July 27. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
325 
season. They are, and have been, half-starved. If they 
were ours we would turn them out of the pots into the 
borders immediately, and allow them large doses of soft 
pure water for the next six weeks. There are, doubtless, 
many little hard, black, wiry shoots on them, with a gouty 
top, and a few green leaves, and all such ought to be cut 
down to the very bottom at onee, and none but bold-looking 
vigorous shoots left. Some of these might then flower 
next September. At all events, we would leave the whole 
out in the ground next winter, with coal-aslies round them ; 
cut them down to the ashes in February, and next summer 
they would flower most beautifully. About, the end of next 
March we would take up one of the roots, and pot it to get 
healthy cuttings from for a fresh lot of pot plants; but after 
one year in the open ground all of them would do in pots, 
if potted early in the spring, and allowed to grow without 
forcing.] 
DIELYTEA SPECTABILIS SEEDS. 
“ E. H. C. encloses some seed of Dielytra spectabilis, and 
hopes success will attend raising plants from them.” 
[Many thanks for the seeds of Dielytra spectabilis, which 
appear to be perfectly sound and healthy; they were sown 
immediately, and a report of their progress will appear in 
due time. The reason why we are so anxious to raise plants 
from this seed is to ascertain what effect a few year’s cultiva¬ 
tion may have in domesticating the species, so to speak. 
The species will come true from the seed, no doubt; but will 
the plants, so produced, be more willing to seed than those 
we possess from the original wild stock ? or, has Mr. For¬ 
tune’s plant been had from a stock so long cultivated and 
propagated by division of the roots in China as to cause 
barrenness ? or, what is the cause that so few people can get 
the plant to seed at all in Britain? Practical answers, or 
conclusions, on such points are of the utmost value to tho 
cross breeder, and not to be overlooked by the vegetable 
physiologist.] 
ARBOR VITAE PRUNING—RHODODENDRONS. 
“ I shall esteem it a favour, if you will kindly advise me 
upon two little matters, viz., I have some fine Arbor Vitas 
grown out of shape, I imagine from being shaded on the 
north-west by some largo Beeches. Would it be right to 
trim them with the shears. They are about 11 feet high ? 
Also, I have planted a quantity of small Rhododendrons in 
my nursery. When will be the best time to cut down the 
new wood, as I wish to have them fine bushy plants when 
I bed them out in about two years’ time ? They are re¬ 
markably healthy.—G. II. T.” 
[The shears are the very worst tool to bet/in with when 
these trees get out of order and shape. The first thing is 
to ascertain if they have more than one leader a piece. 
The whole order, tribe, and kindred of the Arbor Vita 
should never be allowed to grow up with more than one 
leader, or centre stem, and all the side-branches ought to be 
in balance all round the central column, and tho lowest 
branches to be the longest ones; these are principles, as 
sure as anything so called. If there are several leaders, the 
question is, can you do with one of them without defacing 
the shape more than it is? but that can only be answered on 
the spot. The probability is that the trees were neglected 
from their youth upwards. That one main leader only was 
produced; that from this leader strong side-hranehes came 
out and turned up and down, or anyhow; that other branches 
from these went the same ways, and by this time the centre 
of the trees are all naked and ziz-zag in the branches; and 
that long hanging young shoots are falling down on the 
side farthest from the Beech-trees. If all this is as we 
think, it will take five years certain to put your Arbor Vitas 
in order. The way to do that is to cut back a fifth part of 
all the stronger shoots to such a distance from the main 
leader as would make a perfect cone of the tree, if all the 
shoots were cut back at the same time. That distance can 
only be determined on the spot. This is a good time to 
stump in the Arbor Vita, and nothing short of stumping, 
or cutting back of tho stronger boughs, will ever put an 
Arbor Vita into good shape. 
No hardy Rhododendron should be cut-in from July to 
the middle of the following April; but May is tho right time 
to cut them, so as to get them bushy, and into good shapes.] 
EWING’S GLASS WALLS—EriMEDIUM HYBRIDS. 
