JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 15, 1882. 1 
491 
described in the pages of this Journal ; and though it is two years 
since we last saw the place, we find there is no diminution of the 
success with which these two crops are grown. The variety of 
Melon on which Mr. Pettigrew chiefly relies is Eastnor Castle, 
and such a crop we never saw surpassed ; in a space of little over 
a square yard there were eight large and handsome fruit just be¬ 
ginning to assume their netted covering. The Cucumber is Cardiff 
Castle, a variety of Mr. Pettigrew’s own raising. The abundant 
crop looked as if every fruit had been cast in the same mould. 
They were about 18 inches long, straight as a gun barrel, and with 
the least of neck possible. For prolificacy and excellence we 
never saw a better. Both the Melons and Cucumbers are grown 
in borders which are abundantly supplied with water and an occa¬ 
sional taste of liquid manure, and the great point is to keep the 
soil as dry as possible round the neck of the stem. This is done 
by rings of tin a foot in diameter and about 3 inches deep, and 
no watering is permitted within these rings. How the plants 
liked the treatment was visible in the mat of little fibres which 
was formed on the surface of the soil, and in the profusion of 
healthy fruit and foliage overhead. 
mometer Cribs and of different Exposures in Estimating the 
Diurnal range of Temperature at the Koyal Observatory, Cape of 
Good Hope,” by David Gill, LL.D., F.R.A.S. “Account of a Cy¬ 
clone in the Mozambique Channel, January 14th to 19th, 1880,” 
by Charles S. Hudson. “ Rainfall of Frere Town, Mombassa, 
East Coast of Africa, 1875 to 1881,” by R. H. Twigg, M.lnst.C.E., 
F.M.S. 
- We regret to learn that the noted horticulturist, Mr. 
James Vick of Rochester, United States, died on May the lGth, 
in his sixty-fourth year. This gentleman’s name was well known 
to English horticulturists, chiefly by the monthly magazine 
devoted to gardening which was conducted by him, and also by 
his business, which has greatly extended in recent years. Mr. 
Meehan’s American “ Gardeners’ Monthly ” gives the following 
account of his life and progress. 
“ The immense influence Mr. Vick has exercised on the progress of 
American horticulture is too well known to need any more than a 
passing note at this time. Wherever a flower is grown in this broad 
land there will be hearts touched with sorrow at this mournful news. 
In more than a quarter of a million gardens there will be this summer 
monuments of flowers to remind that he who sent them has finished 
his labours. No man in his day has so endeared himself to the 
people. No man in private life was so widely known. His death 
will be mourned over the whole country. James Vick was, in the 
fullest sense of the word, a Christian gentleman. His daily life was 
a record of good works and kind deeds. The road from his heart to 
his pocket was ever a straight and a broad one, and no grass ever 
grew in it for want of use. To high and humble he was the same 
cheerful genial man, with a pleasant hopeful word for all. Mr. Vick 
died of pneumonia on the morning of May lGth after a very brief 
illness. He was born in Portsmouth, England, November 23rd, 1818, 
and was, therefore, about sixty-four when he died. He has been in 
his time printer, editor, publisher, merchant. He came to America 
in 1833, and learned the printer’s trade in New York, and set type 
with Horace Greeley. From New York he came to Rochester, and 
became interested in various publications, among others the Horti - 
culturist, and Rural New Yorker. When engaged on the latter 
he first commenced to grow flower seeds in his garden, and send 
them out gratis to those who, like himself, loved flowers. It made 
the commencement of his great business. He commenced the business 
practically in 1860. His success has been marvellous. Three thou¬ 
sand letters per day was not an unusual occurrence, and more per 
day has often been received. He has paid more than thirty thousand 
dollars per year for postage, and his Floral Guide has a circulation of 
over 200,000 copies. All this has been accomplished by hard work 
and faithful interest to his customers.” 
NOTES AT MANCHESTER. 
