122 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 9, 1883. 
and Stratagem in the best of condition. Messrs. Joseph Stoney and Mr. S. 
Whitfield were the remaining piizetakeis, and staged the same varieties as 
the first exhibitor. 
Potatoes were clean and magnificent, the competition being very close in 
the classes devoted to them. Four lots were staged in the open class for 
six dishes (three round and three kidney varieties). Mr. J. Lambert was 
awarded the premier position with grand examples of International, Vicar of 
Laleham, Porter’s Excelsior, Blanchard, and Beauty of Hebron. Mr. W. 
Mease followed closely with good examples of Grampion, Myatt’s Prolific, 
and Holborn Favourite ; and Mr. J. Richardson third with a very creditable 
•collection. In the corresponding local class for the same number of varieties 
Mr. T. Mason Green, Hale, Liverpool, was first, having good Reading Abbey, 
Beauty of Radstock, and Woodstock Kidney. Mr. S. T. Turner was a good 
second, and staged a splendid dish of Covent Garden Perfection. Mr. J. 
Stoney was the remaining successful exhibitor. 
For the six prizes offered for Tomatoes twenty-two excellent dishes were 
■staged. For three dishes Mr. W. B. Upjohn, gardener to the Earl of Ellesmere, 
Worsley Hall, Manchester, was first with Orangefield, Stamfordian, and an 
excellent dish of Dedham Favourite, which was decidedly the finest in the 
Exhibition. Mr. G. Condin was a good second with Conqueror, Trophy, and 
Wallesley Surprise, very fine. Mr. C. Finnigan was awarded the remaining 
prize. For one dish Mr. W. Mease was first with Stamfordian, good and 
even ; Mr. W. Ball second with Trophy, very smooth ; and Mr. G-. Condin 
third with a good dish of Conqueror. Twelve brace of Cucumbers were 
staged, but only the first-prize pair of Mr. Porter, Bankfield Nursery, Fresh- 
field, were of first-rate quality. These were model fruits of Telegraph, about 
20 inches long, straight, and carrying their flowers. The remaining prizes 
went to Mr. Lowndes, gardener to T. S. Parker, Esq., Aigburth ; and Mr. G. 
Mease, gardener to W. Nicol, Esq., St. Michael’s Mount, Liverpool, with the 
same variety. 
CONIFERS. 
Only one competitor staged for the Society’s gold medal in the open 
■class for the best collection of hardy trees and shrubs. The gold medal 
was awarded Messrs. J. Dickson & Sons for their choice and effective group, 
which included all choicest Thujas, Retinosporas, Junipers, Tews, and 
Hollies, intermixed with Japanese Acers, Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, 
and Vitis heterophylla variegata well coloured. 
MISCELLANEOUS EXHIBITS. 
These were very numerous, and contributed wonderfully to the beauty 
-and effect of several of the large tents. Messrs. R. P. Eer & Sons, Aigburth 
Nurseries, had a very choice collection of flowering and foliage plants, a few 
■of the most noticeable being Aralia Chabrieri ; Croton Novelty, a new beau¬ 
tiful bright-coloured variety with bold foliage ; Ficus elastica alba variegata, 
Adiantum Pacotti, a dense form ; Davallia fijiensis, Dracaena Lindeni, as 
well as a general assortment of choice Crotons, Dracaenas, Palms, and others. 
Messrs. F.and A. Dickson & Sons, TheUpton Nurseries, Chester, contributed 
a similar collection of plants, which were most tastefully and effectively 
arranged. These included a great variety of the best Crotons and Dracaenas 
both in a half-specimen and small state, which were intermixed with all the 
best double-flowered Begonias. This firm also staged a group of Clematis, 
dark-flowering varieties, intermixed with Acer Negundo variegata, and the 
effect was most striking; also boxes of Rose3. The Horticultural Company 
(John Cowan), Garston, added largely to the Exhibition by contributing a 
large circular group of Tea Roses iu pots, which were in the best health and 
condition, being clean and well bloomed; also a large group of specimen 
foliage plants, as well as a general assortment of small choice stove and 
greenhouse decorative plants and a number of well-grown pot Vines. Mr. 
