THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Aran, 24, 1860. 50 
[ two antagonistic principles involved in this schedule from the 
Crystal Palace which can never work smoothly, although a good 
deal might be said in favour of both. 
There are four classes of stove and greenhouse plants, and four 
prizes in eacli class, beginning with a collection of twenty plants, 
for which £25 are offered; then twelves, eights, and sixes, the 
prizes for which amount to £136, and one man may compete for 
the whole sum. For variegated plants in collections of twelve, 
four prizes, value £17. Orchids in collections of sixteen, ten, 
and six, and four prizes for each, and the value £105. For 
greenhouse Azaleas, £57. Heaths, £24. Tall Cacti, £11. Roses, 
T37. Pelargoniums, £38; or, with £2 for seedlings, £40. 
Cinerarias, £6 10.?. Twenty-four cut Tulips, £4 10s. Twenty- 
four cut Pansies, £3. New or extremely rare plants, £11. Mis¬ 
cellaneous, £4 5s. Ferns, none. The rest of the prize-money 
goes to the fruit. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
A Special General Meeting of this Society was held on the 
17th instant, at the house of the Society of Arts, John Street, 
Adelphi, Rev. L. Vernon Harcourt, V.P., in the chair, when 
the following candidates were elected Fellows: — Mrs. James 
Alexander; Harry Chester, Esq.; Mrs. Chester ; Mrs. William 
Henry Cole ; Chesterfield Gayford, Esq. ; George Goss, Esq.; 
Edward B. Green, Esq.; Hugh Hammersley, Esq.; Mrs. Ham- 
mersley; Rev. Francis R. Hepburn; Edwin J. M. Herepath, Esq.; 
Andrew Jardine, Esq. ; Sir Raymond Jarvis ; Sir Edmund 
Lacon, Bart., M.P. ; Henry Langley, Esq.; Thomas Y. Lear- 
mouth. Esq.; Charles John A. MacLean, Esq.; Hon. Mrs. 
Maude; Mrs. Josepli Maudslay ; Miss Isabel A. Maudslay; j 
Miss Clara R. Maudslay ; William R. Mitchell, Esq.; Captain 
Wm. Pixley ; Mrs. Pixley ; Robert Ellis Pixley, Esq.; Lieut.- j 
General Sir George Pollock, G.C.B. ; Lady Pollock; Dr. David 
Preston; Miss Emily Ricardo; Abraham Geo. Robarts, Esq. ; 
William Scott, Esq.; Mr. John Salter ; H. W. Segelcke, Esq. ; 
Colonel Sidley; Major-General Sir S. W. Steel, K.C.B.; Edward 
: D. Verner, Esq.; Mrs. H. B. Ward ; The Lady Horatia Ward- 
law ; Edward Warwick, Esq.; Mrs. E. Warwick; Sidney H. 
Waterloo, Esq.; Mrs. L. Wight; Mrs. Brownlow Wynne. 
The number of Fellows elected since January last amounts 
1 to 602. 
THE VICISSITUDES OF SEASONS. 
The present spring is of so strange and unusual a character 
that it deserves serious consideration as to its bearing on garden- J 
ing affairs ; and although my friend Mr. Bailey recently gave 
1 very sensible remarks on this subject, yet I must beg to offer 
mine, especially as touching its bearing on fruits. Everybody is 
but too conversant with the serious character of the past winter, 
the longest in a proper sense, perhaps, of any in our days. The 
effects and real character of such matters are, perhaps, seen 
better retrospectively than whilst passing. We now see it as a 1 
whole. There can be little doubt that all the accumulated 
warmth has been abstracted, even to a foot or more in depth, and 
the wet period we have gone through has so closed the pores, 
that any accession of atmospheric warmth must be trivial indeed 
in amount. Atmospheric warmth indeed! I feel disposed to 
blush, old as I am, to think of so libelling that all-valuable power, 
heat. 
And what consequences may we expect from such protracted 
work ? Let us examine the matter. 
The general atmospheric coldness which we have experienced 
has, doubtless, been much enhanced by the coldness of the earth, 
which, instead of somewhat mitigating the cold air, has rather 
joined forces with it. Then we have the winds to consider. I 
do not know how other quarters have fared, but in theso parts 
(Cheshire), I think we have not had three days free from wind, 
or those perpetual breezes which prevent the sun’s rays heating 
the soil. 
