THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 14, 1858. 
liave been in it above twenty years, and there is not a 
bone, mnscle, or movement in the body, but which I 
could thoroughly understand and dissect. 
I begin the prizes with Orchids. The first prize 
went to Mr. Gedney, gardener to Mrs. Ellis, Iloddes- 
don, Herts (six fine well bloomed plants), Aerides 
Fieldingii and quinquevidnera, Saccolabium Blumei, 
Vanda tricolor and suavis, and Oncidium Lanceanum. 
Second, Mr. Carson, who had—■ Angrcecum bilobum, 
Oncidium incurvum (a delicate lilac gem) ; Cattleya 
granulosa (greenish-yellow and crimson lip,—a fine 
thing) ; Aerides suavissima, Vanda ccerulea, (the 
earliest yet exhibited) ; and a dowdy Vanda recurva 
(not worth growing, but a noble specimen.) Third, 
Messrs. Jackson and Son, who had— Cypripedium bar- 
batum superburn (fine) ; Oncidium incurvum (a gem) ; 
O. divaricatum, Odontoglossum Bictonense, Oncidium 
oblongatum, and Vanda suavis. Fourth, Mr. Woolley, 
with Dendrohium chrysanthum (fine) ; Angrcecum car- 
datum, Calanthe veratrifolia, Brassia verrucosa, 
Oncidium jlexuosum major (fine) : Epidendrum radia- 
tum. Mr. Hamp had an extra prize. 
Variegated Stove and G-reenhouse Plants (in 
tens).—First prize, Messrs. Jackson. Second, Mr. 
Bunney, Stratford. Third, Mr. Rhodes. Fourth, Mr. 
Summers. Mr. Hamp had an extra prize. Here were 
the usual complements with Farfugium grande , and v. 
variegated Chinese Azalea in Mr. Rhodes’ group. 
For Ten Stove and Greenhouse Plants. —First, 
Mr. Peed, who had two noble Vineas, two ditto Alla- 
mandas, a fine Ivor a coccinea, Oyrtoceras reflex urn, large 
Groivea saligna, Eoelia ciliata, and a large Leptodac- 
tylon Oalifornicum (a fine thing). Mr. Carson was 
second, with— Pleroma elegans (beautifully done); 
Vallota purpurea minor (more beautifully done), an 
18-inch pot, with five bulbs round it, and one in the 
centre,—two of the side bulbs had each two scapes, 
and all had six blooms to the spike (my rare crosses 
from this, and the pollen of Cyrtanthus obliquus, which 
took nine years to effect, are lost, through the careless¬ 
ness of Dr. Lindley, with whom I trusted the bulbs) ; a 
large Ixora, Allamanda, and a lovely AEclimea fulgens. 
Collection oe Sixes. —First, Mr. Page, gardener 
to W. Leaf, Esq., Streatham, who had a fine Veronica 
variegata. Third, Mr. Kaile, gardener to Lord 
Lovelace. He had a fine Meyenia erecta. I did not see 
a second in this class. 
Collections oe Ten with Remarkable Foliage. 
—Messrs. Jackson first, with a splendid lot, and Ber- 
beris trifurca in the place of honour ; Dasylirion acros- 
tricum , which bloomed magnificently at Kingston this 
summer, on one side, and Pandanus odoratissimus on 
the other; then an enormus Cycas revoluta at the 
back, supported by Livistonia borbonica, with shining, 
fan, and fingered leaves ; then Monsteria pcrlusum 
{aims Philodendron), with Phoenix sylvestris, and Dion 
cdule, from Mexico. 
Second, Mr. Bunney, with Littcea geminiflora, 
Dracaena, Ropalia, Aralia papyrifera, Ficus Leopoldii 
(a noble India-rubber plant), Solanum atropupureum, 
' and the said Monsteria, or Philodendron pertusum. 
Third, Mr. Young ; and these two more collections 
. all in high metal. 
Lycopods, the gems of the Exhibition.—First, Mr. 
Bunney, of Stratford. P. apodum, eighteen inches, 
or two feet across, the finest ever seen ; Schottii, like 
a Canadian Spruce leaf; serpens, Galeolti, and formosa, 
all of a breed, with broad beautiful leaves ; while um- 
j brosum is in the style of an exquisite new Fern; and 
' Viticulosum, ditto on a small scale. 
