108 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 5, 1891. 
tender, and cannot be planted far north. When it does answer it 
reigns supreme, and if it were possible to produce specimens as fine 
as those which exist on the banks of the Tamar in gardens gene¬ 
rally, it would deservedly have first place in my list. 
Lovely as is the glaucous variety of Cedrus atlantica it will have 
no mean rival in Abies Parryana glauca, which is so striking in the 
small examples I have seen of it, that with a free habit of growth 
one may safely predict a very prominent place for it. Only to 
produce a really impressive elfect it, like the silver Cedar, should 
be planted singly amidst suitable surroundings ; it requires dark 
green foliage near it to bring out its full beauty. 
Wellingtonias have been much over-planted, and should be 
confined to very deep rich soil. The Deciduous Cypress (Taxodium 
distichum) is so lovely in summer that one would always like to 
include at least one of it in a selection. But it is not my intention 
to treat of Conifers generally here, and I must refrain from the 
temptation to mention many others, because I want to add a few 
words about the planting. To plant well not only must the soil 
have careful attention, but the trees must he arranged without 
formality, and with a suitable blending of deciduous trees or others 
calculated to impart pleasing contrast and variety to the scene, and 
so render it far more attractive than an ordinary pinetum is. If 
there is space for only a few Conifers on turf, then a lovely fringe 
of colour may be added by planting any borders near. In my 
notice of Orton Hall mention was made of the charming effect of 
a Holly laden with scarlet berries near some Thuja gigantea. I 
would also have Mountain Ash and Cotoneaster frigida, each so 
beautiful in its own season ; and of other trees. White Birch, Scarlet 
Oak, Purple Beeeh, Liquidamber, and such of the Maples as Acer 
heterophylla dissecta, A lutescens, A. colchicum rubrum, A. macro- 
phyllum, A. Schwedleri, A. variegatum, the Norway Maple, Judas 
Tree, G-ymnocladus canadensis, Acacia Bessoniana, A. Decaisneana, 
A. monophylla, Ailantus glandulosus, Prunus Pissardi, and the 
Salisburia, all which are remarkable for beauty of growth, form, 
or colour of foliage. 
There can be no law of taste binding us to a literal interpreta¬ 
tion of the term Pinetum in planting Conifers. Better far to 
ignore it altogether than to sacrifice the graceful grouping and 
mingling of trees so admirably calculated to impart and receive 
beauty by force of contrast. It is true that Conifers give warmth, 
fulness, and elegance to a garden in winter ; so also deciduous 
growth imparts its own peculiar charm at other seasons of the 
year. — Edward Luckhurst. 
EXHIBITION HOLLYHOCKS. 
All growers and lovers of this grand plant, the Hollyhock, 
must feel a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. G. Steel for the great 
trouble he has voluntarily taken upon himself in trying, and I ,hope 
with success, to clear up a subject which is of vital importance to 
all persons interested in the exhibition of Hollyhock blooms—viz., 
a determination to have none but the true variety the purchaser 
asks for. I have repeatedly seen purchasers served with plants 
under the name required, but when the plants unfolded their 
flowers the greatest disappointment ensued, as they turned out to 
be worthless varieties. I suggest that vendors as well as buyers try 
and put a stop to this not very commendable practice, as it would 
do away with much uncertainty and vexation. I have often hSard 
it said, and I have also read, that the Hollyhock has deteriorated of 
late years. I have had letters from all parts of England, Scotland, 
and Wales asking me the same questions. My answers to all have 
been the same—viz., “ No ; not at all,” as many of the older varie¬ 
ties are still to the fore. I would like to ask the veteran growers 
which were their best varieties, and see if some of us do not 
possess the true sorts. 
I have been familiar with the Hollyhock for at least twenty-five 
years, and I can truly say if memory serves me rightly that I have 
grown and shown better Hollyhock blooms for the last eight or ten 
years than I remember having seen twenty years ago. If any of 
your readers saw the display of cut blooms at the Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne autumn Show in 1887, better known as the Jubilee Exhibi¬ 
tion, when twelve stands of twenty-four were staged for 
competition, they must, I think, admit there has not been much 
deterioration. I consider only the first and second-prize collections 
were good, my own and Mr. A. Rogerson’s respectively. After 
those two stands the quality of the blooms gradually dwindled 
down to specimens about as large as Globe .Asters. Take again 
the Newcastle autumn Show of 1889 ; there were not quite so many 
competitors, but the blooms were decidedly better than in 1887. I 
believe Mr. Jas. Douglas judged the cut flowers in both years. 
What has he to say respecting them ? It has been a greater difficulty 
to procure really good sorts than it has been to cope with the disease. 
It may appear somewhat egotistical on my part to relate in these 
columns my own success as a Hollyhock exhibitor, but why I do so 
is that it may be an incentive to others. I have exhibited during 
the last ten years all over the country, including the Crystal Palace, 
Newcastle, and Alnwick, and many other places about ninety-four 
stands of blooms, and my record is ninety-one first prizes, two 
seconds, and one third. It will thus be seen I ought at least to 
know something of good exhibition sorts. 
