734 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 15, 1899. 
A Gold Medal was worthily awarded this excellent 
group, and a First-class Certificate was given to the 
new H.T. Rose, Tennyson. 
Mr. J. J. Upton, secured the Society’s Silver 
Medal for a fine collection of Pansies and Viola 
blooms. 
Mr. Eckford got a Cultural Certificate for a 
collection of Sweet Peas. 
Mr. Abel Buckley, secured an Award of Merit for 
six Melons. 
Messrs. Laxton Bros., Bedford, staged the Straw¬ 
berries, Latest of All and Mentmore, both good 
varieties. 
Mr. H. Pattison, Shrewsbury, had Violas; Mr. 
James Brown, Tomatos ; Mrs. Hodgkins, Skeleton 
leaves, &c. 
The Misses Hopkins’ Violas and herbaceous cut 
flowers were very fine. 
Messrs. Dickson, of Chester, had Roses. 
NATIONAL AMATEURS. -July 8th. 
As a rule flower shows this year do not surpass in 
quality those of the past few years. The very 
erratic conditions of the elements in the early part 
of the growing season and the continuance of hot 
weather without much moisture in the air and less in 
the soil, have tended one and all to make it difficult 
even to uphold past standards. At the National 
Amateurs’ third annual exhibition and garden party, 
held last Saturday at the Royal Botanic Society's 
Garden in Regent's Park, the lacking qualities of 
Roses were plainly seen, but in all the other classes 
the produce was very creditable. The entries num¬ 
bered 212 altogether, being somewhat like 40 per 
cent, of an advance on last year. This speaks well 
for the superintendent of the shows and officers of 
the society. It does one good to see how enthu¬ 
siastic the amateurs are in the displaying, discussing, 
and criticising of one another's exhibits. One ques¬ 
tion we would ask, however, in connection with the 
staging of the exhibits—why were they so much 
scattered ? 
Groups. —The first prize for a group of miscel¬ 
laneous plants was a span-roofed greenhouse, valued 
at £10, and given by Messrs. G. Hayward & Co., of 
Brockley Road, S.E., and won by Mr. H. T. 
Wooderson ; second, Mr. A. Foster ; third, Mr. Sin¬ 
clair; fourth, Mr. H. Lance Gray. The groups com¬ 
prised a varied collection of the most popular green¬ 
house plants, such as Hydrangeas, Pelargoniums, 
Calceolarias, Fuchsias, &c., relieved by Ferns and 
Palms. 
Cut Flowers.— For six Tea Roses (four varieties, 
to be grown within seven miles of the General Post 
Office), Mr. J. Bateman was first with a respectable 
stand ; and Mr. A. Taylor, second. 
For six H. T. Roses, distinct, Dr. Cook beat Mr. 
B. J. Marsh, both having nice lots, and Including 
such as Maman Cochet, Mrs. W. J. Grant, Caroline 
Testout, Abel Cbatauney, and Anna Olivier. 
For six Roses, distinct, Mr. Leonard Brown, 
Brentwood, took first with Marecbal Niel, Mrs. J. 
Laing, La France, and Mrs. W. J. Grant; second, 
Mr. H. W. G. Morris; third, Mrs. Marsh. 
For six bunches of garden Roses, Mrs. Marsh 
secured the Toogood Silver Medal. 
The Toogood Silver Medal for six bunches of 
greenhouse flowers was carried off by Mr. A. W. 
Gardiner; Mr. F. M. Vokes was second. 
For six bunches of annuals, distinct, Dr. Cook won 
with a nice lot. (Priz°, Encyclopaedia of 
Gardening). 
For the " Dobbie ” Trophy, awarded for the most 
artistically arranged collection of cut flowers (space 
5 ft. by 2 ft ), Mr. H. A. Needs was first. This has 
to be won three years consecutively. 
The " Pye " Trophy, for twelve sprays of Violas, 
distinct, fell to Mr. D. B. Crane as first for this 
year; Mr. W. E. Reeve was second; Mr. A. H. 
Beadles was third. 
The “Sweet Pea’’ Trophy presented by Mr. R. 
Sydenham, Birmingham, was again competed for, 
Mr. Needs being first with a beautiful number of 
vases filled with the best varieties of these sweet 
flowers set off with grasses. 
