G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 1, 1880. 
The foliage, however, seems distinct from my own variety. About 
one hundred varieties, including the best of the American and 
continental varieties, are on trial in the garden.—T. Laxton, 
Bedford. 
KINGSTON AND SURBITON HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY— June 23rd. 
The sixteenth annual Exhibition of this Society was held on 
Wednesday in last week at the Recreation Grounds, Surbiton. The 
Exhibition was a very fair one, and well maintained its position in 
comparison with former years. Perhaps in a few classes there 
was a slight falling-off, but the spirited competition in the other 
classes more than compensated for that. The schedule comprised of 
seventy-six classes, forty of which wet'" 1 open to nurserymen and pro¬ 
fessional gardeners, ten to amateurs not employing a gardener, and 
twenty to cottagers, while ten more were special classes, the prizes 
being offered by the Members for the county and residents in the 
neighbourhood. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. —In the class for nine flowering plants 
Mr. Hinnell, gardener to E. A. Davis, Esq., Anglesea House, Surbiton, 
exhibited a specially good collection ; and in the class for six Mr. 
Attrill, gardener to J. C. Freake, Esq., Bank Grove, Kingston ; Mr. 
Child, gardener to J. Gray, Esq., CJaygate ; and Mr. Croxford, gar¬ 
dener to Mrs. Dunnage, Allbury House, Surbiton, were placed in the 
order of their names, all showing well and evenly matched collections. 
There were several competitors in the class for a single specimen 
flowering plant, the prizes being offered by Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart. Mr. Hinnell taking the first prize for an excellent plant of 
Genetyllis tulipifera ; Mr. R. Watson, gardener to T. H. Bryant, Esq., 
second for a noble example of Anthurium Schertzerianum ; and Mr. 
Crafter, gardener to Rev. Mr. Finch, Kingston Hill, third for a well- 
bloomed Heath. 
Ornamental-foliage Plants. —Amongst the best of these were some 
most excellent examples of Caladiums exhibited by Messrs. Gregory, 
Child, and Luff, who were placed first, second, and third respectively 
for large robust plants some 4 feet through and well coloured, espe¬ 
cially the first-prize collection. Large Palms, &c., were staged by 
Messrs. Crafter and Attrill, who had the premier prizes. Table plants 
were represented by eight collections, the first prize falling to Mr. 
Gregory; the second to Mr. Beckett, gardener to J. P. Currie, Esq., 
Sandown House, Esher; and the third prize to Mr. Brand, gardener 
to W. Clay, Esq., Elm Villa, Kingston, the Hon. Secretary to the 
Society. All the collections were very good. Several collections of 
six distinct varieties of Coleus were exhibited, but with a few ex¬ 
ceptions they were only moderately well coloured. The special class 
for a group of decorative plants, flowering and foliage, arranged on 
the turf in the space of 100 square feet, brought six collections, all 
of very high order of merit. The prizes in this class were offered 
by the President, H. Harrison, Esq.—first prize, four guineas ; second 
prize, three guineas ; third prize, two guineas ; and fourth prize, one 
guinea. Mr. Beckett was deservedly awarded the first, Mr. R. Watson 
the second, Mr. Attrill third, and Mr. Luff the fourth ; and the 
Judges, to mark the superiority of the other collections, awarded 
extra prizes to the other two competitors, Messrs. Croxford and 
Buckland. The classes for Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Achimenes, Glox¬ 
inias, and Begonias were mostly well filled, the whole of which were 
in high order with the exception of the Fuchsias. Several collections 
of both exotic and British Ferns were staged ; Messrs. Hinnell, Crafter, 
Attrill, and J. Watson being the principal exhibitors. 
Cut flowers and table decorations were numerously exhibited, 
especially the latter. Mrs. Clay was the most successful competitor, 
obtaining the premier prize in the classes for three stands, single 
stand, and the best floral cross. A capital collection of twenty-four 
Roses came from Mr. Mace, Teddington, who received the first prize, 
while Mr. Moorman, gardener to Miss Christy, was placed second, 
and Mr. Luff third. There were several other collections, but scarcely 
any of the Roses had attained their usual condition. There was not 
a large display of fruit, but it was of excellent quality. Vegetables 
were numerous, and seldom have we seen finer contributions from 
cottagers so early in the season. 
The executive had the advantage of a very fine and cheerful day, 
which induced a large and fashionable company to patronise the 
Exhibition, and thus enabled the Society to pay all demands and to 
carry over a balance towards next year’s Exhibition. 
BULBS AND BEDDING. 
