November SO, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 501 
and has always been in a prosperous condition. Daring that 
period it has paid upwards of £10,000 in prizes, and has divided 
upwards of £700 amongst the charities of York. A circular is 
now being issued bv the Committee to the leading members of 
the nursery and seed trade of the country, inviting special aid in 
the way of extra prizes to supplement the most liberal schedule 
annually issued by the Committee. Vegetables have hitherto bad 
but little notice here, so that an excellent opportunity is offered 
for extra prizes in this class. The Committee is anxious to make 
this twenty-fifth Exhibition the most remarkable the Society has 
yet held, and therefore earnestly hope this appeal will be liberally 
responded to.” 
- It is estimated that the Potato crop of America this 
year will amount to at least 150,000,000 bushels, or an average of 
92 per cent, against 72 per cent, last year, on the basis of a general 
average of 100. 
- In an article on parasitic plants in Vick's American 
Magazine the following particulars are given of Monotropa 
uniflora, the Corpse Plant, a peculiar member of the Heath 
family :— 
“ This is not rare in Cincinnati, but always attracts the attention 
of the wanderer and frequenter of woods on account of its beauty. 
Though not a genuine parasite, it perhaps attaches itself to the roots 
of various species of trees, and, drawing its nourishment from them 
for a time, afterwards lives on the material furnished by decaying 
vegetable matter. Though very innocuous in appearance, a bad 
story has been told of it. It is said to be poisonous. A lady 
when handling the fresh plant had some of the juice driven on her 
lips. These being chapped at the time, produced sores like the poison¬ 
ing of the Rhus toxicodendron. There is another side to the story, 
for another writer says that the expressed juice taken internally is 
highly recommended for nervous irritation and epilepsy, and, applied 
externally, is good for opthalmia. He gives an instance in which in 
four weeks a very severe inflammation of the eyes was cured by 
applying the fresh juice of the stem of the plant to the inflamed 
surfaces. This plant is a remarkable instance of wide distribution, 
as it is found nearly throughout the United States and British 
America and in Mexico, and it even extends across the Pacific to 
Japan and India, and is another one of the resemblances between the 
floras of the two continents.” 
ADIANTUM CUNEATUM. 
As this is not only one of the most useful of Ferns but a general 
favourite, I have thought that perhaps a few hints as to its cul¬ 
tivation may prove to be useful to some of your numerous readers. 
As many people seem to have an idea that to grow the Maiden¬ 
hair Fern, as the above is commonly called, a very warm tempe¬ 
rature is essential to its well-being. The idea is also very pre¬ 
valent, too, that it, together with other Ferns, cannot be grown 
successfully without peat, and as everyone has not peat to hand, 
and does not feel inclined to purchase any, it is not cultivated so 
much as it otherwise would be. Nothing can be more erroneous 
than such ideas. Anyone in possession of a pit or any other glass 
structure, with the means of keeping out frost, may grow the 
Maidenhair Fern as successfully as the one who has a much higher 
temperature and peat soil at command. 
It is not very particular as to soil. Three parts loam to one of 
leaf soil, with a slight sprinkling of silver or any other sand, I 
find suits it well. The secret, if there is one, of growing it to per¬ 
fection is good drainage and a plentiful supply of water when 
growing. It cannot, if it is in a healthy growing state and the 
drainage good, be too liberally supplied with water. 
During its season of growth, and until, in fact, the fronds are 
fully matured, it should be shaded with some light material from 
the direct rays of the sun. When, however, it has completed its 
growth and the fronds fully matured it should be gradually inured 
to the sun and kept as cool as possible. 
With such treatment as the above it can only be grown suc¬ 
cessfully, and it is far more useful for room-decoration, bou¬ 
quet-making, &c., the fronds having a better texture, conse¬ 
quently possessing belter keeping qualities for either purpose.—• 
J. Richardson, Calvert on Hall, Motts. 
THE WHITE DAFFODIL (NARCISSUS ALBICANS). 
(SEE PAGE 605). 
Of all the Narcissus in our gardens there are none of more 
delicate beauty, none having more exquisite grace of form, than 
this species, which was called N. albicans by old Haworth, but 
which was introduced to English gardens, and had been carefully 
cultivated and preserved in them long, long before his time. 
Speaking broadly, our climate is just a little too rude to this 
dainty stranger “from beyond the seas,” as Gerard hath it: and 
to my mind it represents those fair southern women who, as the 
old chronicles tell us, were brought to England as wives by some 
of the early crusaders, and who “ languished and dyde notwith¬ 
standing the gret love and muche esteame in the which they were 
helde by their lordes.” Our stern northern winters were too 
bitter and scathing for them, and it is even so in some sort of this 
“ fair floure,” which lives rather than luxuriates, except especial 
care be given to it, in our gardens at home. It deserves, however, 
all the care that one may well bestow upon one of the very 
choicest gems of the beautiful race to which it belongs. No 
Narcissus can well be fairer than is this one on rich, warm, sandy 
soils near the sea—indeed, many a flower far less worthy is 
afforded the shelter of a glass roof and careful pot culture, and so 
treated this Daffodil in all its sweet pale beauty yields the palm 
to no other half-hardy bulbous flower.— Dublinensis. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
BRIGHTON AQUARIUM.— November 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. 