Fruit and vegetables were barely represented. 
Mr. H. W. G. Morris was first for a collection of 
six kinds of vegetables. 
Miscellaneous. —Messrs. Barr & Sons, Covent 
Garden, had a liberal display of the choicer hardy 
plant flowers blooming at this time, including 
Jieuchera macrantha, Lychnis chalcedopica, Cam¬ 
panula varieties, Phloxes, Iris laevigata varieties, 
Gillenia trifoliata, &c. 
Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn, London, 
staged a remarkably fine lot of Delphiniums in most 
of the leading varieties. Liliums, Sea Hollies, 
Sweet Peas, and other flowers and foliage plants 
were also included. 
Mr. Robert Sydenham, Tenby Street, Birming¬ 
ham, had a good show of Violas, some arranged in 
sprays against a black velvet-covered stand, and 
others arranged to show the adaptability of Violas 
when used in table decorations. Mr. Sydenham’s 
table decorations were worthy of notice, he being 
the only exhibitor of the lyre and hand-basket 
patterns, &c., made in zinc and wire, and at once 
the simplest and best arrangements in use for floral 
decorations. 
Messrs. Hayward & Co., Crofton Park, Brockley, 
exhibited the greenhouse (a type of house very suit¬ 
able for amateurs) won by Mr. H. T. Wooderson. 
They had also a number of rustic adornments and 
objects of use, as an arbour, garden seats, flower 
stands, and such-like. 
Messrs. W. Herbert & Co , Hop Exchange, S.E., 
had a stall representing a large sampling of various 
plant foods. 
The Ichthemic Guano Co., Mark Lane, London, 
had also one of their representative displays, aDd 
from the standing quality of the Ichthemic Guano 
we know that amateur gardeners recognise its 
worth. 
- ■ » - 
Questions add snsmeRS. 
*,* Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged bv their so doing. 
[1 Correspondents , please note that we cannot undertake to 
name florists' flowers such as Carnations, Pelargoniumt. 
Chrysanthemums, Roses, nor such as are mere garden 
varieties, differing only in the colour of the flower. 
Florists' flowers, as a rule, can only be named by those who 
groiv collections of them.] 
Caterpillars in Potato Stems. — Robert Clark : The 
Caterpillar you sent was one of the Noctuideae, 
which number something like 300 species of night- 
flying moths. Many of them prey on a great variety 
of garden plants as well as wild ones, which makes 
it difficult to localise their depredations. One 
of the best remedies is clean culture, with trenching 
in the winter time to bury the pupae, or otherwise 
disturb them. Some of them may be found while 
digging or trenching, and these should always be 
destroyed. In the meantime you should cut off all 
stems, or portions of stems, that show signs of con¬ 
taining caterpillars. They should be put in a basket 
as cut, being careful that none of the caterpillars 
drop out ; burn stems and all to make sure of de¬ 
stroying the caterpillars. This will prevent future 
attack in proportion as you follow up the practice. 
Keep the ground clear of all weeds. When trench¬ 
ing in winter place a good sprinkling of gas-lime 
over the first and second spit, so as to destroy pupae 
in the soil. Some adopt the practice of painting the 
trunks of trees with a solution of sugar and water, 
and examining the bait with a lamp at night by 
which many harmful moths may be caught. 
Pear Leaves Attacked.— J. C. &■ S. \ The leaves 
you sent us carried the cast off skins of the pupae 
of the Jumping Plant-louse or Pear Sucker (Psylla 
Pyri). During the early stage of this insect the 
larvae fix themselves to the young shoots and leaves 
and suck the juices of the same to an injurious 
degree. They also void a viscid juice upon the 
foliage and other parts of the tree in such quantities 
as to defile everything near and beneath them, The 
black patches upon the leaves consisted of the excre¬ 
ment of the Pear Sucker upon which a fungus had 
established itself, as may often be seen upon Roses, 
Camellias, &c. Most probably all the insects may 
have passed through the pupa stage by this time, 
and changed into the four-winged and jumping 
perfect state. The old flies commence laying their 
eggs upon the trees about the time the trees come 
into bloom, and the larvae hatch out in ten to four¬ 
teen days. At this stage you should watch for the 
first outbreak and syringe the trees with a solution 
of J lb. soft soap in four gallons of water. This will 
sicken the larvae which you can again attack on the 
following day, using a strong solution of Gishurst 
Compound mixed with tobacco water. Tne old 
insects winter in cracks and crevices of the bark, as 
well as other hiding places in the vicinity. The 
trees might, therefore, receive a good syringing with 
soapsuds during the winter, or the more valuable 
ones with petroleum emulsion properly prepared. 