As my bulb or spring garden must be turned into a bedding 
garden with as little delay as possible, and as I do most of the 
work myself with the help of a young gardener who has his vege¬ 
tables, Vines, and greenhouse plants also to attend, perhaps my 
experience may be of use to other lady gardeners in the same 
predicament. This favourite bedding garden consists of four 
scrolls, or S’s cut in a long belt of grass, with round or pin¬ 
cushion beds between. In these round beds (there are twelve 
of them) are dwarf standard Roses, with the centre shoot upright 
and the side shoots pegged down over the bed. These beds are 
bordered in spring with Scillas and Crocuses. The scroll beds 
are about 2—4 feet wide and 48 feet long. Two of them I have 
made the last two winters into what I call bouquet beds, and 
the effect has been so good that I think in similar beds it might 
be adopted. I filled them with clumps of Tulips, ten in each 
clump or cluster, with a space of 18 inches apart,.' The Tulips in 
one bed were white (La Candeur) and scarlet (Rex Rubrorum), 
and there was a narrow edging of Golden Feather. The other 
bouquet bed was similar, except that it had yellow in it, each 
third clump being that magnificent double yellow Tulip called 
Yellow Rose. Some people thought the white and scarlet had 
the best effect, others admired the mixture of gorgeous gold. In 
each way the effect was pleasing, and the interval of brown earth 
between each bouquet gave additional brilliancy to the colours. 
Of the other two beds, one I filled with Tulips of every shade of 
pink, crimson, and deepest red, using principally (as I happened 
to have them) Cardinal, Gris de Lin, White Swan, Rose Gris de 
Lin, Proserpine, Purple Crown, Roi Cramoisie, Rembrandt, See. 
No yellow was allowed to appear in this bed. The fourth was 
mixed Tulips, every colour, with a good sprinkling of Chrysolora. 
This bed had an edging of Beet, the dark crimson purple of which 
helped to bring out and harmonise with the gay colours of the 
Tulips. 
These beds kept the grass garden a brilliant patch of colour 
from early in March (I had plenty of Van Thols in the green¬ 
house) until quite the end of May, when my real labour began. 
I took up each Tulip (the flower stems having been first cut off) 
with as large a ball of earth as I could take with it, and then 
moved them all as carefully as possible to some shallow trenches 
I had made for them in the kitchen garden ; there I left them 
covered over with a sprinkling of earth until a few days ago, 
when I found that, thanks to the dry sunny weather we have 
had, the foliage was all withered and the bulbs quite ripe—fine, 
large, heavy and healthy they are—my sole trouble being that I 
have too many of them, and shall certainly not have space for 
more than half of them next year. 
As soon as the bulbs were removed the gardener dug the beds 
over, adding a little fresh soil. As they were well manured before 
the bulbs are planted there is no necessity for adding any more 
now ; the earth is merely turned up roughly a few days, and then 
settled for the bedding plants. In one scroll I have Vesuvius Pelar¬ 
gonium with Pyrethrum border; the next is Beet with a border 
of Lobelias. Then comes Victoria or Bouquet Aster, with border 
of Golden Arabis, and then again Beet with Stachys border. The 
beds already look quite furnished, the Vesuvius plants being so 
healthy and full of buds that already the scroll is a brilliant 
scarlet ribbon. The Asters, however, will not be in for some 
time. By so managing there is really not more than ten days or 
a fortnight of unsightly bare beds ; and as I do the greater part 
of it myself, with a little weeding boy to carry the bulbs, Sec., not 
liking to take the gardener from more important work, I think 
it might encourage those who, like myself, have not an army of 
gardeners under command, to have a spring as well as a summer 
garden. 
I prefer Tulips because they are more easily managed than 
Hyacinths, and, unlike Hyacinths, they do not deteriorate but 
increase and really improve. I have always a few Hyacinths, 
principally those that have done duty in pots the previous year, 
but they are in another part of the garden, for I think the gayer 
colours of the Tulips overpower the more tender and delicate hues 
of their less flaunting cousins.—B. 
LEE AND BLACKHEATH HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
June 23rd and 24th. 
The annual Exhibition of this vigorous and successful Society was 
held on the above date in its usual position—namely, a large field, the 
property of Mrs. Penn, The Cedars, Lee. The exhibits were very 
numerous, occupying two large tents and two of smaller size, the 
quality being generally much above the average, and the arrangement 
most tasteful and effective. The competition was keen in most of the 
principal classes, the result being a highly satisfactory display. The 
Secretary, Mr. C. Helmer, is deserving of much credit for the efficient 
manner in which the whole Exhibition was conducted, and we regret 
that our space will only admit a brief record of the winners in the 
several classes. 
Stove and greenhouse plants were fresh and generally well flowered. 
Mr. J. Smith, gardener, Eagle House, Eltham, obtaining the chief 
prize with eight specimens, including a neatly trained Bougainvillea 
glabra. Mr. Jeffery, gardener to J. Young, Esq., Blackheath Park, 
occupied a similar position with four plants. The collections of 
twenty-four plants were excellent, Mr. Reeves, Lee ; Mr. Beck, gar¬ 
dener to J. H. Young, Esq., Old Road, Lee ; Mr. Steward, Blackheath ; 
and Mr. Smith, all exhibiting handsome well-grown specimens. 
Pelargoniums formed a fine display in one of the tents. The prin¬ 
cipal exhibitors were Mr. Martin, Mr. Beck, and Mr. Jeffery, who 
