February 21, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
169 
So, too, with the illustrations of flowers. These are five exhibition 
Japanese, one of Scotch origin, one of English, and three American, bat 
in the place of one of the latter there would have been one French 
variety for completeness, only the photograph was such that the 
engraver could not use it. 
“ Fair play ” need be under no apprehension as to the “ Year Book ” 
not being of substantial value. The article on the Kingston challenge 
vases, the statistical information of the November show, the lists of 
certificated varieties and medals awarded, to say nothing of the others 
of a more varied nature, will insure its value for many years to come.— 
C. Harman Payne. 
I THINK the same as “Fairplay,” there is something very misleading in 
the article (page 67) headed “ Japanese Novelties for 1895,” for if the 
three continental varieties priced at 30fr. each, and which do not 
appear in any English catalogues are excluded, there are not a dozen 
1895 varieties, all the rest being 1892, 3, and 4 varieties. So there 
are about forty varieties to misdirect the public, and this from one of the 
most prominent members of the N.C.S. The whole article is more like 
a trade advertisement than an article for a National Society’s annual.— 
Another Fairplay. 
top, 4 inches at the bottom, and the same in depth, inside measure. 
The ends should be made of wood 1 inch or | inch thick, and cut to the 
size named. The sides may be made of J-inch wood, and for the bottom 
or I will be quite strong enough, and should answer without any 
additional support. The best support for the bottom i 
would be irons f inch wide, ^ thick, and bent to shape —/ 1- 
with two or three holes for nails or screws, as shown ’ ~ 
in fig. 31. They would then go through the sides 
and into the thick wood of the ends. The bottom should be made 
2 or 3 inches longer than the sides to enable anyone to draw it out 
from either end, and it should be made to slip in very easily, as in 
watering the Peas the wood will swell and make it difllcult to draw 
out. A handy man would soon make a number out of old packing 
cases, which are usually to be had on a gentleman’s place, and if taken 
care of they would last several seasons. 
Fig. 32 shows a portion of the box at one end. A A are the sides of 
the box ; b, the end ; c, bottom partly drawn out; D, narrow strip of 
wood or iron, the same width as the thickness of wood in the end of the 
LIVERPOOL NOTES. 
At the last meeting of the Liverpool Horticultural Association Mr. 
William Blomily, a noted cultivator, read a paper on greenhouse 
plants, devoting attention to the following among others :— 
Kalosanthes. 
These were recommended to be raised from June to August, selecting 
shoots with three or more growths, and placing them in sandy soil in a 
cool frame kept somewhat close and shaded on very hot days. If large 
specimens are wanted in the shortest space of time five or six plants 
should be placed in each pot, using a compost of fibrous loam, leaf 
mould, charcoal, and sand, and kept up near the glass in a greenhouse. 
Pinch out the points when they have made 3 inches of growth. In 
February they should again be pinched and potting done as required, 
syringing and watering carefully during the summer, giving the last 
shift not later than August, still keeping the plants near the glass, with 
attention to having the shoots tied into position. After flowering they 
may be placed outside, the shoots being pruned back to about 2 inches 
in length, the same routine of treatment being recommended when they 
break into growth. 
LACHEN ALIAS. 
These were described as amongst the most useful of greenhouse 
flowering bulbous plants, but sadly neglected. For early work he 
advised potting in August and September, placing tea bulbs in a 6-inch 
pot in a compost of good loam, spent Mushroom bed refuse, and sand. 
After potting stand in a cold frame, where they may be left until severe 
weather is expected, then be removed to a greenhouse shelf, giving 
liberal supplies of weak liquid manure as the pots become filled with 
roots. After flowering remove again to a cool frame until the bulbs 
show signs of resting, when the pots may be placed on their sides for the 
season. Mr. Blomily specially mentioned the latter as being of great 
importance, many collections being lost by placing them outside exposed 
to all weathers. 
Statices. 
These, he said, would not bear strong sunshine. Cuttings should be 
taken with a heel, inserted in sandy soil and sand, and placed in a pro¬ 
pagating frame. When rooted pot in three parts loam and one of peat, 
with silver sand, placing them on a greenhouse shelf, the temperature 
of which should not fall below 45°. Potting should be done in March, 
and the plants syringed every afternoon all through the summer. 
Varieties mentioned as being the best were profusa, Holfordi, imbricata, 
and brassicaefolia. 
