Kovtinber  26,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
511 
-  Restitutiox  OB'  ExCLOSTTiiES  AT  BRIGHTON. — Widespread 
'Satiafaction  has  been  caused  at  Brighton  by  the  transfer  to  the  Corpo¬ 
ration  of  what  are  known  as  the  North  Steyne  enclosures,  which  form 
links  in  a  succession  of  enclosures  that  extend  from  the  sea  front  up  the 
central  valley  of  the  town.  They  cover  about  acres,  and  were  in  the 
early  part  of  the  century  common  land,  but  were  fenced  in  and  placed 
by  the  lord  of  the  manor  in  the  hands  of  trustees  for  the  use  of  sub- 
flcribers.  For  several  years,  says  a  contemporary,  an  agitation  has  been 
intermittently  carried  on  with  a  view  to  securing  to  the  town  what 
in  many  quarters  was  regarded  as  public  property  ;  and  this  aspiration 
has  been  realised,  the  transfer  having  been  made  possible  by  the  trustees 
consenting  to  a  clause  being  inserted  in  the  recently  passed  Brighton 
Improvements  Act.  The  formal  ceremony  consisted  of  the  Mayor 
receiving  the  key  from  the  senior  trustee,  and  walking  round  the 
grounds  with  members  of  the  Town  Council  and  others. 
-  Amorphophallus  campane  laths, — The  excellent  illustra¬ 
tion  published  in  the  Journal  last  week  on  page  493  represents  this 
species,  and  not  A.  variabilis,  The  latter,  is  a  much  smaller  and  less 
attractive  plant,  having  a  whitish  rootstock  the  size  of  a  man’s  fist,  a 
lanceolate  spathe  4  inches  long,  and  an  erect  tail-like  spadix  9  inches 
long.  It  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Bull  twenty  years  ago,  and  described 
in  “  Gardeners’  Chronicle,”  1876  (2),  page  322,  under  the  name  of 
Brachyspatha  variabilis.  It  has  been  found  in  Birma  and  Penang. 
A.  eampanulatus  is  largely  cultivated  in  various  parts  of  India  for  the 
sake  of  the  starch  of  its  large  tubers,  which  are  sometimes  a  foot  across. 
We  have  had  quantities  of  it  in  flower  at  Kew  at  various  times.  The 
leaves  vary  in  height  and  marking,  as  do  the  spathes  in  size  and  form, 
but  generally  the  former  are  about  4  feet  high,  and  the  spathes  a  foot 
across,  lurid  purple  inside,  green  and  white  spots  outside.  The  large 
cone-shaped  appendage  to  the  spadix  is  characteristic  of  this  species. 
The  odour  of  the  flowers  is  very  powerful  and  offensive  for  the  first 
day  or  so  after  opening,  when  they  are  an  attraction  to  bluebottle  and 
other  flies  that  delight  in  things  fcetid. — W.  Watson,  Kew. 
VEGETABLES  AT  THE  JUBILEE  SHOW. 
I  OBSERVE  one  press  representative  has  characterised  the  collection 
of  ten  kinds,  with  which  Mr.  E.  Beckett  carried  off  Messrs.  Jas.  Carter 
and  Co.’s  first  prize,  as  being  the  finest  ever  seen.  If  the  remark  had 
been  limited  to  the  particular  time  of  year  I  should  have  agreed,  as  it 
was  for  November  a  superb  lot.  But  comparing  it  with  what  we  see  at 
some  of  the  leading  shows  in  August  or  early  in  September,  then  I  think 
it  was  not  entitled  to  such  general  praise.  There  is  in  the  early  autumn, 
if  less  of  size,  more  of  refined  quality  seen  as  a  rule.  We  do  not  see 
Potatoes  or  Tomatoes  in  the  same  beauty  or  freshness  of  colour ;  we  miss 
Peas  and  Runner  Beans,  and  collections  in  November  have  to  be  made 
up  more  of  roots  than  is  the  case  two  months  earlier.  But  with  regard 
to  the  Jubilee  vegetables,  it  is  just  to  say  that  in  both  Messrs.  Carter 
and  Co.’8  and  Messrs.  Webb  k  Sons’  class  collection,  better  have  rarely 
been  seen  in  November.  A  severe  critic  might  have  found,  as  I  found, 
some  deficiencies,  but  the  average  excellence  was  wonderfully  good. 
Oat  of  the  many  really  good  growers,  men  who  in  their  respective 
localities  have  high  reputations,  how  many  were  there  who  had  to  suffer 
disappointment,  yet  the  experience,  bitter  as  it  may  have  been,  will  have 
done  rather  good  than  harm  if  they  took  stock  of  the  winning  exhibits, 
and  noted  what  quality  is  needed  to  win  prizes  in  such  a  national 
contest. 
