JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Jane 7, 1883. ] 
formers, used to preach under it, and the tree, though evidently 
very old, is still in vigorous health. 
- The same writer observes :—In the kitchen garden at 
Oxenford finely hearted examples of McEwen’s Early Cabbage 
were being cut last week. Alongside was Aitkins’ Matchless and 
Early York, but these, though quite large, showed no sign of 
hearting. 
-In the flower gardens the borders are exceedingly gay with 
many different varieties of Aubrietia. A neater, more telling 
plant of the same shade of purplish blue does not exist at 
any season. It is a great favourite in the north, and is really 
indispensable. Associated with a dense-flowering yellow Poly¬ 
anthus and the charming Arabis albida it is very effective, 
A bed edged with the Golden Sedum is charming. It often 
thrives where Myosotis dissitiflora fails, but “ both are best,” 
as they are very distinct and good. 
- Oxenford is noted for good Grapes. At the end of May 
those in the earliest house were just beginning to colour. Later 
houses were looking very well, but it is too early to judge of the 
quality as yet. 
- The twenty-third annual Exhibition of Chrysanthemums 
at Birmingham will be held in the Town Hall on Wednesday 
and Thursday, November 21st and 22nd, when, in addition to the 
numerous prizes offered by the Society, special prizes will be 
offered by Mr. Hans Niemand, Edgbaston ; Mr. Thomas B. Thom¬ 
son ; Messrs. Smith tc Co., Worcester ; and Mr. J. Tomkins, 
Spark Hill; the first-named for a bank of untrained Chrysan¬ 
themums, and the three latter for Primulas. 
- Referring to the Nightingale, “ D., Deal," writes :— 
“ Our experience here (East Kent) is quite different from that of 
your correspondent at Biggleswade. I have never heard them in 
greater force ; and now, on June 4th, they sing most delight¬ 
fully. The nights have for some time been so fine that we have 
been enabled thoroughly to enjoy them.” 
- At the recent sale of the Brentham Park Orchids at 
Mr. Stevens’ rooms, the total amount realised on the three days 
was £2100, some of the principal prices being as follows :— 
Cattleya labiata, true autumn-flowering variety, 30 guineas 
Lselia grandis, 31 guineas ; Odontoglossum blandum, 20 guineas ; 
Cattleya Trianse alba, 75 guineas ; Oncidium ornithorhynchum 
album, 28 guineas ; Lcelia anceps Dawsoni, 45 guineas ; Coelogyne 
Massangeana, 40 guineas; Aerides Schroderi, 21 guineas ; Cat¬ 
tleya Skinneri alba, 38 guineas; Cattleya exoniensis, 110 guineas ; 
Cattleya labiata Warneri, 18 guineas; Lselia anceps alba, with 
twenty-four pseudo-bulbs and six breaks, 41 guineas ; Odonto¬ 
glossum ooronarium, 14 guineas ; Cattleya elegans alba, 
24 guineas ; Odontoglossum nevadense, 10 guineas ; and Yanda 
tricolor formosa, 10 guineas. All these were plants of consider¬ 
able size, and several were the finest of their kind in the country. 
- The Thirty-ninth Diss Horticultural Exhibition 
will be held at Hall Hills, Tuesday, June 26th, prizes being offered 
in fifty-nine classes for amateurs and gardeners, and twenty-two 
for cottagers. Roses are a special feature, nine classes being 
devoted to them, the prizes varying from £4 to 5s. 
