July 16, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
45 
-- Antwerp Exhibition. —xVn international horticultural ex¬ 
hibition devoted to Californian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Cape of 
Good Hope, and South African plants will be held at Antwerp in con¬ 
junction with the international exhibition, which is to take place from 
the 9th of August to the 23rd of September. Entries, for which there 
is no charge, are to be sent in by the 20th of July to the President of 
the Committee, Lierre-lez-Anvers, Belgium, and the cost of transit on 
the Belgian railways will be remitted to exhibitors. There are 165 
classes in all. The President of the executive Committee is M. Charles 
de Bosschere, and the Secretary M. Charles Van Geert, jun. 
-Ware Horticultural Mutual Improvement Society.— 
A meeting was held by this Society on the 7th inst., Mr. W. H. Smith 
presiding, and there was a good attendance of members. A very in¬ 
teresting and instructive paper vva 9 read by Mr. D. Phillips, West Mill 
Rectory, on “ Vegetable Structure and Botanical Chemistry Useful to 
Gardeners.” Questions were put by several members, to which Mr. 
Phillips replied in an able manner. A collection of Dipladenias was 
shown by Mr. R. Smith ; a fine Melon, Sutton’s Triumph, by Mr. Dover, 
High Leigh, who also showed blooms of Souvenir de Malmaison Carna¬ 
tions. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Phillips for his paper, and 
a similar compliment to the Chairman brought the meeting to a close. 
- New Sweet Peas. —Mr. James Udale sends us flowers of three 
charming varieties of Sweet Peas raised by Mr. Eckford. They were as 
follows :—Apple Blossom, with bright rose standard, white wings and 
keel ; Cardinal, dark red standard, crimson wings and whitish keel; and 
Orange Prince, orange standard, rosy crimson wings, and whitish keel. 
Bright, delicate, and fragrant, these flowers are most useful for cutting 
purposes, and we can understand that our correspondent has found them 
serviceable. They were sown and flowered in small pots under glas 3 . 
- Delphinium nudicaule is well adapted for growing on the 
rockery and for flowering during June in pots, where brightly 
coloured flowers are appreciated. In pots 4 inches in diameter plants 
can be grown with several spikes of bloom of a dazzling red. Cold 
frame treatment at all times, with the pots plunged in ashes, is the best 
method of culture. A somewhat sandy soil is most suitable for free 
giowth, and abundance of water when showing its flower spikes. 
- Gentiana acaulis is without a doubt a most striking plant 
when in flower on a rockery, and its intensely blue flowers compensate 
for all the trouble experienced in growing the plant successfully. In 
some gardens it flourishes little, while in others it will scarcely exist. 
Some persons say it succeeds best in the shade, but my experience is the 
reverse of that, for it is growing in the most sunny spot on the rockery 
here, and a clump 1 foot square has had forty-five expanded blooms. 
The soil is mainly loam, lime rubble and pieces of sandstone being 
mixed with it. After flowering, some Laurel branches are placed over 
the clump to afford shade during the hottest part of the day. While 
growth is being made abundance of water is provided, both when it is 
growing and also when the flower spikes are developing. Except at the 
time named shade is not provided, neither does it appear necessary.— 
E. M., Swanmore Gardens. 
- Grapes at Swanmore. —An “ Old Grape Grower ” who has 
lately visited Mr. Myers’ well appointed and admirably managed 
gardens at Swanmore Park, writes :—“ Swanmore has long been famed 
for its Chrysanthemums, and the Grapes grown in three fine vineries 
have always been above the average, but this year they are better than 
ever, on Vines that have been planted twelve years. Gros Guillaume 
and White Tokay are represented by enormous bunches, while Mrs. 
Pince, Madresfield Court, Muscat of Alexandria, Black Alicante, and 
Black Hamburgh are, both as respects uniformity of crop and size of 
bunch and berry, such as any man may be proud of growing. If they 
finish well, as they promise, Mr. Molyneux will be able to stage 
Grapes worthy of a place at the best exhibitions, though he did not 
express any desire to do so. Whether he shows the fruit or not it would 
be a little difficult to find three more creditable houses of Grapes than 
may be seen at Swanmore at the present time. The pipes for heating 
are arranged at 2 or 3 feet intervals from the front of the houses 
to the path along the back, and the plan undoubtedly answei'3 well in 
these vineries. The Vines are the strongest and the Grapes the best 
along the front of the houses, contrary to what some persons might 
imagine under the circumstances. The Whitsuntide frost did much 
damage at Swanmore, and appears to have nearly killed about 10,000 
Larches from 5 to over 6 feet high in a young plantation on the 
estate. The case will perhaps be referred to again as it is somewhat 
interesting.” 
