December 9, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
238 
Watford, who had blooms of the first size; Mr. 
Edward Spurge, Witham, Essex, was second; and 
Mr. F. Hicks, High Street, Elstree, third. Mr. 
H. J. Jones, offered a Silver Medal for six blooms of 
varieties introduced in 1892 and 1893, and this was 
taken by Mr. E. Rowbottom. In the class for twelve 
bunches of Japanese blooms, the first award went to 
Mr. C. W. Knowles, who had good sized flowers. 
Mr. W. Tysler, gardener to Miss Smith Dorrian, 
Hartwell Villa, Aylesbury, was second. In both 
cases the flowers were too crowded to be effective. 
The first award in the amateurs' class for Cyclamens 
was taken by Mr. William Cooke, gardener to Sir 
Charles Murray, The Grange, Old Windsor. His 
plants were of large size and well flowered. 
The first prize for a collection of flowering, 
berried, and foliage plants was awarded to Mr. W. 
Howe, gardener to Henry Tate, Esq., Park Hall, 
Streatham, whose Poinsettias, Calanthes, and 
Sedges were very graceful. Mr. A. Newell was 
second with a somewhat heavier arrangement. 
In the miscellaneous class a Gold Medal was 
awarded to Mr. H. J. Jones, Ryecroft Nursery, 
Hither Green, Lewisham, for a magnificent group 
showing the English method of exhibiting Chrysan¬ 
themums on boards, and the American style of 
showing them in vases. The latter were mostly of 
Japanese pattern with Chrysanthemums upon them ; 
but three of the vases were English with Roses 
upon them. The flowers in the vases were cut with 
long stems and foliage as well as being mixed with 
the foliage of Mahonias, and it must be said that the 
arrangement had a very imposing effect, and worthy 
of the award, the only one given this season. A 
Silver Medal was awarded to Mr Norman Davis for 
a collection of cut Chrysanthemums set up ki large 
earthenware jars, and mixed with Palms. A large 
group of Palms, Dracaenas, Oranges, Cypripediums, 
Oncidiums, Dracaena australis variegata, D. 
Doncetti, and various other fine foliage plants, were 
shown by Messrs. W. Cutbush & Son, Highgate, 
who were accorded a Silver Medal. A similar 
award was made to Mr. E. Rowbottom for a table of 
Chrysanthemums set up with Palms, Ferns, etc. A 
Silver Medal was also awarded to Mr. J. H. Witty, 
Nunhead Cemetery, S.E., for a large and neatly 
arranged group of Chrysanthemums in pots. The 
flowers were small, but graceful. A collection of 
vegetables not for competition was exhibited by 
Mr. C. J. Waite, showing in many cases good 
cultivation. A table of Chrysanthemums set 
up with palms and ferns in a neat way was exhibited 
by Mr. G. Stevens, St. John’s Nursery, Putney. A 
Silver Gilt Medal was awarded to Mr. R. Owen, Castle 
Hill, Maidenhead, for a large table of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums in fine form set up with or arranged amongst 
small ferns. The new varieties engaged much atten¬ 
tion. A Silver Gilt Medal was awarded to Mr. W. 
Wells, Earlswood, Surrey, for a large design of con¬ 
siderable height, built up with Chrysanthemums 
with a mirror at the back. The flowers were as 
grown for cutting. Tom Thumbs mate is a dwarf 
one only about i8in. high, and there were many 
other good sorts for this kind of work. 
A Silver Medal was awarded to Mr. J. R. Chard for 
a table of graceful floral designs. A similar award 
was made to Mr. Henry Perkins, Greenlands, 
Henley-on-Thames, for an interesting lot of Amaryllis 
in full bloom. They were arranged with palms. 
A collection of Chrysanthemums and a larger one of 
Pelargoniums set up in showy bunches was exhibited 
by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley. Amongst 
the Pelargoniums, Albion, white, Etoile de Lyon, 
scarlet and white, Maud of Wales, magenta pink. 
Blue Peter, purple, and E. F. Wootten, salmon, were 
handsome kinds. They were awarded a Silver 
Medal. The Chrysanthemums included some inter¬ 
esting single kinds. 
-- 
©bituaiT. 
