August 26. 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
189 
Plant and Bulb Company, Colchester, for a group of Lilium auratum, 
Gladiolus Lemoinei, and Ferns tastefully arranged ; and to Messrs. J. Carter 
and Co., High Holborn, for an admirable group of Asters in pots, representing 
some very line straius of the Dwarf Bouquet, French Preony, Pyramidal 
German, and Chrysanthemum-flowered types. 
CERTIFICATED PLANTS. 
Dahlia Eccentric (C. Turner).—A Pompon variety of neat form, strangely 
differing in colour from orange scarlet to creamy white ; very distinct and 
curious. 
Dahlia Telloto Constance (T. S. Ware).—A decorative variety of the Mrs. 
Hawkins type ; true pure bright yellow. 
Dahlia Amos Perry (T. S. Ware).—A single variety in the way of Paragon, 
beautifully formed ; deep maroon, with a scarlet margin to the florets. 
Dahlia Miss Limaker (T. S. Ware).—A single variety, bright rosy 
crimson, with a lighter margin to the florets. 
Dahlia Mr. Rose (H. Cannell & Sons).—An extremely beautiful single 
variety with excellently formed blooms, white, streaked with crimson. 
Gladiolus Lady Macfarren (Kelway).— A handsome flower, white, tinged 
with purple at the base. A fine massive spike. 
Gladioltis Lord Ashbourne (Kelway).—Bright scarl t streaked with a 
darker shade. Very effective. 
Gladiolus Empress of India (Kelway).—A charming variety, light purple 
with a few darker streaks. The flowers of great size and the spike 
massive. 
Gladiolus Lady Salisbury (Kelway).—A delicately pretty variety, creamy 
white with dark streaks of rosy crimson. 
Gladiolus Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar (Kelway).—Very distinct, 
large bold scarlet flowers in a dense spike, scarlet with deeper streaks and a 
purple centre. 
Gladiolus Voltaire (J. Veitch & Sons).—One of the Lemoinei group, 
with rosy crimson flowers and a light central bar in each of the lower petals. 
THE COTTAGERS’ SHOWS. 
Some reference has been made to the two Shows of cottagers’ produce, 
and it is only necessary to add a few words in regard to the general character 
of the displays. That which formed a portion of the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s series for the present year was much the more extensive of the 
two, the vegetables being of far better quality, and the competition sur¬ 
prisingly keen in most of the twenty-two classes provided. For instance, 
there were forty-three exhibitors in the class for one dish of Potatoes, 
thirty-five with Scarlet Runner Beans, the same number in the class for 
Carrots, which were mostly of great merit, thirty with Vegetable Marrows, 
twenty-four with Beet, twenty-six with Turnips, twenty-one with Onions, 
the same number with a dish of Peas, twenty-four with three varieties of 
Potatoes, eighteen with three Cabbages, and many other classes were nearly 
as well filled, especially in the small fruit section, Cherries beings shown by 
twelve exhibitors, Currants by fourteen, and Gooseberries by twenty. 
Some of the most successful competitors were the following—H. Gibbsj 
Church Green, Sevenoaks; J. Wellard. View Cottage, Eynsford; G. Kirt- 
iand, Bletchington, Oxon; J. Vennell, Manor Cottage, Maidstone; F. Hall, 
St. Lawrence, Ramsgate; G. Beckett, Amersham ; R. Neal, Aston Clinton, 
Bucks; R. Timbs, Amersham ; G. W. Kentish, Kempstead, Herts; R. Hall, 
Dartford; S. Richardson, Chase Green Avenue, Enfield ; G. North, Buck¬ 
ingham; J. Venn, East Acton ; H. Bruce, Tring; G. Castle, Nettlestead, 
Maidstone; and W. Jacobs, Pet worth. 
The Show altogether was highly satisfactory, and a large proportion of 
the vegetables would not have disgraced any gentleman’s gardener. 
The other Show was that in which the Agricultural and Horticultural 
Association (Limited) provided the prizes, the managing director being Mr. 
E. O. Greening. This was termed a “ National Co-Operative Flower Show,” 
and prizes varying from 42s. to 2s. 6d. were offered for vegetables and 
flowers. In some of the classes there were ten or twelve competitors, but in 
many others there were from two to six entries, and there was a roughness 
about some of the produce that was not satisfactory. The bouquets and cut 
flowers were, with a few exceptions, far from being as good as are generally 
seen at the leading cottagers’ shows. Amongst the vegetables, however, 
there were specimens of considerable merit. In the afternoon a paper was 
read by Mr. E. 0. Greening entitled “ How Can our Co-Operative Organisa¬ 
tion be best utilised to Promote a Love of Horticulture amongst our Working 
People?” 
SUMMER AND AUTUMN EXHIBITIONS. 
In the following list are given the dates of the principal shows to be 
held up to the end of October this year, and we shall be obliged if tbe 
Secretaries of Societies holding shows during the season named will 
forward us their schedules. 
AUGUST. 
27th, Friday.—Sandy (Beds). 
27th, Friday.—Hinckley. 
SEPTEMBER. 
1st, Wednesday.—Bath. 
1st, Wednesday.—Oxford. 
