October 4 , 1883. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
299 
table products and cultural appliances permanently arranged. Then 
periodical, national, or international displays of plants, flowers, and fruit 
on the largest possible scale, and these would induce the million to 
“ repeat their visits ” much more frequently and satisfyingly than by a 
mere interchange of plants and implements as suggested on page 266. 
The permanent exhibits must be on such a scale and of such a character 
as in themselves would attract world-wide attention, and the field is 
amply large enough to ensure this. The flower shows, like the musical 
fetes of the present year, to be grand special attractions at intervals 
during the season. 
The National Auricula Show might form the centre of a grand display 
in April. A magnificent exhibition of Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Roses 
in pots could be provided in early May ; then a gigantic miscellaneous 
exhibition might be opened on the 1st of June, with an international 
jury of adjudicators. The National Pelargonium and National Rose 
Shows would follow in July; in August the National Carnation with a 
second miscellaneous plant and early fruit show on an extensive scale 
would command attention, as would the succeeding National Dahlia and 
General Cut Flower Show in September. A National Potato and Root 
Show would be a success in October. Then the campaign might be 
brilliantly closed with a National Chrysanthemum and Hardy Fruit Show 
in November. In this way horticulture would be more fully represented 
than by any other means, and an ever new and ever widening panorama 
of attractiveness would be unfolded. 
But can even all this be done ? It would not be effected by a stroke 
of the pen. The Committees of these Shows would have to be satisfied, 
and the Crystal Palace and the Royal Botanic Society to be reckoned 
with ; yet all this would be easier than maintaining one unbroken exhibi¬ 
tion on a sufficiently imposing scale as to command public attention. 
There must be a series of distinct shows each to form a new element of 
interest, and the inhabitants of the metropolis would attend again and 
again. 
As to the “proceeds for founding a horticultural college,” &c., that 
subject is scarcely ripe for discussion; and to enter seriously on it now 
would savour somewhat of “ counting chickens before they are hatched.” 
Of more immediate importance is it to summon a preliminary committee 
of horticulturists and ascertain the views of the members: it is just 
possible that all these individuals may not he endowed with the same 
sanguine temperament as your correspondent of last week. Yet the 
time proposed is opportune and the means greater than ever they were 
before, and perhaps than will ever be afforded again, for providing an 
exhibition of vegetable products representing horticulture, forestry, agri¬ 
culture and the cognate industries on such a scale as has never been 
attempted, and which adequately carried out could scarcely fail to prove a 
grand success.— Ex-Exhibitor. 
BORDER PLANTS IN IRELAND. 
Several of these very useful and essential flowers have been men¬ 
tioned lately by contributors to this Journal, but there are many 
others worth notice. One particularly deserving attention is Patrina 
scabiosmfolia, which bears effective bright yellow flowers about as large 
as a pennypiece on stems about 3 feet high. Another good yellow 
flower is Helianthus multiflorus flore-pleno, which is most useful in shrub¬ 
beries and for cutting from. It lasts a long time in vases. Coreopsis 
prsecox and C. auriculata are especially bright in large tufts, and can 
be seen a long distance, producing an abundance of flowers throughout 
August and September. Phygelius capensis is a striking border plant, 
while (Euothera Fraserii forms one of the richest edgings that could be 
imagined, a change from the close and formal edgings now so much in 
demand. It dees well round beds of American plants, as it thrives well 
in peat. Aster longifolius formosus is a good variety and colour of this 
old-fashioned, but useful flower—forms a fine contrast mixed with the 
Patrina mentioned above. Anemone japonica alba and hybrida grow 
and flower charmingly here, producing large clusters of their valuable 
blooms.—J. Pitiiers, Summerhill , Co. Meatli. 
THE APPLE CROP, WHAT SHALL WE 
DO WITH IT? 
According to accounts received from all parts of the country 
the average of the Apple crop is heavier than it has been for 
some years, and people are beginning to ask what shall be done 
with it. Those who have fruit rooms will of course fill those 
structures, and they will possibly discover that Apples will keep 
as well, if not rather better, than they do in a half-stocked room. 
Lofts, cellars, and even corners of bedrooms will be used for 
storing some out of the abundance of this most important fruit, 
and possibly it will keep as well in any of these structures as it 
will in the most elaborately built fruit room. 
Two years ago we had a very violent storm in the beginning 
of October which knocked down most of our Ajiples. Our fruit 
room was small, and could only be made to accommodate the 
best of the fruit. Some was stored away in vegetable hampers 
for immediate kitchen use, and some five or six sacks of inferior 
sorts and those which were most bruised, were simply put in a 
heap on the grass between four sheep hurdles with the idea of 
speedily using them for cider. It was, however, the middle of 
January before the cider could be made, and in taking out the 
Apples I was astonished to find how few of them had decayed. 
