March 25, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
Broad Beaus in pots, also pans of Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, Onionsi 
Leeks, Parsley, and Lettuce. These have been duly pricked out in pots 
■or boxes, and stood in cool Orchid houses and frames in order to fit them 
for planting out when genial weather comes. On the disappearance of 
the snow this day, March 20th, I find Snowdrops coming into flower ; 
they are just five weeks later than last year.—J. MclNDOE, Hutton Hall 
Gardens, Huisbrough. 
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 
March 24th. 
The Society’s first spring Show of the year was held on Wednesday last 
in the corridor and large conservatory, Regent’s Park, and a pretty display 
was produced, many of the groups being the same as those at South Ken¬ 
sington on the previous day. The weather was fine, and there was a good 
attendance of visitors. 
Amaryllises were well shown by Mr. James Douglas, gardener to F. 
Whitbourn, Esq., Great Gearies, Ilford, who was first with twelve plants, 
and was also awarded the Veitch Memorial medal and £5 prize for a dozen 
varieties. They were all very fine, the Memorial Amaryllises including 
Vesuvius, Calypso, Empress of India, Lady Hulse, Great Gearies, Red 
■Gauntlet, Dr. Masters, Clarinda, Sultan, Sir Garnet Wolseley, Napoli, and 
Madonna. Some had two spikes of four flowers each. 
Roses were staged by Messrs. Paul <k Son, Cheshunt, and W. Rumsey, 
Waltham Cross, who gained the prizes for six specimens, the first being 
well grown and freely flowered examples of such varieties as Madonna, 
Lacharme, Souvenir d’un Ami, and Souvenir d’Elise. 
Deutzias were good, those shown by Mr. James Douglas, who was first 
with his six fine specimens, Mr. Eason and Mr. Wheeler following with 
smaller examples. Azaleas were neat, Mr. Eason having the best six half- 
globular specimens, well flowered, Roi Leopold, Roi d’Holland, and Van der 
Cruysson being notable varieties. Mr. G. Wheeler and Mr. R. Butler took 
the other prizes, the last named showing very poor plants. 
With twelve Hyacinths and twelve Tulips in pots Mr. James Douglas 
took the premier prize, showing good plants, but not quite in his best style. 
Mr. Eason was second in both classes. The nurserymen’s prizes were 
awarded to Messrs. H. Williams & Son and H. R. Wright. Mr. Douglas and 
Mr. Eason were the prizetakers for Crocuses, the first-named having large 
pots full of bulbs. He also had the only nine hardy Primulas, being awarded 
the first prize. The prizes for Narcissi were secured by Messrs. Hi R. 
Wright, H. Williams & Son, and James Douglas, all showing good speci¬ 
mens. Cyclamens were well exhibited by the St. George’s Nursery Com¬ 
pany, Mr. Wiggins, and Mr. D. Phillips, gardener to R. W. Mann, Esq., 
Langley Broom, Slough, who were awarded the prizes as named. Hardy 
herbaceous plants were shown by Mr. James Douglas, who was placed first 
with nine good specimens, the second-prize plants being the worst we have 
■seen gain a prize. Lilies of the Valley were admirably shown by Messrs. H. 
Williams &, Son, Finchley, who were first with grand pbtfuls, Mr. H. R. 
Wright, Lee, and Mr. James Douglas following. For twelve pots of bulbous 
plants Mr. T. S. Ware was first with a pretty collection, Chinese Primulas 
being shown by Messrs. J. James, H. Williams & Son, and J. Wiggins. 
Miscellaneous. —Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, exhibited a 
handsome group of 150 Hyacinths, a large number of Tulips, Daffodils, and 
Lilies of the Valley (silver medal). Messrs. W. Cutbush & Sons, Highgate, 
staged an imposing group of Hyacinths and Azalea mollis. Messrs. J. Veitch 
and Sons, Chelsea, exhibited a magnificent collection of Hyacinths, with 
some new Amaryllises and other plants (small silver medal). Messrs. Barr 
& Sons, Covent Garden, showed a fine collection of Daffodils, Anemones, 
Snowdrops, Palms, &c. (small silver medal). Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, 
contributed an extensive collection of Daffodils and other flower? (small 
silver medal). Messrs. Collins, Bros., & Gabriel, 39, Waterloo Rd.,had a large 
collection of Daffodils and Anemones. Mr. W. Rumsey contributed three 
boxes of Rose blooms and several plants m pots (large bronze medal). Mr. 
J. Wiggins, gardener to W. Clay, Esq., Kingston, had a group of Cyclamens. 
Mr. J. James, Farnham Royal, had a group of handsome Cinerarias. The 
St. George’s Nursery Company, Han well, had a group of Cyclamens (large 
bronze medal). Frederick Jacomb, Esq., Stamford Hill, showed a group of 
Odontoglossums arranged with Ferns (bronze medal). Mr. Stephen Castle, 
West Lynn, Norfolk, was awarded a certificate of merit for baskets of 
Gros Colman, Lady Downe’s Seedling, and Alicante Grapes, all very fine 
and well kept. 
Certificates were awarded to the fallowing Dendrobium Leechianum, 
from Messrs. W. Thomson & Son, Clovenfords ; Cattleya Lawrenciana, from 
Mr. B. S. Williams and Messrs. Laing & Co., Forest Hiil; Imantophyllum 
robustum Mrs. Laing, from Messrs. J. Laing & Co.; Narcissus General 
Gordon, from Mr. J. Douglas ; Amaryllis Plato and Lascelles from Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons; Odontoglossum Pescatorei Vervaetianum, from Mr. E. 
