788 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 8, r 1896. 
young plants. Some young Turnip plants were grow 
in pots manured by various manures. To two of 
these pots a mixture of nitrate of soda and soluble 
phosphate had been applied and in the'e the plants 
presented the appearance of having failed 
apparently owing to destruction of the tissue of the 
stem just underneath the soil The plants in an un¬ 
manured pot and in pots to which either nitrate of 
soda or soluble phosphate, but not both, had been 
applied, presented a healthy appearance. In 
presence of abundance of chalk there is much less 
danger of harm being thus done, but it is better to 
avoid the application of the two manures at the same 
time. 
Superphosphate of lime, owes its particular 
value to its solubility, it being easily washed into 
and diffused through the soil. If, however, it be first 
mixed with lime, basic slag or chalk, the acid salt is 
converted into the neutral phosphate of lime which 
being insoluble in water possesses no advantage over 
powdered coprolite or other mineral phosphates. 
It may be added that superphosphate deteriorates 
by keeping, as it usually contains free alumina and 
iron oxide, bases which slowly re-act with the acid 
phosphate and convert it into insoluble neutral com¬ 
pounds. 
The incompatible manures may be tabulated thus— 
Sulphate oi ammonia (& guano) and Lime, chalk, gas-lime and 
basic slag. 
Nitrate of soda „ Superphosphate of lime. 
Superphosphate ot lime „ Lime, chalk, gas-lime and 
basic slag. 
— T. S. Dymond, in The Journal of the Essex Technical 
Laboratories. 
- ■+■ - 
PERTH ROYAL HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY’S SHOW. 
The chief feature at the Perth flower show this year, 
which was held on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th ult., was 
a table of Orchids belonging to Mr. Thomas Roy, of 
Craigclowan, Perth, exhibited by his gardener, Mr. 
Frank Nicoll. The table was admitted by several of 
the judges to be one of the finest ever exhibited in 
Scotland, and they had no difficulty in awarding it 
the first prize. 
As a lover of Orchids and a reader of the Garden¬ 
ing World, I shall detail briefly Mr. Nicoll’s selec¬ 
tion. The plants were set on a table 10 ft. by 5 ft., 
covered with green cloth and dressed with Palms 
and Maidenhair Ferns. The plants with their grace¬ 
ful racemes and profusion of snowy-white, bright 
yellow, green, olive, and glowing scarlet looked 
gorgeous in the extreme. The first plant to fix our 
attention was a fine Odontoglossum crispum, which 
would be hard to beat anywhere. Next in merit 
was an equally charming O. harryanum, also O. 
cirrhosum, O. citrosmum, O. cordatum, O. cristatel- 
lum, O. Pescatorei, O. Roezlii, O. vexillarium, and 
some fine specimens of Oncidium flexuosum. 
Next came the Cypripediums in charming variety. 
They were as followsC. barbatum, C. chamber- 
lainianum, C. Curtisii, C. harrisianum, C. lawrence- 
anum, and C. selligerum majus. There were also a 
lovely Colax jugosus and an excellent variety of 
Epidendrum vitellinum majus. The plants, without 
an exception, were in the very pink of health and 
condition, and Mr. Roy is to be complimented on 
his fine collection as also in having in his employ¬ 
ment so skilful an Orchid-grower as Mr. Nicoll, 
whom, I understand, is never happier than when 
attending to his beautiful and fascinating flowers.— 
An Eye Witness. 
The second prize in this contested competition, as 
we are informed, went to Mr. Little, gardener to P. 
W. Campbell, Esq., Muirton Bank, who had a fine 
group made up of a totally different class of plants. 
The third place was taken by Mr. John Leslie, 
gardener to—Coates, Esq., Pitcullen. For a circular 
group of plants, Mr. E, R. Bush of Messrs. Harley 
& Sons, Vinehill, Kinnoull, led the way, with a well- 
arranged group, though Mr. Little and Mr. Leslie 
both competed against him, coming very close. 