An interesting discussion followed, Mr. Stoney remarking on the 
beauty of Lachenalias for growing in baskets, the variety Nelsoni being 
the best. A question was asked by Mr. R. Pinnington regarding the 
inability of Statice floribunda to open its flowers sufficiently, this being 
a great drawback to its ever becoming popular. Mr. Devanny, Botanic 
Gardens, stated that he had never seen a plant with flowers fully deve¬ 
loped, all being in the state referred to by Mr. Pinnington.—R. P. R. 
RAISING PEAS UNDER GLASS. 
Under the above heading your correspondent, “A. D.” (page 92), 
advocates boxes, and I fully agree with him, but I do not agree with 
the way he describes of making them. I enclose a sketch that I think 
will almost explain itself, and anyone thinking of making boxes would 
find a good deal of trouble saved in the operation of planting if they had 
them made as advised below. It will be seen that the bottom is loose, 
and is simply slid in and rested on the two strips of iron or wood. To 
plant a trench is made, a box is placed in the end, the bottom drawn 
out, and the box is lifted straight up. The bottom being wider than the 
top allows the mass of soil with the Peas in to drop out and remain 
intact in the trench. All that then remains to be done is to draw the 
-soil up to them on both sides ; this is repeated to the end of the trench. 
A handy and useful size would be 2 feet long, 3 inches wide at the 
box, one of these at each end supports the bottom ; E, shows how extra 
support may be given to the bottom, if required, by two nails and 
a piece of string. Fig. 33 shows the box endways.—W. S. E. 
APPEAL JUDGES. 
It is said that there are none so blind as those who will not see. 
I thought that I had made it sufficiently plain, in my former letters, 
that what I proposed was only to allow exhibitors to appeal under well- 
defined conditions, that the reserve judge or judges were only to be 
called in if any of the decisions of the first set of judges were appealed 
against, to decide in these cases alone. “ A. D.” and “ G. McD.” 
(page 123) seem to think that my proposal ia that the appeal judge or 
judges are to review or overlook all the decisions of the first set of 
judges. I cannot for the life of me see that my proposal can bring 
about such a dreadful state of matters as is conjured up. 
“ G. McD.” says that he has always found judges willing to review 
their own judgment. This is a most objectionable practice.^ I know a 
society, and if I am not mistaken “ G. McD.” knows something about it 
also, where this is sometimes done. This society embraces a wide 
district, and as the meetings are always held at night in the county 
town, the members in the immediate neighbourhood get themselves 
appointed to assist the judges, and see if things are going on as they 
would like. A case happened a few years ago at one of these gatherings 
which shows what can be done. Prizes were ofiered tox a special variety 
of Apples. After the prizes had been awarded the judges were told by 
an exhibitor that the Apples to which they had adjudged the first prize 
were not the variety specified in the schedule. The ju igis then reversed 
their decisions, giving the complaining exhibitor the first prize, and tl e 
dish which should have been disqualified, if his statement was true, the 
“ G. McD.” asks me if I would be willing to act as one of the first 
set of judges. I say yes, and I cannot see why any person who gives his 
opinion honestly need care who comes after him. I have had experience 
in judging at cattle shows, flower shows, and ploughing matches, and 
sometimes have had very great difficulty in preventing my c<^d]utors 
making mistakes that they ought to have been ashamed of.—C. K. 
(We insert the above letter, though we are unable to see what good 
can be done by further discussion on the present lines. In both the 
cases animadverted on by our correspondent the responsible managers 
were at fault. In the first instance in two respects : (a) by appointing 
judges who required to be looked after ; (Z») by allowing a Person 
interested in the awards to be present during the adjudication. In the 
second instance, if “ C. K.” is correct, in appointing pdges who were 
obviously unfit for the position they occupied. No horticultural societies 
in which such loose methods prevail are worthy of the name, and it 
is impossible that they can command the respect of the gardening 
Judges must not only be men of unquestionable probity, but of 
[mitted competency, and in our experience, which is not very limited, 
ese are the very men who are the most ready to re-examme any 
ass to which their attention may be directed by the officials on the 
issibility of some point having been accidentally overlooked ; becau.'e 
e only object of independent and unbiassed judges is to do strict 
stice, and they never give a thought about the exhibitors whose 
oducts are in question. . * n *. 
The most flourishing societies and those which enjoy to the luliest 
