542 
June  30,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
250  square  feet.  Four  exhibitors  competed,  the  first  three  being  remark* 
ablj  fine  arrangements.  Messrs.  Simpson  &  Sons,  Selby,  secured  first 
place  with  a  well  balanced  and  effective  arrangement,  Mr.  Townshend  was 
a  capital  second,  whilst  Messrs.  Sharp  &  Co.,  Almondbury,  were  placed 
third. 
The  lesser  group  of  120  square  feet,  for  amateurs  resident  within  seven 
miles  of  Leeds,  showed  good  quality  and  taste  in  arrangement,  Mr.  Fairfax 
Rhodes,  Potternewton  House,  securing  first  honours  ;  second,  Mr.  East* 
wood,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Tetley  ;  third,  Mrs.  Kitchen,  Eller  Close,  Round* 
hay.  For  six  stove  and  greenhouse  plants  in  bloom,  Mr.  F.  Nicholas 
secured  first  place  with  Pimelea  mirabilis,  Clerodendron  Balfourianum, 
Erica  Cavendishi,  Anthurium  Scherzerianum,  Franciscea  calycina  major, 
and  Aphelexis  rosea.  Mr.  Sharp  was  second  and  Mr.  J.  Sunley  third. 
For  six  ornamental  foliage  plants  Mr.  Nicholas  was  first ;  Messrs. 
Simpson  &  Son  second  ;  Messrs.  Sharp  &  Co.  third.  For  a  single 
specimen  foliage  plant  Mr.  Townshend  was  first  with  a  magnificent 
Cycas  revoluta  ;  Mr.  Walker  second,  and  Messrs.  Simpson  &  Son  third. 
For  three  Crotons  Mr.  Nicholas  was  first,  Messrs.  Simpson  second,  Messrs. 
Sharp  third. 
Roses  made  a  remarkably  fine  display.  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Sons, 
Newtownards,  were  easily  first  for  forty-eight  distinct  varieties.  Their 
chief  examples  were  Marquis  Dufferin,  A.  K.  Williams,  Lady  M. 
Fitzwygram,  Mons.  E.  Y.  Teas,  Mrs.  R.  Sharman  Crawford,  Bessie 
Brown,  La  Rosi^re,  Duke  of  Edinburgh,  Marquis  de  Castellane,  Tom 
Wood,  La  France,  Jeannie  Dickson,  Madame  H.  Jamain,  The  Bride, 
Avoca,  Muriel  Graham,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Liberty,  Souvenir  de  S.  A. 
Prince,  Niphetos,  Countess  of  Caledon,  General  Jacqueminot,  and 
Rubens.  Second,  Messrs.  Harkness  &  Son,  Bedale  ;  third,  Messrs.  G. 
and  W.  H.  Burch,  Peterborough. 
For  twenty-four  varieties  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Son  were  again  first,  and 
well  ahead  with  varieties  similar  to  the  foregoing.  Messrs.  Harkness 
second  ;  Messrs.  F.  &  A.  May  third.  For  twelve  Tea-scented  Roses  Mr. 
Burch  was  first  with  Niphetos,  and  Messrs.  Harkness  &  Son  second. 
For  twelve  bunches  of  stove  and  greenhouse  flowers  Mr.  Nicholas  was 
first  and  Mr.  Mclndoe  second.  Bouquets  were  superb,  Messrs.  Perkins 
and  Sons  showing  in  their  usual  style  for  first  honours  ;  Mr.  A.  Hall, 
Harrogate,  was  second.  In  the  same  order  honours  fell  for  exceedingly 
tasteful  basket  arrangements.  Table  plants.  Gloxinias,  exotic  and  hardy 
Ferns  were  fine  fresh  examples.  The  lion’s  share  of  prizes  fell  to  Mr. 
Eastwood  for  superb  examples  of  Pelargoniums  aud  Fuchsias. 
In  the  miscellaneous  exhibits  the  enterprise  of  Messrs.  Clibran  &  Sons 
was  conspicuous  by  a  magnificent  collection  of  herbaceous  Paeonies,  among 
which  Duke  and  Duchess  of  York,  finely  perfumed  ;  grandiflora  rosea, 
Rubens,  aud  Snowdrift  stood  out  remarkably  fine.  Mr.  A.  Hall,  florist, 
Harrogate,  showed  tasteful  arrangements  in  wreaths  and  ladies’  sprays  ; 
while  Messrs.  Webb  &  Son,  Stourbridge,  exhibited  a  collection  of  Sweet 
Peas,  Delphiniums,  Pyrethrums,  Tomatoes,  and  Cucumber  Stourbridge 
Gem. 
URSINIA  (SPHEXOGYNE)  SPECIOSA. 
The  above  is  the-name  of  “  Devonian’s  ”  specimen,  and  we  think  your 
plants  are  flowering  unusually  early.  This  may  be  accounted  for  by 
your  genial  climate,  for  as  a  rule  this  annual  blooms  from  July  onwards. 
