292 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 9, 1886. 
Vine culture and Oenology at Conegliano, near Venice, 
when the following prizes will be awarded :—One gold 
medal and 500 lire, three silver medals and 150 lire 
each, and 5 bronze medals. The Minister of Agri¬ 
culture will also purchase implements which take 
prizes to the value of 1000 lire. Exhibitors must apply 
for admission to the “ Direzione della E. Scuola di 
Vitieoltura ed Enologia in Conegliano ” not later than 
the 22nd February next, and the implements must be 
delivered by the 1st of March. The trials will take 
place on the 2nd of March and following days. 
The Rainfall of Liverpool. —We learn from 
Mr. E. G. Waterman, gardener, Eoseleigh, Woolton, 
Liverpool, that the rainfall in that district during 1885 
was about the average of the last ten years ; October 
being the heaviest recorded for any one month during 
the last fourteen years. The monthly fall, as measured 
by a 12-in. guage, was as follows January, 1'65 ins.; 
February, 2'34 ins.; March, 1 p 92 ins.; April, 1 ’97 ins.; 
May, 2'73 ins.; June, 3 '26 ins.; July, 2’00 ins.; August, 
1 *81 ins.; September, 5 - 09 ins.; October, 7'30 ins.; 
November, 2 P 87 ins.; December, 2 P 81 ins. Only twice 
during the year did a fall of over 1 in. occur in twenty- 
four hours, the heaviest being on December 30th with 
1'10 ins., and June 4th of l p 02 ins.; the first half of 
the year, as the above figures show, was considerably 
under the average. 
The Orchid Album. —The plants illustrated in 
the December number of this useful publication are :— 
Aeranthus Leonis, a new, dwarf, evergreen species from 
the Comoro Islands, with peculiar sword-like falcate 
leaves and white flowers, “borne in racemes which 
sometimes consist of as many as seven flowers” ; Den- 
drobium nobile nobilius, the very charming variety in 
Sir Trevor Lawrence’s collection, and which bears blos¬ 
soms 4 ins. in diameter, with broad sepals and petals 
richly suffused with rosy purple, which is deepened 
towards the tips ; Odontoglossum Insleayi splendens, 
a very handsome variety, which Mr. B. S. Williams 
imported from Mexico a few years ago, and the flowers 
of which measure 4i ins. across, the sepals and petals 
are of a rich shining brown, tipped and edged with 
yellow, another lip yellow spotted with bright carmine ; 
and Miltonia Warscewiczii, one of the most distinct 
members of the genus ; the sepals and petals are dark 
brownish purple tipped with white, and the lip velvety 
brownish purple, margined with rosy lilac, passing to 
white. 
The Ancient Society of York Florists. 
—The annual dinner of this society was held on Dec. 
23rd, at the White Swan Hotel, the City Sheriff, Mr. 
Samuel Wright, presiding. After the usual patriotic 
and several other toasts of local interest had been duly 
proposed and responded to, the chairman presented 
three silver cups to successful exhibitors at the late 
Chrysanthemum show. The first—the City Sheriff’s 
prize—was given to Mr. E. F. Jamieson (Hull) for the 
best thirty-six Chrysanthemum blooms. The next was 
the officers of the society’s prize, awarded to John 
Fielden, Esq., High Sheriff of Yorkshire (gardener, 
Mr, H. J. Clayton), for the best six bunches of Grapes, 
three varieties. The third prize—given by the Lord 
Mayor of York—was taken by Mr. Eobert Baker, of 
The Eetreat (gardener, Mr. J. Doe), for the best group 
of Chrysanthemums. Mr. Councillor Hornby, in giving 
the toast, “Prosperity and Success to the Ancient 
Society of York Florists,” spoke of the great interest he 
took in the institution, whose origin, he had been in¬ 
formed, was “lost in the remote mists of antiquity.” 
The society had had both “ ups and downs,” and the 
last show might be numbered amongst the “downs.” 
It suffered financially from what had been called 
“ election fever,” people being content to see a show of 
Chrysanthemums outside rather than spend a shilling 
to witness an exhibition such as that of the society. 
