June 28, J688. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
533 
entertainments have been provided at the Crystal Palace in the triennial 
Handel festival, and during tlie season the series of horticultural ex¬ 
hibitions will rank with the best of the year ; but music has just now 
the pre-eminence. The general rehearsal of the ehoirs last Friday, the 
famous *• Messiah ” on Monday, the grand selection on Wednesday, in 
which some 4000 trained vocalists and instrumentalists took part, in¬ 
cluding those of world-wide fame, will not soon be forgotten by the vast 
concourse of visitors. The festival closes on Friday in this week with 
the great Oratorio “ Israel in Fgypt.” The Palace and grounds are now 
looking well, and illuminated at dusk the spectacle is a brilliant one, 
and worthy of inspection by gardeners and others visiting London 
during the summer months. 
- Reb’erring to Rhododendron Fortdnei Mbs. Butler, re¬ 
cently noticed in this Journal, Mr. G. Aslett writes that it was certi¬ 
ficated by the Royal Horticultural Society, May 9th, 1882, and the 
specimen is now 10 feet high, 6 or 7 feet in diameter, and has had 
hundreds of blooms this season. 
- The York Show. —We are informed that a full report of this 
Show was posted to ns on the 19th inst. It did not reach this office ; 
and a second report arrived too late for insertion this week, so there ends 
the matter. We cannot occupy our space with reports of shows three 
weeks or a month after date. 
- Mr. Henry V. Machin, Gateford Hill, Worksop, Nottingham¬ 
shire, writes :—“ One of your readers asked, a week ago, if anyone would 
inform him with what success they had grown Mushrooms in a disused 
ice-house. I beg to inform him that I had a bed spawned at that time 
in an ice-house. The inside'measurement of the house is about 14 feet 
by 9 feet 6 inches. I had some disused beer coolers about 11 feet by 
3 feet 6 inches, and have made my beds in them and other receptacles. 
I can only inform your correspondent that although my beds arc 
II and 9 inches deep, I am very much pleased with the show of Mush¬ 
rooms.” 
- An exhibition of plants, cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables will 
be held in the Palace Grounds, Wells, Somerset, on August 1.5th. 
Classes are provided for groups of flowering and fine-foliaged plants, 
Fuchsias, Begonias, Liliums, and Ferns, and fairly liberal prizes are 
oSered for cut Roses, Dahlias, Gladioli, Asters, and other cut flowers. 
A special feature is to be made of table decorations, and there are also 
classes for all kinds of fruit and vegetables in season. It is open to all 
comers. Mr. R. Harris is the honorary Secretary. 
- National Co-operative Flower Show.—I n reference to 
the above Exhibition to be held this season in the Crystal Palace, 
Sydenham, Mr. Broomhall sends the following note :—“ The Council of 
the Royal Botanic Society, in communicating with the Secretary of the 
National Co-operative Flower Show, states, ‘ That although it does not 
come within the province of the Society to offer or award medals or 
prizes other than at its own exhibitions, and has never done so, yet in 
consideration of the special features of your national festival and 
exhibition the Society will lie pleased to add one of its large bronze 
medals to your list of prizes.’ We understand that the medal will be 
offered for the best collection of botanical specimens.” 
- Hardiness of Choisya ternata.—A correspondent writes: 
“ It is not generally known that this beautiful shrub is quite hardy—at 
any rate in the southern counties—or otherwise it would be more fre¬ 
quently planted out. At Rooci Ashton, Trowbridge, Wilts, there is a fine 
specimen in the pleasure grounds that Mr. Miller states was planted 
eleven years ago. It is on a sloping bank facing south-west, and is 
sheltered by other trees and shrubs from the coldest winds. The height 
of this specimen is fully 9 feet, and the front of it measures 12 feet 
through. Daring severe winters much of the foliage gets browned 
somewhat, but the points arc uninjured and never fail to flower abun¬ 
dantly. When I saw it about the middle of this month much of i‘s 
beauty was over, and the young groTvth fast pushing out. At its best it 
must have been very beautiful, the flowers being nearly as pure white 
as on those plants grown in pots.” 
