July 14, 1892, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
25 
period, just before Grapes change colour for ripening, preceding 
that about a fortnight to three weeks. The gentle warmth and 
free ventilation is sufficient for Lady Downe’s—the variety most 
liable to scald, but Muscat of Alexandria beneath large panes of 
glass is benefited, especially in the northern parts of England and 
in Scotland, by a slight shade at this period and during the early 
stages of ripening, when the weather is very bright. A double 
thickness of herring nets drawn over the roof lights breaks the 
fierce rays of the sun sufficiently, and is most necessary from mid- 
June to early August. 
Great deterioration of the crop is often caused by shanking, and 
it is in a great measure preventive. No one knows for certain by 
what it is caused, but various errors of management tend to induce 
and accelerate the disease. The first of these is an unfavourable 
rooting medium. Borders mechanically or chemically wrong never 
produce Grapes free from shanking, and Vines grown in natural 
soil suited to the Vines are least afflicted with this malady. It may 
arise through a deficiency of ventilation in the early stages of 
growth, combined with too much moisture, inducing long-jointed 
growth and thin foliage, especially when the roots are deep in a 
favourable rooting medium. Properly made borders and well 
managed Vines are necessary to avoid shanking. The foliage must 
be fully exposed to light and air whilst it is forming, no more 
growths being allowed than can have those essentials, which are 
important for a steady supply of nutriment and its proper assimi¬ 
lation. Encouraging root action by a thicket of growth, which 
must sooner or later oe removed in quantity, is the way to accelerate 
the disease by producing a check and causing a stagnation of the 
vital forces when it is most necessary that they should be active 
for elaborating the crude substances and converting them into 
assimilable matter. By keeping enough foliage in a healthy state 
to maintain the supplies of nutriment from the starting of the 
Vines until the fall of the leaf, and no more, shanking may be 
reduced to a minimum. Vines prone to shank should be given 
time, sudden fluctuations of temperature be avoided, giving par¬ 
ticular attention to ventilation, especially early, and adopting the 
extension rather than the restrictive system. 
Overcropping favours shanking through needlessly impairing 
the energies of the Vines. Whatever weakens the Vine tends to 
render it an easier prey to disease, but weakly healthy Vines shank 
the least ; the sappy and long-jointed Vines often shank on the 
stem of the bunch. Get, therefore, all the chlorophyll possible 
into the growths by regulating them so as to expose all to light 
and air, not occupying all the space at once, but leaving some for 
lateral extension, and by keeping this stopped, so as to cause an 
equal and steady flow of sap, as much freedom from shanking as it 
is possible to secure may be attained. It is only by judicious 
treatment that health can be preserved and shanking reduced to a 
modicum.—G. A. 
ANEMONE CORONA RI A. 
While visiting the Bath and West of England Agricultural 
Show at Swansea a short time since I took the opportunity of 
calling on Mr. Harris, nurseryman, Blackfield, to see his St. Brigid 
Windflowers. Mr. Bull, jun., of Chelsea, who had seen them a 
few weeks before the Show, told me they were the finest he had 
ever seen, and that they were well worth going to see ; and I must 
say I never saw a better lot of Anemones anywhere for size, 
shape, and colour. The plants, which were 3 feet high, formed an 
edging on both sides of a long gravel walk, and were a mass of 
flower from end to end. The flowers individually were of great 
size and substance, both double, semi-double, and single, many of 
them resembling large Paeonies, while others were cupped like 
Tulips, and some assumed the form of Poppies and Japanese 
Chrysanthemums, their colours ranging from the deepest scarlet 
to almost pure white, and from a beautiful blue to a deep 
purple. 
Anemone coronaria and its varieties have been cultivated in this 
country from an early period. It is a native of the Levant, and 
was introduced from Holland in 1597, and yet it is surprising that 
a plant so useful for cut flowers is not more grown in private 
establishments, where there is a great demand for flowers at all 
seasons. It is easily cultivated, and with a little attention in 
planting it may be had in flower for six months in the year. 
