JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 20,1883. 
2C0 
save that number, as they were all gone out of bloom. There were 
but two exhibitors in the nurserymen’s class, and one of these, Messrs. 
Kelway & Son, did not compete, although I believe their flowers had been 
entered for competition. Mr. Burrell had thus all the field there to 
himself, but he would have required a very strong exhibit indeed to have 
run ahead of him. There is a size and solidity about Mr. Burrell’s flowers 
that one looks for in vain elsewhere, and shows the excellent quality of 
the soil in which he grows his bulbs, and also the suitableness of his climate. 
His stand, while comprising many named varieties of French origin, also 
had a number of seedlings of his own, some of which were of peculiar 
beauty, and quite equal to the best of the French sorts. Of these latter 
he had Primatrice ; Pactole, an excellent spike of this beautiful yellow 
variety which it is not easy to catch in such good form, as it has a tendency 
to open its flowers irregularly ; Flamboyant, with large scarlet flowers ; 
Atlas, a very long spike of light coloured flowers ; Bicolore, a very 
striking variety, the upper petals brilliant rosy salmon colour, and the 
lower "petals ivory white; Celimene, orange red, flamed with vermilion 
red ; Enchanteresse, a splendid new French variety, very large flesh- 
white flowers, and a small feather of violet (this is without doubt the 
finest flower of recent years, and so highly did the Judges think of it that 
they awarded it a first-class certificate) ; Grand Rouge, a magnificent 
flower of intense scarlet, very like the old flower Meyerbeer, but very 
much larger and earlier in flowering, being one of the early section, and 
Meyerbeer one of the latest; Rossini, a fine old flower, and one of the 
most staying flowers that I know, dark red amaranth in colour, with 
white spots ; Archduchesse Marie Christine, rather a loose flower ; Mabel, 
a very beautiful well-formed flower, white, with brilliant carmine 
streaks ; Cervantes, bright rose streaked with carmine, white line on 
petals ; Colbert, cherry red, tinted orange; Ddmostliene, bright rose 
flamed carmine, white stripes; Crepuscule, a grand spike of lilac rose 
carmine, flushed with carmine. Besides these he had some excellent 
seedlings of his own, one, Snowdon, without doubt the finest white in 
cultivation; in fact, there has always been a scarcity of pure white 
Gladioli. Madame Desportes is of such a delicate constitution that no 
one can keep it. Ondine is too small for present taste ; the same may be 
said of Norma. Shakespeare is good, but too early for September show, 
but Snowdon is very far in advance of any that we have ; it is very 
like in form, size, and substance to Enchanteresse, but is of the purest 
white instead of creamy white, and is unquestionably destined for a 
premier place amongst Gladioli growers. Then there was Nobilis, a very 
fine flower of excellent qualities ; Ruddigore, brilliant scarlet, very 
good ; Dorothy, violet, shaded with lilac ; Pleasaunce. beautiful soft rose, 
something like Delila, but deeper in colour. 
Mr. Kelway’s lot contained, comparatively speaking, but very few 
named varieties beyond those of his own raising. He had also several 
new ones which he had put up for certificates, but unfortunately he 
had not entered them, and so they were passed by. Amongst his flowers 
I noticed Mr. Baines, orange carmine, with carmine stripe on the lower 
petals ; Agonis, salmon pink, flaked at the edges with vermilion, creamj - - 
yellow centre, good flower ; Mannis, orange red with violet tinge ; Lord 
Rothschild, scarlet crimson shaded with purple ; Mrs. Langtry, white, 
tinted with purple ; Rembrandt, cerise, flamed carmine ; Bacon, scarlet, 
dark violet centre ; Cabel, very like Mabel, perhaps it was a mistake in 
writing the label ; Alcon, creamy white. Many of the spikes had simply 
numbers to them, so that it was impossible to say what they were. 
There were four exhibits for amateurs only, and in only one of them, 
the first prize for eighteen, were the varieties named. The stand 
consisted of Mabel, Grand Rouge, Rossini, Marquis of Lothian, Princess 
Maude (Kelway), Prince Henry (Kelway) Tamerlane, Murillo, Nereide, 
Crepuscule, Colbert, Demosthene, Giganteus, Opale, Pasquin, Pactole, 
Ordine, and Adolphe Brongniart. I think the careless way in which 
flowers are so often staged nowadays is much to be reprehended. It 
must be remembered that they are exhibited for the benefit of others 
as well as of the exhibitor, and if they are (what I believe they are) 
in most cases seedlings, then I think that ought to be stated. 
It will thus be seen that my contention is true, and I am very much 
afraid that owing to the lateness of the season a vast number of 
spikes will never be opened at all. Such are the vicissitudes to 
which we are exposed in our climate. 
AT THE AQUARIUM. 
