July 25,1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
751 
Carnation Mrs. Mackrae— In this case the 
blooms are of a clear bright red, with smooth petals 
that keep their colour well even during the hot sun¬ 
shine that has prevailed for some time past. Award 
of Merit. Martin R. Smith, Esq. 
Carnation Golden Eagle.— Here we have a 
beautiful yellow ground Carnation, of a soft hue, 
with pale rosy lines and markings towards the edges. 
Award of Merit. Martin R. Smith, Esq. 
Carnation Blushing Bride. —The flowers of 
this sort are moderate in size, and of a soft flesh-pink 
or blush, with the petals slightly incurved at the 
edges. Award of Merit. Martin R. Smith, Esq. 
Carnation Dick Donovan. —1 he blooms here are 
of large size, but the petals are broad, moderate in 
number, and therefore by no means unduly crowded. 
Award of Merit. Martin R. Smith, Etq. 
Sweet Pea Lady Grisel Hamilton. The 
flowers of this charming variety are of a soft lavender, 
and the wings are more or less shaded with white. 
Award of Merit. Mr. Henry Eckford, Wem, Salop. 
Sweet Pea Prince Edward of York.— The 
standard of this beautiful variety is orange-red, but 
the wings are of a deep rose-purple, or even carmine 
when they first expand. Award of Merit. Mr. H. 
Eckford. 
Sweet Pea Queen Victoria. —The flowers are of 
large size and creamy yellow, with a soft apricot tint 
on the back of the standard, making the variety quite 
distinct from other so-called yellows. Award of 
Merit. Mr. H. Eckford. 
Carnation May Queen (M. Smith).—The ground 
colour is of a soft yellow beautifully marked with 
rose and heliotrope lines. The blooms measure 3 in. 
across. Award of Merit. Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
Carnation Primrose League. —The blooms in 
this case are larger, measuring about 3J in. across, 
and of a pale yellow with numerous short, crimson, 
rose and buff.lines. The petals are numerous and the 
centre high. Award of Merit. Mr. C. Turner. 
Picotee Clio (Fellowes).—This charming variety 
has a broad or heavy soft scarlet margin surrounding 
a pure white ground. Award of Merit. Mr. C. 
Turner. 
Fruit and Vegetable Committee. 
Strawberry Veitch’s Perfection.— The fruits of 
this new variety are similar to those of Waterloo but 
more conical in shape and lighter in colour. It has 
been tested at Chiswick and found worthy of a 
First-class Certificate. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea. 
Melon Effingham Perfection. —This is a white- 
fleshed variety that is very juicy and luscious, but 
the specimen shown was a little over-ripe. Award 
of Merit. — Alderman, Esq., Effingham House, 
Dorking. 
Melon Barkham Scarlet.— The fruit of this 
Melon is globular with a yellow and beautifully 
netted rind. The flesh is scarlet, juicy, and richly 
aromatic. Award of Merit. Mr. J. Barkham, 
Longford House Gardens, Ryde, I. W. 
-■+> - — 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
The most important work here during the last few 
weeks has been that of watering, and as long as the 
present weather lasts it will still claim a large share 
of attention, The season has been an exceptionally 
trying one all round, and trees and shrubs that were 
planted last winter will need to be looked after with 
a watchful eye ; for naturally enough they will hold 
out signs of distress before their relatives, which 
have had time to strike deeper root. Too much stress 
can scarcely be laid upon the value of mulchings 
during such a season. Not only newly planted 
shrubs, but herbaceous plants of all kinds, especially 
the stronger growing subjects, benefit largely there¬ 
by. 
Dahlias.— Where the ground has been we 1 
manured in readiness to receive them, Dahlias have 
been doing well of late, in spite of the drought. True 
they are rather dwarfer than usual, and the grow ths 
are somewhat firmer, but as this will only hasten the 
flowering, there is little to complain of. Earwigs are 
having a fine time of it though, and they will require 
to be closely watched, or they will do mischief. 
