204 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 28, 1885. 
advance, so as to get a reply as to which of them to 
send. The dried flowers should never be packed with 
the plants, but sent on by post.— James O'Brien. 
Trichosma suavis. —This is a gem amongst the 
Orchids flowering at this period of the year ; sweet- 
scented flowers. The other day, at Lord Calthorpe’s, 
Elvetham, I was much struck with the beauty of a 
small plant bearing five or six spikes with as many 
flowers on a spike. The flowers are white and the 
labellum yellow and red. They are very sweet, and in 
habit and style the plant is something like Govenia 
deliciosa, another beautiful Orchid not too often met 
with. Both these were recently figured in The Orchid 
Album —the former plate 114, the latter plate 210. 
—A. 0. 
--- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
The Vines in the early house, if not already done, 
should be forthwith treated in the manner recommended 
at p. 76 ; that is, if ripe Grapes are required by the end 
of April or early in May next. In most cases, the 
Muscat Vines will have shed their leaves, so that the 
sooner the bunches of this excellent Grape are cut with 
a good length of wood attached for inserting in cham¬ 
pagne bottles nearly filled with water, and having a few 
pieces of charcoal in each to keep the water pure, the 
better it will be for the Vines and the Grapes too, pro¬ 
viding there is a suitable room in which to rest the 
bottles on shelves at an angle of about 20°, and in which 
a dry atmospheric temperature of from 45° to 50° can 
be maintained throughout the winter and springmonths. 
The bunches should be looked over frequently, and 
whenever a berry has become injured through damp or 
other cause it should be removed forthwith. 
Late varieties, such as Lady Downes, Gros Colmar, 
Trebbiano, Alicante, Gros Guillaume, Mrs. Pince’s 
Black Muscat, &e., which are still hanging on the 
Vines, where, for the sake of the Grapes, it will be ad¬ 
visable, in properly constructed and managed houses, 
to allow- them to remain for the next five or six weeks, 
should also have attention in the way of removing at 
once any bad berries that may appear on the bunches. 
Maintain a dry airy atmosphere in the houses 
in the meantime, and a minimum temperature 
of from 45° to 50° therein should be aimed at. After 
the Grapes have been cut in the Muscat-house, the 
Vines may be pruned back to a good plump bud, re¬ 
moving at the same time any unsightly spurs that may 
be on the Vines, wherever young shoots of the current 
year’s growth from the main stem are procurable to take 
their place, and these should be cut close back to one 
bud from its base. The washing of the Vines, cleansing 
of the house, top-dressing of borders, &c., should then 
be proceeded with in the way advised in The Garden¬ 
ing World for October 3, p. 76, and an abundance of 
air should be afterwards admitted to the house until 
the time (new year) for starting the Vines arrives,— H. 
W. Ward, Longford Castle. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Complete the earthing-uji of late plantings of Celery 
and Cardoons, so that as much of the stem as possible, 
consistent with keeping the soil out of the hearts of 
the plants, may be covered with the soil. Get all 
vacant pieces of ground manured, dug or trenched, in 
readiness for early plantings of Peas and Cauliflowers. 
Remove forthwith to the rubbish heap any useless 
Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Broccoli stumps. In damp 
weather the garden walks can be freed from weeds and 
fallen leaves, and be afterwards rolled. Manure heaps 
can be turned, Oak and Chestnut leaves raked together 
and carted to the leaf-coop for hot-beds and leaf-mould; 
Pea and Bean sticks can be got in and made ready for 
future use. As a rule there are plenty of jobs reserved 
for doing on wet days, such as the making and tying 
up of labels in different sizes for pot plants, seed beds, 
Boses, &e., and mat tying, the making of crooks for 
pegging and layering plants, together with the pre¬ 
paring, sizing, and tying up in bundles of sticks for 
pot and border plants ; also the breaking, sifting, and 
sizing of crocks, and looking over seed Potatos and 
other roots. 
Frame Ground. —Abundance of air should be given 
to ubjects in this department in the absence of frost 
and snow—I mean the young Lettuce and Cauliflower 
plants for spring planting—to ensure a sturdy growth. 
Look over the established plants of Endive and Lettuce, 
and remove any decaying matter that may be adhering 
to them, destroying any slugs that may be found. 