Mr. Harris sows the seeds outside, in a bed of moist loam, 
some time in June, and when the plants are sufficiently large to 
handle the strongest are picked out (7 inches apart) in the position 
where they are to flower the following year ; the others are allowed 
to ripen their tubers in the seed bed, when they are dug up and 
stored away in boxes in a cool dry place till planted again in 
October, January, or even later, according to circumstances.— 
A. Pettigrew, Castle Gardens , Cardiff. 
Notes on the National. 
Perhaps no exhibition of the N.R.S. was ever looked forward 
to so much as that held at the Crystal Palace on the 2nd inst., 
and this on account of the number of uncertain elements by which 
it was attended. First of all, the weather of the preceding sir 
months had been variable and trying to a degree, and no one could 
tell exactly what were to be its effects upon the quality and 
quantity of the blooms. Intimately connected with this was the very- 
early date of the Show, and these two factors gave rise to number¬ 
less questionings beforehand. Would the southern growers sweep 
the boards, or would their blooms be over and the Midlanders 
carry all before them ? Would A be ready or B be out ? or would 
C be the victor of the year ? And so on. 
When the eventful day arrived the results proved as mixed as 
those of the general election. In the great trade classes the 
northern champions, Messrs. Harkness, were unable to show, and 
the famous Colchester growers triumphed, the junior taking the 
trophy, while the senior captured both the silver medals. But in 
the amateur division the very opposite was the case, for if Mr. 
Lindsell’s situation is not altogether a northern one it is far more 
so than that of bis doughty opponents, Messrs. Budd, Slaughter, 
and West, while Mr. Baker was conspicuous by his absence. And 
yet it is an open secret that only three or four days before the 
Show Mr. Lindsell had scarcely a bloom ready, while on the day he 
achieved a “ record ” triumph, winning the trophy for the third 
time consecutively. 
Another distinguishing feature about this year’s Show was the 
absence, for the first time in the history of the N.R.S., of all fourth 
prizes, and the only opinion which seemed to find any expression 
was one of unmixed dissatisfaction. There was a proviso that 
where exhibits were numerous and of good quality extra prizes 
might be awarded, but that was treated as a dead letter by the 
Judges. The exhibits were numerous, nineteen, thirteen, ten, and 
nine boxes being staged in some classes, and the quality was fully 
up to the mark, but not one extra prize was awarded. These 
fourth prizes must certainly be replaced another year, or the best 
interests of the Society will suffer. Already one grower wh® 
assisted at the formation of the Society, and who has exhibited at 
every one of its shows, has withdrawn from membership, and 
others threaten to follow his example. Several of our veteran 
amateurs began with winning a fourth prize, and encouraged by 
that small success have gone on to greater things, while if no 
award had been gained they would, very likely, have been dis¬ 
couraged and have given up. 
But the most interesting feature of all was the division of the 
amateur portion of the Show into sections, in each of which only 
those of (approximately) equal strength were allowed to compete, 
and the result of this experiment proved eminently satisfactory. 
Two points were strongly urged by Messrs. Bateman, Grahame, 
and others in their prosecution of the scheme before the annual 
meeting, viz., that many new members would be added to the 
Society, and that from them, and existing members, many new 
exhibitors might be expected, and these two contentions were 
proved up to the hilt. One local secretary was able to send up 
twenty-two subscriptions, another sent thirteen, and several others 
smaller numbers ; while several old members, who had grown tired 
of the unequal fight, were induced to renew their membership,, 
and were found competing, with better success. As to increased 
competition the large number of boxes, more especially in the 
smaller classes, bore unmistakeable testimony to a lively appreciatiox 
of the revised conditions. The boxes of twelve, nine, and six of a 
sort, in the respective divisions also, formed quite a show in 
themselves, and added greatly to the beauty of the Exhibition. 
One most pleasing incident of the day was the re-appearance (as 
a Judge, but not yet as an exhibitor) of Mr. W. J. Grant, after his 
terrible accident, with its long weeks of subsequent suffering. 
Many and hearty were the greetings that he received upon his 
wonderful restoration, and the greatest satisfaction was expressed 
that so able a rosarian and such a bon camarade has been spared 
to us.—J. B. 
