686 
October 31, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
unlike the figure 3), and then a stalk in¬ 
serted in the curved central bend and 
gripped. This holds the stalk firmly in a 
vertical position as shown at F in Fig. 2. 
Another useful tip is shown at D. Here 
the end of the stalk is wrapped' in a wad 
of cotton wool and then gripped in an 
ordinary 7 wooden spring clip such as is 
used in the laundry. At the other end of 
Fig. 2 we see a cubical object. This is 
a block of kitchen soap. A hole is made 
in the soap with a knitting needle, and 
the flower or leaf stalk end inserted and 
then the soap pressed up round the stalk 
tip. In a bar of-soap one can arrange a 
row or group of specimens. This tip is 
useful when making decorative designs of 
the dado or frieze style. 
The next piece of apparatus is one of 
special value when dealing with such a 
thing as a branch with hanging fruit—for 
instance, a branch from an Apple tree. 
Here again we take a hint from the chemi¬ 
cal laboratory. The apparatus is shown 
in Fig. 3. It is known as Bunsen’s uni¬ 
versal holder, and in polished wmod costs 
about 5s. At H, J, K and L we have 
wooden screws. That at H enables us to 
alter the height of the rising bar. Those 
at J and K enable us to give the holder 
any tilt we may require. The jaws at M 
are cork lined, and are controlled by the 
screw L. In this case a slender branch 
is being held, but the jaws open enough 
to hold anything up to about 15 inches or 
so. The round foot or base is loaded with 
lead and is quite steady. Anyone likely 
to do much work with heavy objects, fruit, 
branches, roots, etc., would find it worth 
while to invest in this holder. If, how¬ 
ever, as is probably the case, the reader 
is already possessed of an ordinary funnel 
holder like that shown in Fig. 4, he will 
find it very useful in many ways. The 
illustration shows one way whereby a long 
slender branch may be held by passing it 
through the wooden ring P, and clipping 
its end to the upright rod of the stand by 
means of a wooden spring clip, Q. By 
altering the position of the clip Q, one 
may hold a straight branch in any posi¬ 
tion between the vertical and horizontal. 
And now a word or two about vases. It 
must not be concluded from the fore¬ 
going that we are never to use a vase. 
My first object in this chapter is to show 
the reader that the vase is by no means 
the only way, and seldom the best way of 
holding a specimen firmly in a certain 
position. Then again, if we are dealing 
with a group of objects it does not make 
a very pleasing picture to show all our 
objects springing up from the centre of 
the lower edge of the print, especially if, 
as is usually the case, they are all 
squashed up close together so as to hold 
them firmly in the narrow neck of the 
vase. 
As to showing the vase in the picture, 
I think “all or none” is a good rule, 
though there may be occasional excep¬ 
tions. But it is very seldom pictorial to 
show only a 'part of the vase. I have seen 
a very large proportion of both flower and 
fruit pictures largely spoiled by use of 
quite unsuitable plates, dishes, vases and 
table covers. The dish or vase may be 
pretty enough, but in the picture it is 
quite likely that the first thing we see is 
the vase, and the objects (flowers,■ etc.) 
have to take quite a secondary position. 
Quite the nicest kind of vase for our work 
is that of plain unglazed pottery. Glazed 
ware, glass, and polished metal are all so 
very apt to show ugly patches of strong 
reflected light. Also. any pattern or de¬ 
sign on the vase is very apt to be greatly 
exaggerated. When a vase is included, it 
is as well to try and place it (the vase) 
towards the shady side of the picture, and 
also utilise any drooping leaves, etc., as 
a means of subduing it. Very often it is 
possible to employ the shadow cast by 
the vase as an aid in arranging the com¬ 
position of the picture. 
Occasionally one can so arrange matters 
that a smaller vase stands inside a larger 
one. This may be a help in the arrang¬ 
ing of a group, but one has to be a little 
careful to avoid betraying this artifice. 
The table cover should be as plain, i.e., 
free from pattern, as possible, and not 
make any strong contrast with the back¬ 
ground. Also the vase, if shown, should 
not make violent light and shade contrasts 
with the table cover or background. 
It has been suggested that specimens 
may be held by suspending them with 
threads from a horizontal bar. The ob¬ 
jections to this plan are oscillation and 
vibration on the one hand, and unnatural 
lighting on the other. This later objec¬ 
tion does not hold when silhouette decora¬ 
tive designs are being made. 
There are various other ways of holding 
specimens which I will describe later on. 