Last year the Brighton Aquarium Company held their first Chrys¬ 
anthemum Show, the success of which induced a repetition this 
year, and a very pretty show was provided. There was certainly a 
very decided improvement in all classes as compared with last year, 
the plants being better in every respect, while the cut blooms in 
some of the classes were indeed excellent, the large Anemone-flowered 
section being the finest we have seen anywhere exhibited this season. 
The Company also made a further venture this year in adding classes 
for fruit; but beyond that for black Grapes, which was well filled, 
nothing special can be said. This, no doubt, must be attributed to 
the general scarcity of hardy fruits this autumn. 
The plants and cut blooms were arranged in the Music Hall. Adjoin¬ 
ing this, and in continuity of it, is a most artistic fernery composed 
of massive rockwork, in the recesses of which are growing luxuriantly 
choice Ferns, Lycopodiums, and Mosses ; while from the upper portion 
two or three streamlets appear winding their way from rock to rock, 
and these, uniting about half way down, form a waterfall of such pro¬ 
portions to be in keeping with the detour of the work. 
On entering the Exhibition from the central hall the effect was 
very pleasing. In the front ground were bold groups of Chrysan¬ 
themums, Poinsettias, Heaths, Ac., and in the distance the fernery 
formed a grand background. The schedule of prizes was in two 
divisions, the first of which was open to all exhibitors, and the second 
for gentlemen’s gardeners and amateurs only. In the class for six 
standards, distinct varieties, Mr. W. Balchin, Hassock’s Gate Nur¬ 
series and Western Road, Brighton, obtained first honours, followed 
by Mr. Jas. Turner, gardener to Major Way, Wick Hall, Hove. For 
six dwarf-trained, Mr. Spottiswoode, gardener to G. Duddell, Esq., 
Brighton, was far ahead of other exhibitors with a fine collection. 
Messrs. Balchin and Meachin, gardener to W. Armstrong, Esq., 
Withdean, Brighton, were second and third. For six pyramids the 
first prize was awarded to Mr. W. Balchin, amongst which Peter the 
Great and Fair Maid of Guernsey were very good ; while the first 
prize for six Pompons was justly awarded to Mr. R. Miller, South- 
down Nurseries, Shoreham. 
In the class for twenty-four incurved blooms the first prize was 
easily won by Mr. J. Ridout, gardener to T. B. Haywood, Esq., Wood- 
hatch Lodge, Reigate, with a stand of grand blooms ; Mr. Meachin 
and Mr. Lipscombe, gardener to Mrs. Padwick, Horsham, took second 
and third places in the order named. With twelve incurved Mr. 
Ridout again obtained first honours, being followed by Mr. Wm. 
Jupp, gardener to J. Boulton, Esq., Eastbourne, second, and Mr. J. 
Wyatt, gardener to H. Padwick, Esq., Horsham, third. For twelve 
Japanese, distinct,Messrs. Ridout, Wyatt, and Jupp were the success¬ 
ful competitors. For twelve large Anemone blooms, Mr. Ridout and 
Mr. F. Hyde, gardener to R. Bacon, Esq., Eevmer, were the winners. 
In the division for gentlemen’s gardeners and amateurs only, for 
four standard large-flowered varieties, distinct, Messrs. F. Hyde, 
Spottiswoode, and Turner were first, second, and third respectively ; 
while for four dwarf-trained Mr. Spottiswoode took first; also for 
four standard Pompons and with one single specimen Mr. Spottiswoode 
was again to the fore. For four pyramid and single specimen Pom¬ 
pons Mr. Turner took the lead, followed by Messrs. Spottiswoode and 
Hyde. For twenty-four large-flowered incurved Messrs. J. Wyatt, 
A. Russell, Lewis, and W. Cornwell, gardener to F. Borchard, Esq., 
Uekfield. Twelve incurved the first was awarded to C. Goode, gar¬ 
dener to H. Stone, Esq., Eastcote ; C. Fowler, gardener to E. R. Hall, 
Esq., Henfield, second ; and J. Wyat third. For twelve Japanese 
J. Wyatt, Jupp, and Harris, gardener to C. S. Eversfield, Esq., Denne 
Paik, Horsham, won in the order named ; and for six Japanese 
Wyatt, Harris, and C. Funnell, gardener to J. Thorne, Esq., Southove 
Grange, Lewes, were first, second, and third. 
For six plants suitable for table decoration in or out of bloom the 
first prize was awarded to Mr. McBean, Cocksbridge, Lewes ; though 
the second-prize collection shown by Mr Balchin was in the opinion 
