JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
8 
[ July 6, 1882. 
ford, The Cottage, Petersham, for which the silver medal given by 
the Duke of Teck was awarded, were very novel, the flowers con¬ 
sisting of white Water Lilies, Gladiolus Colvillei albus, with a few 
yellow Marguerites and Spirteas, leaves of the Copper Beech and 
Adiantum fronds being arranged with them. It was, however, ob¬ 
servable that these were scarcely suitable for a table, as they were 
rather heavy, and further, only one side had been completely finished. 
Mr. W. Brown was the principal prizetaker for bouquets, and con¬ 
tributed some pretty arrangements ; he was also successful in other 
classes for stands of flowers. 
Fruit .—Numerous collections of fruit were staged in most of the 
classes, and the leading exhibits were of very good quality, though 
several others were characterised by a rather too noticeable deficiency 
in regard to ripeness, which was especially the case with the majority 
of white Grapes shown. For a collection of six dishes Mr. Wildsmith, 
gardener to Viscount Eversley, Heckfield Place, Hants, was placed 
first with finely coloured Black Hamburgh Grapes, a good Queen 
Pine Apple, Brown Turkey Figs, Suttons’ Heckfield Hybrid Melon, 
and Bellegarde Peaches. Mr. Hudson, gardener to H. J. Atkinson, 
Esq., Gunnersbury House, was a close second, his principal dishes 
being fine black Grapes, an even and well-ripened Queen Pine Apple, 
and good-sized Condor Peaches. Mr. Davis, gardener to the Rev. H. 
Morris, Roehampton Park, was third with smaller but creditable 
samples. The best three bunches of black Grapes were staged by 
Mr. P. Feist, gardener to R. J. Ashton, Esq., Bishopgate House, 
Staines, who well deserved the first prize awarded him for handsome 
bunches of Black Hamburgh with large finely coloured berries. Mr. 
Davis and Mr. W. Fyfe, gardener to W. F. Dick, Esq., Thames Ditton 
House, were second and third respectively with less well-finished 
samples. Mr. Feist and Mr. J. WagstafE, gardener to H. Elam, Esq., 
Firsleigh, Isleworth, were two of the chief exhibitors of white 
Grapes, Messrs. Attrill and Lake having good Peaches, and D. Heckle, 
gardener to W. Cunard Esq., Lebanon House, Twickenham, staged 
fine Strawberries. 
Vegetables were largely and well shown, the leading prizes being 
secured by Messrs. E. Beckett, WagstafE, and Morrell, who had some 
excellent collections. Messrs. Carter & Co.’s prizes for four dishes of 
Peas, of the varieties Telegraph, Telephone, Stratagem, and Pride of 
the Market, brought six competitors, the awards being granted to 
Mr. G. Williams, gardener to C. Liddell, Esq., Peasmarsh Place, 
Sussex ; Mr. W. Chittleburgh, gardener to Col. Rous, Worsted House; 
and Mr. Phillips of Meopham, Kent. Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ prizes 
for Cucumbers were also well competed for. 
The Veitch Memorial Prizes .—This year the trustees of this fund 
decided to offer these prizes at Richmond—namely, £5 and a Veitch 
Memorial medal for the best stove or greenhouse plant in flower, and 
the same amount for the best two bunches of black Grapes. In the 
plant class there were six entries, the prizes being awarded to Mr. J. 
Hinnell, gardener to F. A. Davis, Esq., Anglesea House, Surbiton, 
for a specimen of Erica tricolor dumosa of globular form 5 feet in 
diameter, very evenly trained, and in good health, the flowers also 
being numerous but a little past their best. Mr. Bates had a well- 
flowered Bougainvillea glabra in the same class, and Messrs. Peed and 
Son a healthy Allamanda grandiflora. In the Grape class Mr. Hudson 
won amongst five competitors with two grand bunches of Madresfield 
Court, the berries of great size and superbly coloured. 
Miscellaneous groups and exhibits were numerous and very attrac¬ 
tive, the most noteworthy being the following :—Messrs. J. Veitch 
and Sons, Chelsea, had a beautiful group of Roses in pots, with 
Japanese Maples at the back and a margin of Eurya latifolia varie- 
gata. Six boxes of fine Rose blooms were also staged by the same 
firm. Messrs. C. Lee & Son, Hammersmith, contributed an attractive 
collection of ornamental shrubs and trees and Roses in pots, with 
boxes of Rose blooms. Messrs. Osborn & Sons, Fulham, had a pretty 
group of hardy plants ; Mr. Wiggins a group of Pelargoniums ; Mr. 
Kinghorn, Richmond, a group of miscellaneous plants tastefully 
arranged ; and Mr. F. Pestridge, Brentford, had a collection of 
eighteen varieties of Tricolor Pelargoniums. All these were highly 
commended, as were also some particularly handsome Cherries from 
Messrs. Rivers & Son of Sawbridgeworth, and samples of a spray- 
distributor from Mr. Wells of Red Hill. 
VINES AT LONGLEAT—MANURE. 
