JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 21, 1882. ] 
a correspondent observes :—“ A snowstorm with fog and hard frost 
has since the 5th inst. stopped all outdoor work. Inland the 
weather has been much more damaging than in our district. 
From one place in Berwickshire we have heard that the coal 
supply was exhausted ; and the roads to the railway station being 
impassable, they had to make the best of things until the roads 
were cleared. The weather previous to this outbreak was fairly 
good, consequently there have been both gardeners and farmers 
found in a state of unpreparedness. Many of the latter have 
neglected to secure Turnips, and we have even heard of Pota¬ 
toes being as yet unlifted. The latter, owing to the railways 
being blocked, have risen to a very high price considering 
what had been realised of late years. The vegetable markets, 
which have been overstocked throughout the autumn, will now be 
scantily supplied, as the snow is generally over a foot in depth 
in the district. On the night of the 11th inst. the frost was 
intense, the thermometer indicating from S° to as low as —4° 
Fahr., or 24° to 36° of frost.” In another district of Scotland 
we are informed the thermometer a week ago registered as low 
as —10°, or 10° below zero. 
- The Double White Bouvardia Alfred Neuner is 
becoming a great favourite with the florists and bouquetists in 
Covent Garden, and the flowers are now quite abundant in the 
windows there. It appears to be greatly appreciated for button¬ 
holes, and for this purpose the flowers are admirably adapted 
either associated with Bose buds, Violets, the single scarlet and 
pink Bouvardias, and similar flowers. 
- “ L. D. W.” remarks: — “ Chrysanthemum Golden 
Circle is a very useful Pompon variety that is not generally 
known. It is of dwarf sturdy habit, a profuse bloomer, and the 
flowers a very good yellow in colour. This variety retains its 
foliage well, and is not [so subject to mildew as many varieties. 
It is admirably adapted for growing into small specimens for 
decorative purposes ; or where naturally-grown bushes are in re¬ 
quest, with a minimum of labour required in staking, this variety 
should have a place, as it will be found a grand companion to 
Sceur Melanie.” 
- Garden Appointment. —Mr. H. A. Mann, who has for 
the last nine years held the position of head gardener at St. 
Vincent’s, New Somerby, Grantham (Mrs. E. Hornsby’s), has 
recently been appointed to a similar post at Denton Manor near 
Grantham, the seat of Sir W. E. W. Gregory, Bart., M.P. 
- “ B.” gives the following as three free-flowering 
double Pelargoniums :—“ Few flowers are more charming 
during the winter season than a good double white Pelargonium. 
The best in all respects that I have had is Candidissimum plenum. 
The truss is not so large as some kinds, but is quite large enough, 
while it is a model as to form, and of the purest white. Like 
other double varieties it requires stove treatment during the 
winter. An occasional application of some manurial agent is also 
necessary to keep the plants floriferous. Old plants are much 
better than yearlings, which applies to other kinds as well. The 
most useful scarlet is doubtlessly Wonderful, the most floriferous 
of all doubles. This is a sort which I always think is seen to greater 
advantage during the winter months than at any other season. Of 
pink shades Madame Thibaut is the best. It is almost as free- 
flowering as Eugene Bandouin, and has a larger truss of pips. 
Both are good, though I prefer the former.” 
- We have received some further particulars-in reference to 
the second annual exhibition of plants and horticultural 
appliances to be held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, 
from March 15th to the 24th, 1883, which has already been an¬ 
nounced in these pages. Special provision is made for plants, 
fourteen classes being enumerated in the schedule, the prizes in 
571 
thirteen being of equal value—namely, a gold medal value six 
guineas as the first prize, or money if preferred, and a silver medal 
value three guineas as the second prize, offered under the same 
conditions as the other. In the fourteenth class, however, which 
is for a collection of British and foreign fruits, the first prize will 
be a gold cup value £10, and the second prize a silver cup value £5. 
Classes are provided for collections of hardy spring-flowering 
plants arranged for effect, decorative evergreens and flowering 
shrubs, Hyacinths, Narcissus, Tulips, miscellaneous bulbs in flower 
and arranged for effect, Ivies, Hollies, bedding Pelargoniums, 
carpet-bedding plants, dinner-table decorations, window boxes, 
and hanging baskets. The value of the prizes offered may be ex¬ 
pected to insure a keen competition, and if that be the case an 
extremely attractive show will result. The horticultural appliances 
will include exhibits from a number of the most important firms, 
comprising greenhouses, conservatories, frames, borders, heating 
apparatus by water and gas, summer houses, garden seats, vases, 
rockeries, implements, fancy boxes, flower stands, dried grasses 
and flowers, artificial manures, and insecticides. The Manager is 
Mr. J. H. Raffety, the Hon. Sec. Mr. Shirley Hibberd, and the 
Assistant Sec. Mr. W. A. Holmes. 
- Mr. Bardney writes “ The plant of LuculiA gratis- 
SIMA referred to on page 475 has about 320 trusses of flowers ; the 
number mentioned by your correspondent only alluded to those 
fully expanded when he saw them. This is merely stated that 
readers of the Journal who do not know this beautiful plant may 
form a correct idea of its free-flowering habit.” 
- An experienced cultivator writes as follows :—“ The best 
BED of hardy plants I have seen this season was a large one, 
the centre being composed of the two varieties of Pentstemons 
Eclipse and Mrs. Sutherland Walker, both being reddish shades 
of colour, and in habit branching and floriferous. These were 
planted about 3 feet apart each way, the ground beneath being 
covered with a carpeting of the dark purple Viola Alpha. A line 
of the yellow Viola Sovereign surrounded these, and another 
line of the dark-leaved Ajuga reptans divided this from the 
edging, which was a sloping band of Sedum glaucum rising from 
the grass of the lawn. So much depends on the way that these 
hardy flowers are treated that it may be advantageous to make 
a note of this. In the first place, both Pentstemons and Violas 
require very liberal culture. Both require to be strong plants 
when placed out. The Pentstemons were struck in the summer 
of 1881, not in the autumn as is generally the case. The Violas 
were merely old plants divided and planted early in spring. The 
results were that by the beginning of May the Violas were flower¬ 
ing freely and the bed a feature in the grounds. In June the 
Pentstemons were blooming, and continued with the Violas 
without break until the end of November. At their best not even 
the scarlet Pelargoniums could rival the Pentstemons in bright¬ 
ness. The summer work merely consisted in placing a short 
stake to each plant of Pentstemon, and in cutting the seeding 
spikes of these and the seed capsules off the Violas. I have 
some late spring-struck Pentstemons of 1882 potted for bed¬ 
ding purposes next season. These do very well, and come into 
flower even earlier than spring-struck plants of the preceding 
year.” 
- A correspondent writes “ There is at the present 
time a good display of Calanthes in one of the plant houses 
at Marston House, Frome. They are disposed in a bank of 
such Ferns as Davallia Mooreana, Adiantums Farleyense and 
cuneatum, and Lycopods, and are remarkably effective. The 
varieties include the drooping C. vestita and C. vestita lutea, and 
apparently three distinct forms of C. Veitchii. Of the latter the 
dark red form is decidedly the most valuable. The others are 
much lighter, one being tall and arching, and the other more erect, 