Scarcely any of them were too far gone for cider-making, and I 
have no doubt they were all the better for keeping, for the liquor 
produced was excellent. But the point which most struck me 
was that the decay was not communicated from one fruit to 
another; one Apple which was sound would be found embedded 
in the partially decayed pulp of one or two others, and although 
they were not choice dessert kinds so that I could not be sure 
about the flavour, yet as far as could be judged from tasting- 
ordinary culinary Apples they had not deteriorated in this respect. 
I have since heal'd of a number of villagers near by who make 
Apple-growing and Apple-keeping a speciality, who never move 
their fruit from the time it is gathered and placed in a heap till 
they want to sell it. Their theory is that handling the fruit does 
much more harm than leaving in a few which are decaying. It 
is generally supposed that exhalations from decaying or even 
ripening fruit is detrimental to the keeping of that which should 
ripen later. Here now, in the case of the Apple, is some evidence 
to the contrary, and it comes at an opportune season. 
Those who are in difficulties as to what to do with their large 
quantities of Apples should do what experience has taught is the 
best with the choicest fruit. For the rest put them in a heap any¬ 
where so that rats and mice can be kept from them, throw stiaw 
or other light covering over them on the approach of severe frost, 
and leave them otherwise to take care of themselves. If you 
want to spoil them as quickly as possible put them where they 
will be warm and dry. But there are many of your readers who 
know more about keeping Apples than I do, and now is the time 
when a record of their experience will be received with acclamation. 
An article on cider-making for amateurs from an experienced 
hand will also be welcome.— Wm. Taylor. 
NOTES FROM WOOD LAWN. 
The shrubberies here are looking gay, although we are now 
in the last week of September. A few heads of Lilium auratum 
are still to be seen. Lilium speciosum (lancifolium of Paxton, 
but not the accepted lancifolium, which is not in cultivation) 
is now at its best, and is well represented here by good clumps 
with from twelve to twenty stems, which have a noble appear¬ 
ance amongst the shrubs. It is a most valuable Lily in all its 
forms, on account of its flowering late. In mild genial autumns 
it continues in bloom for a long time. As a rule, in the north it 
is caught by frost before it has quite finished blooming, but it 
only shares the fate of all autumn-blooming plants. When well 
grown as a pot plant it is highly valuable for the conservatory 
previous to the Chrysanthemum season. In the border it loves 
a deep rich friable soil, well drained, and the small amount 
of shade which the shrubs afford to it seems to meet its 
requirements. 
What a grand and useful shrub is Hydrangea paniculata 
grandiflora. It is liberally diffused in the shrubberies here, 
where it thrives admirably. No shrubbery ought to be con¬ 
sidered complete without it, and the fact of its blooming at 
the end of summer and throughout the autumn months renders 
it one of the most valuable of all hardy flowering shrubs. Its 
great panicles of white flowers are highly useful for large deco¬ 
rations. Eveiy branch terminates with one of these beautiful 
panicles, and if either gardener or employer wishes to spare the 
indoor bloom this will be found a most useful plant to cut from 
for a supply. I have grown this shrub both pruned and un¬ 
pruned, and I am satisfied that close pruning is best for it, 
which operation should be attended to about the end of March. 
Here we have some well-developed specimens, as it has been 
grown for a number of years; indeed my employer was one of 
the first to introduce it to cultivation in this neighbourhood. 
Kniphofia (Tritoma) Uvaria is too scantily represented here, 
nevertheless the few clumps growing in one of the borders have 
rendered assistance by their spikes of fiery scar’et blooms. Two 
forms of the double perennial Sunflower are to be met with in 
gardens about here, one with a very symmetrical-shaped flower, 
ithe other comparatively ugly. Both are forms of Helianthus 
multiflorus. The best of the two we grow here. It has been 
blooming a long time, and in my estimation it puts the now 
popular H. rigidus (Harpalium) quite in the background. The 
erratic habit of this latter plant mars its usefulness for a border 
of choice plants. To stroll from home 2 or 3 feet in one season 
is common to it. The flowers are of as bright a golden yellow as 
can be found among Composites, and are very beautiful, the 
blackish disk giving considerable relief to the conspicuous ray 
florets. For two seasons we have grown this in large pots 
buried in the border, with a view to keeping the stems in a 
more concentrated space. Last year we experienced good 
