May £8, 1391. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
425 
well formed blossoms, reasonable quantities of fruit, timely 
supplies of food and of water, and genial conditions of atmosphere 
are essential conditions of regular crops of good fruit. All these 
■are under the control of the gardener, who has to produce fruit 
in suitable houses properly heated and efficiently ventilated. 
Outdoors the gardener is very much the victim of circumstances, 
but even there he has some things generally at his command, and 
Mr. Wright has indicated them. Good gardeners will read and act 
upon those hints if they have not previously practised the things 
he suggests ; other gardeners will—well, perhaps they will read 
'them. 
About London. 
Much, very much, is to be learnt by a visit to the London 
nurseries and market gardens by any gardener who has, like “ A 
Novice,” the faculty of carefully observing and faithfully re¬ 
membering what he sees and hears and the ability to trace cause 
and effect. All other conditions being equal, these are the men 
who make our best gardeners and constitute the props of our—I 
was going to say “ profession,” but as domestic servitude is not a 
profession I will substitute the word calling. 
Top-dressinu Pot Plants. 
Undoubtedly there are a few plants that are such gross feeders 
■and surface rooters that a top-dressing of soil may advantageously 
be applied to them ; but any plants that are neither gross feeders 
nor surface rooters will be much better left alone in that respect, 
for if they are top-dressed the operators will find that the difficulty 
of watering will be real, and that it will be second only to that of 
keeping them alive and healthy if the plants are of a delicate and 
fine-rooting nature. “ D.’s ” remarks were general, but probably 
lie only intended to refer to the class I have first mentioned. 
Cutting off the Roots of Palms. 
As “ D.” has been so successful in his disrooting operations I 
-cannot do better than quote the conditions he has found necessary 
to insure that success—viz., “ Precautions to keep them in a close, 
moist (and he has omitted ‘ warm ’) house, where they are well 
shaded from sunshine for a few weeks after the roots have been 
curtailed.” It is because so many thousands of the readers of the 
Journal who have Palms have neither the experience of “ D.” nor 
the conditions mentioned that I say to such who are tempted to 
try the operation—Don’t ! 
Specimen Plants. 
In the report of the Crystal Palace Show remarks are made in 
reference to the general quality of some of the exhibits in the 
classes for specimen plants. Probably no one acquainted with the 
facts of the case will say that in some of the classes the remarks 
were uncalled for. The “Southrons ” do not appear to be strong 
in stove and greenhouse plants in the month of May. Perhaps 
they reserve their strength for later events. The winning plants 
from Staffordshire were neat, fairly flowered plants as a rule, the 
Anthurium, and Statice, and Tremandra especially ; but when an 
average good collection wins so easily, what is the general quality 
of the others ?— Hugh Dale. 
THOUGHTS ON THE MANCHESTER SHOW. 
During my visit to the Manchester Show many thoughts passfd 
through my mind as I admired the various exhibits. The groups of 
plants were beautiful, and represented a great advance in tasteful 
arrangement over the packing and massing that prevailed a few years 
ago. In a great measure this is due to men who strike out lines for 
themselves, and if only those who went to Manchester looked carefully 
^it the grouping they must have certainly come away with some hints of 
^a lasting and beneficial nature. 
Turning from the groups to the Orchids I thought the display was 
gorgeous, and it was evident that the cultivation of these plants is well 
understood. Could some of those brave men who faced hardships innu- 
anerable, and even death itself, in collecting varieties have seen the 
results of their labours, how gladdened they would be ; and I often 
■think of the disappointment they must have experienced on learning 
that many of the plants they despatched were found to be dead on 
their arrival in this country. Happily for us, quicker means of transit 
mow prevail, and the essential conditions for success are better understood. 
And then the nurserymen’s exhibits I Many of us do not sufficiently 
estimate the marvellous wealth of choice plants they bring from time 
to time before us. At Manchester they formed the major portion of the 
Exhibition. 
New, rare, and choice plants, sufficient to please the most fastidious 
and satisfy the most exacting, were arranged for inspection by such 
■firms as Cypher, Heath & Sons, B. S. Williams & Son, Liverpool Horti- 
icultural Company, Charlesworth, Shuttleworth & Co., Dicksons Limited, 
R. P. Ker & Sons, J. Waterer &; Son, Paul & Son, Turrier, and others. 
The beautiful Clematis we have teen accustomed to see from Messrs. 
Smith of Worcester were absent, and I was rather astonished to find 
the progressive firm of Messrs. Clibran, Altrincham, not represented. 
After viewing the Show I had just time to walk through the 
Botanical Gardens, with its well-kept Palm house, fernery, conservatory, 
Orchid house, &:c., all in the best condition in the hands of Mr. Bruce 
Findlay, the skilled Curator, The gardens were crowded with a large 
concourse of people, many of whom having enjoyed the beauties of the 
Show, were listening to the music, and I left fully satisfied that I had 
spent a profitable and delightful half-holiday.—E. P. R. 
SWEET BRIAR LADY PENZANCE. 
This is a charming single variety, with metallic rosy bronze flowers, 
yellow at the base of the petals. The flowers are about 2 inches across, 
and the foliage is fragrant. A note accompanied the plant, exhibited 
at a recent meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, to this effect : 
—“ The specimen is a graft or bud on the Manetti of a seedling from 
the common Sweet Briar, crossed with the pollen of the Austrian 
FIG. 77.— sweet briar lady PENZANCE. 
Copper Briar in 1886. The seedling came up in the spring of 1887, and 
flowered for the first time in 1880, but had only one flower. It is 
now a vigorous plant 4 feet high, the wood a sort of purple colour like 
that of the pollen parent.” We have had occasion to note several 
fine seedlings raised at Lord Penzance's garden. Bashing Park, by 
Mr. Baskett, and this is one of the most distinct and best, proving how 
much there is yet to be accomplished amongst such plants by well 
considered crosses. 
BOTHWELL BANK STRAWBERRY. 
In your footnote to “ W. T.’s ” article on page 413 you mention having 
received an interesting letter about the origin of this Strawberry. I am 
very sorry if I have said anything about Mr. Chisholm that was not 
true. I merely related the story of the origin of this Strawberry as it 
was related to me, not doubting the veracity of the statement. Mr. 
Rutherford, my author for the statement, I believe served his apprentice¬ 
ship at Camperdown, and it was while he was there, ho saiil, Mr. 
Chisholm was employed as foreman. 
