44 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 15, 1886. 
the dissolved bones or superphosphate. Half an ounce per galloD, or 1 lb. 
to 30 gallons of water, is a proper quantity to use as liquid manure. 
Night Soil. —Dried, pulverised, and mixed with an equal weight of 
charcoal an inoffensive fertiliser is obtained. A hundredweight per rod 
is suitable dressing. 
Violet Enemies. — Slugs .—These are very fond of the tender growths 
and flowers. Ground infested with the pests should have a dressing of 
nitrate of soda, 1 lb. to a rod, scattered evenly over the surface, and during 
mild weather in March or a little time before planting the Violets. Lime 
is also good, a bushel per rod applied fresh or newly slaked, and pointed 
in lightly. Half a peck of salt per rod a little prior to planting is also 
good against slugs and worms, and soot at a similar rate is a good slug 
assailant. During growth dus’ing with quicklime or dry soot in the 
evening or early morning are destructive of slugs. They may also be 
sought for after rain, in the evening after dark with a lantern, and 
destroyed. Worms are troublesome in moist weather, drawing the leaves 
of the plants into their holes, and sometimes drawing the plants out of 
the ground. They are readily disposed of hy using the same means as 
advised for slugs. Mice are very destructive of the seeds. They are best 
trapped. In the case of choice varieties the seed vessels should be 
enclosed in wire gauze net. Seed beds must be protected in a similar 
manner. 
Insects .—Red spider is the great enemy of Violets. It is a consequence 
of insufficient moisture in the soil and atmosphere, and not infrequently 
of poverty. Dustings with soot are good and useful as manure ; but the 
best remedy, or rather preventive, is abundant moisture at the roots and 
rich surface mulchings, accompanied by watering or syringing in dry 
weather. Attacks should be promptly met by syringing forcibly with a 
softsoap solution, 2 ozs. to the gallon, and as the pests assail the underside 
of the leaves it should be directed against those parts as much as possible. 
Plants in pots may be dipped in the soapy solution. The chief thing is 
to keep a sharp look out and assail it on its first appearance, for if once 
it obtains a footing it is difficult to eradicate. 
Aphides sometimes attack the plants. They may be destroyed by 
syringing with tobacco juice diluted with six times the quantity of water, 
or the soapy solutions may be used. Plants in frames or pots attacked by 
aphides should be fumigated with tobacco paper or rag on two or three 
consecutive calm evenings, having the foliage dry, and being careful to 
deliver the smoke cool. The smell will soon pass off, and the flowers a e 
not stained as they would be were tobacco water used. Thrips attack 
only in very dry weather, and are readily subdued by the same means 
as red spider. 
Mildew and Mould .— Mildew occasionally infests the foliage and 
destroys the centres of the plants, the leaves having a stunted skeleton- 
like appearance, little but the midrib remaining. It is a consequence 
of drought at the roots more than anything. The best remedy is to apply 
water and a mulching. It sometimes, however, appears in other circum¬ 
stances, and the best remedy is sulphur water. It is made by placing 
li lb. of sulphur vivum, and 1 lb. unslaked lime in 2 gallons of water, 
boiling half an hour ; let it stand until cold, then bottle the clear liquid. 
A wineglassful to 3 gallons of water syringed over the plants so as to 
thoroughly wet them, will prove ifficacious. Dry sulphur is innocuous. 
The mildew is fortunately of rare occurrence, never appearing on well-fed 
plants. 
Mould .— This is a consequence of damp — a close, moist, vitiated 
atmosphere. The only real remedy is plenty of air, and allowing the 
plants room so that it can have free access. Overcrowding is a great 
cause of mould, and equally pernicious is keeping them close. Air is 
most important in arresting damp. Remove all decayed leaves and 
blooms, and every trace of mould, and dust with charcoal. An occasional 
sprinkling between the plants will do much to prevent and arrest damp. 
