May 25, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
610 
Bints for jflniateilrs. 
Correspondence. 
Questions ashed by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
“ Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Carpet Bedding .—Freda : This was very fashion¬ 
able a few years ago, but is now almost entirely 
done away with, as it is much too formal, and 
people like to see the plants growing in natural 
positions and allowed free development sooner than 
cramped and contorted into designs in a bed, where 
they have to be frequently clipped and pinched to 
keep them to the pattern. The plants for very 
dwarf work are generally either Alternantheras or 
Herniaria. The former have very prettily coloured 
foliage, but they are very tender and the first frost 
turns them black. Dwarf Lobelia is also exten¬ 
sively used, and with the yellow Pyrethrum used to 
until time to plant them out. When cutting them 
off, one end should be cut straight and the other 
wedge shaped, always cutting the wedge at the lower 
end. By this means it is easy to tell which is the 
right way up when planting them. They should 
not be longer than 3 in. or 4 in. 
Rose Budding.— Inquirer: The best time to bud 
Roses is either late in June or early in July. It 
requires a practical demonstration to teach the art 
successfully. When this can be given it will be 
found a very simple process. Roses may be propa¬ 
gated successfully by cuttings; these should be 
taken about September or October, and placed In a 
sheltered border. They should have just a heel of 
old wood attached to them and not exceed 1 ft. in 
length. 
■-- 
FOURTEEN TEMPLE SHOWS. 
The Royal Horticultural Society having left South 
Kensington at the end of the exhibition season, in 
1887, was under the necessity of finding a new home 
to hold its meetings, as well as a site for a big show 
W*to compensate for the loss of the great summer show 
Silver cup for the best competitive group, and Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart., Burford, Dorking, was 
worthily awarded the Silver Cup for a magnificent 
non-competitive collection. The most striking 
Orchid was a tall spike of Lissochilus giganteus, 
shown by him. Other splendid competing groups 
of Orchids were shown by Mr. J. Cypher, Chelten¬ 
ham ; H. M. Pollett, Esq., Bickley; and Major 
Lendv, Sunbury. In the miscellaneous groups of 
Orchids, Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, also 
received a Silver Cup ; as did also Messrs. J. Veitch 
& Sons, Chelsea ; and Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., 
then of Clapton, now of Bush Hill Park, Enfield. 
Caladiums, which have now grown to be such a 
feature of the Temple Show, were first shown by 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill; and W. 
Melles, Esq., Chingford. Fine miscellaneous groups 
of plants were shown by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Laing & Sons, H. B. May, Upper Edmonton ; W. 
Iceton, Putney; B. S. Williams & Son, Upper 
Holloway ; and Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High 
Holborn. Tuberous Begonias were shown by 
Messrs. H. Canneil & Sons, Swanley. The 
champions in the way of hardy plants were Messrs. 
T. S. Ware, Tottenham; Barr & Sons, Covent 
constitute the edging plants for the majority of large 
beds. 
Subtropical Bedding.— S. P.: Two of the best 
plants for foliage effect are Cannas and Chilian Beet. 
Cannas also produce very beautiful flowers, and 
nothing makes a more noble plant for summer bed¬ 
ding. They are specially recommended for amateur 
gardens, as they are so easy to manage. They 
require much the same treatment as Dahlias. In 
the autumn they can be taken up and stored in a 
cellar or under a greenhouse stage until the follow¬ 
ing spring. The Beets have magnificent foliage and 
should be raised annually from seed. Both are 
gross feeders and require plenty of water and a rich 
soil. 
Seakale .—Omega : The plants should be grown on 
a north border and where they get plenty of mois¬ 
ture. It is late now to buy plants for next winter s 
forcing. They ought to have been planted by 
February or March at the latest. When they are 
lifted for forcing the roots should be trimmed in 
rather closely, and the thickest of them saved for 
propagation. They should be kept in damp ashes 
Ca'ladium W. E Gladstone (See p. 625). 
that used to be held in the spacious grounds at 
South Kensington. It was a bold venture to come 
citywards, yet, as it ultimately proved to be, it was a 
happy idea that prompted them to approach the 
benchers of the Inner Temple Gardens, for the 
purpose of holding a city show. 
1888 .—The first of the Temple shows was held on 
Thursday and Friday, the 17th and r8th May, 1888, 
and though the elements were unpropitious, the 
afternoon improved, and the tents filled up with 
people bejond all expectations. The two days’show 
proved an unexpected and remarkable success, leav¬ 
ing no doubt in the mind of the society as to the 
propriety of repeating the experiment the following 
year. In spite of the weather the supporters of the 
society did their duty, and were supplemented by 
several of the Covent Garden people; yet two 
capacious tents held all the exhibits. 
Orchids constituted the most striking and effective 
feature of the first show by their number and the 
profusion of flowers they carried. At this tentative 
exhibition there were competitive classes, which 
many of the exhibitors boldly entered, while others 
equally good staged their exhibits not for competi¬ 
tion. Baron Schroder, The Dell, Egham, took the 
?Jb.~ 
Garden; Collins Bros, and Gabriel; and James 
Walker, Ham Common. Cinerarias were good from 
Messrs. Carter & Co.; Pelargoniums from Messrs. 
Canneil & Sons ; Roses from Messrs. Paul & Son, 
Cheshunt; and Mr. C. Turner, Slough; Calceo¬ 
larias from Mr. J. James, Farnham Royal, Slough ; 
and Azaleas from Mr. C. Turner. The principal 
exhibitors of fruit were Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., 
Maidstone; J. Cheat & Sons, Crawley; and A. H. 
Smee, Esq., The Grange, Hackbridge; while 
Messrs. G. Monro and J. B. Thomas, Covent Garden, 
upheld the commercial element for fruit. 
1889—The second show was held on Thursday and 
Friday, the 30th and 31st May. Orchids were more 
decidedly a feature of it than on the occasion of the 
first show. For a beautiful and well arranged display 
of well grown and flowered Orchids, Baron Schroder 
took the lead. Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., had an 
equally extensive collection, including much of great 
botanic interest. Each received a Veitch Memorial 
Medal. Silver Cups for Orchids went to Messrs. 
J. Cypher, Sander & Co., B. S. Williams ; also to 
F. Wigan, Esq., East Sheen; F. G. Tautz, Esq., 
Shepherd’s Bush ; and G. T. White, Esq., Winch- 
more Hill. Medals for Orchids were also secured 