Mr. Higgs, gardener to Mrs. Barchard, Putney 
Heath, was second; and Mr. Woolley, third. 
For twelve magnificent exotic Ferns. — Messrs. 
Veitch and Son, first. The second prize was blundered : 
375 
that and the third prize card stood to one collection 
from Mr. Bunney : one of them was intended for the 
Messrs. Jackson. 
After these stood the Cockscombs, in twelves.—Mr. 
J. Savage, gardener to Miss Guilloneau, of Lower 
Edmonton, was first, taking the shine out of about six 
or seven times twelve of them. His Combs looked as if 
they all came out of the same mould, and as if dropped 
from another world. They were eight inches thick 
across the centre, and not tapering much to both ends, 
and goodness knows their length. I have seen longer 
Combs: he must have fed them on some new plan to 
have them so fat and so sleek on the sides. Mr. Lam¬ 
bert, gardener at Oakwood, Chichester, was second, 
with splendid Combs of the old run ; and Mr. Voss was 
third. They said some of the plants were from cuttings 
after the combs were full grown, and their stems were 
not six inches long ; but they will say anything. 
For Pitcher Plants, the Messrs. Veitch were first, 
and Mr. Gedney second. 
For ten Exotic Ferns, Mr. Baillie, gardener to 
J. Carbonell, Esq., was first; Mr. Summers, gardener 
to A. Mongredien, Esq., Forest Hill, second; Mr. 
Fletcher, gardener to J. J. Young, Esq., Kennington 
Lane, third; Mr. Gedney, fourth; and there were 
three extra to Messrs. Carson, Savage, and Mr. Halley, 
of Black Heath, who had a collection of his variegated 
Geranium, Burning Bush, hard by. 
Air. Sims, of Foot’s Cray, Kent, took the first prize 
for British Ferns, and such Ferns! One would 
have thought they all came from the gold mines of 
Brazil, they were so beautifully done, and of such out- 
of-the-way kinds,—a huge plant of Lastrcea fdix-mas 
paleacea in the centre at back ; Lastrcea fdix-mas 
cristata, Athyrium filix-fcemina multifid urn, on right 
and left; then Athyrium fdixfcemina crispurn and 
depauperatum; then Scolopendrium vulgare, digitatum, 
laceratum, nndulatum, lobatum, and more sports of 
them, and all the rest of them ;—but send to Air. Sims 
for his catalogue of Ferns, which will teach every¬ 
thing about them. Second, Air. Baillie; and third, 
Mr. Lavey. There were two good collections of these 
Ferns, with a large Fern case in each, competing for 
a silver cup. But I lost all patience before the Judges 
could decide, as it was a neck and neck race, in 
which I could not venture my neck to reach the prize, 
if it w r as decided that day. Nothing is a better sign 
of a good Show than to see the Judges at their wits’ 
ends, which is as good as a play. D. Beaton. 
{To be continued.') 
FORCING IN ORCHARD HOUSES. 
“ I have for some time taken great interest in the culture 
of fruits in pots, in orchard houses, on Air. Rivers’ principle, 
and this season my trees are completely laden with fruit, 
handsome, and of fair size. I see Air. Rivers, in his last j 
edition of the “ Orchard House,” recommends forcing orchard j 
houses. I am much inclined to try this method of producing 
early crops of fruit, but fear I may find difficulties in keeping 
up a regular heat, being merely an amateur, from home 
from nine in the morning till five in the evening, and having 
no gardener. Now, if I may so far trespass on your kindness, 
I want to know your opinion, or that of some of your valuable 
and experienced correspondents, on the following points :—- 
“ In the first place, I think of employing a brick Arnott’s ; 
stove as a heating medium, so highly recommended by Air. 
Rivers, and am anxious to know if this stove, provided coke 
be used, and well supplied at nine in the morning, will keep 
lighted, and give sufficient heat till five in the evening, with¬ 
out attendance in the meantime? Of course, it must be j 
taken for granted that the size of the stove is sufficient to 
heat the house under ordinary circumstances. ( 
“ Also, the back wall of my present orchard house, which I 
