672 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 25, 1892. 
to grow Pansies for exhibition well, and so 
did the late Mr. James when at Isleworth. 
We should look a long way now it is feared 
for either show Tulips or Pansies south¬ 
wards. 
It can hardly be that skill or means are 
lacking. Rather it seems as if the florists’ 
fire were wanting, for there must be great 
divergence between that fire which seems 
in relation to florists’ flowers to burn so 
brightly in the north, and the comparative 
coldness which exists this way. It is we 
fear useless to invite readers to take up the 
culture of high-class Tulips and Pansies 
southwards. There is no lack of apprecia¬ 
tion for beautiful flowers, but only for those 
which will make ordinary garden displays, 
and for that taste we can find no fault. 
une Frosts.— From four to five degrees 
of white frost in the middle of June is 
indeed a serious trouble, and shows to all 
concerned in gardening how great are the 
difficulties by which it is surrounded. If 
tender plants are not safe at that time of 
the year, when will they be ? Were it 
but a phenomenal freak of the weather 
we should regard such a cold depression 
lightly, but so far from that being the case 
we are finding now that such incursions of 
cold into June are far from being infre¬ 
quent, and leads to the impression that in 
a few years we may find June absorbed 
into that so-called spring season which is 
so treacherous, and renders early gar¬ 
dening, especially in relation to tender 
plants, exceedingly difficult. 
There can be no doubt whatever but 
that the very sharp wave of cold which 
passed over the south and west of England 
on the morning of the 15th was productive 
of grave harm. We have heard of 
Runners and French Beans, Tomatos, 
Vegetable Marrows, Potatos, Peas, Straw¬ 
berry blossoms, being cut, and in some 
district near to w r ater or low lying almost 
blackened. Even such comparatively 
hardy material as the common Bracken has 
been killed to the ground over large areas 
in places where the vapour hung and hoar 
frost was exceptionally dense. 
Very tender plants in flower gardens, of 
course, have also greatly suffered. We 
can but hope that the mischief done is no 
worse than we have so far indicated. 
Where the soil was very dry, and the 
plants on it fully exposed to an active 
atmosphere, very little harm has been done. 
In the case of summer vegetables we can¬ 
not possibly dispense with those of a 
tender nature. In our flower gardens we 
may do so to some extent, but to ignore 
tender plants entirely would even then 
necessitate a revolution in summer bedding. 
udges and their Duties. —The season 
which demands the interposition of 
horticultural judges is at hand, and will 
be with us up to the end of next November. 
Whatsoever the weather or other possible 
impediment, flower Show dates are fixed 
and the shows have to be held. This year 
those Committees who have arranged for 
their shows to come off between now and 
about the 20th of July, naturally have con¬ 
siderable mi-givings as to the probable 
effects upon th ir exhibitions of a General 
Election contest with all its feverishness 
and excitement. Social functions which 
make such a considerable demand upon the 
general public as floral fetes do, may 
suffer materially during such times, indeed 
it is very possible that some disadvantages 
may result to all shows more or less during 
the present summer because of the Election 
contest. 
But amidst all this excitement and dis¬ 
traction those members of our profession 
who are called upon to discharge the 
duties of the office of judge at these exhibi¬ 
tions will find that no relaxation of labour 
or lessening of responsibility to them will 
follow. It may be that sometimes when 
judges cast their eyes on the very lengthened 
list of classes in which they are called upon 
to adjudicate that they may well wish 
success to the reduction of the hours of 
labour movement, for the prospect of 
having to deal with perhaps 80 classes, as 
is sometimes the case, and within a couple 
of hours, is one sufficient to appal any 
intelligent man. 
If automatic judges could be found who 
could grind out a class judgment at the rate 
of one every minute the labour might be 
possible. It is not so with flesh and blood. 
Committees are almost invariably half-an- 
hour late with their preparations, and yet 
the unfortunate judge is expected to get 
through his tremendous duties in the usual 
limited time. Specially this year must the 
judge keep his head clear of all political 
excitement, or at the most must he only 
express sympathy with the short time 
movement. 
otatos. —Where the tender Potato tops 
escaped the recent sharp white frosts, 
and in many districts they were very much 
cut, there seems to be excellent promise of 
a good crop. It does happen that while 
ample rains always help to produce a heavy 
crop of tubers, the average quality of the 
sample is rarely so good as is the product 
of a drier season. We have so far had 
little rain, and where there have' been 
heavy falls the soil is none too wet. If we 
could have a season of occasional showers 
which kept the tops fresh and clean, yet 
not gross in growth, we should secure a 
better class of tuber than we have had for 
some two or three years. 
It is not a matter for wonder that much 
fault should be found with our Potatos, be¬ 
cause it is long since the decease allowed 
the tops to fully mature, and when these 
are as it were cut off in their prime, it is 
but natural that the average quality of the 
tubers should be low. A season that is 
moderately dry and warm whilst lessening 
the effects of the disease, especially by de¬ 
ferring its attacks, would also in promoting 
greater warmth in the soil conduce to the 
maturation of good sound starchy tubers. 