Small Sized Flora for Excursions. -F. S. A.: 
None of the ordinary hand-books or floras are pub¬ 
lished at the piice you mention, but there is “ The 
Botanist's Pocket-book,’’ a small and handy book 
for putting in the pocket when going on excursions. 
It contains short descriptions of British plants in 
tabulated form. It is published by Messrs. G. Bell 
& Sons, York Street, Covent Garden, London; and 
the price is 4s. 6d. 
Dahlias Injured since Planting. — Dahlia ; The 
shoots you sent us show a very bad state of matters, 
and the injury caused them seems to he the work of 
more than one enemy. In the first place we do not 
like the near neighbourhood of that Privet hedge, 
which usually, harbours a lot of vermin, including 
slugs, that often do irreparable damage to plants 
while vegetation is only growing slowly, owing to ad¬ 
verse conditions of weather. The small black slugs 
you found upon the plants would do a deal of damage 
to the young shoots and foliage by gnawing small 
holes in them while yet in the bud stage; then, as 
the leaves expand the holes get bigger. There ap¬ 
pears also to have been insects, probably those known 
as jumping plant-lice, upon the young shoots and 
buds. They puncture the young leaves, and the 
injury appears to increase as the wounded leaves are 
trying to expand. We should advise you to cut off 
the worst of the shoots, leaving the best one for a 
leader. If the plants can be induced to grow, most 
of them may yet get over the injury to a considerable 
extent. Next spring you should watch the plants 
for green fly, jumping plant-lice, and similar vermin. 
It is then too early for earwigs which injure the 
(Continued on p. 735.) 
THE GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 
ZFOTTIfcTIDIEID 1838, 
175, VICTORIA STREET, WESTMINSTER, S,W, 
the: 60™ anniversaryTEstivau PINNPR 
THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF DERBY, K.G., G.C.B., IN THE CHAIR. 
The Committee desire to gratefully acknowledge the following additional contributions in aid of the funds : 
YICTORIAN ERA FUND. 
£ s. d. 
The Dowager Lady Howard de Walde, 
per C. R. Fielder. 50 o 0 
Arthur W. Sutton, V.M.H. .. .. 10 o 0 
W. Mackay.. .. .. .. .. 32 o o 
Messrs. Dicksons .. .. .. .. 52100 
George Monro, V.M.H.. and List .. 50 o o 
James Hudson .. .. .. .. 14 14 o 
Fisher, Son & Sibray, Ltd.10 10 o 
Thames Bank Iron Co. .. .. .. 10 10 o 
G. H. Richards. 10 10 o 
E. Burbery.. .. .. .. ,. 800 
H. Rogers.. .. .. 6 18 6 
J. Abrahams . 5 18 6 
Joseph Rochford. .. 5 5 ° 
Philip Crowley .. .. .. .. 5 5 ° 
H. Acton .. .. .. .. .. 660 
Maxwell T. Masters, M.D. 3 3° 
B. Ashton .. .. .. .. .. 386 
Messrs. A. & H. Turner .. .. .. 440 
H. J. Wimsett . 5 5 ° 
T. Whillans .. .. •• .< 2 15 0 
£ s. d. 
W. Wilby. 2 13 0 
W. H. Lees (additional). 310 
B. Wadds (additional). 500 
W. Allsop .. * . 500 
T. W. Birkenshaw .. .. . • 270 
G. Hart .. . 2 n o 
H. Perkins .. .. .. •• •• 220 
G. Bishop. 220 
J. Mack . 200 
W. Tribe. 200 
John Rochford .. .. •• •• 220 
T. Arnold. 200 
G. Clarke. 180 
H. Dines. 170 
F. May . 1 15 o 
W. Pope. 150 
W. Holmes (Sub.). 220 
R. R. Pulling . 1 1 o 
J. Wright, V.M.H. 1 1 o 
E. T. Cook (Sub.). 1 1 o 
H. G. Cove (Sub.). x 1 0 
