June 12, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
467 
llieir beauty in sandy pools at Saltcoats. When thus outspread they 
have been gently covered by a fine light-coloured clay, have gradually 
been carbonised while the clay has been converted into rock, and now at 
the end of ages they have been visited by a resurrection morn. The 
beauty of the plants is much heightened by the dark colour of the carbon 
contrasting with the light-coloured stone in which they are outspread.” 
- At the ordinary meeting of the Royal Meteorological 
Society to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on Wednes¬ 
day the 18th inst., at 7 p.m., the following papers will be read:—“ The 
Equinoctial Gales : Do They Occur in the British Isles ? ” by Robert H. 
Scott, M.A., F.R.S., President. “ On the Physical Significance of Concave 
and Convex Barograpliic and Thermographic Traces,” by the Hon. 
Ralph Abercromby, F.R.Met.Soc. “ Maritime Losses and Casualties for 
1883, Considered in Connection with the Weather,” by Charles Harding, 
F.R.Met Soc. “The Helm Wind,” by the Rev. Joseph Brunskill, 
F.R.Met.Soc. “Climate of the Delta of Egypt in 1798-1802 during 
the French and British Campaigns,” by W. T. Black, F.R.Met.Soc., 
Surgeon-Major. The Commemoration Dinner will take place at the 
Holborn Restaurant, High Holborn, on Tuesday, June 17th, at 6.30 p.m. 
-Awards at the Bath and West op England Show at 
Maidstone :—Fruit cup, Mr. C. Haycock, gardener to Roger Leigh, 
Esq., Barham Court, Teston, who staged fine Melons, Peaches, &c., and 
plates of well-kept Apples—Alfriston, Ostogate, Belle Bonnier, and 
Calville Ro*ge. Second, Mr. Waterman, The Gardens, Preston Hall. 
In vegetables they were reversed, Mr. Waterman being first with a fine 
named assortment in clean and fresh condition. Mr. C. Haycock second. 
The cup for Orchids fell to W. E. Brymer, Esq., M.P., of Dorchester 
(Mr. Poyle gardener) ; Mr. Cooke being a good second with a fine group 
from D. Barri Crawshay, Esq., Rosefield, Sevenoaks. The cup for the 
best specimen Orchid fell to Mr. C. Haycock, who staged a well-grown 
Vanda suavis. A good collection of vegetables also came from Mr. 
Wilson, gardener to G. Ashley Dodd, Esq., Surrenden Park, Ashford. 
Melons, Strawberries, and Cayenne Pines came from Mr. McKenzie, 
Linton Park Gardens. 
- Glass Structures at Maidstone.—A t the Show above 
named, although the glass erections were not numerous, they presented 
a few features worthy of notice. Messrs. Wright & Co. showed some 
pits and lean-to houses ; Messrs. W. E. Rendle & Co. houses showing 
their patent system of glazing. Mr. W. Richardson, Darlington, showed 
a wall-tree protector and lean-to vinery, and a very handsome small 
conservatory in the Queen Anne style with admirable ventilating gear. 
Mr. W. Parham, Bath, also showed some useful houses. Messrs. Foster 
and Pearson of Nottingham showed their prize-medal pits, the venti¬ 
lating gear of which is still further improved, and also a very well made 
and proportioned small greenhouse; a new latch of solid brass is at once 
a marvel of utility and usefulness, being not liable to get out of order. 
Mr. A. T. Goodwin of Maidstone showed a novel plant house ; the glazing 
being done in sashes allows the putty to harden well before being 
exposed, and a house can be put up in a few days. The ventilation was 
also good, one side of the ridge being opened at a time to avoid draughts 
The inconvenience of brickwork and the consequent litter and trouble 
is avoided by using a foundation of concrete blocks, which any labourer 
can lay. They give the house a neat appearance, and the house generally 
would be suitable for the villa garden. In looking over these houses we 
were struck with their low price, machine-work and the present price of 
glass bringing them within the reach of persons of moderate means. 
Messrs. Foster & Pearson sent a model of their “ Chilwell ” boiler, which 
appears admirably adapted for heating a large extent of piping. 
PLANTING AND ARRANGING FLOWER AND SHRUB BEDS. 
There seems to be a difference of opinion as to which is the most 
suitable mode of planting flower and shrub beds. Generally the planting 
is commenced in the centre. This may seem the best system to some 
people, but gardeners, who have had to arrange flower beds so that they 
may have a uniform appearance when finished, have come to the con¬ 
clusion that they must not commence planting in the centre. I daresay 
there are many readers of the Journal who have commenced planting in 
the centre of a bed, and when they came to the last row outside have 
found that the plants will not fit in well, and the result generally is that 
many of the plants have to be re-arranged. If the planting commenced 
at the outside this irregularity would not occur, and in finishing the 
centre is easily filled. It is the same when planting a bed of Rhodo¬ 
dendrons or other shrubs. If the outside rows are planted first the centre 
plants can be arranged so as to have an artistic and workmanlike finish. 