I  pointed  over  the  nine  dishes  with  which  Mr.  Bowerman  won  the  first 
prize  in  Webb’s  class,  and  did  the  same  with  Mr.  Beckett’s  ten  dishes  in 
Carter  &  Co.’s  class  ;  curiously  enough  each  had  the  same  kinds.  Mr. 
Beckett’s  tenth,  which  was  not  pointed,  were  white  Turnips.  Taking 
seven  points  as  a  maximum,  I  placed  in  each  collection  Beets,  Potatoes, 
Tomatoes,  and  Carrots,  all  with  six  each,  neither  being  quite  perfect. 
Leeks  were  both  so,  each  having  seven  points.  Mr.  Bowerman’s  Onions 
had  six,  against  Mr.  Beckett’s  seven.  Mr.  Bowerman’s  Brussels  Sprouts, 
one  of  the  most  perfect  samples  ever  staged,  had  seven,  and  Mr. 
Beckett’s  but  five  ;  whilst  Cauliflowers  were  reversed,  the  former’s  getting 
five  and  the  latter’s  seven.  Celery  with  Mr.  Bowerman,  though  wonder¬ 
fully  good,  lacked  the  great  weight  of  Mr.  Beckett’s,  and  therefore  came 
six  points  ana  seven  points.  Thus  Mr.  Beckett’s  collection  got  fifty- 
seven  points  and  Mr.  Bowerman’s  fifty-five  points  ;  but  it  was  weight  in 
both  Celery  and  Onions  that  secured  the  extra  two  points. 
I  did  this  pointing  just  to  see  how  the  two  winning  collections 
compared  with  each  other.  How  much  is  it  to  be  hoped  that  yet  in 
future  years  these  growers,  with  Messrs.  Pope,  Lye,  Waite,  Empson  and 
others,  may  have  other  opportunities  of  showing  what  they  can  do  in 
vegetable  production.  As  to  the  Potato  classes,  Mr.  E.  G.  Wiles  was 
well  first  in  the  three  larger  ones ;  indeed,  his  samples  were  not  only  j 
faultless  in  desirable  use  and  evenness,  but  they  were  wonderfully  bright  ! 
and  beautiful.  It  seems  as  if  this  famous  grower  had  found  in  Kent  j 
even  more  excellent  Potato  soil  than  he  had  at  Banbury,  whence  | 
he  used  to  show  such  fine  bright  samples.  Too  many  growers  expose 
their  tubers  too  long  to  the  air  after  being  lifted,  hence  the  skins 
become  browned  and  lose  natural  brightness.  To  secure  such  samples 
as  Mr.  Wiles  exhibited  should  be  the  aim  of  all  growers,  even  if  they  do 
but  exhibit  single  dishes  with  collections  of  vegetables.  Certainly  these 
Kent  grown  Potatoes  were  equal  in  most,  and  superior  in  some  other 
respects  to  the  best  samples  ever  seen  at  the  International  Potato  shows. 
Let  no  one  say  they  were  of  show  varieties.  They  were  all  of  recognised 
garden  or  field  varieties,  oiily  exceptionally  well  grown  and  cared  for. 
Thanks  are  due  to  Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Sons  for  their  prizes  in  securing 
such  wonderful  examples  of  Leeks  and  Celery.  With  respect  to  Onions, 
oval  and  round,  Beets,  Carrots,  and  Parsnips,  nothing  was  shown 
superior  to  what  has  been  before  seen.  The  tapering  roots  generally 
ran  too  large,  but  we  know  that  the  wet  autumn  did  unduly  develop 
size.  Still  there  is  great  room  in  connection  with  these  roots  for 
better  knowledge  as  to  what  constitutes  table  quality.  The  Leeks  made 
a  most  imposing  show,  upwards  of  400  being  staged.  Many  had 
stems  of  great  thickness,  indeed  larger  probably  never  were  seen,  and 
perfectly  blanched  12  inches  high  Others  had  stems  of  hardly  more 
than  one-half  that  thickness,  but  blanched  from  16  to  18  inches. 
I  noticed  that  the  Judges  favoured  thickness,  the  finest  being  as  big 
round  as  a  man’s  wrist.  I  should  have  preferred  the  longer  and  thinner 
ones  as  being  best  suited  for  the  table.  It  would  be  interesting  to  learn 
from  cooks  which  forms  or  sizes  of  Leek  stems  are  best  for  the  table  ;  or, 
better  still,  have  tested  for  that  purpose  stems  equally  blanched,  but  of 
varying  sizes.  I  have  strong  belief  that,  for  eating,  exhibition  Leeks  are 
far  too  large  and  coarse  in  texture.  Celery  ran  wonderfully  fine,  the 
first  and  second  prize  lots  being  exceptionally  so.  If  these  huge  stems, 
when  prepared  for  salading,  were  as  crisp,  tender,  and  highly  flavoured  as 
lesser  ones,  then  they  were  indeed  meritorious.  It  was  remarkable,  but 
in  spite  of  the  large  consignments  of  produce  in  Messrs.  Bobbie’s  classes 
from  Scotland  nearly  all  the  leading  prizes  went  to  southern  growers. 