A WIDE circle of friends will learn with sincere 
regret of the death of Mr. I. Dixon, and a familiar 
face will be missed at the London exhibitions and 
meetings. Mr. Dixon, whose death took place, after 
a brief illness, on the i8th ult., had held the 
managership of Messrs. Chas. Lee & Son’s Nurseries, 
Feltham, for upwards of 30 years, to which busi¬ 
ness he had ever devoted himself with unflagging 
interest. He was well-known as one of the most 
experienced members in his vocation, and as such 
his services were often in requisition as a judge at 
the various Horticultural Societies. He had 
travelled for the firm of Messrs. Lee & Son for 
nearly twenty years, and it was whilst on his 
journeys in the West of England that he took a chill, 
which terminated fatally. Ever pleasing and 
affable, and destitute of pretence, he was genial and' 
friendly to all, and numerous are the instances in 
which he showed a keen delight in serving the 
interests of others. A native of Cumberland, his 
early days were spent in the well-known nurseries 
of Messrs. Little & Ballantyne, after which he came 
to London, and filled various appointments there 
and in the provinces, and finally he was appointed 
to the managership of Messrs. Chas. Lees’ 
Nurseries, which post he filled honourably and 
faithfully till the time of his death. Nothing could 
have testified more fully to the affection and regard 
in which the late Mr. Dixon had been held masoni- 
cally and socially than the large assemblage which 
was gathered together on the 25th ult. in the quiet 
little cemetery of Feltham, to pay the last tribute 
of respect to the departed, and the superb 
wreaths by which the coffin was literally 
covered spoke in eloquent and pathetic terms of 
the universal esteem, and of the affection with 
which his memory will long be cherished. 
With sorrow, also, many will learn of the death on 
the 27th ult. of Mr. William Howard, of South- 
gate, aged 58 years. For more of those years back 
than we care to remember William Howard was a 
man of mark among plant growers, and made for 
himself a reputation as a skilful cultivator, while 
gardener at Bedford Hill House, Balham, such as 
any brother gardener might envy. In his employer, 
Mr. Brand, Howard had a master in ten thousand 
for generosity and love of his garden, and he retired 
from service some years ago with a very respectable 
competency. When he left Bedford Hill he went 
for a long trip through the United States, and on his 
return settled down as a grower for market at South- 
gate, and did fairly well for a time. Of late years 
things went wrong with him, and we fear his last 
days were not so happy as could have been wished. 
When in better health and circumstances he worked 
hard in the interest of the Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund, and was the means directly and indirectly of 
bringing considerable sums of money into the coffers 
of that charity. 
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN. 
Ixoras. —Plants grown for the sake of cut flowers 
and which were cut back iu the autumn may now 
be repotted into fresh material, consisting of good 
fibrous peat and clean sharp sand. During winter 
they will slowly root into this, and grow away 
vigorously when placed in heat in spring, parti¬ 
cularly if plunged in fermenting tan. 
Gloxinias. —A batch of plants may be put into 
heat to start them into growth for early work. If 
very dry a watering may be given at once to enable 
the tubers to swell up and become plump, after 
which the soil may be kept sufficiently damp by 
sprinkling with the syringe. After the crowns are 
well above the soil, the tubers may be repotted into 
smaller pots. Seeds may also be sown now to form 
a succession to the old plants. 
Crotons and Gardenias. —Even at this season 
of the year, this class of plants is very liable to be 
attacked and overrun with mealy bug, which hides 
about the buds and in the axils of the leaves, and is 
especially harmful to the expanding and fully opened 
flowers when they cannot effectually be dealt with. 
Before the buds are too far expanded the plants may 
be syringed with a wineglassful of paraffin to four 
gallons of water in mixture, and well stirred all the 
time. 
Temperature of the stove. —It is undesirable 
to excite the occupants of this structure at present 
when the light is weak and cold weather often present. 
A night temperature of 6 a° to 65° will be quite 
sufficient with a rise of 10° to 15° by day with sun 
heat. The atmospheric moisture and the supply at 
the roots must also be reduced, the latter gradually in 
order to accord with the relatively low temperature. 
A saturated atmosphere under those conditions 
would be injurious to many soft-leaved and other 
subjects. . 
