THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 5, 1861. 
269 
by any descriptions, however high flown and orientalised they 
may be. 
Now, may I ask, haying given one’s modicum of praise (and un¬ 
willing to forego an Englishman’s undoubted privilege of grumb¬ 
ling), why we, the florists, have been treated so badly in the 
June Exhibition ? Is not this the one that Her Most Gracious 
Majesty is to honour by opening in person ? Is not every one 
Striving his utmost to be ready for that day ? and why are we, 
poor Brown, Jones, and Robinson, excluded? We, too, are 
loyal; we want to shout “ ooray we want to have a share in 
spoiling Mr. Nesfield’s Box and gravel patterns when the rush is 
made to see our beloved Queen ; we want to hear her say, “ How 
very pretty ! ” and yet we are in a great measure excluded. 
Not. a word said about Pansies, Tulips, Ranunculuses, or Pinks. 
Why is this ? The day, it is true, may be an awkward one. 
Tulips may be over, and Pinks and Ranunculuses not in, but 
this depends more on the season than one can prognosticate. 
There were some good stands of Tulips at the last June Show 
of the Royal Botanic Society. If the season be forward they 
may be over, but then Pinks and Ranunculuses would be in, 
aud under any circumstances Pansies are sure to be in good 
condition. 
We are glad to see Roses and Pelargoniums taking their 
place, but we who have only one, two, or three frames would be 
better pleased were we considered. Nor will it do to say, “ Oh ! 
if you bring them their claims will be taken into consideration.” 
We do not want to trust to such a peradventure as that. But 
let us hope that these regulations are not like the laws of 
the Medes and Persians, and that there is still time to give us 
poor fellows a lift. I appeal, on behalf of “ self and fellows,” 
to the good sense and wisdom of the Exhibition Committee ; I 
ask them to remember our claims ; I challenge Mr. Eylestosay 
whether he did not find at the Crystal Palace that these flowers 
had their thousands of admirers, and whether, then, we do not 
justly deserve a place. Moreover, it would give an opportunity 
to the “minnows” amongst nurserymen to try their hands. 
There are leviathans who can send untold treasures of floricul- 
tural wealth to a Show ; but there are also owners of small plots 
of ground, employing, perhaps, only one or two hands besides 
themselves, who can send their box or two of cut blooms. Let 
them , too, be considered. 
In thus saying, I do not speak as an intending exhibitor—I 
have nothing to show, but I speak for those who may have them. 
W e are all in tolerably good humour with the Society ; let these 
little concessions be made to us, and I venture to say that we 
shall be as ready as any of those of whom I have written, to 
welcome its success, and shout “ Io triumphe ! ”—D. 
BRINGING VINE ROOTS NEARER THE 
SURFACE. 
I have a small vinery, the Grapes in which shanked very 
much last season, owing, I think, to the excessive wet and so 
little sunshine. The roots also I think are too deep. If we 
consider the difference of temperature in which the roots and the 
branches are growing, their shanking off cannot be so much to 
wonder at. Fancy the branches in a temperature from 60° to 
75°, and even higher in bright sunshine; and at the same time 
the temperature at the roots could not bo much over 40° where 
they are at the depth of two feet or more. The Vines are the 
Muscat of Alexandria and Grizzly Frontignan—almost the worst 
to do well, I think, in such an ungenial summer as the past was. 
I intended to lift them as soon as the Grapes were all cut 
about a month ago ; but then the frost set in, which put a stop 
to my intention, and I doubt whether I shall be able to it this 
season, as it is now getting late for such an operation. The 
border is well covered up with long litter to keep out the frost, 
but still I cannot think of doing it while the weather is severe : 
so I have thought of trying another experiment. When the 
weather breaks I think of taking some of the soil off nearly to 
the roots, and replacing it with some warm manure to encourage 
the roots up a little. While I am waiting for a change of 
weather I forward this to you for your advice.—A Young 
Gardener. 
[We think you are mistaken as to 40° of temperature. In 
such a case all depends on the mode of raising the roots. We 
have raised those of late Vines in March and did not miss a 
crop, though the Vines were weaker the following season. As 
soon as the roots had been raised the surface was covered with 
fifteen inches of warm dung and leaves, and fresh roots were 
beginning to push before the buds broke. If not experienced at 
that work, the plan you propose will be far the safest. We 
should not woncler if you went a foot, or more, down without 
meeting with a root. We would remove all the soil down to the 
roots, and even moving a few of these if nearer the surface; 
then fork over the surface an inch or two with the point of a 
fork, and add an inch or two of fresh loam and lime rubbish, 
and add your covering to give a heat at the surface of the ground 
of from 60° to 65°. If the drainage is right the plan will answer : 
if no drainage, it will merely palliate the evil.] 
