FEBRUARY. 57 
be 12 or 15 inches apart. For winter, let the beds be above the surface 
soil. Parsley, however, will grow moderately almost anywhere. 
Carrots .—For this crop the soil must be very deeply dug and 
minutely broken up, if not of itself sandy. 1 he crop preceding should 
have been highly manured, which will make a preparation for the 
Carrot. Should this not be the case, the dressing must be rotten 
manure, quite friable; or fresh horse litter, that the roots may meet 
with no obstruction, and grow clean and straight. 
Parsnips, as above, only the soil must be heavier. Parsnips will 
thrive well on even clayey soils, if there is depth for them to penetrate. 
Beet as for Carrots. 
Onions .—Good old garden soils, with plenty of unexhausted manure, 
suits this crop ; it prefers a rather strong soil, which^ should be deeply 
dug (as the roots penetrate to a considerable depth), and made tolerably 
firm. Where farm-yard manure has been used for some years dress 
the ground with guano or the blood manure 3 or 4 lbs. per pole. Light 
sandy soils produce the maggot, which often destroys the crop. 
G. F. 
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 
I HAVE perused with considerable interest the article in the January 
number, “ Do exhibitions encourage horticulture as they ought?” 
I admit that several of the remarks are very justly founded, and trust 
that growers of plants will pay a little more attention to their specimens 
intended for exhibition. As you mention the Newcastle-on-Tyne 
show in particular, and that not in a very creditable manner, I beg 
respectfully to correct several errors which, if not contradicted, will 
entirely mislead the public, and act prejudicially to this society, one of 
the oldest in the kingdom, established in 1824. 
In the first place, you mention the “September” show, at New¬ 
castle-on-Tyne : now, we had no show after the 30th and 31st of July. 
In the next place, you state that it is the practice here to give prizes 
for the best yellow, white, scarlet, and other coloured Dahlias. This is 
also an error. We offer prizes for the “ best single specimen,” irres¬ 
pective of colour ; and at our July show we did not offer any prizes 
for Dahlias, as you will observe from the schedule of prizes herewith. 
You next bring Mr. Edwards of York forward as, “ growing excellent 
Dahlias, not many miles distant.” Now, York is over eighty miles 
south of this place, with a much better climate than we possess, and 
therefore will not bear a just comparison. If that is not the case, how 
is it that corn and other agricultural and garden produce is so much 
later in coming to maturity here than at York? 
Your remarks about judges having the power to award or withhold 
prizes are quite correct; our Rule 10 provides for that. 
We appoint our judges from a distance, and no competitor has an 
opportunity of tampering with them ; for, in the first place, they do not 
