248 
■JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 18,1890J 
and the soil seems to be well adapted to that purpose, being moderately 
heavy and of a reddish yellow colour, resembling very much in appear¬ 
ance the soil in which Mr. G-. Bunyard grows his Kentish fruit trees so 
well. Large breadths of the most popular kinds of Apples, Pears, 
Peaches, &c., were represented by sturdy young trees with well balanced 
heads. Whenever a portion of the nursery is cleared of trees Potatoes 
are grown upon it for one season, and when the land is prepared for 
this crop a dressing of lime is given, which proves highly beneficial to 
the fruit trees which follow the Potato crop. 
Carnations and Picotees are largely grown. The majority of them 
were past their best at the time of my visit, a notable exception, 
however, being a fine yellow variety named Germanica, which was 
raised here, and from a packet of seed sown every plant came true, both 
in form and colour, and as I saw them in full beauty they were a 
remarkably fine batch. I also noticed in close proximity to the Carna¬ 
tions a nice batch of that useful early flowering Chrysanthemum 
Madame Desgrange, which were beginning to open their flower buds, 
and which are highly valued for cutting purposes. Japanese Maples 
have for some years been a speciality of this firm, and judging from the 
rare beauty of the numerous varieties grown here they are destined to 
become exceedingly popular plants, and are worthy of a place in 
greenhouses and conservatoiies as well as in the open air, for they are 
as remarkable for the light and graceful habit of their growth as for the 
beautiful tints of their leaves. Dahlias of all sections are well grown, 
and though not yet in full beauty give promise of some remarkably fine 
blooms. Such fine new varieties as Amphion and Panthea were included 
among the Cactus section. 
The houses were filled with a general collection of such plants as 
are found most useful for supplying local wants, there being a great 
demand for cut blooms and small plants. I was much struck with the 
white form of Agapanthus umbellatus, which is here well grown, as 
were also fine batches of Lilium auratum and Lilium rubrum. A light 
span-roofed structure was entirely filled with a very showy collection of 
Tuberous Begonias, double and single forms being represented by 
flowers of a, very superior type, good in form and substance, and ex¬ 
tremely bright in colour, the scarlets and yellows being particularly 
good. Mr. Robert Veitch is especially interested in his Begonias, 
because they have been brought to their present state of perfection by 
the gradual improvement made in each generation of their own 
seedlings. I must not forget to mention the plants of Coelogyne 
cristata and Lemoineana, which were thriving wonderfully well, 
without anj r special attention being given them.— Kentish Man. 
Events of the Week,— The chief horticultural event of the 
approaching week will be the Grape and Dahlia Conference in the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens at Chiswick on Tuesday and 
Wednesday next, September 23rd and 24th. We may again call our 
readers’ attention to the arrangements made for the gathering, which 
are as follows . Collections of Grapes are to be arranged in groups. 
A—Sweetwater Grapes, including Chasselas and Muscadines : (1) Black 
or purple berried varieties ; (2) White, green, or golden berried varieties. 
B Muscat and Frontignan Grapes: (1) Black or purple berried varieties; 
<2) White, green, or yellow berried varieties; (3) Frontignan. C - Vinous 
or late keeping Grapes : (1) Black or purple berried varieties ; (2) 
White or golden berried varieties. Classes are also provided for Grapes 
of very high flavour (any kind). American varieties : Grapes grown 
entirely in the open air ; Grapes grown under glrss without artificial 
heat ; foreign-grown Grapes ; pot Vines with fruit ; examples of 
packing G rapes for market, to be sent by rail; examples of packing 
Grapes, 4 lbs. to G lbs., for private use, to be sent by rail; examples of 
the enemies of the Grape Vine—diseases, injurious insects, &c. * Thus 
this programme is sufficiently comprehensive, and the Exhibition should 
attract a large number of visitors. The Dahlia Conference will be held 
on Tuesday, September 23rd. Mr. Harry Turner (President) in the 
■chair, and papers will be read by Mr. Shirley Hibberd, Mr T W 
■Girdlestone, and Mr. W. H. Williams. The Grape Conference will be 
’held on Wednesday, September 24th, Dr. Hogg (President) in the chair, 
and papers will be read by Mr. T. F. Rivers, Mr. R. D. Blackmore, Mr’ 
VV. Thomson, and Mr. W. Coleman. 
- The Guildhall (London) Fruit Show.— We are informed 
by the Fruiterers’ Company that this Show, which opens on October 
3tb, will be under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, with the 
Jollowing noblemen and gentlemen as Vice-Patrons :—The Right Hon. 