The Whitsuntide Exhibition in the great Cottonopolis has now at¬ 
tained so wide a fame that horticulturists are annually attracted from 
all parts of the kingdom to the Old Traffoid Botanic Gardens, to in¬ 
spect the productions staged there in such numbers and of such excel¬ 
lent quality. By judicious observation a gardener may always gain 
a few hints of more or less service at gatherings of this kind; and 
whether he be an exhibitor or not, if his time be wisely occupied he 
will find ample to repay him for the journey. It is not only the Show 
itself that proves advantageous, but the fact that it draws together a 
number of practitioners from different portions of the kingdom, who 
by an interchange of ideas may benefit each other, is of considerable 
importance, for gardeners must fraternise when they meet at a Show 
surrounded by many triumphs of their art. Then, too, neighbouring 
gardens of note must be visited and specialities of culture observed, 
all of which extends the knowledge in various branches, and after 
spending a day or two in this way a gardener returns to his charge 
refreshed in body and mind, with increased interest in his duties. It 
would be quite safe to assert that at the majority of large exhibitions 
in England the greatest proportion of horticultural visitors are not 
competitors, and to this attractive power much of the beneficial in¬ 
fluence of plant, fruit, and vegetable shows must be attributed. 
ORCHIDS. 
At Manchester the two leading features were the Orchids and the 
Clematises, opinions being divided as to which were entitled to pre¬ 
cedence in merit. Mr. Bruce Findlay gave a very decided vote in 
favour of the latter, but Messrs. B. S. Williams of London and Ander¬ 
son of Meadowbank were equally strong supporters of the Orchids 
for the place of honour. Magnificent as the Clematises were, still 
the weight of general favour was on the side of the more delicate and 
choicer productions, against which but one objection could be urged 
—namely, the fact that they were nearly all “ made-up ” specimens. 
Many very distinguished horticulturists have rightly opposed this 
system as contrary to the objects of a society ; but at present there 
are no generally accepted views upon the subject, and except where 
the schedule is very carefully worded we see strange inconsistencies 
- The schedule of the Alexandra Palace Horticul¬ 
tural Exhibitions is to hand. Contains particulars of the 
classes and prizes at the following Shows, in addition to those at 
the Decorative Exhibition held last week. The Rose Show will 
take place on Saturday, July 8th, when liberal prizes will be 
offered in twenty-nine classes—five for nurserymen, six for ama¬ 
teurs, and the rest open. The leading prizes are £10 for seventy- 
two trusses, £5 for forty-eight trusses, £20 for the best thousand 
trusses, and £10 for the best five hundred. A Gooseberry Show 
will be held on August 5th, a Floral Exhibition and Show of 
Gladioli on August 12th’; an Exhibition of Grapes and Zonal 
Pelargoniums on September 16th, when prizes of £20, £10, and 
£5 will be offered for the best collection of Grapes in five varie¬ 
ties, three bunches of each, with numerous silver and bronze 
medals for the Pelargoniums. A Gourd Show will commence on 
October 7th, and Exhibitions of Hardy Fruit Trees and Shrubs 
on November the 4th and^,December 23rd. % These are under the 
direction of Mr. J. Forsyth’Johnson, from whom schedules can be 
obtained. 
r- As the first of a series of Holiday Handbooks, issued at 
the popular price of a penny, under the editorship of Mr. Percy 
Lindley, we have a little work of eighteen pages, entitled “ A Trip 
to the Ardennes : being a Fortnight in Southern Belgium.” This 
gives in moderate compass many valuable hints and descriptive 
remarks for intending tourists, which will prove especially useful 
to those whose means are somewhat limited. Antwerp, Brussels, 
Namur, Durant, Spa, Li6ge, Chaudfontaine, Huy, and other towns 
are referred to, and their most important features indicated. The 
work is neatly printed on good paper, and is embellished with 
several excellent engravings, and when the series is completed it 
will form a useful source of reference for tourists generally. It is 
published at 125, Fleet Street. 
- Parts 25, 26, and 27 of Letts’ Popular Atlas are to 
hand, and the fifteen maps they contain indicate the same careful 
and accurate execution which renders all those that have been 
hitherto issued so useful and reliable. Maps on a large scale of 
Italy, Austria, South-east Europe, Greece, and Russia, with beau¬ 
tiful plans of Brussels, Madrid, Rome, and St. Petersburg, are each 
alone worth the price of the parts. 
- At the next meeting of the Meteorological Society, 
to be held at 25, Great George Street, Westminster, on Wednesday, 
the 21st inst., at 7 p.m., the following papers will be read :—“A 
New Metal Screen for Thermometers,” by the Rev. Fenwick W. 
Stow, M.A., F.M.S. “ On the Effect of different Kinds of Ther¬ 
