476 
JO URN iL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I December 3, 1891. 
together well with a wooden or silver fork, after which add three table- 
spoonfuls of best Lucca oil, beating this well up with the vinegar, &c. 
The dressing now made can be poured over the Lettuce, &c. The writer 
trusts that as many of his countrymen who read this will bear in mind 
that a salad is worth eating for health sake, and is worth making and 
dressing properly, when it becomes a palatable and enjoyable food, the 
first and most important thing to remember being to have the component 
vegetables dry, and to use the very best oil. All other things are 
secondary, and, in conclusion, a salad should be made and eaten at once, 
as soon as the dressing has been added.” 
- Double Mignonette. —We are much interested in your 
remarks last week concerning White Mignonette, but would take the 
liberty to remind your readers that the true White Mignonette is always 
double, and though sterile in consequence of the stamens being developed 
into petals, these beautiful flowers may be easily raised from the seed of 
the few single flowers always present in a carefully selected strain. We 
have for many years cultivated a stock of Mignonette which produces a 
large percentage of these beautiful double white flowers, and although it 
is of course impossible to get them all true in the same way, as it is im¬ 
possible to get double Petunias all true from seed, it is a strain well worth 
growing. These lovely flowers can then be propagated from cuttings if 
desired.— Sutton and Sons. 
- Prizewinners at Shows. —As an old reader of the Journal 
“ from my youth up,” and to which I owe many useful hints, kindly 
allow me to make an addition to your excellent report of the Bradford 
Chrysanthemum Show (page 451-2). 1 took the first prize in the open 
classes for two bunches of white Grapes with Muscat of Alexandria, and 
was first for two black with Gros Colman in competition with seven other 
exhibitors. May I also add that I was first and third for white and 
black Grapes in the local class at Leeds, five and seven entries (page 435 
of Journal) ? This is my first time of showing Grapes, and to be not 
reported in each case appears to me at least rather peculiar.— Tom 
Newbould, Crarjg Royd Gardens, Rawdon .—[We congratulate “Tom” 
his success, and, at the same time, explain that it is impossible to 
rd the names of even half the prizewinners in the multitudinous 
s at November shows.] 
- At the annual dinner of the Highgate and District Chrys- 
haum Society, Mr. H. R. Williams, the President, congratulated the 
-on the large number of friends they had present at their gather- 
>reference to the late Exhibition which they had held, he was 
> from liis own knowledge that it was an excellent Exhibition, 
of the be3t that he had seen in connection with societies that he 
Knew of, ana he hoped that the future shows would not only rival those 
that had p. but would surpass them. He remembered the circum¬ 
stances und ch < eraums had been grown during the year, 
and he belie b -a ,, i n , , v they needed what was 
termed “ a damping oil. bevel there was at the present time 
2400 or 2500 varieties of Chrysanthemums. He had seen a large number 
of varieties in connection with their late Show, It was his privilege, as 
he believed it was that of many others, to see the large Show at the 
Aquarium, and that gave them some idea as to the number of Chrys¬ 
anthemums that were grown. Mr. Williams proceeded to enter at some 
length into the growth of fruit, and said we should not be so much 
dependant upon the foreigners as we were at present. So far as he 
could see there was nothing to prevent English Apples from being 
cultivated and kept into April and May, when they could be sold at a 
moderate price. In connection with the Show at Highgate recently, it 
did not only the Committee but others a great credit, and the neigh¬ 
bourhood was quite exalted by it. He called himself a Hornsey man, 
but as they knew, that included Highgate, for the latter was part and 
parcel of the same place. He considered it his duty, and the duty of 
everyone who resided in that particular neighbourhood, to uphold the 
dignity of the parish in which he lived, and he believed there were few 
parishes like the parish of Hornsey. He believed in its health, and he 
balieved in a variety of causes which helped to make the place a most 
enjoyable one in which to reside. It was his privilege to congratulate 
them upon their success with the growth of the Chrysanthemum, and 
also the cottagers for the splendid exhibition of vegetables which they 
had got together. During the evening the President presented the 
amateurs’ silver challenge cup (for the second time) to Mr. D. B. Crane, 
and a like honour was bestowed on Mr. C. Halsey, who exhibited in the 
cottagers’ class. The President’s medal was presented to Mr. J. Brooks, 
gardener to W. Reynolds, Esq., J.P. ; whilst Society medals were also 
awarded to Mr; T. Tuck, T. Gillman, and D, B. Crane. 
