February 12, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
379 
promised to evolve were evidently of an excellent 
character—straight and handsome as a Fir. Its 
leaves are evergreen, and its wood is thought, by 
the best judges, in hardness and strength, to excel 
all other Oaks. It makes but one shoot in the year, 
viz., in May, and continues growing without inter¬ 
ruption, whereas other Oaks shoot twice, viz., May 
and August.” He goes on then to speak of its rapid 
growth, which in part he attributes to its production 
of one shoot a year. He gives the dimensions of the 
parent tree of seven years and a grafted one of four 
years respectively as 21 ft. high, 20 in. in girth, and 
16 ft. high and 14 in. in girth. 
“The first grafted is six years old, and has out- 
shot his parent by 2 ft. in height.” The tree in 
question was, the writer says, called the Lucombe 
Oak, which made shoots 4 ft. to 5 ft. yearly, and he 
inferred from that feature in forty years it would out¬ 
grow the other Oaks of a hundred years. He adds, 
in conclusion, that, except the leaves, it is quite dis¬ 
tinct in every way from the Iron or Wainscot Oak, 
and that many gentlemen in Cornwall and Somerset 
planted young trees, which are doing well. It would 
be interesting to know how these have turned out 
after a growth of 125 years.— D. Chisholm. 
«• 
The Stove. 
With the month of February it is to be expected 
that things will move a bit, and therefore it will be 
well to increase the temperature of the stove by a 
few degrees. It should not be allowed to drop 
below 6a 9 Fahr. by night. It is rather early to start 
the regular morning and afternoon syringings yet, 
but advantage may be taken of fine days to give the 
plants an occasional shower bath. This, however, 
must in every case be seen to early enough in the 
day to admit of the foliage becoming dry before 
night Prosecute vigorously the war against all in¬ 
sect pests, and supplement the occasional use of the 
syringe by the sponge. 
Potting.— It is advisable to make an early start 
with this, for by getting the work forward now it 
will lessen the pressure a month or six weeks hence, 
when things begin to hum, and one does not know 
which job to turn to first. Once a year at least all 
the occupants of the stove should have a thorough 
overhauling. Some of them will not require to be 
potted so often as this, but if a shift is not needed 
a top dressing may be of service,, and it is of the 
greatest importance to see that the drainage is in 
proper working order, and likely to remain so for a 
time. Vigorous plants need a lot of water during the 
summer months, and thus anything like a choked-up 
drainage system is inimical to their interests. Keep 
a sharp look-out for plants that were over-potted last 
year, or of which the roots have died to some extent. 
It pays to reduce these subjects pretty heavily, for it 
is only courting failure to attempt to put a plant with 
two or three roots in a big pot, even although it may 
be a veteran, and the size of the head seems to 
warrant it. Try and keep such things as Crotons, 
Dracaenas, Dieffenbachias, and some Palms in as 
small pots as possible, for their value for house 
furnishing will thereby be much enhanced. All this 
class of subjects will need to be potted firmly, and if 
the compost is in a proper condition, i.e., neither too 
wet nor too dry, the rammer may be freely used 
without fear. The result will be seen in close jointed 
sturdy growth that will stand knocking about a lot 
better than the more sappy stuff. Any plants that 
it is found will have to be disturbed a good deal 
should be taken out of the large stove subsequent to 
potting and placed in a close pit where a temperature 
of from 65° to 70° Fahr. can be easily maintained, 
and where the syringe can be set to work amongst 
them daily. Above all, use clean sound pots. Any 
cracked ones might as well be broken up at once, or 
in shifting about presently these will be likely to lead 
to falls and further breakages. If the cracked pots 
are retained, see that they are secured with wire. 
Nymphaeas. —If these charming aquatics have not 
been already potted up no time should be lost in see¬ 
ing to it. In accordance with instructions given pre¬ 
viously the water should have been nearly drawn off, 
and the plants allowed to go completely to rest. In 
turning them out of their old pots be careful with 
the tubers for some have a knack of getting down 
close to the bottom, even although the plants were 
not deeply covered with soil last year. Good loam 
mixed with cowdung in the proportions of four to 
one makes the best compost for the Nymphaeas. 
