February 22, 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 157 
of Horticulture from various parts of the country, and thinking it 
might be interesting for sake of comparison, I send you the rain¬ 
fall measured here for the past year, 1882. January, 4-32 inches ; 
February, 7’23 inches ; March, 5-44 inches ; April, 3 79 inches ; 
May, 1-68 inch; June, 3 25 inches; July, 8 09 inches; August, 
3 79 inches ; September, 4-57 inches ; October, 5'9G inches ; 
November, 7-99 inches ; December, 4-80 inches ; total, 60 91 
inches. The greatest rainfall in twenty-four hours was l - 64 inch 
on the 1st September.’ ♦ 
- The schedule of the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
arrangements for 1883 is now issued, and gives full particulars 
of the exhibitions to be held during the approaching season. 
Promenade Shows will be held on March 27th, April 10th, and 
May 8th. At the first two medals will be awarded for groups of 
bulbs and miscellaneous forced plants, and at the latter for groups 
of Orchids. The National Auricula Society’s Southern Show will 
take place on April 24tb, when the usual prizes will be competed 
for. The Summer Show will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 
May 22nd and 23rd, when, in addition to thirty-two classes for 
plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables, in which valuable prizes are 
offered, twenty classes are also provided for implements and 
garden structures, silver and bronze medals being offered in each 
class. In the Orchid classes an important stipulation is appended 
—namely, that the judges will consider whether the plants are 
single specimens or made-up plants, and that any specimen con¬ 
taining more than one distinct variety will disqualify the collec¬ 
tion. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., also offers a special prize of 
£ 10 for the best collection of twelve exotic Orchids, distinct species 
and single plants. The Pelargonium Society’s Show will be held on 
June 26th, but the schedule has been previously noted in these 
pages. The National Rose Society’s Exhibition takes place on 
July 3rd, and the National Carnation and Picotee Society’s Show 
on July 24th, which will be referred to again at a later date. 
- A NUMBER of SPECIAL prizes will also be offered at the 
shows and meetings of the above Society, comprising the follow¬ 
ing :—March 27th, for seedling and named Amaryllises by a 
Fellow of the Society, and by Messrs. Sutton &c Sons for seed¬ 
ling Cinerarias. May 22nd, the Veitch Memorial prizes for 
specimen plants and Grapes ; for Calceolarias and Cucumbers by 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons ; and for Blenheim Orange and Emerald 
Melons by Messrs. Carter & Co. June 26th, for Tuberoses 
Begonias, Gloxinias, Peas, Lettuces, and Endive by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, and for a collection of vegetables by Messrs. 
Webb & Sons. July 3rd, for a collection of vegetables by 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, for new Peas by Messrs. Carter & Co., 
for a collection of Roses raised at or introduced from Waltham 
Cross by Messrs. W. Paul & Sons, and for examples of the best 
methods of packing fruits for market by Messrs. Webber & Co. 
July 24th, for six; dishes of Tomatoes by Messrs. Carter & Co., 
and for Cabbages and Potatoes by Messrs. Sutton & Sons. 
December 11th, for new Onions and a collection of vegetables by 
Messrs. Carter & Co. 
HYBRIDS OF GLADIOLUS GANDAVENSIS. 
Circumstances have prevented my referring earlier to the 
interesting garden notes of your correspondent “ D., Deal," on 
this subject a short time since. As I am thus late I shall confine 
myself to one point alone. But first I must express my regret 
that such an experienced grower as “ D., Deal," should, even in 
a qualified manner, consider success and the perpetuation of the 
corms almost if not wholly unattainable. No doubt there are 
difficulties to be met and care is necessary, maturation and winter 
storing being too frequently neglected ; but those have often 
been stated in your columns. At present, as your correspondent 
referred to the losses of Mr. Banks within his vicinity—as many 
as fifty thousand ’tis said—I want to know (if there is no objec¬ 
tion to answer the question!, Is it not a fact that that gentleman 
left his choice hybrids of Gladiolus gandavensis out during the 
winter ? I hold a letter in my hand to this effect from a 
gentleman who should know, in the south of England ; and can 
only say, if the question must be answered in the affirmative, 
those who through the horticultural press for months past have 
made this the text for decrying the growing of Gladioli in future, 
should have stated this important fact if it was known to them. I 
am only referring now to your excellent correspondent “ D., Deal," 
because of his having lived in the locality of Sholden.—W. J. M., 
Clonmel. 