The bud of trees having beeu once excited by rest and warmth, 
is an impatient thing; and well it may be, for it has outgrown the 
, coat made for it last autumn, and must either suffer or burst its 
1 bonds. We may, however, rest assured, that this effort at 
growth is not merely in consequence of a great and sudden 
access of sap from the root, but from the true food prepared the 
season previous and laid up for this very purpose. But the time 
soon arrives when a root action is absolutely essential, and this I 
fear will be much overdue this spring. Much will depend on 
the weather as to moisture: if the ground keep dry when an 
advent of warmth docs arrive, the solar rays will soon insinuate 
themselves into every crevice, for they have very narrow 
I shoulders. 
Here I would caution our younger readers on the abuse (not 
use), of mulching. There are periods at which I will dare, un¬ 
reservedly, to recommend it; but let us carefully distinguish. 
Every means, I contend, should be taken this spring to get 
warmth in the soil, and that speedily. To this end rather unload 
any extraneous mattor not containing roots, and leave the surface 
as smooth as possible with an inclination outwards that water may 
be carried off. Let the fork remain idle, as to fruits, until the end 
of May, and let no one suppose that solid ground cannot receive 
the solar rays. Indeed, where mulching is practised, I have 
before suggested in these pages, and I repeat it, that the body of 
mulch would be better draw n from the surface soil of all tender 
j fruits at the end of March of each spring—that is, where the 
mulching is of some thickness. Let not, however, mulching 
| here be confouuded with surface dressing. This has been care¬ 
fully explained years ago in The Cottage Gabdenek. Mulching 
is good dung applied four inches thick to any needy fruit trees 
in June or July. It is not meant as a medium for the roots, but 
a screen to them, for trees may suffer with excellent soil beneath 
them, when their fibres are mainly near the surface. Surface 
dressing is applying a permanent medium, never to be disturbed, 
for the fibres to ascend in. This should not be applied more than 
two or tlireo inches in thickness, and should be one-half loamy 
soil. This temporary removal of mulch is but small trouble, and 
it may be dug in the adjacent borders, and the trees receive fresh 
manure. 
Now, we know that the spring is, as a whole, nearly a month 
behind the average of seasons. It may also be considered that 
the summer may be an untoward one, and the autumn premature. 
The wood of tender fruit trees requires a given period, or shall I 
say, amount of light? to attain that maturity which is the founda¬ 
tion of fruitfulness. Seeing, then, that such things are probable, 
w-e should adopt and practise with assiduity such measures as 
will facilitate the maturation of both shoots and spurs, so as to 
make the best of a bad season. Early pinching and early train¬ 
ing are foremost in this affair—in fact, anything that will facili¬ 
tate the admission of light to the true wood and the spurs. 
And what shall we say about insects ? My opinion is, that 
the marauders having had so long a nap, will awake “ like giants 
refreshed,” and will come down upon us locust fashion. Like 
the trees with whose movements then- motions must necessarily 
be identified, they will lose no time. Therefore, whether I be 
prophetic or not, the subduing these pests may be strongly urged : 
it will be at least a step in the right direction. Insect extermi¬ 
nation should in all cases be part of the gardener’s creed, and 
although not always practicable on a large scale, let us make what 
advances w r e can to the goal. The worst of it is, that the majority 
of gardeners in country places are so pinched for labour that 
they cannot do what they would. 
I fear this season will again punish the Quince-stock men 
as to their Pears. The precocity of this stock, indeed, is its 
greatest fault; and no gardener should trust this stock without a 
good moveable protection, and due attention likewise. I wish 
that some knowing person would give us a full list of all the 
Pears that will not do on the Quince. As it is, we are left to 
grope our way by slow- experience, and our patience and pockets 
are both sorely taxed in this tardy proceeding. I have never in 
my days seen such a crowd of blossom-buds as our trees present; 
it is almost painful to me to look at them, knowing as I do that 
the suceeding year is apt to run short in consequence. If it 
should happen that a great “ set ” of fruit is the consequence, 
there will be extra reasons for using the scissors freely. 
R. Eebiegtoh. 
COLETIA BICTONIENSIS. 
This very siugularly growing shrub seems to be perfectly 
hardy ; and its peculiar appearance renders it available for such 
prominent points as we sometimes see occupied by Abies pygmaa, 
clipped Box, Irish Yew, or other symmetrical features in a garden 
arranged in a mathematical form. This Coletia differs widely 
from any of them, it having more the appearance ol one of the 
Opuntia tribe of Cactuses. The plant is of moderate growth, but 
very rigid. Its stem, of a pale glaucous hue, it cut across into 
sections presents everywhere a perfect cross ; the wings, or 
portions forming this cross being as accurately joined together. 