That  fact  leads  to  the  assumption  that  vegetables  are  not  so  well  grown 
in  the  north  as  they  are  in  this  direction. 
One  exception  has  to  be  made,  and  that  was  in  favour  of  the 
exceedingly  beautiful  yellow  Turnips  sent  up  from  the  North  in  great 
abundance.  These  roots  were  indeed  perfect  in  form  and  of  great 
substance.  Certainly  the  firm  have  a  most  beautiful  strain  of  these,  so 
I  superior  to  that  poor  yellow  sort  grown  in  the  south  in  the  summer  just 
for  'variety,  that  has  hollow  or  concave  bottoms.  That  seems  to  be,  as 
is  also  the  scarlet  variety,  comparatively  worthless.  It  is  surprising 
that  this  Golden  Ball  variety  is  not  largely  grown  here,  especially  that 
its  flesh  is  so  sweet,  good  flavoured,  and  of  such  marrowy  texture. 
The  vegetables  in  St.  Stephen’s  Hall  demonstrated  most  effectively 
how  fine  and  attractive  a  show  they  can  make.  Our  best  exhibitors 
do  know  how  to  sat  up  their  collections  with  such  taste,  and  when  they 
have  really  high  class  samples  each  collection  becomes  quite  a  picture. 
If  there  be  art  in  growing  vegetables,  and  there  is  a  great  deal  in  doing 
them  well,  there  is  also  some  art,  as  well  as  taste,  required  to  display 
them  effectively.  Grapes  on  boards  may  be  very  beautiful  as  well  as 
tempting,  and  rich  coloured  Apples  and  Pears  exceedingly  nice  to  look 
upon,  but  their  setting  up  is  at  the  best  stiff  and  formal.  With  collec¬ 
tions  of  vegetables  it  is  very  different,  and  they  when  well  done  are 
singularly  effective. — A.  D. 
LONDON  HOME  OF  HORTICULTURE. 
(Merelt  a  Shggestion.) 
Knowing  that  there  are  many  gardeners  when  visiting  the  large 
London  shows,  or  even  at  other  times  when  in  London,  who  are  almost 
strangers,  and  are  at  a  loss  to  know  where  to  go  to  for  lodgings  and 
association,  the  thought  has  often  occurred  to  me,  Why  cannot  a 
Gardeners’  Union,  not  “  Trades  Union  ”  (I  should  be  sorry  to  suggest 
such  a  thing),  but  a  "Home”  where  gardeners  could  meet — a  sort  of 
club,  so  to  speak,  for  food,  lodgings,  library,  and  where  a  gardeners’ 
register  'could  be  kept.  There  is  a  “  Church  House,”  why  should  not 
there  be  similar  provision  for  horticulturists  1 
To  go  further,  I  believe  that  if  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  and  o^^^her 
papers  would  kindly  open  their  pages  for  a  free  discussion  on  the  subject 
a  Central  Hall  might  be  acquired  for  large  exhibitions  and  meetings  ;  or 
still  further,  why  could  not  the  large  national  societies — viz.,  the  Rose, 
Dahlia,  Chrysanthemum,  Daffodil,  and  others— combine  their  energies 
and  make  a  determined  effort  to  celebrate  the  coming  year  in  honour  of 
our  beloved  Queen,  who  has  always  been  the  first  to  recognise  any 
movement  having  for  its  object  the  good  of  her  people  ?  Th’s  proposi¬ 
tion  is  not  the  least  in  confiict  with  the  holding  of  a  commemorative 
exhibition  at  Shrewsbury  or  anywhere  else. 
I  do  not  wish  to  cast  reflections  on  any  existing  societies — far  from 
it ;  but  I  do  think  that  the  noisy  Aquarium  and  the  draughty  Drill  Hall 
are  two  as  uncomfortable  places  as  can  well  be  imaging.  But,  then, 
where  can  the  Committees  find  better  t  Ah,  where  ?  Let  them  try. 
Gardeners  as  a  body  are  as  friendly,  respectable,  and  sensitive  as  any 
class  of  men  in  existence,  but  they  cannot  afford  heavy  hotel  bills,  and 
they  do  not  care  to  patronise  cheap  and  common  lodgings  ;  then  why 
not  make  an  effort  to  establish  a  Home,  so  that  everyone  may  know 
where  to  go  or  write  ?  Many  ladies  or  gentlemen  would  assist  in  this 
scheme  if  once  started  I  feel  sure,  for  ladies  and  gentlemen  must  have, 
gardens  and  gardeners,  and  I  believe  there  is  more  union  between  thh 
gentry  and  their  gardeners  than  is  to  be  found  in  any  other  class  of 
employers  and  employed.  Something  of  a  permanent  character  should 
be  done  by  the  gardening  community  in  honour  of  the  longest  reign  of 
any  Sovereign. — W.  Wells,  EarUvooed. 
