286 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ September 25, 1884. 
same variety ; while in the corresponding white variety class Mr. Mclndoe 
took the lead with Muscat of Alexandria, followed by Mr. King, Dalzell 
House Gardens, with the same variety. For a bunch with the finest bloom 
Mr. Jeffrey was first with Alicante, very handsome; and Mr. Lees second 
with Cooper's Black, similarly good. 
Pines were not very numerous, Mr. A. Young, gardener to Earl Bredal- 
bane, Taymonth Castle, having the best Smooth Cayenne, and Mr. McIntyre 
he best Queen, Mr. McIntyre leading with two Pin'^s, fine examples of Prince 
Albert and Queen, Melons were fairly good, but not of remarkable merit. 
Apples were extremely well shown both as regards numbers and quality, 
the competition in some of the classes devoted to special varieties being 
extraordinary. Lord Suffield was particularly strongly shown, no less than 
thirty-four competitors entering with six fruits each, and all were so nearly 
equal in merit that the Judges had some difficulty in selecting the winners. 
Mr. Brunton and Mr. L. Dow were, however, finally awarded the honours in 
that order. Stirling Castle came next in point of numbers, eighteen dishes 
being staged, Messrs. Murray and Sharp taking the prizes. There were 
twelve competitors in the Warner’s King class, Mr. J. Duncan Amisfield, 
Haddington, leading closely, followed by Mr. Melville. Ribston Pippin was 
represented by sixteen exhibitors, Mr. Mclndoe winning the first place for 
large handsome fruits, Mr. Hunter, Lambton Castle Gardens, taking the 
second honours. Peasgood’s Nonesuch was not largely shown, but Ecklinville, 
Hawthornden, Keswick Codlin, and King of Pippins were, however, contri¬ 
buted by a great number of exhibitors. 
Pears were not very abundant, but Plums were capitally shown by 
eighteen competitors in each class. With twelve yellow Plums Mr. D. 
Melville, gardener to G. G. Dalrymple, Esq., Elliston, was first with Coe’s 
Golden Drop, large and handsome, Mr. Galloway being second with Jeffer¬ 
son’s ; while in the red variety class Mr. McKenzie, gardener to J. Stewart, 
Esq., Ballich, Perthshire, led with Goliath, followed by Mr. Mclndoe with 
Belgian Purple.' Red and White Currants were grandly shown by Mr. 
Brown of Abercairny, who has a great local fame for these fruits. Goose¬ 
berries, Figs, and Apricots also added to the excellence and beauty of the 
Show. 
Messrs. C. Daly & Son, Coleraine, exhibited a collection of fifty sorts of 
Apples, to which a special prize and certificate was awarded. Messrs. 
Stuart & Mein, Kelso, also showed a collection of seventy-five sorts gathered 
from young trees. 
A very large quantity of vegetables was staged, the market garden 
collection prize going to Mr. D. Logan, Coldstream, second to Mr. Milne, 
Sunnbank, Edinburgh. The first prize for gardener’s collection of twelve 
kinds was secured by Mr. Brown, Abercairny, who had a beautiful collection ; 
Mr. Potter, Seacliffe, North Berwick, being a close second. Mr. N. Glass, 
Larbert, showed extra fine Leeks and Onions, and the other kinds of vegetables 
were well represented. 
Plants were rather sparsely represented, the competition being very 
limited. Mr. Patterson, Millbank, had first prize for six flowering plants, 
for three handsome Heaths, and for a graceful Palm. Mr. Grossart, gardener to 
Mr. Buchanan, Cavann Lane, was the only exhibitor for table of plants, and 
was awarded first prize ; the first for four Orchids and for one Orchid fell 
to the same exhibitor, as also for four Palms. Mr. S. Graham, Kilrarock 
Lodge, took first for six exotic Ferns, six Ferns for table, and six Lycopods. 
Mr. Scott, Carberry Tower, Musselburgh, had first for four foliage plants. 
Among the classes open to nurserymen Messrs. Ireland & Thomson were, 
as at former shows, easily first; Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons being second. 
