80 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. • 
r July 26, 1888. 
extended to the same number. “ The Magazine of Botany.” edited by 
Paxton, began in 1834, and had a fairly successful run extending to 
fifteen volumes. About this time George Glenny commenced “ The 
Gardeners’ Gazette ” and “ The Horticultural Journal.” He also wrote 
numerous treatises and papers on florists’ flowers. 
“ The Pomological Magazine ” was commenced in 1827, is now sold 
as a complete work in three volumes, and contains coloured plates of 
many of our best fruits. “ The Florist and I’omologist ” was com¬ 
menced by Edward Beck in 1848 and closed in 1882. It was for a long 
time a very popular illustrated monthly journal, chiefly valued for the 
excellent and faithful coloured representations it contained of fruits 
and flowers. In 1829 Mr. G. W. Johnson published a very valuable 
work, entitled “ The History of Gardening,” containing much in¬ 
formation. McIntosh’s “ Practical Gardener,” published in 1828, is 
another very useful work, as also is “ The Book of the Garden,” by the 
same author (1853). Paxton’s “ Gardeners’ Dictionary,” published 
about 1840, is a useful work, especially the revised edition of the same, 
with supplement. “ The Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary,” by Mr. 
George W. Johnson, first published about 1850, revised and re-issued sub¬ 
sequently, with a supplement including all the new plants and varieties 
to the end of the year 1880, by N. E. Brown, is a comprehensive and 
useful work, answering fully all the purposes required of a dictionary 
of this kind. Thompson’s “ Gardeners’ Assistant,” first published in 
1859 by Robert Thompson of the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, 
Chiswick, is one of the most practical and reliable standard works ever 
written upon the subjects it treats upon, has been within the past few 
years revised and much extended by the late Mr. Thos. Moore of Chelsea 
Botanic Gardens. Other useful works published about the same dates 
are “ The Culture of the Apple and Pear,” by T. A. Knight; ‘"The 
Miniature Fruit Garden,” by Thos. Rivers ; “ The Gardeners’ Calendar,” 
by T. Mawe ; “ A Treatise on the Vine,” by J. Meredith ; and by George 
Glenny, “ Handy Book on Gardening and Golden Rules for Gardeners.” 
I must now treat shortly upon works by authors now living, and 
which are very numerous and valuable. First, then, I would mention 
the “ Fruit Manual,” by Dr. Robert Hogg, which is undoubtedly the best 
work upon fruits ever written in the English language. Mr. Shirley 
Hibberd has been a very industrious and varied writer, and has con¬ 
tributed many useful books, foremost amongst which are Hibberd’s 
“ Amateur’* Flower Garden,” “ Amateur’s Greenhouse and Conservatory,” 
“Amateur’s Kitchen Garden,” “Amateur’s Rose Garden,” “The Fern 
Garden,” “ Profitable Gardening,” “ The Town Garden,” and “ Water for 
Nothing.” The Very Rev. Dean Hole has contributed two extremely 
interesting and practical works, entitled, “ A Book about Roses : How to 
Grow and Show Them,” and “ The Six of Spades,” both of which are very 
enjoyable reading. Mr. William Robinson is the author of numerous 
works, the best of which are “Alpine Flowers for English Gardens,” 
“ Mushroom Culture,” and the “ Wild Garden.” To those interested in 
market gardening, a little work entitled “ The London Market Garden,” 
by C. W. Shaw, is full of useful information. 
“ Florists’ Flowers,” by J. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford, is the most 
practical work extant upon this subject, the writer being well known in 
the horticultural world as one of the imost successful cultivators. A 
work has been issued by Messrs. Sutton & Son, of Reading, entitled, 
“ The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers from Seeds and Roots,” which 
is full of useful information. The same firm has just published what 
will doubtless prove a very successful little book of sixty-eight pages, 
entitled, “ The Art of Preparing Vegetables for Table.” 
Mr. B. S. Williams, of the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper 
Holloway, London, is well known as being the author of several cheap 
and practical works ; first amongst which is “ The Orchid Grower’s 
Manual,” of which the sixth edition is now being sold, and which has 
grown in size and cost with each fresh edition issued. The first edition 
published in 1853 contained names and descriptions of 260 species and 
varieties of Orchids. The sixth edition contains names, &c., of 1470. 
The edition now being sold is a bulky volume of 650 pages, profusely 
illustrated. Other useful books by the same author are “ Choice Stove 
and Greenhouse Flowering Plants,” nowin its third edition much enlarged ; 
“ Select F'erns and Lycopods, British and Exotic,” “ Choice Stove and 
Greenhouse Ornamental-leavtd Plants,” and last, but not least, the 
‘ Orchid Growers’ Album,” now, and since July, 1881, being published 
in monthly parts, and for the general excellence of character of which 
Mr. Williams has just had a gold medal awarded to him at Ghent, 
Belgium. Messrs. Sander of St. Albans, and Veitch of Chelsea, are 
each publishing expensive illustrated works on Orchids. 
Mr. Lewis Castle, of the Journal of Horticulture is the author of 
several small and cheap, but very useful works to the gardener, principal 
amongst which are “ Orchids, their Structure, History, and Culture,” 
“ Cactaceous Plants,” and the “ Chrysanthemum Annual.” A remark¬ 
able feature of each is the large amount of information compressed 
into a small space. Mr. J. Wright, from the same office, has, as 
is well known, published a little work upon outdoor Mushroom 
culture, which has gone through four or five editions and become 
immensely popular. It is, in my opinion, a model of what such a work 
should be—clear, very concise, written in plain homely language, which 
none can fail to understand, and published at a price which makes it 
accessible to all. Coming under a like category is “ Rose Growing for 
Beginners,” written and published by my townsman, Mr. Duncan 
Gilmour, jun. I believe this little book, which is written much upon 
the same lines as is Wright’s “ Mushrooms,” will have a large sale. Mr. 
