426 



GA RDENERS MA GA ZINE. 



July 



2. 1898 



Notes of Observation. 



Parsnios. —Although Mr. Henslow recently stated that the Student parsnip, 

 put into commerce some forty years ago, was raised by Professor Buckman then 

 5f Cirencester Agricultural College, by constant and patient selection from the 

 wild parsnip, I had always understood that it originated by crossing the wild 

 narsnio with a garden variety. Without doubt, when first put into commerce it 

 had special food excellence, in being whiter and of more solid or marrowy texture, 

 than was the Hollow Cro*n or Jersey varieties. I am not sure that such distinc- 

 tion now exists. One Student may have developed the ordinary characteristics of 

 others, whilst the others may have, by dint of selection approached nearer to the 

 excellence the Student originally borrowed. To secure fine roots it is hard to excel 

 a good stock of the Hollow Crown ; but the new Tender and True, which Messrs. 

 Sutton and Sons have put into commerce, is better and whiter, and, if less large, 

 is a more solid fleshed variety, and is becoming popular. A true stock of the 

 Student, whilst having rather long, tapering roots, should have quite high or 

 rounded shoulders, differing in this respect materially from the Hollow Crown. 

 The coarse stocks known as Maltese and Jersey are not best fitted for garden 

 culture. Elcombe's Improved, a stock that has long had high reputation, is but a 

 good selection of the Hollow Crown. As with other roots so with parsnips, very 

 much can be done to keep stocks up to a high degree of excellence by constantly 

 selecting for seed production the most perfect roots for this purpose, not the 

 largest ; but those of medium size, solid, white, handsome, well shouldered, and 

 not too long, make the best stock. Our seedsmen merit all possible credit for 

 what they have done to improve vegetables in this way. — A. D. 



Bougainvillea Cypheri.— This new form is likely to become one of the 

 most popular of the bougainvilleas, as, though B. glabra is a favourite, the newer 

 B. Cypheri is equally floriferous, and of a much brighter colour. I recently had 

 an opportunity of seeing a large quantity of the new plant at Messrs. Cypher's 

 nursery, Cheltenham, and was so much pleased with the splendid bracts that I 

 consider it cannot be too generally known. In the colour of its bracts it is inter- 

 mediate between B. glabra and B. speciosa ; but it blooms more freely than the 

 latter, and the bracts are of a brighter colour, and the foliage less spiny, not unlike 

 B. glabra in the latter respect. It is invaluable for room decoration, as some 

 bracts cut and placed in water remained in good condition for several days, without 

 loss of colour or dropping. I note that it received a first-class certificate at the 

 York Gala, and it is certainly worthy of award, as I never saw a plant with more 

 bloom for the size, as small examples bloom freely, like the older B. glabra ; it 

 needs much the same treatment as the latter, and, given attention, will bloom a 

 long time.— G. Wythes. 



The Royal Horticultural Society's Examination.— Now that the 



lists of successful candidates in the three classes of this annual examination has 

 been published, I should like to publicly suggest that for the benefit of the 

 Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society, who may naturally wish to know 

 whether the money expended over these examinations is beneficially applied or not, 

 that the Council authorise the publication in an early number of the journal of the 

 society of the papers sent in by the two leading candidates in each of the classes. 

 As may be seen from the questions published that some, probably one half, are of 

 a botanical or physiological nature, and somewhat outside of practical horticulture. 

 In what are called " practice " questions the one relating to landscape gardening 

 as an art is somewhat absurd in such an examination, as no one could give any- 

 thing like an adequate reply, even if a piactical one, in less than a long essay. 

