JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1 1 
June 8, 1882. ] 
473 
We have a hundred Zonals in flower from October to May, suc¬ 
ceeded by others for summer blooming ; twelve pots of Lilium 
auratum and L. lancifolium ; fifty pots of choice Cinerarias from 
Christmas ; I do not require them before the 1st of January. We 
have a few indifferent Calceolarias this year, but 6hall not have 
them again, as they need a cooler house. Six pots of early Fuchsias, 
and six in after season, all the best varieties, from June to Novem¬ 
ber. We have fifty named Tuberous Begonias of the first quality, 
well grown, both single and double varieties ; two dozen of the 
best Gloxinias, besides the usual summer-flowering plant®, such as 
Mimulus, See., and one dozen of the finest Pelargoniums early 
in their proper season ; these having with me been obliged to 
be reduced to one dozen in favour of Zonals, which I can have 
in this vinery in bloom eight months out of twelve without any 
of the trouble or tenderness of the old Pelargonium in winter. I 
lost all my small choice collection of Pelargoniums in the winter 
of 1880, but not one of my Zonals or their cuttings in the same 
season. 
My vinery is 40 feet long, lean-to, splendidly situated in every 
respect. I have in it eight Vines of Black Hamburgh, two of 
Madresfield Court, and one Black Muscat; all are now carrying 
a very heavy crop, the best in all respects I have had for three 
years, and the house has never been so full of flowers as during the 
past nine months. I keep no professional gardener, but a young 
man I have been teaching for four years, who does all the stoking 
and general attendance when I am from home, thinning of berries 
of Grapes, and carries out to the letter my orders for ventilation, 
watering, and fumigation at the right time. I believe it is these 
two latter operations that most amateurs neglect “if they know 
them,” and that causes so much to be asked and written about 
vermin and flowers destroying Vines. No man should attempt the 
flower culture I do and think of showing Grapes, but I can have 
them, and invariably do, fit for table, well flowered, well coloured, 
with fairly large berries. The vinery is always kept at a tempera¬ 
ture of 50° at night from November on through the winter, except 
when caught like others in exceptional winter of 1880, for which 
I had not sufficient heating power.— Saxoeing. 
SHEFFIELD FLORAL AND HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
On the 30th and 31st ult. the above Society held an Exhibition of 
plants, flowers, and fruits in the Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, and though 
the display was not extensive, yet most of the classes were fairly 
well filled, and the quality of exhibits very satisfactory. The Society 
is making steady progress, but is not at present in a very flourishing 
condition, the funds not admitting of liberal prizes to induce spirited 
competition or bring exhibitors from a distance. Only a fe\v money 
prizes were offered, and in the other classes certificates of merit were 
given, the Society defraying the expenses incurred in bringing and 
returning the plants, &c., contributed. That with such little induce¬ 
ment so bright and pretty a Show could be secured is highly creditable 
to the Sheffield horticulturists, both amateur and professional, who 
evidently take a real interest in the Society’s welfare, and at the same 
time are w’illing to forward it as far as they possibly can. 
Plants constituted the chief feature of the display, and foremost 
amongst these were the large groups from Messrs. Fisher, Son, and 
Sibray, Handsworth Nurseries, which comprised numerous choice 
Orchids, the Cattleyas being very noticeable, with small but healthy 
and well-coloured specimens of Crotons, Dracaenas, and other fine- 
foliage plants, the beautiful greenhouse Rhododendrons for which 
this firm is so justly noted being well represented. Mr. B. Crossland 
and Mr. W. S. Seagrave, Sheffield, each contributed collections of 
plants, including many choice and well-grown specimens that added 
largely to the attraction of the Exhibition. Another large exhibitor 
was Mr. Hannah, gardener to T. Wilson, Esq., Oakholme, who had an 
extensive collection of well-grown plants, amongst which w'ere several 
Crotons superbly coloured, and all alike were in most vigorous health, 
the arrangement being tasteful and neat. Gloxinias from Mr. J. 
Udale, gardener to H. E. Watson, Esq., Shirecliffe Hall; Calceolarias 
from Mr. J. Shelley, gardener to Mrs. Hobson, Burnt Stone, Sandy- 
gate ; and hardy Ferns from Messrs. J. Eadon, G7, Roebuck Road, and 
H. Davy, 282, Pitsmoor Road, were also admirably shown, the Ferns 
being particularly healthy and fresh, representing many of the most 
attractive and choice varieties in cultivation. Mr. Shelley’s Calceo¬ 
larias were admirable—of moderate size, healthy, with good heads of 
fine richly coloured flowers, and had the collection been at the Man¬ 
chester Show in the preceding week it would undoubtedly have taken 
first honours, for all the plants there were too tall and thin. Several 
of the groups were tasteful, though some had been too hurriedly ar¬ 
ranged, and the material had not been utilised to the best advantage. 