The future condition of the society had been referred 
to, but he thought that as long as they had such an 
excellent Lord Mayor and City Sheriff to manifest an 
interest in it there could hardly be any doubt of its 
prosperity. Mr. Cooper, with whose name the toast 
was coupled, said that antiquity was generally a token 
of merit, because they most times found “the survival 
of the fittest. ” The society was never so strong and 
promising as at present. He referred to the value of 
the cultivation of flowers, contending that it refined 
vulgarity and had a salutary effect on all who studied 
it. It likewise tended to peaceful habits, and he in¬ 
timated that if there was a man who had any evil 
propensities they had better induce him to join the 
society, for his sting would be extracted and his cup 
filled as full of honey as it would hold. 
AN ORCHID SOCIETY. 
Seeing the extreme popularity of Orchids nowadays 
in nearly all glasshouse gardens, it is a wonder that a 
Society specially devoted to these plants has not long 
ago been organised. “ To be or not to be ? that is the 
question.” The Eose, the Primula, the Auricula, the 
Pink and Carnation, and last but not least, the queen 
Chrysanthemum, are each and all honoured by special 
societies or committees. Why should not the “royal 
Orchids,” in like manner, have a society to them¬ 
selves ? 
An Orchid society in London, under the auspices of 
the Eoyal Horticultural Society, might do much 
valuable work; and its meetings and exhibitions 
would give an impetus to the culture and admiration 
of these lovely flowers. If organised on a broad basis, 
exhibitions could be held in Edinburgh or in Manches¬ 
ter, as well as in London. I say Edinburgh, because 
one of the lessons taught to us by the really successful 
“Orchid Conference” was that distance really pre¬ 
vented the northern growers from exhibiting their 
plants in London. After all, one cannot wonder that 
amateurs did not risk their rare and valuable plants 
on a railway journey of 300 or 400 miles. 
If “the mountain cannot come to Mahomet,” how¬ 
ever, we must not forget that “Mahomet can go to 
the mountain ;” for it would be easy for an “Orchid 
Society ” to hold local exhibitions wherever local 
amateurs and other growers would guarantee to exhibit 
and support a show of these plants. An “Orchid 
Society,” even if it did not venture to hold any large 
exhibitions of its own, could do much to further the 
good work, and to strengthen the hands of any society 
with which it worked. 
The whole question is worth the attention of the 
trade, as well as of amateur growers, and it is to be 
hoped that those interested will express their views on 
the matter. — F. W. Burbidge. [Such a Society would 
be of immense advantage in many ways, over and 
above the organisation of exhibitions, popular as those 
would undoubtedly become ; and we shall be much 
pleased to hear the views of other readers on the 
subject.—E d.] 
--*•=£«-- 
CORISANDE’S GARDEN. 
Gardens are always beautiful in fiction ; still more, 
they are always very idealistic. No one who really 
understands gardens would draw in words, much less 
in colours, a garden of the kind made famous by Lord 
Beaconsfield with its peacocks (abominable nuisances), 
and fanciful notions about flowers, all of which reads 
amusingly if far from being practical. Our modern ideas 
of a garden certainly combine neatness and trimness, 
with an absence of the purely formal as found in the 
old Dutch ideas of statues, clipped trees, and other 
abominations. We have now preferences for good 
shrubs in single specimens, and in masses of handsome 
trees, singly and in groups ; of clumps of hardy flowers 
here, and tender flowers as in season there ; of long 
seasons of flowers that are not centred in the short¬ 
lived ideal Stock and Gilliflower ; for it is obvious that 
Lord Beaconsfield, by his reference to the attachment 
of the latter to walls, that he is referring to Wall¬ 
flowers—quite a garden error on his part, as we have 
usually associated that appellation with Stocks. 
If Lady Corisande had no other Wallflowers in her 
garden than the indigenous Cheiranthus Cheirii, she 
was lacking one of the sweetest scented spring flowers, 
assuming that in Lothair's day Wallflowers were as 
good as they are now. It is a long season from March 
till November, and the guarding of plants to cover all 
those months was, perhaps, beyond the capabilities of 
the gardener at Bentham. It is all very well to write 
in praise of Lavender and Sweetbriar, of Clover and of 
Stocks; but very many other than sweet-scented 
flowers are needed to make a garden gay over a long 
period, as well as for the two or three summer months 
when flowers are usually abundant. Very much, too, 
is made of the walls on three sides of the garden, fragrant 
with the climbing Eoses and Honeysuckles ; but many 
things less sweet are usually needed to render walls 
pleasing throughout the whole year ; and some readers 
of Lothair will, perhaps, think a garden enclosed by 
banks of the beautiful shrubs would have proved much 
more pleasing and attractive than one enclosed on three 
sides with walls, even though covered with climbers.— 
A. D, 
COTTAGE GARDENS. 
