IRISH GARDENING 



123 



Irish Rose and Floral Society Summer 

 Show at Belfast. 



On the 23rd of July the above Soeiety held its 

 show in the Ulster Hall, and more than justilied 

 the committee's decision to hold the show in 

 spite of the adverse times we are now passing- 

 through. 



Colonel Shar man Crawford, D.L.. M.P., who 

 was in uniform, in a few appropriate remarks 

 called on the Dowager Marchioness of Dufferin 

 and Ava to ])erform the opening ceiernony. 



Her ladyshi}). having alluded to tlie fact that 

 the i)roceeds of the show were to be devoted to 

 the aid of tlie funds for the benefit of the wounded 

 soldiers and sailors of the city, emphasised the 

 great necessity for supjjorting such funds, and 

 congratulated the Society on the wonderful dis- 

 play, concluding by declaring the show open. 



This year the prizes consisted of trophies only, 

 no money prizes being offered. Tlie com])etition, 

 nevertheless, was keen, and the quality of the 

 exhibits of nmch excellence, notwithstanding the 

 inclenient weather experienced during the month, 

 and particularly the few days just previous to 

 the show. 



As was to be expected in Belfast. Roses were 

 prominent and very fine, the North of Ireland 

 nurser men supporting the exhibition most 

 loyally. 



Messrs. A. Dickson & Sons, Newtownards, 

 were prominent with a line exliibit of Roses and 

 Sweet Peas, tlie latter one of the finest exhibits 

 of its kind we have seen. Mr. Hugh Dickson, 

 of the Newtownards firm, is a well-known Sweet 

 Pea enthusiast, and is to be congratvilated on 

 the fine exhibit put up. Some of the varieties 

 noted as being prominent were — Barbara, rich 

 salmon-orange : Constance Hinton, a magnifi- 

 cent pi re white; Hawlmark Gladys, salmon- 

 l)ink and primrose ; Hilda, rich oraiige-salmon : 

 Lilian, soft salmon-])ink : May XTnwin, orange- 

 scarlet : Melody, salmon-))ink ; Mrs. ,T. C. House, 

 rosy mauve ; Phyllis, orange on wliite ground : 

 Sincerity, a beautiful large flower, glowing 

 cerise ; Stirling Stent, in fine condition ; Wen- 

 voe Castle, rosy mauve ; and others. Of the 

 Roses shown by this firm, we especially noted 

 Red I^etter Day ; Mrs. Weyinss Quinn, lemon- 

 yellow ; Donald M'Donald, red decorative ; 

 Madame Ravary, a chrome yellow H. T. not 

 always seen in good form ; Carine, a combination 

 of buff, orange, and carmine ; Killarney Brilliant, 

 deep rose-pink ; Edward Bohane, criiiison ; and 

 Margaret Dickson Hamill, a beautiful rich 

 yellow. 



Near by. Messrs. Hugh Dickson, of the Royal 

 Nurseries, Belfast, arranged a most beautiful 

 display of Roses, composed of pillars, huge 

 bouquets, baskets, 6cv., each of one variety, the 

 whole comhining most effectively. Here we 

 noted paiticularly British Queen, pure white; 

 II. I). M. Barton, a fine, dark, velvety crimson, 

 which was awarded a gold medal. Lady Pirrie. 

 11. T. of a deep coppery salmon ; Mad. IGdouard 

 lleriot, H. T. of a deep reddish co))])er colour : 

 Mrs. Chas. E. Pearson, H. T., orange-apricot ; 

 Old Gold, H. T., so delightful in its orange-gold 

 buds; Rayon d' Or, the line yellow: and others 

 too mimerous to mention. 



Messrs. Samcel Ar(;redy \' Son. i\.rtadown, 

 who have a world-wide re])utation for J{oses, 

 put up an exhibit of rare beauty and intt>iest. 



comi)osed chiefly of elegant jallars and baskets 

 of choice varieties. A few of the chief were— 

 Edith Part, H. T., a combmation of red, salmon, j 



and coppery yellow ; Edgar M. Burnett, H. T., 

 dee]) rosy pink ; Mrs. CTias. E. Pearson ; Mrs. 

