5-24 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 18, 1895. 
should be put in in pieces about 2 in. square and 
about 7 in. apart all over the bed, not forgetting the 
side and the bottom, for in this position they grow 
equally as well as on the top, double the quantity of 
Mushrooms being thus obtained than would be the 
case were the top of the bed spawned only. At the 
present time we are cutting splendid Mushrooms 
from the under-side of the beds, and find it is a 
profitable course to adopt where the convenience is 
limited. Immediately the spawn is inserted the bed 
should be covered with good loam and a sprinkling 
of artificial manure mixed with it, which will help 
to give fleshiness to the crop. Nothing further is 
required than au even atmospheric temperature of 
about 55° Fahr., plenty of moisture being applied 
with the syringe daily on the walls and passages. 
Gathering the Vegetables. 
This is a duty which is often very indifferently 
performed, and it is a great pity to see vegetables 
well grown completely spoiled by neglect at this 
time. I hold that it is the duty of every gardener 
to bring before the notice of the cook daily the 
different vegetables that are likely to be spoiled if 
not used. Here a thorough understanding is neces¬ 
sary between the two so that no waste may take 
place. Very often gardeners are somewhat careless 
on this point, and for want of strict attention to the 
gathering of vegetables at the right time, find that 
a great part have deteriorated in quality, when by 
judicious attention the whole might have been good 
instead of only a portion. It is a mistake to think 
that even servants should not have the best of 
vegetables, for after all as human beings we should 
be more on an equality in this matter than is often 
the case, but in cases like this v.e have ourselves to 
blame to a great extent. Therefore, all gardeners 
should strive to be particular in small matters, 
whilst cleanliness and good order must prevail. If 
such a course is followed up with the energy and 
perseverance which every gardener should possess, 
the efforts of the aspiring cultivator of vegetables 
will assuredly be crowned with success .—James 
Gibson, Devonhurst, Chiswick. 
- — - 
LIVERPOOL SPRING SHOW. 
The annual spring show in connection with the 
Liverpool Horticultural Association was held in 
St. George's Hall on the 4th inst., and in every 
resprct proved a great success. Undoubtedly the 
most interesting and instructive exhibits were those 
staged by the trade, and in this connection Messrs. 
R. P. Ker & Son surpassed them ;elves in their won¬ 
derful group of Amaryllis, which was unanimously 
awarded the premier position by the visitors, as 
“ the feature of the show.” The group was allotted 
the place of honour, the centre of the hall, and most 
worthily occupied it too. Messrs. Charleswcrth & 
Co., Heaton, Bradford, staged a most meritorious 
collection of Orchids, which included many rare 
species and varieties; Messrs. Jchn Cowan & Co., 
Garston.also contributed Orchids and miscellaneous 
plants in excellent form. From Messrs. R. P. Ker 
also came a well-flowered batch of Imantophyllums 
and Azalea mollis ; from Messrs. Fishlock Bros, cut 
flowers, wreaths, crosses, etc. ; from Messrs. Thos. 
Davies & Co., Wavertree, a capital group of 
Cinerarias, Cyclamen, bulbs, and foliage plants; 
from Mr. W. Mason, Liverpool, Ferns, Clematis, 
etc.; from Messrs. Dicksons, Chester, a pretty show of 
Daffodils and other spring bulbs; from Mr. H. 
Middlehurst, Liverpool, Mignonette, Daffodil and 
other bulbs, and a Certificate of Merit was awarded 
to each of them. A special prize was awarded to 
A. R. Gladstone, Esq., Court Hey (Mr. T. 
Elsworthy, gardener), for five good bunches of Black 
Alicante Grapes and examples of La Grosse Sucree 
Strawberries. A Certificate of Merit was also 
awarded to J. Crossfield, Esq., Warrington (Mr. W. 
Kipps, gardener), for a fine example of the latter 
fruit. 
In the classes for competition the Lord Mayor of 
Liverpool (Mr. J. Bracegirdle, gardener) was first 
for a well-arranged group of plants occupying sixty 
square feet; and for ten pots of hardy herbaceous 
and bulbous plants, W. S. Gladstone, Esq., Aigburth 
(Mr. J. Grant, gardener) took the lead, the Solomon’s 
Seal being especially good The best and most 
tastefully arranged pan of Lily of the Valley came 
from A. L. Jones, Esq., Aigburth (Mr. J. Bounds, 
gardener). Hyacinths were hardly up to the usual 
standard, the spikes being somewhat undersized. 
