July 24.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
251 
the county. You will observe it is capable of doing all 
the work of the common hoe, with the advantage of 
keeping itself clear of mould at the neck, and is gene¬ 
rally used by gardeners, cottagers, and labourers on 
farms; in fact, many farmers would rather present their 
labourers with one than that they should use the com¬ 
mon hoe of their own, particularly in hoeing turnips or 
carrots, as the workmen are enabled to see the plants so 
much more clearly, and, of course, are not so liable to 
cut out those plants required to stand.” 
These implements we strongly recommend to our 
readers, but we would have the implements, at the same 
time, speak a lesson to them—we would have these 
simple tools suggest that no implement is so common, 
or so time-hallowed, as to be exempted from, or un¬ 
worthy of, improvements. 
Our readers will remember that at page 209 we printed 
a letter from a gentleman, in which he stated that “ there 
is not a single statement founded in fact,” in what was 
narrated in our “ Gardening Gossip ” about the Chelten¬ 
ham Floricultural Show. The writer of that narration 
showed that every word of it was correct, and we now, 
at the request of the gentleman who denied its truth, 
publish the following :— 
“ I regret exceedingly to find, that through an uninten¬ 
tional mistake on my part, I have impugned the veracity of 
your journal, and given you the trouble of answering my 
letter. I thought that your strictures applied to the Chel¬ 
tenham Horticultural Society and its Show, and if you will 
read my former letter over, you will see at once that such 
was my impression; the cause of my having made such a 
mistake is easily explained. A friend of mine called on me, 
and said, * Have you seen the charges brought against the 
Horticultural Society in The Cottage Gardener ? I wish 
you would read them, for I think they ought to be answered, 
as I hear it much talked of, and it will be a great injury to 
the society if left uncontradicted.’ I was leaving Cheltenham 
next morning for some days, but I got your paper, and in 
the limited time I could give to the subject, I did not per¬ 
ceive that the charges you brought were against the inha¬ 
bitants of Cheltenham and the so-called ‘ monster show,’ 
and not against the Horticultural Society. With regard to 
those charges, I believe from what I have heard they are 
quite correct, and I regret that such is the case ; and hoping 
that this explanation will be a sufficient apology, &c.” 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
The approaching Dahlia Shows in September begin to 
excite attention. All, or nearly all, of them will have a 
class for new flowers; and those who grow most will 
win them, uuless those who grow but few have made 
choice of the best. We place ShacldeiVell first among 
the Metropolitan Shows, although it may not be the 
largest. The South London will be next, although the 
judgment lias generally been vicious. The seedling 
certificates here are totally worthless, because, with a 
view of getting a greater variety, they only require three 
blooms of a dahlia growing the second year ; this leads 
to scores being shown which could not be exhibited if 
six blooms were demanded, and certificates being given 
for varieties so uncertain, are utterly worthless. The 
next show of importance will probably be at Notting 
j Hill, where preparations are making upon a great scale, 
under two or three experienced growers and well-known 
amateurs. There has generally been a good exhibition 
at Cremotne Gardens, but last year the show was ill- 
managed, and the proprietor’s liberality was all but thrown 
away. There was nobody who understood the manage¬ 
ment, and the amount of prizes was a good deal regu¬ 
lated by the advice of the people who meant to win 
them. 
We think the sooner everybody concerned with these 
things advertise the days and the prizes, the better it will 
be for the shows. Three-fourths of the shows are com¬ 
parative failures for want of advertising in time and enough. 
The Cremorne Show last year was scarcely known in time to 
give anybody a chance, except those who had the getting up 
of the affair, and their immediate acquaintances, and the 
same maybe said of some others; not a week should be 
lost in advertising any that are to be “ open to all England.” 
The use of Sulphate of Ammonia as a fertilizer was 
strongly recommended some years ago in the Gardeners' 
Gazette. Mr. Groom, of Clapham Rise, spoke to its 
efficacy on several occasions, and from a highly distin¬ 
guished amateur, at Staines, we have the following 
testimony:— 
“ Sulphate of Ammonia, in the proportion of half-an-ounce 
to a gallon of soft water, lias been used by me with uniform 
success to geraniums, fuchsias, and other florists’ flowers. 
It must be used liberally once in four or five days.” We 
have acted on this, and used it the same as we have on other 
days used ordinary water. It is of the greatest service 
when those things have filled their pots with roots, and 
require shifting; for the use of this fertilizer, instead of 
plain water, about every fourth watering, gives, as it were, 
new life, and vigour, and colour, to foliage that begins to 
look pale. Sometimes it excites almost too vigorous a 
growth. 
The gossip of the London circles rather points at a 
mutiny in the ranks of The South London Florists. 
That they are a little involved is true enough, but not 
more so than the committee could square by a small 
contribution among themselves, or than could be easily 
paid off if members in arrear would pay their subscrip¬ 
tions. 
Surely it has been a laxity in the management to allow 
some of those in arrear to use their privileges of free tickets. 
Some members are for a break up, and others decline continu¬ 
ing their subscription; but the straightforward, upright 
leaders have proposed a subscription to pay off incumbrances. 
Many people wonder at the state of affairs, seeing that the 
proprietor of the Surrey Gardens, besides providing them 
with tents, bands, and entertainments, and admitting the 
members and exhibitors, and two friends to each member, 
free, gives the Society forty pounds each show towards their 
prizes. If the proprietor gave the same amount, and 
allowed everybody to show without paying a fee of 7s. fid. 
per article, or a pound a-year for the privilege, he would 
have far better shows, and every exhibitor would pay the 
shilling admission money with pleasure. 
Greatly to the credit of the proprietor of Vauxhall 
Gardens, he has paid one hundred and fifty pounds in 
prizes, although the receipts did not pay the ordinary j 
expenses; so that he is at present out of pocket all the 
prize money, and the extra cost of fitting up tables, &c. 
He gives one more show notwithstanding. 
It has been suggested, and with some show of con¬ 
sistency, that as the best fruit shows at Chiswick and 
the Regent’s Park fall very short of the display in the 
middle-row of Covent Garden market, the Horticultural 