 Ambrose Ricardo, yellow ; Geo. Dickson, H. T., 

 dark velvety crimson ; and that beautiful white | 



variety, Florence Forrester, perhaps the best of 

 its kind to-day. Other varieties shown were- — 

 Sir Frederick Moore, Mrs. George Marriott, Ina 

 Anderson, Old Gold, &c. Crimson Emblem, a 

 magnificent new variety shown by Messi-s. 

 M'Gredy, was awarded a gold medal. 



A trade exhibit of an entirely different kind 

 was that arranged in the vestibule by the Donard I 



Nursery Company. It was comjwsed chiefly of | 



rare and beautiful shrubs and herbaceous jilanis, 

 and attracted much attention. Some of the j 



more ])rominent plants on exhibit were Dierama 

 ]jendula, ]jink and white varieties ; Jaj^anese 

 Irises ; Tropa^olum speciosum ; Mimulus Scarlet ' 



Queen ; Chrysanth. max. ; Mrs. F. W. Daniels, 

 a beautiful variety, in no way coarse, and some 

 good varieties of Phloxes. The principal shnibs 

 on view included Desfontainia sj)inosa ; Lepto- 

 spermum scoparium Boscawenii, with lovely 1 



l)ink flowers ; Corni.s Kousa, well flowered ; 

 Pittosporum Silver Queen, a ])retty foliage 

 shrub ; I^onicera nitida, a neat growing ever- 

 green ; Lomatia ferraginea in flower ; Olearia 

 semidentata ; Plagianthus Lyallii in flower ; 1 



excellent young specimens of various C upressus, 

 very finely coloured, and many other interesting j 



l)lants. 



Messrs. Frank E. Smith & Co., High Street, } 



Belfast, showed numerous floral designs of great < 



beauty, and showing considerable ingenuity, as 

 for instance the flags of the Allies done in correct 

 colours with Immortelles. Another showed the 

 regimental insignia of the North Irish Horse, 

 while numerous crosses, anchors, and bouquets | 



were on view, composed of choice Sweet Peas, 1 



Carnations, and Orchids. j 



The amateurs' exhibits were of great excellence, 

 and not only were Roses and Sweet Peas of 

 superior quality, but it is doubtful if better 

 herbaceous flowers could be seen anywhere, and 

 considering the violent rainstorms of the i)revious 

 few days, the immense spikes of Deli)hiniums, 

 Ijiliums. Phloxes, Eryngiums, Alstroemerias, &c., 

 reflected great credit on the exhibitors. J 



We cannot omit a brief reference to the com- ' 



petition for a collection of cut flowers, cut 

 foliage, or berries of rare or uncommon plants 

 or shrubs. There were onlv two competitors — 

 Mr. H. D. M. Barton. The' Bush. Antrim, and 

 Mr. H. Richardson. Springli.id. Lislnirn. The 

 former gentleman had easily the l)est collection 

 of rarities, and was placed first, Mr. Richardson, 

 liowever, showing a very fine table. 



In Mr. Barton's lot we noted Prinuila lit- 

 toniana, Gentiana Pryzewa'skii, G. sajjonaria, 

 G. cruciata var. macroj)hylla, Zenobia s|)eciosa, 

 Patrinia palmata, Rosccea purpurea, Lilium 

 Rcezlii, Myosotis azorica, M. Marie Raphael, | 



Meconopsis sinuata latifolia, Dalibarda repens, 'I 



Allium cernuum. Trollius i)atulus, &C. Mr. 

 Richardson showed, amongst other things, 

 Meconopsis chelidonifoliiis. Campanula War- 

 levensis, C. acutangula. Cv.uianthus lol)atii=!. 

 Primula cai)itata. Cheirantluis linifolins. Pent - 

 stemon isophyllus, P. heterophylhis. Wahlen- 

 bergia saxicola. Verbena Chamaniryoides, &c. 



Much interest centered in the huge baskets 



