808 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 10, 1890. 
might be utilised for this purpose, and the result would prove most 
satisfactory. 
The rock garden, though not yet at its best, contains many gems, 
which make it well worthy of more than a passing glance. Some of 
the most noteworthy of these are Saxifragas (Megasea) speeiosa and 
Stracheyi, Ericacarnea, Scillas, Muscaris, Erythroniums and Chionodoxas. 
A small patch of the beautiful blue Anemone blanda nestling at the 
foot of a large boulder is particularly pretty, while a tuft of the yellow 
Draba Aizoon, perched on a huge piece of rock, looks quite at home 
and is flowering profusely. The lovely Narcissus cyclamineus, with 
small yellow flowers, is also particularly fine. 
The alpine house presents a gay display, and shows what can be 
done with even the commonest spring flowers when properly treated. 
This house is unheated, and with the exception of a few Primula 
obconica all the plants have been grown in cold frames, yet we unhesi¬ 
tatingly say that no house in the gardens—Orchid houses not excepted— 
can approach it in its wealth of beautiful flowers, which are not the 
less attractive and interesting because many of them are comparatively 
common and easily grown. Many amateurs have a difficulty in keeping 
their greenhouses gay during the early spring months, being unable 
from motives of economy to provide sufficient fire heat to keep ordinary 
greenhouse plants through the winter. To all such we would recom¬ 
mend a visit to the alpine house at Kew, where they will doubtless 
learn something which will be useful to them. Besides the finer 
Narcissi and Bulbocodiums there are Hepaticas, Millas, Anemones, 
Bisyrinchiums, Corydalis, Scillas, and a host of other fine spring plants. 
A group of the dwarf snowy white Primula pubescens alba, more 
commonly met with as P. nivea, is charming ; Collinsia verna is also 
very fine, while Cyclamens repandum, hedercefolium, and Atkinsi are 
flowering freely, and look exceedingly pretty.—E. G. K. 
ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
EDINBUKGH. 
The spring Exhibition was held in the spacious Waverley Market on 
the 2nd and 3rd of the present month, when a fairly good show of plants 
iind cut flowers was staged on the various tables and on the floor of the 
building. Fruit and vegetables were shown in very small quantity. Of 
the former very fine Noble Strawberries secured the first prize for Mr. 
Mclndoe, Hutton Hall, Guisborough, the same exhibitor being first for 
two bunches of black Grapes, Mr. Potter, Seacliffe, North Berwick, occu¬ 
pying the same position for collections of dessert and kitchen Apples, 
both in very fresh condition. Of vegetables there were good examples 
cf French Beans, Broccoli, young Potatoes, Leeks, saladings. and col¬ 
lections, the latter being hardly so good as they generally are at 
Edinburgh. 
Of plants, very noteworthy were the beautiful examples of Azaleas 
•shown by Mr. Paterson, Millbank, who was easily first in the several 
classes in which he competed. The six stove and greenhouse plants and 
the Cape Heaths staged by the same exhibitor were also good. Orchids 
were not numerous, Rlr. Grossart, Canaan Lane, alone staging six plants, 
Cymbidium Lowianum being prominent among these. Mr. McIntyre, 
The Glen, won with three, a fine example of Cymbidium eburneum 
being the best of them ; Mr. Cunor being second, and Mr. Patterson 
third. A Dendrobium nobile secured for Mr. McIntyre the first prize 
for one Orchid. Mr. Napier, Rockville, Murray field, secured the first 
prize for four exotic Ferns and for three Adiantums, with fine fresh speci¬ 
mens. Mr. Bennett, Corstorphine, won with four foliage plants, the 
best examples of three Dracasnas coming from Mr. Grossart. Some not 
large but fresh Rose plants were set up by Mr. J. Patterson. The first 
prize Chinese Primulas were large and well flowered ; these were from Mr. 
Bald, Oswald Road. Mr. Rae, Sunlows, Kelso, was first for six Cinerarias, 
with good plants of a fine strain. Lily of the Valley, Primulas, Alpine 
plants. Mignonette, and some other classes were ratherdeficient in quality. 
Hyacinths were also rather weak, though some good spikes were note¬ 
worthy in some of the collections. Mr. D. McBean, Johnstone, secured 
the first place respectively for twelve and for eight plants, with gene¬ 
rally good and massive spikes. Mr. Brydon, Tweedbank, Innerleithen, 
in the class for amateurs (not gardeners), had also good examples, with 
which he easily carried off the first prize. The other bulbous plants 
■call for no special comment. The table of plants arranged for effect 
brought out only one exhibitor, Mr. Grossart, and to him the first prize 
was awarded. In the open class for a table of hardy flowers Messrs. 
Munro & Ferguson were first, being the only exhibitors. In the cut 
•flower classes were some good Roses, Mr. N. R. Henderson, Clermiston, 
being first for twenty-four blooms in eight varieties. The best twelve 
blooms of Gloire de Dijon came from Mr. Chalmers, Davidson Mains ; 
and the best twelve of Marichal Niel from Mr. T. Fender, Crieff. Mr. 
McIntyre, The Glen, was first respectively for twelve blooms of stove 
and greenhouse plants and for twelve Orchids. 