Gilmour, like Dean Hole, has a happy knack of interspersing his more 
s :rious facts with quaint and racy remarks, which tend to interest the 
reader, and to keep him in a good humour alike with himself and with 
the author. 
With regard to the gardening periodicals of the present day I may 
briefly state that while they are much more numerous than at any 
former period, the quality has, I believe, in no way deteriorated. A 
strong proof of the much greater interest taken in gardening pursuits 
now than formerly by amateur and cottage gardeners is in the fact that 
no less than four cheap weekly papers have, within about that number 
of years, sprung into existence. I would not wish to draw invidious 
comparisons as to the relative merits of these “ papers,” but must be 
content to say that as each has, and maintains, its own individuality of 
character, so each appeals to and obtains the patronage of a somewhat 
different class of readers. 
After some remarks upon the trade catalogues of the present time 
Mr. Woodcock continued :— n 
I must now draw my paper to a conclusion, although I am most 
fully aware there are numbers of good authors and useful books which 
I have failed to notice. Sufficient, however, has been said, I hope, to 
prove that our craft has no need to be ashamed either as regards the 
quantity or quality of its literature. It is a very well known maxim 
that “ demand creates supply,” and as during late years the latter has 
so greatly increased, so also has the former. A spirit of research and 
inquiry is abroad. Everyone who wishes to keep abreast of the times 
now reads for himself, whereas within the comparatively short space* 
over which my memory extends, good gardeners were to be met with in 
plenty who proudly averred that they never read gardening papers or 
books, and cared naught for that kind of teaching. The great change 
in this respect augurs well for the future of English gardening, which 
is, I believe, destined to take a much higher rank in British industries* 
than it has as yet done. I believe that not only will gardens prosper, 
multiply and extend, and be rendered increasingly productive, but that 
as the cultivation on farms has professedly become unremunerative, 
gardening will be called upon more and more to play an important part 
in agriculture. It therefore behoves us each to avail ourselves of the 
opportunities at our command by attending such meetings as this, and 
by perusal of the best literature available, to fit ourselves, as far as we 
may, for whatever may be required of us. 
HIGHGATE SHOW. 
July 19th. 
The Highgate Horticultural Society is doing goo 1 work in a large 
northern district of the metropolitan suburbs, and that the wealthy and 
influential residents in the neighbourhood fully appreciate this is shown 
by the ample support accorded. Last year the Committee succeeded in 
clearing off a deficit of £50, and this year a considerable reduction has 
been effected in the working expenses, which should have a correspond¬ 
ingly good effect in the balance at the end of the season. An active* 
energetic Secretary, Mr. D. B. Crane, has now undertaken to pilot the 
Society, and there is every probability that the Show will grow in 
importance. The gardeners’ classes constitute the principal portion of 
the Show, but more exhibitors are wanted, for three or four com¬ 
petitors now appear to share the prizes between them. In the cot¬ 
tagers’ classes competition was, however, very keen, 1 and the general' 
quality of the exhibits most praiseworthy. The Baroness Burdett- 
Coutts and several other supporters of the Society give much encourage¬ 
ment to exhibitors in this department by means of special prizes for 
vegetables, fruit, and plants. 
The President, Colonel Stedall, gave permission for the Show to be 
held in the Priory grounds, and upon the slope of a hill facing the 
Highgate Woods two large tents were erected, each of which was filled 
with competing exhibits and beautiful groups of plants from Mr. B. S. 
Williams, Upper Holloway, and Messrs. J. Cutbush & Sons, Highgate. 
Groups of plants arranged for effect were numerous, and some were 
tasteful, but too many examples of crowding were noticeable. Mr. J- 
Brittain, gardener to F. Reckitt, Esq., Caenwood Towers, and Mr. H. 
Eason, gardener to B. Noakes, Esq., Northhill, were respectively first and 
second in one class, while in another, for which the President provided 
the prizes, Mr. J. Brooks, gardener to W. Reynolds, Esq., The Grove,, 
was the most successful exhibitor, followed by Messrs. Brittain and Eason„ 
These three exhibitors won the chief prizes for stove and greenhouse 
plants, Orchids, Cockscombs, Balsams, Fuchsias, and Gloxinias, Mr- 
Brooks taking a large share of the honours. Mr. Brittain was first with 
six fine Ferns, and Mr. Eason with the same number of fine-foliage 
plants, Mr. Eason staging the best single specimen, a large example of 
Maxillaria tenuifolia, over 3 feet in diameter. Mr. G. Agate, gardener to> 
H. Taylor, Esq., New Southgate, was first with -well-grown Tuberous- 
Begonias, and he gained a similar place with four FAchsias, Mr. C- 
Shepherd, gardener to C. S. Duval, Esq., South Grove, taking the lead 
with Pelargoniums. 
Cut flowers, stands of flowers, bouquets, &c., were fairly represented, 
Messrs. W. Brooks, W. Pink, Brittain, Agate, Calvert, and Shepherd’ 
securing the chief places. Fruit also from Messrs. Brittain, Agate* 
Calvert, Shepherd, and Brooks occupied a considerable space. 
SUMMER-FLOWERING HEATHS. 
All those having Ericas standing in the open should endeavour to> 
give them some protection from heavy and continual rains. More espe¬ 
cially is this necessary where the plants are placed upon a wet or un¬ 
drained bottom. Where shelter cannot be given in this temporary 