 With respect to the rest no fault can be found, as they all need in their answers 

 undoubted practical knowledge. What I would like to learn is something of 

 the nature of the replies given in the respective divisions, principles and practice, 

 and in which section most weight of marks is given. Of course, the candidates 

 well coached up in practice and theory make the biggest show, and that naturally 

 leads to the inference that a higher number of marks was given to answers in that 

 division than to those in the division of practice. Possibly such an assumption is 

 wrong. If so, nothing would so much tend to disabuse persons of that assump- 

 tion as the publication of the papers referred to with the number of marks given 

 to each answer. I should have imagined that the council would have hastened to 

 do what is suggested earlier. However, it is not too late to act upon it this 

 year. — A. I). 



Exhibitions and Meetings. 



ROYAL OXFORDSHIRE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



The midsummer exhibition of this society was held in tt,» j ' U " e 21, 

 College, which has been placed at the service of tKfiffi? 2 ^ 

 fellows. Favourable weather prevailed during the afternoon 

 the attendance of visitors proved fully 50 per cent, more than last 



and eve 

 year. D 



whole period of the society s existence its June shows have formed one : of th*?** 

 the Commemoration Week.the attendance of visitors being Zt elnl ?" aM 

 the past two or three seasons, however, since the eights week has ocrnrr^u h 

 the attendance has not corresponded with the increased expenses InH * T ' 

 prizes offered with a view to irake the shows attractive. Oxford gard^ 0 "^ 

 their lawns of velvet, are admirably adapted for flower shows, and SJ^ 

 Wadham rank high as po'sessmg a large number of specimen ornament H 



are some remarkably fine cedar* mZ 

 in position by a natural union* eve 

 green oak, lindens, &c. ; while m the warden's private garden (where the ten < 

 are fixed) there are several evergreen oaks, a noble tulip tree, a Judas tree 1 

 oak, beeches, weeping ash, a number of crimson thorns, guelder rose, demm 

 weigelas, and a fine pyramidal bush of cockspur thorn, now in full flower. Net! 

 the main walk are placed a trio of giant agaves, and the whole place reflects mu- 

 credit on the gardener, Mr. Fortescue, who has charge of the ancient orckri 

 whose apple, pear, and walnut trees are of undeterminable age. 



With reference to the show, it may be stated at the outset that very hiri 

 quality prevailed, although the entries were not quite equal to an average, the su 

 weeks of cold north-easterly winds and sharp night frosts having deterred the 

 development of all out-door subjects. 



Open Classes. — The schedule of prizes included classes open to all Englut 

 and in that, for an artistically arranged group of plants covering two hundred tad 

 twenty feet superficial, produced by two competitors, the first prize was awuded 

 to Mr. James Cypher, Cheltenham, who harmoniously arranged a large number i 

 choice subjects, including Bermuda lilies, richly coloured crotons, ixoras, sod 

 palms, ferns, and delicately veined, marbled and pencilled caladiums, mixed *r. 

 orchids including cattleyas, cypripediums, thunias, vandas, oncidiums, dendro- 

 biums, odcntcglossums, and epidendrums, etc. ; graceful bamboos. Himalaya! 

 primroses, and other dwarf plants. The second prize was awarded to Mr. W 

 Vause, Leamington, whose design, though wonderfully effective and well arranpd, 

 was a trifle less elegant than the premier group. The central points formed i 

 series of square headed arches resting on five pillars clothed in cork bark, the 

 central column supporting a large specimen palm, the outer pillars txi* 

 surmounted by neat feathery cocos ; around and among these were ditfn- 

 bated small examples of pandanus, coleus, crotons, caladiums, ferns, emeu, 

 carnations, Acalypha musiaca, cattleyas, mixed with fuchsias, Humea elegiM, 

 Asparagus plumosus, all the pots were enshrouded in bark, and in every crawr 

 and crevice bits of trailing and flowering plants depended ; each speci men pM« 

 forming a moss-covered mound. The class for groups of tuberous begone, 

 included two very fine banks ot scarlet, pink, white, salmon, cinnson, andydW 



forms of this popular flower, the ninety-six feet space allotted to each being a mm* 

 colour intersected by adiantums and tiny palms, Mr. Johnson, 

 Nurseries, taking the first. Mr. W. T. Mattock, Blenheim Nursery. IleadHJ* 



second, his group being of excellent quality of bloom 



The class for a group of orchids covering seventy-two feet su P« f,c «J 



u„~A~ Jr at. r„r^»r u.-hn had love v examples of AW? 



entirely in the hands of Mr. Cypher, who had lovely examples 01 Mj» 

 Clowesi, Brassia verrucosa, Cattleya citrina, C. labiata, , U lobaw, v.. 