HEATING APPARATUS of the CONSERVATORY 
IN THE NEW GARDENS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY, KENSINGTON «ORE. 
The following are the tenders sent in for the above ap 
paratus:— 
Messrs. John Weeks & Co., horticultural builders, King’s Road, & s. d 
Chelsea, S.W. 975 0 0 
Mr. William Hood, 12, Upper Thames Street, E.C. 1216 0 0 
Messrs. A. Shanks & Son, Den’s Iron Works, Arbroath, Scotland 1250 0 0 
Messrs. J. Taylor & Sons, Warwick Lane, Newgate Street, E.C. 13u0 0 0 
Messrs. Cottam & Co., 2, Wiusley Street, Oxford Street, W. ... 1307 0 0 
Messrs. Barwell & Co., Eagle Iron Foundry, Northampton. 1321 0 0 
Mr. J. Wontner Smith, 20 and 21, Tenter Street, Finsbury, E.C. 1350 0 0 
Mr. W. Jeakes, 51, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, W.C. ... 1357 18 0 
Mr. Alfred May, 259, High Holborn, W.C. 1480 0 0 
Mr. Henry Ormson, Stanley Bridge, King’s Road, Chelsea, S.W. 1490 0 0 
Mr. Thomas Potter, 44, South Moulton Street, W. 1497 14 6 
Messrs. John Taylor & Sons, Harrow Road, W. 1551 14 2 
Mr. T. H. P. Dennis, Chelmsford. 1745 0 0 
(N.B.—This estimate includes in slump gratings, which are 
not in the other tenders.) 
Mr. Frederick Bacon, 16, Ebury Street, Pimlico, S.W. 1839 17 0 
The following gentlemen also sent in tenders, but imperfect :■— 
Mr. A. M. Perkins, 6, Francis Street, Regent Square, W.C. 
Mr. John Micklejohn, Westfield Iron Works, Dalkeith. 
Messrs. Feltham & Truss, 53, Gracechurch Street, E.C. 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Musa ensete (Ensete or Bruce's Banana). 
Nat. Orel., Musacese. Linn., Polygamia Moncecia. Native of 
Abyssinia. The centre of the stem whilst young is soft and 
juicy, and eaten with milk and butter is excellent. The fruit is 
not edibl c.^—{Botanical Mag., t.t. 5223—5224.) 
Puya WarczeWiczii {Warczewiczs Buy a). 
Nat. Ord., Bromeliacese. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. One 
of the handsomest of the Natural Order. Flowers yellowish- 
white : bracts purplish-crimson. Believed to be a native of 
Guatemala. Stove plant flowering in August.— {Ibid., t. 5225.) 
Tabern,emontana grandiflora ( Large-flowered 
Taberncemontana). 
Nat. Ord., Apocynete. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. Native 
of Guinea and Venezuela. Stove shrub. Flowers yellow, produced 
in September. — {Ibid., t. 5226). 
Cosmos diyersifolius var. atro-sanguineus {Dark-blood- 
coloured, various-leaved Cosmos). 
Nat. Ord., Conipositse: Senecionidese. Linn., Syngenesia 
frustranea. Native of Mexico. Flowers deep purple crimson. 
“ The plant is best preserved in a greenhouse during the winter, 
and turned into the open border during the summer.— {Ibid., 
t., 5227.) 
Grafting the Carnation. —Fine double varieties of 
the Carnation are easily propagated by cleft or side-grafting on 
common or single stocks; they can also be grafted on the 
Saponaria officinalis—the “ Bouncing Betsy ” of American door- 
yards—by taking pieces of the root about one inch long, and from 
one-third to one-half an inch in diameter, preserving as many of 
the fibres as possible. Then take a branch or shoot of the Car¬ 
nation about six or eight inches long, and graft it by side-grafting 
on the side of the piece of root at the upper end. The best 
time for doing this is about the middle of May. Plant them 
close together, and cover with a bell-glass. No bottom heat is 
required .—{Guide du Jardinier Fleurist.) 
