April 23, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
827 
to J. W. Pease, Esq., Pendower, being second. For twelve Pansies, dis- 
similar, and for twelve Fancy varieties Mr. J. Cawthorne, Windy Hill, and 
Mr. Thomas Battensby, were the chief winners. Epergnes and bouquets 
were as usual arranged on a table in the centre of the hall, and formed a 
most striking feature of the Show. 
Hyacinths. —These, as has been already mentioned, were arranged on the 
western side of the Corn Exchange, and extended the whole length of the 
building, formed an imposing array. The premier honours for twenty-four, 
not less than twelve varieties, was most deservedly won by Mr. Watson, 
that gentleman having now, we believe, occupied the same position for 
several years. His best and telling spikes were Yon Schiller, Grandeur a 
Merveille and L’Or d’Australie. The flowers were all rich in colour, full 
Fig. 58. 
. Groan J work of Mesembryauthemum cordifolium variegatum; 2. Alternanthera 
amoeua; 3. Iresine Wallaii pegged down; 4. Alternanthera paronyehioidea major; 
5. Alternanthera aurea; 6. Two rows of Echeveria secundi glauca and a little 
Sedum glaucum between. 
i 
blown, and beautiful, backed with excellent foliage. Mr. A. Kerr, Kelso 
was second, his best flowers being Czar Peter, Grandeur & Merville, Grand 
Vidette, and La Grandesse. Mr. Henry Dewar, Grey Street, Newcastle, 
was third. For twelve singles in pots, Mr. Watson followed up his former 
success with similar flowers to those in his twenty-four. Mr. Henry Dewar 
was second ; and for nine pots of single Tulips Mr. Watson was again first, 
the varieties were White Van Vondell, Pottebaker, Fabiola, Vermilion 
Brilliant, and Keyzers Kroon. For six pots of Tulips the same exhibitor 
was again first, Mr. W. L. Thompson being second. 
For the best arranged epergne Mr. T. Rutherford, Durham, was first 
with a very tasteful arrangement, his upper tier consisting of Begonia 
Regina, Masdevallias, Spiraeas, the base of Amaryllis, Callas, Masde- 
vallias, Dendrobiums, and the whole lightened with the usual Davallia 
Mooreana. Mr. D. Thompson, South Hill, was second with an effective 
epergne. For a bridal bouquet Mr. Chard, Clapham, London, was first. 
His arrangement was good, consisting of Gardenias, Spiraeas, Lilies of the 
Valley, and Tuberoses. Mr. J. Rutherford was second. For a hand bouquet 
Mr. F. C. Ford was first. It was superb in outline, Phalsenopsids and 
Oncidiums and Bouvardias being all employed with much skill and taste. 
For the buttonhole bouquet Mr. George Corbett was first with a nea 
arrangement, consisting of Spiraeas, blue Hepatica, and a small Tea Rose. 
In the B division many of the exhibitors were the same as in the A. For 
the Azaleas Mr. McIntyre was first; for the Deutzias, Mr. Ford ; for Spiraeas, 
Mr. Noble ; for Cinerarias, Mr. Forsyth; for Primulas and Cyclamens, Mr. 
F. C. Ford and Mr. McIntyre were first in the order named. For Lily of the 
Valley, first Mr. Short; for twelve Hyacinths, Mr. J. Wood and Mr. A. J. 
Brown, Whitburn, in the order named. For the epergnes and bouquets 
Mr. Methven and Mr. McIntyre were the respective winners. 
Not for competition were an excellent collection of Japanese Maples by 
Messrs. Smith, Worcester, exhibited by their well-known representative, 
Mr. Petch, consisting of septemlobnm elegans, palmatifidum ornatum, 
dissectum tinctum, septemlobum tinctum, and polymorphum flavescens. 
There were also two tall plants of the Azalea Chabreyeri, and Clematises 
indivisa lobata (evergreen), Lady Londesborough, Mrs. Quilter, Samuel 
Moulson, and George Jackman. These were all much admired, and we 
were informed had been nearly all purchased by Lady Armstrong, Jesmond 
Dene, so much was her ladyship pleased with them. Messrs. W. Fell & Co., 
Wentworth Nurseries, Hexham, had also an excellent collection of hardy 
Conifer® in pots. 
It is hoped the fine weather will have caused the receipts to be con¬ 
siderably above that of last year, and thus encourage the Council in thei 
earnest efforts to make the Exhibition second to none in the kingdom. 
Those who remember what the first spring Exhibition was eight years ago 
will admit that the Council have realised more than the most sanguine 
person interested in the Exhibition could desire, and against difficulties 
innumerable. 
CARPET BEDS. 
In the woodcuts (figs. 58 and 59) we give our readers two more carpet 
bed designs from Mr. Graham of Hampton Court. The beds should be raised 
5 or G inches above the surrounding ground, and the Echeverias and 
Sedum put in the sides to keep up the soil and serve as a button-like 
border to the bed. Our readers must also remember that the arrange¬ 
ments given here are only suggestive, and can be altered according to taste 
or the plants available. In either of these two beds Herniaria glabra 
could be used as a groundwork in place of the Mesembryanthemum, and 
as it is perfectly hardy would reduce expense, but we think the Mesembry¬ 
anthemum is very rich and distinct for groundwork or lining out figures. 
CAMELLIAS IN SPRING. 
Our first Camellias began flowering last November, and we have still 
blooms opening, but they will soon be over now, and the chief question 
is to ensure a free development of young shoots as soon as possible. 
Early blooming will never follow on late imperfect growth, and the 
sooner all plants are in free and luxuriant growth the better. Plantain 
pots with the drainage in a bad state should be turned out, and either 
repotted, or at least have drainage put right. This is of the utmost im¬ 
portance. No Camellia will ever grow well with poor or useless drainage 
at the bottom of the pot. Repotting should depend on the state of the 
roots and soil. If these are healthy we would not advise repotting. If 
the soil is overrun with worms, a few roots here and none there, we 
would shake the soil off and repot carefully in a mixture of rough sand, 
peat, and a few pieces of old fibrous loam. 
Poor roots and bad rooting material may sometimes produce fairly 
good young shoots, and the plants may appear all right, but it is not 
always at wood-forming time that deficiencies at the root show themselves, 
but more often when the buds are formed and expected to open, but they 
fail to do so and fall. This is the greatest annoyance any Camellia 
grower can experienee, and poor roots are the cause of three parts of the 
bulbs falling prematurely. The evil may be rectified now, but it cannot 
later on. Indeed, this is the only time of the year Camellias will bear 
having their roots disturbed. Planted-out bushes are not, as a rule, so 
light to get out of order at the roots, but where they are in a bad state 
try and add to or rectify the drainage, and put some sweet new soil to 
the roots. Camellias which grow extra strongly often make too much 
wood, and become a thick mass of branches, but it is not good for them 
to be like this. 
Fig. 59. 
1. Meeembryaothemum cordifolium variegatum ; 2. Eclieveria Peacockii; 8. Alter- 
nantliera versioolor grandis; 4. Alternanthera aurea; 5. Two rows of Echeveria 
gecunda glauca, and a little Sedum glaucum between. 
When cutting out or thinning the branches has to be done the spring 
is the time to do it, but anything like cutting them in to a level surface 
should never be practised. Those which are crowding should be cut out, 
and the others left will gain strength. "When in bloom Camellias cannot 
be syringed so often, as they require to keep them clean, but when they have 
ceased flowering they should be syringed twice daily at least. We find 
our plants are not very liable to become infested with insects, but a kind 
