May 26.1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
423 
to J. .Spode, Esq., Hawkeyard, Rngeley, being first both with nine 
and six plants with his usual fresh evenly trained and well flowered 
specimens. Messrs. H. James, Offer, aud Bolton secured the other 
prizes in the two classes. The b'st Bingle specimen stove plant 
wag a large Clerodendron Bilfourianum from Mr. Wakeham, and the 
best greenhouse plant, a huge Erica Cavendishiana, from Mr. H. James, 
who was also first with nine Ericas, capital healthy specimens. In 
the class for eighteen Roses in pots not exceeding 9 inches in diameter, 
Messrs. Paul A Son, Cheshunt, were accorded first honours for a good selec¬ 
tion of varieties and vigorous well flowered plants, of which Beauty of 
Waltham, Violette Bouyer, Souvenir d’un Ami, and Madame Isaac 
Perriere were very notable. Mr. C. Turner, Slough, was a close second, 
and Mr. Rumser, Waltham Cross, was third, with healthy little specimens. 
Nearly all the Pelargoniums were the same as those noted last week at 
Regent’s Park, but of course not quite so fresh. Mr. C. Turner, Mr. D. 
Philips, Slougb, Mr. F. J. Hill, and Mr. Wiggins, gardener to W. Clay, Esq., 
Kingston, were the prizetakers. AzaleaB were not quite so good as usual, 
beiDg rather deficient in flowers, the best being the eighteen small plants 
from Mr. C. Turner, which were first in their class, neat globular or conioal 
specimens of Cordon Bleu, Mrs. Turner, Bernhard Andrea alba, Mdlle. Marie 
Lefebvre, Roi d’Hollande, Souvinir de Prince Albert, Baron de Rothschild, 
and Louise Pynaert. Mr. Turner was also first with nine Azaleas, but not 
very well flowered, Mr. H. James being second with brighter specimens. 
Mr. II. Offer, Handcross Park Gardens, Crawley, was first with six Azaleas, 
good examples of Flag of Truce, Leopold I., and Mrs. Turner being 
notable. Gloxinias and Calceolarias were well represented, Mr. A. Luff, 
gardener to R. R. Hyatt, Esq., Streatham, and Mr. W. Slogrove, gardener to 
Mrs. Crawford, Reigate, winning the first prizes in the two classes for 
Gloxinias. With Calceolarias Mr. J. James, Farnham Royal, Slough, was 
first for superb, compact plants, with highly coloured flowers, and in the 
amateurs’ class Mr. C. J. Salt.r was easily first with excellent plants of a 
oapital strain. 
Fine-foliage plants, Ferns, Dracamas, and Crotons were numerous and 
mostly clean well-grown specimens, but there was a general want of colour 
in the Dracsnas and Crotons, due no doubt to the unfavourable season. 
Mr. T. N. Penfold, The Gardens, Beddington House, Beddington, exhibited 
well and secured first honours for nine fine-foliage plants and nine Ferns, 
and in both cases his specimens were good examples of cultural skill. Mr. 
Bolton also showed well, taking the first place for six Ferns and several 
smaller prizes in other classes. Mr. Bird, gardener to J. A. Causton, Esq., 
Alleyn Park, West Dulwich, and Mr. Offer were respectively first with nine 
and six Crotons, the last named being excellently coloured. Messrs. H. 
James and Hooper & Co. also won several prizes in these classes. For 
Dracamas Mr. W. King, gardener to Philip Crowley, Esq., Waddon House, 
Croydon, was a successful exhibitor, securing the premier award with six 
fine specimens. Messrs. J. Laing & Co. were first with nine Caladiums, the 
plants 3 to 4 feet high and in diameter, and with well developed foliage, the 
varieties being Comte de Condeixa, Luddemannianum, Leopold Robert, San- 
choniathon, Fritz Kcechlin, Albo-luteum, Ferdinand Lesseps, Clio, and 
Mithridate. Mr. H. James had the best eighteen Nepenthes, very strong 
large plants, bearing numbers of fine pitchers, and Mr. A. Luff was second 
in the same class. 
The piizes for eighteen dinner table plants brought no less than ten 
exhibitors, and the display was an usual one. Messrs. Hooper & Co. were 
adjudged first honours for neat graceful plants, of which the following were 
the best:—Pandanus Yeitchi, Croton Lord Derby, Aralia elegantissima, 
Kentia Belmoreana, Croton elegantissimus, Dracaena Goldieana, Phoenix 
rupicola, Cooos Weddelliana, Croton Evansianus, Aralia Yeitchi, Terminalia 
elegans, Geonoma gracilis, and Dracaona terminalis. Mr. J. Hudson, 
gardener to H. J. Atkinson, Esq., Gunnersbury House, Acton, and Messrs. 
