5G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ July 19 1883 
D, Melver, Mr. P. Bromborough, were the prizetakers in the order named. 
Bor six blooms Joseph Armstrong, jun., Esq., Lower Bibbington, was the 
principal prizewinner. Por twelve varieties of Teas Mr. T. B. Hall was the 
only exhibitor, and was awarded the first award for a grand collection of 
blooms. Mr. E. Claxton, Allerton, and Mr. A. Tate were the prizetakers in 
the class for nine blooms, the former staging fine blooms of Marie Sisley, 
Adam, Alba Rosea, Belle Lyonnaise, and Comtesse de Nadaillac ; the latter 
good Devoniensis and Madame Willermoz. Messrs. G. Tippet, W. E. Hall, 
and J. G. Churton were the prizetakers in the class for six blooms. 
The remaining classes were devoted to cottagers, and very creditable 
blooms were staged. Messrs. H. Mercer, J. Hazelby, and A. Molyneaux 
were the principal exhibitors. The classes devoted to bouquets need no 
comment. 
Miscellaneous Exhibits. —Messrs. W. Paul & Son, Wa)tham Cross, Herts, 
■contributed very largely to the beauty of the Exhibition, some thousands of 
blooms being staged from these nurseries, entirely filling the side, one table 
extending the whole length of the hall. The way in which this mass of 
Roses was grouped was striking and attractive. In the front, boxes were 
arranged the entire length, each box in many instances being filled with 
blooms of one variety, and in others the whole of the varieties were distinct. 
At the back of these, round hampers or baskets about 18 inches over were 
slightly elevated and filled alternately with Tea and Hybrid Perpetual 
Roses. Some of the most striking baskets of Teas were Devoniensis, 
Safrano, Madame Falcot, Jean Pernet, Hornere, Perle des Jardins, Souvenir 
<Tun Ami, Souvenir d’Elise, and Niphetos. American Banner was also in 
good character and striking. Amongst Hybrid Perpetuals Que§n of Queens 
was well shown, Madame Alfred Rougemont, Baronne de Rothschild. Alfred 
Colomb, Star of Waltham, Rosieriste Jacobs, Charles Lefebvre, E. Y. Teas, 
•Crown Prince, Duchess of Bedford, and many others. Another striking 
Hybrid Tea seedling, cherry-red in colour—said to be a good climber—was 
■also noticeable. Mr. J. House, Peterborough, exhibited a box of William 
Allen Richardson, which was much admired, also a seedling light in colour 
named Alpha ; Messrs. P. & A. Dickson & Sons several boxes of Roses in 
excellent condition ; Messrs. James Dickson & Sons a small collection of 
-Japanese Maples ; The Horticultural Company (Mr. John Cowan), Garston, a 
collection of Roses in pots, Begonias, Caladinms, and a general assortment 
■of flowering and foliage decorative plants. T. Griffiths7 Esq., Oxton, sent 
boxes of Capitame Christy and Paul Neyron Roses in capital condition. 
The arrangements of the Show were good, and the Committee and 
gentlemen who assisted them deserve the warmest congratulation. 
PANSIES AND VIOLAS FOR BEDDING. 
Having had these for a number of years all that I could desire, 
both in warm southern districts and in cool northern localities, I find 
it is more a matter of cultivation than mere latitude or climate. It is 
often a mistake to insert the cuttings too early in the autumn, and 
•coddle them too much during the winter. When they are thus 
induced to flower early they do not stand the summer well. We do 
not remember having them do much better than the present season. 
The cuttings (about 5000) were inserted towards the end of October 
last. The ground was a piece where Cabbages were cleared off, well 
broken, mixed with sand and light soil on surface. The cuttings were 
inserted a few inches apart, and frames were placed over them, the 
lights tilted up at all times except when frosty. The surfaces were 
■frequently stirred, and in April the plants were strong and vigorous 
and planted out in full flower. The ground for blooming them on was 
■turned up deeply and heavily manured from the cowyard. Though 
till lately little rain fell since the plants were put in the ground, they 
have grown well, have been a mass of flower all the time, and we expect 
them to continue to the end of the season.—M.. T. 
