140 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



exceptional circumstances, as newly-planted Vines, with a mass of fresh soil, 

 and perhaps manure, which soon gets sodden from wet. 



The Muscats should be planted as close to the hot end of the house as pos- 

 sible. Two of Bowood would be better than the Alexandria; the former pets 

 more freely in cold or medium houses, and ripens with less heat ; it has besides 

 the great property of not shanking — at least it has not done so with us in any 

 late houses when the other has done. 



Woodlice are great pests in either frames or houses. We have tried poison 

 in different forms, but without seeing much difference in the numbers. Our 

 practice is to take a 48-pot, stopping the hole, and putting inside several dices 

 of potato ; over this a handful of loose hay. We then place near a jar of 

 water, and every time the young men go through, or by, to give air, &c, they 

 are emptied into the water. They are partial to potatoes, and if one is hol- 

 lo wed-out and placed near they will shortly fill it. A good preventive is to keep 

 the sides of the frame firmly trod, and all the dung in the frame well covered. 



J. F. 



CONCERNING NEW HYACINTHS. 



The exhibition of new Hyacinths at the Spring Shows of the Horticultural 

 Society has set me thinking about the matter, just because what _ constitutes 

 a new Hyacinth is so very indefinite in the absence of any official information 

 to that effect. The age beyond which Roses, Dahlias, Pelargoniums, Azaleas, 

 and other plants and flowers cease to be considered new is to some extent 

 defined, either by usage, or else a stated period is named on the schedule of 

 prizes. But in relation to the Hyacinth it seems to be left entirely to the 

 exhibitor to stage what he pleases as new varieties, and the Judges give then- 

 awards to the best spikes quite irrespective of the claims of novelty and new- 

 ness ; and this, simply because they cannot have any accurate knowledge of the 

 age of the flowers they are called upon to judge. 



At the Spring Show of Hyacinths held in the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 Gardens on the 18th of March last, three groups of Hyacinths were staged in 

 the Class for six new varieties, the exhibitors being Mr. William Paul, of 

 Waltham Cross ; Messrs. Cutbush & Son, the well-known Hyacinth- growers 

 of Highgate; and Mr, W. Young, gardener to R. Barclay, Esq., of Highgate, 

 one of the best amateur growers of Hyacinths round London. Mr. W. Paul, 

 who was placed first, had Florence Nightingale, Lord Macaulay, Koh-i-noor, 

 and Due de Malakoff, single reds ; Haydn, single mauve ; and Snowball, 

 single white. There was no intimation as to the age of these flowers appended 

 to the stand. I remark here that there are two varieties of Florence Night- 

 ingale, single red, extant; the one raised by Messrs. Veen, Brothers, of 

 Haarlem, and in colour red; the other, a rose-coloured variety, raised, or if 

 not raised, at least sent out by Messrs. Byvoet, Brothers, also of Haarlem. It 

 was this last variety that Mr. Paul had in his collection. 



Messrs. Cutbush & Son had five varieties labelled as "new of 1863 " — viz , 

 Rouge Eclatante, double red ; Feruk Khan, single blue ; Maria Theresa, single 

 red ; Fair Maid of Denmark, single white ; and San Francisco, single yellow ; 

 and one other variety without any statement of age — namely, Prince of Orange, 

 single red. It would seem that Maria Theresa was staged inadvertently. 

 Mr. James Cutbush, who was unable personally to superintend the arrange- 

 ment of his Hyacinths, told me that he had intended that Estella, double red, 

 should have been staged as one of the six new varieties, instead of which 

 Maria Theresa was substituted for it. Also Mr. Cutbush and his foreman 