Where many are grown it is a capital plan to stack 
the loam with the cowdung about six months before 
it is wanted, therefore, giving the two time to incor¬ 
porate with each other thoroughly. The difficulty 
of mixing the two fresh ingredients is thus avoided. 
After potting return the water to the tank, allowing 
it to reach about two-thirds of the way up the pots. 
Keep it at a temperature of 65° and increase it in 
depth wsek by week, until the depth is normal. 
Caladiums. —The tubers which were started about 
the middle of last month have now a leaf or two, and 
will soon be ready for potting up. Another batch of 
tubers should be started in shallow boxes, covering 
the tubers with cocoanut fibre. The rarer sorts will 
be best in small pots by themselves in order that they 
may be kept separate from the commoner ones, and 
given special attention. A temperature of not less 
than 65° should be given. Do not keep them too 
wet for the first few weeks or the tubers will be in 
danger of rotting off. 
Pits and Frames. 
Tuberous Begonias. —If seed of these popular 
and useful plants has not been sown during the past 
month no time should be lost in doing it. Drain the 
seed pots thoroughly, and fill them to within an inch 
of the top of the rim with fine, sandy soil. Press this 
fairly firm, and smooth the surface by means of a 
small piece of board or other flat article. Give the 
soil a light watering prior to sowing the seed. Sow 
thinly and cover with very fine soil or sand. Cover 
each seed pot with a sheet of glass, and place it on a 
shelf in a light position in a house having an equable 
temperature of 65°. Plants from this sowing wili, if 
generously treated, commence to flower in June and 
July. 
Cannas. —Seed should be sown at once, and in a 
temperature of not less than 75° to ensure speedy 
germination. As the testa of the seed is exceedingly 
hard, so hard indeed that the embryo plant finds a 
difficulty in breaking through it, some means must 
be taken to weaken or reduce it in places. Various 
devices are resorted to to accomplish this end. Some 
growers file the testa through, others cut away 
pieces with a sharp knife, but both methods must be 
employed with caution, and both are tedious to 
accomplish. A better plan than either is to soak the 
seed in tepid water for not less than twenty-four 
hours immediately previous to sowing. The root¬ 
stocks of the old plants may be introduced into heat 
—a warm house with a temperature of from 6o° to 
65° will suit—in order to induce them to break into 
growth when they may be potted up. Propagation 
of desirable varieties by division of the crowns may 
be carried on as required, as the pieces will start into 
growth as quickly and as well as the whole root- 
stock. 
Coleuses. —Make a start in working up an early 
batch of these handsome foliage plants by putting in 
as many cuttings as can be obtained. The cuttings 
struck last autumn to preserve the stock, and which 
have remained in their cutting pots all the winter, will 
furnish the material. Take off two or three inches of 
the tops, and insert in a brisk heat. The beheaded 
plants will soon break into growth, and more cut¬ 
tings can then be had. Successional batches of 
dimensions to suit the needs of the establishment 
must be put in for the next four or five months, as 
the old plants quickly get shabby. 
Fuchsias. —Continue to insert cuttings of these as 
fast as they can be obtained. The earliest batch 
will by this time have made sufficient roots to 
warrant potting off. Pot loosely in light soil, using 
only small pots. Be very careful with the watering, 
for indiscretion in this respect will be attended with 
fatal results thus early in the year. If any seed of 
desirable varieties has been saved from last year it 
should De sown now. Give it a temperature of 
about 70° to obtain quick germination. Seedling 
Fuchsias, if properly treated, will flower within six 
or seven months from the date of sowing. These 
plants may, therefore, come in very handily for 
filling up a gap towards the end of the summer. 
