154 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Juke 14, 1859. 
when clear, and using a dram glass, or half a quartern of the 
liquid in four gallons of soft water, for syringing, is as good as 
any for keeping the pest from getting a-head. Brushing the hot- 
water pipes with sulphur and water when the water is not hotter 
than 140°, is also a good preventive, and will help to keep them 
within bounds. The great thing, however, is to prevent them coming 
by means of using the syringe freely, and having plenty of moisture 
in the atmosphere. Whatever may be pretended to the contrary, 
we believe there is no remedy that can be applied, after the insects 
have fairly obtained possession, that will eradicate them and leave 
the foliage uninjured. The man who can do that next-to-impos- 
sible thing may calculate on setting up a coach ar.d lour, if his 
ambition looks in that direction. The impossibility arises from 
the fact that, by the time the insects have fairly got possession of 
a leaf, so as that the leaf presents a spotted appearance, no means 
exist for rendering that leaf perfectly healthy ; and, as w as said 
the other day about green fly, supposing you could kill all the 
spiders then alive, there would by that time be myiiads of eggs 
for future generations to annoy you. Whenever, therefore, plants 
get so bad that the majority of the leaves are attacked—and not in 
a single place., but pretty well all over—the idea of eradicating 
them from that crop, and restoring health and luxuriance too, is 
pretty well a desperate utopian game. The great thing is to use 
preventives ; and, in addition to those named, painting the back 
of the pits, or frames, or houses with equal portions of su.phur 
and lime is a good one. The second step is to watch for its 
appearance ; and as soon as you see a discoloured spot on a leaf 
m the hottest end of the house, do not wait for a second, but 
wash the leaf immediately with a sponge and soap-water holding 
some size in solution. The washing of a dozen leaves, with the 
necessary syringings and sulphur-vapourings from a hot-water 
pipe, not too hot, will often keep the plants free for a season ; 
when the neglect of a day or two will give you months of w ork— 
and then all you can do will merely be to keep the insects from 
getting the complete mastery until the fruit is gathered, when 
plants, if annuals, may be destroyed, and the place cleaned by 
smoking with sulphur. This last process must not be attempted 
with any growing plant, nor yet with a deciduous plant after the 
leaves have fallen, unless the wood is well ripened, as the sulphur 
burning will destroy everything green. We have seen the pest 
beginning in one end of a vinery. Half an hour’s sponging of the 
leaves, and the other remedies and preventives, might have settled 
them. But, left alone for a week, they spread over the whole 
house; and then, not only was it next to impossible to destroy 
their numerous generations, hut, so far as we know, it has been 
as yet impossible to make the foliage healthy after being much 
injured by their attacks. A small hole in a large coffer-dam may¬ 
be easily stopped. Let it quietly increase to a good size, and the 
pent-up water will laugh to scorn all mechanical appliances to 
arrest its progress. Just so with this little insect. Catch it on a 
sticky sponge, do not give it time to increase—better still, prevent 
its appearance at all—and it will constitute a matter of no difli- 
culty. Let it take possession, and you may tight and battle with 
it every day and every night. You may slay your thousands, and 
choke and smother your tens of thousands; but after all your 
conquests, the state of your plants will tell you that your victories 
have been little better than defeats. Where it could be applied 
without injuring the fruit, size or glue-water woidd help to arrest 
their movements. Precaution and prevention will be found to Be 
more within our reach than cure.] 
AZALEAS—MESSRS. I VERY. 
“In your report of the Crystal Pulaco Exhibition (page 103) 
there are two or three mistakes, which we feel assured you will 
be pleased to correct. In the first instance, the collection of 
eight Azaleas (for nurserymen only), you have placed Mr. Terry- 
first, which should had been Messrs. Ivery and Son; and in j 
describing the kinds so fully, you omitted the key plant, Iveryana > 
(if there were a key jfiant to the collection), with Rubra pleno on j 
one side, and Olory of Sunninyhilt on the other side, in the 
front row (which last-named you liuve described as belonging to 
Mr. Turner). You have, also, in describing the new Azaleas ex- | 
hibited by us, included Sir James Out ram, which was exhibited 
by Mr. Turner. In the class of new plants (Glass 25) you have 
omitted all the best tilings, except Mr. Yeitcli’s 1‘othos species, 
which was only placed third, omitting the first, second, and 
third, and an extra prize of 10s. The first was for the beautiful 
Ruiiinytonia Farmeri, from Mr. Carson, of Clicam ; the second 
was for Genetyllis Macrosteyia, from Mr. G. S. Dods; the equal 
third was for Faviesia umbellata, from Mr. John Green ; and 
the extra prize was for Azalea Flower of the Fay." —J. PvEBY 
and Son. 