Traps of hollow Bean stalks, or small pots half filled 
with hay, must be laid in numbers, if the depredators 
are to be kept at bay Attend to the securing of the 
principal shoots before their size and weight 
endanger their existence. 
Hollyhocks. —Not only in the gardens of the 
wealthy, but in many a cottage and villa garden 
besides, these imposing old-fashioned subjects have 
been wonderfully gay and showy of late. An 
occasional dose of liquid manure will not come 
amiss, and will improve the size and colour of the 
flowers. See to it that the long heavy heads are 
well secured to the stakes by a sufficiency of ties, for 
when full of flowers the stems are no mean weight. 
Carnations. —Push on with the layering of these 
as fast as possible, as every week now is of impor¬ 
tance if well-rooted plants are required by the end of 
September, or the beginning of October. Keep the 
young layers well supplied with water, as this will 
assist them to root quickly and well. Plants that have 
not been disbudded will now be throwing flowers 
from the small side buds, and although these blooms 
are not so large and fine as those springing from the 
terminal buds, they will come in very useful where 
the demand for cut flowers is very heavy. 
Cut Flowers. —In most establishments the 
demand for plenty of cut flowers is a very heavy one, 
and in a season like the present, anything that pro¬ 
duces plenty of flowers that will stand fairly well in 
water is of value. Surely, never before has the value of 
the herbaceous border been more fully demonstrated. 
The best time for cutting flowers which are to fill 
vases, etc., within the mansion, is the early morning, 
as they last longer when cut then, than they do when 
cut with the hot sun shining full upon them, or after 
a warm day. Sweet Peas, when arranged with their 
own foliage,are usually great favourites, and although 
it seems a pity to remove haulm that would produce 
flowers, there is usually enough of it in a fairly thick 
row to allow *of plenty being cut and still an 
abundance left. The later rows of Sweet Peas must 
receive good soakings of water occasionally, if they 
are expected to flower well. 
Tennis Lawns and Bowling Greens will have 
to be kept green and fresh-looking at all hazards, and 
hence they must be kept well watered. If there is a 
good pressure of water on, a rose fixed to the hose will 
spread the water admirably, and an hour or so put in 
after the sun has sunk low in the horizon will be 
time well spent. Indeed, for watering all kinds of 
subjects, the evening is the best time, and unless 
overtime is paid for, some arrangements should be 
come to with the men as to an equivalent, in order to 
secure their services for a couple of hours of an 
evening. 
Roses. —With very few exceptions, the H.P’s. will 
now be able to boast of but little bloom, and once 
more the garden engine can be set to work amongst 
them. All the bushes should receive a thoroughly 
good washing with it, at least twice a week, in order 
to get rid of any red spider that may have chanced 
to put in an appearance. As the remains of the 
dead blooms look anything but ornamental it will be 
well if the bushes are gone over with a pair of sharp 
scissors or secateurs. 
Push on the budding of stocks with all speed, for 
the bark should now lift easily. 
- m * m — - 
FRUIT UNDER GLASS. 
Figs. — in places where the trees are carrying too 
heavy a second crop it will be well to remove a 
quantity of the smallest fruits, as they will not ripen 
until late in the season, when they will possess only 
an inferior flavour, and moreover, their maturation 
will entail too heavy a strain upon the trees. As the 
roots are growing within circumscribed limits a lot 
of water will be needed, and the applications of 
liquid manure should not be stinted. Le Fruitier is 
an excellent chemical manure. A good dressing 
of it sprinkled over the bed, slightly forked in, 
and followed immediately after by a good soaking of 
clear water, will produce beneficial results, and may 
be repeated several times during the summer. 
