250 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 10. 
Cavendishii, Savilea major, with bright rosy bells, like 
some Scottish Heath of the Cinerea breed. 
For collections of six heaths, the first three prizes 
were given to Mr. Taylor, Mr. Rhodes, and Mr. 
Paniplin. Mr. Taylor had Erica Beaumontia, elegans, 
perspieua rosea, tricolor, two sorts, and the rest of more 
common sorts. Depressa and Cavendishii were the two 
best in Mr. Rhodes’ collection, and Mr. Pampliri had 
two ventricosa, depressa, Cavendishii, princeps, and denti- 
culata moschata, a greenish-white, always in fours close 
together, and the opening of each flower is as much like 
the nipple of some little animal as any thing you ever 
saw. 
Altogether, the Heaths were very good. 
VARIEGATED PLANTS. 
The next great tribe were the Variegated Plants; but 
who can name or number them? We had established 
the claims and the effect of variegated plants in the 
flower-gardens long before we took to them in pots, and 
they will soon be considered as effective in the rooms j 
and conservatories as flowering plants, and good sub- j 
slitutes for many of the flowering kinds. The next 
move will be hanging-basket plants, after the Crystal ; 
Palace fashion, to hang along the tents, and to let the 
world see how easily some plants will grow up, or down, 
under skilful management, but for the present let 11 s 
stop with variegated plants. Messrs. Veitch, Rollison, 
and Henderson, of Pine-Apple Place, competed with 
them in collections of twenty plants each, in which 
hardy, half-hardy, and stove plants may be put up 
together, so that if an amateur takes a fancy for such 
and such a plant for his own greenhouse, and sends to 
one of these nurserymen for it, tlie chances are that he 
will be taken in, that his choice will be a stove plant, or 
a rock plant, or any plant, but one to suit his green¬ 
house ; but all this will be corrected as we grow older 
and find out our own faults and the courage to own 
them, which is, perhaps, after all, the greatest trial of 
skill. 
Mr. Veitch had several variegated Qafadiums, Crotons, 
Anactochilids, Begonias, and Marantas, all requiring a 
stove; Cissus discolor, a Pandanus, or screw Pine; 
Vriesia speciosa, Aspidistra lurida, the best of all varie¬ 
gated Orchids; Coleus Blumei, a Dragon-tree, and others, 
all stove plants; and a common Hydrangea as variegated 
as a “ Gardener’s Garter,” an Aloe-leaved Yucca the 
same ; and these two would probably stand out-of-doors, 
like their green parent; with a little extra care in winter. 
The Messrs. Rollison sent Caladiums, Crotons, Panda¬ 
nus Javanica, Cissus discolor, Coleus Blumei, Ganna 
discolor, Cypripedium Javanica, a splendid Pine-Apple, 
in fruit, and a Dragon-tree, Stenorhynchus mamlatus, 
and one or two more that way, but all of them are 
mostly stove plants. 
The Messrs. Henderson sent little plants of the same 
kinds; but little variegated plants will not tell the 
beauty of the race. Many plants look excessively pretty 
in a small state, which are not worth looking at when 
they grow old. Unless it were a new thing, I would not 
risk my credit by sending little bits of things to a show; 
depend upon it, variegated plants will soon have a 
“run” in the trade, and it is worth while to whet the 
appetites of monied people, who then cannot hold out 
against the temptation of buying. 
REMARKABLY-LEAVED PLANTS. 
The next class of plants are those with remarkable 
foliage, as Philodendron pertusum, Dragon-trees, Pitcher- 
plants, and plants with delicate mimosa-like leaves, and 
then they “drift” into new and rare plants not in 
bloom. None but nurserymen with good houses and 
large capital can keep and show such plants; but they 
are of great interest at a good show. The new upright¬ 
flowering Gloxinias are now in great fashion ; they will 
probably be at their best at the July show, and till then 
it is a pity to disturb them. Collections of German 
Irises, from Mr. Salter and Mr. Gaines; of cut Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, from the Messrs. Lane and Jackson; of Pan¬ 
sies, from Mr. Dobson; of beautiful Aphelexis, from the 
Messrs. Rollison, who also had the first certificate of 
merit for a large, handsome Rhododendron, called Duke 
of Brabant. This lia3 large trusses of light flowers, 
and an excellent habit. Mr. Williams, of Orchid 
notoriety, had a fine collection of Lycopods of the closer¬ 
growing kinds, which brings me to the 
FRUIT-TENT. 
The tent for Fruit gives a bad light, and when it is 
crowded it is very difficult to .judge of the different 
collections; whether it was from that, or from the glare 
of the plants on my old eyes, I certainly did not admire 
much of the fruit. Some of the Grapes were hardly 
half ripe; those from Mr. Clements, of Barnet, looked 
as fine as Grapes could be, but they were not half ripe. 
I once thought that Co vent-garden was the worst place 
in England for good Grapes—either not nearly ripe, or 
too far gone—but this Show was on a par with it, in 
unripe Grapes, at any rate. Peaches, Nectarines, Cher¬ 
ries, and Strawberries were very good. Pine-Apples 
were ten years behind the times. Melons always look 
well, but how is the flavour? the judges alone can tell 
that. Some of the exhibitors of fruit complained to 
me most bitterly against Mr. Fleming getting a first 
prize for black Grapes, and a prize for a collection of 
fruit, which, they said, is against the printed rules; but 
wlien I came to make inquiry, I found there are two 
Mr. Flemings in the Duke’s family, one of whom lives 
at Cliefden, near Dropmore ; and he was the lucky man, 
with three bunches of the finest Black Haniboroughs 
that ever were exhibited; and our Mr. Fleming, of 
Trentham, had the collection prize; but Mr. McEwen 
had the first and best prize for a collection of fruit. 
D. Beaton. 
Soyer’s Bivouac Cookery. —I herewith beg to for¬ 
ward you some of the most important receipts which I 
have concocted out of the soldiers’ rations, and which are 
now adopted in various parts of the camp, and will no 
doubt shortly be extended to every regiment in the 
Crimea, having had them plainly printed for circulation 
throughout the army. Some of the receipts were printed 
at headquarters and issued for distribution. The reason 
of my return to Scutari for a short time is to place a civilian 
cook, who understands his business, in each hospital, 
which cannot fail to be beneficial to the patients, and 
by a due organization in those departments, economy 
will in the end be effected. 
I brought with me from head-quarters 1.2 complete 
rations as given daily to the troops, and with these 
provisions I am now teaching ten of those very willing 
fellows who were previously engaged as cooks in the 
hospitals the plain way of camp cookery, and, instead 
of being almost useless, as they were, in so important a 
branch, they will now turn out, if not the bravest in the 
array, at least the most wonderful, being able to face 
both fire and battery when requisite. 
Barrack Hospital, Scutari, June 14. A. SOYER. 
(Receipt No. 1.) 
Stewed Salt Beef and Pork a la Omar Pacha. 
Put into a canteen saucepan about 21b. of well soaked 
beef, cut in eight pieces ; Jib. of salt pork, divided in (wo, 
and also soaked; Jib. of rice, or six tablespoonfuls ; .jib. of 
onions, or four middle-sized ones, peeled and sliced ; 2oz. 
of brown sugar, or one large tablespoonful ; £oz. of pepper, 
and five pints of water ; simmer gently for three hours, re¬ 
move the fat from the top, and serve. The first time I 