In the section confined to nurserymen the chief interest centred in 
two groups of plants arranged on the floor of the building. The one was 
cval-shaped in outline, the chief features being some good Azaleas, not 
too profusely covered with flowers, and some good Palms standing 
•boldly out from the small Ferns and other plants, which were freely 
used to hide the pots. This group was from Messrs. R. B. Laird and 
Sons, West Coates, and to it the first prize was awarded. The other had 
the oval broken by a bulge in the centre of the two longer sides, a 
feature which had no beneficial effect. Palms, Lilium Harrisi, 
Dractenas, Crotons, and various fine foliage plants were skilfully 
arranged, though perhaps in too great numbers, the undergrowth being 
much of the same character as in that above described. Messrs. Ireland 
and Thomson, Craigleith, contributed this group, and secured the second 
prize. The same exhibitors were the sole exhibitors in various other 
classes. 
Among the miscellaneous exhibits not for competition, great atten¬ 
tion was attracted to a group of Primula Sieboldi from Messrs. Ryder 
and Son, Sale. These were set up among Maidenhair Ferns in very neat 
form. Messrs. Barr & Son, Covent Garden, had a small collection of 
CUE Daffodils which were of much interest as containing some of the 
newer good forms, such as Mrs. Gammel, Countess of Annesley, &c. 
Messrs. T. Methven & Sons, Princess Street, set up a group of ordinary 
decorative plants, one of the prettiest in the hall. The weather was 
remarkably fine on both days, too fine, indeed, for the benefit of the 
Society, if one might judge from the attendance at various times, which 
was very small, the genial atmosphere out of doors being apparently more 
attractive than the glow of beauty within. 
K WOKK-Fo^theWEEK,. ' 
- j 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Figs. —Those who neglected to protect these in any way will perhaps 
regret not having attended to this important matter. The very severe 
frosts experienced during the early part of March appear to have 
completely killed the embryo fruit at the points of all unprotected 
shoots, and it is doubtful if even those lightly protected were proof 
against such a low temperature as 20° below freezing point. They 
would have withstood an equally severe frost earlier in the winter, but 
Figs, in common with all other hardy fruits, were moving much earlier 
than usual. In all probability there will be a scarcity of those luscious 
fruits next August and September. 
Pruning Figs. — All mats. Fir branches, or other protecting 
material of a heavy nature ought now to be cleared from the trees, but 
it is advisable to delay what pruning may be considered necessary till 
such times as it will be seen which branches or shoots are fruitful or 
not, this being the most likely method of securing a fairly good crop. 
Late pruning is always perfectly safe. Pigs apparently possessing any 
amount of vital power. Trees with their branches growing unrestricted 
from the walls, these frequently being the most productive, ought 
merely to be lightly thinned out, all suckers or gross shoots springing 
from the base of the trees being also removed. Those kept neatly 
trained to walls to have some of the longest and most naked branches 
cut well back to the main stems ; this gives the more serviceable wood 
more space, and also causes the formation of younger shoots nearer the 
base of the tree, or where they are most needed. It is almost needless 
to point out that the fruits are borne at the points of well matured 
young shoots, and the latter ought not therefore to be shortened, but 
must be laid in to their full length. No notice should be taken of the 
destruction by frost of partially developed fruit, as these never swell 
and ripen. At present this season’s crop, or what should have been such, 
is in a bud state, but they will develope rapidly and in advance of the 
foliage. Be very sparing of the knife in the case of vigorous young 
trees, as the more these are pruned back the more luxuriant, and there¬ 
fore unfruitful, they become. 
Planting Figs. —In most cases nurserymen keep their stock of 
young trees in pots, and they can consequently be ordered and planted 
any time during April or May, the former month from choice. The 
most generally productive varieties are the Brown Turkey, White Mar¬ 
seilles, and Brown Ischia, the first named being the most commonly 
grown. The Brunswick is quite as hardy as either of the foregoing, and 
the fruits are very large and good in quality, but as a rule are very 
thinly produced. A strong sappy growth being neither hardy nor fruit¬ 
ful, it behoves those who are anxious to grow Figs well to plant them 
in a very sunny position, and in rather poor soil. The best places in¬ 
side garden walls are the corners formed by the junction of a wall 
facing south and another facing to the west, than which no hotter 
position can be found. Figs also succeed admirably against high south 
walls, the sunny ends of living houses, stables, and outbuildings. On 
the south coast they do well as standards, and are particularly “ at 
home ” against the chalky or other cliSs to be found on the Kentish 
and other adjoining coasts. Substitute rough drainage for any clayey 
subsoil there may be in the spots chosen, and plant principally in rather 
poor fresh loam, to which chalk or mortar rubbish has been most freely 
added. Make this nearly as hard as the road, and there will then be 
less likelihood of rank top growth resulting. A roadway or gravel path 
near to a vigorous Fig tree soon corrects a non-fruitful habit. 
Forming New Strawberry Beds. —The present time is well 
suited to the formation of fresh Strawberry plantations, especially in 
cases where they were not established early enough in August to do 
any good. If kept from fruiting, for the smallest plants will attempt 
it, all will grow to a large size during the summer, and yield extra fine 