General Work.— Make a sowing of Petunias for 
pot work. A pinch of seed of Cockscombs and 
Celosia pyramidalis plumosa should also be sown to 
furnish early plants. Introduce Lilacs, Deutzias, 
and bulbs of all sorts to heat as required for 
succession. Combat greenfly on its first appearance 
amongst Pelargoniums and herbaceous Calceolarias 
by means of XL All or McDougall's new fumer, both 
of which are exceedingly effective and safe contriv¬ 
ances. Border Carnations in frames will now be 
needing a little water, but do not overdo it, and 
avoid wetting the foliage. Air all cold frames as 
freely as possible. Such subjects as Violets and 
Carnations are better with the lights pulled off them 
during such fine weather as we have been having 
lately.— A. S. G. 
-- I - 
JUDGING AT HORTICULTDRAL 
EXHIBITIONS. 
We have listened to a deal of discussion of late on 
judging at horticultural exhibitions (much of which 
is the usual twaddle), but we read of something 
fresh, for which, I fear, one of the combatants in the 
strife will not find much sympathy from the majority 
of judges. He has adduced that it is an error to 
award equal first prizes in cases where the points are 
the same in every respect. It is also questioned if 
two lots can be equal, either in single exhibits or in 
collections. Plants and cut flowers, where there are 
distinct species tabled, seldom can be made equal in 
points, but in such cases the decision is left very 
much to the caprice or taste of the judges. When 
there are, say, a score each of Roses, Dahlias, Carna¬ 
tions, or Chrysanthemums the counting of the 
points is all that a shilful judge has to do, and if 
two lots are in every way equal and of first-class 
merit it would be unjust to give awards other than 
first prizes to each. The judging of fruits and 
vegetables comes under the same rules; but when 
there is great divergence in collections, distinct in 
variety, and the most of them in species, the most 
correct " pointing ’ may fix a wide opinion between 
judges and exhibitors, and this we have witnessed at 
exhibitions hundreds of miles apart. At the late 
largest shows held in the- north recrimination has 
not been absent, which, in the majority of cases is 
by green hands, whose exhibits are seen by them¬ 
selves as others do not see them. To err thus is only 
human, and was clearly illustrated in Punch over a 
political matter by two Hindoo ladies with 
babies, each asserting that her own blessed one was 
fairest, while both were nearly of ebony hue. 
Illustrations from one’s own experience may give 
some force to the necessity of equality in rare 
cases. 
A few years ago, when judging at a large exhibition, 
I was armed to another class, where I was not en¬ 
gaged, by a friend who had been a leading exhibitor 
for years, and a strong opponent was against him in 
a class of, I think, twelve sorts of vegetables. I was 
asked my opinion. After carefully turning over his 
Parsnips, Carrots, &c., searching for the weak 
points, I soon decided that my friend’s would be in 
the position of e::-champion, and pointed also that it 
would be a struggle to gain the second prize—more 
likely the position would be equal second. There 
were 10 other exhibits in this class, and my friend 
was equal second, and second for a collection of 
eight sorts. In each case cleanness and quality had 
highest honours. The judges were “old hands ” at 
their work, and, I think, did it well. I have often 
been placed “ equal ” first, and more than once or 
twice have been placed first when I should not have 
been. The “ dishing-up ” should always be done as 
skilfully as possible, but the searching for weak 
points is also a legitimate duty (in fact, imperative) 
of the judges. The placing of two exhibits equal 
when they are so is also in every respect the duty of 
censors.— M. Temple, Cavron, N.B. 
- 
Dwarf Oaks.—In this country we are accustomed 
to associate with the Oak immense size, stateliness, 
and strength, but in parts of New Jersey, U.S.A., 
there are woods where numbers of diminutive 
specimens not exceeding 2 ft. in height of Quercus 
nigra can be seen. That these little trees have 
reached maturity is, moreover, apparent from the 
way in which they bear, for them, heavy crops of 
acorns. In the face of this it is rather surprising to 
find that in other parts of the American continent, 
notably Pennsylvania, this species assumes the 
form of a sturdy tree 30 ft. or 40 ft. in height. It 
would be interesting to discover the reason for this 
curious dwarfing, which is all the more notable 
because, in the same wood, all sizes of trees between 
the two extremes may be seen. 
