THE COTTAGE GARDENED. 
July 1. 
212 
I vines, an early opportunity will lie taken of carrying the 
! subject farther out, when we will say something about 
the long-rod system. R. Eiuungton. 
(To be continued.) 
FRUITS AT THE CHISWICK SHOW, JUNE 12th 
The Pines, although respectable, were by no means 
remarkable, considering the advanced period of the 
season, and the perfection to which pine-culture has 
recently been brought. Mr. Coilinson’s 10 lb. 8oz. fruit 
was of course a noble one; but we noticed one or two 
rather “ pinched ” in the middle ; a circumstance which 
points to a slight imperfection in the fruit, and derogatory 
of its beauty. 
The Melons, in which there was some variety, were 
tolerably fine as to appearance; the flavour of course we 
could not ascertain; but we were glad to see Mr. Collin- 
son’s green-flesh Egyptian preferred before others of 
much more splendid exterior; shewing that the judges 
were, as they ought to be, ruled by the flavour, instead 
of size, appearance, or novelty, in this most important 
section. 
The Black Harnbro' Grapes were good, but not by any 
means extraordinary; the berries being rather small 
for exhibition articles. They were very well coloured, 
but not perfectly so; and, perhaps, the season is to 
blame. Mr. Lush’s Black Prince grapes were very fine 
fruit; and had Mr. Turnbull's Muscats been thoroughly 
ripe, they would have been capital specimens for the 
period. 
In Peaches there were some fine dishes for June, but 
the Nectarines possessed, we think, more merit. The 
Figs were nothing extraordiuary; but in Strawberries 
there were some capital British Queens; one basket, 
indeed a noble pile. Strawberries in pots had two 
competitors, and those by Mr. Smith, market-gardener, 
were specimens of good culture. 
On the whole, then, the fruit, although respectable 
for the season, were not remarkable, and not good 
exponents to a stranger or foreigner of the highest 
perfection of British fruit-culture. We should like 
to see fruit, at such exhibitions, as much superior 
to what may be found in Covent Garden market, 
as the specimen-plants on the exhibition tables are 
to the market, or to our nursery establishments; but 
this is not by any means the case. We can scarcely 
divine how it happens that the amount of fruit is 
not more extensive. Surely, there is no want of 
interest on the part of the public; a fact sufficiently 
evinced by the constant pressure at this portion of the 
tents. It is extremely difficult for the reporter to get 
a peep at them; and if a slight inaccuracy should oc¬ 
casionally occur, it is no marvel. We should like to 
see the amount quadrupled at least, feeling assured 
that nothing could add more to the glory of the tents, 
and the satisfaction and pleasure of the visitors. And 
why not plenty of Cherries ? as also of Raspberries, Cur¬ 
rants, Gooseberries, &c. ? Why not all possible forcing 
be encouraged and represented? We really thought to 
have seen huge trained specimens of grapes in pots; 
a practice which many amateurs take much delight 
and interest in. There can be little doubt, that as 
orchard-houses are in the ascendant, the interest in 
fruits will be much increased ; and it behoves the com¬ 
mittees of our societies to take the lead, by giving more 
importance and significance to this interesting subject. 
THE JUNE EXHIBITIONS. 
Too much of a good thing is almost as bad as too 
little; and two large exhibitions in one week is an 
exemplification of the adage. Having so experienced it 
myself, I shall be more lenient to my readers by com¬ 
bining what I intend to say of both on this occasion. 
After the soaking through and through at “ the Bark,” 
my frame was not in a fit condition to try another 
squeeze at the narrow gate at Chiswick, so I went over 
to Mr. Montgomery’s saw-mills at Brentford, to see the 
new machinery by which ho prepares sash-bars, styles, 
&c., for hothouses, pits, and frames; but having only 
time to say that those who intend building hothouses 
ought to consult him before they close a contract, I go 
on to say how agreeably I was surprised to find the 
narrow gate done away with at the Chiswick Garden, 
and an entrance fit for her Majesty to pass through put 
up in its place, with ample accommodation for any 
sudden push that might occur, as did at the May show. 
I hope this favourable impression will not be thought 
to influence my private opinion of the plants and ar¬ 
rangement, or of any other thing that I shall have occa- 
\ sion to notice. 
The first tent on the right, where the roses stood last 
May, was filled with well-grown Calceolarias and 
Heaths —just the style of heath-growing which an ama¬ 
teur ought to aim at. It is all very well for our first-rate 
gardeners to show the world, that all the world, or all 
the gardeners in the world put together, cannot com¬ 
pete with them in this branch of plant-culture; but 
there is not one amateur out of a thousand who could 
j keep one of the monster bushes of heaths alive for one 
month in the summer season. There was one good 
plain yellow Calceolaria, called Attraction; a red one, 
named Joe Miller; and a third, a purple one, Cleopatra', 
the rest were spotted on various ground colours. All 
these were of the size that I would recommend amateurs 
to imitate, judging from what one sees at these exhibi¬ 
tions. Erica Cavenclishii, with splendid yellow flowers 
and an upright growth ; E. depressa, a fine yellow one, 
with a spreading and drooping growth ; all the varieties 
of E. ventricosa and E.elegans, a dense low glaucous sort, 
with a powdery hue on the dull red pink blossoms, must 
be the easiest to manage for summer show, as every heath 
grower is sure to have them in his stand. Cavenclishii, I 
recollect, was the first that they exhibited some years 
as a single specimen of good growth,'when heath-grow¬ 
ing was in the balance; some maintaining that they 
could not be grown in England at all; but our gold 
medals and the inflexibility of the judges soon disproved 
the assertion. 
This brings me to a point which I wish seriously, and 
with the best possible feeling, to recommend to the 
councils of the two great societies, and that is to do 
away altogether with giving prizes for single specimens of 
plants that have been under cultivation for some years, 
i because I see quite clearly that that stimulus is not now 
required; and when a good thing is accomplished why 
not use this prize for some other department? The 
lowest grade in London gardening at the present day, 
and the one that is most highly desired in the country 
by the great patrons of gardening, is that which, by 
either forcing or retarding, can bring up a host of well- 
grown plants in bloom at a season not natural for them 
to be in flower. Moss Roses on Christmas Day, and 
Chrysanthemums at a July exhibition, may not be easy 
of attainment; but apply the stimulus which is now 
j wasted on specimen plants, and you may rely on it that 
March aud April flowering plants will be brought up in 
full condition in May and June; and that those never 
j seen in flower except in August and September, will be 1 
I ready at our July fetes. We have pines and grapes all 
! the year round, peaches and nectarines from the end of 
March to near Christmas, and why not Luculias from 
i October to May? But, let us first make a start with 
the principle, aud leave the selection of subjects to iudi- 
1 vidual efforts without a stop or hindrance. There is one 
I class of spocimens that I would still keep open prizes 
