July 2, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



British Horticulture 



THE TEMPLE SHOW 



In brilJiant weather the premier show of the year 

 has been held in the historic Temple Gardens in Lon- 

 don. The Roj'al Horticultural Society achieve another 

 success, affording a splendid object lesson of the high 

 pitch to which British horticulture has reached. The 

 foreign vigitors were liberal in their eulogies. There is 

 only one fault at the Temple Gardens; the restricted 

 space prevents sufficient room being afforded the various 

 exhibits, and consequently the best effects are not ob- 

 tained in the floral arrangements. The Society is so 

 grateful to secure such an ideal site for the show — 

 practically in the heart of London — that this drawback 

 is readily overlooked. The Temple show is usually dis- 

 tinguished for the dazzling array of summer costumes 

 worn by the fashionable visitors to rival the floral 

 wealth of color, but on this occasion the sombre note, 

 due to the national mourning, proved a striking con- 

 trast to previous seasons' experiences. Orchids, of 

 •course, made a magnificent display. The ornate col- 

 lection filling one of the large marquees was worth 

 many thousands of pounds, and included some of the 

 finest examples from the houses of the leading orchid- 

 ists in the country. The fine show of orchids belonging 

 to Sir Jeremiah Golman, of Gatton Park, Surrey, 

 secured the Sherwood Cup. 



There were many new introductions which were the 

 objects of admiration, and, in some cases, friendly 

 criticism. Messrs. Waterer & Sons, of Bagshot, have 

 added two meritorious rhododendrons to their compre- 

 hensive collection. These were Alice, a seedling from 

 the famous Pink Pearl, with grand trusses of rose pink 

 blooms, and Juliana, of a pleasing flesh pink tint. Each 

 received an award of merit. Honors were accorded to 

 two roses — Duchess of Westminster, a H. T. of pink 

 and flesh pink shading, and Excelsa, a Wichuraiana, of 

 a crimson-cerise shade. These were respectively shown 

 by A. Dickson & Sons, and Paul & Son. Blackmore 

 & Langdon, begonia specialists, have excelled their 

 previous achievements in Eose Queen ; alike in form and 

 •color the bloom is unrivalled. This richly merited the 

 special award. Other novelties receiving awards were 

 Ehus ty]Dhina laciniata, Sarracenia Willmottae, Mar- 

 giieritc Mrs. F. Sander, Cytisus Dallimorei, and Azalea 

 Floradora. The out-door displays were of a varied and 

 interesting character. A continuous stream of visitors 

 percolated through the quaint Japanese garden, formed 

 by Messrs. Carter & Co., in a shady enclosure. There 

 were also several excellent rock gardens. Amongst these 

 ■was a capital display of Alpines, shown by M. H. Corre- 

 von, Chene-Bourg, Geneva. This exhibit, and some from 

 Belgium, gave the show an international interest. 



STRENGTH IN UNITY 



The opinion at one time prevailed that it was impos- 

 sible to bring the working gardeners together in one 

 useful combination. This has been falsified by the pro- 

 gress of events in the last few years. During the Tem- 

 ple show week the annual meeting was held of the 

 British Gardeners' Association, which has passed 

 through the perils of its embryonic stages and has 

 reached the sixth year. There are now about 1900 

 members, residing in various parts of the United King- 

 dom. The Association publishes a monthly organ, which 

 has been the means of disseminating valuahle informa- 



tion amongst the British gardeners. The Association is 

 divided into branches, and the majority of these are 

 doing praise-worthy work in the interests of the mem- 

 bers. It is only right that this feeling of comradeship 

 should exist amongst the members of the craft. The 

 late Dean Hole, in one of his chatty books, points out 

 that the apron of the gardener, like the apron of the 

 freemason, not only means honest work, but brother- 

 hood. "Wherever I have been," the Dean added, "with 

 rare exceptions, I have found in him a brother." This 

 net-work of organizations cannot fail to be advantageous 

 in stimulnting this brotherly feeling, besides enlarging 

 the outlook of the workers by the various discussions 

 which take place at the meetings. The Association has 

 certainly made a start on the right lines. 



THE REIGN OF THE RHODODENDRON 



John Waterer & Sons have excelled themselves in 

 their annual sliow of rhododendrons in the grounds of 

 the Eoyal Botanic Society, Eegent's Park, London. The 

 brilliant array of blooms, as in former years, is arranged 

 on undulating ground under an immense marquee, and 

 has been on view during the whole of June. The display 

 has attracted a large number of visitors, who have ad- 

 mired the splendid quality of the plants, and the 

 artistic grouping of the colors, resembling from the 

 distant view a gorgeous carpet of flowers. These annual 

 object lessons of the value of the rhododendrons for 

 making a bold display should further popularize its 

 culture in this country. Amongst the newer ones is 

 Alice, somewhat after the style of Pink Pearl, but 

 totally distinct. Others noted were : Cynthia, rosy crim- 

 son ; Delicatissimum, white, tinted pink; Gloriosum, 

 blush- white; Frederick Waterer, crimson, with grand 

 foliage; Queen, spotless white; Mrs. Holford, salmon- 

 crimson: Minnie, bluish white, with blotch of orange 

 spots; Michael Waterer, scarlet-crimson; Marquis of 

 Waterford, pink, lighter in the centre; Lady Clemen- 

 tine Walsh, light tint, edge with pink. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST 



According to a Board of Agriculture leaflet, recently 

 issued, daffodil cultivation, in spite of the excessively 

 low prices realized this last season, is deserving in- 

 creased attention from growers. — Amongst the portraits 

 exhibited this season at the Royal Academy in London 

 is one of Mr. Wm. Kelway, senior partner of the firm of 

 Messrs. Kelway & Son of Langport. — An outbreak of 

 American gooseberry mildew has occurred in Norfolk. 

 The Board of Agriculture advise the spraying of bushes 

 affected with a solution of sulphur 1 pound to 

 32 gallons of water). — The Council of the National Rose 

 Society presented an address of condolence to the 

 Queen-Mother, who for many years has been a Royal 

 patroness of the Society, and has taken a keen interest 

 in the annual shows. — To the elaborate array of books 

 on the "Queen of flowers" is about to be added an artis- 

 tic work bv I\Iiss Willmott, entitled: "The Eoses of the 

 Old and New Worlds." The illustrations are supplied 

 hy Mr. Alfred Parsons, A. R. A. The edition will be 

 limited to 1,000 copies.— Sir Jeremiah Colman, a noted 

 amateur, presided at the annual festival of the Royal 

 Gardeners' Orphan Fund. It was announced that 137 

 children are at present receiving the benefit of the fund, 

 the amount expended for this purpose last year being 

 £1,716. 



>t%c C^MjOC. 