If there is likely to be any difficulty in carrying the shrubs into the bed 
after the outside rows are planted, and if the plants are of large size, two 
or three may be left out of the outside rows, when the centre plants may 
be easily carried in. But in planting flower beds fill up as the work 
proceeds ; the soil or plants will not be trampled if the workman is 
careful. Another advantage of this system of planting is, if the supply 
of plants is short they can be widened out and would still look well. 
There may be exceptions to finishing in the centre. In round beds, 
for instance, there may be a specimen plant to be placed in the centre ; 
this should be planted first; but still commence at the outside when 
planting the groundwork of the bed.—A. Young. 
RODGERSIA PODOPHYLLA. 
This is a rare herbaceous plant, and one eminently fitted for culti¬ 
vation by the side of lakes and small ornamental waterways, its large, 
graceful, and attractive foliage being very conspicuous in the distance 
where the plant is grown in quantity. The leaves are divided into four 
nearly equal diamond-shaped leaflets, of a very agreeable light green 
colour, which makes a fine contrast with the brown or purple finely 
serrated edges. The flowers, although individually small, are numerously 
produced on long clustered spikes rising well above the foliage, whitish, 
and not unlike our common Meadow Sweet in general appearance. To 
grow it well it requires strong rich loam, and will be all the better for 
occasional feeding during the growing season. It should be planted close 
to the edge, and will be all the better for having its roots touching the 
water. The beauty of this plant under the above conditions will amply 
repay any small attention it may require during establishment. 
The Peltate Saxifrage (S. peltata) will be found to be a very suitable 
companion to the above in every way ; indeed they may be very advan¬ 
tageously grown side by side, their appearance being quite different, and 
while the flowers of the Rodgersia are produced when the leaves are 
fully developed, those of the other are produced in early spring and 
before the leaves begin to start. The flowers are rosy purple, and are 
borne in large round heads about the size of a closed hand, and are very 
pretty. The leaves are large, round, and attached to the stalk by the 
middle, on the under side, and shaped like an inverted umbrella, some of 
the larger ones holding as much as half a pint of water. A compost 
of nearly three parts peat to one of sand and loam suits this plant 
admirably, and if possible a partially shaded nook should be chosen.—M.S. 
A SIMPLE MELON SUPPORT. 
The accompaning sketch represents the simplest and best means of 
supporting Melons which I have yet met with. Obtain a piece of any 
hard well-seasoned wood about 5 inches wide, cut it into 8-inch lengths ; 
bend some pieces of stout wire into those represented at a and b, and drive 
one into the centre of each end, and the thing is complete. It will be 
understood that the length of the hooked wire b must depend upon the 
angle of the roof on which it is to be su-pended. Place the support on one 
of the wires as at a, and, holding it as near as possible level, measure how 
far it is below the next wire above that on which it rests, and make the 
hooked wire b to correspond. Fruit supported on these are nearer the 
glass than if they were suspended, and consequently they can with less 
trouble be fully exposed to the sun when ripening. No tying is ever neces¬ 
sary, as they can be placed on them as soon as they are “ set,” and the 
only after attention needed is—when the fruit begins to attain some size— 
to place two or three small pieces of wood round the fruit on the supports, 
to keep it from rolling while syringing, or should the wires get shaken 
while attending to the plants.—R. Inglis. 
BIG ROSES. 
As regards these I cordially agree with your valued correspondent, 
“ C. P. P.,” that size can never be a disqualification when the quality 
is maintained. Truly, if the larger specimen is the coarser let it go to 
the wall, but if we have equally fine quality with larger size let the 
larger win. Who, for instance, would object to one of the small but 
first-quality Pears being the size of a baking Pear, provided the grain and 
quality were equally free from coarseness? Certainly the eater would 
not. The whole of this question turns solely on the quality. I have 
not yet made acquaintance with Her Majesty, but am prepared to 
worship. If Her Majesty be Charles Lawson improved in form few 
Roses can be of a lovelier colour. Will Her Majesty, if of this large 
size, be a great acquisition to our stands ? Well, I should say only under 
certain circumstances. It will not do in my humble opinion to place 
her in the back row even if the said bloom be very much larger than 
the rest of the bloom3 in the stand. Certainly the more even in size 