[No man between Dorking and Darnaway deserves to be better 
reported than Messrs. Ivery & Sou ; and no one can be more 
pleased with this opportunity than their humble servant, no part 
of whose business it is to report, or rather advertise gratis, the 
prizes awarded to exhibitors at these exhibitions. I never told of 
all the prizes at any one of the Shows 1 report—it is no part of 
my business to tell one of them. If I gave ail the prizes at full 
length free of the advertising fee 1 should be acting against my 
own rule of fair play. 'lhaL 1 mistook Messrs. Ivery’s setting of 
eight Azaleas for that of Mr. Turner’s is the highest plume in 
Messrs. Ivery’s bonnet. 1 put the highest value on the proper 
setting of plants with respect to the colours; and hitherto Sir. 
Turner w as the best setter among all the florists, who are notorious 
for destroying all the efl'ects of colour by their old way of planting 
their beds and placing their plants; and I have made a great 
impression on the camp of the florists by holding up Mr. Turner’s 
setting as the effect of a lady’s eye, so to speak. Here is a proof 
of the great impression :—Mr. Ivery studied the arrangement so 
closely as to deceive my eye at last, and he deserves all the praise 
I can give. How it came about was on this wise.—At the 
Crystal I’alace the exhibitors and the judges play a game at 
“hide-and-seek” in tlie morning before the public ure admitted. 
I begin with the judges; but when 1 oiler to have a hand in the 
childish game, a policeman pulls me from behind by the tails of 
my coat, and says he, ‘‘You must npt go beyond the ropes —the 
barriers between us and the plants.” “But, man alive, how am 
1 to know whose plants 1 am reporting unless I step over and 
‘ seek ’ the name of the exhibitor, which they 1 hide ’ beneath 
that cord ?” Yes, all exhibitois see their names on cards placed 
to their collections, and then turn the card upside down and tack 
it to the board before the judges begin. Then, if I had to wait 
till the judges had finished, 1 must needs get my report from the 
schedule of prizes in the secretary’s office, like other people who 
cannot report from their own knowledge, or their want of know¬ 
ledge of plants and fruit; and in tlial case 1 should give none of 
the prizes. One-third of my notes is finished by the time the 
judges pass and the cards are turned ; and for that one-third, the 
prizes, and the names of the winners 1 guess at myself, and this 
is the first time I heard of a complaint on that score. \\ hen I 
came to Messrs. Ivery’s Azaleas 1 could not ste the name, and I 
guessed Mr. Turner. But I shall do so no more. I shall either 
say- N o. so-and-so was well grown and w ell set, or else risk another 
pull at my tails in reaching over to turn the eaid. 
Messrs. Ivery are wrong in saying I “omitted” the best new 
plants; for 1 mentioned every one w Inch they say I did not 
mention, except Mr. Carson’s Rurlinytonia Farmeri. That and 
not say ing the prize was to Mr. Green for the Faviesia were on 
purpose, us we three are next-door neighbours, to tease them for 
being still so childish as to join at “ hide-and seek ” on such 
occasions. Messrs. Ivery were a great deal more to blame for not 
finding fault with me for not mentioning the six variegated plants 
of the Belleisle Cress from a brother nurseryman. I neither 
judge nor give prizes for cut flowers, and I think it is w rong to 
do so.— D. Beaton.] 
Gkand National Rose Show.— We take this opportunity 
of calling the attention of our readers to the Grand Rose Show 
which is to be held in the Hanover Square Rooms on Thursday, 
the 23rd inst. The great success which attended a similar ex¬ 
hibition at St. Janies’ Hall last year is a good earnest that the 
forthcoming display will be eminently successful. 
THE GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT 
INSTITUTION. 
ANNIVERSARY’ FESTIVAL. 
On Wednesday last the anniversary dinner of this valuable in¬ 
stitution was celebrated in that most appropriate of all buildings 
for the purpose,— namely, the Crystal Palace, Sydenham. 
The day was chosen by Sir Joseph Paxton, M.P., on account 
of its being the second of the Crystal Palace Horticultural Fete, 
and as the weather was all that could be desired, the attendance was 
both numerous and fashionable. The gay variegated costume 