Phormium tenax.—Old plants that have be¬ 
come too large to be conveniently accommodated or 
made useful in conservatory or greenhouse, may be 
pulled to pieces and made into smaller plants. 
Preserve or secure as many roots to each crown as 
possible. B.ith green and variegated sorts may be 
treated in the same way. 
Yuccas. — Repotting may be accompli^ed where 
that is necessary owing to the plants having over¬ 
grown their pot room. The tuberous knobs or 
suckers that may be found sometimes in great 
plenty at their roots, may be taken off and rooted in 
case young plants should be required. Old plants 
that may be too tall and leggy may have their heads 
taken off with just a sufficient amount of bare stem 
to insert in a snftll pot. A little bottom heat should 
be given to encourage the development of roots. 
Work of this kind accomplished now will facilitate 
matters later on when attention to many things be¬ 
comes pressing. 
Early Figs.—For an early supply of fruit, pot 
plants are the best and most convenient. They 
rather improve with age than otherwise, and if they 
have been forced early for a number of years past, 
they start more readily than other trees which have 
not been subjected to early forcing. Where they 
were put into heat about the middle of last month 
in a bed of fermenting dung and leaves, the heat 
will now have declined somewhat. Tread down the 
old material and add some more. Even where fer¬ 
menting materials are used, there should be a good 
command of fire heat so that the temperature may 
be raised to 65” during the day, provided the plants 
have been in heat since the beginning of November. 
Peaches. —With the generally mild weather we 
have been having there should be no difficulty in 
getting the trees to swell up their buds in the early 
house. A little fire heat may be given during the 
day to raise the temperature ; but a little ventilation 
should be given when the heat inside rises to 55°. 
Get the second house ready for starting by the end 
of the month. Even the trees in the late houses 
may receive their final pruning if the leaves have 
fallen, otherwise continue the fire heat until the 
wood and foliage gets fairly matured. If pruning 
and disbudding has been properly conducted during 
the season, very little will be required now. 
Forcing Potatos, etc. —Now is the time to set 
about making up the beds of well prepared dung and 
leaves for the forcing of Potatos, Radishes, Carrots, 
and other necessaries. When newly made up they 
should at least be 5 ft. high in order to allow of sub¬ 
sidence, and yet leave a sufficient bulk to keep up a 
mild heat which will be required before the winter is 
out. Tread down the bed, put on the sashes, place a 
small quantity of leaves in the frames to make sure 
that all openings beneath the edges of the frame are 
closed, then put on about g in. of soil, and plant the 
Potatos I ft. apart between the rows and 6 in. to 8 in. 
between the sets. Level the surface and sow the 
Radishes, etc., between the lines of Potatos. 
Kitchen garden. —See that a small stock of 
Jerusalem Artichokes are kept on hand in case of 
frost, and should the latter set in severely, cover the 
ground where they are growing with bracken, straw, 
or something else that will prevent the ground from 
getting too hard for the digging of the tubers. Go 
over the Onion stores and remove any that may be 
decaying to the injury of the others. Look over 
Cauliflower that may still be producing heads, and 
Broccoli in the open ground. Cut the fully- 
developed heads and keep them in a cool, dry place. 
Other heads coming on should have a leaf placed 
over them to prevent injury from a slight frost. 
-- 
Quesnons add AnsoieHs. 
Grubs in Buds of Cattleya. — Fairweather: The 
grubs sent us are now in the pupa state, and we 
shall encourage them to develop to the perfect state 
if possible, but we must say that the conditions are 
against them, seeing that the flower spike in which 
they are lodged has been cut, and the temperature 
under which they are now placed may not be con¬ 
ducive to their welfare. The warm, moist atmos¬ 
phere of an Orchid house is very different from that 
of the cooler and drier air of a room. All things 
considered, however, there seems little doubt but 
that the grubs are those of the Cattleya Fly (Isosoma 
Orchidearum). There were three of them in the 
swollen Cattleya bud, and they had effected an 
entrance from the apex downwards just after they 
were hatched from the eggs. The fly does not con¬ 
fine its operations to the flower bud, but also pene¬ 
trates the young pseudo bulbs just as they com¬ 
mence to grow. The growing lips of the roots are 
attacked in the same way, and the presence of the 
