44 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 35, 1880. 
bright red, corolla dark purple, stamens protruding and bear¬ 
ing bright blue anthers, and very floriferous—very fine ; 
Clerodendron fallax, a grand old plant with large bright red 
heads of bloom, less seen than its merits deserve ; Licuala 
horrida, a Palm with windmill sail-like leaves, very distinct, and 
would make a fine table plant when in a small state. Ery- 
thrina marmorata may be mentioned as suitable for table 
decoration in a small state and decorative purposes generally, 
being effectively blotched and spotted with white. Phyllo- 
tsenium Lindeni, an Arad with white variegation; fine for 
decoration. Dioscorea melanoleuca, a liandsome-foliaged 
climber, as silvery as possible, contrasting well with Cissus 
discolor. Stove Aquatics .—Victoria regia with leaves only, 
apparently very healthy ; Limnocharis Humboldti, with float¬ 
ing leaves and star-like yellow flowers ; Nymphsea cserulea, 
with fine azure blue flowers ; the curious and very pretty 
floating Azolla pinnata ; Herpestis reflexa, with foliage as 
finely divided as Asparagus ; the singular Pistia stratioides, 
and Eichornia azurea, a trailing aquatic.—G. Abbey. 
THINNING GRAPES. 
A few remarks on this tedious but very important operation, 
which is now necessary with unforced Grapes, may be of service 
to the inexperienced. Unless thinned the berries are usually 
much too crowded to attain a good size, and the sooner it is done 
after the berries are nearly as large as peas the better. The long- 
pointed Grape scissors should be employed, and also a small clean 
stick, with which to turn and hold the bunches in a convenient 
position for thinning. As a rule the berries are arranged in 
triplets, the central berry being the largest. This only, in most 
instances, should be retained if large berries are desired ; the 
remainder, including all that have an inward tendency, should be 
removed, the aim being to keep the bunches as open as possible 
without actual looseness. Insufficient thinning is one of the 
primary causes of bad keeping. Bunches not required to hang 
any length of time, and which may be destined to be packed for 
travelling, however, should not be thinned too freely, as firm 
bunches travel much the best. Such close-blooming and free- 
setting varieties as Black Alicante, Lady Downe’s, and Foster’s 
Seedling especially require careful thinnings, as the footstalks 
are very stiff, and the berries remain exactly as originally dis¬ 
posed ; but the Black Hamburgh and Buckland Sweetwater, 
having longer and not such stiff footstalks, will yield consider¬ 
ably, and if thinned accordingly may be depended upon, as the 
berries swell to a certain extent, to fill up any irregularities there 
may be. The Muscat of Alexandria should not be thinned till it 
is seen whether they have really set, as those berries that are stone¬ 
less will not swell much beyond the size of peas, and should be 
taken out. Loose shoulders of any kind may either be shortened-in 
or neatly slung up with matting into a horizontal position. Employ 
clean scissors, and carefully guard against rubbing the retained 
berries, or a blemish will be the consequence.— W. Iggulden. 
ROSES BOUQUET D’OR AND MADAME BERARD. 
These two Roses, the former of which is classed as a Noisette 
and the latter as a Tea, have more than one point of similarity, 
for in addition to a likeness in colour both are vigorous growers. 
Where most of the newly budded standard Teas and Noisettes 
(Gloire de Dijon being of course a notable exception) and many 
of the H.P.’s succumbed to the frosts of last winter, and even the 
old wood of some of the summer Roses perished, nearly the whole 
of the budded and cut-back plants of Bouquet d’Or and Madame 
Berard withstood a temperature below zero quite unprotected and 
even better than Gloire de Dijon. When more known I anticipate 
that the two former will be as largely grown as the latter is. Of 
the other Teas and Noisettes every bud of Cloth of Gold has dis¬ 
appeared, and a solitary standard of Marshal Niel only survived, 
although both were enveloped in pea haulm. All the old dwarfs 
of Mardchal Niel, too, are very much injured and the growth very 
weak. On the other hand, of those quite unprotected many buds 
of Souvenir d’un Ami have put forth, although late in doing so, 
and most of the old dwarfs are not materially inj ured. All the 
buds and the slightly protected dwarfs of Marie Yan Houtte are 
gone, but a few of La Boule d'Or, Madame Bravy, Alba Rosea, 
and Madame H. Jamain have survived. If raisers will take 
Bouquet d’Or, Madame Berard, and even Souvenir d’un Ami and 
Madame Bravy, in hand we may expect to get a race of Teas and 
Noisettes quite as hardy as the average of the H.P.’s. Do any of 
your readers know the parentage of Bouquet d'Or and Madame 
Berard? I suspect both have the blood of Gloire de Dijon in 
them.—T. Laxton, Bedford. 
