204 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 24, 1894. 
manure for the Cranberry. It is employed in con¬ 
junction with bone meal, at the rate of 56 lbs. to 
225 lbs. per acre. The harvesting of Cranberries is 
effected in October, and is best done by hand. 
EDINBURGH CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SHOW. 
The citizens of Edinburgh must feel deeply indebted 
to the Scottish Horticultural Association for the 
enterprise it displays from year to year in promoting 
so charming an exhibition as that which was opened 
on the 15th inst. in the Waverley Market by Mr. 
Henry Irving. November is proverbially a gloomy 
month, and amid its rains and fogs and dark days 
we are all the better to have our eyes gladdened 
by such a feast of floral beauty and colour as was 
spread out for exhibition on the tables of the Market 
Hall. The Society may be wished much continued 
success in this as in all its other enterprises. This 
year the committee were fortunate in securing the 
services of Mr. Irving, who is at present playing in 
Glasgow, to perform the opening ceremony, and his 
presence drew out one of the largest and most in¬ 
fluential audiences which have been seen at such a 
show on the opening day; and as The Scotsman 
observed, with the Lord Provost in the chair, Mr. 
Irving to make a speech, and the Royal Marine Band 
in the orchestra, the proceedings passed off in the 
most successful manner. 
The show itself was quite up to the standard of 
its predecessors in respect of the number of entries 
and the quality of the exhibits. This was all the 
more creditable, as there were several months in the 
year not at all favourable to the growth of this 
favourite winter flower. The competition in almost 
every class was exceedingly keen, especially in the 
classes set apart for the Japanese variety, with their 
picturesque forms and admirable colours. The ex¬ 
hibits in this class were shown in a remarkably fresh 
condition. There are those who are always on the 
look-out for novelties in the Chrysanthemum as in 
other flowers. The novelty yesterday was a Japanese 
Chrysanthemum called The Duchess of York—a rich 
yellow, with long, stringy-like petals ; and there were 
several beautiful examples shown of a product of last 
year. The Countess of Hamilton—a fine flesh pink. 
The best flower in the show was adjudged to be an 
example of Charles Davis--a bronze flower which 
appeared in the stand which was placed second for 
the Corporation Cup. The weak point in the show 
was the incurved Chrysanthemums, which are not 
grown so largely in Scotland as they are in the 
south, 
For the Corporation Cup, which is the “ blue 
ribbon ” of the meeting, there was a good entry ; but 
Mr. Beisant, Castle Huntly, had a tolerably easy 
win with forty-eight splendid blooms. The others 
were close. The Scottish Challenge Cup for thirty- 
six blooms was rather easily won also by Mr. William 
Rutherford, Bridge of Allan ; but in the nurserymen’s 
class there was a severe tussle for the prize between 
Mr. W. Wells, of Redhill, Surrey, and Mr. Robert 
Wood, of Carnoustie. Victory ultimately rested 
with the former, largely owing to the presence in his 
lot of forty-eight of a number of incurved blooms. 
In this stand the premier incurved bloom was also 
found. There was a lack of entries in the single 
Chrysanthemum classes, and this is to be regretted, 
as the flower deserves to be encouraged for decora¬ 
tive purposes. Nothing could have been prettier of 
its kind than the variety called Purity, which 
suggested the apotheosis of the field Ox-eye Daisy, 
itself a humble member of this great tribe of flowers 
so widely distributed over the world. In the 
judging of the cut blooms Mr. E. Molyneux, of 
Swanmore Park, Hants, though one of the best 
experts on the flower that could be found, had no 
easy task; but it was performed most impartially, 
with great patience and skill, and generally to the 
satisfaction of the exhibitors. In his round of the 
stands several had to be disqualified for the lack of 
care which had been shown in including Chrysan¬ 
themums which were not white into classes where 
absolute purity of tint was required. 
