JOURNAL  OF  HOR'i’l CULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  7,  1898. 
14 
HORTICULTURAL  SHOWS. 
RICHMOND.— June  29th. 
The  Richmond  Horticultural  Society’s  summer  show  was  lmld  in  the 
Old  Deer  Park  on  Wednesday,  June  29th.  The  weather  was  fine,  and 
the  show  was  well  patronised  by  visitors.  Four  large  and  roomy  tents 
were  requisitioned  to  accommodate  the  exhibits,  which  were  fully  up  to 
the  standard  of  former  years,  if  we  except  the  groups  and  specimen 
plants,  which  showed  a  considerable  falling  off.  Vegetables  and  fruits 
were  good. 
In  the  comoetitive  classes  D.  H.  Scott,  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  R.  Johnson), 
the  Old  Palace,  Richmond,  led  the  way  for  a  group  of  tuberous  Begonias. 
He  was  also  first  for  a  dozen  of  the  same  plants.  The  class  for  groups  of 
miscellaneous  plants  was  well  contested,  Mr.  H.  E.  Fordham,  Twicken¬ 
ham,  taking  premier  place  with  a  handsome  exhibit.  He  was  followed  by 
Mr.  William  A  ause,  Leamington  ;  and  by  Mr.  John  Russell,  Richmond. 
T  he  competition  for  the  smaller  group,  open  to  gardeners  and  amateurs 
only,  saw  Mr.  C.  Want,  gardener  to  Sir  F.  Wigan,  Bart.,  Clare  Lawn, 
East  Sheen,  in  the  front.  Mr.  Chas.  Turner,  Slough,  was  an  easy  first 
for  twelve  show  and  regal  Pelargoniums  ;  and  Mr.  W.  Farr,  gardener  to 
Andrew  Pears,  Esq.,  Spring  Grove,  Isleworth,  thoroughly  deserved  his 
first  prize  for  Malmaison  Carnations.  Mr.  W.  Farr  was  likewise  very 
successful  with  the  specimen  plants.  His  first  prize  of  six  exotic  Ferns 
were  noble  plants.  Mr.  Want  was  second.  Mr.  W.  Vause  topped  the  list 
of  competitors  for  six  stove  foliage  plants,  and  was  the  only  competitor 
for  six  stove  and  greenhouse  flowering  plants.  He  obtained  the  second 
award  in  this  latter  class  Mr.  J.  Allsop,  gardener  to  W.  Cunard,  Esq., 
Orleans  House,  sent  the  best  six  Caladiums. 
Roses  were  exceptionally  good,  and  many  prizes  were  won  by  Messrs. 
Paul  &  Son,  Cheshunt;  Frank  Cant  &  Co.,  Colchester;  B.  R.  Cant, 
Colchester ;  and  Chas.  Turner,  Slough. 
The  chief  feature  among  the  vegetables  were  the  excellent  collections. 
The  first  prize  for  a  collection  grown  from  Sutton’s  seeds  was  won  by 
Mr.  C.  J.  Wraite,  gardener  to  Sir  Patrick  Talbot,  Glenhurst,  Esher.  Mr. 
A.  Basile,  gardener  to  the  Rev.  Powell,  Woburn  Park,  Weybridge,  was 
second  ;  and  Mr.  J.  Gibson,  gardener  to  E.  H.  Watts,  Esq.,  Devonhurst, 
Chiswick,  third.  For  the  collection  grown  from  Carter’s  seeds  Mr.  C.  J. 
Waite  was  also  first  prize  man,  with  Mr.  J.  Gibson  as  second. 
The  classes  for  fruit  brought  out  some  good  Grapes.  Mr.  H.  W. 
1  Blake,  gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Onslow,  Clandon  Park.  Guildford  ;  and 
Hr.  T.  Osman,  Ottershaw  Park  Gardens,  Chertsey,  taking  first  prizes  for 
black  and  white  respectively.  Air.  J.  Gibson,  won  for  Strawberries,  and 
Air.  Allsop  for  Nectarines. 
