JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 14, 1881. ] 
83 
rience help him so little in chronicling for this Rose Journal the 
leading features of the Exhibition. Mainly was this the case for the 
following reasons. The schedule is divided into two classes only (1), 
“open to all,” whether amateur or nurseryman ; (2) “ open only to 
Shropshire and Montgomeryshire ”—a plan obviously exposed to many 
fatal objections, and proved so here by an almost entire absence of 
competition in the former class. Mr. Jowitt, The Old Weir, Hereford, 
most pluckily competed against Cranston’s Nursery and Seed Com¬ 
pany, Hereford, with seventy-two single varieties, and made a close and 
gallant fight, or otherwise the latter would, uncontested, have had 
their own way throughout every class. The public, however, were 
little losers by want of competition, as Cranston’s Company exhibited 
their very best, evidently with as much pains and in such a brilliant 
manner as if every prize was keenly contested and each point of con¬ 
sequence. Their forty-eight trebles, that bete noir of every exhibitor 
except a leviathan, and in perfect cutting form, was throughout 
absolutely faultless in brightly coloured smooth symmetrical blooms. 
Thus wholly indebted as the Society was to the Hereford contin¬ 
gent, and admirable as were the exhibits it has been our pleasure to 
record, it is all the more regretable that in staging the seventy-two 
varieties an unaccountable imbroglio followed in both these collec¬ 
tions, which no impartial report could omit. In Cranston Company’s 
collection H. P. Capitaine Christy was shown in duplicate, while in 
Mr. Jowitt’s collection more than one irregularity was apparent— 
most unusual, it must be allowed, in the case of so skilled and ex¬ 
perienced a stager. The management, on the recommendation of the 
Judges (there being no third competitor), equally divided the awards 
in this class into two special prizes, as the Roses on their merits 
richly deserved. 
To particularise specially fine blooms in Cranston’s seventy-two 
collection, single blooms, the following were grand specimens, in¬ 
cluding for the year a fine sprinkling of Teas : — H.P. Madame 
Charles Wood, superb ; Teas Souvenir d’Elise, Anna Ollivier, and 
Catherine Mermet, each of fine form and size ; also Tea Marie G-uillot, 
H.P.’s Mdlle. Julie Dymonier, a new stout-petalled pink Rose of un¬ 
doubted promise; Louis Yan Houtte, Dr. Andre, very smooth and 
fine ; Mdlle. Bonnaire, good size and exquisite purity ; Abel Carriere, 
intensely dark ; A. K. Williams, fine in usual colour and form ; and 
Edouard Pynaert. In Mr. Jowitt’s seventy-two collection specially 
noticeable were H.P.’s Madame Ducher, new and very promising ; 
Duchess of Bedford, a great acquisition ; Sir G-amet Wolseley, fine 
symmetry ; Mary Pochin, fine colour, but too small; Mabel Morrison, 
a wonder of the season, perfect substance, with a dash of colour in 
just one outside petal to prove its sportive origin ; and Duchesse de 
Moray, exquisite. 
In Cranston Co.’s collection of forty-eight varieties not already 
mentioned, H.P.’s Countess of Oxford, Constantin Tretiakofll, superb ; 
Mons. E. Y. Teas, Madame Noman, exquisite; Duke of Connaught, 
small, but compact and fine; Mons. Bonstettin, bright and black ; 
Madame Ferdinand Jamain, neutral colour, of great substance, new 
and useful ; Marquise de Montmartre, as seldom shown ; Bourbon 
Souvenir de la Malmaison, clear flesh with no coarseness ; and again 
Madame Charles Wood, each absolute perfection. 
In twenty-four Tea and Noisette Roses, specially noticeable in 
Cranston Co.’s fine collection were Comtesse de Naidallac, Madame 
Lambard, and Innocente Pirola, new and very promising. 
In the close division, open only to Shropshire and Montgomery¬ 
shire, exhibitors, with one or two exceptions, hardly showed their 
best. This much may be said by way of allowance, that a foot-note 
in the schedule of prizes officially forbidding any “ artificial support ” 
w T as as needless as it was cruel; indeed, most of the Roses out of 
their deep mossy graves seemed to helplessly point to their crippled 
charms, and mutely murmur a protest. 
It only remains to mention that the Rev. John A. Williams, Yard- 
ley Wood, Birmingham, and the Rev. C. H. Bulmer, Credenhill 
Rectory, Hereford, acted as Judges throughout the several classes ; 
and that, as is usual at these exhibitions, the Hon. Secs., Messrs. 
Adnitt and Naunton, thoroughly succeeded in the task they set them¬ 
selves—to make everyone feel thoroughly at home, and the Exhibition, 
florally at least, a success.— The Herefordshire Incumbent. 
GLASS STRUCTURES FOR AMATEURS. 
VINES. 