Vervaet, Mont St. Amant, Ghent: Amaryllis Clarinda, from Mr. J. Douglas. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
As buds soften and begin to swell much mischief is frequently done by 
bullfinches, which must be shot in orchards of large trees. Garden trees 
kept trim and small by pinning should be syringed with a liquor of soft- 
soap dissolved in hot water and some soot well stirred in it. This can be 
thrown over the whole of he trees by means of a syringe with a coarse 
rose, so that every bud may have a coating of it, and so be rendered dis¬ 
tasteful to the birds. If the weather is wet and stormy this dressing may 
be washed off, and it must be at once renewed, as the buds are never safe 
at this season of the year. We invite particular attention to this really 
important matter, for upon it may rest the success or failure of a Iruit 
crop. Let all fruit trees planted last autumn be examined now to see if 
the soil about the roots is firm and fastenings to supports are secure. If 
mulching was applied to the trees at the time of planting, as it always 
should be, the soil will be undisturbed now, but without mulching there 
is risk of its being loosened by frost, and a newly planted tree cannot 
grow in loose soil. See that the stems of young trees in orchards under 
grass are protected from sheep and cattle by bushes or tree guards. We 
prefer a compact screen of fine bushes bound about the stems so closely 
that no harm can be done by hares and rabbits. These pests may be 
excluded from fruit plantations enclosed by fences by putting wire netting 
to the fence, but this is seldom done in the right way. To fasten a piece 
of netting of the ordinary width along the fence with the bottom just 
touching the ground, is a mere waste of time and money, for rabbits have 
no difficulty in getting both under and over it. To render such a fence 
really rabbit-proof, peg wire netting upon the surface of the soil at the 
foot of, and outside the fence, and continue the netting up the fence. If 
we thus cover a strip of soil 9 inches wide the puzzled rabbits cannot 
scratch a hole under the fence, and if the fence is covered to a height of 
2 or 3 feet with netting, neither hares nor rabbits can jump over ib 
With a small ditch outside the fence we can do much to prevent jumping, 
and so avoid having the netting so high up the fence. If any of our 
readers suppose our note on this matter is somewhat elaborate, we may 
remind them that it is the exception, and not the rule, to find even so 
simple a thing as putting up wire netting done in the right way. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs. — Earliest-forced Houses. —The early varieties, as Early Violet 
and Prolific, that were started in gentle bottom heat in November, will 
soon show signs of their last swelling for ripenirg ; and this being the 
most critical stage in Fig culture checks of every kind must be carefully 
guarded against. To insure flavour a drier atmosphere and higher 
temperature with increased ventilation on fine days will be necessary, but 
withholding water must be gradual, and anything approaching dryness at 
the roots must be avoided. It is a good plan to give established trees in 
pots a thorough soaking with water a few degrees warmer than the bed, 
and then cover them with light mulching, as it absorbs moisture when the 
trees are syringed and gives off genial vapour for some time afterwards. 
Brown Turkey, the best Fig for any purpose, will not be quite so forward, 
though not far behind, and to these give good supplies of tepid liquid 
manure twice a week, syringing twice on fine days and once when the 
weather is dull. Give the second syringing in time for the foliage to get 
fairly dry before night. In mild weather keep the night temperature at 
65°, 70° to 75° by day, with a heat ranging between 75° and 85° with sun, 
as Figs enjoy an abundance of heat and light and full exposure to sun¬ 
shine. Stop and thin the side shoots, training terminals forward where 
space remains unfilled, and it can be done without shading the fruit. 
Succession Houses. —Trees growing in inside borders will now require 
generous treatment in the way of liberal mulchings with good manure, 
copious supplies of water, and thorough syringing twice a day. Damp 
the paths and walls frequently, and keep the mulching constantly moist. 
Ventilate freely through the early part of the day, and close with a brisk 
heat about three o’clock in the afternoon. 
Late Houses. —In most localities outdoor Fig culture is a precarious 
crop, but excellent crops of the finest varieties may be grown in unheated 
houses having a full exposure to the south. Plant the trees in well- 
drained narrow borders, either training the trees against the back wall 
and then down the roof a foot from the glass, or they may be planted in 
front and trained to trellises not more than 16 inches from the glass. 
The principal points in their culture are to keep them dormant as late as 
possible in spring, but when they begin growing the treatment should 
be generous. The growths must be kept thin and neatly tied up through 
the summer, with more freedom in the autumn, when the points will 
draw to the glass and be ripened by the warmth. In winter the border 
should have a mulch of some kind to protect the roots, and the branches 
must have a protection of mats or other material, as they are liable to 
suffer in times of intense frost. 
Vines, — Early forced Vines in Pots. — These having been well 
supplied with liquid manure and attended to with rich surface mulchings, 
will have the Grapes swelled to a good size and changing colour. It will 
be well to lessen the supplies of liquid manure, but it must be done 
gradually so as not to give a check; and though a drier atmosphere is 
essentia], it will be best secured by allowing a gentle circulation of air 
constantly in preference to withholding moisture from the atmosphere, 
moisture not being nearly so inimical to early as to late Grapes, and it is 
necessary that the temperature be maintained at 60° to 65° at night, end 
70° to 75° by day, keeping at between 75° and 85° through the day with 
sun, losing no opportunity of ventilating freely. 
Early Houses. —Keep the borders inside supplied wiih tepid liquid 
manure, and mulch the surface with short manure, which should be con¬ 
stantly moist, sprinkling it as well as other surfaces at closing time, but 
open the house a little at the apex before dark to allow of the moisture 
escaping, and ventilate early, and increase it with the advancing tempe¬ 
rature, reducing in like manner for the day at 80°, and in time to run up 
to 85° or 90°. Still allow moderate lateral extension as the beet means of 
avoiding shanking through the encouragement given to the roots by the 
spread of foliage. 
