JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
' 
June 7,1883. J 
475 
any flowers in the past winter. Doubtless the work had been under¬ 
taken too late in spring. However, a liberal surfacing of manure 
has effected wonders in the appearance of the plants, which are 
now making strong foliage, and will no doubt repay us with an 
earlier bloom in the coming winter. We cover the beds with frame- 
sashes. They are also better for protection from frost, which is 
apt to injure the petals, rendering the flowers worthless. A mulch¬ 
ing of manure at the present time will prove of benefit to plants by 
carrying them through dry weather in safety, and in enabling them 
to throw a stronger bloom.—B. 
THE RELIANCE ROTARY VALVE. 
Notwithstanding the changes that have been wrought and 
the improvements effected in valves for regulating the flow of 
water in horticultural heating apparatuses during the past few 
years, the appliance under notice, patented by the Thames Bank 
Iron Company, is distinct from them all. It is introduced with 
the following description and modest statement of claim :—“ The 
Patent Reliance Rotary Valve is exceedingly simple in construc¬ 
tion, and very carefully fitted. All the moving parts are of the 
best gun metal, and will not set fast or get out of order. The 
handle, being the indicator, one half turn either way opens or 
closes the valve, and it cannot be strained or iniured ov over¬ 
turning. 
“ It will be seen by the illustrations that this patent as applied 
Fig. 106. 
Three-way n valve. 
to H and T pipes dispenses with the necessity for the ordinary 
complicated three valves with their three handles, which are often 
turned the wrong way and thus put out of order, the one handle 
having control over the three water ways of the valve.” 
An examination of this appliance will, we think, afford satis¬ 
factory evidence that it is all that it is represented. It works 
with the greatest ease and smoothness, whilst the circulation in 
the dual or triple water ways is governed by one handle ; and it 
is not material which way it is turned—the position of the handle 
as pointing in the direction of the pipes or the reverse indicating 
at a glance whether the pipes are open or closed. So far from 
thi- new valve being complex in arrangement, it is exceedingly 
simple ; indeed, if simplicity of mechanism is an index of effi¬ 
ciency, as it not unfrequently is, and also of durability, the valve 
in question will quite merit the honour it won at the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s Implement Show, at South Kensington, of a 
special certificate of merit. 
We have not seen this valve in actual work, but are authorita¬ 
tively informed that it was not until it had been fully tested and 
found satisfactory that its manufacture was proceeded with. The 
character of the firm, however, is such as to render an assurance 
of that kind superfluous ; and the valve is submitted to the public, 
not as an elaborate scientific novelty, but as an article of practical 
usefulness. 
AURICULAS AT NORWOOD GREEN AND THE 
MANCHESTER SHOW. 
Having a great admiration for the Auricula, I have been fortu¬ 
nate enough to obtain a situation where I could gratify an ambition, 
long fostered, of forming a collection. I have taken full advantage 
of this, having in one year become the happy possessor of nearly 
a hundred plants, including many of the best varieties in commerce. 
A desire began to arise to see the Auricula at home in the north 
of England; and having some business acquaintance with Mr. 
George Rudd of Carnation and Picotee repute I wrote him, and 
received an invitation to visit Miss Woodhead’s collection, which 
I at once accepted. In due time I arrived at Undercliffe, and I 
was soon deep in Auricula lore with Mr. Rudd, who kindly rehearsed 
his successes and failures as an Auricula grower, thereby giving 
me some very useful hints. In raising seedlings Mr. Rudd has 
been most successful, with the late Mr. Woodhead. He does not 
believe in saving seed at random, all being carefully and scientifi¬ 
cally hybridised, and that, too, only of flowers possessed of the 
very highest merit. Bright tubes being a desideratum at Norwood 
Green, any variety possessing this quality is eagerly sought for, 
the result being that most of the Auriculas raised from this col¬ 
lection have very fine bright tubes. 
