48 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 21, 1895. 
child, yellow ground striated with maroon; Presi¬ 
dent Carnot, dark crimson ; La Neige and Lizzie 
Macgowan—the two last-named being both whites, 
and so close to each other in appearance as to 
render it impossible for anyone other than an expert 
to find much difference between them. In the latest 
batch of plants some sturdy stuff is to be seen which 
will commence to bloom after the others have had 
their day. They were obtained, we were informed, 
from cuttings struck during the end of last February 
and the beginning of March. 
As we passed through the remainder of the plant 
houses, all, be it here observed, paragons of cleanli¬ 
ness, we noticed well-bloomed plants of Allamanda 
Hendersoni and A. Williamsi. This latter plant is 
not nearly so much grown as it ought to be, for 
although not quite so large a flower as A. Hendersoni 
it is much more useful for cutting. A grand batch 
of Eucharis is just now commencing to throw up a 
few flower scapes. If we may judge by the size and 
vigour of the plants and the health and substance of 
the huge dark’green leaves, some great things in the 
way of flower may be confidently expected presently. 
Ixoras, too, another speciality here, by the way, are 
now producing the rudiments of some splendid 
trusses. 
We must not forget to give due mention in passing 
to the Belladonna Lily border, which runs along 
close to one of the plant houses. The flowers were 
just beginning to open at the time of our visit, 
although the scapes are not nearly so numerous as 
they have been in former years. Perhaps they have 
got tired of their present quarters and want a change, 
for they have been in their present position for a 
number of years. 
--5-- 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
Gardening a la Mode : Vegetables.* 
* Gardening a la Mode : Vegetables. By Mrs. 
de Salis. London : Longmans, Green & Co., 
and New York, 1895. Price is. 6d. 
The authoress of this little book has written 
numerous others, chiefly relating to cookery and 
kindred subjects, the raison d'etre of this one being 
to point out the methods to be pursued in producing 
vegetables, and the proper cooking of the same. 
The book is intended to help amateurs and 
cottagers 
" With herbs and such-like country messes, 
Which the neat-handed Phillis dresses.” 
Not only are all the more common vegetables taken 
into account, but cultural details are given concerning 
Globe Artichokes, Celeriac.Corn Salad, Chervil,Chili, 
Chives, Endive, Fennel, Garlic, Cucumbers, Kohl 
Rabi, and various others, requiring, in many cases, 
special treatment in preparation for use, and with 
which cottagers in general are by no means familiar. 
Kohl Rabi is described as a substitute for Turnips, 
than which it is hardier, more delicate and nutty in 
flavour. By the way, the word “ nutty ” we fail to find 
in several of the leading English dictionaries, although 
we know what it means. Many other technical words, 
however, are used, and particularly French terms, for 
certain dishes, that may puzzle those whose early 
education has been neglected, but as the “ proof of 
the pudding is in the eating” there is little in a 
mere name, even if pronounced in vernacular 
English, that may not be surmounted. 
The simple cultural directions are generally good 
as far as they go, but there are some statemnts to 
which we should take objection in works of greater 
pretensions. For instance, in trenchiog a bed for 
Asparagus, the directions state that the best soil should 
be left at the bottom of the trench, but this is prob¬ 
ably a clerical slip, and should read the worst soil, &c. 
Nor do we understand why the tops of the leaves of 
Leeks should be cut off once a month, “ to make the 
neck swell to a much larger size.” Additional value 
is imparted to the book by the numerous receipts for 
cooking the various vegetables ; indeed, we think this 
the most valuable part of the book to cottagers and 
amateurs alike. Where the younger ladies of the 
household are domesticated, enterprising, and pro¬ 
gressive in these matters, this neat volume of 119 
pages (including the index) will prove of great 
assistance, and a useful reminder in many cases 
where forgetfulness might spoil an appetising dish. 
No special intelligence is necessary to grapple with 
the directions and receipts given, for they are plain 
and simply worded generally. There is no denying 
the need for cookery books, seeing that the most 
common vegetables are often spoiled in cooking. 
Gardening a la Mode : Fruits. 