For eighteen and twelve varieties O. H. Williams, 
Esq. (Mr. J. Aiken, gardener), was to the fore ; and 
for six varieties the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor was 
first ; while for six pets, three bulbs in each pot, 
Mr. A. Earle was first wiih a good lot. Six pots 
Polanthus Narcissus: First, W. S. Singlehurst, 
Esq. (Mr. Jas. Kelly, gardener). Nine pots single 
Tulips: First, W. S. Gladstone, Esq.; while C. j. 
Proctor, Esq., Noctorum (Mi. J. Williams, gardener), 
was first for six single and six double varieties. For 
two Amaryllis A. A. Picton, Esq , Sefton Park (Mr. 
R. Ogston, gardener), took the lead with very fine 
varieties ; and for three pots Mr. G. W. Moss was 
awarded the first prize. 
For six stove and greenhouse plants, T. S. Timmis, 
Esq. Cleveley, (Mr. B. Cromwell, gardener), had 
the premier lot, containing Kentia Fosterian' 1 , 
Phoenix reclinata, Croton Queen Victoria, Azalea 
Koniger der Weisen, Dendrobium nobile, and 
Anthurium Scherzerianum 4 ft. in diameter. Mr. 
Banner, Roby, was second. The premier award for 
one stove plant in flower, the Rt. Hon. Lord 
Mayor won with Clerodendron Balfourianum, well 
flowered; and the same exhibitor had the 
best single greenhouse plant in flower, a Rhodo¬ 
dendron Gibsoni, 4 ft. in diameter; Mr. T. S. 
Timmis taking second place in each class. Three 
Orchids: the Rt. Hon. Lord Mayor had the premier 
lot, including Dendrobium Ainsworthii, very fine, 
3 ft. through ; Angraecum sesquipedale, with nine 
flowers ; and Cypripedium Boxallii atratum, with 
seventeen flowers. Fur two orchids suitable for a 
cool house, O. H. Williams, Esq., Aigburth (Mr. 
Thos. Wilson, gardener), was first with Odonto- 
glossum triumphans and Ada aurantica. For a 
single Orchid Mr. A. L. Jones was to the fore with 
Coelogyne cristata, 4 ft. in diameter. In other com¬ 
petitions the premier awards went as follows :— 
Four exotic Ferns, the Rt. Hon. Lord Mayor ; three 
Azaleas, Mr. W. Singlehurst ; single Azalea, Mr. W. 
Singlehurst; three Palms, the Rt. Hon. Lord 
Mayor; single Palm, Mr. S. S. Waring; six 
Cyclamen, Mr. J. Neal, with grand plants; six pots 
Lily of the Valley, Mrs. Cope, Woolton (Mr. J. 
Carling, gardener), with w'ell-grown examples. Mr. 
Carling was also to the fore with a box of Roses, 
those of Niphetos especially being splendid. 
The committee introduced a new feature in having 
recitals on the grand organ in addition to the usual 
string band, which was much appreciated. The 
arrangements were excellent and the attendance 
good. 
-- 
FOREIGN VEGETABLE 
IMPORTS. 
From a paper on “ Market Gardening ” in the 
Journal of the Board of Agriculture, we learn that 
foreign supplies of vegetables which require a good 
of labour—such as Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, 
Cucumbers, French Beans, Radishes—grow larger 
year by year. Early Turnips, Carrots, Peas, and 
French Beans, from France, the Canary Islands, 
Madeira, and Algeria, arrive earlier in the year than 
the English gardeners can supply them ; and when 
the expensive English crops are ready the high 
prices have already disappeared into the foreigner’s 
pockets, and the ” edge ” of the appetite has been 
taken off.” Lettuces are imported from France and 
the Canary Islands from January to June, months 
before English gardeners can send them into the 
market. A few years ago Cucumbers were profit¬ 
able ; but now they come so earlyand so cheap from 
Holland that many market gardeners have ceased 
to grow them. Radishes come from February to 
April, from Paris, St. Malo, and the Channel 
Islands ; and Beetroot and Red Cabbage from 
Holland, completely forestalling English produce. 
As for Onions, there has been a revolution. They 
used to be locked on as a safe crop, but prices have 
been so forced down that growers last year lost 
heavily. The foreign Onions come from Germany, 
France, Spain, Egypt, Holland, Belgium, and 
Portugal. These figures, for three typical years, 
will show the increased importation :— 
1875. 1884. 1894. 
