JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 21, 1881. ] 
in height, the sepals and petals being reddish-scarlet tipped with 
orange, the spurs short and straight. April and May. 
A. clirymntha .—Another very fine Mexican border plant, at¬ 
taining a height of about 2^ feet. Leaves ample, triternate, glau¬ 
cous. The stems are much branched, and bear an immense 
quantity of its golden yellow, long-spurred, and very fragrant 
flowers. It is an exceedingly handsome species, commences to 
bloom about the month of June, and continues to make a grand 
display for many weeks. The woodcut is a reduced representa¬ 
tion of this fine plant. 
A. glandulosa .—With this lovely Siberian species we have ex¬ 
perienced much trouble. At one time we concluded it was very 
delicate and could not endure our winters; now, however, we have 
altered our opinion, consider it quite hardy, and incline to the 
belief that it is of biennial duration only—at least this has been 
our experience in the London district. It well repays for all 
extra care and trouble ; it grows in a tufted manner, and is dwarf 
in habit, seldom exceeding a foot in height. The leaves are tri¬ 
ternate, segments coarsely lobed. Stems one-flowered. Flowers 
3 to 4 inches in diameter ; sepals nearly oval, very much larger 
than the petals, deep rich blue ; petals the same colour, but tipped 
and margined with creamy white. It prefers a somewhat light 
and well-drained soil, but not peat. May and June. 
A. pyrenaica .—An exceedingly beautiful dwarf-growing rock 
plant from the Pyrenees. It attains a height of about 9 inches ; 
it is tufted in habit. Leaves tripartite, obscurely lobed, glaucous. 
Flowers large, of a uniform purplish mauve ; spurs short and 
thick, tipped with green. It flowers in May. 
A. sibcrica (see page 50).—A handsome Columbine from Dauria, 
and hence occasionally seen under the name of A. vulgaris dahu- 
rica. The double form shown in the woodcut is particularly 
beautiful, especially when it has attained a good size. The flowers 
are rich blue and white, the leaves being palmately divided, and 
the plant of compact habit. 
A. Skinnerii .—This is later flowering than the majority of the 
species. It grows upwards of 2 feet in Le : ght, and forms a 
beautiful plant in the border. The flowers are somewhat like 
A. canadensis in colour, being scarlet tipped with yellowish green. 
Unlike the last-named plant, however, the spurs are very long. 
It flowers in July and August. From Guatemala. 
A. vulgaris is the English representative of this family, from 
which many beautiful forms have sprung. In the normal type 
the plants attain a height of from 1 to 3 feet. The flowers vary 
from blue to w r hite and red. The cultivated varieties are very 
beautiful, some being large and pure white. A. vulgaris alba. 
Then we have double whites ; A. vulgaris albo pleno, double blue ; 
and a beautiful double striped A. vulgaris caryophylloides, in 
which the ground colour is white, the sepals and petals being 
flaked and striped with reddish crimson and purple. All the 
varieties of this species make showy border plants, and are useful 
for naturalising in woods and coppices.—W. H. 
Destroying Aphides on Peach Trees.—J udging from what 
is published at intervals on this subject it would appear that the 
“ black fly ” as it is termed, is difficult to extirpate. I will, there¬ 
fore, state my experience in cleansing the trees. We have here a 
fine wall of Peach and Nectarine trees, and when they were bloom¬ 
ing the pests attacked them when the fruit had set. I syringed 
the trees on three successive evenings with one quart of Griffiths and 
Avis’ tobacco water to four gallons of soft water heated to 120°, fol¬ 
lowed in the morning with a drenching of clean water from the 
garden engine. They became perfectly clean, and I have not 
seen an insect since. The trees are all carrying a heavy crop of 
fruit, and are in a very healthy condition. Trees in the neighbour¬ 
hood are much injured by the Peach aphis this year, as no doubt 
those referred to would have been had not the above remedy been 
adopted, and especially applied in good time.—A. YOUNG. 
WEST KENT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
July IGth. 