In all respects this book is the counterpart of the 
sister work on Vegetables by the same authoress and 
publisher. Here again we consider the receipts for 
cooking and preparation of fruits for the table the 
most valuable and interesting part of the book. The 
authoress and her family commenced as amateurs in 
the matter of gardening when they went to live in 
the country, but fruit culture has not been so well 
mastered as vegetable culture has been. The mis¬ 
cellaneous hints given at the end of the book might 
have been omitted to advantage, and hints on 
the preservation of fruits given instead. Those 
living in the country and cultivating their own gar¬ 
dens might well enjoy the luxury of home-made 
jams, jellies, and similar preserves all the year 
round at very little cost beyond the price of sugar 
and their own industry. The bottling of fruits would 
keep them supplied with something to cook when 
fresh material is not obtainable. This might be 
borne in mind when a second edition of the book is 
contemplated. 
The list of Apples might well be revised to elimi¬ 
nate wrong names and correct the spelling of some 
others. The receipts for the making of various 
tasty dishes from Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Goose¬ 
berries, Peaches, Plums, and various other fruits 
should prove useful to whom they are intended. Not 
many cottagers living in the country, we fancy, ever 
enjoy such luxuries as Gooseberries a la Balfour and 
Green Gooseberry Trifle, yet such delicacies might 
well come within their reach with a little education, 
well backed up by the industry of thrifty house¬ 
keepers. Some of the less common fruits dealt 
with are Figs, Medlars, Cranberries, Barberries, 
Bullace, Mulberries, and others. The whole book 
is neatly got up, and the large, clear type of the text 
and the paper leave no room for fault-finding. 
- f" - 
EDINBURGH FLOWER SHOW. 
Second Notice. 
Notwithstanding the attractions of the tourist 
season in other parts of Scotland, the Edinburgh 
public and visitors generally patronised in strong 
numbers the very excellent show provided by the 
Royal Caledonian Society, which, by special arrange¬ 
ments, we were able to notice last week. Some 
25,000 passed the turnstiles in two days, and 
although, of course, these figures do not approach 
the phenomenal results attained at Shrewsbury last 
month, yet the figures before us must be eminently 
satisfactory, and are a sure indication of the interest 
which the public are thus induced to take in the pro¬ 
fession which we love to promote. A further inspec¬ 
tion of the principal classes shows the competition 
on all sides to have been exceedingly keen. In many 
instances there is little or no difference between first, 
second, and third awards. For instance, in the class 
for the best collection of fruit, in which Mr. William 
Smith (as mentioned in our telegraphic despatch 
last week) takes first place, the exhibit which takes 
second honours is really a very notable one. Some 
thought this was a superior collection and should 
have been adjudicated the premier place. The 
exhibitor, Mr. J. Hunter, gardener to the Earl of 
Durham, Lambton Castle, is to be congratulated 
upon the exceptionally good form of his Grapes. 
His boards contained some exceptionally strong 
bunches, the dominant feature being Black 
Barbarossa and Alicante. In fact, ten out of twelve 
of his dishes were really exceilent examples of the 
cultivator's art. His Melons and Figs were excep¬ 
tionally good, and when it is remembered that a 
proper collection requires an all-round good quality 
in the entire twelve dishes, it will be understood that 
Mr. Hunter’s form throughout satisfactonly fulfilled 
these conditions. Passing to the third prize, Mr. 
David Murray's contribution from Culzean Castle 
contained strong points in both Melons and Peaches, 
although his Grapes were not quite after Mr. Murray's 
own heart. The dish of Figs was true to the Scotch 
description, " Like a puir man wi’ a tear in his eye.” 
An interesting exhibit not for competition was the 
Grapes exhibited by Mr. James Jeffrey, gardener to 
the Earl of Harewood, Leeds. A card attached to 
them indicated that the bunches had been cut from 
the oldest white vine in England, planted 112 years 
ago. The vine fills a house 60 ft. long by 20 ft. 
wide, and for some years past has borne but little 
fruit. The roots have now been attended to in the 
matter of drainage, improved and fresh soil put in, 
with the result that this year this veteran fruiterer 
bears 120 bunches. An exceedingly good bunch of 
the delicate Alicante was shown by Mr. T. Boyd, 
Callender Park, Falkirk, and the two last-named 
exhibits excited considerable interest. 