It seems to be utterly impossible to 
furnish artificially any conditions which 
shall conduce to that end if the weather be 
unpropitious. The best we can do is 
to have the soil deeply worked, so that all 
moisture may pass away from the roots 
very freely, and also have the plants well 
and sharply earthed up, so that the tubers 
are in that way further protected from 
excessive rains. July is usually the test 
month for Potatos, and if that time be 
safely weathered then there is not much 
to fear for the crop. 
-- 
The National Chrysanthemum Society's Annual Out¬ 
ing will take place on Friday, July 22nd, when a 
visit will be paid to the charming gardens at Redleaf 
and Penshurst, Kent. Further particulars will 
shortly be communicated to the members. 
Manchester Rose and Pink Show will be held on 
July 23rd, instead of July 16th as previously 
announced. 
The International Horticultural Exhibition —We 
understand that the authorities at Earl's Court have 
arranged to hold a grand fruit show in the last 
week of August, independent of the other shows 
already arranged for. About £200 will be given in 
prizes and the special feature will be Peaches and 
Nectarines. 
Frost in the middle of June.—Mr. Fulford, writing 
from the Gardens, Trafalgar Park, Salisbury, on the 
15th inst., states that a frost was experienced in that 
district on the previous night sufficiently severe to 
destroy dwarf and runner Beans. Potatos, Vege¬ 
table Marrow's, and ridge Cucumbers are also much 
cut up. 
The Bishop Stortford Horticultural Society will hold 
its annual exhibition at The Grange, Bishop Stort¬ 
ford, on August 31st. 
A Steam Lawn Roller is numbered among the 
latest American inventions. It is described as a 
miniature of the Steam Road Roller, being 30 ins. 
wide, 3 ft. in diameter, with a small chimney stack, 
6 ft. high, near which the man stands who runs the 
machine. It is said to be easily handled. 
Extensive destruction of the Potato Crop. —The 
Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire Potato crop—the 
chief Potato-growing district of England—has been 
mown down and blackened in enormous breadths, 
extending over hundreds of acres, by the severe 
frosts of last week. It is stated that it is eighteen 
years since any thing of a similar kind occurred. 
The crops on the Fen lands have suffered most 
severely, and the yield will necessarily be effected 
disastrously. 
The New Golden Richardia —The stock of this fine 
new plant was disposed of at Protheroe & Morris' 
Rooms last week and realised about £416. Several 
noted market growers were present, but the compe- 
tion for the various lots was by no means keen. The 
original plant realized seventeen guineas, and the 
next best specimens sixteen guineas and ten guineas 
respectively, and the remainder nearly all went into 
the hands of leading London nurserymen. Another, 
and a very beautiful yellow variety of the green¬ 
leaved form, came before the Floral Committee on 
Tuesday. 
Veitch Memorial Medals were presented to Mr. 
John Heal, of Messrs. James Veitch & Son’s nursery, 
Chelsea, and Mr. William Watson, of Kew, at the 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on 
Tuesday. 
Seeds Imported to America— It is stated in an 
American exchange that of the seventy or more 
kinds of vegetable seed used in America over half 
the varieties are imported. The foreign sources of 
seed are Canada, England, France, and Germany. 
The importations from Canada are confined to Peas. 
From England are obtained most of the Mangel 
Wurzel seed, some early Cabbage seed, some 
varieties of Carrots, Celery, frame varieties of 
Cucumber, Leek, Kohl rabi, Parsley, Peas, Radish, 
and Turnips, and a portion of flower seeds. From 
France and Germany come, as a rule, the choicer 
varieties of vegetable and flower seed. When they 
want something rather extra in purity, or the finest 
strain in the vegetable or flower seed line, such as 
Cauliflower, Celery, Lettuce, Egg-plant or Radish. 
American seedsmen are very apt to turn towards 
France or Germany, rather than the mother country, 
even though they may sometimes have to pay rather 
a higher price for their purchase 
Lee and Blackheath Horticultural Society. —We 
understand that the committeejoftheLee, Blackheath 
and Lewisham Horticultural Society have decided 
to have two popular evenings this year, instead of 
one as hitherto, and have reduced the prices of 
admission for the first day from 2s. 6d. to 6d. after 
6 o'clock, thus giving the Early Closing Association 
in the neighbourhood a chance. 
A Monstrous Blue Bell. —A' correspondent near 
Glasgow sends us a remarkable form of the 
English Blue Bell (Scilla nutans) from a clump 
of the ordinary kind. Instead of a raceme 
of drooping flowers subtended by bracts, the 
scape bore a single erect flower of huge dimensions. 
There were about sixteen perianth segments of the 
ordinary colour, and some of them measured 2 in. in 
length, even after they were partly shrivelled up, so 
that no doubt they were longer when fresh. The 
scape was very stout, quite devoid of bracts, and 
having about three pale blue lines running down it. 
There were 20 or more stamens; but many of the 
segments had developed from stamens, as they bore 
anthers at the apex. Five or six ovaries occupied 
the centre of the flower, so that on the whole it may 
be considered a great freak of nature. The energy of 
the bulb had been concentrated in the production of 
a single bloom. Luxuriance of growth has possibly 
been the factor, and the agent responsible for this 
state of affairs. It w'ould be interesting to mark the 
bulb, so that its behaviour next June might be noted. 
The same form of infloresence cannot be expected 
again, but something out of the usual might turn up. 