- Some time ago we had the pleasure of inspecting the interest¬ 
ing and admirably kept gardens of John Crosfield Esq., at Walton 
Lea, near Warrington. The magnificent specimen Hollies in the plea¬ 
sure grounds and Camellias under glass were the most striking features, 
and we must travel far to find their equals, though every department 
affords evidence of the ability and attentiveness of Mr. William Kipps, 
the gardener. We are reminded by a report in a local paper that Mr. 
Crosfield allows his neighbours to share the pleasures of his garden, and 
not only invites residents of the busy town and neighbourhood in hun¬ 
dreds from time to time to his pleasure grounds, but entertains them 
when there as personal friends. One of these garden parties have 
recently been held, the guests consisting mainly of persons engaged or 
interested in elementary education in the district, and teachers and 
pupils found much to admire and something to learn on this occasion. 
Such kind and thoughtful acts are w'orth recording in these columns. 
- The Rev. Hugh Berners, Harkstead Rectory, Ipswich, desires 
us to announce that the Ipswich Horticultural Society’s Show 
will be on Wednesday, July 11th, instead of Tuesday, the 10th, and 
that the schedules can be obtained on application. 
- Earwigs.—A correspondent, “ M. A.,” desires information on 
preventing injury by e.arwigs by destroying their eggs. We suspect the 
chief difficulty will be in finding them, but perhaps some of our readers 
may be able to say something on the subject in question. 
- Mr. T. Grant, The Gardens, Ossemsley Manor, Christchurch, 
writes “ I can fully endorse your correspondent’s remarks on page 511 of 
your last issue with regard to the Caucasian Laurel. Four years since, 
when enlarging the pleasure grounds here, we planted in a mixed shrub¬ 
bery a large quantity of them, which havegrown very freely, forming thick 
compact shrubs of intensely dark green foliage, and not only have they 
withstood the frosts of winter, but during the drought of last summer 
they shed but little foliage, while the other variety w\as in some instances 
nearly bare. I find that they also bear transplanting very well. Out of 
some dozens we moved during the planting season of 1886-87 we lost but 
very few during the late dry season.” 
- Souvenir de la Malmaison Carnation is gro-wn on a 
scale that is equalled in few private establishments at Dover House, 
Roehampton. Nearly 1000 plants are cultivated in pots solely for 
yielding cut flowers, of which immense numbers are gathered. The 
variety is an especial favourite with the proprietor. But Mr. Morgan 
not only likes abundant supplies of his favourite flower in the rooms of 
his residence, but also to present, to visitors—charming “ souvenirs ” 
indeed. Hence, though the blooms are produced in thousands, they are 
not too numerous.- The majority of the plants that have been flowering 
during the past few weeks arc two and three years old. They were 
from layers made in summer, the plants being pinched back and not 
allowed to flower, but potted as required in loam, peat, and sand. Some 
three-year-old plants were flne bushes, with thick woody stems, and 
bearing twenty or more blooms each. 
- Another interesting sight in this garden at the present time 
is a House op Tomatoes. The structure in question may be described 
as a three-quarter span-roofed pit, the plants being grown in large pots 
and trained up the roof. Cutting commenced the second week in May, 
and abundance of fruit is now ripening. Only one variety is grown— 
Hackwood Park Prolific—and it has been found so good as to be relied 
on absolutely, its only fault being a slight shyness in setting. It is not 
often that a better house of Tomatoes is seen than this, nor is it every 
day that a garden is entered in which all departments bear so strong an 
impress of able superintendence. No model garden could be kept more 
scrupulously clean and orderly, and this result is not gained by the 
sacrifice of the satisfaction derivable from first-rate crops. 
- Alexandra Palace Rose Show.—T he Exhibition arranged 
for June 27th and 28th was opened on Wednesday, but owing to the 
late period at which judging commenced we arc unable to give the 
awards. There was a fair -j^umber of entries, but the blooms generally 
seemed rather the worse for the storm on the previous day, though good 
examples were found in several stands. A large portion of the space was 
occupied by groups of plants and flowers not in competition, comprising 
an extensive collection of choice stove and greenhouse plants from Mr. 
B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, similar groups from Messrs. Hooper 
and Co., Covent Garden, and Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Highgate. Mr. 
May, Edmonton, had a fresh and pleasing group of small Ferns and 
Crotons, while Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, contributed one of the most 
tasteful groups of hardy flowers he has shoivn this year. A ery con¬ 
spicuous amongst these were mounds of the white, orange and yellow 
