1870.] HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 431 



fine lot consisting of Milton, Alexandra, Crystal Palace, Diomede, Meyerbeer, 

 Shakespeare, Fulton, Lacepede, Le Gouve, Sultan, Norma, Horace, Madame 

 Binder, Orphee, Canova, Le Poussin, Hortense, and Madame Leseble. Messrs 

 W. Draycott & Son, Humberstone Nursery, Leicester, were second. Messrs 

 Stuart & Mein, Kelso, had a stand containing a few remarkably fine spikes, but 

 they were shut out from the competition by reason of not having been entered. 

 With 12 spikes, in the class for amateur growers, the Rev. H. H. Dombrain, Ash- 

 ford ; and Mr Fry, gardener to V. Stuckey, Esq., Langport, were placed equal 

 first, with capital stands ; the former had Leonora, Agathee, Roi Leopold, Eleanor 

 Norman, Rosa Bonheur, James Veitch, Madame Furtado, Maurice Dumortier, 

 Madame Dombrain, Homere, Marie Stuart, and Orphee. Mr Fry had Newton, 

 Madame Furtado, Le Gouve, Mathilde de Landevoisin, Norma, Vandyke, Ncemie, 

 Madame Vilmorin, Charles Turner, Shakespeare, Agnes Mary, and Cymbal ; Mr 

 Douglas, of Loxford Hall Gardens, was second. The best 9 also came from Mr 

 Fry, the next best from Mr Douglas. The best 6 from Mr "Welsh, gardener to 

 J. Marshall, Esq., Taunton — he being the only exhibitor. The best 4, which were 

 very fine, came from Mr Fry ; the next best from the Rev. H. H. Dombrain. 



Hollyhocks, both in spikes and cut blooms, were good, the season considered. 

 Some of the latter were very fine. The best 24 cut blooms came from Mr 

 William Chater, Saffron Walden, who had Fanny Chater, Conquest, Champion, 

 Walden Queen, Leah, Leviathan, Constance, King, Scarlet Gem, Bullion, Eclipse, 

 Jewel, Alfred Chater, Perfection, Crimson King, Mochanna, Carus Chater 

 Talisman, Lord Napier, Walden Primrose, Midnight, Bijou, Junia, and one un- 

 named. Mr H. Minchin was second, and Messrs W. Draycott & Son third. 

 The best 12 blooms came from Mr W. Minchin, Hook Norton, who had Invin- 

 cible improved, Ruby Queen, Hercules, Whitley King, Acme, Sanspareil, Alypius, 

 Queen Victoria, Peri, Midnight, Ada, and one unnamed. The best 6 spikes 

 came from Mr W Chater, who had Fascination, Conquest, Fred. Chater, Scar- 

 let Gem, Cygnet, and Eclipse, all good ; 2d, Messrs Downie, Laird, & Laing, 

 with John M'Donald, Miss Henderson, Queen of Yellows, Lady W. W. Wynne, 

 Alexander Henderson, and Mrs Downie ; 3d, Mr H. Minchin. The best cut 

 Phloxes came also from Messrs Downie, Laird, & Laing. 



Prizes were also offered for the best dish of Apricots, which was won by Mr 

 W. Tillery of Welbeck Gardens ; 2d, Mr Gardener, Lower Eatington. First- 

 class certificates were awarded by the Fruit Committee to Mr J. R. Pearson, 

 Chilwell Nurseries, Nottingham, for two seedling Grapes ; also to Mr Dry of 

 Hayes, for a seedling purple Plum, named Duke of Edinburgh. Some further 

 account of these will be found under the head of " Notes and Queries." 



The Newark Gooseberry-Show. — This exhibition was held at the Robin 

 Hood Inn, Newark, on the 1st of August, and judging from the weight of some 

 of the fruits staged on this occasion, they must have been very fine. Our readers 

 not acquainted with the routine of Gooseberry-culture for exhibition purposes, 

 must bear in mind that, in order to give the fruit every opportunity of attaining 

 a great size, only aboxit three or four are allowed to remain on the tree, and that 

 is fed with liquid manure and other stimulants to create size. Only those also 

 who have looked into a Gooseberry-show can realise any idea of what it is like, 

 and also come to understand the extraordinary amount of enthusiasm it calls 

 into play. Generally, the large show-Gooseberries are worthless for dessert pur- 

 poses, and a handful of fruits of the Red Warrington would far outweigh many 

 of the monsters staged at a Gooseberry-show in point of quality. On the 

 occasion of the Newark show, the mayor of that town occupied the chair. Even 