Mr .James Cameron, Auchterarder House, had the 
best six foliage plants including a fine Croton and 
another of Araucaria excelsa. Mr. Leslie took the 
second prize, notwithstanding his giant specimen of 
Agave americana variegata, which was 13 ft. in 
diameter and 12 ft. high. The latter came to the 
front in the class for six Ferns,including a fine sample 
of Lygodium scandens, and another of Polypodium 
aureum, 6 ft. in diameter. Mr. James Lindsay, 
gardener to John M. Fraser, Esq., Rosemount, 
Perth, was third with three beautiful specimens of 
Adiantum. The exhibits put up in the other classes 
for gardeners and amateurs were considerably above 
the usual standard of quality, and more numerous 
than in previous years, thus showing that the Perth 
show is advancing. 
There was a fine display of fruit, but Mr. Leslie 
had it pretty much his own way inasmuch as he took 
the leading awards for twelve and eight varieties of 
fruit in excellent condition. Vegetables both in the 
gardeners’ and amateurs’ classes were admittedly in 
splendid condition. Mr. James Joss, Dundee, took 
the lead in the gardeners’ class. Mr Fender, Crieff, 
and Mr. Harper, Tulliebelton, were the champions 
in the amateurs’ competitions. Cut flowers such as 
Dahlias, Roses, annual and herbaceous plants, were 
shown in quantity and in excellent condition. 
In the non-competitive classes Messrs. Dobbie & 
Co., Rothesay, had a fine exhibit of Sweet Peas, 
Gladioli, Chrysanthemums, Cactus Dahlias, &c. 
Messrs. Dickson & Turnbull made a fine display in 
the way of tuberous Begonias, of which they make 
a speciality growing something like 3,000 seedlings, 
both single and double. Messrs. D. & W. Croll, 
Dundee, of Rose fame, staged a good exhibit of her¬ 
baceous plants and florists’ flowers. Messrs. Cocker 
& Sons, Aberdeen, turned up with cut flowers in 
great quantity, grown in the open. Messrs. Harley 
& Sons, Messrs. Storrie & Storrie, Carse of Gowrie 
Nurseries, Messrs. Halley, Bros., Perth, Messrs, 
Laird & Sinclair, Dundee, all met at the “ bonnie 
toon o’ Perth ” with their respective specialities, in 
the way of cut flowers. 
-»*•- 
SWAN LEY HORTICULTURAL 
COLLEGE. 
The well-known Horticultural College at Swanley 
was en fete on Thursday, July 30th, the annual giving 
away of the prizes to the successful scholars having 
been fixed for that date. Many friends and visitors 
were present, and the lecture hall, in which the 
ceremony took place, was filled to overflowing. Sir 
William Hart Dyke, Bart., M.P., occupied the chair, 
and on rising to open the meeting spoke at some 
length. On occasions such as this, he said, it was 
important to take stock of the educational assets, 
and to see what progress had been made and what 
successes had been achieved. The Swanley Horti¬ 
cultural College was a unique institution in the 
educational system of this country, and therefore 
well worthy of liberal support, both local and other¬ 
wise. The college itself, he would remind his hearers, 
was started in the same year as that in which the 
Technical Education Act was passed, 1889. Of that 
Act, continued Sir William, he was proud to claim 
the authorship. He had for long given a great deal 
of time and attention to this problem of education, a 
problem that was even now perplexing all leading 
statesmen and politicians, and one that would sooner 
or later have to be seriously grappled with. It was 
a notorious fact that education upon the Continent 
was in a much more advanced state than it un¬ 
fortunately is in our own country. In Germany, 
particularly, the public schools were far and away 
better than ours, to our shame be it said. All think¬ 
ing people could not but see what a serious matter 
this was. It becomes harder each year for our lower 
and lower middle classes to obtain a living, and the 
difficulty seemed inclined to increase rather than 
diminish, for our island, to say the least of it, does 
not get larger, whilst our population was multiplying 
at a great rate. Liberal educational measures would 
have to be taken ere long, although it seemed a great 
pity that the religious question should always be in 
the way. 
The twenty-two young men, and twenty-four 
women at Swanley, continued the chairman, were 
placed under exceptionally favourable circumstances 
for acquiring a sound knowledge of their chosen 
profession. The great fault attaching to most 
college educations was their too bookish character, 
and although books were excellent things in their 
proper place they were not everything. He believed 
the system adopted at Swanley of combining theory 
and practice was the best and most useful one, 
In concluding, he would like to offer a word of 
advice and consolation to those who had not been 
successful in obtaining prizes. To them he would 
say let the non success of to-day prove the stimulant 
for to-morrow. 
