August, 23, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
155 
for drainage, and covered respectively with large pieces of crocks 
and a few handfuls of leaves. The boxes are then filled with any 
waste soil that may be at hand, which is pressed firmly together 
with the spade; a surfacing of sand being spread on they are 
then ready for the cuttings, forty or fifty of which will be 
sufficient (according to their size) for each box. The cuttings 
may be taken off the plants as soon as their removal will effect 
an improvement in the appearance of the bed or border. This 
object should never be lost sight of, and sufficient can usually be 
obtained without in any way detracting from the symmetry of 
the beds or borders from which they are taken. 
Every man undertaking the execution of a plan of operations 
on a small or large scale should be able to see the completion of 
his work before beginning it, and the process of taking off 
cuttings—simple though it be—is no exception to that rule. 
Those engaged in the work should have a clear idea of the 
number of cuttings of the respective varieties that are required 
before commencing the work, due allowance to be made for 
any mishaps that may occur during the interval from August to 
May. The cuttings when taken off should be put down in scores, 
and the number of each recorded for future reference. It is a 
good plan to spread the cuttings in the sun for a few hours to 
consolidate them. They can be inserted in the boxes just as 
they were taken off, as “ trimming ” of any kind is unnecessary 
and time wasted. The boxes should then be placed in a sunny 
situation on strips of wood, and the cuttings damped with the 
syringe every bright afternoon. Those in pots can be placed in 
a similar position. In the event of heavy and continuous rains 
ensuing it will be advisable to place some old sashes or shutters 
over the cuttings to prevent them suffering from excessive damp. 
In the course of a few weeks from the time the cuttings were 
inserted they will form roots, when any yellow leaves that may 
happen to be attached to them can easily be removed with 
advantage to the appearance of the young plants.—H. W. 
Ward. 
DESTROYING THE PHYLLOXERA. 
It is not necessary to destroy Vines in order to get rid of the phyl- 
loxera. Carbon bisulphide and sulpho-carbonate of potassium have been ( 
and continue to be, very extensively and successfully used in vineyards 
where the phylloxera has appeared. Carbon bisulphide is used where 
water is scarce. There are two objections to its use—it is explosive, and 
it checks the Vine to which it is applied. Sulpho-carbonate of potassium 
is used where water is plentiful; it destroys the phylloxera without check¬ 
ing the Vines, and it acts as a manure. For 1 square yard of soil the 
application should be 1^ oz. dissolved in 5 gallons of water ; this mixture 
should be poured on gradually, so that it may sink evenly into the soil. 
For this country sulpho-carbonate of potassium has been manufactured 
wholesale by Messrs. Wm. Bailey & Son of Wolverhampton.— G. T., 
Oporto. 
JUDGING COTTAGE GARDEN PRODUCE. 
Your correspondent, “ Reader,” has started a difficult subject, 
and one that is certain not to be answered quits satisfactorily to him. 
I hardly venture to comment on it ; but having for the last fifteen 
years been connected with a large cottage garden exhibition as 
Committeeman, Steward of a department, and for ten years as its 
Honorary Secretary, and also occasionally as Judge in some of its 
branches, I am not giving a theoretical reply. 
Firstly, then, it must be remembered that judges are, after all, 
only human, and therefore, like others of the race, liable to err. 
Then, also, it can hardly be expected that in everything brought 
before them they are in all classes equally good. Where it is possible 
it is best to have three judges, and I really think that one judge is 
better than two. In the latter case, if they differ they are apt to 
settle it thus : “ 1 give in to you this time, as you gave way to me 
in the last class.” Where there are two, and differences arise, 
another should be called to decide. 
In judging cottagers 1 produce greater age of the exhibited articles 
is allowable, as quantity has to be looked for, whilst for the tables 
of the affluent young and quickly grown vegetables are required. 
