332 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ April 28, 1881. 
convince any of your readers who have any doubts on the matter. 
Indeed if a score of plants have to live in a space only sufficient 
to maintain half a duzen, the result must be starvation. In 
sowing annuals, if the natural soil of the borders is either too 
heavy or too sandy, it is best to sow in pans or boxes and trans¬ 
plant into the borders in some prepared soil, which for most kinds 
should incline to the side of lightness, and at the same time be 
open and moderately rich. Of course the half-hardy kinds must 
have protection, and we know of nothing more suitable for this 
purpose than an ordinary dung frame, which should have lost its 
rank heat before the sowings are made. The young plants, how¬ 
ever, should not long remain in this place, but be pricked out 
into pots and placed in a sheltered position where they may grow 
freely, but at the same time become strong and hardy before the 
time for planting outdoors, which under ordinary circumstances 
will be about the beginning of June, taking the place of some of 
the autumn-sown hardy kinds which will be now past their 
beauty. Those who have not the convenience for raising half- 
hardy annuals may usually purchase young plants for a small 
sum at the nearest nursery all ready for planting out; but it may 
be useful to remark that such popular kinds as Stocks, Asters, 
Marigolds, See., if sown in very rich and light soil on a south 
border about the 1st of May, will produce sturdy plants that will 
produce as fine flowers, if a little later, as those raised in heat 
under glass, as all may prove who will try the plan fairly im¬ 
mediately after reading these notes.—H. 
HELLEBORE AS A GRUB-DESTROYER, INCLUDING 
PHYLLOXERA. 
This being the season when the destruction of grubs commences 
I wish more particularly to bring to notice the value of hellebore, 
and also to ask that gardeners would aid in experimenting with 
it. Hitherto I have never found the least injury done to plants 
by dipping them into a solution such as that mentioned on page 
321, and it is certain death to all insects. For instance, “D., 
Deal," might dip his Auriculas ; and, of much more weighty 
import, those with Vines affected by phylloxera might try this 
remedy. The French, I believe, offered a prize for the destruction 
of phylloxera ; I suggest to them the above as a cheap remedy, 
and I firmly believe an effectual one. Fortunately I have had no 
phylloxera to experiment with, but in soil saturated with hellebore 
no insect can live, and yet plants are not injured.— Joseph 
Witherspoon, lied Bose Vineries, Chester-le-Street. 
A VISIT TO CHELSEA. 
Various inducements exist to a visit to Chelsea. Chelsea 
buns, Chelsea china, and Chelsea Hospital have all their attrac¬ 
tions. A melancholy interest will attach henceforth to a visit 
to the house of the Chelsea philosopher. My object was to visit 
“ the Royal Exotic Nurseries.” Having a friend high in office I 
was able to do so under very favourable circumstances, and 
advise all florists who have an opportunity to follow my example. 
I was to some extent aware of the fame of Messrs. Veitch, but 
certainly not prepared to find a firm which pays away £10,000 
in one year in wages. The statement of that sum alone will 
give an idea of the extent of their operations. Their agents 
appear to be in every part. Quite an interesting museum is 
springing up in one portion of the buildings containing the many 
objects of interest, besides the new and rare plants which are 
continually coming in to them. First impressions are imposing 
in finding oneself under glass in a grove of New Zealand Tree 
Ferns. Splendid specimens they are. “ We do not care for them 
much under a hundred years old,” said the “ guide, philosopher, 
and friend ” who was going round with me, Mr. Adolphus Kent, 
an old friend of now twenty years standing, and at one time the 
most successful of all Reigate Rose Association exhibitors. The 
glory of the place are, of course, its Orchid houses. There are 
112 houses altogether, though I am thankful to say I did not 
enter half that number. It requires a tropical constitution for 
such tropical climates, though my companion rather enjoyed 
the atmosphere, and evidently pitied not a little my effeminate 
craving for fresh air occasionally. What the Orchids were is 
entirely out of my depth, but certainly the collection is equally 
extensive and magnificent. 
The Pitcher-plants were also very interesting, and I was glad 
to find that the character of the insect-eating plants has been 
completely cleared. Mr. Kent holds that though a viscous fluid 
may detain flies in some instances, it is more than doubtful whether 
the plant partakes of them. “ In fact we find,” he said, “ that if too 
many flies are caught by the leaves the plants get killed as well as 
the flies. ’ On my way back—for I can detail but a very small part 
of my experiences—I saw some beautiful Camellia houses, one 
especially capacious glass house being kept as the infirmary, to 
which the unfortunate plants which have been undergoing the 
rigours of a London season retire to recruit. 
