303 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ O. t -ber 10, 188!?. 
of them have not been by any means deserving of such a prize. If 
I am correctly informed, one of these medals has been “won” 
•with plants bought for the purpose, not from Messrs. Yeitch, but 
from another nursery. They were pointed out to me at a show by 
a person who stated he assisted to pack them for the purchaser. 
As it is extremely unlikely that I shall compete again in a 
literary or any other contest for a prize, I am free to express my 
opinion that the whole of the honours indicated should not be 
granted for something staged at a show, but a reasonable propor¬ 
tion should be bestowed on persons who deserve some tangible 
recognition for long and able services rendered to horticulture, 
either in private or public gardens, nurseiies, societies, or through 
the agency of the press. Some of the hardest and most indefati¬ 
gable workers have no opportunities for winning prizes for products 
at exhibitions, yet they have done far more in expanding the 
industry of horticulture, creating a taste for gardening, and 
promoting high culture than have half of the showmen to whom 
medals are almost exclusively awarded. Surely fitting recipients 
might be found yearly for at least one each of the honours at 
the disposal of the Royal Horticultural Society and the Yeitch 
Memorial Trustees for work well done outside the show room or 
tent. There can be no difficulty in finding men who are deserving 
of recognition in the firm suggested, and exhibitors of produce 
could still have the share to which they are fairly entitled. I trust 
the matter will be considered by the authorities.—J. Wright. 
STORING GLADIOLUS GANDAYENSIS. 
From this time forward those who have valuable collections will 
be seriously considering the lifting and storing. Lemoine’s new 
hybrids are said to be “ hardy,” and it will presumably be urged 
they may be left out during the winter months without risk. The 
few of them I have grown, for convenience in replanting the beds, 
and for the reason that I maintain the drying and storing is the 
completion of the ripening process, I have always lifted with the 
hybrids of G. gandavensis. Perhaps you would invite the opinion 
of some correspondent who has grown and left out during the 
winter Lemoine’s hybrids of G. purpurea. 
I have frequently, by design and by accident, left corms in the 
beds ; for instance, Claribel and Berthe Rabourdin in the same 
position unstirred for three successive years, and they seemed to 
degenerate, besides having the tops of the Flag-like foliage always 
turned back in spring. They were too deep in the ground for 
frost to reach them ; I therefore come to the conclusion that except 
in avoiding the trouble of lifting and storing, nothing is gained by 
leaving hybrids of G. gandavensis over winter in the beds or open 
ground. I note this, as the point has been frequently urged. None 
of the large trade growers, from Messrs. Kelway & Son of Somer¬ 
set, where the winter might be supposed to be comparatively mild, 
to Mr. Burrell of Cambridge, or thence to Mr. Campbell of Gourock, 
N.B., think of doing it; and the same is true of Ireland, north and 
south. For convenience I may refer to the system of storing in 
connection with the method of growth. 
Grown in Pots.— I gather from various correspondents that 
many amateurs, especially in towns, have grown Gladioli in pots 
this year. They look very effective, raising up from a bank of 
Ferns or foliage plants in a convervatory, and when so utilised will, 
as a rule, be withered by this time. There are some late-flowering 
varieties, such as Duchess of Edinburgh, James McIntosh, Reine 
Blanche, Asmodeus, &c., that may not have bloomed even yet, 
though for the first time the first-named has this year bloomed 
finely for me in September. I have often had them cut down by 
frost, blooming the first week in December. If pots are plentiful 
and space no consideration, those that have bloomed and been out¬ 
side maturing for some time, presumably duly attended to with 
water, may now be stowed away in any shed or dry place for the 
winter. They will turn out in capital condition for planting at the 
beginning of next March. If they should be kept in the least 
moist growth will commence long before the time for planting 
or even potting, and Gladioli can, as a rule, be very badly either 
repotted or transplanted, owing to the extremely brittle roots or 
root'ets. In nine cases out of ten they will be shaken out and stored 
in paper bags or boxes if properly matured and dry. If not 
withered I like to surround them with moist sand, stem and corm, 
and let them slowly dry out—that is to say, if the pots might be 
otherwise wanting. 
The Spawn.—I just digress for a moment to say that at lift¬ 
ing or shaking out some of the young “ spawn ” at the base will be 
lost if not looked after, and it is often very desirable in expensive 
or scarce varieties to use those cormlets in propagation, especially 
when they are shy in production. For instance, Calliphon, James 
Kelway, Mr. Thornton, and Samuel Jennings have been certificated 
and in commerce some years, and owing to producing “spawn” so 
sparingly are still selling at from 3s. to 5s. each, instead of the 
customary 6d. or Is., if they could be increased rapidly by “ spawn.” 
