524 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 16, 1887. 
the growth made will he weak and the flowers any¬ 
thing hut satisfactory. As a rule they will bear 
several degrees of frost with impunity, hut at the same 
time it is not wise to put them to too severe a test in 
this direction. 
We have yet many seedling things which require 
potting off, but every structure appears full to over¬ 
flowing. Many things are now, however, going out of 
flower, and numbers of the winter-flowering plants can 
be discarded now that sufficient stock is struck, thus 
making room for the staging of young plants, which if 
neglected in their infancy seldom, if ever, regain their 
full vigour. The old stock of 
SoLANtrjrs have been cut back hard and placed in a 
cold pit. As soon as the weather permits they will be 
planted out, and a little later on this season’s seedlings 
with them. As the Cinerarias go past their best, let 
those intended for propagation have the flower-heads 
entirely removed—but not too much of their foliage at 
this time—and be placed in a pit on a surface of ashes, 
watered, and allowed to gradually ripen off. Cuttings 
in abundance will shortly appear. For autumn 
flowering a packet of seed should now be sown, taking 
care to shade the pan from sun, We generally place 
the seed in a genial warmth at this season, and as soon 
as the little plants appear remove to cooler quarters. 
Unless they are kept as cool and hardy as possible they 
are sure to be infested ivith green-fly, giving endless 
trouble to the grower, an'd in the end are not satisfactory. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
The weather continuing so very dry necessitates 
extra attention to the watering of Vine borders, and 
we are, to-day, busy in that respect. We have removed 
the covering from the outside border of the early vinery, 
giving a good dressing of Clay’s manure and then a 
thin mulching of straw litter to prevent evaporation. 
The canes are carrying a heavy crop, so that frequent 
feeding is rendered necessary, as the Vines are old. We 
have also watered the succession house, the Muscat 
and the Fig house ; and also given a mulching to the 
latter of half-rotten manure. The Muscats are now in 
full flower, so that the temperature has been raised to 
72° by night and 80° by day, by fire heat, with a rise 
of 10° by sun ; of course, being careful not to damp 
down the house near mid-day. 
See that the shelves containing Strawberries are 
made good. As the fruit is gathered let the plants be 
removed and the most forward from the next batch 
take their place. Should any of the plants be required 
for planting out or for fruiting next autumn they must 
be put into cold frames, regularly watered, and gradually 
hardened off before being placed out of doors. We have 
placed a batch along the whole length of the Potato 
pits, a position admirably suited to bring on the late 
varieties, such as Sir C. Napier, and being so freely 
ventilated a good “ set” is always secured. 
Melons are now growing very freely ; we find it 
advisable to set the blooms daily until a sufficient 
number are swelling away together, when they are 
kept pinched off. The earliest lot will not carry more 
than three fruits each ; but the succession ones may, 
according to the variety, mature as many as five or six 
of 2 lbs. to 3 lbs. each. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Still the same unfavourable -weather for the growth 
of all green crops prevails, and the stocks are now 
becoming very short. Broccoli, which should have 
been cleared off during March, are now only just show¬ 
ing signs of making a start; consequently the cropping 
of some of the squares will not be as originally intended. 
Winter Spinach is now of the utmost value, and 
furnishes almost daily pickings. Ellam’s Cabbage is 
turning in nicely, but so very small ; and the later 
plantings, although alive, have got considerably smaller 
than when planted out. 
Cauliflowers do not make the least attempt to 
grow ; and, while the cold north-easterly winds prevail, 
watering must not be attempted to assist them. Taking 
it altogether, this is a most harassing season. We 
have put in our main sowing of Carrots ; also an early 
lot of Beet-root, using Nutting’s for the purpose, as we 
find this the best all-round variety. We have put 
in another breadth of Turnips, fearing, as is so often 
the case, that the earliest would bolt. We have also 
removed the stools of a square of Curled Kale, which 
had been hard picked ; and lightly dressed and dug 
the ground ready for Potatos. This will render late 
planting necessar} 7 , but for reasons above-stated it 
cannot be avoided. 
We have also put in a sowing of Pale Dun French 
Beans, on a very warm border. Should they escape 
the spring frosts, they will come in most useful. The 
pricked-out Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, &c., having 
made a good start, the lights have been entirely 
removed from them during the day.— Walter Child, 
Croome Court. 