Bushels.... 169,456 .... 3,474,746 .... 5,288,512 
Value.£321,316- £481,427- £765,049 
The average annual value of vegetables other than 
Onions and Potatos, during the last three years, is 
£1,027,411, against £467,287 in 1885, and £132,124 
in 1875. As regards Potatos, the total importation 
has fallen off in the last twenty years from 5,363,136 
cwt. to 2,846,754 cwt., but this falling off is mainly 
due to the fact that the importing countries found 
they could not compete with the English main-crop 
produce in the late summer and autumn. The 
supply of “new” Potatos, however, is another 
matter. For the first six months of the year the 
average from France, Lisbon, Canary Islands, Malta, 
and Channel Islands is 1,764,258 cwt. The earliest 
“new” Potatos come at Christmas time from 
Algeria, France, Malta, Teneriffe, and Holland ; and 
then in May the Channel Islands begin sending 
until August. When that is over the English 
grower gets a chance 1 This is hard enough on the 
professional market gardener; but now that the 
farmers are being urged to compete with him as 
well, he is beginning to feel that every man’s hand 
is against him. 
-►*.- 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Horticultural, April gth .—Stove and greenhouse 
plants were the leading features of the meeting on 
Tuesday last, including Orchids, which more than held 
their own for quantity, quality, andvariety. Otherpro- 
rninent subjects were Amarjllis, Clivias, Anthuriums, 
Streptoselon Jamesoni, Beaumontia grandiflora, 
Dracaenas, and others. Hardy flowers were plenti¬ 
ful and attractive. Cut blooms of Tea Roses that 
had been forced were fine and attracted considerable 
attention. A Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, for a large group 
of Orchids and Amaryllis. Amongst the former 
were the new Dendrobium Hildebrandtii, D. Farmeri 
reseum, D. atroviolaceum, Miltonia Roezlii alba, 
Cattleya Schroderae, Lycaste cruenta Rossiana, and 
the very distinct Laelia Latona, with a great variety 
of showy and useful spring flowering species. 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, also had an 
interesting group of Orchids, including a large and 
well-flowered piece of Dendrobium Auguste Victoria, 
two fine pieces of Cattleya Schroderae, covered with 
bloom, also Dendrobium Brymerianum, D. Phalae- 
nopsis Schroderianum, Odontcglossum crispum, 
Eulophiella Elizabetbae, and others. Associated 
with the group was a floriferous lot of Amaryllis 
splendens. bearing two and three scapes from a bulb 
(Silver Banksian Medal). A well-flowered group of 
Orchids was set up by H. T. Pitt, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. Aldcus), Stamford Hill. Amongst them some 
interesting pieces of Odontoglossum Cervanlesii 
roseum, O. crispum in variety, Miltonia Roezlii 
rubens, and M. R. alba. Fine-foliaged plants were 
arranged in front of them (Silver Banksian Medal). 
A natural hybrid named Dendrobium Rolfae roseum 
was exhibited by Major-General E. S. Berkeley, 
Spetchley, Bitterne Park. A. H. Smee, Esq. (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. G. W. Cummins), The Grange, Walling- 
ton, shewed a fine piece of Cymbidium Lowianum 
viride. Some curious Orchids, including Bulbo- 
phyllum nigropetalum viride, Dendrobium tetra- 
gonum, and the showy Laelia flava aurantiaca 
and Cattleya guttata Prinzii were staged by 
Lord Rothschild (gardener, Mr. E. Hill), 
Tring Park, Tring. A small group of Orchids, 
chiefly cut flowers, was exhibited by Baron Schroeder 
(gardener, Mr. H. Ballantine), The Dell. Amongst 
them were Cattleya Lawrenceana, C. L. Vinckii, a 
fine panicle of a splendid variety of Odontoglossum 
Ruckerianum, and Dendrobium Cycele. Masdevaliia 
ludibunda, Phaius assamicus, Coelogyne lactea, and 
Cymbidium Devonianum came from the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, Glasnevia. A Cultural Commen¬ 
dation was awarded to G. C. Raphael, Esq. (gardener, 
Mr. H. Adams), Castle Hill, Englefield Green, for a 
splendid spike of Eulophiella Elizabetbae. Messrs. 
W. & G. Drover, Fareham, staged some varieries of 
Cattleya Trianaei. A Silver Banksian Medal was 
accorded to Messrs. W. L. Lewis & Co., Southgate, 
for a rich and varied group of Orchids including 
fine pieces of Trichopilia suavis superba, Masdevaliia 
Houtteana, Odontoglossum laeve superbum, and 
various others. A Silver Flcra Medal was accorded 
to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, (grower, Mr. W. H. 
White), Burford Lodge, Dorking for a magnificent 
and well-flowered piece of Cattleya Lawrenceana in 
a No. 1 size pot. There were from five to eleven 
flowers on each spike. He also exhibited Eulophiella 
Elizabethae, Odontoglossum aspersum violaceumand 
Masdevaliia leontoglossa. Odontoglossum polyxan- 
thum Hardy's var. was shown by F. Hardy, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. T. Stafford), Ashton-on-Mersey. 
Odontoglossum gloriosum Rosefield var. and O. 