I will now give a few remarks about Mr. Steel’s list. I may 
state, as he does, that some far down the list will before long take 
a higher position ; for instance, W. E, Gladstone and Mr. Fenwick 
will, I presume, nearly head the list when distributed. Mr. Steel 
has Grace Darling at the top, which position it has great claim to,but 
my opinion is that Queen of the Yellows in perfection is the finest 
variety in cultivation. Peri is the only white I know worth 
growing. 
In conclusion, I will name what I consider the best twelve 
sorts—viz., Grace Darling, Queen of Yellows, Robert Ryle, William 
Ewart Gladstone, John Finlay, Maggie Bain, Mrs. Maynard, 
Favourite, Ruby Queen, Agnes Ryle, Peri, and Le Grande. 
To add to this another twelve I would say have F. G. Dougall, 
Lord Decies, Leviathan, Hercules, Yenus, Mrs. Codling, Pride of 
Layton, Walden Queen, Conquest, Majestic. Thomas Fenwick, and 
Champion. These, if true to name and well grown, would almost 
be unsurpassable on the exhibition table. I urge upon exhibitors 
not to strive so much for a large collection, but to form only a 
well chosen selection. The same applies to all other kinds of 
florists’ flowers besides Hollyhocks. It is better to grow several 
plants of one variety than so many of a" worthless or inferior type. 
Those who would like to grow Hollyhocks must not be deterred 
by the fungus, for by careful management this can be kept at bay. 
Cut the plants down as soon as they have finished flowering in the 
autumn, the earlier the better, cover them with light soil about 
2 inches deep ; they will soon be seen to push through the soil 
fresh and clear of disease. I may in a future note have something 
to say about my mode of cultivation. — George Finlay, East 
Layton Hall Gardens, Darlington. 
[Details of culture from such a successful exhibitor will be 
acceptable to many readers.] 
CLEANING GRAPES OF MEALY BUG. 
Nothing is so interesting to me as each week comes for the issue 
of the Journal than to read the various articles for what information I 
can obtain, and I confess there is abundance for all. The note under 
the above heading (page 13) rather surprised me, however. According 
to “ J. H. W.” we have to imagine two men, one holding a bunch of 
Grapes over a pail, and the other with a syringe or hydrant and a pail 
of water forcing out insects. “ J. H. W.” remarks, “ Garden literature 
abounds in detailed instruction for ridding our Vines and vineries of 
mealy bug, but it is questionable if ever it was more prevalent than 
it is to-day. ’ Nothing is more simple than to thoroughly clean Vines 
that are infested with mealy bug or any other insects. 
I should prune the Vines as soon as possible after the leaves are off, 
have a flat box standing close by so as to lay the shoots in that they 
may be carefully taken away and burnt, then have one rod at a time 
taken down from the trellis and every bug that can be seen killed at 
once. After going over all the Vines in this manner I should thoroughly 
clean all woodwork and glass, using a stiff scrubbing-brush for this 
purpose, having a pail of hot water wherein half a pint of petroleum 
and half a pound of softsoap has been added and well mixed. At the 
same time have the walls lime-washed with hot shell-lime. It is necessary 
that this be slaked in small quantities, so that it may be used whilst 
fresh and hot. See that every hole and crevice be stopped up. The 
Vines themselves should then be well syringed with tepid water, so that 
all loose bark may be more readily removed without injury to the Vine. 
It is necessary that a man of some experience should perform this opera¬ 
tion, for it is mostly round the eyes the pests secrete themselves, and 
therefore the canes must be cleared of all loose bark without damaging 
the dormant eyes. As this work proceeds see that holes which were 
caused by the shrinking of the pith after last season’s pruning are 
stopped, for there is no better place for these troublesome pests to 
deposit their eggs in. I use the following composition for this purpose— 
three parts beeswax, three parts resin, and two parts tallow, heat them 
until a liquid is formed, see that they are incorporated by being well 
stirred, and when cooled down it is fit for use. 
Dress the Vines with a composition made as follows .—To three 
gallons of boiling soft water add 2 lbs. of softsoap, after this is dis¬ 
solved let the water cool down, then mix 5 lbs. of flowers of sulphur, a 
little soot, half a pint of petroleum, and one pint of Bishop’s Fungicide ; 
this latter ingredient will thicken the whole into the consistency of 
paint. Have every part of the canes well painted with this, and after 
they have become dry replace them in their former position. Remove 
about 2 inches of the surface of the border and supply fresh composite. 
Paint the hot-water pipes with linseed oil and vegetable black. After 
this routine has been completed all in the house would be sweet and 
clean, but should the pests again appear on the Vines carefully look 
over them during the summer and apply petroleum with a small brush. 