3rd, Friday.—Crystal Palace, Fruit and Dahlias. 
7th, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees: Fruit and 
Dahlia Show. 
8th, Wednesday.—Edinburgh. 
flth, Thursday. — National Chrysanthemum Society, Early Chrysan¬ 
themums, Westminster Aquarium. 
21st, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees. 
OCTOBER. 
6th, Wednesday.—Crystal Palace, Fruit Show. 
12th, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Sofiety, Committees and Hardv 
Fruits. * 
13 rb, Wednesday. — National Chrysanthemum Society, Floral Com¬ 
mittee. 
26th, Tuesday.—Royal Horticultural Society, Committees, and Chrysan¬ 
themum Show. 
WOKK-FOIUheWEEK-. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Autumn Onions. —The au'umn Onion crop is a very important one 
as in the spring and early summer, when all spring-sown Onions are 
over, these keep up a supply, and for both kitchen use and exhibition 
purposes they are most useful. We have still a few of those sown last 
August in the ground, but most of them have been lifted and used, and 
some of them have been exhibited successfully. It is now, however, past 
their season, and the sooner they are all drawn and used the better. Any 
which are perfectly firm may be kept for a time, but they will not keep 
long. Now is an excellent time to sow again for next year’s supply. 
The Giant Rocca or some of the Tripoli varieties are the best. The 
white ones always bulb soonest in the spring, and a quuantity of them 
should always be sown. Last year we sowed our autumn Onions on 
August 26th, and we did not lose a score of them through bolting in 
spring. When sown too early they are very liable to do this. 
Tbe soil in which they are to be sown should have a good dressing of 
lime or soot dug into it, then fork a quantity of manure into the surface, 
and there is no danger of failure from any cause. We always make the 
seed ground good, and then the bulbs which are allowed to mature in it 
become very large. The seed may be sown broadcast or in rows. We 
prefer the latter, and never put tbe seed more than 2 inches below the 
surface. The drill should be opened about 1 foot apart, and the seed 
sown moderately thick, as when a good quantity of young plants appear 
some of them may be drawn for use as Ealad in winter, and quantities 
should always be transplanted before they gain any great size in spring. 
Last autumn we opened the drills for some of our Onions 3 inches deep, 
strewed a quantity of artificial manure at the bottom of the drill, put 
some soil over this, then sowed the seed, and we have gathered bulbs 
lately from these rows weighing 20 ozs. They are finer than any 
we treated very liberally with manure and liquid in the spring and early 
summer, and we approve of placing plenty of manure close to them 
before sowing the seed. 
Cabbage. —Plants from the first-sown seed are now almost ready for 
placing out. If put into good soil and a favourable situation they will 
produce delicate heads about the new year should the weather prove mild 
until then, and in any case they will be ready for use very early in spring. 
Give them firm moderately rich soil, and plant about 18 inches apart. 
Those early-sown plants, however, are too early to keep over the winter 
for planting next spring, and where plants are wanted for this purpose a 
quantity of seed should be sown now. It may be sown broadcast in a 
small bed in a situation where they will not be drawn or pampered in 
any way. 
Winter Radishes. —These are very acceptable, and a quantity of 
them should be grown in both large and small gardens. The China Rose 
is the best of all for winter. It is very hardy as well as tender and crisp 
during the whole of the winter. Much top growth is not an advantage, and 
to avoid this the seed should be sown in rather poor soil. It may be sown 
broadcast or in rows, and very thinly, as when sown thick the foliage 
soon becomes crowded, then the roots do not form. We always keep our 
winter Radishes in an open situation, and they never fail to do well. We 
have tried several of the summer sorts for winter use, but found them all 
too tender, and we only grow one variety now. 
Sowing Cauliflower. —The earliest spring Cauliflower heads are 
always cut from plants raised from seed sown at the present time, and 
wherever spring Cauliflowers are desired a quantity of seed of Early 
London should be sown at once. It may be put in alongside of the 
Cabbage seed, and the plants may be allowed to grow in the open until 
about the beginning of October, when they must be lifted and planted in 
frames under handlights, or in any place where they will be sheltered 
from very severe weather. 
Ripe Seed. —Peas, Broad Beans, and some other vegetables which 
were left to ripen their surplus pods have now matured the seeds. All of 
these should be gathered as soon as possible, and if they can be taken in 
when it is quite dry or after a few dry days, it will save much labour in 
drying the seed. It also keeps better when taken in dry, and we should 
never attempt to do anything to it when wet. If left out, however, after 
it is quite rip9, and wet weather sets in, it will soon absorb the moisture, 
and much of the seed that is perfectly sound now will soon be attacked by 
mildew or decay. We generally pull up the straw and allow the pods to 
remain on it under cover until a wet day, when the pods are gathered by 
the garden women. 
Red Cabbage.—A few of these are acceptable in all gardens, but 
they do not form any great heads if the seed is sown in spring, and to 
have them really fine the seed should be sown in the autumn, the plants 
allowed to remain in the seed bed all winter and planted out in March or 
April. Now is the best time to sow, and will succeed if put in with the 
Cabbage seed spoken ol above. 
Mushrooms.—W e are now getting abundance from the fields, but in 
