100 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t September 11, 1873. 



that variety. It was stated to be of Tery excellent quality, but 

 its appearance was not at all prepossessing. Mr. Miller, Work- 

 sop, was second with a variety named Lord Napier. Mr. Temple, 

 Blenheim, was first in the scarlet-fleshed class. 



Plums.— Of these there was a fair supply, but they were not 

 well displayed. In the class for twenty Plums, five kinds, Mr. 

 Jones, Frogmore, was first with Magnum Bonum, Green Gage, 

 Washington, Goliath, and Victoria, all very excellent examples. 

 In the class for twelve Plums, Eivers's Early Favourite from 

 Mr. J. Morris, Braintree, was placed first, Victoria (Denyer's) 

 being second. 



Pe-uis and Apples. — Pears, if we except the Jargonelle, were 

 not well exhiluted. Mr. C. Rylance, Ormskirk, was placed first 

 with these for very good examples. In the collection of Pears, 

 twelve kinds, two of each, the best lot came from Mr. Jones, 

 Frogmore ; they were, however, passed over. Mr. G. Miles ob- 

 tained the first prize with Beurrc Diel, Louise Bonne of Jersey, 

 Gansel's Bergamot, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Pitmaston Duchess, 

 Glou Mor<;'eau, Catillac, Bro-mi Beurrg, Knight's Monarch, and 

 Williams's Bou Chretien. This, as well as all the other collec- 

 tions, was placed on a small dish and luiddlcd-up, having a very 

 littery appearance. The tickets, in many coUectious, were badly 

 placed, and in some horrible mis-speUing occurred. The same 

 remark applies to the Apples, the exhibition of which was very 

 poor. Creditable examples stood forth here and there, but the 

 great mass was miserable for an important show like this. Mr. 

 Webb, of Calcot, wasplaced first for baking Apples, and Mr. Jones 

 Frogmore, first for dessert in the collection classes. For the 

 single dish of dessert Apples Mr. Webb was first with very fine 

 examples of Red Astrachan. 



Fios were not largely shown, the principal variety being 

 Brown Turkey. 



GoosEEEBRiEs, Considering the lateness of the season, were 

 well shown, the chief variety being Bed Warrington; the best 

 coming from Mr. J. Hodder, Prestbury, Cheltenham. 



CuEBANTS, Red and White, made also a good display, the 

 examjjles being very large and fine. 



TojiATOES were here included amongst the fruit classes ; 

 whether intended for dessert or kitchen we were not informed. 

 For four distinct kinds, three of each, the first prize was awarded 

 to Mr. Hunter for four dishes which were decidedly all the same 

 kind ; at all events it was impossible for the Judges to observe 

 any distinction. 



Feuit Teees in Pots.— For two Vines in pots Messrs. Lane 

 and Son had very large plants in large pots bearing an abundant 

 crop of fair fruit. Peaches iu pots were very poor, and the same 

 remark applies to Figs. For two Pine Apples in pots in fruit 

 Mr. Hunter, Lambton Castle, staged some good examples of a 

 seedhng variety which promises well. They were, however, 

 quite green and unripe. 



Feuiteeees' Collections. — Among the collections of fruit 

 open to fruiterers only some good exhibitions were made, the 

 fruit iu many instances being very fine and iu gi-eat quantity. 

 For the largest collection the first prize of i;20 was awarded to Mr. 

 Mason, Bolton. Mr. W. Copeland, Manchester, who was second, 

 had a collection nearly equally good. In his stand we observed 

 two large and fine baskets of Duke of Bucclench Grape. In the 

 class for collections of fifteen kinds of fruits the first prize was 

 awarded to Mr. Robert Jennings, Manchester ; in his exhibition, 

 however, there were only fourteen kinds, so that he ought clearly 

 to have been disquahfied. Mr. F. Stevenson, Altriucbam, was 

 placed second. It is greatly to be regretted that the collections 

 of fruit which were entered for competition in these classes by 

 Mr. Thomas, Jersey, did not arrive in time. We beHeve they 

 were detained on the railway and only reached the show-ground 

 late on the morning of the opening day, and were refused ad- 

 mittance without the knowledge of the Curator. Instead of being 

 exhibited, therefore, they were sold in Manchester market. 



VEGETjU3LES. 



Not the least interesting, though perhaps not the most at- 

 tractive, part of this great Show at Manchester, was the col- 

 lections of vegetables sent from nearly all parts of England. 

 •These vegetables were exhibited in a "large tent on the north 

 side of the conservatory, extending nearly its whole length. 

 There was a,lso a supplementary tent in another part of the 

 grounds adjoining the promenade or open space in front of the 

 range of hothouses, which was set apart for the exhibition of 

 Potatoes, of which there was a large and most interesting col- 

 lection, and (o which we shall refer again. 



In the large tent adjoining the eonservatoiy, the first thing 

 that struck us on entering was a remarkably fine collection of 

 vegetables shown by Mr. John Holder, of Cheltenham, to which 

 the first prize was awarded. The wording of the schedule, " For 

 the largest and most meritorious miscellaneous collection of 

 vegetables, including all kinds" (open), left much to the in- 

 dividual judgment of the exhibitors, and we are glad the Judges 

 did not give the prize to a merely overcrowded collection, but to 

 one very meritorious, and having quite quantity and diversity 

 enough to bring it within the true meaning of the schedule. 



