70 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 24, 1884. 
by members and townsfolk. New members may be proposed at this 
meeting. Those wishing to return to London on the Monday night will 
leave Colchester by the 9.9 express, which is timed to arrive at Liverpool 
Street at 10 25. Tickets—The charge for tickets (including luncheon, 
seat in conveyance, tea and incidental expenses) will be :—Members, 
Is. 6<f. ; Non-Members, 8^. &d. Apjilication for tickets must be made 
not later than July 28th, to Mr. B. G. Cole, Laurel Cottage, Buckhurst 
Hill, Essex, or to Mr. J. C. Shenstone, High Street, Colchester. 
- Mr. a. Mottishead, gardener to W. Brockbank, Esq., Brock- 
hurst, Didsbury, writes as follows in i\xQ Manchester City Mens respecting 
Ajuga BrockbAnkii :—“ Ajuga Brockbankii originated as a chance 
seedling in the borders at Brockhurst about eight years ago, the other 
plants growing near it being A. genevensis and A. pyramidalis. There¬ 
fore it was considered to be a hybrid between the two, having the habit 
of the latter, with the colour given to it by the former. It was exhibited 
the following year at the Whitsuntide Show under the name of A. pyra¬ 
midalis, having had no other name attached to it. The judges crossed 
the name ‘pyramidalis’ out, and wrote ‘ alpina ’ in its stead. The 
year following it was exhibited under the name Alpina hybrida, when it 
attracted the notice of Messrs. Roger M’Clelland & Co., Newry. Plants 
were sent to them, and they are the authors of the name attached to it 
now. It was sent out by them in 1881 as Ajuga Brockbankii, without 
Mr. Brockbank’s consent or knowledge that it was to be called so. In 
Messrs. Paul & Son’s catalogue for this year we find it named A. alpina 
Brockbankii, and described as a new and very desirable flowering plant 
with deep blue flowers.” 
- The White Fringe Plant. —In America this is the popular 
name of Chionanthus virginica, which, it is said, is now becoming a 
great favourite in gardens. It is a rather attractive shrub, with abun. 
dant white flowers, but though its appearance in this country dates from 
1736, it is not very common in English gardens. 
- Strawberry Helena Gloede.—M r. A. Young writes A 
very favourable account of the above Strawberry is given in page 42. I 
have seen it with all the qualities therein stated, but it was very deficient 
in flavour, in fact it was the most ‘sickly’ Strawberry I ever lafled. 
What is the experience of others concerning its flavour ? ” 
- Voracity of the Drosera. —I am not aware that the Drosera 
has been noticed to capture so large an insect as the dragon fly (Pyrrho- 
Goma minium). Passing a pond side on a bright June morning, where 
this insect was flying plentifully, and near which Drosera rotundifolia was 
growing in abundance, I saw that many of these insects had fallen victims 
to the carnivorous propensities of the plant. On one spot about 1 foot 
square I counted six plants which had captured specimens of the Dragon 
fly, besides smaller insects. One plant had possessed itself of two of the 
dragon flies, one being partially digested and the other freshly caught. 
The Drosera plants, being youn^, were in many instances less in expanse 
than the dragon flies caught upon them, which measure about 2 inches 
across the wings, with a body about Ij inch long. The dragon flies 
appear to be attracted to the plants by the reflected sunlight glistening 
upon the beads of fluid secreted from the leaves, and from which the 
plant receives its common name of “ Sun-dew.” Those dragon flies which 
I saw caught hovered over the plants about a second, at a distance of 3 or 
4 feet, and then darted upon the plant, when they were instantly caught. 
—A. Balding (in Nature). 
- Erratum. —In the article on “Filmy Ferns,” page 47, the size 
..pf the cases is misprinted 50 inches square ; it should be 15 inches, 
BEDFORD HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The horticultural county of Bedford has not for some years had an 
opportunity of displaying in the county town the products of its local 
industry, a former society having become defunct so long ago as 1879. On 
Wednesday last, however, mainly owing to the interest taken in the 
prosperity of the town of Bedford by the Worshipful the Mayor (J. Hawkins, 
Esq.) and to the horticultural tastes and zeal of that gentleman, Mr. J. S. 
Clarke of the London Road, and a few other inhabitants, a successful 
resuscitation was inaugurated; and although open classes were afforded for 
Roses and herbaceous plants only, it is to be hoped that the encourage¬ 
ment given to the Committee in this direction will result in further 
liberality on a future occasion, and that Bedford, so centrally and con¬ 
veniently situated for an important exhibition, will not be narrow and 
exclusive in its efforts ; for, although an attractive and generally successful 
Exhibition as a first attempt has to be recorded, there was but weak com¬ 
petition in most of the local classes, the exhibits being confined to the 
county. The vegetable department was, however, a notable exception. 
The Show was held in a pretty and convenient ground on the Bromham 
Road, and as the weather was favourable the Committee will doubtless be 
able to report a financial success. The number of classes was large, and 
as it was difficult to ascertain the names of the exhibitors from their speci¬ 
mens, we can do but little honour to the individual winners. 