In the classes for Plums one of our own country¬ 
men appeared in his usual good form. We refer to 
Mr. Thomas Bowman, head gardener to Lady Deas 
of Lasswade. Mr. Bowman is an Englishman and a 
grower of considerable experience, and we congratu¬ 
late him upon the good all-round character of his 
Plums. In the big vegetable class in which Mr. 
James Gibson, gardener to E. H. Watts, Esq., 
Devonhurst, Chiswick (as mentioned in our notice 
last week), was placed first, Mr. R. Rae, gardener to 
Capt. Scott Kerr, of Roxburgh, was second; and 
Mr. Donald McBean, who won the medal at Glasgow 
last week in the same section, came in third. From 
this latter fact some idea will be gathered of the 
exceptionally keen competition in this department. 
Mr. Gibson's success was undoubtedly due to a large 
extent to the exceptional character of his Leeks. 
We believe the present occasion is his second visit 
only to the Scotch shows, and we congratulate him 
on having attained the blue ribbon. The Lyon 
Leeks undoubtedly carried the burden of the day, 
and were adjudged by some to be the finest ever 
shown at Edinburgh, and of the other eleven 
varieties he was strong in Carrots and Parsnips, the 
latter being Dobbie’s Model. His unique arrange¬ 
ment of the vegetables had, however, very probably 
also some weight with the judges in deciding the 
award, and our northern friends have evidently a 
formidable competitor in Mr. Gibson, who, although 
showing from the south, is a Scottie himself. Mr. 
Gibson also shows in the fruit classes with consider¬ 
able success. 
In the Rose classes, through an error in transcrib¬ 
ing our representative’s telegram last week, we were 
made to say that Mr. Smith, of Stranraer, took 
second honours. These were very creditably attained 
by Messrs. D. & W. Croll, the well-known com¬ 
petitors from Dundee, and in the'keen competition 
which took place they did exceedingly well. In the 
class for twelve Chrysanthemums in pots some really 
good samples of the early varieties were shown. A 
new seedling raised by Messrs. Dicksons & Co., 
Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, caused considerable 
comment. The variety, as yet unnamed, is a yellow, 
brightly coloured, free-flowering, with massive 
growth, and will be a useful acquisition. There 
were also some good whites. The same firm also 
took first place in the classes for trusses. Mr. 
William Sharp, head gardener to Charles Wood, 
Esq., Freelands, Forgandenny, Perth, took first 
prize for Orchids in the class for twelve spikes of 
cut flowers. His principal specimens were Cypripe- 
dium grande, Odontoglossum grande, O. crispum, 
and O. harryanum ; and his examples of Cypripe- 
dium Schroderii, and Oenanthum superbum, and 
harrisianum superbum were in excellent form. Mr. 
William Stewart, The Gardens, Brayton Hall, 
Carlisle, showed Lomatia salicifolia, also Phyllo- 
taenium Lindeni, and very closely contested in his 
class. Mr. R. W. E. Murray, of Blackpool House, 
Edinburgh, was successful with first honours in the 
class for Liliums, and his contribution formed a 
handsome collection. Mr. Murray, who is President 
this year of the Scottish Horticultural Association, 
is an ardent enthusiast in matters horticultural. 
Following on with the trade exhibits not for com¬ 
petition we were only able last week to indicate 
briefly that in this section the general collections 
consisted of a multitude of good things, some of 
which we have now an opportunity of noticing. 
Mr. John Downie, of Beechhill Nurseries, and 144, 
Princes Street, Edinburgh, had on view a very hand¬ 
some collection of dwarf Cannas, newdy imported, 
many of which are of an entirely novel character. 
There were some fine specimens of Lilium lanci- 
folium, home grown, a very important point to 
remember. These, we understand, are planted in 
borders, lifted, and flowered in pots. The collection 
also comprised some very useful varieties of stove 
and greenhouse plants in the pink of condition. 
Many of the Begonias staged are seedlings, some of 
them of exceptional merit, and the whole table 
formed a very graceful addition to the show. Our 
readers will be familiar with the illustration of 
Begonias contributed by the firm, which we were able 
to produce in our issue of September 7th of the seeds 