-~>X<-- 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural. —April 12th .—Daffodils 
again formed the main feature of the display, and these 
with a considerable number of good new plants made 
up a pleasing little show, which was visited in the 
course of the afternoon by II. M. The King of the 
Belgians, who on seeing the grand varieties of Amaryllis 
exhibited, must have been struck with the great 
advance made with this flower since he was present in 
the same place on the day when Amaryllis Leopoldi 
was christened and certificated. The Messrs. Veitch 
had Certificates for two lovely varieties on this oc¬ 
casion, and exhibited besides several others of great 
merit ; also Azalea obtusa alba, and a group of well- 
flowered plants of Pieris (Andromeda) japonica, hardy 
and useful for outdoor purposes or for pot culture. Mr. 
B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, was accorded a vote 
of thanks for Vanda cristata, Phalnsnopsis Stuartiana 
nobilis and Anthurium atrosanguineum. He also 
exhibited some fine plants of Boronia megastigma, 
Ochna multiflora, Tillandsia Lindeni, Himanto- 
phyllum aurantiacum and several Sarracenias. Messrs. 
Barr & Son, 12 and 13, King Street, Covent Garden, 
exhibited a fine group of Narcissi, enlivened by the 
intense blue Chionodoxa sardensis, C. Lueiliae, Saxi- 
fraga ligulata and others, for which they were awarded 
a Silver Banksian Medal. 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, 
staged a large group of Narcissi, augmented with 
various greenhouse or hardy plants, such as Lachenalias, 
Ophrys tenthredenifera, Helleborus colchicus, Primula 
rosea, Zephyranthes carinata and others. He was 
awarded a Silver Banksian Medal. Messrs. Collins 
Bros. & Gabriel, 39, Waterloo Road, S.E., exhibited a 
large group of cut Narcissi, for which they received a 
Silver Banksian Medal. Several other plants were 
mixed in the group, such as Anemone fulgens, Muscari 
botryoides alba, Chionodoxa Lucili* and C. sardensis. 
Mr. F. Ross, The Gardens, Pendell Court, Bletchingley, 
exhibited a group of good and rare plants and cut 
flowers; amongst them Paulownia imperialis, Eranthe- 
mum eboracensis, Angraecum sesquipedale, Strepto- 
carpus polyanthus, and Dendrobium fimbriatum 
oculatum superbum were conspicuous. One out of 
three varieties of Vanda tricolor was very noticeable for 
the union of the petals with the upper sepal in all the 
flowers of the spike. He was awarded a Bronze Banksian 
Medal. Mr. II. B. May, Dyson’s Lane Nurseries, 
Upper Edmonton, exhibited a beautiful group of various 
popular and ornamental garden Ferns, amongst which 
the bronzy Pteris aspericaulis, P. tricolor, and the 
variegated P. cretica Mayi were conspicuous. Many 
beautiful Davallias and Adiantums were also notable, 
including A. cuueatum Pacotti. A Bronze Banksian 
Medal was awarded for the group. 
A Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to a group of 
New Holland plants from the Royal Gardens, Kew. 
It included Boronias, Darwinias, Agapetes, Pentap- 
terygium, Bauera, Tetratheca, Acacia, Rhododendron 
argenteum, red var., Kennedya nigricans and Primula 
Reidii, a new Himalayan species. Messrs. H. Lane & 
Son, The Nurseries, Berkhamstead, exhibited a large 
group of different varieties of Azalea mollis, edged with 
Aspidistra lurida, for which they were awarded a Silver 
Banksian Medal. Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, exhibited 
Primula longibarda (Backhouse), a purple-flowered 
species in the way of P. pubescens or P. ciliate. Messrs. 
H. Page & Sons, The Nurseries, Teddington, were 
accorded a vote of thanks for an exhibit of three forms 
of Odontoglossum. Messrs. John Laing & Co., The 
Nurseries, Forest Hill, London, S.E., received a vote 
of thanks for Cattleya Lawrenciana, and a Cultural 
Commendation for a large finely flowered specimen 
of Dendrobium Ainsworthii. They also showed the 
curious-coloured Odontoglossum Edwardi and Lavatera 
arborea variegata. 
R. J. Measures, Esq., Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell, 
exhibited a new white zonal Pelargonium, Miss F. 
Measures, and a vote of thanks was accorded for the 
exhibit. Mr. G. F. Wilson, Heatherbank, Weybridge, 
received a vote of thanks for an exhibit consisting of 
Hellebores and a variety of Primula denticulata. J. T. 
Gabriel, Esq., 6, Palace Road, Streatham Hill, ex¬ 
hibited Cattleya Triame Gabrieliana, Odontoglossum 
Rawsoniana and 0. Andersonianum Gabriel’s var., for 
the latter of which he received a vote of thanks. 