- “ P. M. M.” writing respecting the cool Orchids at 
Tranby Croft, Yorkshire, observes:—“ Many fine plants have 
been flowering this season, particularly striking being a magnifi¬ 
cent variety of Odontoglossum gloriosum, with flowers of great 
size and substance; O. cirrhosum; O. Rossii majus, splendid 
variety; O. Pescatorei, a variety with flowers of pure dazzling 
white; Saccolabium guttatum giganteum; Masdevallia Veitchii, 
most beautifully shaded; and a magnificent variety of Sophro- 
nitis grandiflora—the flowers, of intense carmine, are 3 inches 
TV 
469 
across. Pleione humilis is one of the most useful cool-house 
Orchids ; the specimen there has been in flower for nearly three 
months. The number of plants used for house decoration is 
enormous, Palms, huge Tree Ferns, and banks of Poinsettias 
embedded in Maidenhair being grouped in the magnificent recep¬ 
tion rooms of the mansion, and reflected in the immense mirrors, 
forming a scene which suggests a glimpse of Fairyland.” , .oWj 
- The handsome’plants of Hydrangea hortensis that are 
sent to Covent Garden Market have been frequently noticed, and 
now Hydrangea paniculata is becoming similarly popular in 
pots. Its attractiveness out of doors is comparatively well known, 
and thejutility of plants in 32-sized pots bearing six to eight large 
trusses of,white flowers can be readily imagined. Such are now 
common in the market, and their value for decorative purposes 
cannot be over-estimated. With regard to the old Hydrangea, it is 
surprising how few seem to grow it now with blue flowers. Pink, 
deep rose, and white are common, but the blue, which is certainly 
one of the most attractive, is rarely seen except in gardens where 
these Hydrangeas are prized. 
- The Leeds Floral and Horticultural Exhibition 
will take place on June 19tb, 20th, and 21st, in the Horticultural 
Gardens of that town. It has been organised by the Committee 
of the above gardens, and they have obtained the co-operation of 
the principal exhibitors of Leeds and neighbouring towns. Over 
£200 prize money has been guaranteed, and will be paid over in 
full to the prizewinners. Sixty-three classes are enumerated for 
plants, flowers, vegetables, and fruits, the prizes in the chief plant 
classes ranging from £12 to 30 j. It is to be hoped that the wea¬ 
ther will prove more favourable than it has done at exhibitions 
within the past few years, and that the financial results may be 
more satisfactory. Schedules may be tad from Mr. G. Bush, the 
Secretary. 
-A correspondent directs our attention to a note in the 
Cottage Gardener in 1856 on Gold Fish Dying, and which he 
thinks will meet the case of Mr. G. Duffield, who seeks^information 
on a case which he describes on page 450. The paragraph in ques¬ 
tion, written by Mr. Shirley Hibberd in answer to an inquiry, is as 
follows;—“Your correspondent should at once remove his fish 
and clear out the pond, and when he examines the bottom he 
will most probably find a number of water-beetles, or the larva of 
beetles or dragon-flies. These have probably got into the pond, 
and caused the havoc he complains of. Dytiscus marginalis and 
dimidiatus are ravenous aquatic beetles, very common in still, 
rank waters ; and, as they occasionally take wing in the summer, 
they may have taken up their quarters in the midst of the gold 
fish, into which they would bore holes in abundance, for they feed 
upon their prey without previously killing it. If the pond is not 
at once cleared the enemy may escape detection ; for many 
aquatic insects and their larva pass the winter in a state of 
torpidity, ensconced in muddy banks. Perhaps he may remember 
to have seen a few buzzing beetles about his pond during the past 
summer; and he may now, perhaps, if he looks attentively, see 
them rise occasionally to take air on the surface.” 
- On Monday last a Sale of Orchids was held at Mr. 
J. C. Stevens’ Rooms, King Street, Covent Garden, the whole pro¬ 
ceeds, free of all expenses, to be given to the widows of the late 
Mr. Spyers and Mr. Freeman, the plants both established and 
imported having been, we believe, chiefly contributed by Messrs. 
Sander of St. Albans. For such a benevolent object as this it 
might have been expected there would be a good competition, but 
such does not appear to have been the case, for at onetime during 
the afternoon we were greatly surprised to see only four persons 
present, and in consequence the plants did not realise very 
high prices. 