ALEXANDRA PALACE ROSE SHOW. 
July 10th. 
LTHOUGH the 
weather during the 
week preceding this 
Show was of a stormy 
nature in many districts, 
yet we have to record a 
very fine and satisfactory 
Exhibition. The fixture 
as to date was fortunate, 
and in nearly all the 
classes the competition was 
keen, and with the exception of 
the Hereford Roses not being 
quite as large as at the “Na- 
the flowers were mostly of a 
the darker 
tional ” 
high degree of excellency 
varieties being especially rich in colour. 
Nurserymen .—Following the order of the schedule 
we have first to notice the great class for seventy-two 
varieties, distinct, single trusses, the premier position being 
awarded to Messrs. Cranston & Co., Hereford, whose collec¬ 
tion of flowers were mostly fresh and well finished. Messrs. Paul 
and Son, Cheshunt, were second with a fine selection of varieties, but 
the majority of their blooms though beautifully fresh and of good 
form were somewhat small. Messrs. Keynes & Co., Salisbury, occupied 
the third position, and Mr. G. W. Piper, Uckfield, the fourth. There 
were five competitors in this great class. 
For forty-eight triplets there was a very close competition between 
five exhibitors. Messrs. Paul & Son were placed first with a good 
collection, Messrs. Cranston & Co. running them very closely for 
second honours ; so close indeed were these two collections, that had 
the decision of the Judges been reversed no one could have com¬ 
plained. Mr. Turner, Slough, was third, and Messrs. Keynes & Co. 
fourth. In the class for twenty-four Roses, Hybrid Perpetuals only, 
three trusses of each, Mr. Turner was first with a fresh and bright 
collection, including Senateur Yaisse very good. Messrs. Cranston 
and Co. were second with particularly fine examples of Marie Baumann, 
Louis Yan Houtte, and Horace Vernet. Mr. G. W. Piper and Messrs. 
Paul and Son were third and fourth respectively with fair blooms. 
The competition was especially keen in the class for twenty-five 
Roses, single trusses, several admirable collections being exhibited. 
Messrs. Cranston & Co. occupied the premier position. Messrs. 
Turner, Slough, and Prince, Oxford, were so evenly matched that the 
Judges awarded them equal second prizes. Mr. E. P. Francis, Herts, 
was placed third, and Mr. John House, Peterborough, fourth, all 
exhibiting well. For twelve Tea and Noisette Roses Mr. Prince was 
well to the front with Elise Yardon, Devoniensis, Madame Margottin, 
Madame Berard, Alba Rosea, Caroline Kuster, Perle des Jardins, 
Souvenir d’un Ami, Innocente Pirola, Marie Yan Houtte, Anna 
Ollivier, and Unique. Messrs. Paul & Son were awarded the second 
honours, Messrs. Cranston & Co. third, and Messrs. Keynes & Co. the 
fourth. 
Amateurs .—For forty-eight varieties, single trusses, there w r ere only 
three competitors. Mr. T. Jowitt, The Old Weir Hereford, won the 
premier award with a highly meritorious collection, not large blooms, 
but very evenly matched, and comprising Marie Baumann, PranQois 
Michelon, Madame C. Wood, Comtesse de Sereyne, Charles Lefebvre, 
Hippolyte Jamain, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Marie Cointet, Abel Carriere, 
Dupuy Jamain, Jean Liabaud, Prince Arthur, Marie Finger, John 
Stuart Mill, Capitaine Christy, Maurice Bemardin,Duchesse de Caylus, 
Louise Wood, Emilie Hausburg. Dr. Du Chalus, La France, Marquise 
de Castellane, Baron Bonstetten, Baronne de Rothschild, Thomas Mills, 
Pitord, Duchesse de Yallombrosa, Marie Rady, Souvenir d’Auguste 
Riviere, Madame Lacharme, Duke of Wellington, Monsieur Noman, 
Alfred Colomb, Comtesse d’Oxford, Reynolds Hole, Beauty of Wal¬ 
tham, Elie Morel, Louis Van Houtte, Madame Hippolyte Jamain, Dr. 
Andry, Mdlle. Eugdnie Yerdier, Monsieur Boncenne, Victor Verdier, 
Madame Sophie Fropot, Maurice Bernardin, and Etienne Levet. Mr. 
T. Hollingworth, Maidstone, was a very good second, and Mr. J. 
Davies, Salisbury, third. The class for thirty-six varieties was better 
represented both in the number of the competitors and quality of the 
exhibits, Mr. T. Jowitt again occupying the premier position with a 
collection of fresh, even, and bright-coloured blooms. Mr. C. Davies t 
Banbury, was an excellent second ; Mr. J. Davies, Salisbury, third ■ 
