Horticulture. 



40 



[July, 1912. 



transit over neighbouring objects, and 

 during the staging process over the 

 hands and clothes of the gardener. 

 Flower pots, too, are often overlooked. 

 It seems scarcely necessary to say that 

 they should all be thoroughly cleaned 

 before being sent to a show ; and yet, 

 only last summer I was acting as judge 

 at a show where some large Palms were 

 arranged all down the central stage in 

 an elevated position, the pots naturally 

 most conspicuous— unfortunately so, 

 since they were all covered with dirt. 



Another small, but important, point is 

 the condition of the leaves of fine- 

 foliaged plants, such as Oodiaeums 

 (Crotons), Dracaenas Alocasias, and 

 Pandanas. These and all other such 

 plants, whether variegated or not, 

 thoroughly repay a careful sponging 

 with a weak solution of pure, soft soap. 

 Other washes may be used — I have tried 

 several — but I prefer the soft soap, as 

 leaving no deposit. 



Only those plants which are thorough- 

 ly healthy and in the pink of condition 

 should be exhibited. Many a time a 

 whole exhibit has been marred by the 

 inclusion of one plant which was out of 

 character, or in a sickly condition. All 

 plants should be prepared for some time 

 before a show, by judicious ventilation 

 and moderate exposure, to become accus- 

 tomed to the changes of temperature 

 which are involved by removal from 

 their own quarters to the show. Stove 

 plants should never be taken straight out 

 of plunging material; they should be 

 lifted a short time beforehand, and 

 inured to exposure. In the case of 

 flowering plants of any kind, all faded 

 blossoms should be removed. They 

 serve no useful purpose on the plants. 

 All plants should be staked sufficiently 

 to ensure safe transit ; by this I mean 

 what might' be called "permanent" 

 staking. All fine-foliaged plants should 

 be tied up and very carefully packed to 

 prevent any injury. Ferns, too, should 

 receive the same care. It is a great 

 mistake to try to trim up, with a pair of 

 scissors or a knife, the leaves of plants 

 which have a natural tendency to turn 



brown at the extremities. I have some* 

 times seen this done, with the result 

 that the appearance of the plant is com- 

 pletely spoiled — especially I remember a 

 Dasylirion acrotrichum which had been 

 thus treated— the effect was most un- 

 natural and unpleasing. 



If the pot of any plant for the exhibi- 

 tion seems too small, the plant should 

 be lepotted in one of a larger size. 

 In the case of Hyacinths, the pot is 

 often rather larger than necessary, as 

 exhibitors like to make the specimens 

 appear dwarfed. 



All plants should be watered before 

 being placed in the van, excepting 

 Orchids. With regard to the packing of 

 the latter, it is well to use quantities of 

 soft tissue paper, which is better than 

 any other packing material. Plenty of 

 time should be allowed for packing, so 

 as to insure its being properly done. 

 Unless the plants are tightly packed 

 they may shift, and the pots will pro- 

 bably be broken. 



In the case of cut flowers, the blooms 

 should be prepared the day before the 

 exhibition, and should be placed in water, 

 in a cool place, for a few hours before 

 packing. All market growers know 

 this and are careful to act upon it — 

 they find that by this means the 

 flowers are kept iu the best condition, 

 and show to advantage on the morning 

 of the exhibition. The flowers should 

 be packed firmly, so as to prevent them 

 from rubbing against one another. In 

 selecting flowers for cutting, those which 

 are half-opened should be taken rather 

 than such as are fully developed. In 

 the case of Nymphseas, for example, the 

 best blossoms for the purpose will be 

 those which have opened that day— they 

 will be at their best the next day, when 

 they arrive. It is not necessary to re- 

 move the pollen masses from liliaceous 

 plants— it is sometimes done, but it is a 

 mere fad. 



Cut Roses are usually taken to an ex- 

 hibition with their stems in water, but 

 this is not essential, except, perhaps, in 

 very hot weather, when they are apt to 

 open too fast if shut up in boxes. The 



