July 3, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICOLTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



bottom Melons and Pines, which looked fairly good. The rest 

 of the fruit was utterly bad; two dishes of Grapes both unripe * 

 Stran-berries bad; Apricots small and unripe; Oranges, and 

 Apples. If simplicity and paucity of idea with meagreness of 

 fruit was what was to be aimed at, then the first prize was 



i'ustly awarded, thoiph perhaps even then No. 2 on the prize 

 ist, which wo describa next, ran a very good race; but in this 

 case there was something for the guests to eat. 



The second-prize table, exhibited by Miss Blair, 50, Upper 

 Bedford Street, Bassell Square, Loudon, is soon described. In 

 the centre was a March stand flat on the table for a base, a 

 small flat glass, about IS inches up, with a taller vase rising out 

 of it — in fact, an ordinary March stand with a vase rising out of 

 the top one. The centre was nicely decorated, having at the 

 base white Water LiUes alternately with Cactus, and relieved 

 with white Gloxinia, mixed with Ferns and Grasses. On each 

 side of the centre vases there were two small Palms put through 

 the table — a practice which we hope will soon be exploded — 

 with two small segmental glasses put round the Palm to hide 

 the folds of the tablecloth, filled alternately with blue Centaurea 

 «nd white Pinks ; there were twelve tall glasses holding single 

 lowers, or buttonhole bouquets for the guests, set iu finger- 

 .glasses, in which were floating a few odd flowers of Borage and 

 sprays of Lycopodium. On the whole, though there was a 

 •decided paucity of decoration, yet the arrangement was more 

 tasteful than that we have before described ; the fruit was 

 better, and we do not think we should have been so tired of the 

 •decorations at the end of the dinner as we should have been 

 in the previous case in looking at bad Fuchsias, Grass, and 

 ■Cerastium. 



The next in order of merit (according to the Judges' award) 

 ■was that of Mr. W. C. Armstrong, Chelteuham. In the centre 

 was a tall vase rising from a flat dish, having six cornocopia. 

 shaped vases extending as branches from the middle, three 

 taller, three intermediate. This was standing on a silvered glass 

 having eight segmental glasses arranged like a double quatrefoil 

 "to encircle it ; in each of the quatrefoils were figures alternately 

 of a little Cupid, each holding a basket in which were single 

 Peaches, and swans in the alternate quatrefoils, floating appa- 

 rently on the glass mirrors. The upper vase had Spiraea 

 japonica. Pancratium, Begonia boliviensis, all good, with pieces 

 of rather poor scarlet Geranium mixed with them, which might 

 easily have been dispensed with. The cornucopia suspended 

 glasses were dressed alternately with pink and scarlet Gera- 

 .niums, mixed with Adiantum, Spirsea, and Begonia fuchsioides. 

 The flat vases had Ixora, Dipladenia, Eucharis amazonica, Roses, 

 Jjielia purpurata, with an edging of Fern, the flowers though 

 «ood being rather too crowded ; and with the swans and boyish 

 Cupids, segmental glasses, &c., this centre piece was overdone. 

 The two side pieces were somewhat similar in point of shape to 

 Miss Blair's central one — i.e., a Mai-ch stand with an additional 

 tall vase rising from the centre. The flowers were arranged 

 somewhat in the same way as the other, though not quite so 

 overcrowded. There were eight fiat glass baskets with glass 

 bandies, containing Roses, Geraniums, and other flowers, and 

 •eight tall glasses filled with Grasses. These were arranged 

 four-and-four — i.e., four flat and four tall alternately round each 

 side-centre. The napkins were arranged very tastefully to re- 

 present Water Ijilies or Lotus, with a buttonhole bouquet in a 

 small glass in the centre of each. When all the small glasses, 

 fourteen in number, the baskets eight, tall glasses with Grasses 

 c-ight, segment.-xl glasses eight, centre vase eight, and two side 

 vases six, come to be reckoned up, there were according to our 

 computation fifty-two glasses or vases of flowers to be arranged. 

 The fruit was good. Top and bottom, Melon and Pine, two ; 

 White and Black Grapes, two ; Strawberries, two ; Nectarines, 

 two ; one Cherry, one Orange, and a Peach in the centre of each 

 of tlie small vases, supported by the boy Cupids. The table was 

 no doubt on the whole overdone and crowded, though in many 

 respects meritorious, especially in napkins. 



The fourth we come to, the fourth prize, was exhibited by Mr. 

 Cypher, of Queen's Road Nurseries, Cheltenham, who, if our 

 raemorr does not deceive us. easily canicd off the prize at 

 Birmingham, and must have done so here if some evil fate had 

 bad not made him put np some extraordinary napkins, looking 

 rather like sugared sponge cakes decorated with loose flowers. 

