THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 12. 
1 Golden Polands, from £2, to £2 10s. A not parti¬ 
cularly good young Spanish cock realised £2 17s. Gd. 
I - 
Mu. Epps’s specimen plants of Heaths, sold also by 
Mr. Stevens, fetched good prices, varying from thirty 
shillings to jE 8. The three highest sums given were 
I for Erica orhata, £8; E. retorta, £6 10s.; and E. 
Alberti superba , £b 5s. 
Many circumstances contribute to render Orchid culture 
the aristocratic department of gardening. The costli¬ 
ness of the plants, and the expense of their culture, 
maintain them in that high position; but then their 
extreme beauty and loveliness first raised them to that 
eminence. The exhibition of orchids at Chiswick, and 
the Regent’s Park, have been splendid during the last 
few years, yet the committee of the London Horticul¬ 
tural Society have resolved to add to the inducements 
held out to their exhibitors. In Class X., for twenty 
species in addition to the prizes already given, they 
now propose to give their Large Gold Medal (IT5), and 
the Gold Knightian Medal (4>10); in Class XL, for ten 
species, the Gold Knightian (<£ 10), and the Gold Bank- 
sian (£7 ); and in Class XII, for six species, the Gold 
Banksian (£7), and the Silver-gilt (<£4). 
How much a taste prevails for the culture of Orchids, 
and, consequently, how great is the demand for plants, 
is shown by the prices they realise, when sold by 
auction, and by the consignments of them now arriving 
in this country. At Mr. Stevens’s sale, about three 
weeks since, a fine specimen of Phalaenopsis gran- 
diflora, sold for <£2G 5s.; Phalfenopsis amabilis for 
£LS 18s.; Aerides crispum for <£18 18s.; Saccolabium 
guttatum <£17 17s.; Vanda coerulea for T!18 18s., and 
others in proportion. 
Another sale takes place on the 19th and 20th inst., 
as announced in our advertising columns, and the col¬ 
lection, we are told, is of both rare and fine specimens. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
The greatest attraction the market now presents is the 
profusion of handsomely-grown, stocky Plants in Pots, 
which consist chiefly of Geraniums of all kinds, but 
principally the old Gauntlet ; Ericas, such as Hyemalis, 
Gardenia radicans, Ixoras, and an immense quantity of 
Cytisus ramosus, very dwarf and bushy, with a complete 
covering of flowers. There are also potfuls of forced 
Lily-of-the-Valley, and all sorts of Early Tulips. 
In Vegetables there has been a better supply than 
' wc have been able to announce for some time past, 
| but prices are still very high. Brocoli makes as high as 
2s. 6d., and 8s. Gd. per dozen. Greens 4s. to Gs. per 
dozen bunches. Turnips 3s. to 4s. per dozen bunches. 
Celery 9d. to Is. Gd. per bundle. Onions 4s. to 5s. per 
bushel. Carrots Gs. to 8s. per dozen bunches. There 
is a large supply of Rhubarb, Sea-kale, and Asparagus. 
The first may now be bought as low as Gd. per bundle, 
97 
and the others still maintain good prices. Forced 
Grapes make from 10s. to 15s. per pound. Strawberries 
9d. to Is. Gd. per ounce. Forced Potatoes, real,” as 
some shops distinguish them, make 2s. to 3s. per pound, 
but there are many lots of the artificial still being 
offered. Old Potatoes are rather lower, but prime 
qualities still maintain good prices. Regents cannot 
be had under .£8 per ton. H. 
ERUIT GARDEN NOTES. 
We have often adverted to the Black Currant as an 
instance of great apparent dormancy in the branch, 
coupled with the highest amount of activity of root. 
If a close examination be made after a sharp frost, the 
fibres will be found luxuriating with the utmost freedom 
in the half-decomposed top-dressing of the soil. It is thus, 
more or less, with most of our fruits, which are either 
indigenous or natives of the northern paits of Europe. 
With such as the Vine, Eig, Peach, Nectarine, and 
Apricot, the case is somewhat different, especially the 
two former, for the Peach and Nectarino, being budded 
mainly on the Plum stock, assume, in degree, similar 
habits; and no doubt their early excitability into 
blossom is, in part, traceable to this very point. A liko 
argument applies to the Apricot, which is also an early 
bloomer. 
The question of eligibility of Stocks is in its infancy ; 
and we cannot here forbear expressing our surprise, that 
the British people, so notoriously fond of gardening, 
have not long since secured to themselves some means, 
which should, by a consecutive series of experiments, 
have set such questions at rest. It is all very well to 
say that our native enterprise alone will effect it; our 
advisers in this way do not say when. Were it a 
fashion, it would soon be carried; or were it a good 
commercial spec. But, although it is neither, it is still 
an important question, and not a whit the less im¬ 
portant, because not one person in a hundred who 
cultivates a garden can appreciate its importance. This 
interesting question, therefore, remains in abeyance ; 
and if it makes any progress at all, it merely creeps 
where it ought to fly. Societies will not do it; gar¬ 
deners cannot, in these days, find time for merely 
speculative questions, which in their prosecution ne¬ 
cessarily involve some failures; and our nurserymen 
know full well that rents and taxes are not thus pro¬ 
duced. One object we have in view in thus adverting 
to the stock question (and, by consequence, drawing 
attention to the subject of early excitement in the 
blossom-bud) is to remind our readers that, although it 
only seems yesterday since we were talking about the 
falling leaf, yet that grafting and budding are now in 
operation. 
Everybody who has watched the horticultural press 
during the last twelve-months, must have seen that the 
covering or non-covering of fruit trees has received an 
unusual share of attention; and that there are how’s? 
and when’s? as well as why’s? in this question. And 
here we must be permitted to arrogate a little merit, as 
connected with this matter, having been the first to urge 
its importance on the retarding system. This phase of 
the affair, although not absolutely a new idea, has been 
passed over in silence amid the “ clash of arms ”—the 
question having been resolved merely into how many 
yards of canvass should bo applied, rather than when. 
When the period of plantation thinning and of 
general forest work arrives, we always announce that we 
intend to seize on all the spruce fir boughs that come 
honestly within our reach ; and these, if all be well, 
shall be stuck over and amongst our embryo fruit 