1  he  non-competitive  exhibits  were  numerous  and  attractive.  Cut 
hardy  flowers  came  from  Alessrs.  R.  Wallace  &  Co.,  Colchester ;  A.  W. 
Aoung  &  Co.,  Stevenage  ;  Barr  &  Sons  ;  Amos  Perry,  Winchmore  Hill ; 
and  Geo.  Jackman  &  Sons,  Woking.  Alessrs.  Jas.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd., 
C  helsea,  had  a  fine  group  of  pot  Roses.  Orchids  were  represented  by 
.groups  from  Alessrs.  B  S.  Williams  &  Son,  Upper  Holloway;  and 
Messrs.  F.  Sander  &  Co.,  St.  Albans.  Mr.  John  Russell  sent  some  grand 
hardy  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs  in  pots  ;  Messrs.  Fromow  &  Sons, 
Chiswick,  contributed  Japanese  Maples;  Alessrs.  H.  Cannell  &  Sons, 
Swanley,  a  fine  group  of  Cannas  in  small  pots.  The  large  group  of 
Malmaison  Carnations  staged  by  Messrs.  W.  Cutbush  &  Son,  Highgate, 
was  much  admired.  Messrs.  J.  Peed  &  Sons,  Roupell  Park  Nurseries, 
Norwood,  staged  some  capital  Carnations. 
^  A  magnificent  collection  of  fruit,  including  Peaches,  Nectarines, 
Plums,  and  Cherries,  came  from  Messrs.  T.  Rivers  &  Son,  Sawbridge- 
worth.  A  group  of  well-cropped  fruit  trees  in  pots  was  put  up  by  Mr. 
Jas.  Hudson,  gardener  to  Leopold  de  Rothschild,  Esq.,  Gunnersbury 
House,  Acton.  The  fruit  was  of  excellent  quality  throughout. 
On  the  grass  outside  the  tents  Air.  Duncan  Tucker,  of  Tottenham,  had 
temporarily  erected  a  number  of  his  glass  houses.  These  are  modern  in 
design,  of  a  high-class  durable  character,  and  are  fitted  with  the  handiest 
ventilating  gear. 
NATIONAL  VIOLA— CRYSTAL  PALACE,  July  2nd. 
The  annual  exhibition  of  the  National  Viola  Society  was  held  on  the 
above  date.  The  competition  was  not  so  keen  as  in  former  years,  as  the 
northern  growers  did  not  show  in  such  numbers,  and  the  southern 
■exhibitors  made  a  poor  display.  No  doubt  the  weather  has  much  to 
answer  for,  but  the  interest  appears  to  be  flagging. 
In  the  class  for  forty-eight  sprays  of  Violas,  distinct,  Air.  Wm.  Syden¬ 
ham,  Tamworth,  was  awarded  the  gold  medal  with  a  good  exhibit.  The 
best  sprays  were  Sydney,  Amy  Barr,  Alagnificent,  Pembroke,  Avalanche, 
J.  B.  Riding,  Duchess  of  Fife,  Kitty  Hay,  William  Tell,  and  Florizel. 
Alessrs.  L  House  &  Son,  Bristol,  were  second  with  a  weaker  display. 
Air.  Alatthew  Campbell,  Blantyre,  was  the  only  exhibitor  for  forty- 
eight  sprays  of  Pansies,  distinct,  with  a  very  fine  stand.  The  best 
varieties  were  Col.  Buchanan,  James  Stewart,  Mrs.  W.  Steele  AI.  A. 
Scott,  D.  Alorrison,  Airs.  R.  Thompson,  D.  G.  Alackay,  Airs.  R.  Stewart, 
The  Baron,  and  Maggie  Watson. 
In  the  class  for  twenty-four  sprays  of  Violas,  distinct.  Air.  AI.  Campbell 
was  placed  first  with  a  good  display.  The  most  prominent  varieties  were 
Dorothy,  A.  J.  Rowberry,  Border  Witch,  Nellie,  and  Stobhill  Gem. 