There were also shown numerous groups of Chry¬ 
santhemums in pots and vases which lent their own 
attractions to the show. As usual, there were 
classes for other flowers. Among the most charm¬ 
ing of these at this season were the Roman hyacinths 
and Chinese primulas, which, for the period, were 
really marvellous. There was an excellent, if small, 
display of fruit, and seldom before has such a splen¬ 
did display of vegetables been seen. It was creditable 
to the gardeners of Scotland. To the nurserymen 
the exhibition was, as usual, indebted for some 
attractive features. Mr. John Downie, 144, Princes 
Street, had a splendid display of artistically arranged 
flowers in varied forms; the Chrysanthemums, of 
course, predominated. Mr. H. J. Jones, Ryecroft 
Nursery, Lewisham, had also gone to considerable ex¬ 
pense to fit up a stand at the east end of hall, in a most 
attractive way ; and splendid exhibition tables, on 
which were all the newest varieties of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums mixed with fine foliaged plants, were sent by 
Messrs. Thomas Methven & Sons, and 
Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons, Edinburgh. 
Mr. F. Foreman, Eskbank, exhibited a collection of 
a new variety of Japanese Skimmia, covered with red 
berries, which had a fine decorative effect, and 
which are said to last on the plant for a couple of 
years. Mr. John Forbes, nurseryman, Hawick, 
showed a new begonia, Gloire de Lorraine; Messrs. 
James Dickson & Sons, a nice collection of conifers; 
Messrs. Thomson, Clovenfords, a spledid basket of 
grapes, for which they were awarded a cultural 
certificate ; and there were many other interesting 
features in the exhibition too numerous to be men¬ 
tioned in detail. 
The following special awards were made by the 
council:—Mr. Andrew Miller, Edinburgh, for table 
of ferns ; Mr. John Forbes, Hawick, for collection of 
Begonias ; Mr. H. J. Jones, London, for display of 
Chrysanthemums; Mr. John Downie, Edinburgh, 
for floral designs ; Mr. F. Forman, Eskbank, for Skim- 
mias; Mr. Wm. Wells, Redhill, Surrey, for Chry¬ 
santhemum blooms ; Messrs. M. Todd & Co., for 
dinner table decoration; Messrs. Fletcher & Son, 
Edinburgh, for ornamental wirework; Messrs. T. 
Methven & Sons, for table of plants and flowers ; 
Messrs. J. & R. Thyne, Glasgow, for table of plants 
and flowers ; and Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons, Edin¬ 
burgh, for table of plants and flowers. 
TRENCHING IN THE 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
It is a noteworthy fact that most good growers of 
vegetables believe in trenching, and there can be no 
doubt that where vegetables have to be grown for 
exhibition purposes this is an important and a 
necessary operation. At this season of the year 
after the lifting of the root crops, and the removal of 
the summer class of vegetables; there is as a rule 
more vacant ground in the kitchen garden then at 
any other period of the year. Accordingly it is high 
time that the gardener should be making preparations 
for the conducting of this important operation, for 
upon its proper performance rests in a great measure 
the quality of next year’s crops. 
Trenching is of the greatest service in adding to 
the depth of the garden soil, but where the sub-soil 
is very poor it is an operation the practising of which 
requires a considerable amount of judgment and 
discretion, for as may readily be supposed, the bring¬ 
ing to the surface of a poor and barren sub-soil may 
for a time be attended with anything but beneficial 
results to the crops immediately following, although 
the ultimate effect will inevitably be good. Where 
the soil is very shallow, and the sub-soil poor, and, 
as is often the case where digging has not been 
thoroughly performed for a number of years, hard 
and stony, it is advisable to double dig in preference 
to trenching. Working in a thorough dressing of 
manure into the lower soil. By this means the 
object in view, viz., that of deepening the soil is 
attained without running any of the risks consequent 
upon bringing a very poor comparatively worthless 
sub-soil to the surface. 
The manure heap should receive the first share of 
attention, as it is not a good plan to dig too raw 
material into the ground. That it should have 
reached a certain stage of decomposition is advisable, 
and a certain amount of preparation will, therefore, 
be necessary. In most establishments the gardener 
claims the whole of the manure resulting from the 
stables, and this brought at intervals to the manure 
heap soon amounts to a respectable quantity. The 
heap should be thoroughly turned and shaken up at 
least twice or thrice; and if, as is often the case, it 
is desirable to mix a quantity of leaves with it, this 
may be done at the same time. A good sized heap 
of manure thus obtained, preparations should be 
made for wheeling or carting it upon the ground 
to be trenched or double dug. This may, of course, 
be done during hard and frosty weather, and is by 
most gardeners, who study economy of labour, put 
off until this time. 