Forcing Department. —Another frame of Aspa¬ 
ragus should begot in at once. Give sufficient air to beds 
in bearing, so that the “grass ” does not become drawn, 
and cut the same as soon as it attains 6 ins. or so in 
height, and stand the butt ends in a saucer containing 
about J in. of water, out of the reach of frost, until 
required for use. Another batch of Rhubarb and Sea- 
kale roots should be put in the Mushroom-house or 
wherever they are forced. Failing this accommodation, 
the root-stocks should be covered with pots or long 
boxes, and these covered with 3 ft. or 4 ft. thick of Oak 
or Chestnut leaves. The present is a good time to put 
sets of the Ashleaf and other Potatos into pots or boxes, 
embedded in leaf-mould, starting them in a little heat, 
to be planted later on in the hot-beds when they have 
made 2 ins. of growth. 
Sow Mustard and Cress at short intervals, covering 
with a board for a day or two until the seeds sprout, 
and see that suecessional beds of Radishes are attended 
to in the way of watering and airing. Stable dung 
(including the horse-droppings) and leaves (a little more 
of the latter than the former) should be thrown to¬ 
gether, and turned over a couple of times in the course 
of a week or two to sweeten, wherewith to make up 
hot-beds for Potatos, Carrots, Radishes, &c. About 
the middle or third week in the ensuing month, keep 
a good supply of rich soil in a shed in readiness for 
sowing and top-dressing French Beans and other pur¬ 
poses connected with this department.— H. W. Ward, 
Longford Castle. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Flowers for January and February. — It is during 
January and the early part of February that flowers 
are generally very scarce, and, as at that season, there is 
often a great demand, it requires some management to 
keep up a sufficient supply ; but if timely consideration 
is given, many things may be brought on in time to 
succeed those that are exhausted at Christmas time. 
Spiraeas, and Lily of the Valley should now be started ; 
the Spiraeas should be plunged 'where there is a gentle 
bottom heat, and should have a covering of about three 
inches of cocoanut fibre refuse over the crowns, this 
should not be removed until the flower spikes are well 
started. A few leaves will often come through before 
the flower spikes get properly started, and, if exposed 
too soon, the flower spikes will often remain dormant, 
especially in the case of early forced plants ; liquid 
manure may be used freely after the plants are well 
started into growth. 
Lily of the Valley may be placed in a higher tem¬ 
perature, but, like the Spiraeas they should be kept 
well covered until the flower spikes are started. 
Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, &c., for keeping up a 
succession: a few of these should be taken in every 
week. Lachenalias are beautiful winter-flowering bulbs, 
and should find a place in every collection. They 
do not require anything above an ordinary green¬ 
house temperature to have them in flower early in the 
year. L. Nelsoni is one of the best varieties, the 
flowers of which are of a deep orange-yellow, and the 
spikes are larger than those of L. tricolor, but this is 
also a useful plant, and should not be despised. 
Primulas, both double and single, and Cyclamen 
persicum, will give a valuable supply of flowers during 
January and February, if the plants are kept in a 
growing state and free from clamping. Tree Carnations 
should have a light airy position, but not too much 
heat. 
Plants of Eucharis amazonica that have had a period 
of rest, will flower freely during the winter, provided 
they can be given sufficient heat, but they require a 
higher temperature than is usually given them. Liquid 
manure, made from cow-dung and soot, may be used 
freely for any plants that have well filled their pots with 
roots ; it should also be borne in mind, that, although 
the Eucharis will grow freely under the shade of other 
plants, they require a lighter position to flower them 
successfully. 
Apples. —The number of bushels of Apples imported 
into the United Kingdom in 1884, was 2,679,800, of 
the value of £786,415. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
St. Neots. — Xoo. 17 th. —A very good exhibition 
took place in tte Corn Exchange on the above date, and 
was well attended. In common with other societies, 
the St. Neots Show had to suffer somewhat from a late 
season, and plants though scarcely up to the usual mark, 
were good ; and the cut flowers, both of incurved and 
Japanese types, very fine. In the class for twenty-fom' 
blooms, twelve incurved and twelve Japanese, Mr. T. 
Tillbrook, gardener to B. Brown,'Esq., St. Neots, was 
1st with a very good lot ; Mr. G. Redman, gardener to 
J. H. Goodgames, Esq., Eynesbury, St. Neots, 2nd ; 
and Mr. Abbey, gardener to Lord Esmo Gordon, Pax¬ 
ton Park, St. Neots, 3rd. Mr. Tillbrook had the best 
twelve incurved blooms, showing some very good ones ; 
and Mr. Redman was 2nd, and prizes were awarded in 
the same order for twelve Japanese varieties. Mr. 