J. Gore, gardener to I. Holden, Esq., Elmfield, Princess Park, a very fine 
group of exotic and hardy Ferns, which were highly creditable to him. 
Amongst the hardy varieties staged were some very beautiful seedlings. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Co., Forest Hill, London, exhibited a box of fine Tuberous 
Begonia blooms. 
On Monday morning two hampers of Cattleya Eldorado arrived, contain¬ 
ing two dozen plants in superb condition, with upwards of sixty expanded 
lovely tinted blooms, including the white variety, from Mr. J. Dovey, gar¬ 
dener, Saighall, Eccleshall, Staffordshire. These quite eclipsed the whole of 
Orchids entered for competition. 
Altogether, as may be gathered from the report, the Show was of great 
magnitude and excellence, and it is worth consideration as to whether 
it would not be wise to make more open classes. It is clear the local 
growers have little to fear, and the honour of winning in an enlarged 
constituency would be the greater; also it w'ould appear desirable in the 
interests of many excellent gardeners who have not the means for growing 
large specimen plants to provide classes of plants, say, in 8-inch pots, and 
this also would admit newer plants to be staged than in the elephantine 
classes, where the plants, being large, must be more or less old, the more 
recent and fine varieties of such plants as Crotons, Dracaenas, and other 
both fine-foliage and flowering being necessarily excluded. These sugges¬ 
tions are respectfully commended to the consideration of the excellent 
practical Committee of the Association. 
HORTICULTURAL REQUISITES AND APPLIANCES. 
There w r as an imposing assortment of structures, boilers, seats, wirework, 
and other requisites of the garden. Messrs. David Lowe & Sons, Man¬ 
chester and Edinburgh, had substantial, well-arranged, and efficiently 
arranged houses and capital frames. The next stand was of American 
inventions and articles for the garden and home exhibited by Messrs. 
Glassey & Co., Liverpool, including steps, seats, and other articles ; also the 
simple, serviceable, and efficient domestic refrigerators of Mr. W. H. Hilton, 
Bristol, which appears to win medals everywhere. Mr. Webster, Prince 
Alfred Road, Wavertree, had very useful, excellent, and well-made houses 
and frames ; Messrs. Wright &. Holmes, Moseley Road, Birmingham, portable 
span-roof and lean-to frames of great service in gardens ; Mr. Joseph 
Bramham, Dale Street, Liverpool, fine examples of wirework, for which he 
ia famed, and the powerful and popular Allerton Priory boiler in various 
eizes; and Mr. Mee, Wood Street, Liverpool, had on view his capital 
sectional saddle boilers, one of w'hich in operation was interesting, as each 
section—dome, bade, and waterway fire-bars—had separate flow and return 
pipes attached. It was particularly observable that the heat given by 
the hollow bars was very great, showing that these bars are really a valu¬ 
able and important addition to the boiler. Messrs. Wra. Wood & Son 
exhibited samples of Orchid and Azalea peat from Hampshire, which 
appears sweet, clean, and well adapted for the plants for which it is 
provided. 
Mr. Richardson, the Chairman of the Committee, and other officials were 
active and diligent, and their labours deserve and it is hoped will insure 
success. 
[We hear that £250 taken at the gates on Monday places the finances in 
a satisfactory condition.] 
THE GREENHOUSE AND ITS INMATES, 
(Continued from page 77.) 
CYTISUS. 
These are well-known, indispensable, sweet-scented, Broom-like, 
greenhouse plants which are favourites with everybody. They bloom 
during winter and early spring when flowers are scarcest and most valued. 