Messrs.  J.  Cheal  &  Sons,  Crawley,  were  second  with  a  fresh  and  even 
•exhibit.  For  twelve  sprays  of  rayless  Violas,  distinct,  the  first  prize  fell 
■to  Air.  D.  B.  Crane,  Highgate,  and  the  second  to  Alessrs.  I.  House  &  Son. 
For  twenty-four  varieties  of  Violas  arranged  in  glasses  Alessrs.  I. 
House  &  Son  were  placed  first.  The  best  varieties  were  Norah  Alay, 
Archie  Grant,  A.  J.  Rowberry,  White  Empress,  Lady  Reah,  and  Florizel. 
Mrs.  C.  C.  Lowe,  Ryhall,  Stamford,  was  second.  A  better  competition 
was  brought  out  in  the  class  for  six  vases  of  Violas  arranged  with  any 
foliage,  Air.  D.  B.  Crane  securing  first,  Alessrs.  I.  House  &  Son  second, 
and  Mrs.  C.  C.  Lowe  third  prizes. 
Air.  Wm.  Sydenham,  Tamworth,  exhibited  a  table  of  baskets,  vases, 
and  other  devices  to  display  the  decorative  value  of  the  Viola.  The 
varieties  principally  employed  were  Pembroke,  Devonshire  Cream, 
Wm.  Neil,  Jas.  B.  Riding,  and  Rover.  Mr.  W.  Baxter,  Woking,  exhibited 
sprays  of  his  new  Viola  Endymion,  a  rich  lemon  yellow,  now  becoming 
well  known.  It  is  a  capital  variety  for  early  flowering. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
General  Observations. 
The  question  is  often  asked.  Is  the  pen  mightier  than  the  sword  ? 
Whether  it  is  or  cot,  mine  has  had  to  rest  of  late,  but  not  so  a  pair  of 
Grape  scissors.  For  some  time  past  many  will  have  found  very  little 
spare  time  for  writing.  This  must  be  my  excuse  for  not  responding 
earlier  to  the  call  of  our  friend,  “  An  Old  Boy,”  to  keep  the  “  Domain  ” 
going. 
Every  young  gardener  aspires  to  hold  the  position  of  head  in  some 
place.  What  I  think  must  be  to  a  young  head  one  of  the  greatest 
difficulties  in  taking  up  such  a  position  is  making  out  his  first  seed  order. 
He  might  be  inclined  to  wonder  whether  to  get  an  ounce  of  this  or  a 
packet  of  the  next  thing,  and  so  on.  There  are  many  seeds  little  short 
of  wasted  by  thick  sowing,  and  this  applies  more  to  vegetable  seeds  than 
any.  They  may  not  be  expensive,  but  still  a  few  shillings  might  be 
saved,  and  some  new  thing  obtained  without  the  cost  being  grudged,  if 
other  kinds  were  reasonably  dealt  with.  Would  it  be  too  much  to  ask 
our  old  mentor  to  give  us  some  of  his  experiences  with  his  first  seed  list 
and  succeeding  ones  ? 
Early  vegetables  are  equally  as  interesting  as  early  Grapes,  and  are  as 
highly  valued  when  they  come  to  the  table  by  many  families.  Crops 
that  stand  in  the  open  ground  all  winter,  such  as  Cabbages,  cannot  be 
helped  so  much  unless  by  selecting  the  most  sheltered  and  warmest 
corner  for  them,  and  the  varieties  wisely  selected.  Lettuce  can  be 
materially  helped.  Plants  kept  in  cold  pits  or  frames  during  the  winter 
need  to  be  well  looked  after,  or  both  cold  and  damp,  especially  the  latter, 
very  soon  carry  them  off.  Give  them  as  much  air  as  possible  when  the 
sun  shines.  At  times  there  is  not  much  encouragement,  as  regards 
weather,  to  plant  them  out  in  the  middle  of  Alarch,  but  I  have  two  beds 
in  my  mind’s  eye  now  which  had  that  treatment.  There  is  a  number  of 
bell-glasses  with  a  hole  in  the  knob  for  air.  These  were  placed  over  the 
forwardost  plants  when  they  were  planted,  and  at  the  end  of  May  nice 
hearts  were  ready  for  cutting.  As  the  plants  are  cut  the  glasses  are  put 
over  others,  and  thus  a  good  succession  of  useful  heads  kept  up.  All 
the  Year  Round  and  American  Blonde  are  the  varieties  grown. 
