HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 11, 20 November 1883, Page 3

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

(Communicated.) At the Royal Horticultural Society’s Show, in London, a short time back, prizes were offered by a firm of Covent Garden fruiterers for the nest packed boxes of fruit. The prizes were 6, 3 and 2 guineas. The fruits were peaches, grapes, and strawberries. The gardener who was awarded the first prize had his grapes packed in a deal box, thickly lined with moss and covered with soft tissue paper. Peaches were also packed in moss. The packing was perfect, and the boxes might have been carried safely in any position.

Cross-handled wicker baskets were used by one exhibitor, who placed in the bottom of each basket a little moss. Above the moss the baskets were lined with stout, soft tissue paper. The bunches were then dropped in, so that the berries settled down together and held each other flrm. A few of the (items were tied to the sides of the baskets, which prevented them from pressing too much on each other.

Prizes were offered for dinner-table decorations. The first prize was given to a large shallow centre-piece, arranged with water lilies, scarlet gladioli! and fein fronds intermixed, From the centre rose a stem entwined with clssus discolor, supporting another shallow vase. The second prize was given to an arrangement of yellow and white tris, mixed with Other flowers in large round bowls, There were three large bowls and about a dozen smaller ones. The present favorite style of table decoration consists of large round bowls for the centre and smaller ones of the same pattern for the corners. Grapes are largely grown in the Channel Islands for the London market. One property contains 14 acres, and a mile of glass is devoted to grape culture. Another house is 600 ft long and 32ft wide, and is planted with the Gros Colmar. Another house of the same size is devoted solely to Muscats. The bunches weigh from 2, 3 and 41 bs each. It has been lately proved that where fruit and vegetables are of superior quality the proportion of seeds contained is very small. The better the fruit the less the seed. An inferiox quality of fruit will contain a larger quantity of seed. The lowest standard of fertility in plants indicates the highest type. Tris are becoming more and more fashionable. There are many new varieties, several being Chinese. We notice the beautiful bridal tris—Robinsonis,

Young palm trees are largely grown in pots for tame decoration. They thrive excellently and are in great demand. Chinese flowers are attaining great popularity. There are many new varieties of primroses and cinnerarias. Tudian aryaleas are abundant and include several new varieties.

borne plants of a rare and beautiful golden leaved elder have recently been imported. Cyclamens are numerous, among them many remarkably fine varieties of many different colors, the flowers being very la*ge and with thick, broad segments. Flex japonica appears to be the grandest of all hollies. Young plants do well both in pots and in the open ground. Many of them would make a growth of a foot to half-a-yard in Sin pots. We read of’ajjshoot ’a yard in length clothed with berries from ena to end and|with leaves nearly a foot long, All th*se plants may be obtained from the Cremorne Nurseries, near Melbourne.