On arriving at Norwood Green, the residence of Miss Woodhead 
—who, on the death of her brother twelve months ago, removed 
from Shibden Head to this place, and where, let us trust, the 
Auricula will do as well as it did at Shibden Head—I was very 
kindly received; and after a few preliminary remarks Mr. Rudd 
led the way into house No. 1, which contains all the best varieties. 
Arranged along each side of a neatly constructed span-roofed house 
were between three and four thousand plants all in full bloom, 
some perhaps a little past their best. All the plants w r ere in 
vigorous health, notwithstanding the check they received last 
summer in being shifted to them new quarters, and thereby delay¬ 
ing the potting season beyond the usual time. In this collection 
all the foremost varieties are well represented; George Lightbody, 
Alex. Meiklejohn, John Waterston, Acme, Beauty, Smiling Beauty, 
Colonel Taylor, Pizarro, and others being represented by nearly 
forty plants each. One or two varieties of recent introduction 
which I specially noted were Acme (Read), a grand white edge of 
good proportions, very smooth and flat and a most robust grower. 
John Simonite (Walker), another splendid white edge, but in my 
opinion it is inferior to Acme. It does not seem to have the same 
substance or finish as that fine sort; still it is a most desirable 
variety. Surpassing all that I have seen either at Norwood Green 
or anywhere else w r as the grand new white edge raised by the late 
Mr. Woodhead—Mrs. Dodwell. It is the most perfect flower I 
ever saw. It gained first honours in the class for seedling white 
edges, also a first class certificate at the National Auricula Society’s 
Show, South Kensington, last year. Another fine white edge 
which was not open while I was there was Miss Woodhead, stated 
by Mr. Rudd to be better than Mrs. Dodwell, but I feel rather 
doubtful if such were possible. Among grey edges were George 
Rudd, a finely proportioned flower, and Charles Tinner, a flower in 
every way deserving the name, both of them raised by Mr. Wood- 
head. Among older sorts of special merit Alex. Meiklejohn (Kay) 
stands very high, but its tube is scarcely smooth enough, otherwise 
it would be hard to surpass. Some very fine examples of it were 
in flower at Norwood Green. Prince of Green Edges is the finest 
colour in its class, and it is a great pity that we cannot say first- 
rate all round ; but when we come to the tube we have to pause 
and admit that the weakness in this most essential point renders 
this fine flower ineffective. George Lightbody was in splendid 
condition, the flowers being large and flat. Avery effective variety 
is Maria (Chapman), a grey edge with a very bright violet body 
colour, wbich contrasted well with its dark-bodied sisters around. 
We next entered a house which is like the first one save in the 
contents, which consists mostly of seedlings, one side of the house 
being occupied with proved seedlings, the other side containing 
seedlings blooming for the first time. On the former side were 
some real gems. A few select flowers were named dining my visit, 
but I will leave it for Mr. Rudd’s more practised pen to report 
upon them merits. Suffice it for me to say that they were all 
really fine acquisitions. Some very good blooms were showing 
on tbe other side, but time will be required to prove their worth. 
Some very good Alpines are grown, but for fear of their pollen 
getting diffused among their queenly relatives they are kept sepa¬ 
rate, and when I saw them they were blooming profusely in the 
greenhouse, and they were by no means ineffective arranged among 
other plants, their delicious fragrance giving them an additional 
charm. Such are a few notes on the Norwood Green collection 
of Auriculas, my visit to which will always be a happy memory. 
I returned to Undercliffe, there to wait for that great event to 
the northern Auricula grower, the Manchester Show. On Tuesday 
morning we started for Manchester, taking up Mr. Poklman on 
the way with his valuable collection of plants, which made their 
mark so well at two consecutive shows, Newcastle being the other 
one. The scene in the hall where the Exhibition was beld was a 
most lively one. Arranged along one side of the hall were the 
exhibitors busy getting their plants into competition form and 
reckoning up their chances of success. My notes were taken 
previous to the Judges awarding the prizes, as I had only a short 
time to spend in looking over the successful collections before 
leaving for home. The di-play to me was extremely imposing, the 
best of nearly two dozen collections being represented. One could 