 C. Moss':u, and C. Warneri ; Cypripediums tSJE 



C. hirsutissimum, C. Lawrence'anum, and C. Rothschildianum ; ^ f 

 Bensoniae and B. Dalliousieanum, Epidendrums P" smat °^^, *™ 

 num majus, Lselia purpurata, Masdevallia Harryana, Odontoglowu_ 

 O. citrosmum, O. cordatum, 0. Halli, 0. hystnx, 0. J" J « t , 

 maculatum, and O. Pescatorei ; Oncidium sphacelatum, f^^^tb 

 Marshall! ; Vanda suavis and V. tiicolor ; a most lovely collection, 

 first prize was awarded. - , \Ybil*i» 



There were five exhibitors in the class for a display of ros es j ^ana . ^ 

 gardener to the Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace, 

 award with a very tastily displayed arrangement ot 



. rtiircL Mr. J 



Grape Growing.— Growers will, in the majority of cases, have good cause to 

 remember the month of May and the early part of June for cold nights and want 

 of sun, and damp atmosphere, each and all were against them. The only 

 apparent gain has been in using the spare time in grape thinning which would in 

 ordinary times have been occupied in waterings, &c. About once a week was 

 the only time we could water, and, as a rule, before one house could be done the 



promise of a fine day had gone. Night firing has been a heavy item, more par-* avai vv a ATAaLLUtlv accuitVA ^ r , . 



ticularly as owing to the Welsh strike, the usual supply of coal could not be mentj £ centrepiece being a pretty cocos .embedded m _ 

 obtained. In several cases mildew, both on foliage and berries set m, consequently Cattleya Mossice, slender spikes of Oncidium "exu^^^ 

 painting the pipes with sulphur mixed with boiled linseed oil, was the order, ora**** th* *m*ll anhlpu ar rhp angles being filled wun ^ ^ Mfl> |t 



ith a very tastily displayed arrangement of JJ 00 ^^ 1 ^. llr. 

 feet superficial j Mr. G. Prince second, and Mr. Walk er ? Jhame, ^ $ 

 Mattock lost his chance of winning with a nice lot owing 

 palms and ferns as a background. ' , * feature : five tv:xtt 



Tables decorated and laid as for dinner formed a ^ owy ^ 



and Mr. W. T. Mattock secured the premier award witn a i rfUo *irf 



followed by sharp firing for the night. With the extra night firing vine growth 

 has been very rapid, and the weekly stoppings have been scarcely enough. June 7 

 was the first day of bright sunshine, but there is now a promise of continuous 

 bright weather. Growers have much to contend with, for the conditions which 

 prevent and cure mildew are likely to attract red-spider.— Stephen Castle, 



F.R.H.S , Bottesford Vineries ■, Notts. 



Primula Sieboldi. — I have often thought when I have seen the large flat 

 pan exhibits of the diverse varieties of this beautiful primrose, occasionally 5taged 

 in London and elsewhere, that such methods of exhibiting them was calculated 

 to detract materially from their popularity as greenhouse flowers. Clumps in six- 

 inch pots, neatly grown and blooming well, very easy to obtain, dotted about 

 amongst other plants in a house are really very charming, and many of the 

 varied colours are highly meritorious. The best are the whites, roses, and 

 reds, whether smooth-edged or lacinated. The reds, especially outdoors on 

 rockwork, and where sheltered from cutting winds, make lovely objects. These 

 primulas have had to give way to the sickly wild obconica, chiefly because it is 



W J e i!\ ea j y J 0 gro T" M ? P lan t0 secure good pot clumps was to stand those 

 which had bloomed outdoors in a shady place, or in a frame facing north cor 

 the summer, keeping up strong leaf growth as long as possible. Then when the 



dlcd away ™ the autumn, turning the clumps out of the pots, pulling 



l^u^ * em in the P^portion of 



5m3 It crown? 1" Slx " mch u P? ts > using, of course, fresh soil, and^ placing the 



