March 7, 18S9. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
197 
of equal service to cottagers, it is surely right to give more marks to 
the most useful kinds than to others that are not essential in cottage 
homes ; otherwise the man having the greatest number of varieties, 
whether of service or not, would, even if some were not well grown, 
score higher than another who grew a less number of the most service¬ 
able, and grew them all well. For instance, good Potatoes, Peas, and 
Cabbages are more worthy of honour in a cottage garden than Radishes, 
Beet, and Mustard and Cress. It was therefore determined to make 
eight the standard of merit for Potatoes, Cabbages, Peas, Broad Beans, 
Scarlet Runners. Onions, Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, and Winter Greens, 
these including Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, and Kales, the same 
number of points being the maximum for order. For everything else, 
including bush fruits, six points represented the standard of merit. The 
■plan worked very well, but is open to improvement, if in no other way 
than making ten the maximum both for Potatoes and order, owing to 
their commanding importance, and probably other modifications might 
be made with advantage. The cultivation of flowers was encouraged by 
ranking them with the order of the vegetables, with eight points as a 
maximum, a few flowers well tended making the village homes more 
bright and cheerful, though the primary object in country gardens is 
utility. 
“ Nearly all the gardens inspected were highly creditable to their 
owners, while some of them were as well cropped and cultivated, also as 
clean and neat, as the most fastidious could desire. The contest was 
very close for the champion prize for the best cropped and kept garden 
in the whole district. Both the gardens are in the Swanmore parish, 
aud the manner in which the prize was won by Mr. C. Baker and lost 
by Mr. E. Ainsley is shown in the following figures, there being a 
difference of two points only between the competitors. 
CHAMPION GARDEN PRIZE. 
“ The figures in the first column represent the points won by Mr. 
Baker ; in the second those won by Mr. Ainsley. 
VARIETIES. 
POINTS OF MERIT 
BAKER. 
AINSLEY. 
Potatoes. 
8 
8 
Cabbages. 
2 
ft 
Peas . 
10 
7 
Broad Beans 
4 
8 
Scarlet Runners. 
7 
I 
GnioDs, sprirg and autumn. 
12 
10 
Turnips ... 
5 
3 
Can ots . 
2 
7 
Parsnips ... 
4 
5 
Winter Greens and Broccol_ 
8 
4 
•Cauliflowers . 
<; 
4 
Vegetable Marrows 
4 
4 
Dwarf French Beans. 
1 
1 
Red Cabbage . 
5 
4 
Celery . 
(i 
5 
Rhubarb. 
i 
4 
Cucumbers . 
i 
2 
Parsley 
2 
i 
Mint 
0 
i 
Lettuce . 
2 
4 
Radishes .. 
1 
2 
Mustard and Cress . 
2 
0 
Beet 
1 
1 
Tomatoes .. 
3 
2 
Spinach 
1 
0 
Shallots . 
2 
5 
Leeks . . 
2 
1 
Black Currants. 
4 
2 
Red Currants . 
1 
3 
Gooseberries 
S 
4 
Raspberries 
0 
3 
Flowers . . 
6 
7 
Order . 
5 
5 
121 
119 
“ It will be seen where the competitors were strong and weak 
respectively. It should be explained that two extra points were given 
for Peas in the first column. They were so extraordinarily fine that 
the addition was necessary in the interests of justice. Spring and 
winter Onions are added together in the columns ; in the judging 
Mr. Baker had seven points for the form°r and five for the latter, 
Mr. Ainsley having six and four respectively. Both men deserved 
medals for the excellence of their work. 
“ In one parish, Durley, a number of field allotments were set apart 
for cottagers, and in some of these plots the cultivation was of a very 
high order. Prizes were adjudged for the best of them, and the whole 
were highly commendable.” 
Possibly another year there may be some variation in the standard 
■of merit of different kinds : that has to be considered by Mr. Molyneux 
and his coadjutors. Simplicity was a point aimed at when so much 
had to be done in one day, the hardest day’s work that ever fell to my 
lot as an adjudicator. It was done gratuitously and willingly, and 
would be readily repeated under similar circumstances, encouraging 
working men to make their gardens more productive, and their home 
surroundings attractive and enjoyable. But for awarding silver cups, 
medals, and valuable money prizes to gardeners at high class horti¬ 
cultural exhibitions, I should not consider five guineas a penny too 
much for .anyone for such a long and hard day’s work, but this could 
not occur at those shows. This is mentioned because on a previous 
occasion a writer suggested gardeners should judge gratuitously. I 
doubt if he had had much experience in the exhausting work.— 
J. Weight. 
SACCOLABIGM CCELESTE. 
From a plant exhibited before the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Floral Committee by Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, in 
July, 1888 (when a first-class certificate was awarded for it), the 
woodcut (fig. 29) has been prepared, and represents the flowers and 
raceme nearly of their natural size, with a reduced outline sketch 
of the plant behind. An excellent coloured plate of the same 
species appears in the last issue of the “Orchid Album, ’ p. 3bl, 
accompanying which are the following remarks by Mr. Williams : 
“ This charming species of Saccolabium is of quite recent 
introduction, totally distinct from any other known kind, and is a 
veritable gem, distinct in its habit of growth, and belonging to the 