Rife Grapes— Houses in which ripe grapes are 
hanging are usually a great enticement to wasps, 
which are net long in disfiguring the largest and best 
bunches. Something may be done by covering the 
apertures of the ventilators with fine meshed netting 
or coarse muslin. Should this fail, and the wasps be 
very numerous, the best bunches should be enclosed 
in muslin bags until such time as they are wanted 
for the table. Traps should be set for the little 
pests in the shape of vessels containing vinegar and 
water, or sugar and water, whilst warfare should be 
waged against all nests met with, whether in the 
immediate vicinity or no, for wasps, like bees, will 
fly a long way in search of food. 
Empty Vineries. —Where the canes are stripped 
of their fruit the houses should be thrown widely 
open to assist in the ripening of the wood. Repeated 
soakings of clear water must be given until it is 
perfectly certain that all the strata of the soil in the 
borders are thoroughly wetteL 
Peach Houses that have been recently stripped 
of their fruit should be served as the earlier ones 
have been. Shoots that have borne fruit this season 
may be cut out at once to give more room to those 
that are required for fruiting purposes next year. 
They will then stand a much better chance of being 
well matured than if the old growths were allowed 
to remain in until the winter pruning. Do not forget 
to syringe the trees heavily and well, for it is most 
important that the foliage sho*ld be kept clean and 
healthy, and allowed to fulfil its allotted task without 
let or hindrance. The top lights of the house 
should be allowed to run down to their fullest extent, 
or better still, some of them may be removed 
altogether for the remainder of the summer, as they 
will not be needed again until the houses are required 
to shelter Chrysanthemums.— A.S.G. 
-- 
TME ORCHID ROUSES. 
Thrips. —These pests are generally associated with 
plants under glass. But this season there has been a 
regular plague of them outside infesting the Peas to 
such an extent as in some cases to entirely to spoil the 
crop. I can sympathise with those that may happen 
to have some rows of Peas growing in close 
proximity to their Orchid houses, as it is next to 
impossible to keep them from intruding. What 
damage may be done to the young growths in a short 
time, if some measures are not speedily adopted to 
eradicate them, may be more easily imagined than 
described. 
The remedy we advise is to thoroughly syringe the 
Peas and other plants affected outside with a strong 
solution of " Killwright ” and to fumigate the 
houses with the XL All Vaporiser. This will be 
almost sure to have the desired effect ; another plan 
is to dip the plants in a solution of tobacco water. 
We make a point of dipping our Odontoglossums in 
a like solution once during the year, whether they 
want it or not, as sometimes there are Thrips lurking 
low down in the heart* of the growths that the fumes 
from the vaporiser do not touch. 
Miltonia vexillaria. —Although not to be com¬ 
pared with Odontoglossums as cut flowers, those of 
the Miltonia are nevertheless very gorgeous when 
well grown and flowered. There seems only one 
fault with them, and that is they flower too freely ; 
funny though it may seem, it is, however, a fact If 
they have only bulb it will throw two or perhaps 
three spikes, and we are so anxious to see plenty of 
flower that they are allowed to open all of them and 
remain on until they fade. 
An importation of it ought to go well now, for it 
must be getting scarce ; at any rate you rarely see it 
in flower at the sale rooms now. 
Culture.— They do well in an intermediate tem¬ 
perature such as suits Cattleyas, if the atmosphere 
is kept fairly moist about them* This may be done 
by giving them a place to themselves at one end (the 
warmest). Good peat and moss, with pieces of pots¬ 
herds intermixed,suits them well,and frequent dewings 
overhead during the hot weather will be found to 
benefit them greatly. 
M. Roezlii is another which does well in the 
Cattleya house during the summer months ; but in 
winter the plants should be removed to the warmer 
division ; in other respects their treatment should 
be similar to that of M, vexillaria. One thing they 
cannot stand, and that is to be dried off or otherwise 
rested. 
Terrestrial Orchids, which include such as 
Calanthes, Lycastes, ADguloas, etc., will be much 
benefited if afforded some kind of stimulant. 
Drainings from the cow sheds we have found to be 
about best ; the liquid is so nice and cool and acts so 
differently to the hot artificial manure : then you can 
better gauge its strength, too, which is something. —C. 