^e pots. The former would bLm Lely 

 ing being picked ou InlhZ * oulc *g">w into strong crowns, any bloom show- 

 early SB^?JS * ^ Sh ° W tttt,d ^ S be ° btained ' U thuS 



blooVquite SS otters VS F"* heat neaf the glaSS they WOuld 



cession^ So a ^ fiame makirg an admirable sue- 



grasses, the small goblets at the angles ^^f 1 ^^^ table, bj 



citrosmum, white tea roses, and grasses. The J" yellow, W* 



W. Morris, Thame, a was a very airy a^ n R' m *?' J prize, Vrom Mr. * 



vt. iYxuiua, uiaiiic, was a. vet/ *u: r /1 rjrize 



orange Iceland poppies, ferns, and grasses ; the 

 Leamirgton, was somewhat too heavy. n f olants 



Members' Classes.— There was only one group ° F , 



for effect o-jj 



be* 



one hundered and twenty feet, Mr. Johnson taiunfc q{ the dea*""^ 



pyramid of healthy dowering and foliage plants, tne wi , h ^ «ff 



ia. The show, decorative, and zonal pelargo ^ ^ * 



pyra 



nice kentia 



aa 



nice Kenua. inc snow, aecorauvc, , hi 00 mea, ' , '^l 



double blooms, were all very dwarf grown and treeiy ^ ; >)f 

 ing the premier in the three classes. Fuchsias *«*b ^ smaIler . 

 for six tallish pyramids ; Mr. Joseph Bates, sen., sc ^ „ ,« : ip 



the three shown by Miss Greswell, Woodstock Koaa,^ ^ ^ jfcjj 

 division, were certainly the best bloomed g^^^fes, Nepbrolep"* 



son comprised specimens of large and fresh • ,, excellent 

 Asplenium nidus avis being especially good ; equa . ) chjlswel |, Wff ^ 



r T>.: t :„u c u:u:La hv Mr. W. *- ^' . „f ^h«ce exl ^Tf0f. 



specimens of British ferns exhibited by M 

 Oxford. _ _^ 



w v^WAiaa^AA « fill HI v**^ 



premier stove plant from Mr. Mattock (^."""Tp card 

 developed spathes of brilliant cardinal scarlet ; in ^ ^ thir d P"*^, 



nice fresh examnle nf Tlalfnnr'c rlerodendron J wui _ ^ ^ ^ » 



terns exniDiicu -7 — - , num ber of i^Abrt^' 

 The single specimen classes contained a Schtn ^f^^*> 



nice fresh example of Balfour's clero 

 nobile secured the card. For a greenhouse 

 Cymbidium Lowi from New Hincksey 



reverse. — A. I). 



mm there b no element of flatness 



monotony — quite 



second, with a well-flowered example, ot . spe cimen «»» J- ^ 

 fuchsia being awarded third. The premier fo Uage tr-^ H^J^,* IP- 

 Rothschild, exhibited by Mr. A. Ball, garden ^ Mr Ji»" ' 

 < )xford. 7 here were two very nice groups ot six thejjg^ 

 W. D. B. Curry, New Hincksey Vicarage, u *£ ro ; tioOS , the J^** 

 entrance to the tent were two large p^P*™. ^ {a | ma ison «r« 

 from the Blenheim Gardens, the blooms ot tne . 



