562 



HOKTI CULTURE 



November 24, 1906 



PARIS AUTUMN SHOW. 



The National Horticultural Society 

 of France has once again held a mag- 

 nificent exhibition of fruit, vegetables 

 and chrysanthemums in the two large 

 greenhouses in the Cours la Reine. 

 The show opened on the 3rd Novem- 

 ber and continued to the 11th. but the 

 weather at the beginning was de- 

 cidedly unpropitious. 



At the entrance there was a charm- 

 ing display of chrysanthemums ar- 

 ranged in a bed in the open air con- 

 tributed by Vilmorin, Andrieux and 

 Co., who also staged an immense col- 

 lection of vegetables, besides chrysan- 

 themums in great variety. Dahlias 

 were well shown by several of the 

 most important French houses, the 

 chief competitors being Messrs. Cayeux 

 and Leclerc who had two very fine 

 lots, Messrs. Rivoire and Son of Lyons 

 and M. A. Brochet who had a nice 

 bright collection set up in small 

 pyramids and although only of medium 

 Bize, very fine in color — the varieties 

 in almost every case being almost ex- 

 clusively those of the cactus type. 

 Begonias made a dazzling display and 

 were arranged in half moon shaped 

 beds on the ground level. The chief 

 exhibitors of these were M. Arthur 

 Billard and Monsieur Valleraud, the 

 latter adopting a very effective method 

 by arranging his flowers in diagonal 

 sections of alternate colors. The sin- 

 gles were of large size and of great 

 beauty, two large exhibits coming 

 from this establishment. 



There were several interesting dis- 

 plays of primulas by various growers. 

 Cyclamens were shown by M. Aubert 

 Maillo and carnations formed a most 

 conspicuous feature of the show. M. 

 Aug. Nonin had a very fine lot which 

 showed he is as well able to grow 

 carnations as chrysanthemums. Messrs. 

 Leveque & Son also had two most at- 

 tractive lots of this popular flower. M. 

 Ble and H. Mazean also exhibited car- 

 nations in attractive form. 



Clematis was staged by M. Geo. 

 Boucher, a wpll known specialist, and 

 in the ovnhid room there was the 

 greatest taste possible displayed in 

 the arrangement of the flowers. M. 

 Regnier made a most artistic show in- 

 terspersed with maiden hair ferns, 

 palms, water lilies, etc. Another good 

 display came from M. Lesneur. The 

 ecole horticole et professionnelle du 

 Plessis-Piquet set up a charming bed 

 of dracaenas and carnations, among 

 which we noted Miss Nelly, Grande 

 Duchess Olga, Princess de Radziwill, 

 Clair de Lune and Prof. Belle. M. M. 

 Marcoz and Maron also displayed ex- 

 quisite taste In the setting up of their 

 lots. 



Floral decorations were most effec- 

 tive. M. nebrie had several composed 

 of chrysanthemdms. orchids and car- 

 nations that would require an artist 

 well versed in floral decorations to de- 

 scribe. He also set up a magnificent 

 floral arch 20 feet in height, composed 

 of deep bronze and yellow chrysanthe- 

 mums, dracaenas, palms, ferns, grapes 

 and various autumn foliage with a. 

 mirror in rear. Among other curiosi- 

 ties in floral decoration was a wheel- 

 barrow made of bamboo full of enor- 

 mous yellow chrysanthemums tied up 

 at intervals with buff-colorod silk rib- 

 bon. A ship in orchids and other ob- 

 jects too numerous to mention were 

 also staged in this sprtion. 



Fruit as usual was a grand feature, 

 and large numbers of trained fruit 

 trees were arranged in beds along the 

 promenade leading to the show. Here 

 also were exhibits of hardy shrubs, 

 M. A. Brochet showing many fine ex- 

 amples of choice conifers. Messrs. 

 Moser inside also had a nice group of 

 variegated ivies, hollies, bamboos and 

 othei' similar subjects. 



We have neither the time nor the 

 space to deal with the fruit in detail. 

 Apples, pears and grapes were beyond 

 question enormous in extent and va- 

 riety. The names of M. Nomblat 

 Bruneau and Messrs. Croux & Son 

 are sufficient guarantee of that fact 

 and both in fruit trees and fruit itself 

 they made an excellent display. An- 

 other exhibitor was M. Opoix whose 

 pears were set up in fine style. M. 

 Brouder also staged some fine pears 

 and apples. 



Chrysanthemums were of course in 

 enormous numbers, and they certainly 

 contributed in no small degree to the 

 success of the show, which was one 

 of the finest and most extensive we 

 have yet seen in Paris. The site Is 

 exceptional, being situated just be- 

 tween the Champs Elysees and the 

 Seine in the Cours la Reine just be- 

 yond the Alexander bridge. The ap- 

 proach is most attractive and the 

 means of access ample. New seedling 

 chrysanthemums are usually largely 

 shown, and the number of first-class 

 certificates awarded to novelties by 

 the specially appointed floral com- 

 mittee is pernaps rather more con- 

 siderable than is the case at English 

 shows. 