A trench at least three feet in width and two spits 
in depth, should be dug at the end of the ground at 
which it is proposed to start, the soil taken from the 
trench being wheeled back to the extreme end of the 
ground where it is intended to finish off. A good 
layer of manure may be spread roughly over the 
ground and the digging commenced. The top spit 
of the ground being pitched into the bottom of the 
trench, the second spit dug out, roughly broken up 
and placed on the top, the manure being thoroughly 
incorporated with it. This plan should be followed 
throughout the entire length of the ground. By this 
means the upper and the lower strata of soils are 
made to change places, the lower, of course, being 
brought to the surface, and exposed to the influence 
of the v eather. It is not necessary to break up the 
surface of the soil at all finely, for if thrown up roughly 
the frosts of winter will pulverise and sweeten it, and 
besides these fertilising influences, they will 
materially assist in destroying grubs, caterpillars, 
etc., that would otherwise exercise a baneful effect 
upon any crops, for the culture of which the land 
may be intended.— Beche. 
_ 
HOLLY HEDGES. 
The Holly of all the plants used in the formation of 
hedges has the right to be considered the best, carry¬ 
ing the palm alike for appearance and effectiveness. 
In our own experience we have noticed the immense 
difference there is in the relative cost of maintenance 
of wooden fences and those formed with Holly. Oak 
fencing, considered by some as next in durability to 
a brick wall, will generally, after a very few years, 
entail no inconsiderable outlay for repairs, whereas 
the Holly, if kept clipped annually, instead of 
deteriorating, improves as the years roll on, and 
requires no barbed wire strained along the top to 
prevent the encroachment of marauders. A first- 
class Holly hedge, 6 ft. or more in height, is the 
most impregnable fence one can conceive of, and one 
more point in its favour is that it may be freely 
planted without that fear of fatal consequences to 
cattle which attaches to its only rival as a hedge 
plant, namely, the Yew. 
The general objection to the use of the Holly for 
hedges is its supposed slow growth. We say 
supposed, because after plants have grown to 3 ft. 
their progress in some soils is comparatively rapid. 
In a few miles drive out into the country many 
instances of partially decayed park fencing will be 
seen entailing a heavy expenditure to keep in order, 
which, had their owners been better advised, might 
have been avoided by the substitution of this living 
fence, and in some instances a saving of many 
hundreds of pounds would have been effected. And 
yet the supposed heavy cost of plants has been the 
objection urged against their use. True it is that 
for a few years the Holly fence when planted will 
often require for a time another fence of some kind 
to guard it against being broken through or trodden 
down, but this seldom need be more than of the 
cheapest description. 
Some lay claim for the Holly that it is not liable to 
the attacks of any insects, but this is not in accord 
with our own experience, having had our wrists and 
face frequently stung with midges, the perfect insect 
of the larva which often renders unpruned Holly 
trees more or less unsightly by burrowing among 
and eating much of the fleshy texture of the leaf 
Happily hedges and pruned plants in the more 
ornamental portions of an estate are comparatively 
free from the pest, but where it exists in any 
quantity a short stay in the vicinity of trees infested 
with it is to some attended with most disagreeable 
and irritating consequences. 
Now respecting the slow growth complained of, 
we have always found that where the soil had been 
well prepared and the planting carried out under 
suitable conditions, and at the proper time, there 
has been no just cause to complain. It is as regards 
soil a most accommodating plant flourishing on light 
sandy and peaty soils ; indeed, on some descriptions 
of these it makes almost rampant growth. On most 
kinds of clay the growth made is slower and closer 
jointed, but with this exception they do equally well 
on either light or clayey soils, the only unsuitable 
staple being bog or soil saturated with water. When 
preparing the ground for a Holly hedge mark out 