- Winter and Spring Flower Beds. —If the beds are to 
be filled with hardy and spring flowering plants, shrubs and 
bulbs, advantage should be taken of the first dry time to complete 
this work. In many cases a thorough cleaning of the beds is all 
that is necessary, digging doing more harm than good. There is 
quite a wealth of flowering plants available, but these ought always 
to be well prepared for transplanting. Polyanthuses are particularly 
good, the strains being greatly improved of late years. These 
are to be seen at their best in moderately large beds, masses 
being more effective than single lines, and if they can be given 
some good fresh loamy soil they will flower grandly next spring. 
Primroses again are much improved, and either beds or double lines of 
these are very showy. Masses of Myosotises, Wallflowers, Alyssums, 
Saponaria calabrica, Virginian Stocks, and Gyp3ophila elegans, appro¬ 
priately edged by either Daisies, Violas, Aubrietias, Arabises, Nemo- 
phila insignis, and Silenes are also very showy during their flowering 
season. Much, however, depends upon the size of the plants put out, 
and they ought to be arranged rather closely together, as many of them 
will not increase in size. Small, coloured Beet, Golden Pyrethrums, 
variegated Thyme, Stachys lanata, and other hardy p’ants used in the 
summer arrangements may well be retained in their present positions 
or planted afresh, and single pieces of Yucca recurva and small clumps 
of Iris foetiddsima variegata, are of good service for dotting. Most of 
the foregoing will require to be moved carefully so as to preserve a good 
ball of soil with the roots, and to be replanted firmly. Not many of the 
beds wi 1 require to be watered this season, but if there are any dry 
spots well water in the plants filling them.— Somerset. 
- Eynsford Horticultural Society Challenging Kent.— 
An interesting account is forwarded us of the proceedings at the dinner 
given to members of the Eynsford and District Cottage Gardeners’ 
Society at the “ Five Bells Inn,” by Messrs. Cannell & Sons of the 
Swanley and Eynsford Nurseries. An invitation had been circulated 
among the members of the society to bring to the dinner each a dish of 
hot cooked Potatoes, and the first business consisted of “ sampling ” some 
twenty-five dishes of the vegetable and deciding on their various merits. 
After a careful test, the palm was awarded to a new variety raised by 
Mr. Robert Canned, and known a3 “ Our Seedling,” the next in order of 
merit being Cannell’s Victory, followed by White Beauty, Snowdrop, 
and American Rose, in the order named. After the tables had been 
cleared, Mr. H. Canned occupied the chair, and Mr. J. D. Abbott, 
Sir W. Hart-Dyke’s gardener, the vice-chair. The Chairman, after 
expressing the pleasure it gave him to meet the members of the society, 
said he had decided to offer £6 in prizes at the Society’s show next year, 
and it was for those present that night to decide the terms of the com¬ 
petition. The Vice-Chairman, in proposing “ That the best thanks of the 
Society be given to Messrs. Canned for their generous offer,” said he was 
sure that every member would agree with him that it was a great honour 
for them to have such eminent horticultural authorities as Messrs. 
Canned among them, and he was sure the Chairman’s able address 
would stimulate them to further efforts than they had yet made. It 
was eventually decided that the competition should take the form of a 
collection of eight varieties of vegetables, selected from the exhibits of 
the Eynsford Society on the day of the Show, matched against a similar 
collection of eight varieties exhibited by any other similar society in 
Kent, the prizes to be divided as follows :—First prize, £3 ; second prize, 
£2 ; and third prize, £1 ; the proviso being inserted that no one society 
should take more than one prize. The particulars of the special prize 
competition will be forwarded to ad neighbouring societies, and it is 
hoped that a good show on August 17th next will result. 
AMERICAN COWSLIPS. 
Some of the members of the Dodecatheon genus have been intro¬ 
duced into this country from the western hemisphere more than a 
century, and the American Cowslips are among the handsomest of 
hardy flowers. Why they are called by this fanciful name is not so 
easily understood. Certainly they belong to the same family as the 
Cowslips, but they have no resemblance whatever to the latter flowers. 
They belong to the Primulacese, and in growing them it is most bene¬ 
ficial to associate them with such plants as Primulas, Soldanellas, and 
Cyclamens. Where any of these genera will flourish they are equally 
happy. 
If a bed is set apart after due preparation for Primulas the Dode- 
catheons may be depended upon to flourish as wed. It is necessary 
that the position selected should be a moist and shady one. We have 