But whereabouts were the forced Roses 1 They were all away 
at South Kensington. Fortified with a pass from the obliging 
firm I followed them there, and had an early inspection of a very 
pleasing little exhibition. The Roses, principally from the firms 
of Veitch and of Lane, were not quite in full bloom, but looked 
very well and healthy. Beauty of Waltham, particularly good ; 
also that excellent Rose of Mr. W. Paul, Magna Cbarta, which 
might have been called Magnum Bonum. That difficult Rose out 
of doors, Madame Lacharme, was excellent ; a grand bush of 
Celine Forestier; General Jacqueminot, as bright as ever; and 
Perfection de Montplaisir, a pale yellow, rather pleasing. A large 
collection of the various forms of Lent Lilies supplied a promise 
of the passing away of one more season of that roaring month 
of Daffodils,” which has this year invaded April and made so 
many remember him.—A. C. 
I strolled in the other afternoon into Messrs. James Veitch’s 
nursery at Chelsea ; I was delighted with all I saw, and never 
remember to have seen so fine a collection of Orchids in bloom. 
I entered by the Old Brompton Road, and went through the 
glass houses in succession. In the entrance were some splendid 
Camellias, particularly one magnificent dark one of the colour 
of Louis Van Houtte Rose. The other house contained some 
splendid Azaleas and greenhouse Rhododendrons. Ericas also 
were very fine, and foliage plants in abundance. One house was 
full of that lovely plant so dear to brides and debutantes, the 
Gardenia. I was also fortunate enough to see the fine collection 
of Roses Mr. Veitch showed the day before at South Kensington. 
The finest bloom I saw was one of Marguerite St. Amand, but 
Countess of Oxford and other crimson Roses were very good. 
The rarely seen Mabel Morrison seems to do well as a pot Rose. 
This as seen at Chelsea is the purest white in colour of any Rose 
I know, it is in reality “ paper white ; ” the plants were moderate 
sized, but very healthy and fairly bloomed. It is a great con¬ 
solation to me, who have now no garden of my own, to know 
that during the next few months I shall be able to see the queen 
of flowers in her very best attire. 
But after all I suppose at this season, and at a grand establish¬ 
ment like Messrs. Veitch’s, the “ Orchids ” are after all not only 
the greatest attraction, but the flowers most prized. And really 
I was perfectly amazed not only at the number but also at the 
variety and the beauty of the flowers. I am not going to inflict 
upon your readers or upon your printer a string of long names, 
but I would recommend anyone who wishes to see what an Orchid 
really is to pay a visit to Chelsea during the next fortnight. Just 
as I was leaving I met the blest mortal who can call all that love¬ 
liness his own ; he welcomed me, and expressed a hope that they 
might often see “ Wyld Savage,” now no longer wild, and then 
hurried off, as he was starting that night for the bulb gardens of 
Holland.— Wyld Savage. 
THE NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETY'S NORTHERN 
SHOW. 
This Show was held in the Town Hall, Manchester, on the 2(ith inst. 
Generally the plants were poor, and seemed to have been pushed for¬ 
ward in order to have them in bloom. The pips were small, showing 
the effects of the long-continued cold weather. One of the best seed¬ 
lings was a white-edged variety exhibited by Mr. T. Mellor of 
Ashton-under-Lyne, a seedling from Smiling Beauty crossed wdth 
John Simonite ; the petals were rather pointed, but in other respects 
the flower w'as good. Alpines, with the exception of Mr. Pohlman’s 
seedlings, were not first-rate. Polyanthuses were also far from being 
as good as in previous years. Mr. Barlow was as usual first with 
Fancy Auriculas, which were very fine. The twelve dissimilar Poly¬ 
anthuses exhibited by Mr. H. Brownhill of Sale were also well 
grown. The following are the names of the chief exhibitors and the 
varieties best represented. 
Auriculas .—Class A, six dissimilar varieties, Alpines excluded. First 
Mr. J. Booth, Failsworth, with Prince of Greens (the premier), George 
Lightbody, Alexander Meiklejohn, Lancashire Hero, Acme, and 
Charles J. Perry. Second Mr. B. Simonite, Rough Bank, Sheffield, 
with a seedling (green-edge) George Lightbody, Hero fgrey), Mrs. 
Douglas, and Frank Simonite. Third Mr. Edward Pohlman, Halifax, 
with Alma, Catherina, Garibaldi, and Chas. J. Perry. Fourth Mr. 
Thomas Mellor, Ashton-under-Lyne ; fifth S. Barlow, Esq.; sixth 
Win. Bolton, Esq., Warrington; and seventh, Mr. Wm. Blackburn, 
Didsbury. 
Class B, foirr dissimilar varieties, Alpines excluded.—First Mr. B. 
Simonite with Hero (green), a seedling ; Mrs. Dodwell, Frank Simo¬ 
nite ; second Mr. J. Booth with Acme, Marquis of Lome, Alma, 
