June 26. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
225 
of the nobility and leaders of fashion, but were not so 
numerous as might have been desired. Among them were 
the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the Duchess of 
Sutherland and party, the Prince and Princess Doria, the 
] Marchioness of Hastings and party, the Earls of Scar¬ 
borough, Ilchester, and Bradford, Countess of Bradford, 
' Countess of Macclesfield, Lady Granville, Lord Campbell, 
I Lord and Lady John Russell, Lord and Lady Wen lock, Lady 
I Charlotte Dennison, Lady TV. Fitzroy, Lady C. "Wellesley, 
Lady Cooke, and the Bishops of London and Winchester. 
The principal awards were 
First Large Gold Medal.—Sir John Catlicart, F.H.S. (gardener, Mr. 
Dods), for Stove and Greenhouse plants; Mr. C. B. Warner, F.H.S. 
1 (Mr. Williams), for Orchids. 
Second Large Gold Medal.—Messrs. Frazer, Lea Bridge, for Stove 
and Greenhouse plants ; Mr. H. B. Ker. (Mr. Wooley, gardener), for 
Orchids. 
j First Gold Knightian Bledal. — Mr. J. Philpotts, for collection of 
plants ; Messrs. Veitch, for Orchids. 
Second Gold Knightian Medal.—Messrs. Rollisson, for Orchids. 
First Gold Banksian Medal. — Sir Edward Antrobus, F.H.S. (Mr. 
Green), for collection of plants ; Mrs. Ellis (Mr. Gidncy), for Orchids ; 
Messrs. Rollisson, for Heaths ; Mr. A. Rowland, for Roses in pots ; 
Blessrs. Lane, for the like; BIr. E. Forster, for Pelargoniums; Bfr. 
Turner, for ditto. 
Second Gold Banksian Bledal.—The Duke of Norfolk (BIr. BI'Ewen, 
gardener), for collection of l'ruit; BIr. W. F. G. Farmer, F.H.S. (BIr. 
Carson), for collection of plants; BIr. J. Bradbury (BIr. Rover), for 
Cape Heaths ; Lady Giles Puller (BIr. Terry), for Roses in pots ; Messrs, 
j Paul, for the like ; the Rev. E. Coleridge (BIr. Holder), for Pelargo¬ 
niums ; Blessrs. Dobson, for the like. 
Silver Gilt Bledal.—The Duke of Sutherland (BIr. Fleming, Trentham), 
for collection of fruit; BIr. C. H. Leigh (BIr. James), for collection of 
Peaches and Nectarines; and BIr. J. Bradbury (BIr. Roser), for col¬ 
lection of plants ; Blessrs. Veitch, for variegated plants ; BIr. W. F. G. 
Farmer (BIr. Carson), for Orchids; the Duke of Northumberland (BIr. 
Ivison), for the like ; Blessrs. Fraser, for Cape Heaths ; ditto, for Pclar- ! 
goniums; Blessrs. Francis, for Roses; BIr. J. BI. Strahan (BIr. Blaher), 
for Pelargoniums. 
Large Silver Bledal.—Lord Boston, F.H.S. (BIr. Robinson), for Pro¬ 
vidence Pine, 7 lb. 4 oz. ; the Duke of Blarlborough (BIr. Turnbull), 
Cayenne Pine, 4 lb. 9 oz. ; ditto, for White Grape ; the Duke of Suther¬ 
land (BIr. Fleming, Clevedon), for Black Hambro’ Grapes; BIr. 
Clements, for collection of fruit; BIr. Ingram, gardener to Her Blajesty, 
for Cherries; BIr. Smith, for Strawberries; Baron Rothschild (BIr. 
Forsyth), for Vines, in pots; BIr. Cutbusli, of Barnet, for collection of 
plants; Mr. Coles Child (BIr. Blorris), for the like ; Blessrs. Jackson, 
for cut Rhododendrons ; Blessrs. Rollisson, for variegated plants ; Blessrs. 
Veitch, for plants with fine foliage ; ditto, for Liptadactylon califor- 
nicum; and for Rhododendron, Princess Royal; BIr. J. Butler (BIr. 
Kule), for Orchids; BIr. J. Coster (BIr. Taylor), for Heaths; BIr. R. 
Robinson (BIr. Sage), for Roses in pots; BIr. E. Foster (BIr. Nye), for 
Pelargoniums; BIr. Gaines, for the like; BIr. J. Hodgson, for fancy 
Pelargoniums; and BIr. Turner, for the like. 
NOTICES OE BOOKS. 
The Family Economist; and Entertaining Companion 
for Town and Country. Small Bvo. London : Groom - 
bridge. 
