JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
470 
form of 0. crispum ; the petals and sepals are finely crisped at 
the edges, and each flower is about 3 inches in diameter. 0. cris- 
tatum had several spikes, as also the fragrant O. pulchellum. 
Cypripediums constitute a good display. Amongst the number 
in flower is C. barbatum var. giganteum, the dorsal sepal of great 
width and substance, C. villosum, C. Roezli, C. Hookerm, and 
C. virens. Spathoglottis ixioides is a little gem with grass-like 
foliage and canary-yellow flowers produced on upright flower- 
stalks. The upright spikes of flowers of Coelogyne flaccida show 
well above the foliage, and when a good specimen plant is seen in 
flower it is a lovely sight. Sobralia macrantha is flowering freely, 
in addition to many others of less importance.” 
FERTILISERS AND POTATOES. 
Your correspondent “B.,” on page 398 of the Journal, cites tbe 
authority of M. Ville, that if Potatoes do not receive a sufficient 
supply of potash the Potato disease will attack the crop with viru¬ 
lence. If, on the other hand, the potash is given in sufficient 
quantity the disease will not attack the Potatoes. Allow me to 
observe that I do not agree with M. Ville on this subject. It is 
certainly not true that the application of potash to Potatoes 
in field culture will prevent the disease attacking them. All 
manures, whether farmyard or artificial, have a tendency to in¬ 
crease the liability of the Potato to disease, and should therefore 
be used with judgment. Potash salts are perhaps less harmful 
than some others. If a moderate quantity of farmyard manure is 
used potash salts are not required at the same time unless the soil 
is deficient in potash. In some of the soils near Cirencester 
potash salts in such case did not add anything to the bulk of the 
crop. These soils contain about 1 per cent, of potash. In some 
respects I do not approve of the present plan of growing Potatoes 
by the application of enormous quantities of manure, farmyard 
and artificial. The quality of the Potato is injured, and I fear 
serious consequences must ensue unless, as a measure of precau¬ 
tion, the stock of seed tubers is grown specially for the purpose 
of planting on another part of the farm. They are more liable to 
disease, and a contaminated stock has a great tendency to repro¬ 
duce itself. 
With regard to the use of chloride or sulphate of potash, I had 
a conversation with a friend yesterday who is a chemist and under¬ 
stands these things, and he tells me that the sulphate of potash 
is preferable as a manure to the chloride, even if the price is con¬ 
siderably higher; and further, he says there is no faith to be re¬ 
posed in the formula put forth by Mr. Jamieson in the “ Proceed¬ 
ings of tbe Sussex Association for the Improvement of Agriculture,” 
as mentioned by “ Inquirer,” and that Mr. Jamieson must carry 
out his experiments on larger plots of ground before his results 
can be taken as settling the question.— Amateur, Cirencester. 
THE ETHICS OF EXHIBITING. 
A LONG and intimate acquaintance with exhibitions and ex¬ 
hibitors of flowers, &c., has certainly led me to the opinion that 
there are fewer offences against honesty and fair dealing in them 
than in other contests of which I have had some little experience 
—poultry shows for example ; and the instances where I have 
seen the unfair practices prevail have been mainly in cottagers’ 
classes. Whether it is that they do not consider it a breach of 
honesty, and that all is fair in war, I know not, but I have seen 
over and over again the most flagrant violations of fair dealing— 
so much so that I have very much questioned whether such classes 
did not do more harm than good. I have known, it is true, some 
cases amongst other classes, but they have been very few. I have 
known an exhibitor, whose stand wanted a good Rose, asking a 
fellow exhibitor to spare him one, but it led to the imminent risk 
of his being turned out of the building. 
But there are one or two points which, while not involving un¬ 
fair dealing, are yet in themselves so questionable that I may not 
be doing harm, perhaps, now that the exhibition season is com¬ 
mencing, to draw attention to them. Rose shows will be espe¬ 
cially in my mind, but what I contend for will be applicable to 
other matters as well. The question as to what constitutes an 
amateur is one which has already come up before the Committee 
of the National Rose Society, and will probably be decided as far 
as their opinion and authority go before the year is out. There is 
nothing, of course, in the word “amateur” which forbids the 
selling of plants, but by long tacit consent it has come to mean 
one who grows anything simply for the pure love of it, and 
without any reference to any gain therefrom. If, then, anyone 
t June 8, 1882. 
goes in largely for growing in order that he may have plenty of 
blooms for exhibiting, with the determination of selling a number 
of his plants afterwards in order to recoup himself for his ex¬ 
penses, I do not think he can be fairly considered an amateur. 