No,  it  is  not  new,  for  it  was  introduced  under  the  name  of  Sphenogyne  so 
far  back  as  1837.  The  woodcut  (fig.  103)  will  convey  an  idea  of  the 
value  of  this  hardy  annual  for  border  decoration.  The  seeds  may  be 
sown  in  the  open  ground  along  with  the  other  annuals  in  early  April  ; 
all  that  is  required  afterwards  is  simply  thinning  the  seedlings  to  6  or 
9  inches  apart,  which  is  quite  near  enough,  as  they  have  a  branching 
habit,  each  forming  a  well-shaped  bush  literally  covered  with  its  bright 
yellow  flowers,  the  effect  of  which  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  dark  purple 
brown  spot  at  the  base  of  the  rays,  and  the  rich  dark  disc.  The  variety 
sulphurea  is  not  so  beautiful  as  the  type,  the  flowers  being  pale  sulphur. 
U.  anthemoides  is  a  near  ally  of  the  above,  differing  in  having  a  deep 
purple  colour  on  the  under  side  of  the  rays,  smaller  flowers,  and  more 
finely  cut  foliage. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Bush  Mignonette. 
The  most  useful  form  of  training  Mignonette  is,  I  think,  in  the  form 
of  a  bush.  The  seed  should  be  sown  about  the  middle  of  February  in 
clean,  small,  well-drained  pots,  using  a  compost  of  two  parts  loam  and  one 
of  leaf  soil,  with  a  little  silver  sand  added.  Three  or  four  seeds  suffice 
for  each  pot.  Well  water  with  a  fine  rose,  and  place  in  a  warm  pit.  As 
soon  as  the  plants  are  large  enough  to  handle,  thin  them  out,  leaving  the 
strongest  one  as  near  the  centre  as  possible.  In  a  short  time  they  will 
gain  strength,  and  when  the  plants  have  well  filled  the  pots  with  roots 
they  should  be  transferred  to  5  and  6-inch  pots,  using  at  this  stage  a 
mixture  of  turfy  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  well-deca3'ed  manure  in  about  equal 
parts,  with  a  free  admixture  of  sand  and  small  charcoal,  potting  rather 
firmly,  and  shading  from  bright  sunshine.  The  shoots  must  be  pinched 
at  intervals  to  produce  a  branching  habit.  By  the  beginning  of  June  the 
plants  should  be  ready  for  shifting  into  8  and  9-inch  pots.  When  the 
roots  are  working  freely  in  the  new  soil  the  plants  may  be  arranged  on 
the  north  side  of  a  wall.  The  flowers  ought  to  be  removed  as  they 
appear  till  about  the  middle  of  September.  As  the  nights  grow  cold 
place  them  under  glass  in  a  temperature  of  about  55°  at  night.  They 
should  never  be  allowed  to  receive  the  slightest  check,  but  kept  continually 
growing,  watering  very  carefully,  and  syringing  in  bright  warm  weather. 
— S.  S. 
Cyclamen  persicum. 
To  obtain  a  good  supply  of  blooms  from  November  to  March  the 
following  is  the  mode  of  culture  practised.  Our  main  sowing  is  made 
in  August  in  clean  thoroughly  drained  pans  filled  with  light  leafy  soil. 
The  seed  is  covered  lightly,  and  the  pans  placed  on  a  hotbed  about  80°. 
The  seed  germinates  irregularly,  and  mistakes  have  been  made  by 
emptying  seed  pans  too  soon.  As  soon  as  large  enough  the  plants 
are  carefully  placed  into  thumb  pots  and  arranged  on  a  shelf 
near  the  glass  in  a  house  having  a  temperature  of  65°  to  75°.  The 
syringe  is  used  on  favourable  occasions.  Shading  is  attended  to,  and 
the  plants  given  larger  pots  as  required.  More  air  is  afforded  as  the 
season  advances,  and  by  J une  the  plants  are  ready  for  their  final  shift 
into  5-inch  pots. 
The  compost  employed  consists  of  peat,  sweet  leaf  soil,  and  loam 
in  equal  parts,  with  the  addition  of  sharp  sand  and  crushed  oyster* 
shells.  The  potting  is  done  without  the  use  of  the  rammer,  and  in  such 
a  way  that  the  base  of  the  corm  rests  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  when 
the  work  is  finished.  This  is  important  in  order  that  watering  may  be 
properly  done.  The  plants  are  then  arranged  on  ashes  in  cool  frames, 
aud  syringed  thoroughly,  especially  on  tho  under  sides  of  the  leaves, 
until  the  flower  buds  appear.  The  regular  syingings  help  to  keep  down 
that  most  troublesome  pest  of  the  Cyclamen,  the  white  thrips,  which 
attacks  the  crowns,  and  is  responsible  for  most  of  the  “  blindness  ”  which 
occurs  in  the  plants. — T.  P. 
(To  be  continued.) 