Temperature. —From the commencement of March the tem¬ 
perature should be kept at 50° artificially, and advance by sun 
heat to 60° or 65°, ventilation commencing from 55° and closing 
with sun at 65°. When the Vines are in leaf gradually raise the 
temperature to 55° at night and 60° to 65° by day, and 70° to 75° 
from sun heat. When the bunches come into flower the tempe¬ 
rature should be increased to 60’ to 65° at night and 70° to 75° by 
day, or a few degrees more from sun heat, and those temperatures’ 
should be maintained until the fruit is thoroughly ripe. Five 
degrees less at night will not be injurious, and the greatest possible 
benefit result from allowing an advance to 85° or 90° in the after¬ 
noon of fine days. The fruit being ripe, the temperature may 
gradually fall to 50° at night, and after October the house may be 
kept at 40* or 45° artificially, ventilating on fine mornings and 
very freely above 50°, closing between that and 45°. Grapes or 
the Vines that produce them, if assisted with a little fire heat in 
spring, so as to give them a start and hare them in a forward con¬ 
dition by the time summer arrives, will give much better results 
than those that havs most of their work to do when the warm 
weather arrives and are not able to complete it before it becomes 
too cold for perfecting the crop. Grapes are so valuable that even 
those with but one house should strive to have them in the best 
possible condition. If a supply of Grapes be wanted, say in 
September, sun heat in most seasons will ripen the fruit fairly 
well without artificial aid, though those assisted are very much 
better. In this case only such kinds as Black Hamburgh should 
be grown ; and even with what are termed “ cool house ” Grape3 
the assistance of a little fire heat in spring and when ripening, 
should the weather be unfavourable, will be very beneficial. 
Ventilation .—The object of ventilation is to prevent the tem¬ 
perature from rising too high and induce a sturdy, healthful 
growth. At the commencement of activity in the Vines the house 
must be ventilated to suit the Vines, and not any other plants in 
the house, unless, of course, they are the primary object. The 
ventilation should commence from the minimum day temperature 
— i. e., 55°, and in such proportion as not to lower it. It is of the 
utmost consequence to attend to ventilation in the early stages of 
growth, so as to secure short-jointed wood and well-developed 
foliage. The ventilation should not only be commenced early 
and increased with the rising temperature, but it must be reduced 
early and gradually with the declining heat. The chief considera¬ 
tions are to admit air early, and thereby prevent scorching, and 
to close early. One example will suffice to show what is meant. 
Granted the Vines are in full foliage and the Grapes swelling, the 
temperature at night 60° to 65°, or it may fall to 55° without injury. 
The sun on a fine morning will soon raise the temperature 5° to 
10°, or to 10° or 75°, when air should be admitted, increasing the 
ventilation in proportion to the temperature, allowing an advance 
to 80° or 85°. When the heat lessens close the house at 80°, and so 
timed that the temperature will, instead of falling, rise 5° to 10 Q , or 
85° to 90°. It is not the afternoon but morning sun acting on 
cold moisture-laden surfaces that scorches. When the Grapes are 
ripening a free circulation of air is essential to good finish. 
Moisture .—Damping the Vines may be practised every fine 
afternoon from the time the buds commence swelling until the 
flowers opeD, when it must be discontinued, and should not again 
be resorted to unless there is clear rain water at command, and 
then it may be continued occasionally on fine afternoons. The 
house should be well damped at closing time, and again if the 
surfaces become dry before night. When the weather is hot 
damping may be practised at noon as well as in the early part of 
the day. Syringing the foliage must cease when the Grapes show 
colour for ripening, and damping must be gradually reduced. 
Watering .—The border must not be allowed to become dust-dry 
in winter, and when the Vines commence growing a thorough 
soaking should be given the inside border with tepid water. The 
border must not after this be allowed to become dry, supplies 
being given as necessary to keep the soil moist, which will be 
needed about once a fortnight after the first month, and once a 
week in hot summer weather. Afford a thorough supply when the 
Grapes are colouring, which will usually be sufficient to mature the 
crop ; but there must not be any deficiency of moisture in the soil 
when the crop is finishing, or it will not do so satisfactorily. 
Liquid manure will be beneficial when the fruit is swelling and 
up to colouring. 
I have not thought it necessary to enter into minute details 
upon other points in Grape culture, as they are from time to time 
treated in special articles, and instructions are given periodically 
in the calendar as well as in the correspondent’s column. I 
will only add avoid overcrowding of the foliage, overcropping, 
and over-dryness at the roots when the Vines are in full foliage. 
—G. Abbey, 
GLADIOLUS COLVILLEI ALBUS. 
White flowers of elegant outline are so valuable for vase deco¬ 
ration, and generally so acceptable, that I am induced to say a 
word in favour of this chastely beautilul variety. The improved 
florists’ varieties of Gladiolus gandavensis are most imposing and 
stately, but the spikes are too heavy to be of service for many 
purposes of floral decoration, and further, they are autumn rather 
than summer flowers. The earlier forms with their slender spikes 
and more thinly disposed flowers are, both as to their time of ex¬ 
pansion and light and pleasing character, of special value to many 
cultivators. The early species and varieties are also very hardy, 
and are seldom injured by the disease that destroys the corms of 
so many of the others, and therefore these early sorts, and espe¬ 
cially, I think, G. Colvillei albus, have claims to more extended 
cultivation. I have had plants flowering in puts, and they were 
