534 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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owered. The varieties were Princess Teck, Ellen Beck, Mrs. Hart, 
Lady Carrington, Fanny Gair, and Mrs. Pope. Mr. Wiggins followed 
with good plants, but a less even collection. The third prize was 
withheld. 
Zonal Varieties. —These were particularly fine in several of the 
chief collections ; the plants well grown, the flowers numerous, and 
the trusses large. For nine plants in 8-inch pots Mr. John Catlin, 
gardener to Mrs. Lermitte, sen., was an excellent first with even speci¬ 
mens, remarkably well flowered. Alice Burton, pink ; Cymbeline, 
scarlet; and Fanny Catlin, salmon, were very fine. Mr. J. Weston, 
gardener to D. Martineau, Esq., Clapham Park, was placed second 
with much looser but fairly good plants. Mr. Weston was also ac¬ 
corded a second prize for eighteen single Zonals. Mr. Catlin was first 
with nine double-flowered Zonals, staging very neat and compact 
specimens of Gorgeous, Lively, M. Thibaut, and Enchanting. Mr. J. 
King, gardener to G. Simpson, Esq., Wray Park, Reigate, was a good 
second with a bright collection, including several excellent varieties. 
Mr. W. Meadmore, Bomford, was third with smaller plants, but in 
good health. There was an extensive display in the class for eighteen 
double Zonals, Mr. J. King securing the chief prize with an admirable 
selection of healthy plants ; Mr. Catlin followed closely, and Mr. 
Meadmore took the third position. 
Ivy-leaf Varieties. —Mr. Wiggins was first with the only collection 
of these Pelargoniums, the plants being very healthy and the varie¬ 
ties well selected. Sylphide, Mons. Dubus, A. F. Barron, Gloire d’Or- 
leans, Sarah Bernhardt, Madame H. Barat, Perle, Seedling 29, and 
Madame Emile Guild were the varieties. 
New Varieties. —Class 1, for Hybrid Pelargoniums. First, Messrs. 
Cannell & Son with leaves similar to some of the Cape species, the 
flowers being large, of good form, and purplish mauve in colour. 
Class 2, for Show varieties. A.—Three varieties. First, E. Foster, Esq., 
Clewer Manor, Windsor, with Margaret (Foster), large flowers, good 
form ; the lower petals pink, very dark maroon upper petals, white 
centre. Boyal Beview (Foster), flower of medium size, even and fine 
form ; lower petals scarlet streaked with a dark shade, upper petals 
very deep maroon, white centre ; and Zealot (Foster), similar to the 
last, but with a larger flower, and without the streaks in the lower 
petals. B.—First, the Bev. A. Matthews, Grimby, Leicestershire, 
with Eva, fine flower, soft pink lower petals, dark crimson upper 
petals, good form and substance. Bussell similar to Boyal Beview, 
but more salmon in lower petals, all of the exhibitor’s raising. C.— 
First, Mr. Wiggins with Magnet, very bright scarlet, excellent form. 
Class 3, for Fancy varieties. A.—First, Mr. Turner with Sims Beeves, 
Florence Taylor, Queen of the Hellenes, excellent varieties. Class 4, 
for decorative varieties. A.—First, Messrs. J. J. Hayes with Buby, 
Grand Lilas, and Mr. Ashby. 
Cut Flowers of Pelargoniums. —Mr. C. Turner secured the first prize 
for thirty-six blooms of the Show varieties, with excellent examples 
very large and richly coloured, the varieties being best in commerce. 
Mr. Meadmore secured the chief prizes for twenty-four single and the 
same number of double Zonal blooms, very fresh and bright. For 
thirty-six double Zonals and twelve Ivy-leaved varieties Messrs. H. 
Cannell & Son, Swanley, carried off the principal honours with highly 
creditable blooms of very fine varieties. Mr. G. Duflield, Winchmore 
Hill, was first with large and bright blooms ; Mr. George, Putney 
Heath, taking a similar award for twelve Ivy-leaf varieties in fine 
condition. 
Certificates were awarded for the following new varieties :— 
Duke of Albany (Foster).—A handsome Show variety, with very 
large flowers of good substance and excellent form. Lower petals 
scarlet-salmon, upper very dark maroon with a narrow edge of scarlet, 
and a white centre. Exhibited by Mr. Turner. 
Mr. Ashby (Hayes).—One of the decorative section, being profuse 
in flowering, scarlet with a pinkish tint at the base of the petals, the 
upper being veined with a darker shade. Shown by the raiser. 
Annie Hemsley (Hemsley).—Also a decorative variety, with soft 
salmon-scarlet-coloured flowers edged with white, the upper petals 
being blotched and veined with dark scarlet. It is a very free and 
attractive variety. Exhibited by Mr. Little. 
The Abbot (Foster).—Another fine Show variety of similarly good 
form. Lower petals scarlet; upper very dark, nearly black, and pos¬ 
sessing a peculiar velvety gloss. Exhibited by Mr. C. Turner. 
Magnet (Wiggins).—A Show variety of great promise. Flowers 
large, smooth, of good substance, bright scarlet; the upper petals 
having a dark blotch. One of the brightest-coloured varieties. This 
and the two following were shown by Mr. Little. 