Nor does it seemingly make much difference as to whether his 
sales be on a large or small scale. In writing thus I am perfectly 
aware that the matter has never been strictly defined, and that it 
is simply a matter of ethics, which any one person may consider 
he is justified in doing. When the matter is authoritatively 
decided the case will be different. 
There is another point which is of a somewhat similar character, 
which no rules can ever reach, but which must be left to the good 
feeling of exhibitors, but it is one on which their “ethics” seem 
to me somewhat “mixed.” Many societies have established various 
divisions for the purpose of encouraging all classes of growers. 
This largely prevails in classes for florists’ flowers and in Roses, 
and there can be little doubt, if properly worked, of its beneficial 
effects in encouraging the growing love of flowers ; but I have 
frequently seen that the value of the rule has been entirely vitiated. 
A grower who has always exhibited in one of the larger classes, 
and whose stock is of such dimensions that he is fairly considered 
as a proper person to exhibit in such classes, finds that as the day 
approaches he cannot exhibit as he would wish to do. Not that 
he cannot exhibit at all, but not in as good form, and that con¬ 
sequently he has but little chance of winning a prize in his usual 
class, and quietly drops down into a class which was Dover in¬ 
tended for him—of course swamps the smaller growers, and car¬ 
ries off the prize 0 . Now he has not violated the letter of rules, 
but he has certainly their spirit, and has thoroughly disconcerted 
the plans of the committee who framed the schedules. I have 
known these instances over and over again, and I would appeal 
to all exhibitors, especially those connected with our National 
Rose Society, to consider whether there is not some degree of 
truth in what I say. I never exhibit a Rose, consequently in all 
I have written I have no interested motive. I am, I am thankful 
to say, on friendly terms with all our exhibitors, and consequently 
I have no personal animus in the matter. All that I desire to see 
is a clear stage and no favour. But I feel that smaller growers 
require to be protected from those who, having “big battalions,” 
can, as a rule, carry all before them. I feel with a small grower 
who once said to me when one of our largest amateurs had taken 
first prize in a class for six Tea-scented Roses, “ I think, sir, we 
ought to make a class of three Teas for Mr.-.” 
I believe the prospects of Rose shows this year are favourable. 
From most parts I hear good accounts. I have just walked 
through Mr. Cranston’s piece of twelve acres of maiden plants on 
the Manetti, and all I can say is he must be a very strong man 
who will carry off the leading honours from him. In some places 
I hear strong complaints of aphis and maggot. I have but little 
of either, and I should hope that now (May 22nd) all fear of 
spring frosts is over. In about a month’s time “the ball” will be 
opened at Maidstone, and let us hope for a happy and successful 
time for all real lovers of the Rose.—D., Deal. 
NEW AURICULAS. 
It was the practice of my dear friend Mr. Woodhead and 
myself, if we saw anything fresh in the floral world when we 
were not in company together, we wrote each other a description 
of what we had seen. Our ideas so well agreed that the descrip¬ 
tions generally fairly represented the good and bad properties of 
the flowers made note of. My notes on tbe new flowers shown at 
the National Auricula Show at South Kensington were misplaced, 
and have now only been just recovered, so that I was only able 
to give a verbal description to my friend of those flowers which 
attracted me most. Now that my notes are to hand I will furnish 
particulars. 
Laurel (Pohlman).—Green : tube yellow, paste dense, body 
colour fair, tube too small, and edge notched. 
Excelsior (Horner).— Green; edge smooth and circular, paste 
dense and good, body colour too heavy, and tube pale. 
Agamemnon (Horner).—Green ; good edge, paste dense, tube 
rich yellow, body colour too heavy. Had fourteen pips. 
Jumbo (Douglas).—Green ; good edge, body colour dense but 
narrow, paste solid, and tube good. 
Mrs. Moore. (Douglas).—Grey ; good edge, body colour fine, 
paste dense, and tube fine. A very good flower. 
Bluebell (Horner).— Grey; edge good, body colour heavy 
purple, paste good, and tube fair. 
George Rudd (Woodhead).—Grey ; large with good edge, body 
colour dense, paste solid, tube orange yellow. 
Mrs. Dodivcll (Woodhead).—White ; edge white, body colour 
black and solid, paste dense, tube yellow. A good flower. 