the Lord Mayor, the Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Westminster, the 
Duke of Newcastle, the Duchess of Grafton, the Marquis of Salisbury, 
the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, Earl Spencer, K.G., the Earl of Coventry* 
the Earl of Jersey, the Earl of Dartmouth, the Earl of Lathom, Lord 
Crewe, Lord Savile, Lord Egerton of Tatton, Lord Hothfield, Lord 
Wolverton, Lord Moreton, Viscount Emlyn, Sir Nigel Kingscote, K.C.B., 
the Right Hon. W. H. Smith, M.P., the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, 
M.P. ; E. H. Palmer, Esq., Master of the Mercers’ Company; J. S. C. 
Heywood, Esq., Master of the Drapers’ Company ; W. R. Shaw, Esq., 
Master of the Lethersellers’ Company ; Charles Whitehead, Esq., Walter 
Gilbey, Esq., Charles Howard, Esq. Gardeners and others who have 
not obtained schedules can procure them from 0. C. T. Eagleton, Esq., 
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C. It is desired that this exhibition be 
made known to cottagers and farmers who grow fruit in their gardens 
or orchards. 
- The Weather in the Metropolitan District Has con¬ 
tinued exceptionally fine during the whole of the past week, and very 
rarely have we experienced such a period of uninterrupted sunshine in 
September. The heat on several days has been like midsummer, the 
shade temperature standing at 56° at 6 A.M., and rising above 70° by 
mid-day. Communications from different districts show that this has 
been general, though there are now some indications of an approaching 
change. 
- Potatoes in Ireland.—I think I shall be able to prove that 
Mr. Wright and Mr. Castle are quite correct in presuming thick plant¬ 
ing of Potatoes to be the main cause of the disease, having such dire 
results in a wet season such as we are now passing through. When 
planted in “ lazy beds ” a foot from plant to plant each way is all the 
space allowed. Now when it is remembered that the bulk of Potatoes 
grown on “ lazy beds ” are Champions, it will be readily imagined what 
a dense mass of foliage cover the beds, rendering it impossible for either 
sun or wind to penetrate, and thus dry the ground and under portions 
of stems and foliage. We make it a practice to plant Ashleafs 2 feet 
apart from row to row, and a foot apart in the rows ; stronger growing 
kinds are allowed a foot more space both ways. This year, when every 
one around us is complaining of small, wet, and “black” diseased 
Potatoes, I am pleased to find when lifting ours that we have not had 
such good Potatoes for the last four years. They are larger than we 
have ever had them, free from disease, and quite dry when cooked. I 
attribute our good fortune to the thin planting, and thus giving root 
and branch abundant space for development. It is not that a good 
dressing of manure affected the improvement, for none was given. 
Manuring ground for Potatoes is a thing of the past as far as we are 
concerned, and we get heavier crops and of superior quality when we 
plant in unmanured ground. Seed of a red kidney Potato was given 
me a few years ago without a name, It is an enormous cropper, and to 
my taste a capital eating Potato. I enclose a few, and should be glad 
if you would test their cooking and eating qualities.— Handy Andy. 
■- Ware and District Horticultural Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society. —The monthly meeting of this Society was held on the 
9th ult., the Rev. A. E. Lofts presiding. The attendance was very satis¬ 
factory. A capital paper was read by Mr. H. Brown on Strawberries, a 
subject in which all the members appeared pretty well posted up. A 
lengthy discussion followed, in which several members joined, and a 
hearty vote of thanks was accorded the essayist for his paper. 
-I forward you a photograph of a new style of ornamental 
GARDENING which I am showing here in twenty of the best designs 
that I can procure. It is as much as possible to imitate carpet bedding, 
but worked by minerals in six distinct colours, broken up small to the 
substance of rather small gravel. The materials are dark blue glass, 
light blue ditto, sand, gravel, ochre, black brick, red and green glass. 
The ground is thoroughly prepared, so as to keep down the worms from 
doing damage, or heavy rains from splashing the material. This work is 
equally as good in winter as it is in summer, the weather having no 
effect on it. It can be either laid loose on the ground to the required 
design, or on a firm and durable foundation, and may be worked out in 
the most elaborate designs that decorative art can produce. I have 
it patented, as it ought to be of use on ground where it is difficult to get 
much show from plants or flowers.— Wm. Sherwood, 105, Seamer Road , 
Scarborough. [The coloured photograph shows an elaborate geometrical 
design in several tints. We have frequently seen similar beds in 
suburban gardens near London, but cannot say that they excite much 
admiration.] 