Another  thing  these  glasses  were  used  for  last  year  was  for  Straw¬ 
berries  in  the  open  border.  After  the  fruit  was  set  pieces  of  glass  were 
put  under  them,  and  the  bell-glasses  over  the  plants.  It  is  surprising  how 
quickly  the  fruit  ripened.  The  colour  was  also  splendid. 
Cauliflowers  also  need  to  be  well  cared  for  during  the  winter.  If  they 
happen  to  be  raised  too  early  the  plants  have  a  tendency  to  get  too  large, 
and  damping  sets  in.  Some  good  may  be  done  by  lifting  and  replanting 
them.  They  take  no  harm  from  the  shift,  and  it  has  the  effect  of  checking 
growth  for  some  time.  If  the  winter  happen  to  be  mild  it  is  a  difficult 
matter  to  keep  them  from  growing  too  much.  Slugs  are  very  fond  of 
Cauliflower,  but  they  are  easily  destroyed  by  a  light  dusting  of  fresh 
slaked  lime.  Very  little  kills  the  slugs,  and  does  the  plants  no  harm. 
Early  planted  out  Cauliflowers  need  protection  if  they  are  expected  to 
crop  early.  A  good  plan  is  to  stick  pieces  of  Fir  branches  between  the 
rows  to  break  the  wind,  and  on  cold  nights  they  carry  a  sheet  of 
canvas  clear  of  the  plants,  and  thus  no  leaves  get  broken.  Empty  flower 
pots  make  efficient  protectors  on  cold  nights.  Cold  winds  are  as  much  to 
be  guarded  against  as  frost.  Early  London  can  still  hold  its  place  as  a 
good  early  variety. 
The  above  notes  were  written  in  pencil  a  day  or  two  before  “  T.  P.’s  ” 
congratulatory  notes  were  published.  It  would  seem  that  he  has  plenty 
to  occupy  a  part  of  his  spare  time  without  writing.  Alany  of  us  may 
never  enjoy  being  “  gold  penmen,”  but  when  one  feels  that  he  can  write 
something,  he  is  conferring  a  boon  upon  himself,  when  he  writes  with 
care,  whether  he  does  anyone  else  any  good  or  not,  by  committing  his 
thoughts  to  paper,  even  if  they  are  not  printed. — S.,  Junior. 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Where  circumstances  permit,  it  is  best  to  have  a  separate  fruit 
garden,  where  not  only  the  larger  sorts  of  fruit,  such  as  Apples  and 
Pears,  are  to  be  cultivated,  but  also  Plums,  Currants,  Gooseberries, 
Raspberries,  and  Strawberries.  This  obviates  the  necessity  of  over¬ 
crowding  the  vegetable  garden,  where,  in  my  opinion,  only  wall  trees 
and  espaliers  around  the  paths  should  be  planted,  with  an  occasional 
bed  of  Strawberries  as  a  change  of  crop.  If  we  expect  to  produce 
good  fruit  we  must  first  have  our  trees  in  perfect  health.  To  effect  this 
the  gardener  will  have  to  pay  strict  attention  to  every  detail  in  their 
culture,  and  be  most  careful  to  keep  the  trees  free  from  pests,  which 
quickly  destroy  the  present  crop  and  ruin  the  future  one. 
Out  of  our  large  collection  of  hardy  fruits  we  have  none  of  more 
