168 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
to Sir E. Antrobus, Bart. Second prize, Mr. Taylor, gar¬ 
dener to J. Costar, Esq., Norwood. 
20 Plants. Nurserymen. First prize, Messrs. Frazer. 
10 Plants. First prize, Mr. Croxford, gardener to H. 
Barnes, Esq., Stamford Hill. Second prize, Mr. Speed, 
Edmonton. Third prize, Mr. Williams, gardener to Miss 
Trail, Bromley. Fourth prize, Mr. Carson, gardener to 
W. T. Farmer, Esq., Cheam. 
GREENHOUSE AZALEAS. 
The tent in which the large collections, and the collections 
of Azaleas were placed, is on a sloping ground. The plants 
stand on raised terraces, the centre one being oval and the 
rest circles of different sizes, with half-circles at the sides. 
The front of the terraces is covered with green turf, and 
the flat space is covered with sand; this being done on a 
large scale (for the oval terrace alone held the two collec¬ 
tions of 30 large plants) it shows off the plants, if well 
arranged, to the greatest advantage, particularly the Azaleas 
in bloom. Mr. Frazer’s collection of ten of these gorgeous 
plants, by the judicious blending of colour so as to harmo¬ 
nize with each other, formed a picture of floral display that 
will not easily be forgotten. Her Majesty, and her royal 
and noble attendants, turned round and stood a considerable 
i time admiring the beautiful arrangement. This, we hope, 
will have a good effect hereafter upon the exhibitors, and 
: will cause them to study the effect of arrangement of colours 
more than they have hitherto done. The prizes and spe¬ 
cimens were nearly the same as at Chiswick. 
CAPE HEATHS. 
The following we notice as additional to those at Chiswick. 
Erica ampullacea carnumbrata {Cole), l£ ft by 2 ft. 
E. AMPULLACEA VITTATA ( Cole), 2 ft by 2 ft. 
E. Cavendishii {Over), 2.4 ft by 24 ft. ( Rollison), 3 ft by 3 ft. 
E. depressa {Cole), well bloomed, 14 ft by 2 ft. 
E. Florida {Over), 14 ft by 14 ft, a rare heath. {Rollison), 2 ft by 2 ft. 
E. favoides {Rollison), 24 ft by 2 ft. 
E. favoides elegans {Smith), 3 ft by 3 ft. (Over), 2 ft by 2 ft. 
E. Mac Nabbiana (Smith), 14 ft by 2 ft. {Veiteh), lj ft by 2 ft. 
E. metblafloea ( Veiteh), 14 ft by 24 ft, the true. 
E. perspicua nana ( Cole), 2 ft by 2 ft. (Over), 24 ft by 2 ft. (Rolli¬ 
son), 24 ft by 24 ft. 
E. peagnans (Rollison), 3 ft by 3 ft. 
E. vestita alba (Smith), 24 ft. by 3 ft. 
E. ventricosa nana (Cole), 14 ft by 2 ft. 
E. ventricosa superba (Cole), 24 ft by 24 ft. 
E. Westphalingia (Smith), 24 ft by 3 ft. 
12 Plants. Amateurs. First prize, Mr. Smith, gardener 
to W. Quilter, Esq., Norwood. Second prize, Mr. Cole. 
Third prize, Mr. Over, gardener to W. McMullen, Esq., 
Clapham. 
12 Plants. Nurserymen. First prize, Messrs. Rollison, 
Tooting. Second prize, Messrs. Veiteh, Exeter. Third 
prize, Messrs. Fairhurn, Clapham. Fourth prize, Messrs. 
Frazer, Lea Bridge. 
new and rare plants. 
Messrs. J. A. Henderson and Co,, Pine-Apple-plaee, had a silver 
medal for Franciscea confertiflora, a finer species than the well 
known F. latiflora; the foliage is a deep green, large, and glossy; the 
flowers are disposed in clusters, and are of a deep violet colour. Besides 
this, Messrs. Henderson had prizes awarded for Ceanothus papil- 
losus, an elegant, blue-flowered, hardy shrub, from California ; and for 
a new Pultenaa, named Juniperina, with neat heads of orange and 
scarlet pea-shaped flowers; also for a Pultenzea, unknown, of a free 
flowering habit, and lighter coloured flowers. Mr. E. G. Henderson had 
a prize for Allamanda neriifolia, with smaller flowers, but of a more 
bushy habit than the older species ; also for Hebeclinium ianthinum, 
a bluish flowered plant, blooming in early spring. Mr. Ambrose, of 
Battersea, obtained a prize for a new rose-coloured Hybrid Rhododen¬ 
dron, with small oval leaves. Messrs. Standish and Noble, of Bagshot, 
showed a Seedling Rhododendron, named Vesuvius, with large, 
well-formed trusses of rich crimson flowers; also a Double-flowered 
1 Azalea, a seedling, named The Glory of Sunning Hill ; both these 
were awarded a prize. Mr. John Waterer, of Bagshot, had a fine rose- 
tinted Rhododendron, named Gemmiferum ; this is said to be a 
hybrid between R. Azaleoides and R. Russellianum; this also obtained 
a prize. A silver medal was awarded to Messrs. Veiteh for a beautiful 
plant of the new Deutzia gracilis, and a prize of the same value was 
obtained by Mr. Baumann, nurseryman, of Ghent, for the same. A 
prize, for a plant of economical interest, was awarded to Messrs. Rollison, 
for a fine Sarracenia, from North Americi;, with curious pitcher-like 
j leaves, fully three feet high. 