Where a number of vegetables of different kinds are pitted against 
each other, I fancy the safest rule is to give the prize to those that 
are most brilliant examples of growth and quality, without laying 
down any hard-and-fast rule as to this vegetable taking precedence 
over another. In exhibiting garden produce there is the same diffi¬ 
culty as in all other exhibitions—the owner can rarely see impartially, 
and as rarely allows the judge to have any predilection for this or 
that vegetable. It is a very great blessing to be able to lose cheer¬ 
fully. Exhibitors, too, need to recollect that good judges have an 
insight into exhibits denied to many growers, and that often when 
apparently the worse-looking specimen is ticketed “First prize” 
there may be abundant cause. I recollect a case in point. Many 
years since I exhibited a brace of Cucumbers, and, with the keen 
feelings of ownership, thought them decidedly Al. Findieg them 
unnoticed I said to the leading Judge, one to whom we are often 
deeply indebted in the columns of our Journal, “ I thought I was 
going to win with Cucumbers.” “ Did you ? ” said our friend with a 
rogueish smile, “ which are yours ? ” I pointed to the dish. “Ah, 
yes,” says the Judge, placing my finger and thumb on one spot, 
“ Press ; hollow! ” He looked as though he would like to have 
added, “ like your noddle ! ” 
As regards gardens a cottager may say, “ If I grow choice flowers 
I can make my garden pay better than if I raise vegetables.” Now, 
if so, surely his case is one in which, even in a cottager, he ought 
to stand as good a chance of success as a vegetable garden. Sevtral 
points need attention in garden judging—as, for instance, whether 
the garden, be it devoted to vegetables or flowers, is made the most 
of ; then, Do the growing plants show care and consideration? Are 
there any weeds about, and, if not visible, is there any trace of their 
being dug in ? I will not deny the value of decaying vegetable 
matter for manure, but unless the weeds are young and free from 
flower the practice of digging them in is very reprehensible. All 
the Dandelion and Thistle tribe, if in flower and the flower buried, 
would so far perfect their seed underground that when the earth is 
again turned up and the seed exposed to warmth, most of them 
would germinate. It certainly is better to divide these two kinds of 
gardens, but where this cannot be afforded I should say that evi¬ 
dences of care and interest bestowed by the owner are the great 
points for a judge to look at. One of the great objects, to my mind, 
of these exhibitions is to show labouring men that there is pleasure 
as well as profit in a garden, and that he will be better occupied in 
his garden than in many places where both pocket and health may 
suffer, and the mind may be unrefreshed in spite of these resorts 
being considered places of pleasure.—Y. B. A. Z. 
Having often to act as a Judge of cottage gardens, I will 
try and describe how we proceed. The Judges agree before 
starting the number of points that we are to give a fair crop— 
say six or eight points as that allows us either to go up or down. 
Having the Secretary with us to act as clerk, we take every 
vegetable by itself, and award the points, either less or more 
as the case may be. Every vegetable gets one point, although 
it is very bad, if only to show it was in the garden. Then for 
keeping and arrangement we say ten or twelve points, as there 
is often more difference in the keeping than in the crops. If 
there is a flower border, points are given for quality and arrange¬ 
ment. Where there is a flower garden there should be a separate 
class, then all that the Secretary has to do is to record the 
prizes. We find the book a great help to us, as when we see a 
vegetable of the same in quality as we have seen in another 
garden, the clerk can tell us what number of points was given. 
I should be glad if others would record their experience.—J. S., 
Forfarshire. 
CULTURE OF ANTHURIUM SCHERTZERIANUM. 
Either for exhibition or home decoration the above excellent 
plant stands unrivalled where brightness is required, and almost 
everyone who has a stove or intermediate house procures a plant and 
endeavours to grow it. For those who have not succeeded in 
growing this Anthurium into a healthy specimen these few remarks 
are offered. If any plant dislikes a high steaming atmosphere and 
close sodden soil this is the one. The temperature best suited for 
it is that of a moist intermediate house that is ventilated freely yet 
judiciously, anything like sharp currents of air soon proving inju¬ 
rious, if not fatal. There should be heat in the pipes to prevent the 
temperature falling below 55°. The soil should consist of lumpy 
fibrous peat, sphagnum, charcoal, and crocks, the pots to be about 
three parts filled with crocks and the plant to be well elevated above 
the rim. Abundance of water is required at the roots during the 
growing season, and they must not be kept dry at any time, or the 
foliage will turn yellow. 
The present is a good time for repotting, or a little earlier would 
have been better. Any plant that is in soil at all sodden or is 
unhealthy should be turned out of the pot and the ball placed in a 
tub of water, then gently work the soil from amongst the rools with 
the hand, after which place it in another tub of clean water and well 
wash the roots. It should then be repotted, working the soil care¬ 
fully amongst the roots without breaking any. Place the plant in 
the house where it can be kept close and shady, and be lightly 
syringed four or five times a day until the roots work well in the new 
soil and the plant gets established. If a plant is in good health and 
the soil in sweet condition, yet the plant requires a shift, repot it 
