514 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ June 22, 1882. 
this great collection—greater by far, it may be added, than 
visitors can appreciate ; for there are dozens of houses crowded 
with thousands of plants which are not ordinarily seen by the 
public, but by the cultivator their health and cleanliness are 
scarcely less admired than the flowering specimens that render 
the structures in which they are kept so richly imposing. 
- Scarcely less beautiful than the Orchids is the collec¬ 
tion of Gloxinias in the same establishment. The progress that 
has been made in these plants during the last few years is very 
great, especially in richness of colour. Crimsons more or less 
bright have long been produced, but here we have scarlets almost 
as bright as Pelargoniums, and of velvety texture, such as is re¬ 
presented in the fine variety Radiance. Some new colours, purplish 
maroons, are intensely rich, and the spotted varieties are most 
chaste. Pure whites are also represented, the finest, Purity, 
often producing seven and eight-lobed flowers instead of the 
normal five lobes. Some of the best flowers are now fading, the 
plants having been in full beauty for upwards of two months. 
The collection is quite unique, and many of the varieties un¬ 
equalled. 
- Among other noteworthy plants in the nursery are An- 
tiiuriums, including the magnificent-foliaged A. Yeitchii and 
A. Warroqueanum, the curious A. Andreanum, which is producing 
numerous large brilliant spathes, and the grand A. Schertzeri- 
anum Wardii. Jasminum gracillimum is flowering as usual, its 
trusses of elegant flowers ever unfolding. The striking Leea 
superba is being increased largely on the assumption that every 
stove must eventually contain a plant or plants. A large house 
of Tuberous Begonias has a brilliant effect. A miniature forest 
of seedling greenhouse Rhododendrons is being watched with 
interest, especially since the remarkable double variety balsam a>‘ 
flora expanded, the flowers of which are rich, smooth, and perfect 
in form. The stock of Lavatera arborea variegata appears to 
have found its way to this nursery ; it is a striking plant that 
was recently certificated. The above are only a few plants that 
attract attention now, and which afford gratification to the 
constant stream of visitors. 
- At the Monthly Meeting of the Nottinghamshire Hor¬ 
ticultural and Botanical Society, held on the 12th inst., 
Mr. C. E. Pearson of Chilwell read a paper on the Pelargonium 
and its culture. The following resolution was passed, proposed 
by J. Booth, Esq., and seconded by Mr. Pendry—“ That a cordial 
vote of thanks be awarded to Mr. Pearson for his excellent essay.” 
Carried unanimously. Votes of thanks were also passed to Me ssrs. 
German, Pendry, Svvanwick, &c., for their exhibits on the occasion, 
and to the Chairman for presiding. 
toria Dwarf Bean, and Improved Ashleaf Potato. The first prize, 
value £3 3s., was awarded to S. P. Brookes, Esq., North House, 
Tewkesbury ; gardener, Mr. J. G. KitchiDg. Second prize, value 
£2 2s., Sir W. Throckmorton, Bart., Buckland Park, Faringdon ; 
gardener, Mr. J. Gough. Third prize, value £1 Is., W. M. Foster- 
Melliar, Esq., North Aston Hall, Deddington ; gardener, Mr. 
Pearce. Fourth prize, 10s. 6 d., Mr. Geo. Kirtland, Bletchington. 
- We have received a box of beautiful Gloxinias and 
Begonias from Messrs. Sutton & Sons of Reading. The flowers 
are of great size and substance, and represented in a great diver¬ 
sity of colours—from white through the various shades of pink to 
glowing crimson, and from rosy lilac to the richest purple. The 
throats of many are extremely pure and the lobes distinctly 
marbled. Such flowers as those before us can only be produced 
by a strain of great excellence. The Begonia flowers are equally 
meritorious, some of them exceeding 4| inches in diameter, and 
with great substance of petal. All the colours in which Begonias 
are seen are represented, from pure white to glowing vermilion- 
scarlet, and only by msch care in selection and superior culture 
could such admirable examples be produced. 
- A correspondent writes: — “Those interested in Mr. 
Taylor and his work, which I presume includes most of your 
readers, will be pleased to hear the Grapes at Longleat give 
promise of being remarkably fine this season. In all probability 
the crop will prove to be the heaviest, and in other respects the 
best yet grown in that famous vinery. The foliage and wood are 
magnificent, and that, too, without any assistance from the syringe. 
The bunches are large and well-shaped throughout the divisions ; 
but such is the extent of the structure, the visitor does not at first 
glance appreciate the size of the bunches and berries, or even the 
extent of the crop. The Muscats apparently have set well, this, 
as will be remembered, not having generally been the case, and 
Mr. Taylor is to be congratulated upon the success attending his 
well-thought-out remedy for imperfect stoning. I hope to see 
these Grapes again in August or September, at which date they 
will be well worth a ‘ pilgrimage.’ ” 
- At the Chelmsford County Court last Tuesday an ACTION 
OF interest to plant-exhibitors was decided by Dr. Abdy, 
the Judge. It appears that at a floral exhibition at Chelmsford in 
July last a plant of Phoenocoma prolifera Barnesii was exhibited 
by Mr. Duffield, solicitor, of Chelmsford, and gained a prize. 
Before it was removed from the exhibition, however, it sustained 
damage. Rewards were offered for the discovery of the offender, 
but without avail. Subsequently circumstances transpired which 
induced Mr. Duffield to believe that the injury had been inflicted 
by Thomas Simpson, gardener to Mr. H. Wells, J.P., Chelmsford, 
himself also an exhibitor and a member of the horticultural com¬ 
mittee. An action was now, therefore, brought against him to 
recover the estimated value of the plant—£2. The defence was 
that the injury was caused through the carelessness of the plaintiff’s 
own gardener in allowing it to fall. That person, however, 
declared that he had seen the plant sound at one time in the tent, 
and fifteen minutes afterwards had found it mutilated, no one 
having had access to it in the interim but the defendant. Judg¬ 
ment was found for the plaintiff, and an application for a new 
trial was refused. 
DUCKS IN THE GARDEN. 
I never knew slugs more abundant than they are this season, 
and complaints are very prevalent about their depredations. The 
newest plantations of Asparagus have been much injured by them, 
and nothing that is at all to their taste escapes. We have used 
hot lime for the vacant plots, and this proves an effective destroyer 
of slugs as well as a good pulveriser, which the soil much needs 
this season. Where no lime was applied we avoided planting 
small plants. Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflowers, Broccoli, Savoys, 
and Lettuces have been pricked out where they can be well looked 
- “ Amateur, Cirencester J referring to the letter of “ In - 
quirer ” on Fertilisers and Potatoes (page 489), observes : 
—“Your correspondent takes my remarks on this subject too 
seriously, and sees a rebuff where none was intended. I have 
carefully looked over my remarks on page 470, and fail to see 
any want of courtesy. It is true I do not agree with “ Inquirer ” 
about the formula of Mr. Jamieson, but anyone who brings for¬ 
ward a theory must be prepared to hear the opinions of others 
upon it; indeed I may go further and say I think it would be an 
unfortunate thing for the readers of the Journal if they only heard 
one side of a question. I have no time to refer more particularly 
to the formula at present, but may perhaps recur to it on another 
occasion.’' 
- The prizes for Vegetables offered by Messrs. Webb 
and Sons, Wordsley, Stourbridge, at Oxford on the 10th inst., we 
are informed, produced a strong competition, and the exhibits 
were extremely good, consisting of Webb’s Early Mammoth Cauli¬ 
flower, Perpetual Bearer Cucumber, New Kinver Gem Pea, Vic¬ 