ARRANGING Violets. —Flowers are unquestionably best displayed 
with their own foliage. A few blooms tastily put together, three to five, 
and inserted in a Violet leaf so as to show a little margin of green all 
around, the flowers secured to the leaf so as to maintain them in the 
given position, are appreciated by all lovers of sweet flowers. If the 
flowers are added to in number, making the bouquet wider and deeper, 
forming it with lobes in imitation of the Violet leaf or heart inverted, 
and backed with leaves so as to form a margin of greenery, and secured 
neatly with binding wire, the stem about 2 inches long, we get a button¬ 
hole bouquet of the modern type, but whether they are so much appre¬ 
ciated as the smaller is matter of taste. No form of displaying Violets is 
so appropriate as placing each individual bloom in the centre of a leaf 
only just large enough to admit of a margin of green showing round the 
flower. Fine stem wire doubled so as to hook the flower stem, passed 
through the midrib of the leaf, and brought down the petiole of the 
leaf, and bound with fine binding wire, will admit of as many flowers 
being put together as is wished, and by bending the Btem they can be 
given most any shape required. 
For sprays thin-forked twigs of Privet will much facilitate operations, 
the flowers being first moun'ed on leaves in the manner previously 
advocated, similar remarks applying to tiaras, wreaths, &c. 
Violet leaves are not always available "f the requisite persistence. 
It is only in autumn that matured leaves can be had. The young leaves 
are soft, and soon droop if not kept in water. This spoils the ap¬ 
pearance of an otherwise very pleasing bouquet. A good substitute is 
found in Ivy leaves. The leaves may be green or variegated, and of 
various sizes, so as to suit the upper side and lower part of the bouquet, 
and, being wired, they cam be made to fit any position and give ihe exact 
form desired. Being more persistent than Violet leaves they rre highly 
appropriate for a back to Violet bouquets. Sprays of Ivy decked with 
Violet blooms, one or more on the leaves of the Ivy, are charming for 
dresses and many other purposes. 
By artificial light blue and purple Violets are not very effective, 
especially as buttonholes, but they are much esteemed all the same both 
by the fair and sterner sex. White and pink are very telling under 
artificial light, white showing well on dress coat 3 , and pink is heightened, 
becoming brilliant on white dresses. The finest effect of all is found in 
a neatly arranged buttonhole bouquet of blue or purple Violets on the 
scarlet of Nimrod’s devotees. 
Bouquets of Violets are best made in parts. All the longest-stemmed 
blooms should be formed into a round bunch. This for the crown or 
centre. Four other bunches with flat t ps and all the blooms facing one 
way should then be formed and tied at the bottom of the stems. The 
central bunch is mounted on and secured to a stem of Privet or other 
twig, and a little clean wet moss placed around the base of the stems and 
tucked in amongst them, and the other bunches are placed around 
with some wet moss tucked in amongst them, and so arranged as to form 
a rather flat half ball. Tho moss will add to the endurance of the flowers, 
and are useful iu opeuing out the flowers, which, however, should be so 
close as to just touch, but they are better rathtr thin than too crowded. 
Flowers may be added to give the required rotundity. Violet leaves 
mounted form the best upholding or surrounding of the bouquet, and then 
the bouquet paper and holder. . 
Very large bouquets are made by doing the bloims up in little 
bunches, and tying them at the base of the stems so that the flowers 
hang ra'her loosely, or just touching each other. Each bunch to have a 
little wet moss wrapped round the base of the stems and mounted on a 
twig of Privet. The bouquets can he made in this way to any size 
required, either with or without foliage interspersed, and they may be 
quartered with white or pink blooms as taste may dictate. The greenery 
may be either of Violet or Ivy leaves, and the margin should be massive 
in proportion to the size of the bouquet.— Viola. 
EOSE SHOWS. 
ELTHAM. 