Superb (Beck).—One of the Show type. Flowers of great size, 
bright crimson ; very dark upper petals, white centre. Free and 
effective. Exhibited by Mr. Little. 
Britomart (Beck).—A Show variety. Soft crimson lower petals ; 
upper darker, with narrow margin of white. 
Belle du Jour (Lemoine).—One of the Decorative section, with 
double flowers produced very freely. Exhibited by M. Lemoine of 
Nancy, France. 
THE EVENING FETE. 
The weather proved very favourable for the Fete on Tuesday, and 
in consequence it was a most brilliant success, there being a remark¬ 
ably large attendance of visitors. All the tents, the conservatory, 
and the upper part of the grounds were thronged throughout the 
evening. The grounds were illuminated with Messrs. Siemens’ electric 
lights and Messrs. Z. D. Berry’s coloured oil-lamps, the latter taste¬ 
fully disposed amongst the branches of the trees, in wreaths round 
the trunks, and in festoons over the Lily tanks. The tents were 
lighted by the Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation, 
the north-east quadrant arcade with the Maxim Incandescent Light, 
and the north-west quadrant by Messrs. Siemens Brothers’ electric 
light. The bands of the Second Life Guards and the Boyal Horse 
Guards were in attendance, and a performance by the Boyal Criterion 
Handbell Bingers and Glee Singers was given in the conservatory 
during the evening. All the arrangements were highly satisfactory, 
and the fete may be fairly characterised as one of the most pleasing 
and successful the Society has held. 
THE TAJ GARDENS, AGRA. 
We submit another view of these gardens that were referred to 
last week, and it is pleasing to observe that gardening is being so 
well and intelligently carried out in this ancient historical old 
station, once for magnificence and commerce the first city of India. 
It was the court of the great Akbar nearly three hundred years 
ago, on whose palace a thousand labourers were employed for 
twelve years at a cost of three millions of rupees. But the splen¬ 
dour of this former place has departed, and the gardens for which 
it was remarkable are changed with the lapse of time. From this 
city to Lahore, a distance of five hundred miles, is said to be the 
finest avenue of trees in the world, the road being canopied with 
foliage the entire distance. 
In the Taj Gardens that have been so much improved of late, 
we are informed there is a large variety of trees, shrubs, and 
plants from nearly all parts of the globe. At the entrance to the 
right there is a Conifer plantation, and on the left there is a 
palmatum, both thriving equally well. One of the main points in 
the new arrangements has been to have as much lawn as possible. 
The designs are simple. Everything pertaining to fantastic, 
angular, and intricate forms and shapes has been avoided. All 
designs of beds which would be likely to clash with or pretend in 
any way to imitate the floral and ornamental designs which Are 
so conspicuous in all the buildings have been carefully eschewed, 
and the result is a garden at once attractive and enjoyable. The 
picturesque character of this garden is shown in the engraving. 
This view having been taken from the circular Rose garden. 
The naked tree is Bombyx pentandrum, and is over three hundred 
years old. It measures 45 feet round the base. The hole in the 
upper part of the trunk is where a large limb was blown off in a 
storm fifty-two years ago. 
WHAT PLANTS USE. 
( Continued from page 4S4.) 
Water. —Having disposed of air, light, and heat, water may 
next be referred to. Water forms three-fourths of the whole bulk 
of plants. It conveys the food which the plant finds in the soil to 
the leaves, and thence to every part of the plant. It is evaporated 
from leaves in immense quantities. Many actively growing plants 
under bright sunshine and a high temperature evaporate more 
than their own weight of water daily. Chief among these are 
Vines and Peaches, especially the former. This fact needs press¬ 
ing home on the minds of cultivators, for it is only by under¬ 
standing that Vines are ceaselessly pumping water from the soil 
that a proper idea of the amount of water that must be applied 
to borders can be formed. We are very decidedly of opinion 
that fruit trees, and more especially those under glass, often fail 
for want of a proper amount of water. No matter how tho¬ 
roughly a Vine border may be soaked with water, if the drainage 
is as it ought to be, the soil firm and yet porous, one week of hot 
dry weather will render a further application necessary. Badly 
drained borders are not referred to. These remarks apply to good 
borders filled with roots. New borders which are as yet unfilled, 
or old borders from which the roots have wandered, do not come 
under the rule. Not only is the soil dried by the extraction of 
water by roots, but a by-no-means inconsiderable quantity escapes 
by evaporation. That which is drawn by the roots can only be 
supplied by fresh applications; but that which is drawn by 
evaporation may be, to a great extent, prevented from escaping 
by proper mulching. Where the rainfall is great or the water 
supply ample, mulching may be omitted, but where either are 
insufficient it becomes of the greatest value. Its application, 
especially on thin soils with a hard subsoil, often means success, 
when without it success would be quite impossible. Mulching is 
generally associated with stable litter, and is therefore neglected 
because the untidy appearance of litter cannot be tolerated. 
Leaf soil, spent tan, cocoa-nut fibre, or even siftiDgs of soil from 
under the potting bench, are of the extremest value for mulching, 
and may be used liberally even in the flower garden without 
offence, but the opposite rather ; for the use of such will induce 