COLLECTIONS OF SEEDS. 
We would at once assure your correspondent “ C. T. H.” 
(page 109) that we had no desire or intention to misquote his 
remarks. We see, however, the writer of the letter has inad¬ 
vertently altered somewhat the sense of the latter portion of the 
paragraph. We would also thank your correspondent for the 
suggestion as to the numbers of varieties there should be of such 
a leading article as Peas. The position of “ C. T. H.” is evidently 
an exceptional one, because he admits that as a rule “ enough 
Beans of all sorts are annually saved here for seed, as well as 
Onions, Parsnips, Melons, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Marrows; 
Spinach he does not care about.” We can therefore quite under¬ 
stand there would be no economy in his purchasing a guinea box 
of seeds ; but with ninety-nine other purchasers, even in a favour¬ 
able season, the trouble and expense of properly harvesting the 
most desirable selection from each variety of crop would soon 
tire them of the operation when they remembered what a liberal 
assortment of seeds of a quality everyone admits to be good could 
be obtained for the sum of one guinea. 
If any definite suggestions of a practical character can be 
obtained with regard to improving the composition of our boxes 
of seeds, as we have said before, we shall be glad to consider 
them. At the same time the fact still remains, that where one 
desires an alteration in the construction, a hundred purchase them 
in their integrity. We are afraid also that our intention in regard 
to these boxes of seeds is misunderstood. These collections were 
never intended to supply a want of the professional gardener, 
but they are calculated to meet a great want felt by thousands 
of amateurs and moderately experienced gardeners who are 
positively unacquainted with the varieties of seeds, and to whom 
these boxes, admitted, as they are, to contain in every instance 
varieties of standard excellence, must come as a great boon—as 
enabling them to obtain a knowledge of varieties that they could 
not otherwise obtain. 
We are afraid the remarks of your correspondent with regard 
to early orders and “ own selections ” read better than the 
suggestions would operate in practice, and for this reason. All 
seed-growers know that in every harvest they get larger crop 
returns of some sorts and varieties than others. Thus where the 
selection is left to the seedsman what would he do ? He would 
make up the assortment from those varieties which most abounded. 
The remarks of your correspondent relative to the quality of 
our goods are very gratifying, and we can only say if he will 
sketch his ideas of what he considers would make a guinea box 
that would meet with more general approval, and forward the 
same to us, we will give it our most earnest attention. 
In conclusion, we repeat that although the demand for these 
boxes increases greatly every year, it is surprising they are not 
purchased by “ every amateur.”— James Carter & Co. 
NORTH WARDS—DRUMLAN RIG. 
When at the Edinburgh Show in September I found that some 
of the visitors from England had called at Drumlanrig on their 
way to'the Exhibition ; others, and perhaps the majority, paid a 
passing visit to Mr. Thomson on their journey home. Amongst 
those who had spent a few hours there before reaching the Show 
was the head of one of the finest gardening establishments in 
Britain, and one of the most skilful cultivators of the day. The 
result of his visit was an attack of Pines—Pines on the brain. 
“ Have you been to Drumlanrig ? ” asked my afflicted friend. 
“ No,” was the response. “ Are you going, then ? ” was the next 
question, and without giving time for an answer observed, not in 
the most gentle of tones, “ if you don’t go you will deserve thrash¬ 
ing ; you never saw such a house of Pines in your life as you can 
see there. I have been thinking and dreaming about them ever 
since. The Black Hamburghs are grand, but the Pines are mag¬ 
nificent.” “ Oh, if you want to see Grapes,” remarked another 
fine representative of the craft, “ you must go to Clovenfords.” 
Expressing a fear that that was out of my route, he very quickly 
retorted, “ Ob, you daren’t go ; you have been to Longleat and 
said there are no such Vines in the Queen’s dominions, but I tell 