- The Rev. II. D’Ombrain sends the following :—It has been 
arranged to have an excursion, to which ladies are invited, on Wednes¬ 
day, July 29th, of which the following is the programme. Members 
and their friends will assemble at the London Bridge terminus (first- 
class waiting room) of the L.B. & S.C. Railway at 9.15 A.M., thence 
proceed in special carriage to Three Bridges, where brakes will meet 
them. A short visit will be paid to Messrs. Cheal & Sons’ Nursery at 
Lowfield, then drive to North Park (Mrs. Montefiore’s), from thence 
through Tilgate Forest to Ilandcross Park (Mr. Warren’s), returning 
through St. Leonard’s Forest to Crawley, dining at the George Hotel 
at 7.0, returning to London 9.22, reaching London Bridge at 10.33. 
The price of the ticket, railway fare, carriages, lunch and dinner (red 
wine) will be ISs. 6d. Those wishing to join the party should kindly 
let me know, to my private address, Westwell Vicarage, Ashford, Kent, 
by July 11th. 
-Northamptonshire Horticultural Society. — As 
announced in our advertising columns, the summer Show of this 
Society will open in Dalapre Park, and the substantial prizes offered 
for plants, groups, and fruit ought to induce good competition and a 
satisfactory exhibition. 
- Gardening- Appointments.—M r. M. Sullivan, gardener to 
the late D. B. Chapman, Esq., Downshire House, Roehampton, has been 
appointed gardener to — Stern, Esq., Fann Court, Cliertsey, Surrey. 
Mr. Walter Jinks, recently foreman at Downshire House, has been 
appointed gardener to W. M. Grant, Esq., Fairlawn, Cobham, Surrey. 
Mr. J. Bailey, for the past five years gardener to Sir John Dorington, 
Bart., M.P., Lypiatt Park, Stroud, resigns the charge of those gardens 
on August 8th, having taken over a florist business on his own account 
at Brighton. 
- Laxton’s Noble Strawberry.—I was rather surprised to 
read the glowing account of Noble on page G by “ W. S., Frome.” I 
planted rather largely of Noble last year, a good breadth on a south 
border, and the plants have given a very heavy crop of noble fruit, 
but they were so woolly and insipid that my employer would not have 
them in for any purpose. I gave the men leave to have as many as 
they liked, but the fruits still lie rotting on the plants. They were 
much better last year, and I shall plant a few in hope of a more 
favourable season another year. Last year they realised Is. per lb., 
when they first came in ; but this year it is very difficult to sell them 
in the market.— Alma. 
- Erica codonodes has flowered profusely, and is certainly 
deserving of extended cultivation where hardy Heaths arc appreciated 
and succeed. Not only does it remain a long time in flower, but it is 
one of the few plants which flower twice a year, in spring and autumn. 
We have it growing close to water, backed up by Rhododendrons, the 
deep green foliage of which improves the appearance of the Heath, 
making an agreeable contrast with the nearly white bloom and the 
green leaves. Some plants show distinct effects of the severity of the 
winter, although not more than 8 feet apart. One escaped wholly, 
although its roots are close to the water, and flowered well, while others 
on a dry mound have been much injured. 
-A Gloxinia Show. —During recent years Messrs. John Peed and 
Sons have held an annual competitive and non-competitive exhibition 
of Gloxinias at their Roupell Park Nurseries, Tulse Hill, S.W., and that 
for the present year was open to the public on Wednesday and 
Thursday, July 8th and 9th. The plants occupied three divisions of a 
lean-to house 150 feet long, and being arranged with abundance of fresh 
green Adiautums a beautiful effect was produced. The Gloxinias were 
mostly healthy floriferous young plants in small pots, but there were 
also some large specimens in grand condition. The strain is a well 
selected one, and the most distinctly marked varieties have been named 
for increase, the flowers large and well formed, the colours varied from 
the richest shades to pure white, and the habit excellent. Most 
remarkable of the novelties were “Loveliest Among the Lovely,” 
brilliant rosy crimson edged with white, very compact in habit, and free 
flowering. Shirley Hibberd, a rich violet purple, very handsome- 
Princess Louise von Anhalt, white, densely dotted with purple. John 
Peed, bright crimson, with a broad white margin, most effective and 
distinct. The majority of the flowei’3 require no supports, but for a few 
varieties with larger flowers on larger stalks a neat wire is employed, 
which has the point turned into a horizontal ring, upon which is slipped 
a small indiarubber tube to surround the flower stalk and protect it 
from injury. The prizes offered by the firm brought good competition 
and capital plants. 