J. Laing & Co. were awarded equal second prizes for similarly elegant 
plants. 
Bouquets, buttonholes, and stands of flowers were admirably represented, 
the competition in several cases being very keen and the exhibits most 
tasteful. Messrs. Perkins it Son, Coventry, won the prize for the best bridal 
bouquet, which was chiefly composed of white Lapagerias, white RoseB, 
Lilies of tlie.Valley, Stephanotis, Pancratiums, Rhynchoepermum, Dendro- 
bium Jamesianum, with Asparagus plumosus and Adiantum. Mr. J. R. 
Chard, Stoke Newington, was second with a tasteful combination of 
Bouvardias, Eucharis, Tuberoses, Gardenias, double Primroses, and Lilies 
of the Valley; Mr. G. Phippen, Reading, being third with a bouquet con¬ 
sisting chiefly of Stephanotis and white Roses. For one bouquet Messrs. 
Perkins <t Son were again first, the flowers employed most freely being 
Masdevallias, Roses, Odontoglossums, Lilie3 of the Valley, Stephanotis, and 
Rhynchoepermum, placed together lightly and gracefully. Mr. J. R. Chard 
was again second with a very pretty bouquet, consisting of pink Bouvardias, 
Carnations, white Roses, Eucharis, yellow Carnations, and double Primulas, 
with Adiantum fronds. For six buttonhole bouquets Messrs. Perkins and 
Son wore first, their contributions being’argely composed of Orchid flowers. 
Mrs. Bishop, Duppas Hill, Croydon, was second with a tasteful arrangement 
of Stephanotis, Roses, Bouvardias, and Forget-me-nots ; Miss C. A. Wright, 
2. Railway Buildings, South Norwood, being third with somewhat similar 
elegant bouquels. The prizes for three vases of flowers were well contested, 
Mr. T. Butcher, South Norwood, gaining the first place, followed by Mr. 
J. R. Chard and Mrs. Bishop; while for one vase Mr. G. Phippen took first 
honours, Mr. J. R. Chard being second, and Mr. Hassell third. Messrs. 
Perkins it Son abo had a handsome wreath of white flowers, not for com- 
etition. Cut flowers were numerous, the leading collections being staged 
v Mr. A. GibsoD, gardener to T. F. B. Atkins, Esq., Halstead Place, and 
Mr. C. J. Salter; Messrs. Penfold, James, and Parrott securing the other 
prizes. 
The miscellaneous non competing exhibits were very numerous and excel¬ 
lent. Messrs. Wm. Paul Sc Son, Waltham Cross, had an extensive collection 
of Roees in pots together with a dozen boxes of cut blooms, all as bright and 
fresh as could be wished. Messrs. Paul it Son, Cheshunt, had a varied 
group of choice hardy herbaceous and alpine plants. Mr. T. S. Ware, 
Tottenham, contributed a group of Pteonies, Primula Sieboldi, Trollius, and 
Polemonium Richardsoni. Messrs. Barr it Son, Covent Garden, had a large 
and beautiful group of Daffodils and hardy flowers. Messrs. J. Carter and 
Oo., Holboro, showed a collection of Mimulus named Carter’s Queen’s 
Prize, the flowers 2J inches in diameter, scarlet and magenta, with yellow 
and cream coloured throats and margins. Mr. J. Bolton, Cooinbe Bank 
Gardens, Sevenoaks, sent two plant* of a bright double pink Petunia. Mr. 
W. Rumsey had several boxes of Rose blooms ; Mr. Hooper, Bath, a large 
collection of Pansy blooms ; Mr. Walker, Tbam?, boxes of fine Marechal 
Niel and other Rose blooms ; and Mr. A. J. Catt a group of plants of 
Odontoglossum ciispum. 
Certificates were awarded for the following plants :— 
Pceonia Moutan Urnnie (T. S. Ware).—Very large handsome flowers, 
full, rosy crimson. 
Pceonia Moutan Iiinzi (T. 8. Ware).—Similarly large, of a rosy purple 
colour. 
Pceonia Moutan Louise Mouchelet (T. S. Ware).—Very handsome, 
salmon pink, an immense size. 
Pceonia Moutan Odorata Maria (T. S. Ware).—Blush white, very 
fragrant, large and full. 
Begonia Princess Victoria (J. Laing it Co.).—A tuberous variety with 
large we’l formed bright pink flowers. 
Begonia Duke of Edinburgh (J. Laing & Co).—A tuberous variety, 
flowers of great size and excellent form, brilliant rich scarlet. 