THE VALUE OF DEEP CULTIVATION. 
The full value of trenching is only seen in summer, and the hotter 
and drier it is the more apparent are the advantages of deeply worked 
soil. A great saving in summer labour results from deep cultivation 
in winter. Here all ground bare in winter is trenched. The result 
is that in hot weather I find other people either applying water 
■continuously or, where there is a deficient water supply, have withering 
crops. In our case we have not given a gallon of water to any crop 
during the late dry weather save Celery, which was watered when 
planted out, yet the crops flourished as I never saw them. The reason 
is not difficult to find. Instead of a depth of 9 or 10 inches of soil, 
into which most of their roots are crammed, we have a depth of 
2% to 3 feet for the roots to travel in, and these deeper roots keep 
crops going in a season of drought. I have had subsoils, too, to deal 
with, but these can be, and are, made into deep feeding ground by 
liberal admixture of decayed vegetable refuse. Then stable manure 
.is used in ar fresh a state as possible. Every particle of these is 
penetrated by the roots and appropriated, while manure that has lain 
in heaps decaying is little better than the soil it is surrounded by. 
Gardeners employing artificial manures will in dry weather find 
them of no use whatever. Were we in a position to irrigate certain 
■crops thoroughly, we should do so occasionally in order to bring these 
manures into action ; but there is no use in watering unless we can 
saturate the ground at a rate equal to, say, 3 inches of rainfall. 
The Potato crop shows, perhaps in as striking a manner as any 
other, the great importance of thoroughly working and pulverising 
the soil to a good depth. In well-worked soils greened Potatoes will 
be rare, for the simple reason that the tubers can work downwards. 
Without earthing up our Potato crops we find very few greened 
tubers. In soils which are worked to an insufficient depth, and 
consequently hard below, the tubers, despite earthing up, will be 
forced through the surface and greened. 
In planting out crops such as Lettuces and Brassicas. we 
invariably do so when the plants are young. When they are lifted 
the roots are drawn through a mixture of soil and water of the 
consistency of paint. A broad drill is drawn with a hoe where the 
plants are to be set out—this in order to clear the dried surface soil 
back. Then a man goes quickly along each row, saturating it with 
water through a coarse rose. Another man follows and puts in the 
plants. A run over with the Dutch hoe completes the work. In 
special cases small pots are placed one over each plant for a week. 
We do this in preference to watering, but it is only in cases of 
badly rooted plants we find protection necessary.—B. 
ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
July 11th. 
This was the first summer Exhibition held by the above Society since 
1880. It was held in the Waverley Market. Edinburgh, and was a one-day 
Exhibition, the competition not being so keen as is usual at Edinburgh. 
This applies more particularly to plants in pots, which were ratherlimited 
as to number and deficient in size. In fruit, however, the competition was 
fairly good, much of it being of superior quality, which was more especially 
noticeable in the case of black Grapes, Peaches, Melons, Strawberries, and 
Cherries. Roses were a good feature of the Exhibition. In the gardeners’ 
and nurserymen’s sections alike the competition was good aDd the blooms 
generally fresh and fine. 
AMATEURS’ CLASSES. . 
For a table 20 feet by 5 feet arranged for effect the best prizes were 
offered. Only two competitors staged, that of Mr. R. Grossart, gardener to 
P. Buchanan, Esq., Oswald Road, being easily first, while to the other, from 
Mr. Paul, Gilmore Place, the second prize was awarded. Rare and fine 
Orchids were freely employed in both arrangements. Mr. Paterson, Millbank, 
was the only exhibitor of six stove and greenhouse plants in flower, and was 
awarded the first prize for these. Yery few Orchids were shown. Mr. Paul 
staged the only four distinct sorts, and was awarded first prize, Mr. Curror 
being in the same position for two sorts. To Mr. Paterson the first prize for 
one Orchid was awarded for Disa grandifiora. Ferns were in general small 
though fresh. In the first-prize lot of six sorts exotic Ferns Mr. Paul 
staged a good pair of Leucostegia immersa and a couple of Todeas. Mr. 