Among the mass of cheap literature which besets our 
path on every side, it is pleasing to find, here and there, 
some resting-places where one can sit down for a little while 
and find enjoyment and profit. We have found one of these 
lesting-places in the form of a goodly shilling volume of 180 
, pages, which contains something on every subject to interest 
everybody— young and old alike. Its style is suited to 
all capacities and to all grades of society, and whoso at¬ 
tempts to drink and is not refreshed must blame himself. 
Pleasing Tales, Sketches of Domestic Life, Popular Science, 
Biographies, Arts and Manufactures, Poetry, and Odds and 
Ends of all kinds compose this agreeable volume. Among 
the Biographies we see one of “ Old Humphrey, ” in whose 
society, while living, we have spent several pleasant hours ; 
and whose beaming countenance, large heartedness, and 
efforts for good were the impersonation of what our readers 
i may find in The Family Economist. 
The Coral Necklace. By Charlotte O’Brien. London: 
Groombridge, lGmo. 
This is one of the series of “ Buds and Blossoms,” and is 
an interesting little story for little people, well calculated 
to enjoin obedience to parents, and inspire decision of cha¬ 
racter. 
I Our Boys : What Shall we do with Them? By G. E. 
Sargent. 
It is a question of every day occurrence “ What do you 
mean to do with your boys ? ” hut the reply is rarely as 
direct as the question. To those who are in difficulty on this 
point, we would recommend them to read this little book, 
which is written by one evidently conversant with the sub¬ 
ject, and who appears to have embodied his observation and 
experience for the common good. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
PRUNING PINUS AUSTRIACA. 
“ Some time ago, in describing Mr. Rivers’ Nursery, you 
mentioned a specimen of Pinus Austriaca , which had been 
so skilfully managed it had been brought to assume the 
dense, handsome habit of Pinus insiynis; but you did not 
give very explicit instructions how this was accomplished. 
I understand the plan to be to stop all the shoots, except 
the leader, at a certain peliod of their growth; but what I 
want to know is exactly when this should be done. For 
instance, should the shoots be two inches long, or more; or 
how long ? and if stopped, will they, or should they, push 
side-shoots the same season ? I should be much obliged 
by this information.—C. F. P.” 
[The Pinus Austriaca referred to was at the Nurseries, 
Sawbridgeworth, Herts, and Mr. Rivers has obliged us by 
the following information concerning it. 
“At this season of the year the shoots of Pines are, as is 
well known, like Asparagus, in their brittle nature, and are 
easily snapped off with the thumb and finger. Some eight 
years since, I was struck with the vigorous growth of an 
Austrian Pine standing in the nursery, which I had left as 
a specimen ; and fearing it would occupy too much room, I 
commenced to—what is called in forest-tree pruning—fore¬ 
shorten ; this I did by snapping off to about half its length 
the central shoot of each horizontal branch. This kind of 
Pine generally puts forth from three to five shoots in a 
cluster. Mind, I broke off only the central one of each 
horizontal branch, leaviiuj the leadiny cluster untouched. I 
had no definite idea as to the effects of this kind of 
pruning when I commenced, but I am much gratified by 
the character of my tree, which I have thus pruned every 
year in June. It is a compact mass of foliage, and really a 
noble tree, entirely unlike the vigorous but rather spreading 
habit of the Austrian Pine. I believe that this fore¬ 
shortening may be carried to a most beneficial extent on the 
ornamental Pines in our pleasure grounds, many of which 
are too straggling and bare to be ornamental, unless placed 
on the crest of some wild, rocky hill.— Thos. Rivers.] 
FRUIT-TREES INJURED BY NAPTHA VARNISH. 
“ Having been a subscriber to your useful Magazine ever 
since it was first published, I think I may be permitted to 
ask your opinion respecting a plan I adopted this year for 
protecting wall-fruit, as I wish to ascertain if I am right in 
my conjecture as to the cause of my failure, and it may be 
the means of preventing other parties from falling into a 
similar error. 
“A friend of mine recommended me to place a board, ten 
inches wide, under the coping brick of a south wall, and 
from thence to suspend old fishing-nets, and over that some 
of Haytliorn’s Hexagon Netting, as under that system she 
always had an abundance of Peaches and Nectarines every 
year. 
“ I have just seen the trees of this lady, and they are as 
healthy as possible, and so covered with fruit that hundreds 
must be^removed. 
“ I pursued exactly the same plan, and with me it was a 
complete failure, and my trees are greatly damaged. The 
board appeared to prevent the development of the leaves. 
At the bottom of the trees they came out as usual, healthy 
and strong, but the upper leaves gradually became less 
healthy, until towards the top of the trees the buds could 
hardly burst. I have mentioned the circumstance to several 
gardeners, hut they were not able to solve the cause. At 