 If these could have been removed the rest of the decorations 

 "Were very good ; indeed, we have harrlly ever seen three better 

 oentre vases than those which he showed here. The centre was 

 composed of three tiers of glasses, the ba.sn a flat glass but ele- 

 Tateu about 4 or 5 inches from the table, standing on a mirror 

 with segments of glass surrounding it. The base was beauti- 

 fully arranged with a fringe of Ferns drooping gracefully so as to 

 reflect their fronds from the mirror. The flowers were Ixoras 

 Colei and javanica. Eucharis amazonica, Roses, Dipladenia 

 ATnahilis, Altamanda (rrandiflora, with F'-rn^, and Anthnliza 

 gracilis, having sprays of Cyperua alternifolius rising out of it, 

 ■veiling without hiding the flowers. The next tier of flowers 

 tad Phal.-cnopsis grandiflora, Justicia, Ixora, and other flowers 

 mixed with Quaking Grass, and the t<^n was tastefully arranged 



with Pancratium, Gloriosa Plantei, Spiriea japonica, and Ferus 

 The two side centres were somewhat similar, but smaller and 

 not so tall. The flowers iu each were very choice, and, though 

 rich, not crowded. Maidenhair being used more than the Qnnkiug 

 Grass, the upper vases having rich sprays of Oncidium llexu- 

 OBum. There were four c'bruer vases arranged at each end in 

 the shape of raised glasses with a taller one emerging from 

 them. These had flat segmental glasses surrounding them, set 

 in the fm^m of a double S ^^^^ o having a fruit 



dish in the centre. These (o^" ""^D vases were filled 



with choice flowers, but rather overfilled, and the segments were 

 overdone. The fruit, which was decorated with loose flowers 

 and Ferns, was good. Top and bottom Pine and Melon, two 

 Grapes — i.e., black and white. Peaches, Oranges, Figs, tv>-o 

 Strawberries, and three Nectarines. The napkins we have 

 already animadverted upon. We could not help regretting that 

 owing to these napkins and also a redundancy of flowers, Mr. 

 Cypher did not gain the first prize which his centre vases richly 

 deserved. 



The other exhibit of Mrs. Hick, Milsom Street, Bath, we have 

 already alluded to. There were three similar glass vases differ- 

 ing only iu size, made of silvered glass, with a large, light, 

 ruby-coloured ball on which they stood ; then stood a large 

 silvered mirror in the form of three circles, connected together 

 with longer pieces, on which were long glass prisms filled with 

 flowers, the circular glass mirrors having imitation glass 

 Water Lilies. The vases had heavy glass balls depending from 

 the upper rim. The flowers in these though good were heavily 

 arranged. There were good flat glasses in which the button- 

 hoie bouquets were placed, and the water caraffes which we 

 have already alluded to were good, but, on the whole, we should 

 say the table arrangements were of the shop, shoppy. 



We may remark, iu conclusion, that the tab es for fourteen 

 were far too small and too narrow, giving those who wished to 

 decorate highly too small a space, and not sufficient scope for 

 their inventive powers. It was this, no doubt, that led the 

 Judges to give the first prize to one essentially poor and weak. 

 In fact we may conclude that, with the exception of Mr. Cy- 

 pher's three vases and some of his other decorations, the Bath 

 Exhibition of dinner-table decorations somewhat taught us 

 what to avoid, and we hope that another time the happy mean 

 may be reached between under-paucity and over-decoration ; the 

 one tending to poverty and meagreness, the other to an over- 

 crowding which is wearisome to the eye. 



Our remarks have taken more space than we had anticipated, 

 and we will pass over the single vases, hand bouquets, and other 

 decorations, to which we may, perhaps, be induced to allude 

 at another time. We intend also, in another notice, to call at- 

 tention to some of the leading exhibits in the horticultural im- 

 plement department, though our notes, which we published last 

 year of the boilers and greenhouses at Birmingham, were so 

 full as to preclude the necessity for any lengthened observations 

 this time, as so many of the exhibits were in many respects 

 the same. 



CBISTAL PALACE EOSE SHOW. 



June 28th. 



The great Rose Show which is yearly held at the Ci-ystal 

 Palace always attracts thousands of visitors, all of whom appear 

 to be lovers of the Rose, and numbers of them are rosarians. "This 

 year the arrangement of the tables was more pleasing than 

 usual, the flat appearance which long rows of stands of cut 

 blooms are wont to present being relieved by the introduction 

 of a variety of plants ; indeed, this almost became a necessity 

 owing to several exhibitors, from various causes, not having 

 come forward — a circumstance which must ever interfere with 

 any predetermined plan. 



In the nurserymen's class for seventy-two single trusses 

 Messrs. Paul & Son, of Cheshunt, were first with splendid ex- 

 amples of Baroness Rothschild, Olivier Dflhomme, Miss Poole, 

 General .lacqueminot, Madame Boll, Marie Baumann, Devienne 

 Lamj', Aurore Bori'ale, Fran<;ois Louvat, Madame Vidot, Abel 

 Grand, President, Gloire de Dijon, Camille Bernardin, John 

 Hopper, Horace Vcruet, Exposition de Brie, Mdlle. Eugenia 

 Verdier, extremely beautiful, Xavier Olibo, very fine, W. Wilson 

 Saunders (new), Rev. S. Reynolds Hole, Comtesse d'Oxford, Andro 

 Dunaud, Christine Nilsson, Duke of Edinburgh, Monsieiu: 

 Neman, Madame Willernioz, Ferdinand de Lc^seps, Edward 

 Morren, Louis Van Houtte, Lord Macaulay, and Marquise do 

 Mortemart. In the second-prize stand, that shown by Mr. J. 

 Cranston, King's Acre, Hereford, the trusses were also of high 

 merit, particularly Edward Morren, Dupuy-Jamain, Eticnua 

 Levet, very bright; Dr. Andry, Inipcratrice Charlotte, with a 

 fine glow in the centre; Elie Morel, Marquise de Castellane, 

 Victor Verdier, Prince Caniillc do Rohan, Marguerite de St. 

 Amand, La Esmeralda, Mons. Xoman ; a seedling of the Madame 

 Moreau form, but crimson ; Duke of Edinburgh, Countess of 

 Oxford, very tine; Marquise de Gibot, John Hopper, La France, 

 and Maflanio Furtado. Third came Messrs. Mitchell it Sons, 

 Piltdown, with Baroness Rothschild, Ferdinand de Lessepa, 



