512 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t June 23 , issi. 
opened out a new view of the building, and at once the hedge 
was lowered. The locusts marched from the east into the garden 
because their wings had not grown ; hence they remained in the 
garden until they were all destroyed. Twenty men and boys 
were employed ten days in destroying them. They greedily ate 
the bark of Cupressus sempervirens and Juniperus prostrata. The 
naked trees and shrubs presented a curious sight; but no perma¬ 
nent damage was sustained, as they were soon all covered with 
light green new foliage. 
FRUIT PROSPECTS IN IRELAND. 
Having recently had the privilege of seeing the gardens of the 
Duke of St. Albans, Newtown Anne; Lord Donoghmore’s at 
Knocklofty, Mr. Bagwell’s at Marlfield, Mrs. Malcomson’s at 
Minella ; Mr. Kiall’s, Heywood ; Summerhill, Glenview, and 
many others within an easy radius of Clonmel, I submit the fol¬ 
lowing as a fair summary of the condition of the crops : — 
Peaches .—At Knocklofty Mr. Ryan has a superabundant crop 
in the several ranges indoors. He says he removed a dozen for 
every one left, and will hardly lose one during the stoning period. 
It would be difficult to find a heavier crop on a sash-covered wall 
than at Minella ; and this, unlike other cases, is the normal state 
every year. Wall Peaches, without some protection in spring, 
cannot be said to be a success anywhere around here. 
Vines .—Almost in every garden with which I am acquainted 
there is from a heavy to a fair crop, but in this locality the 
heavy yield is invariably on the young wood—young canes of 
last year brought up beside the old. As usual Black Hamburgh, 
Royal Muscadine, and Gros Colman are conspicuously good. 
Apples .—Some of the heaviest crops I know are at Glenview, 
where at least forty of Rivers’ best sorts are variously trained. The 
espalier system here is notably good, and hardly deserves so much 
neglect as is now customary. In all other cases the crop, except 
in a few instances where it was heavy last year, is much better 
than in 1880. 
Pears .—There is hardly an exception in reference to Pears. 
Except something unforeseen occurs the crop will be above the 
average—from fan, bush, and cordon-trained trees.—W. J. M., 
Clonmel. 
THE SCOTTISH PANSY SOCIETY. 
The thirty-seventh annual Exhibition of the above Society was 
held on the 17th inst. in the Royal Scottish Society of Arts’Hall, 
George Street, Edinburgh. The past winter had damaged the stock 
of many growers, aud where the winter had not dealt unkindly the 
growth in many districts was late, and as a consequence the present 
Exhibition suffered somewhat when compared with its predecessors. 
The deficiency in size and general excellency was more marked in the 
Show varieties than in the Fancies—indeed, there were no really fine 
stands of the former, although in many of the leading stands there 
were individual blooms of fine quality. Many stands of Fancies were 
very good ; but a noticeable fact in both sections was this, that none 
of the many seedlings staged were awarded certificates. We have 
no doubt many good flowers will be found amongst these, but the 
want of finish told against them as exhibited. 
There were altogether seventy-four classes for Pansies or Yiolas, 
but we have noted only the chief prizes. And here it would be well 
to direct the Committee’s attention to the difficulty there is in finding 
out the names of the flowers. Those that have names attached are 
written on a sheet of paper and left either on the stand it belongs to, 
or, perhaps, on a neighbouring lot, and it is necessary to wade through 
a list of twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four sorts to obtain the name of 
any striking flower, with, perhaps, four or five other devotees waiting 
their turn. And even worse is it in the case of the gardeners’ and 
amateurs’ classes, for there, although the want of names ought, accord¬ 
ing to the rules, to subject the delinquents to disqualification, yet 
scarcely a stand in these sections is to be found with names. Shows 
of this kind lose their greatest claim for public support if they fail 
to prove educational by enabling visitors to obtain through these ex¬ 
hibitions a knowledge of the finest cultivated varieties. 
In the nurserymen’s class for twenty-four Shows Messrs. Dicksons 
and Co., 1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, were first with the following 
varieties and seedlings—Duchess of Edinburgh, Ladyburn Rival; 
seedling No. 4, a dark self ; seedling No. 5, a good white self ; Robert 
Donaldson, The Mede, G. Cunningham, Mary McComb; seedling 
No. 10, a fine velvety self; John Borrowman, Mrs. Goodall, Pilrig 
Model; seedling No. 14, yellow ground, bronze belting ; Mrs. Dodds, 
Mrs. J. Thomson, Polly Travers, Novgorod, Jenny Anderson, and 
Miss Jessie Foote. Mr. W. Dickson, Ladyburn, Paisley, was a good 
second, and Messrs. Downie & Laird, Pinkhill, third. 