At this season when so many will shortly be com¬ 
mencing gardening operations for the year, it may be 
of interest and service to some if we set down a few 
thoughts on cottage gardens, for that many of these 
are capable of considerable improvement there cannot 
be any doubt. At the outset one regret may be ex¬ 
pressed—the tendency observedinthegrowingsuburbs of 
London, and in the vicinity of large towns, to erect 
working class habitations with-as little ground in the 
way of back premises as possible attached to them ; 
and in the country, too, the same circumstances can be 
noticed, for though the land is of much less value, when 
new cottages are built less land is allotted to them as 
gardens than -was formerly the case. 
Now the character of the dwelling will, in many 
cases, determine the manner in which the garden is 
maintained. In the case of new cottages now in course of, 
and comparatively recently erected, much more regard 
is paid to sanitary arrangements than used to be the 
case, and with increased comforts and conveniences, 
it is pretty certain that a higher value will be set on the 
home, and a desire to maintain it orderly and cleanly; 
and this will manifest itself in the cottage garden also. 
To every country cottage there should be a good garden 
and a woll-arranged pig-stye. The last should be pro¬ 
vided by the landlord. We know of nothing better 
calculated to give a labouring man a sense of comfort 
and security than these necessary adjuncts to his 
dwelling. 
The garden should be proportionate to the size of the 
cottage. Too large a garden is often beyond the oppor¬ 
tunities of the tenant in tilling it satisfactorily. A 
man who has to work hard on a farm all day—and 
make long days in summer, not unfrequently—cannot 
overtake the work of a large garden in the evenings. 
The cottage garden should be designed to assist the 
family and encourage habits of industry ; large enough 
to afford a fair supply of vegetables and some useful 
fruit, but not to overtax the industry of the occupier. 
It should grow Potatos, Cabbages, Parsnips, Turnips, 
Beans, Onions, and other leading vegetables; there 
should be roots for storing in autumn for winter and 
spring consumption, as well as growing vegetables for 
cutting as required. 
A cottage garden, like every other, ought to have a 
liberal supply of manure. The pig-stye can be made 
of great assistance in this case ; but oftentimes a little 
assistance is needed from outside, and this is not al¬ 
ways to be had. Hence it is that the soil, in many 
cottage gardens, is worn out for want of replenishment. 
The farmer needs all the manure he can make, and 
more ; and it is difficult for the cottager to obtain any¬ 
thing like an adequate supply. Kind, neighbourly offices 
may occasionally assist—the helpful principle should be 
in operation much mote potently in country districts 
where the residents are acquainted with each other, 
than in suburban districts where they are not. A 
garden cannot be termed remunerative unless it is 
fully cropped, and how can it be fully cropped if it is 
not well manured ? 
A second thing to be observed is never to grow the 
same crop on the same piece of ground successively ; 
this is a rule laid down by all practical gardeners. 
Then, as far as it is possible to do so, allow none of the 
ground to remain unoccupied ; say if a crop of Early 
Potatos be grown, when this is taken from the ground 
it should be at once filled with greens—Broccoli, 
Cabbage, Savoy, and Kale. These things come in very 
useful at the latter part of the summer, and during 
autumn and winter; and in addition to ordinary 
Cabbage, the cottager should always have a patch of 
Savoy and Cottager’s Kale, they are the most useful of 
winter greens. 
The necessary fruit trees ought to be planted by the 
landlord. A comparatively small outlay would suffice 
to stock a garden with a select collection of fruit trees, 
and so add greatly to the advantages of the cottage 
garden. A cottager with limited means can scarcely 
be expected to spend money on planting, and the 
pleasure to be derived from flowers means that there 
should be a flower garden also. In almost every 
neighbourhood there are some who can help the Cot¬ 
tager with a few flowers if he has not the means to 
purchase for himself There are many perennials he 
can grow, and any choice things that Seed supplies him 
with ihe means of increase. A road-side patch of 
garden in front of a cottage gay with pretty flowers is 