Many other prizes were awarded, but for collections little 
differing from those at Chiswick. 
[June 12. 
HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS SUITABLE FOR 
SPRING DECORATION. 
(Continued from page 118.) 
I think it will be conceded by all that few plants look so 
well when not in bloom as the old Double Catchjly, and 
when in bloom none look better, therefore, I strongly advise 
those who have not yet tried it for furnishing their beds in 
winter and spring, to begin betimes, and propagate what 
few plants they may have or can obtain. A medium sized 
plant may be pulled into a great many pieces, retaining as 
much root to each as can be got; but they grow very freely 
without any, if put in some shady place and watered if the 
weather be dry. They certainly require less attention than 
most plants, and in autumn will be found nioe stocky plants, 
furnishing a bed pretty well at once, and keeping so all the 
winter, and towards the end of May rewarding you with a 
rich crop of blossom. I invariably plant several beds of it 
in autumn, and on some occasions have lifted them during 
the winter when some alterations were wanted in the 
arrangement of the bed, and have planted them again without 
their seeming to suffer from the change, so exceedingly 
hardy are they. It is only necessary to divide them after 
flowering, and plant them in some suitable place to gain 
strength during the summer months. 
Another useful plant with blue flowers is the Aubretia 
Deltoides, which, though I have not used it much, seems 
well adapted for the purpose. It appears to partake of the 
character of the Arabis tribe, but is less rampant in its 
growth than the white one of that genus. Without much 
trouble it seems to increase pretty fast, and I have no doubt 
will be found useful. 
It seems a pity that some of the numerous species of the 
Dianthus and Campanula species do not flower a month or 
more sooner, as they would afford us great variety. As it is, 
I have not been able to make much use of them. I have 
sometimes put in a bed or two of the Canterbury Bells in 
autumn, but its foliage isnotinviting during winter, and as the 
greatest part of its growth takes place after the first of May, 
the succeeding crop cannot well be planted with it. I have, 
on more than one occasion had a bed of the Campanula 
Grandis, and removed it after flowering, but that is attended 
with a trouble that the season will not always allow of being 
done justice to; and a small white Campanula called (I 
believe) Pumilla has always such a weedy look, that I 
dismissed it altogether, and however pretty Sweet Williams 
and others of the dianthus tribe undoubtedly are, their not 
flowering until the middle of June, prevents their being 
profitably used for this kind of work. 
One of the earliest of yellow flowers is the old, yet ever 
useful, LinumJlavum, than which few can excel for brilliancy; 
but it is almost deserving a better place than the transient 
one of serving a temporary purpose in spring. However, it 
is well adapted for that, and unless in very damp situations 
it stands the winter very well. 
There is a dwarf early flowering Phlox, called verna, with 
its varieties, which I have seen make a very gay bed, but 
whether it will allow of being planted in autumn and 
flowering well the following spring, or not, I cannot say, 
having never tried it: but I should suppose it would. Most 
of the other species flower only late in the summer, and, 
though extremely beautiful, they are more unfitting orna¬ 
ments to the mixed border than the parterre. 
In drawing these notes to a close, it need not be inferred 
that the list is at all exhausted; I intend to try several 
others, and have made partial trials of some, but not 
sufficient to give a decisive opinion upon their merits. But 
so far as I have tried, it appears that all early flowering 
herbaceous plants must have stored up food the preceding 
summer to form the embryo buds, which require no ex¬ 
traordinary additional nutriment to develope at the ap¬ 
pointed time. Not so, however, those which do not bloom 
until a later period. With these a considerable growth 
takes place during the current season, exhausting the bed 
and robbing the ensuing crop, whose welfare it is most 
important to secure. For that purpose it is evident that 
gross growing plants must be used with caution, as for 
instance the Lupinus polyphyllus and its varieties, which 
bloom and look well at the end of May. Scarlet valerian 
also ought to be chopped round with the spade as 
