278 THE FLORIST. 



THE AIREDALE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



We do not often notice the proceedings of the various horticultural 

 exhibitions so frequent in the midland and northern districts ; but 

 happening to be in the vicinity of Bradford on the 19th ultimo, we 

 paid a visit to Shipley, for the purpose of seeing what progress had 

 been made in that district in the culture of plants and flowers. We 

 found a long and spacious tent well filled with plants, cut flowers, fruits, 

 and vegetables, some few of the plants showing evidence of good culture, 

 particularly the twelve stove and greenhouse plants exhibited by Mr. 

 Charles Henderson, gardener to R. Milligan, Esq., Acacia, near Brad- 

 ford, and which gained the first prize — a silver cup. Among these, 

 Gesnera Merki and Schubertia graveolens were very good, as also was 

 Tritonia aurea, a plant excellently adapted for conservatory decoration, 

 as it blooms so freely late in the summer. The second prize was 

 awarded to E. Ward, Esq., Bradford, for plants by no means equal 

 to those we saw at Bradford last year from the same grower. A 

 very fine Oncidium flexuosum obtained the first prize for single 

 specimens of Orchids. Four good stove and greenhouse plants exhibited 

 by Mr. Henry Tuke, gardener to R. Nickolls, Esq., Bramley, near 

 Leeds, were awarded a first prize. These were AUamanda neriifolia, 

 Aphelandra cristata, very fine, Cyrtoceras retiexum, and Begonia Pres- 

 toniensis. Achimenes were somewhat extensively shown, but Ambrose 

 Verschaffelt, Sir Treherne Thomas, reticulata, and one or two other 

 very fine and distinct varieties, do not seem to be known by the 

 exhibitors, or they would certainly use them. Geraniums were also 

 shown extensively, and were badly grown, or rather flowered. As a 

 general rule, they are overpotted and not grown hardy enough. 

 Sufficient air is not given to them in a growing state, and the wood 

 becomes soft and produces only a few blooms and those of very inferior 

 quality. These remarks apply not only to the growers in that neigh- 

 bourhood, but generally, and we regret that the simple instructions 

 given monthly in our pages are not followed, or at least read more 

 closely. Nothing pains us more than to see these plants so terribly 

 mismanaged. Similar remarks apply to Verbenas, as these are 

 generally grown too tenderly, as was shown by several of the collections 

 exhibited. Two of the collections, however, showed better culture, but 

 there was still room for improvement. They should have plenty of air 

 and light, and be kept clean from insects. Fuchsias were shown better, 

 awd six plants which obtained the first prize, exhibited by Messrs. 

 Leach & Son, of Bradford, were very good, and included a fine plant of 

 Venus de Medici, but the blooms were not in good character. It is 

 evidently a free-growing variety, and we doubt its blooming in fine 

 character this season, thinking it will bloom finest from older wood. 

 Mr. Parkinson, of Bradford, also had some good plants. Some very 

 good Petunias were exhibited, including Hermione, Dr. Andry, which 

 is one of the best and brightest coloured striped varieties. Alba magna. 

 Major Domo, and Sappho. No one exhibited the new double white 

 variety, Imperial. We heard doubts expressed as to its usefulness. 