H. M. Pollett, Esq , Fernside, Bickley, showed Cattleya 
intermedia amethystina ; and F. A. Philbriek, Esq., 
Oldfield, Bickley, exhibited Cymbidium ebumeum 
Philbrickianum, with two flowers on a spike. F. 
Wiggins, Esq., Clare Lawn, East Sheen, showed a large 
well-flowered specimen of Dendrobium Findleyanum. 
Besides the Rose certificated, Messrs. William Paul & 
Son, Paul's Nurseries, Waltham Cross, Herts, exhibited 
Tea Rose—The Bride and Mrs. John Laing, for the 
latter of which he was granted a vote of thanks. 
At the meeting of the Fruit Committee, Mr. D. 
Inglis, The Gardens, Howick House, Lesbury, exhibited 
a basket of Cabbages, named Howick Stone, for which 
he was accorded a vote of thanks. 
Royal Caledonian Horticultural.— April 
6 th and 1th. —This was one of the best spring shows 
held under the auspices of this society (in the Waverley 
Market), and it was pleasing to note that the adverse 
character of the weather, experienced for some months, 
was not reflected in the show, which, in point both of 
extent and quality, was equal to any and better than 
most of its predecessors. There was a slight falling off 
in the number of entries as compared with last year, 
but, as has been indicated, the exhibits were of greater 
extent. 
The local nurserymen were not so well represented 
as usual, and Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons were left 
alone in the field of competition. Their exhibits were, 
however, up to their usual standard of excellence, and 
would successfully meet a good deal of opposition. 
The band stand was enclosed with some magnificent 
Rhododendrons in perfect bloom, which had a striking 
effect on the general appearance of the show. Their 
hardy Rhododendrons also comprised some fine varie¬ 
ties of beautiful colour and form. The table of plants 
shown by the Messrs. Laird was admirably arranged, 
and showed an effective combination of colour. It 
included Azaleas, some very finely-flowered Heaths, 
Lily of the Valley, and sweet-scented greenhouse Rho¬ 
dodendrons, the table being neatly edged with Maiden¬ 
hair Fern. The Azaleas shown separately by the same 
firm were well flowered, and not so stiff as some of the 
others, a little green peeping through between the 
bloom and relieving the great mass of colour. Messrs. 
Thomas Methven & Sons sent for exhibition their 
usual large table of spring-flowering plants, comprising 
chiefly forced hardy shrubs, Azalea mollis, Ghent 
Azaleas, Indian Azaleas, Lilacs, Heaths, Cixdamens 
and Deutzias ; the table being set off by the graceful 
foliage of Palms being introduced among the flowers. 
Messrs. Ireland & Thomson contributed a table filled 
with a choice collection-of flowering and foliage plants. 
Messrs. James Dickson & Sons also showed a table of 
spring-flowering plants, including Azaleas, Spineas, 
Tulips, and two very pretty boxes of Marechal Niel 
Roses. 
In the gardeners’ and amateurs’ class the hardy 
spring-flowering plants proved a never-failing source of 
attraction. They filled two tables, and made up in 
themselves a very neat and pretty exhibition ; promi¬ 
nent among the display being a fine assortment of 
Narcissus, Auriculas and Primulas. Mr. Robertson 
Munro took the first prize for the table with a collection 
distinguished by the rarity of many of the varieties ; 
the second prize went to Mr. George Sinclair, who had 
also a very tasteful exhibit. Perhaps the most con¬ 
spicuous object in the show was a table in the centre 
of the market, on which the Azaleas were arranged, 
with their great profusion of bloom towering up in the 
form of a pyramid. Mr. John Paterson, gardener to 
Mr. Syme, Millbank, came to the front as usual with 
some magnificent specimens of high cultivation. The 
Cape Heaths were very good, and among the Orchids 
were many good specimens. Mr. Curror’s first-prize 
lot of six was made up of three splendid Dendrobiums 
and Cattleya Triame with eight spikes, having three 
fully-developed flowers on each. In close proximity to 
this table was a beautiful collection of Orchids shown 
by Messrs. Thomson & Sons, Clovenfords, which formed 
a centre of attraction for visitors. Deutzias have 
probably been better represented, but they were on the 
whole a fair show, the prize plants being highly 
meritorious. There was a large entry of Cinerarias, 
which gave evidence of great skill in cultivation, show¬ 
ing a distinct advance in the direction of ornamental 
beauty. Foliage plants were a very creditable display 
for the time of year, as were also Ferns ; while the 
Pelargoniums were so fresh and well-bloomed thar they 
appeared to have been grown in July rather than in 
the early spring. Primulas and Auriculas^—to promote 
the cultivation of which a society has been formed, and 
will hold its first exhibition next month—were shown 
