the flowers amply repays the at- 

 tention required, and I have to thank you for the directions 

 afforded, which have enabled me to flower the plant suc- 

 cessfully. A YOTTNG A3IATETJE. 



P.S. — Is bast matting better for budding purposes than 

 worsted or woollen thread ? I budded many stocks with 

 the latter last season with hardly a failure. What is the 

 advantage of bast-matting strips ? 



[We know of no superiority that the one has over the other.] 



CLIANTHTTS DAMPIEEI SEEDLINGS. 



Some time ago I sought your directions as to the culture 

 of some Clianthus Dampieri seedlings, and was requested 

 to let you know whether I succeded in flowering them; with 

 much pleasure I therefore do so. 



I potted my two seedlings in a compost of peat, charcoal, 

 turf soil, and sand, following your instructions as nearly as I 

 could, and giving the plants a good place in the greenhouse. 



FLAYOTTK OF FEUIT L3DEE GLASS v. THAT 

 ON WALLS. 



I Ail indebted to "Wyeside" for his temperate communi- 

 cation at page 437, in reply to my call for information as to 

 fruit grown under glass being superior in flavour to that 

 grown on walls. He says I have undertaken a very diffi- 

 cult task when I attempt to prove that those who have suc- 

 ceeded in growing as fine fruit under glass as others upon 

 walls, ought not to have done so for physiological reasons. 

 I never undertook to do anything of the kind. What I said 

 and still maintain was, that fruit grown under glass is 

 superior in flavour to that grown on walls in the full sun, 

 was an assertion diametrically opposed to the laws of Nature 

 as expounded to us by vegetable physiologists. " Wyeside " 

 says facts are against my argument ; and yet he does not 

 furnish us with a single fact wherewith to afford ground for 

 a discussion of the topic, but leaves others to speak of them. 



Whether does a Peach tree on a south wall or in an orchard- 

 house enjoy the more light ? This is the point on which 

 " Wyeside " asserts I am so much in error as to astonish 

 him, yet he adduces no facts ; and as for his a priori reasons, 

 showing that orchard-house trees enjoy more light than 

 trees on walls, I will show that they even bear out my 

 argument. "Wyeside" says, "A wall shuts out half the 

 light of heaven." Admitting this (which I cannot as ap- 

 plied to Peaches on a south wall), it must follow that an 

 orchard-house with an opaque back wall, ends, and sides for 

 some height above the surface is as dark as the wall, from 

 the opaque character of the back wall, darker from the total 

 obstruction of light by the also opaque ends and sides, still 

 darker again from the obstruction of light by the woodwork 

 of the roof, and darker even yet by the impurities ever 

 present even in the best glass, without adding another item 

 to the darkness by the rays reflected, let the angle formed 

 be what it may. If this be true of lean-to houses, how 

 happens it that fruit grown in them is earlier than that in 

 span-roofed houses ? What is the cause of their being 

 warmer ? " Wyeside " does not take cognizance of the fact 

 in the one case, nor of the cause in the other. Is not fruit 

 produced sooner in lean-to houses by that which " Wyeside" 

 says makes walls darker than orchard-houses ? If a lean-to 

 house be much lighter than a span-roofed^which I contend 

 it is not, how comes a tree on a wall to receive less light 

 than one surrounded by light on every side — such as one 

 under a span-roof with glass ends and sides to the house ? 

 A tree surrounded by light on every side, as in a span-roofed 

 house, does not receive nearly so much direct light nor even 

 heat as one in a lean-to ; for it is absurd to argue, that be- 

 cause a hou^e presents a larger surface of glass (more than 

 half of it to a diffused light), to the open firmament, that it 

 must necessarily be lighter than another presenting its sur- 

 face at such an angle that very few rays of light are reflected. 

 I suppose "Wyeside" is aware that it is owing to the 

 greater proportion of rays reflected by the roof of a span- 

 roofed house over that reflected by a lean-to, which causes 

 the trees in the former to assimilate the food of the tree in 

 the leaves more slowly than in the latter, through the less 

 intensity of the light j and the heat being less also, less food 