Everyone interested in Grape-growing is deeply indebted to 
Mr. Taylor for his full and clear account of the system which 
has produced such splendid results at Longleat. In the cardinal 
question of manuring, however, which was treated of on page 485, 
there is an uncertainty which perhaps Mr. Taylor could* in some 
degree clear up. Earth which has been used is necessarily of 
variable composition ; but Dr. Voelcker, in the eighth volume 
of the second series of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 
Society, states that in some specimens which he examined there 
was found to be about 0 07 per cent, of nitrogen added (equal to 
about 0 09 of ammonia), each time the same earth was used. 
In other experiments by Dr. Gilbert the addition of nitrogen was 
found to be more than double this amount. It obviously depends 
greatly on the quantity of earth used and the number of individuals 
using the dry earth ; but in some places the earth after use is 
dried and used twice, or three, four, or five times over, each time, 
of course, receiving an increment of strength. If used only 
once, and Dr. Voelcker’s estimate is taken, the quantity employed 
by Mr. Taylor—half a bushel, or say 50 lbs. to the square yard— 
would be equivalent to a dressing at the rate of 12 tons of best 
rotten farmyard manure per acre, while at Dr. Gilbert’s estimate 
it would be equal to as much as 20 tons dung per acre. If 
passed more than once through the closet the strength would be 
proportionately increased. Might I, therefore, ask Mr. Taylor 
kindly to say, as nearly as circumstances permit him, whether the 
earth he uses has been employed only once or more than once ? 
and about what number of persons have on an average of the 
year used the earth, and what quantity has been so used ?—J. B. K. 
[In answer to “ J. B. K.,” I have to say that the earth is only 
used once. The closets, of which there are four, are fitted with 
a handle, which is pulled in the same way as when water is used. 
They are only in use about six months out of twelve, and then 
the number using them is on the average about fourteen. Only 
a small quantity of earth is used, but that is in the best possible 
condition ; for failing naturally dried earth at any time there i9 
always a heap of burned clay (of which I prepare a great quantity 
every winter) to fall back on. I was asked, when the buildings 
were erected, whether I thought it worth my while keeping them 
supplied with earth. My answer was that I should be very 
pleased to do the same for a whole town. There is no manure 
either natural or artificial so valuable as this, and yet in the 
majority of cases it is not only wasted, but is so managed as to 
bring on disease and premature death. It cannot be too often 
impressed on our readers that dry earth is a perfect deodoriser, 
and that water is not. I cannot obtain sufficient of this manure, 
and up to the present time half of the Muscat house has had none 
this season.— Wm. Taylor.] 
SPIGELIA MARYLANDICA. 
This plant, which is commonly known as Worm Grass, from 
its medicinal qualities, is seldom alluded to in the press ; yet it is 
worth growing. It is a showy little perennial with slender four¬ 
angled stems 9 to 15 inches high, varying considerably according 
to position as regards moisture. Leaves opposite, sessile, ovate- 
acuminate, acute, entire. Flowers four to eight at the top of the 
stems, with tubular corollas 1 to l^inch long; tubes rich crimson; 
limb with five ovate acute divisions, the upper surface yellow, 
which affords a striking contrast to the high-coloured tube. It is 
an extremely pretty plant for the border or rockery, enjoying a 
shady damp position in peat, loam, and sand, although a moist 
position is the chief thing to be considered in its successful culti¬ 
vation, as I have grown it in soil entirely free from peat but 
damp, and it grew admirably ; the position was withal most 
exposed, with the sun pouring upon it nearly all the day. Among 
others the Rev. Ewbank of Ryde expressed astonishment at the 
healthy condition of the plant in question. I mention this so 
that those who do not possess a shady place need not be without 
such a charming plant. It is a native of the United States, where 
it is very abundant, and from whence it was introduced as early 
as 1G94, and a figure of it appears in the “Botanical Magazine,” 
pi. 80. Its proper place is undoubtedly in association with 
other American damp-loving plants, such as Trilliums, Lilies, 
Gentians, 5cc. It is readily increased by division of the root, 
which is best accomplished early in spring just as growth 
commences.—N. 
WEST OF ENGLAND ROSE SHOW. 
HEREFORD. 
The sixteenth annual Exhibition of Roses in connection with the 
above Society was held on Thursday the 29th ult. in the Shire Hall, 
when, favoured with glorious weather, a numerous company of the 
Rose-loving and sight-seeing public were attracted to our ancient city. 
It need not be stated that, as an exhibition of Roses, the one just 
held did not come up to the average of former years. Nobody ex¬ 
pected it would. At Bath last Wednesday both in quality and quan¬ 
tity the National Rose Society’s Provincial Exhibition fell far short. 
But how could the issue be otherwise? The long-continued cold and 
sunless weather has for some weeks dangerously retarded vegetation, 
with its inevitable results of no blooms at all, or accompanied with the 
damaging faults of coarseness or want of symmetry. Strange to say, 
colour this year is all that can be desired (pink Roses of the old type 
of John Hopper and Clemence Joigneaux are quite red). This curious 
fact is worthy of comment, as light and sun are the main factors in 
the production of colour. The fixture for the day following Bath 
surely was most unwise, as it kept off several of the chief nurserymen, 
who always made a point of exhibiting at Hereford when they could. 
Nevertheless, in spite of all these drawbacks, and although a sad gap 
was left in the Hall by the absence of the Eeavitree and Old Weir 
