127 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. November 29. 1859. 
times and his fellows ; and by doing so his employer reaps the 
benefit accruing from the knowledge his gardener has incidentally 
gained by the exhibition, and by the spirit of emulation surely 
evoked by seeing, or hearing of, better garden products than 
he has been in the habit of growing for his master’s use or 
pleasure. But, if the employer is a liberal-minded gentleman, 
subscribes to exhibitions, and allows his gardener to compete, then 
the benefit he reaps from such exhibitions is very great indeed. 
See how superior his plants are grown ; what strivings there 
arc in his garden to produce excelling fruits ; what diligent care 
is bestowed upon the rare and beautiful flowers ; and, to keep up 
a uniformity in the entire place, what extra labour is bestowed 
upon every part of the garden, the scene of his labours and 
delight. 1 know this is true, for 1 have visited such gardens in 
various parts of the kingdom ; and wherever the gardener is au 
exhibiting one, I have invariably found the garden managed in 
the highest style, and thus his employer is greatly benefited by 
exhibitions. 
2nd. Gardeners themselves. —Every gardener who visits an 
exhibition necessarily receives some benefit thereby. He sees 
superior productions displayed, and naturally inquires how they 
have been managed. He pieets with his fellow gardeners, and 
many a pleasant feeling is raised in his mind. No class of men 
are more friendly than gardeners, and their periodical meetings 
give them an opportunity of exercising good will towards men, 
especially their fellows in business. Then they have an oppor¬ 
tunity of discussing different modes of cultivation, and seeing 
different ways of training plants and forming specimens. They 
also see the new plants and learn their proper names. If any are 
out of place, then is a good time to hear of any situations that 
may be vacant. Above all, however, the gardener who is allowed 
the privilege of exhibiting has an opportunity of displaying his 
skill, and winning renown by his success. Even the unsucessful 
exhibitor obtains benefit by the exhibition. He sees he is beaten; 
but, like a true John Bull, he goes home more determined to 
exercise the utmost of his means and abilities, in order to fairly 
defeat his former competitors. All these benefits and many 
others that may be easily imagined prove that exhibitions are, 
indeed, a boon to gardeners themselves. 
3rd and 4th. Amateurs and Cottagers. —I class these two 
together, because the kinds of benefits they receive from exhibi¬ 
tions are very much alike. Both see exhibited the superior 
plants, fruits, and vegetables from their more opulent neighbours’ 
gardens, and both are led to inquire from gardeners how they 
must proceed in order to succeed equally well in pi’oducing such 
superior articles. Indeed, of late years I have frequently been 
surprised and much gratified to find the amateur and cottager 
bringing to the exhibition m the country equal, and, in many 
cases, better vegetables than the gardeners from ducal or lordly 
gardens, proving that exhibitions have greatly benefited these 
important classes of the community. 
5th. Nurserymen. — I need scarcely say that this class have 
gained very much by exhibitions. The demand for plants suit¬ 
able for this purpose has generally increased. If in any district 
in the country a society for the encouragement of horticulture 
and floriculture is established, immediately orders are sent off for 
suitable plants to compete with. When travelling for the 
authorities at Pine Apple Place, I was pretty certain of increased 
orders in any county or city where a society of this character 
was just established. These exhibitions also benefit nurserymen, 
by giving them an opportunity of exhibiting any new varieties 
of plants or flowers they may have raised, and thus stamping a 
character and value upon their seedlings that otherwise they 
w'oukl not have so good an opportunity of acquiring. At such 
places, also, the nurserymen meet with their best and most ardent 
supporters, and there often receive large orders. Hence nursery¬ 
men ought (as indeed they do), subscribe liberally to, and sup¬ 
port such societies throughout the whole kingdom. 