Mr. Powell, the principal of the college then read 
a report dealing with the work accomplished during 
the past year. The work is equally divided between 
the male and female students. None are compelled 
to work, but are all expected to perform their share. 
Everything had worked harmoniously and well 
throughout the past year, and the reports made by 
the examiners were most satisfactory. Swanley 
students had also been very successful at the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s examinations, in which they 
had obtained four First-class Certificates. They had 
also done very well at the examinations held under 
the Science and Art Department, although only a 
few of the results were as yet to hand. He could 
only thank most heartily the teachers who had so 
ably assisted him, and he felt that he would not be 
doing justice unless he made special mention of Mr. 
Belling, who had rendered especially valuable 
service. 
Lady Emily Hart Dyke then proceeded to hand 
the prizes to the successful candidates. Appended 
is the prize list, in which it will be seen the names 
of women students figure most conspicuously. 
Indeed, of the twenty-two prizes given for college 
work, fifteen of them were carried off by women 
students. 
Diplomas—Miss Micklethwaite and Miss Windemer. 
Practical Horticulture—Miss Barker and Mr.George. 
Botany (microscopical)—Miss Barker. 
,, (senior)—Miss Barker. 
,, (junior)—Mr. Langford. 
Geology (senior)—Miss Benians. 
,, (junior)—Miss Morrison. 
Physics (senior)—Miss Benians. 
,, (junior)- Miss Payne. 
Chemistry (senior)—Miss Benians. 
,, (junior)—Miss Barker. 
,, (elementary)—Mr. Corks. 
Principles of Agriculture (senior)—Miss Barker. 
„ ,, (junior)—Miss Payne and 
Mr. Farmer. 
Bee-keeping (senior)—Mr. Hotten. 
„ (junior)—Mr. Pilcher. 
Book-keeping—Miss Benians and Mr. Tucker. 
Diary (ladies)—Miss Micklethwaite. 
,, (men)—Mr. Hotten. 
Practical Work—Miss Micklethwaite and Miss 
Newsham. 
,, ,, Mr. Hotten and Mr. George. 
Entomology—Miss Micklethwaite. 
Votes of thanks to Sir William and Lady Emily 
Hart Dyke were carried unanimously. Miss Good¬ 
rich Freer spoke at some length of the future in 
store for women gardeners, and said that everyone 
of them who was leaving them to-day did so with a 
good post lying open for her if she chose to take it ; 
indeed, there were now two places lying vacant 
which they would not be able to fill from the- 
college. 
In an adjoining hall was held a small competition 
amongst the students for floral dinner tables, sprays, 
bouquets, etc. Miss Cope was placed first for a 
bouquet, Miss Udall for a floral design and a button¬ 
hole, and Miss Windermer for table decoration and 
a spray. Miss Benians and Mr. Farmer were 
adj udged equal firsts for a collection of wild flowers, 
including over a hundred specimens. 
In addition some fruits and vegetables of excellent 
quality grown at the college were exhibited. 
-- 
MIDLAND CARNATION AND PICOTEE 
SHOW. 
The annual show of the Midland Carnation and 
Picotee Society was forwarded a week, and took 
place on the 24th ult., in the Botanical Gardens, 
Birmingham. This alteration of the date on account 
of the hot, dry, and early season, had the result of 
securing better quality for the exhibits of the Bir¬ 
mingham Show than at the Crystal Palace. The 
southern exhibitors were conspicuous by their 
absence, so that the midland and northern growers 
had it all their own way. 
There was strong competition in the class for 
twelve flake and bizarre Carnations, giving the judges 
considerable difficulty in awarding the seven prizes 
offered. Mr. R. Sydenham, Tenby Street, Birming¬ 
ham, was again well to the fore, as he was at the 
Crystal Palace. His blooms of Robert Lord, 
Gordon Lewi's, Guardsman, W. Skirving, Mrs. 
Rowan, Edward Adams, Arline, Master Fred, Rob 
Roy, Sarah Payne, and others, were in remarkably 
fine condition considering the hot. and droughty- 