In the open class for forty-eight cut Roses Mr. F. Cant of Colchester 
staged some fine blooms, chiefly darks, including Duke of Connaught, 
Reynolds Hole, Prince Arthur (a splendid and reliable Rose), Comtesse de 
Paris, Etienne Levet, Dupuy Jamain, Dr. Sewell, Pride of Waltham, Mer- 
verUe de Lyon, and Gabriel Luizet. Messrs. G. Paul & Son of Cheshunt, 
who were also fighting the same day in northern lands, came well in as 
second, having good flowers of Xavier Olibo, Ulrich Brunner (fine but 
somewhat thin), Marie Verdier, Marguerite de St. Amand, and a better pro¬ 
portion of lights. Mr. J. Mayo, Oxford, was third. For the twenty- 
four cut blooms open to all amateurs, Mr. J. L. Curtis of Chatteris was first 
with very fresh flowers, and the Rev. W. H. Jackson of Stagsden Vicarage 
second. 
For twelve blooms open to all amateurs Mr. Jackson was placed first, 
Mr. Curtis second, and the Rev. F. F. Lambert, Baldock, third. For the 
open prizes for hardy herbaceous cut flowers Messrs. G. Paul & Son, who 
had a large and attractive collection, were first; andMr. Laxton of Bedford, 
who had a smaller but a very choice and bright stand from the Girtford 
Gardens, second; and Mr. E. Horton, Bedford, third. In the local classes 
for Roses, twenty-four and twelve blooms, and for twelve Teas, the Rev. 
W. H. Jackson took the chief prizes, there being but a very limited com¬ 
petition. The largest and most successful exhibits of plants were from the 
gardens of E. Manson, Esq.; F. Howard, Esq., of Bedford; Miss Rice- 
Trevor, of Bromham Hall; and H. Thornton, Esq., of Kempston Grange. 
The local nurserymen, Mr. J. C. Sheppard and Mr. Horton, also con¬ 
tributed effectively to the display. Vegetables, especially Peas, were very 
finely shown by Mr. Waller, gardener to Jas. Howard, Esq., M.P.; Mr. 
Vine, gardener to Mr. Thornton; and Mr. Ellis, gardener to Mrs. Orr, 
Pemberley House, Bedforci. The show of fruit was only a meagre one, 
but good Grapes were staged by Mr. Wilson, gardener at Pavenham Bury; 
and by Mr. Allis, gardener to Major Shuttleworth, Old Warden—the latter 
not for competition—Mr. W. Galloway of Bromham Hall Gardens taking 
first for a collection of fruit. The Committee and officials all worked with 
zeal and a good will, and the results are such as to encourage them to con¬ 
tinue their efforts. 
THE RESULTS OF PRUNING ROSES. 
Most readers of the Journal will have noticed questions being raised 
in the early months of the present year as to the best time to prune Roses. 
Roses were then making rapid growth when they should have been at 
rest, and many amateurs were thinking that if their trees were not pruned 
at that time the result would be a weakly growth, and consequently a 
poor “ bloom.” I think the present would be the most fitting time to 
discuss “ early versus late pruning.” The following is my experience this 
season:—1, Early-pruned Roses, imperfect bloom and growth. 2, Late- 
pruned Roses, and which were pruned between the 20th and 25th of 
April, capital bloom and good growth. The top shoots of latter were several 
inches in length when pruned ; the bottom buds were quite dormant, and 
they were so long in starting into growth that I thought I had pruned 
too late, blit when they did break they grew away freely, and far out¬ 
distanced the early-pruned Roses by producing earlier and better blooms 
and much better growth.—S. W. 
MELON PLANTS DECAYING. 
On page 6 Mr. Iggulden alludes to this subject in the hope of gaining 
information that may prove beneficial in assisting him to overcome the 
ravages of the disease which attacks his Melons. It may be some consola¬ 
tion to your correspondent to know that I have been battling with the 
same disease for the past seven years, and only this year found out its 
cause, and consequently a remedy which I hope will prove useful to 
readers of this Journal. It is pleasing to achieve success with all we take 
in hand, but I am convinced that we do not learn half so many valuable 
lessons from an unbroken course of successes as we do from failures. 
When failure overtakes any crop we generally apply ourselves with energy 
and diligence to find out the cause, which when once determined is sure in 
the end to lead to success. The record of success almost continually goes 
a long way to dishearten the young gardener when failure overtakes some 
important crop; but this is not always due to inexperience or even con¬ 
venience, but often from not considering at the outset the surroundings of 
the house in which the crop or plants have to be grown. 
The decay of Melon plants, to which allusion has been made, is 
entirely distinct from canker, and never during the period it troubled us 
here did a single plant collapse by being attacked at the collar. They 
frequently decay half way up the stem, often 3 or 4 feet from the soil, and 
generally between two joints. This disease has been so bad here that w'e 
were afraid to remove a leaf or even stop and thin out the shoots after the 
crop was set and swelling, unless removed with the point of a knife when 
very small, so as to cause no wound. The removal of a leaf by accident 
when watering or supporting the fruit has often resulted in decay setting 
in and the death of the plants in a few hours. This was frequently the 
case with plants that had not been touched with the knife, and which but 
a short space of time before appeared perfectly healthy. The production 
of Melons through this disease gave me more care and anxiety than any¬ 
thing else under my charge. To maintain a continual supply a stock of 
young plants in various stages had to be kept on hand ready for planting 
out as soon as one died. This was by no means the only precaution that 
had to be taken, for some varieties were more liable to be attacked than 
others ; therefore some of the very best had to be discarded, and those only 
grown with constitutions which enabled them to resist the disease. The 
stronger and more robust the plants grew the sooner they succumbed to 
the disease, and this led me to believe that if the plants were checked so 