Paul was the only exhibitor of Gleichenias, and received the first prize. 
Adiantums were poor. British Ferns were well shown, Mr. Leyden, White- 
hill, being first for six, and Mr. Anderson, Pilrig Model Buildings, taking 
the same position for six small-growing varieties. Plants for table decora¬ 
tion were numerous, and effectively placed down the centre of one of the 
fruit tables, Mr. Grossart being awarded the first prize, for six sorts. Well- 
bloomed large Fuchsias were staged, the best being from Mr. Kerr, Fountain- 
hall Road. Zonal Pelargoniums were not very large nor overtied-in, and 
w r ere fresh and well bloomed. For these Mr. Johnston, Woolmet, Dalkeith, 
took the premier position. Some very fine Gloxinias attracted notice, those 
from Mr. Bowman, Pittendreich, being the finest. 
Fruit. —Two collections only were in competition for the prizes offered 
for eight kinds. Mr. Johnstone, Glamis Castle, was easily first. The sorts 
were Black Hamburgh Grapes, extra fine, and Alicantes ; a Pine Apple and 
Melon, a dish of good Brown Turkey Figs, Hunt’s Tawny and Elruge Nec¬ 
tarines, and a dish of Peaches. Mr. Boyd, Callander, was second with a good 
collection. Mr. Murray, Culzean Castle, Ayrshire, had the best Pine Apple. 
Numerous examples of Black Hamburgh Grapes were staged, all of which 
were of fine quality. The first prize was won by Mr. Johnstone, the berries 
being large, black, and with the densest bloom. Any other kind of black 
brought a couple of good bunches of Madresfield Court from Mr. Boyd, 
which gained him first, and good specimens of Muscat Hamburgh from Mr. 
Dow, Newbyth, to whom the second prize was awarded. Mr. Dow also had 
first for Muscat of Alexandria in the white Grapes, and Mr. Wilson, King’s 
Meadows, Galashiels, second with Buckland Sweetwater. For the follow¬ 
ing fruits the undernoted took the first prizes :—For six Figs, Mr. McIntyre, 
The Glen ; for six Peaches, Mr. McKinnon, Melville Castle, with fine fruit; six 
Nectarines, Mr. Young, Taymouth Castle, with extra fine Elruge, also for 
Melon with Breadalbane, a fine 7 lb. fruit of the Victory of Bath type ; for 
Cherries, Mr. Methven, Blytheswood ; for four dishes of Strawberries, Mr. 
Dow ; and for a basket of Strawberries, Mr. Brotherston, Tyninghame, with 
large fruits of President. 
Vegetables. —Mr. Potter, Seacliffe, North Berwick, had the best collection 
of eight sorts. Good Cucumbers and Tomatoes were also staged among a 
quantity of commoner Vegetables. 
NURSERYMEN’S CLASSES. 
Messrs. Ireland & Thomson had the premier position for a table of plants 
—a rich arrangement of fine-foliage and flowering plants, such as Dipladenias, 
Ixoras, and various Orchids. Messrs. R. P. Laird & Sons took the second 
prize with a bold and conspicuous group, and Messrs. Dickson & Co. were 
third.. Messrs. Ireland & Thomson had in addition to above first prizes for 
four Palms and for six Dracaenas, and second prizes for twelve table plants 
and two Tre .* Ferns. Messrs. R. P. Laird & Sons had first for six table plants 
and six Dracaenas; Messrs. Dickson & Co. first for two Tree Ferns ; The 
Lawson Company first for twelve Coniferae; Mr. Sutherland, Lenzie, first 
for twelve table plants ; Mr. Wilson, Kendal, receiving a first prize for two 
pot Roses, and a second for six table plants ; and Mr. Bryson, Helensburgh, 
first for four pot Roses; while Mr. Robertson Munro, Portobello, was the 
only exhibitor of alpine and herbaceous plants, and received the prizes for 
these. 
Boses. —Taking the nurserymen first, for forty-eight distinct kinds Mr. 
Hugh Dickson, Belfast, was first, Mr. C. Turner, Slough, being a remarkably 