Grown in Beds and Borders. —Nothing is gained by leaving 
the corms outdoors when it is seen they are ripe and matured. Oil 
the contrary, varieties that flowered in July or August, having 
died down early in a mild autumn, I have known to recommence 
growth in October and November. That growth cannot be utilised, 
and simply exhausts the corm, leaving only a very doubtful cbanca 
of bloom afterwards. Some, especially of the white and purple 
varieties, such as of the former, Shakespeare, Dumortier, Dido, 
Mrs. Reynolds Hole ; and purples, M. Chaviere, Phidias, Petrarch, 
and Lord Digby, show a delicate constitution, and if left in cold, 
wet, and sodden soil will be likely to decay. Admitting that bloom¬ 
ing is past, and, as is always possible from this forward, that frost 
threatens, lift sfem, roots, and all, leaving any soil that may be 
attached ; place them thinly against a wall, partition, or impro¬ 
vised arrangement in a dry open shed or house, and if air circulates 
freely through them so much the better. Those that show shades 
of green, and that are manifestly not ripe, should have a layer of 
moist sand placed at the base, and the corms allowed to slowly dry 
out. The labels, alw T ays a difficulty, may remain tied to the stems ; 
and there, if no good reason interposes, they may remain until 
planting time arrives. I have removed the cream of my collec¬ 
tion to a new town garden, and am agreeably surprised to find they 
have, without exception, all done admirably.—\V. J. Murphy,. 
Clonmel. 
THE BEST TIME TO DIG. 
It is the practice of many gardeners, and is often recommended 
in calendars, to turn up all vacant ground during the autumn to 
the action of frost and snow. That no ill effects follow in some 
cases I am prepared to admit, but these are more the exception 
than the rule. It is on light and gravelly soils that no injury 
follows, but on heavy or clay soils autumn digging is positively 
injurious. We do not attempt to turn up any soil until after the 
end of January, and then only during fine weather, when we have 
all hands at the work. By this means we secure a greater depth of 
pulverised soil. When autumn digging is practised a fine surface 
of about 2 inches is all that is insured, the under soil being wet and 
cloggy. If anyone doubts it let a piece of ground be turned up in 
the autumn and another portion at the time I recommend, and it 
will be plainly seen which turns up the driest. Autumn-dug ground 
holds the wet in suspension, whilst on undug ground the rain 
quickly passes away. We clear all eround of spent crops, and also 
clear off weeds as soon as we can, so as to expose the surface to the 
atmosphere. Such soils as I have described should also only be 
dug with steel forks, as by this means the soil is kept well divided. 
Spades must not be tolerated for digging except on light soils 
where the soil will not hold together, and these instances are very 
few. The soil in these gardens is heavy and cold, but by treating 
in the manner stated we have no difficulty in obtaining a fair 
depth of pulverised soil in the spring.—A. Young. 
BLACK HAMBURGH GRAPES AT DRUMLANRIG. 
According to some authorities the cultivation of old fashioned 
high class Black Hamburgh Grapes is almost a lost or unknown 
art, and there is some truth in their assertions, as the rage for bulk 
and show has brought many of the coarser varieties of Grapes into 
prominence. At midsummer and autumn shows, seasons when the 
Black Hamburgh should be clearing all before it, it is shunned by 
exhibitors ; Alicantes, Gros Colman, Gros Maroc, and even Lady 
Downe’s taking the lead everywhere. In fact, I know instances 
where the Black Hamburgh was discarded to give place to these 
more showy varieties, but all who still regard quality as the first 
point in Grapes have an unlimited affection for the Black Ham¬ 
burgh with its clean medium-sized superbly flavoured bunches and 
berries. 
Mr. David Thomson of Drumlanrig grows the Black Hamburgh 
at the present time as well as it was produced at any time ; in fact, 
I am inclined to go further, and say that the crop of this fine Grape 
I saw at Drumlanrig in the middle of September was never sur¬ 
passed, and I know all who have witnessed Mr. Thomson’s ability 
as a cultivator will have no hesitation in accepting the estimate I 
place on them. The division of the house in which they are grow¬ 
ing is 60 feet long, 18 feet wide, lean-to, and the rafters are 22 feet 
in length. The rods are about a yard apart, rather thicker than 
one’s wrist, and they have been fruiting for over a dozen years. I 
saw the crop before it was cut, as here the Black Hamburgh is the 
autumn Grape ; the bunches were very numerous, some would 
weigh a little over 5 lbs. each, but the majority, and they were 
even, would average 4 lbs. The bunches had been thinned to-a 