- +++ - 
Horticulture at the White 
--City.- 
The second show of plants, flowers, 
fruits and vegetables in connection with 
the Franco-British Exhibition was held on 
September 30 and October 1 and 2, in 
the Palace of Music and the Congress 
Hall. The thirty-six classes were well 
filled, and amateurs and professionals of 
France were represented nearly as numer¬ 
ously as those of England. The exhibits 
were of the highest quality, but unfor¬ 
tunately there was nothing to indicate 
which portions of the show were competi¬ 
tive and which non-competitive, and there 
appears to have been no schedule. The 
display of vegetables was a very fine all¬ 
round collection. In the fruits, the Pears 
and Apples were of extraordinary size, 
and one competitor showed an attractive- 
looking lot of the Strawberry-Raspberry. 
The Roses, the Begonias, the Dahlias, 
the. Chrysanthemums, and other flowers 
displayed high cultural skill, and were 
admirably arranged. It must be con¬ 
ceded that in this particular the French 
exhibitors showed, in many cases, much 
better taste than the English. Sir Jere¬ 
miah Coleman had a stand of Orchids 
which was greatly admired. Amongst the 
curiosities here was an Orchid valued at 
/qoo, a minute flower with the name of 
Bulbophyllum lemniscatoides, carefully 
protected under a bell-glass, and looking 
for all the world like a tiny bunch of 
black grapes which have been split open. 
The gold medal and grand prix for the 
best collection of ripe dessert fruit to oc¬ 
cupy a space of 15 ft. by 14 ft. were 
awarded to the Societe d’Horticulture de 
Montreuil. The Hon. Vicary Gibbs (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. E. Beckett) received the first 
prize (a gold medal), and the grand prix 
for the collection of vegetables whic 
were the entire produce of Carter 
tested seeds; and m the same class 
gold medal and grand prix were gaine 
by Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie, of Paris. 
The gold medal and grand prix wei 
also awarded to each of tfle following ej 
hibitors for miscellaneous groups t 
plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables 
Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Reading 
Messrs. G. Bunyard and Co., Maidstone 
Messrs. James Carter and Co., High Ho 
born, W.C. ; Messrs. H. B. May and Son 
Upper Edmonton; Messrs. Thonn 
Rivers and Sons, Sawbridgeworth; an 
Messrs. Paul and Sons, Cheshunt. 
Messrs. Sutton and Sons’ displays < 
flowers were exceptionally beautiful, an 
embraced such charming subjects as Ge: 
neras (Sutton's Hybrids), with their splei 
did combination of exquisite foliage an 
bloom, Begonias in almost every shac 
of colour, Nemesias in their many brig! 
hues, Sutton’s Hybrid Nicotianas, Tei 
week Stocks (sown in June), Carnation 
etc. Among the vegetables shown wei 
a number of plants of growing Tomato 
lifted from Messrs. Sutton’s Reading tri; 
grounds, which had formed part of wh; 
was. probably the most complete and e: 
haustive trial of Tomatos ever made. I 
the Congress Hall Messrs. Sutton stage 
an exhibit of Potatos which, both in e: 
tent and from the point of view of generi 
interest, was probably the most uniqr 
exhibit ever displayed. Here were to I 
seen practically all the Potatos which a 
now considered to possess merit, from tl 
very earliest varieties for forcing to tl 
late main crop Potatos to which we hai 
so largely to look for our w'inter supplie 
Most of these varieties were exhibit* 
both as show specimens and as seed size 
sets suitable for planting, but by far tl 
most remarkable fact in connection wr 
the exhibit was that no less than half 
the Potatos shown were harvested in tl 
autumn of 1907, and consequently tl 
tubers have been out of the ground ful 
twelve months, though they look almo 
as fresh as the day they were lifted. Su< 
a demonstration as to the possibility 
keeping tubers in sound and healthy co 
dition has certainly never been seen t 
fore. Here were also exhibited many 
the original wild species in which so mw 
interest is now being shown, and of whi 
Messrs. Sutton probably have the me 
comprehensive collection in existenc 
Perhaps, however, the feature of the d- 
plav was the wonderfully handsome nr 
main crop Potato which Messrs. Sutti 
have appropriately called “ Sutton's Wh:’ 
City,” and in the introduction of whicht 
is confidently anticipated has at last bei 
found the great main crop Potato whi> 
has so long been sought in vain to tai 
the place of the old “ Up-to-Date.” 
We may add that the First Gardt 
City, Limited, had an excellent show f 
fruit, flowers, and vegetables that w<“ 
grown by the cottagers at Letch wo ' 
(Garden City), and which well illustrati 
what can be done by London workig 
men and others in growing Garden Cy 
produce in their own cottage garde:- 
Many of the cottagers had not previouy 
possessed gardens before removing wi 
their firms to Letchworth, and as the s 1 
on which they have worked is entinjy 
new, the result was most creditable P 
them. 