Redman had the best twelve blooms of reflexed varieties; 
Mr. Abbey coming in 2nd. With twelve large flowered 
Anemone varieties, Messrs. Tillbrook and Redman, 
were severally 1st and 2nd ; while Mr. Redman had 
the best twelve bunches of Pompon varieties ; Mr. 
Abbey being 2nd ; and Mr. Redman was also 1st with 
twelve Pompon Anemones. 
In the open classes for plants in pots, Mr. Redman 
was invicible, for he was 1st with a group ; also with six 
plants in pots, and for a single specimen also. In the 
amateurs division the most successful exhibitors were 
Messrs. G. Taylor, T. Plum, C. Fox, and J. Hall. The 
best collection of fruit came from Mr. Tillbrook ; Mr. W. 
II. Williams, gardener to Geo. Boner, Esq., being 2nd. 
Messrs. Redman and Abbey both contributed a miscel¬ 
laneous collection of plants of a high order of merit; 
and Mr. J. Hall, of Eaton Ford, a collection of Gourds. 
The arrangements of the show were as usual in the 
hands of Mr. W. Ratchelous, the secretary of the St. 
Neots Horticultural Society, and they were carried out 
in a way that gave the greatest satisfaction. 
St. Peter's, Hammersmith and District. 
— Nov. 19 th. —This represented a gallant effort on the 
part of some amateurs and gardeners to hold a Chry¬ 
santhemum Exhibition in St. Peter’s Schoolroom, near 
to the Broadway, Hammersmith. It was on a small 
scale ; it was inaugurated with much faith and hope, 
and it must be pronounced a decided success. More 
than that, it seemed to interest the people in the neigh¬ 
bourhood, for a good attendance visited the show. It 
may be further remarked that there are periodical 
meetings of the members of the society, when discus¬ 
sions take place, and papers are read ; and one result 
appears likely to flow from it—that amateur gardening 
will be encouraged in this populous district. Let us 
hope that in course of time the society may be able to 
command a large and more serviceable room in which 
to hold its show. 
The leading class was open to all comers, and was 
for twenty-four Chrysanthemums, twelve incurved and 
twelve Japanese, Mr. James Sharp, gardener to W. H. 
T. Hatcliell, Esq., Parkfield, Grove Park, Lee, Kent, was 
1st with good blooms of Golden Empress, Mr. Bunn, 
Cherub, Baron Beust, Beauty, White Globe, Jardin des 
Tlantes, Golden Beverley, Princess of Wales, Mabel 
Ward, Barbara, and Lady Slade ; of Japanese varieties 
there were Madame C. Audiguier, Curiosity, Sultan, 
Peter the Great, Comte de Germiny, Fanny Boucharlet, 
Boule d’Or, Hiver Fleur, Yellow Dragon, Album 
plenum, Thunberg, and Dr. Masters ; 2nd, Mr. H. 
Davis, gardener to W. G. Lake, Esq., Fairlawn House, 
South Acton, whose best blooms were Queen of England, 
Empress of India, Princess Imperial, Princess Teek, 
Golden Empress, Yenus, Lord Wolseley, Barbara, 
Guernsey Nugget, Jeanne d’Arc, and Mr. Brunlees ; of 
Japanese varieties, Fair Maid of Guernsey, Comte de 
Germiny, Madame C. Audiguier, Mdlle. La Croix, 
Thunberg, Sultan, Meg Merriles, Roseum superbum, 
Peter the Great, Jean Delaux, Mons. Astorg, and R. 
Ballantine ; 3rd Mr. J. R. Wood, gardener to Mrs. 
Saunderson, Chiswick. An extra prize was awarded to 
Mr. Stanton, gardener to Henry Smith, Esq., Griffin 
Brewery, Chiswick. 
All the following classes were confined to members. 
Twelve blooms, six incurved and six Japanese, 1st, Mr. 
G. Lampard,gardener to W. J. Sich, Esq.,Chiswick,who 
had Princess Imperial, Empress of India, Golden 
Empress, Guernsey Nugget, Princess of Wales, and 
Cherub ; Japanese, Triomplie de la Rue des Chalets, 
Madame C. Audiguier, Meg Merriles, Bronzed Dragon, 
Mons. Ai'dene, and Boule d’Or ; 2nd, Mr. J. E. M ood, 