Camden Park, Chislehurst, where the Show was held last Satur¬ 
day, is one of the finest of positions for an exhibition of this nature 
on a tropical day. Highly situated, the benefit of whatever breeze 
there is, is perceived, while the timber trees afford the shade that is 
so grateful in sultry weather. The day of the Show, however, was 
not oppressively hot. and was largely attended during the afternoon 
and evening ; and it must be said the display was worthy of all the 
patronage it received, and was a credit to the beautiful district in 
which it was held. On some former occasions we have observed that 
the leading nurserymen have been the chief contributors to the 
Society’s shows ; but it was not so on this occasion, the competition 
in the classes being excellent, and some of the plants were worthy of 
being staged at any show in the kingdom. True, several nurserymen 
arranged excellent groups—to wit, the General Horticultural Com¬ 
pany, whose highly coloured Crotons associated with Adiantum 
Bausei were much admired ; Mr. B. S. Williams, whose Orchids and 
collection generally, including a fine plant of Cypripedium superbiens, 
commanded attention ; Messrs. John Laing it Co., whose really fine 
and valuable group was not surpassed for richness and effect; Messrs. 
Ponsford & Sons, florists, Brixton and Camberwell, whose plants were 
alike choice and in excellent condition ; Mr. James Wingfield of 
Widmore Hill, Bromley, who arranged a display of considerable 
merit; and Messrs. Cannell & Son, whose magnificent stands of 
Zonal Pelargoniums and Verbenas commanded general admiration. 
Those exhibitors undoubtedly contributed admirably ; but the local 
exhibitors in many of the classes occupied the space allotted to them 
most worthily. 
No pretence is made to dwell on every collection and name every 
prizetaker, all that can be done is to refer briefly to the most note¬ 
worthy exhibits. In the open class for twelve stove and greenhouse 
plants in flower Messrs. Peed & Son, Norwood, were the only exhi¬ 
bitors, and staged a fresh and bright collection of medium-sized plants. 
In the class for nine plants Mr. Gibson, gardener to A. F. Burnaby 
Atkins, Esq., Halstead Place, Sevenoaks, secured the first position. 
Some of the plants were of remarkable merit. Dipladenia amabilis 
was the finest plant we have seen this year; D. Regina was very 
good, Ixora Williamsi superior, and Stephanotis and Allamanda Hen- 
dersoni were in a highly satisfactory state. Mr. Mitchell, gardener 
to Mrs. Arbuthnot, Bridge End Place, was an excellent second, the 
notable plants being Aerides odoratum 44 feet in diameter with sixty 
or seventy fine spikes, and a fine specimen and variety of Anthurium 
Schertzerianum. Mr. Archer, gardener to Capt. Aylward, Crofton 
Court, Orpington, was third with large plants of considerable merit. 
Single Zonal Pelargoniums in the open class were very fine, Mr. 
Mitchell having the first position with fresh, bright, and good examples 
not too formal ; Mr. Lover, gardener to M. Hodgson, Esq., Shirley 
Cottage, Croydon, following rather closely. The same exhibitors, but 
in reversed positions, were successful with double varieties, which 
were better than are usually seen at exhibitions. Show and Fancy 
varieties were less noteworthy, the hot weather having deprived them 
of their freshness. There was good competition in the open class 
for nine finc-foliaged plants ; Mr. Kent, gardener to J. Heritage, Esq., 
Lodgewood, Orpington, securing the first position, Caladium Prince 
Albert Edward being extremely fine. Mi - . Mitchell followed closely 
with smaller but very fresh examples, the trio of Marantas bella, 
ornata, and Jenningsii being in excellent condition. 
Ferns were admirably represented, some, or indeed most of the 
plants in the single specimen class, of which there were a large 
number, being of great excellence. The plant to which the first 
position was worthily assigned was a splendidly grown specimen of 
Gymnogramma Wetenhalliana exhibited by Mr. Mitchell. Mr. 
Gibson was second with a healthy example of A. farleyense ; and 
Mr. Gammon, gardener to C. Bocsey, Esq., The Pines, Bickley, and 
A. Bradford, Esq., Elmstead, Chislehurst, equal thirds ; the former 
with Davallia Mooreana, the latter with Adiantum cuneatum. We 
never saw this good old Fern staged in better condition, and if Mr. 
Bradford had been placed equal second instead of third no injustice 
would have been done. In the class for six plants Mr. Mitchell was 
again to the fore, followed by Mr. Saville, gardener to G. Phillips, 
Esq., Elmstead Lodge, Chislehurst, and Mr. Gammon, all of whom 
staged collections of great merit. Selaginellas were not equal to the 
Ferns, and only one plant, S. involvens, 4 to 5 feet in diameter, was 
noteworthy. It was exhibited by Mr. Cooper, gardener to M. Yeatman, 
Esq., Strawfield, Widmore Hill, the chief prizetaker in the classes for 
these plants. The best Gloxinias—and fine they were—came from 