Azalia indica Souvenir de Franqois Vervaene (J. Laing & Co.).—A 
double white variety, flowers long and full, with an undulated margin to 
the petals, very distinct and free. 
l’elargonium Henry Daukes (Wiggins). 
Lcelia purpttrata Airs. H. Little (H. Little). 
HARDY OFFICINAL PLANTS.* 
(Afr. L. Castle’s Paper, continued from page 402.) 
In the No. 10 issue of Mr. T. Christy’s excellent serial* we find the 
genus Strophanthus exhaustively treated and freely illustrated, also a 
contribution by Mr. Lewis Castle on some officinal plants that may be 
grown in this country for commercial purposes. This article we re¬ 
produce :—• 
Datura Stramonium, L. (Thorn Apple).—An annual plant; a native of 
Europe, and in some districts so abundant as to be a troublesome weed; even 
in this country, when a few plants have been allowed to produce their seeds, 
the plants will come in all directions for several seasons. The seeds are 
produced in abundance, and a good supply of plants can soon be secured by 
sowiDg the seed under glass and planting out in May. In good soil they 
will grow rapidly, and produce their fruits and s^eds before autumn. The 
seeds can also be sown out-of-doors after all danger of frost is past, and in 
ordinarily favourable seasons these too will a fiord plenty of fruits and seeds 
before the end of the season. The soil should be well dug, and, whether 
the seed is sown outside or the seedlings reared in houses and transplanted, 
they are better in rows, allowing good space between them, and in dry 
weather supplies of water will be found beneficial, as, being a rapidly 
growing plant, it soon exhausts the soil. Gerard states that the Thom 
Apple was brought in seed from Constantinople by Lord Edward Zouch, 
and that he (Gerard) dispersed the seed through this country. 
Delphinium Staphisagria, L. (Stavesacre).—An annual or biennial 
plant; a native of South Europe, of which the seeds have been employed 
in medicine since the time of the Greeks. It i3 not quite hardy in this 
country, but in warm districts or sheltered situations it survives ordinary 
winters, and a little protection in less favoured places will make it safe, a 
handlight being the best means, though a slight mulching of some ligh 
material will commonly answer a similar purpose. It was cultivated by 
Gerard in 1596, and he mentions that he used to cover it “ with feme, to- 
defend it from the March winds,” which then, as now, often proved more 
destructive to plants than the frosts. The seeds can be sown in a bed or 
border of light soil in autumn, where the plants can be safely left out during 
the winter; otherwise the seeds may be sown in pans placed in a cold frame, 
and the seedlings transplanted in the spring. They succeed better when 
undisturbed, and usually produce their flowers and seeds in the following 
summer and autumn. If sown under glass early in the spring, and then 
planted out immediately the weather is fine enough, they will flower 
the same season, as they will also do in suitable situations if sown out of 
doors. 
Ecballium elaterium, A. Rich (Mormordica Elaterium, L.). The 
Squirting Cucumber.— A perennial Cucurbitaceous plant, found very 
abundantly in the south of Europe, where in many places it is a trouble¬ 
some weed. The expressed juice of the fruit constitutes the Elaterium of 
commerce, and is strongly purgative, like several other plants of the same 
family. The root is large and fleshy, with long trailing stems, and small 
oval fruits that when mature burst, and cast out the seeds with considerable 
force. In consequence of this peculiarity the plants must be looked over 
carefully, and the fruits gathered before they are fully ripe. The seeds may 
be sown in the same way as those of the Colocynth—namely, under glass 
early in the season, and subsequently planted out. Or the seed maybe sown 
in the open ground, in light warm soil, when all danger of frost is past, and 
they will soon germinate. In rich soil the plants grow rapidly during the 
summer months, producing abundance of their fruits, and the roots may 
usually be solely left in the ground, with a thick covering of cocoa-nut 
fibre refuse, fern fronds, leaf soil, or anything of a similar character. The 
roots will last for several years, but a fresh stock can be raised from seed 
every season if desirable, as when once the plant is obtained seeds will soon 
be plentiful. 
F<eniculum CAPILLACEUM, Gilib. Fennel. (F. vulgare, F. officinale, 
F. dulce).—An easily grown plant, requiring no special treatment, succeeding 
well in good garden soil. Sow the seeds in autumn or April, in drills, 
thinning the seedlings out slightly. Keep the ground clean, and in dry hot 
weather supply water occasionally if convenient. It is usually treated as a, 
biennial, making its growth the first year, flowering and seeding the second, 
when the crop can be harvested in the same way as Carraway ; but all the 
Umbellifer® grown for the sake of their seeds require prompt attention when 
these are approaching maturity. 
* “ New Commercial Plants and Drugs,” Christy & Co., 25, Lime Street, London, E.C. 