Besides those already mentioned the following contributed plants, 
flowers, and miscellaneous exhibits :—Messrs. T. Walker, gardener to 
B. P. Broomhead, Esq.; W. Collier, gardener to Mrs. G. Eadon, 
Crookes ; E. Holland, gardener to Duncan Gilmour, Esq., Sandygate ; 
J. Woodfield, Birley Carr ; S. Morgan, gardener to J. C. Shaw, Esq., 
Crosspool; E. Blaydes, Albert Road, Heeley ; M. Taylor, Freedom 
Road, Walkley ; and Councillor Linley, Albert Road, Heeley. 
Cucumbers and Strawberries were well shown by several exhi¬ 
bitors, amongst the latter being some fine samples of Vicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury from Mr. J. Udale, which were of good size and 
shape, and finely coloured. Several well-fruited plants were also 
staged. 
ECONOMISING WATER. 
In our district the want of water is practically unknown, 
though periods of scarcity occur, not perhaps to a sufficient 
extent to be hurtful to animal life, but sufficiently so to be in¬ 
jurious to plants. Recurring series of dry seasons are experienced, 
those of a dozen or fourteen years ago being doubtless in the 
remembrance of many readers, and it is not unlikely that a dry 
summer is coming. In such a season the question of watering is 
a serious one, and a few thoughts on the subject may be useful. 
Water is of great importance to plants. One constituent may 
replace another, as soda for potash, or, as in the case of lime or 
potash, such constituents may be practically absent altogether 
from the soil, and yet plants exercise their functions to a certain 
extent, but the absence of water immediately causes a cessation 
of life or the maturation of crops. Artificial irrigation is the best 
mode of entirely obviating all injurious effects of drought, but the 
means of so applying water are practically absent from gardens. 
At fust thought the application of what water can be had would 
appear to be the next best thing to giving a sufficiency ; but that 
may easily be demonstrated as not advisable. 1'he best course to 
avoid these evils is deep cultivation, though perhaps the present 
is not the best time to speak on this part of the subject. It is 
thought that if a piece of ground with a bad subsoil is trenched 
deeply a layer of unfertile soil must be turned up to the surface ; 
but really the best way to improve such a subsoil is to break it 
up, add manure, and leave it at the bottom of the trench. As a 
means of obtaining the best possible results in dry weather the 
ground cannot be too deeply stirred. Anyone who may doubt 
the capacity that deeply stirred land has for retaining moisture 
may have such doubts dispelled by trenching a portion of ground 
in autumn and leaving a portion undug till spring, and at that 
time see on which seeds can be sown earliest. 
It is in this matter of retaining moisture that the application of 
animal manure will always be of the greatest value in cultivation. 
I refer, of course, not to decayed manure, which has lost some of 
its most valuable constituents, but to half-fresh manure. I value 
artificial manures highly and use them largely, but in dry weather 
they are absolutely inert where the application of water is impos¬ 
sible. Animal manure, on the other hand, retains moisture. 
It is, I consider, unadvisable to commence watering crops until 
they absolutely require it, and even then I give it as seldom as 
possible. Watering newly planted vegetables is hardly ever 
done ; it is much preferred to draw the roots through a mixture 
of water and soil, draw a drill deep enough to remove the dry 
surface soil, and plant without delay. When the worst occurs, 
and water is scarce, flower pots are placed over the plants for a 
few days until they are established. The need of an abundant 
supply of water at one time to a crop, Peas in rows for instance, 
will be seen to be more of a necessity than many people think if 
we consider that the dry ground in immediate proximity to that 
occupied by the roots acts as a dry sponge, and diffuses the water 
over a wide underground area. 
Surface cultivation, as an economiser of moisture, deserves 
especial consideration. We cannot hinder healthy vegetables 
from absorbing the available moisture in the soil, but we can 
secure a practically non-conducting material on the surface of the 
soil by a free use of the hoe. The great mistake is that much 
mischief is done before hoeing is commenced ; but it is such an 
extremely important point should a drought occur that it is wise 
to leave matters of less importance and have it done. Remember 
that hoeing and raking are two very different operations and act 
differently. By hoeing you render your surface loose and open, 
roughness adding to its usefulness as a means of saving moisture. 
By raking, the ground is firmed which has just been loosened, 
breaking the lumps into smaller particles, and packing them more 
closely together—means which render the escape of moisture 
easier. 
Mulching really, like artificial watering, resolves itself into a 
question of means. If you have material for mulching use it by all 
means. Half-decayed leaves are of value, and cuttings from lawns 
if clean, not otherwise. Dry soil strewn over ground which has 
been watered has a wonderful effect in arresting evaporation. 
Everybody knows the absolute necessity of moisture to cause 
the germination of seeds. Peas should have the drills well 
watered and the seeds immediately sown. We take the same 