The vegetables which we remarked as particularly good were 

 the Cauliflowers, Red Cabbages, GarUc, Celery, Cucumber 

 (Holder's Dreadnought, a fine seedhng of Mr. Holder's, which 

 looks very promising, somewhat of the type of Blue Gown, but 

 rougher in the spine, apparently a quick grower), Beet, Parsnips, 

 Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Vegetable Marrows, and Custard ditto. 

 The Potatoes were not remarkably good, at least we thought 

 both the Early Rose and Red-skinned Flourball coarse though 

 large. Paterson's Victoria was good. Amongst other vegetables 

 in this collection we saw that useless introduction, the Ra- 

 phanus caudatus, or Rat-tailed Radish : we had sincerely hoped 

 we had seen the last of it, but we suppose in a collection for mis- 

 cellaneous varieties some persons might be found to admire it. 

 The second prize went to Mr. John Turk, Railway Cottage. la 

 this collection the Onions were especially fine. We could have 

 wished for better nomenclature ; in fact, this was a desideratum 

 iu many cases both iu fruit and vegetables, the names often 

 carelessly wi-itteu and badly spelt, on small torn pieces of paper. 

 In this collection Nonpareil Cabbages were labelled as Nom- 

 perial. Capsicums as Capsicumbs, &e. Amongst the fruit, 

 especially among the Apples, we noticed not merely bad spell- 

 ing, but many dishes altogether incorrectly named. This, no 

 doubt, is to a certain degree unavoidable, but correct nomen- 

 clature adds very much to the value of an exhibition, as many 

 persons like to correct the names of their own fruits and vege- 

 tables by those exhibited at large shows, and we think it would 

 be a good thing if competent judges were, after the awards are 

 given, to correct any undoubted mistakes. The third prize in 

 collections of miscellaneous vegetables went to Mr. R. Gilbert, 

 of Burghley, from the Marquis of Exeter's garden. This col- 

 lection was very nicely staged, the difl'erent kinds of vegetables 

 being separated by the longer-growing kinds, such as Cucum- 

 bers, Celery, &c. Onions, Nuneham and Giant Rocca, very fine ; 

 Potatoes, Eeaconsfield and Premier, good ; Carrots, James's 

 Intermediate, very good ; Custard and Moore's Cream Marrow, 

 Canadian Wonder Bean, and Veitch's Giant Cauliflower, all 

 good. There were seventeen entries for the lai-ge collections of 

 vegetables, but there were several absentees — so much so, that 

 a large collection of French Gladioli was staged in the empty 

 space, and though not to be compared with the English-grown 

 Gladioh shown by Mr. Kelway, yet considering the season is 

 nearly over for French Gladioli, there were many very interest- 

 ing flowers sent. 



The collections of fifteen kinds of vegetables followed next. 

 Here the premier prize was very easily taken by a remarkably 

 fine assortment of vegetables exhibited by Mr. G. Miles, gar- 

 dener to Lord Carington, showing that Mr. Miles not only excels 

 in forced fruit, as the reports of the South Kensington fruit 

 shows so often remind us, but that he equally excels in that 

 important department, vegetables. His collection comprised 

 some wonderful specimens of Student Parsnip and Altrineham 

 Can-ot; also very fine Early White Naples Onion; Peas, Lax- 

 ton's Superlative, no doubt a fine exhibition sort, and which, we 

 are informed, is also good for the table, though in our opinion 

 many of the larger-podded Peas are somewhat deficient in 

 flavour: Celery, Leicester Red; Cauliflower, Veitch's; Cucum- 

 ber, Blue Gown, were also good. The only fault we were in- 

 clined to find was with the Prince of Wales Potatoes, which 

 seemed too coarse for the table. We may remark that this 

 seemed to us too general a fault with the Potatoes in the col- 

 lections of vegetables ; with some few exceptions size seemed to 

 have been sought for at the expense of quality. The other 

 vegetables shown to complete Mr. Miles's number were Tomato 

 Trophy, Artichokes, Vegetable Marrows, Brussels Sprouts, 

 Yellow Malta Turnip, and Broad Beans, which were not over- 

 good. The second and third prizes were taken respectively by 

 Mr. John Holder, of Cheltenham, and Messrs. Copeland iV Doran, 

 Stretford. Out of nineteen entries there were thirteeu that came 

 forward. 



In Class 77, for ten varieties of vegetables, there were thirty- 

 one entries, and nearly all who made them came forward. The 

 first prize was awarded to Messrs. Suowden & Son, Thirsk, and 

 we hardly ever remember to have seen a more uniformly good as- 

 sortment. We give the names. Carrot Long Surrey, Cucumber 

 Marquis of Lome, two of the best of the kind we ever saw; 

 Cauliflower Veitch's Giant, Celery Wright's Grove, Tomatoes 

 Trophy, Onions Nuneham, Beans Newiugton Wonder, very 

 good ; Peas Suowden's Nonsuch, a good variety ; Marrows, Ve- 

 getable, Cream ; and last, but not least, Potatoes, Lapstone, the 

 best dish of Potatoes in this tent. The second and third prizes 

 again fell, as in the last class, to Mr. John Holder and Messrs. 

 Copeland; but wo need not enter into details of the vaileties 

 shown. 



In Class 78, for six varieties of vegetables, there were again 

 thirty-one entries, with very few absentees. Mr. Miles was 

 again first, as he was in the fifteens ; Sir P. Duucombe second; 

 W. Skinner, Esq., Cheltenham, third. Mr. Miles showed nearly 

 the same selection of vegetables as to sorts as in his fifteen, with 

 the exception of the Potatoes, which, to our mind, were better 

 than those iu the fifteen, being fine samples of Ashleaf. 