The same exhibitors reversed places for four Palms. Messrs. Ireland and 
Thomson were first for twelve Coniferse and also for twelve table Conifers ; 
Messrs. R. B. Laird & Son, second. Messrs. Laird and Sinclair, Dundee, had 
first for twelve table plants, Messrs. Ireland & Thomson being second. 
Cut flowers formed a very good display. Mr. Campbell, Gourock, re¬ 
peated his victory for thirty Gladioli, with much the same kinds as noted 
in previous reports ; Mr. J. Service, Dumfries, second. For twelve spikes, 
Mr. Gray, Newfield, Ayrshire, as at Dundee, showed the best examples in the 
Show. For six Gladioli, Mr. Smith, Prestwich, was first. For eleven Holly¬ 
hock spikes, Mr. M. Campbell, High Blantyre, showed fine examples of 
Invincible, G. B. Elliot, Hercules, Menmon, Mrs. Johnston’s Champion, 
D. Forbes, Lady Middleton, Albion, Purple Pine, and Cygnet ; Messrs. 
Lament & Son, second. Mr. D. M‘Farlane, Kempmeadows, Peebles, was 
first, Mr. Dingwall, Ardock, being a good second. For twelve Hollyhock 
blooms Mr. R. Kerr was first; Mr. Cadzow, Lanark, being first for six blooms. 
Messrs. Cocker & Sons, Aberdeen, were first for Show and Fancy Dahlias ; 
Messrs. Lament & Sons for thirty-six singles. Messrs. Dickson & Son, Belfast, 
showed well for thirty-six Roses, and were awarded first; Mr. Smith, Stran¬ 
raer, being first for eighteen Roses ; and Mr. A. H. Gray first for twenty-four 
in the gardeners’ class. Messrs. Ireland & Thomson were first for collections 
of cut stove and greenhouse plants ; Messrs. Laird & Son being second. 
Among the miscellaneous produce staged for exhibition only Messrs. 
Lament & Son, Musselburgh, put up a grand lot of forty-eight single 
Dahlias ; Messrs. R. B. Laird & Son a new Adiantum, Victoria; Messrs. 
Laing & Co., Forest Hill, some of the famed Begonias ; Messrs. Todd & Co., 
Edinburgh, showed examples of bouquets and wreaths of great beauty ; Mr. 
Lindsay, Royal Botanic Garden, had a table of peculiarities of plant life, a 
grand example of the Latticeleaf Plant attracting much attention, and a 
specimen of the curious Aciphylla squarrosa, which is quite hardy in Edin¬ 
burgh ; Messrs. Cunningham & Fraser, Comely Bank, and Messrs. Methven 
and Sons, Leith Walk Nurseries, had excellent tables of decorative and other 
plants of much interest. 
WASPS AND RED SPIDER. 
Having had my attention recently attracted by the continual visits 
of wasps to a second early Peach house, I have wondered what they were 
in pursuit of, as the fruits have been cleared for some time past. I have 
now come to the conclusion that they are in search of red spider. The 
trees in question have not been syringed since the fruit ripened, and yet 
they are as healthy as possible, which is not often the case under these 
conditions, as when left to themselves red spider is sure to appear. 
Although these trees have been so far neglected for several weeks, red 
spider is very scarce, and this I attribute to the visits of wasps. They 
crawl about on the upper and under sides of the leaves, apparently in 
search of these insects, or why should they continue to visit this house in 
such numbers when there are other houses adjoining with ripe fruit yet 
ungathered ? I would like to know the opinion of some of your readers 
on this subject. No doubt there will be some that will pooh-pooh such 
an idea ; but why should not wasps have a liking for the red spider as 
well as for flies, for they will demolish these ravenously when within 
their reach and other food is short.—S. 
INDOOR WINTER-FLOWERING PLANTS. 
I CONSIDER September and October very important months in the 
management of these. Where plants are weakly and unsatisfactory 
there is still time to improve them before winter, and where they are 
good they may always be made better by seasonable treatment. In 
winter, when water at the roots is not required in such quantities as in 
summer, it is of the utmost importance that the drainage be perfect. 