Small plants are very ornamental either in the greenhouse or in the 
window, and they furnish an inexhaustible supply of elegant, yellow, 
sweet flowers for glasses. They are not particular as to soil, although 
good loam and leaf soil with a little sharp sand suit them best. They, 
moreover, thrive satisfactorily outside during summer. Large plants may 
be grown in comparatively small pots, and they may be trained as climbers 
up the wall or on flat trellises, so that they may not interfere with the 
other occupants of the greenhouse. At the same time handsome bushes 
or pyramids are easily produced if such plants are wanted. We, however, 
prefer small plants in small pots, or plants trained to cover the back or 
other wall. Spring-struck cuttings make attractive little plants for rooms 
or front rows in the conservatory. 
Cuttings of the young wood 3 or 4 inches long with a heel strike freely 
on a hotbed in March or April. After that they should be grown on in a 
frame till June, when they should be placed outside. Plants grown out¬ 
side flower more freely than those kept under glass during summer. 
Cytisus racemosus is most commonly grown, and it is the best. C. race- 
mosus elegans is similar but is of more compact habit, while C. r. superbus 
grows stronger. C. filipes is of drooping habit, and grafted on stems of 
Laburnum, as is sometimes done, makes a beautiful “ standard ” for con¬ 
servatory decoration. C. Everestianus is another fine sort, rather deeper 
in colour than the others. 
FUCHSIA. 
Fuchsias are deservedly popular. Few greenhouse plants are more 
ornamental, and few are more easily grown. Cuttings taken in spring 
(when the young shoots have pushed 3 inches or so) with a heel of the 
old wood strike very readily if potted in sandy soil, placed on a hotbed, 
and carefully shaded and watered. After they are rooted they should be 
potted in a mixture of good loam, well-decayed manure, and a good 
sprinkling of bonemeal. Use the smallest-sized pots, and after potting is 
done return the small plants to the hotbed to rOot anew. These cuttings 
should be struck about April, and by the time they are rooted, potted, and 
hardened somewhat in the warm frame the weather will be mild enough 
for their transference to a cold frame. As fast as the roots fill the pots a 
larger size should be given. 
The tops will require pinching off in order to make young shoots start 
from the sides. When secondary shoots start the top one must be tied 
to a stick and trained straight up, while the other shoots are encouraged 
to make horizontal growth. The pinching and training process must be 
repeated as often as may be necessary in order to form pyramidal-shaped 
plants. Should flower buds form in the points it will also be necessary 
to pinch out the points, for after flowering commences no more branching- 
out need be expected. 
Syringings of pure water should be given every evening, especially 
after a hot day, and occasionally soapy water to keep down aphides and 
red spider. As soon as the plants attain an ornamental size they should 
then be removed to the greenhouse. Liquid manure once or twice a week 
will do much to promote continuous growth and continuous flowering. 
While in the greenhouse syringing must not be neglected, or insects will 
attack and soon spoil the plants. After flowering is past the plants 
should be placed for the winter in any cool house or frame from which 
frost is excluded. No more water will be necessary than is enough to 
keep the roots from perishing, and if they are stood on a damp bottom 
enough moisture will rise to do this. In spring they should be partially 
shaken out of the old soil, the roots slightly pruned back, and the plants 
repotted into the same sized pots in fresh soil. The tops should also be 
pruned back at the same time. When the pots are filled with roots re¬ 
potting should be done and training followed out as in the case of the 
young plants. With attention good plants will soon be the result. Ama¬ 
teurs with small houses may be as well to only grow small plants, as 
these are of greater use and cost much less trouble than large plants. 
For exhibition, however, large specimens—the larger the better—are 
necessary. Among whites Mrs. Marshall and Rose of Castile, although 
old kinds, are perhaps the most useful. Among darks Try Me 0 and 
Avalanche are excellent. There are, however, a great number of varieties 
to select from, and those who require larger collections should consult 
the catalogues of the chief nurserymen. 
HYACINTHS. 
Hyacinths are much-admired, easily grown, bulbous plants. The 
bulbs, which are annually imported from Holland, require to be bought 