In the corresponding class for twenty-four Fancies Messrs. Downie 
and Laird occupied first place with a grand lot, conspicuous being 
some unnamed seedlings. Their stand contained splendid examples 
of these:—J. Gardiner, Mrs. E. H. Wood, Mr. Scot Plummer ; seed¬ 
ling No. 6, a grand flower; Luck’s All; Mrs. Bliss, extra ; Lady Fal¬ 
mouth, fine ; R. K. Mitchell, Mrs. W. Brown ; seedling No. 13, fine ; 
l- - 
Yesta, Mrs. Barrie, R. Forrester, seedling No. 18, seedling No. 19, 
J. B. Downie, R. Cuthbertson, Mrs. Jamieson, extra ; R. K. Bliss, and 
Robert Laird, extra. Any Pansy fancier who is at present without 
any of the above must be content to consider his collection deficient. 
When he obtains them he will be able to hold his head up again 
amongst his brethren. Messrs. Dobbie & Son w r ere second with a 
stand inferior to the above by many points. 
In the gardeners’ class for eighteen Show Pansies Mr. Borrowman, 
Beeslack, was first. Mr. Findlay, Lennox Castle, occupied the first 
position for eighteen Fancies with a fine lot; Mr. Borrowman being a 
good second. For the corresponding classes for amateurs only Mr. 
Fleming, Berwick-on-Tweed, was first, also in most of the smaller 
classes. This exhibitor’s flowers were amongst the finest in the room. 
For twelve Show and twelve Fancy Pansies, open to both foregoing 
sections, Mr. Fleming was again first, his Show varieties telling 
strongly in his favour. This gentleman was also first for the same 
number of blooms and sections. For the best white ground Messrs. 
J. Cocker & Sons, Aberdeen, were first with Sunnypark Beauty ; 
for best yellow ground, Mr. A. Borrowman with Corsair; for the best 
dark self, Mr. McComb with seedling Pilrig Gem ; for the best white 
self, Mr. D. Findlay with Mrs. Goodall; for the best yellow self, Mr. 
Ross, Laurencekirk, with Lizzie Stuart; for the best blue self, Mr. 
Fleming with Sunnypark Rival; for best crimson self, Mr. D. Mal¬ 
colm, Kirkintillock, with Mauve Queen ; and for the best flower in 
the room, Mr. McComb with the same bloom which took first as the 
best dark self—Pilrig Gem. 
For twenty-four bunches of bedding Yiolas Messrs. Downie and 
Laird were first, also for twelve bunches of bedding Pansies. There 
were also classes for flower stands filled with Pansies or Yiolas, and 
also for bouquets, but these were all more of use as warning beacons 
than noteworthy in any other respect. Messrs. Todd & Co. of Mait¬ 
land Street showed a bride’s bouquet composed of white Violas very 
tastefully arranged. We understand the Society is in a good position 
financially. 
GARDEN ARRANGEMENTS. 
Agreeing with most of what is said in your article on “ Shows 
and their Uses,” on page 455, there are one or two points on 
which I desire to say a word. You say It would be an unfor¬ 
tunate monotonous world if all gardens were arranged according 
to the taste of one or two individuals ; ” which is very true as far 
as the minute details of arrangements are concerned, to which 
the remarks probably applied, but in the larger matter of general 
arrangements, which affect the landscape and give special features 
to a place, it always appears to me that there are certain natural 
laws for our guidance which cannot be put aside very much with¬ 
out courting failure. 
I have never read a book on landscape gardeniug, and therefore 
do not know what our Loudons and Reptons have to say on the 
subject, neither am I quite sure of what I should like to say myself ; 
and I beg of my readers not to take it for granted that what I 
shall say is correct, as if I were giving instructions about the 
culture of some plant with which I am pretty well acquainted, 
but it must be taken only as the rambling thoughts of a brother 
learner. I know, however, that there are professed landscape 
gardeners in this beautiful England of ours, who either ought to 
be sent to another country to practise their art, or be confined to 
fens and bogs where there are no hills, dales, nor trees to interfere 
with their elaborate designs ; and I would caution all proprietors to 
treat with suspicion any professor, however great a name he may 
have, who would mark for removal by spade or axe any tree or 
clump of trees possessing the least claim to beauty, merely for the 
sake of fitting in some ready-made design which he carries in his 
pocket or his head, and which has no special suitability for any 
place in particular, but which, according to his idea of taste, 
might with slight variations be made to accommodate itself any¬ 
where. Possibly not much harm would come out of it if all 
gardens were designed according to the taste of one or two indi¬ 
viduals, provided these were men of broad ideas; but it is the 
men of one idea who are to be shunned—those who would give 
you the same plan for a garden on a Wiltshire down as they 
would for one in a Lincolnshire fen. I have no sympathy with 
those who would banish any particular style of decoration from 
our gardens, for we certainly have not too much variety, but I 
should like to see some attention paid to the surroundings. 
I suppose most people will admit that a geometrical garden 
among the gravestones of a churchyard w r ould not be in good 
taste ; yet if you teach this practice to everybody you will have 
made some advance, for I saw one such some two or three years 
ago, and some people were looking on evidently in admiration. 
I do not suppose this was planned by a great professor, but I 
have seen proposals from men who have made themselves a name, 
which I think are quite as destitute of taste. For instance, I 
know of a splendid mansion some three centuries old, which 
unfortunately, like most other mansions of that age, stands in a 
hollow, and on one side which is the best decorated and may be 