Unless it is this, the soil will be sure to become water-logged before the 
new year, and after that there can be no hope of success. There is no 
plant to which this does not apply, and before another week is over every 
plant growing in a pot for winter use should be carefully turned out, the 
drainage examined, and all deficiencies rectified. Worms must be ex¬ 
cluded, for when they are present the drainage will soon be inoperative. 
No plants will ever be healthy when the worms are working in the soil 
about the roots, and banish them by all means. In looking over the 
drainage catch and throw out any seen there, and if they are inside the 
balls and cannot be seen, give soot water frequently until they are 
destroyed. Soot will nourish the plant as well as destroy the worms. 
Perfect drainage and no worms are two important conditions to the well¬ 
being of the roots of our winter-flowering plants, and should on no 
account be overlooked. Remedies can of course be applied in winter, 
but then the plants may be checked, both by the cause and cure, and at 
this season they will improve far more quickly than they would do then ; 
indeed it is wholly to have them in a proper condition before the short 
days and long nights that I insist on their having attention now. 
Next to the roots being right the foliage must be clean. Absolute 
failure will follow should the winter be commenced with the foliage 
impaired by the attacks of insects. Cleanliness is an advantage of the 
greatest importance. Nothing else will do, and the sponge and syringe 
must be kept at work until all has been made clean. With good roots 
and clean foliage what splendid prospects plant-growers have before 
them in winter. 
The ripening of the wood requires attention, for hardwooded plants 
such as Heaths and Azaleas are not the only ones that require to be 
ripened. Cinerarias, Primulas, and many others stand in need of it too. 
In hot bright summers, like the one now past, many plants must be 
shaded from the sun ; but if this shading remains on until the winter, it 
would then be found that the soft growths produced in consequence were 
totally unfit to bear more darkness than light, damping off would become 
a nuisance, the blooms would be few and of no substance or colour, as it 
is only from matured growths we can expect these. For this reason it is 
important that sun and light be now admitted to all winter-blooming 
plants, and all shading should be cleared off at once. Immediately 
this is done and for a little time the plants may flag on sunny days, but 
unless the sun is exceptionally bright no harm will be done, and the 
foliage and stems will soon assume a hardy appearance, and this is the 
proper colour to begin the winter with. Air, too, does its part in pro¬ 
ducing this desirable condition, and at this season keeping the plants in 
a close airless atmosphere should not be practised. Cold frames fully 
exposed to the sun are now the places for Primulas and Cinerarias, and 
they will succeed there until the middle or end of October, when they 
should have a warmer and drier place to bring out a profusion of bloom. 
Poinsettias are still in the cool, but they will have warmer quarters by 
the end of September, and the Bouvardias will accompany them. Deut- 
zias and Spiraeas and all plants intended for blooming early cannot be too 
well exposed. Chrysanthemums should be watered freely with stimulants, 
and the stems and coming flower buds must be free and open to all the 
beneficial influences of the September and October weather. Cultivators 
may rest assured that extra attention now will be richly rewarded later 
on. Our Camellias and Azaleas are now as much exposed as they can be 
during the day, with protection at night to prevent their being injured 
by high winds and excessive rains, and it is very gratifying to see how 
the flower buds are developing.—M. M. 
IXORAS. 
Flowering plants are generally not so abundant in stoves as in green¬ 
houses, and with the exception of a few handsome climbers, such as 
Allamandas, Dipadenias, Clerodendrons, and Jasmines, there is too often a 
comparative scarcity of blooms in the warmer structure when the other is 
as gay as could be desired. For this reason Ixoras are especially valuable, 
as they yield a profusion of richly coloured flowers which can be mosl' 
appreciated in contrast with the wealth of foliage furnished by Palms, 
Ferns, Aralias, and other similar occupants of the stove. They also possess 
some very fine and distinct shades of orange and red, the compact heads in 
which the flowers are borne having a noble appearance. Particularly 