“ In comparing the protecting qualities of Ewing’s Glass 
Walls and Rivers's Orchard-house, in your publication of 
June 20th, p. 212,1 think it should have been stated, that 
at Sawbridgeworth, on April 2-ith, there were only 7° of 
frost, and at Chiswick there were 11°, so that I hardly think 
it a fair trial of the two contrivances. I am very glad my 
note about the Vieusseuxia has brought out Mr. Beaton’s 
valuable article on that bulb. I may be able to send him a 
pinch of Dielytra spectabilis seed this year, as I see my large 
plant is seeding again. Last year I never found above one 1 
seed in a pod; this year I have two in a few of the pods. I 
I have been unsuccessful in raising plants from the seed ! 
saved last, but I did not sow it till spring, and I see you ! 
direct it to be sown as soon as ripe. I have it still in the | 
pot in which it was sown : is there any chance of its coming j 
up now ? I have successfully hybridized Epimedium ma- 
cranthum and E. colchicum, and sowed the seed at once, but 
it has not come up. It has been sown six weeks, and I am 
much disappointed. Is this likely to come up ? and if I 
succeed another year in hybridizing it, what .am I to do ? 
Does the seed take long to vegetate?—A. R.” 
[If tho difference between the temperatures at Chiswick 
and at Mr. Rivers’ was just double what it was said to be, 
that would not move us in favour of glass walls as exhibited 
in the garden of the Horticultural Society. The plain 
English of the whole plan is, that they are extravagant toys. 
The cross seeds of the Epimediums-ought to have vegetated 
before now; we would plunge to the rim in the open borders, 
and put a piece of glass over it to keep the rains from 
splashing out the soil or seeds; perhaps they would vege¬ 
tate that way better and sooner at the first start, or, perhaps, 
they will not vegetate till next spring, and the frost cannot 
hurt them. We have had many instances of crossed seeds 
being to all appearance perfect, yet they wanted the living 
germ. This fact is well-known, and a strange hypothesis 
has been reared, or attempted to be reared, on it, w'hich is 
this, that two or three, if not four, processes in the act 
of fertilizing the seed takes place, such as forming the seed 
coat, first; seed leaves; after that something else, which we 
forget, third; and the principle of life or growth the last 
process of all. You will see to day that we have got some 
seeds of Dielytra spectabilis, but we have room for more.] 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW. 
Lincoln, July 2 1st. 
POULTRY. 
The show of Poultry was superior, perhaps, to any of its 
predecessors, especially in Dorkings. We will give a report 
next week, and now confine ourselves merely to the list of 
prizes awarded. 
Class 1 . — Dorking Fowls. —Cock and two Hens.—Chickens of 1854. 
First prize, H. D. Davies, of Spring Grove House, Hounslow. Second 
prize, H. D. Davies, of Spring Grove House, Hounslow. Third prize, 
Joseph Smith, of Henley in Arden, Warwick. Fourth prize, James 
Lewry, of Handcross, Crawley, Sussex. 
Class 2. — Dorking Fowls, more than one year old.— Cock and 
two Hens.—First prize, H. D. Davies, Spring Grove House, Hounslow. 
Second prize, Mrs. Towneley Parker, of Astley Hall, Chorley, Lanca¬ 
shire. Third prize, Mrs. Towneley Parker, of Astley Hall, Chorley, 
Lancashire. Fourth prize, G. A. Gelderd, of Aikrigg End, Kendal, 
Westmoreland. 
Class 3.— Dorking Cocks of any age. —First prize, G. A. Gelderd, 
of Aikrigg End, Kendal, Westmoreland. Second prize, Mrs. Towneley 
Parker, Astley Hall, Chorley, Lancashire. 
Class 4.—Spanish Fowls. —Cock and two Hens.—First prize, H. D. 
Davies, Spring Grove House, Hounslow. Second prize, George Botham, 
of Wexham Court, Slough, Bucks. Third prize, II. D. Davies, Spring 
Grove House, Hounslow. Fourth prize, G. A. Gelderd, of Aikrigg End, 
Kendal, Westmoreland. 
Class 5.—Spanish Cocks of any age. — First prize, James Dixon, 
of Westbrook-place, Bradford, Yorkshire. 
Class 6.— Cochin-China Fowls. —Cock and two liens, Chickens of 
1854. —First prizes, G. A. Gelderd, Aikrigg End, Kendal, Westmoreland. 
Second prize, G. A. Gelderd, of Aikrigg End, Kendal, Westmoreland. 
Third prize, John Taylor, jun., of Spring Grove House, Hounslow. 
Fourth prize, William Sanday, of Holme Picrrcpont, Nottingham. 
Class 7.—CociiIn-Ciiina Cocks of any age.— First prize, Caborn 
Pocklington, of Boston, Lancashire. 