Among the many seedling raisers 

 the exhibit of M. Ernest Calvat usu- 

 ally excites the most interest, and this 

 year he had an excellent lot arranged 

 in an oval bed just opposite the main 

 entrance to the first greenhouse. It 

 will not be possible to describe them 

 all but we noted as the most promising 

 M. Paul Randet a fine large white Jap- 

 anese. Mme. de la Rocheterie another 

 big white, slightly tinted, S. A. Naceur 

 Bey immense in size deep golden yel- 

 low, Pres't Dubost deep salmon rose, 

 Pres't Fallieres another big white, Le 

 Lutin not overlarge but a pretty shade 

 of lilac mauve, Algesiras crimson. 



Next to Calvat our interest is con- 

 centrated on the Marquis de Pins 

 who has sent out some very notewor- 

 thy novelties but as to their merit 

 from an English grower's point of view 

 there seems to be considerable differ- 

 ence (<f opinion. At any rate some of 

 his earlier seedlings are now in gen- 

 eral cultivation and the best of them 

 and especially those seen in France 

 leave little or nothing to be desired. 

 The Marquis is purely an amateur and 

 is more concerned with the obtaining 

 of new tints and coloring than with 

 mere size, and so his collection of 

 new things are not quite so imposing 

 in that respect as those of his older 

 known competitor. Mme. Le Sauliner 

 la Cour is a pretty shade of rosy 

 amaranth with silvery reverse, a .big 

 solid flower. Mme. Bougere is also 

 large, color dull rose on a white ground 

 tinted green at the tips. Countesse 

 Alice de Lang is very large pale lilac- 

 rose pink on a white ground. Pallas 

 a big yellow. LeTonkinoise, the 

 largest of all. a spreading flower, color 

 bright rosy amaranth. 



By far the grandest display in pot 



plants was the one set up by Messrs. 

 Vilmorin, Andrieux & Co., which oc- 

 cupied a vast area. Many of the most 

 popular novelties at the French shows 

 are not known either to English or 

 American growers, and we do not pro- 

 pose to do more than mention a few 

 of those that are the most attractive 

 or the best known. In the Vilmorin 

 groups we particularly admired Ville 

 de Phenice, Tokio, Rouge Poitevine, 

 Louise Bichol, Nippon, Mme. Ed 

 Roger, Duchfcsse d'Orleans, Nivose, 

 Rose Poitevine. R. H. Pearson, M. 

 Chenon de Leche, Reverie, Aigle d'Or, 

 Victoria and Albert, Mrs. W. Knox, 

 M. Ant. Marmontel, Mrs. Barkley, Lt. 

 Col. Ducroiset, E. J. Brooks, Etoile 

 de Montbrun, Col. W. B. Smith and 

 Ouragan. 



Another interesting group but of far 

 smaller dimensions was one from M. 

 George Traffaut of Versailles who 

 showed roses and chrysanthemums 

 grown with the aid of his new chem- 

 ical manure "Biogine." This exhibit 

 was arranged on a little grass lawn. 

 The chrysanthemums, which were of 

 abnormal dimensions, were mostly 

 well known varieties. 



Hastily passing on we can only 

 briefly notice a few of the other ex- 

 hibits several of which are very pret- 

 tily edged with a dwarf, little yellow 

 pompon called Gerbe d'Or and a small 

 bright rosy amaranth Japanese of 

 great decorative value known as 

 Baron de Vinols a variety most freely 

 used by the French exhibitors at their 

 shows and which has already thrown 

 several sports none of which to our 

 taste comes up to the parent. 



M. Aug. Nonin has a fine group of 

 well known varieties and novelties, 

 some promising ones among the latter 

 being Amateur, V. des Cognets, Alp. 

 Karr, Globe Blanc, Geo. Robert, Globe 

 de Bronze, Le Gaulois, Mme. Abel 

 Chatenay. 



Monsieur Cordonnier stages the 

 most massive blooms in the show. 

 Mme. Vigneau a big white, Aug. 

 Testier yellow and buff. Sensation 

 (immense), Pres't Loubet another 

 giant, Miuistre Morgeot a huge yellow 

 Souvenir de Bailleul, Capt. Percy 

 Scott, Mme. Gustave Henry, W. R. 

 Church, and Mrs. C. Harman Payne 

 being most remarkable. 



A good display of 130 novelties of 

 190G was made by M. Montigny and 

 the Ecole horticole du Plessis-Piquet 

 staged some very nicely grown speci- 

 men plants in pots. 



M. Leon Cavron had several groups, 

 one of them conraining grafted plants 

 and drained pyramids, imitating the 

 Japanese style of culture, but they 

 could hardly be described as a great 

 success. 



M. Dubuisson Foubert had a won- 

 derfull.v fine collection of big blooms. 

 P. S. Vallis was the biggest we ever 

 saw there being seven blooms that 

 measured from 44 to 48 centimeters 

 across. Other varieties in proportion. 

 In conclusion we can only mention 

 that other chrysanthemum exhibits 

 came from M. Liger, M. Laveau, M. 

 H. Decault, M. Jules Cottin and many 

 more besides. 



The president of the French repub- 

 lic^ M. Fallieres, visited the show and 

 was conducted around by M. Viger, 

 M. Abel Chatenay, M. Philippe de 

 Vilmorin and other officials of the so- 

 ciety. C. HARMAN PAYNE. 