Here the exhibits were fewer than at the Palace, but the prizes were 
peculiar also. They do not invite the amateur, for the only prize is for 
a collection of Gladioli spikes, no number indicated, and hence the 
owner of a great number has an advantage which eclipses the amateur, 
however good his flowers may be. It is hardly to be supposed that an 
amateur would venture to enter, and only one did, and was rewarded 
for his pluck ; but when placed with thirty-six alongside of 150,. of 
course he has to sing very modestly his praises. He had some good 
flowers, but the interest centred in Mr. Burrell’s splendid group. 
Nothing could be finer than this display. I have already commented 
on the size and excellent quality of his flowers, and as the season 
advances his flowers seem to increase in beauty. As I have already com¬ 
mented on some of his seedlings. I may here notice those which were 
exhibited here, and which seemed to me of excellent quality. Mrs. 
E. B. Lindsell, a fine flower of great substance, with a well developed 
spike, somewhat in the shape of Orphde, but larger and brighter in 
colour. This was awarded a first-class certificate. Cygnet, a very 
lovely flower, of creamy white with a yellowish spot in the centre, 
most chaste and beautiful. Laretta, a flower somewhat in the style 
of Mabel. Asphodel, another of the fine white flowers which Mr. 
Burrell has been successful in raising. It is somewhat in the style of 
Ondine, but larger. Phyllis—this is a most exquisite and novel flower, 
ground colour a creamy or lemon white, with a lemon-coloured spot in 
the centre, which shades off into the most delicate pale feathering,, 
totally unlike any flower that I know. Amongst the named flowers 
Abricotd was much noticed for its clear bright apricot colour, with 
heavy marking or shading. One is grieved to think that even this 
chance of seeing some of Mr. Burrell’s beauties is at an end, if, as we 
hear, the Aquarium is to be pulled down.—D., Beal. 
GRAPES SCALDING. 
In principle Mr. Young agrees with what I have written on this 
subject, but he characterises my statement as “fancy” that Black 
Hamburghs, and I may include all other varieties of Grapes, will scald 
as badly as Lady Downe’s. It is no fancy on my part, but a fact that 
I have proved repeatedly. I showed the conditions under which scald¬ 
ing was almost certain to take place, and the precautions necessary 
were given to enable those for whom the article was written to guard 
against evils that might destroy their Grapes, and the main, or chief, cause 
be overlooked. I am justified in believing that Mr. Young “fancies”' 
that it is next to impossible to scald the berries of Black Hamburgh 
and other early and midseason varieties, or that he denies what I state 
as a fact from an insufficiency of experience. After the bold assertion 
that it is “ fancy ” to state that Black Hamburghs will scald, he evidently 
has grave doubts on the subject, for he places a limit to the statement 
he makes. If they scald up to midsummer it is the result of bad 
management, and yet he takes “ ordinary ” precautions to ward off this- 
evil in the case of the late Grapes under his charge. If they scalded/ 
what would it be but the result of bad management? All have not 
houses of modern construction with ventilators at the top that can be 
left open without great risk of some bunches being spoiled by rain, or 
that will open from end to end. Many old structures have one or more- 
lights secured at each end, and no means of opening them. It was 
to structures of this nature that my remarks were mainly directed, 
and the precautions pointed out are absolutely necessary to prevent 
the berries of Black Hamburghs, Foster’s Seedling, or any others being 
injured. 
It is an easy method of procedure to leave the ventilators open at 
the top and base all night to guard against scalding. Such action may 
be tolerated when the cost of production and the value of the crops are 
not placed side by side. It is the reverse of economy to leave the house 
open and maintain the desired temperature by the aid of fire heat. 
Expenses of this nature are not warranted at the present price of Grapes, 
and if they are to pay for growing, the cost of production must be kept 
down, and no more fire heat used than is really necessary. I quite 
agree with what your correspondent says about keeping heat in the 
pipes. 
There is one other point that I cannot allow to pass. Mr. Young 
says, “ to prevent the berries of Lady Downe’s scalding, no moisture 
must be allowed to settle on them.” A difficult task, but this will do 
no harm -providing it is not condensed in such quantity as to run down 
the berries and injure the bloom. How do those cultivators manage to 
keep their Grapes from scalding who employ the syringe to the foliage 
twice daily until the Grapes commence colouring ? I do not believe in 
such a practice, because it is liable to injure the bloom, but nevertheless 
it is practised by more than one large grower for market, and yet their 
Grapes do not scald, nor are more liable to scald from this cause than 
those who strictly avoid such methods of culture. Mr. Young may 
“ fancy ” that there is a difference between moisture falling on t e 
berries from this source and the moisture the berries naturally condense 
if the temperature falls too low. In dealing with the latter I can say 
that moisture condensed on the berries does no harm if it is gradually 
evaporated, as the temperature of the house rises and means of escape 
for it are provided. 
It is easy to contradict a statement but not so easy to prove that it is- 
wrong, and if Mr. Young “fancies” that Black Hamburghs will not 
scald, the obligation falls upon him to substantiate his views by proof.— 
—Wh. Baedney. 
When reading the interesting article on this subject by Mr. Bardney, 
I arrived at the same conclusion as Mr. Young—viz., that his fancy had 
carried him too far. But as this was so unlike Mr. Bardney’s practical 