I have had the privilege of assisting, as our neighbours say, at many 
Rose shows during the past few years, held in all soits of places—some 
pretty, some very much the other way, but I have never assisted at one 
held in so lovely and interesting a place as that on Saturday held in the 
grouncs of Eltham Court, an old Gown residence, at present tenanted by’ a 
very earnest rosarian, Mr. R. Bloxam. Indeed, there are few more interest¬ 
ing places in the neighbourhood of London. Eltham was once a Royal 
residence, and the round banqueting hall which still remains is not the 
only indication of its former splendour. The moat which surrounds, the 
evident traces under the greensward where the foundations of walls and 
portions of the palace once existed, also tell their tale. It dates back to 
the Conquest, when it formed part of the possessions of Odo, Bishop of 
Bayeux. Afterwards it passed into the hands of the Crown. Here 
Edward II. of unhappy memory resided, and here one of his sons, John of 
Eltham, was born ; here Edward III. twice held his Parliament, and enter¬ 
tained in grand style King John of France. Other kings resided kete. 
Henry VIII. preferred Greenwich, and although he sometimes resided here 
yet Eltham became comparatively neglected. In Eltham, too, lived 
Vandyek, and in our time it has been well known by the celebrated horse- 
breeding establishment of Mr. Blenkison at Middle Park, and here his two 
horses, Gladiator and Blair Athol were sold for £20,000. But there is too 
much to tell of the past bistoiy of Eltham Court, and I can only say now 
that the garden is kept up in admirable style by Mr. Bloxam ; that the 
moat is transformed into a Rose garden, and that although the palace 
grounds have in times past witnessed many a gay pageant, they never wit¬ 
nessed a more pleasing scene than when on Saturday under a brilliant July 
sun gentle and simple, the gentlefolks of the neighbourhood and the cot¬ 
tagers, met together to do honour to the queen of flowers, and to compete 
for the various productions of their gardens. It is often placed at the dis¬ 
posal of parties for charitable and benevolent objects. Lately there was a 
party of eighty old women from London, and one of them said to the lady 
of the house, “ Well, ma’am, I have always heard tell that heaven is a 
beautiful place, but surely it can’t be more beautiful than this.” 
As the Show is held on the same day as the Crystal Palace the Exhibition 
is of necessity a small one, and is most confined to growers of the neighbour¬ 
hood. There are six classes confined to amateurs in the neighbourhood, and 
three open to all. In the class for eighteen Mrs. Fuller of Bexley Vicarage was 
first with a good box containing Marguerite de St. Amand, Charles Lefebvre 
(this Rose obtained the National Rose Society’s prize medal for the best 
Rose in the Show), A. K. Williams, Marie Finger, Horace Vernet, Franpois 
Michelon. Madame Hippolyte Jamain, Dupuy Jamain, Prince Arthur, La 
France, Baron de Bonstettiu, Marquise de Castellane, Violetta Bouyer, 
Charles Dar vin, La Boule d’Or, Camille Bernardin,and Duchesse de Vallorn- 
brosa. Mr. Bloxam was second, and Mr. A. Harris third. In the class for 
twelve Mr. Ongley was first with A. K. Williams, Marquise de Castellane, 
Captain Christy, Countess of Rosebery, Louis Van Houtte, La France, 
Duchesse de Va lombrosa, Camille Bernardin, Marie Van Houtte, Ferdinand 
de Lessep-i, and Madame G. Luizet. In class for four trebles Mrs. Fuller was 
again first with A. K. Williams, Madame G. Luizet, Marie Finger, Camille 
Bernardin ; Mr. Bloxam second, and Mr. Harris third. In the class for six 
of any one variety Mr. Bloxam was first with La France ; Mrs. Fuller 
second with Captain Cnristy ; and Mr. Harris third with Madame G Luizet. In 
the class for Bix varieties Mr. Grove was first with Alfied Coljmb, Captain 
Christy, Marie Baumann, Madame H. Jamain, and two others. Mr. K- lla- 
way was second, and Mr. Ongley third. In the class for six Teas Mrs. Fuller 
was again first with Hon. Edith Gifford, Jules Finger, Jean Ducher, Madame 
Lambard, Innoi-ente Pirola, and Marie Van Houtte. Mr. Onglev second 
and Mr. K llaway third. 