6tli. Artists in Design. —This class of persons might benefit 
largely by attending exhibitions, and observing how Nature has 
designed and arranged the foliage and flowers of plants. How 
seldom do we see our rooms papered with a truly tasteful, natural 
design on them. Let the artist observe how Nature garnishes 
her productions, and closely imitate her, and he will succeed in 
elevating and purifying the public taste. No place is so likely to 
afford models of study as that of an exhibition-tent. The 
arrangement of the plants and cut flowers at such exhibitions is 
a most important point; and I think the managers would act 
wisely to have an artist of acknowledged ability to assist them in 
placing the glowing materials at their disposal in the most 
effective manner, so as to give a character and design to the whole 
exhibition. Such was the case, in a great measure, at the autumn 
exhibition in the Town Hall at Leeds in September last. The 
advice and assistance of Mr. Waller, an eminent artist, were freely 
offered and as freely accepted; and the consequence was, the effect 
of the arrangement of the decorations was eminently successful. 
I have thus briefly endeavoured to show what particular classes 
of persons arc benefited by these displays of the beauties of the 
vegetable kingdom, and i think 1 have made good my position. 
In return for these advantages ought they not to exert all their 
best endeavours to encourage the exhibitions, and thus return 
good for good ? Let employers of gardeners support exhibitions 
byliberal subscriptions. Let gardeners exert themselves to render 
the shows worthy of the name. Let amateurs and cottagers 
unite to help the gardener to make a good display. Let nursery¬ 
men assist all they can. And let artists help also ; and all having 
done their best, will, 1 am certain, meet encouragement from a 
discerning public. T. Appleby. 
GEO WING VINES AND STOVE PLANTS 
TOGETHER. 
Having a house about fifteen feet in length by nine feet in 
depth, sunk tiwee feet below the surface of the ground, and to 
which there is a good Vine-border outside, I am desirous of using 
it not only as a small vinery, but also for keeping through the 
winter stove Ferns, for growing Gloxinias, Ac., and for forward¬ 
ing Azaleas, Ac., for the conservatory. Now, if I put on heat 
it will start the Vines. Is it too early to do this ? I should have 
said that the house is heated from the same boiler as the green¬ 
house, nearly adjoining, although by separate pipes. 
Can you recommend a simple work on the cultivation of the 
Vine under glass ?—A Constant Subscriber. 
[See what is said on the Vine to-day. Saunders on the Vine is 
good, and so is Roberts, with the exception of his garbage 
manure. You can do all you propose in your house if you mean 
to force your Vines ; and the plants will do very well until the 
Vine-leaves become too thick to permit enough light to the 
plants below. If you do not want to force your Tines so soon 
as you would like to force Azaleas, Ac., you should have your 
Vines planted so that they could be taken out of the house; or, 
what would be better, you might, by means of a double front to 
your house, place your Vines all horizontally 7 in a bundle in 
winter, and separate them entirely from the heat of the house 
by a partition of wood, Ac. By small openings in that wood, 
when you liked you could let in heated air to excite them 
gradually. AVhen a house has a glass front of two or three feet 
or more in height, a double front furnishes in the space between 
the fronts a fine winter quarter for Vines, and then you may 
make your vinery a hothouse or a stove all the winter, without any 
risk of starting the Vines.] 
OLD FUCHSIAS AND GERANIUMS AT 
ST. LEONAED’S HILL. 
On one of those beautiful eminences commanding the royal 
borough of Windsor and the richly cultivated district to the 
north and south of it, stands St. Leonard’s Hill, the residence of 
Mr. Bobarts, the eminent London banker. The well-w r ooded 
park seems scarcely less than the one attached to the Royal 
Palace of Windsor, the towers of which form a fine feature in the 
landscape, as well as the town at their base. In fact, the site of 
St. Leonards may well vie with that noble abode of Royalty; 
although, in an architectural point of view, the mansion may 
have no great pretensions to distinction. My purpose here is 
not to make comparisons of that kind, but to point out some 
objects iu the garden and grounds well w'orth imitating else- 
wdiere. 
As before stated, the mansion of St. Leonard’s Hill stands 
high ; but it is, nevertheless, well sheltered by high trees, plenti¬ 
fully, if not almost too profusely, planted all over the park and 
around the mansion also. Some important views have been cut 
through : one in particular, pointing to the majestic towers of 
Windsor about lour miles off, is very well chosem The soil is 
dry and well adapted for ripening anything that may be growing 
in the garden or elsewhere, and most of our hardy forest trees 
arrive at great perfection. I noticed some very fine Beeches on 
the lawn, and Rhododendrons seemed to thrive well; and near 
