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JOUENAL OP HOETICULTTXKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ July 21, 1863. 



THE BIEMINGHAM EOSE SHOW. 



July IGth and 17th. 



When any gi-eat design is carried into eifect and proves 

 to be a success, the word " patronage " is wliisjjered about as 

 tiiough the rich man's purse were the only or chief motive 

 power; but those who are in tlie habit of looking beneath 

 the surface will surely acknowledge a motive power still 

 more potent. In support of tliis view I woidd instance the 

 late Birmingham Eose Show, which, as a Eose show, I believe 

 was second to none in the kingdom, and, probably, in the 

 world ; and it was held in the midst of a manufaetming 

 town which, like manufacturing towns in general, is densely 

 populated, very smoky, and inhabited by two classes of 

 people — employers and employed, boasting of few if any of 

 the upper ten thousand. 



The Town HaU in which the Show was held is a fine massive 

 building of the Corinthian order of architecture. Interiorly 

 it is both spacious and lofty, and the ceiling is finely deco- 

 rated. At one end is an orchestra siu'mounted by one of 

 the fijiest organs in the country ; and below the organ a 

 crescent was formed by some of the stages or seats being 

 arranged with CamelUas, Conifers, Ferns, and other plants, 

 and within this crescent the baud performed. 



The Eoses, which certainly were the principal features of 

 the Show, were arranged on stages in the body of the build- 

 ing; and although a portion of them were to be found 

 up-stairs, the most important collections were below. Each 

 temporai-y stage contained two rows, and between these 

 were Ferns, Begonias, Caladiums, &c., the whole looking 

 exceedingly well and doing credit to those who had the 

 arrangement of them. I took a few notes of the Show, which 

 1 send for the benefit of your readers ; and though my re- 

 marks may not be in so masterly a style as those of a pro- 

 fessional reporter, yet I will do what I can. 



In giving any opinion on the condition of the flowers I 

 can only speak from impression, for, not having seen the 

 preceding Shows, I cannot speak from comparison. There 

 were Eoses that had not attained their best, and there were 

 those that were past it. Some were not vdthout fault as to 

 form and colom-; but, on the whole, I consider they were 

 very good. Some would say that the flowers were too open, 

 but every Eose-gi'ower knows what a difference a single day 

 will make in the appearance of a flower in the bright sunny 

 weather that has lately prevailed. Making allowance for 

 this, I consider no one has a right to complain that the ex- 

 hibitors had not done well. Certainly instances were not 

 wanting in.which the same varieties woiild differ considerably 

 on different stands ; but this is natural and may be the 

 effect of locality, or it may be that individual flowers differ 

 on the same plant. 



In Class A (Nurserymen), ninety-six varieties, single 

 trusses, the first prize was awarded to Mr. B. E. Cant, 

 Colchester. Among his lot were Lffilia (very fine), President, 

 Madame Vidot, Fran9ois Lacharme, and G-loire de Dijon, 

 all first-rate. The second prize went to Mr. John Keynes, 

 of Salisbm-y. In this collection were some good blooms of 

 Jean d'Arc, Jules Margottin, Marechal VaiUant, MdHe. 

 Bonnaire, Comtesse Ouvaroff, Madame KnoiT, Beauty of 

 Waltham, Alphonse Kan-, Celine Forestier, Lady Stuart, 

 Madame Hector Jaequin, Madame Boll, Triomphe de Eennes, 

 Gloire de Santenay, Olivier Delhomme, Souvenu- de Comte 

 Cavoui', Biu-on Gonella, Comte de Nanteml, General Jac- 

 queminot, Glou'e de Vitry, Senateur Vaisse, all good and 

 fi:esh-looking — more so, in my opinion, than the preceding, 

 and they were certainly better ai-ranged. Messrs. Paul and 

 Son, Cheshunt, and Mi'. W. Faul, of Waltham Cross, were 

 equal thii-d in this class. In the collection of the former 

 were good flowers of Eugene Desgaches, Comtesse CecUe de 

 Chabrdlant, Due de Eohan, Jaune of Smith, Madame Pier- 

 son, Niphetos, &c., all good and neatly packed ; but many 

 would say the flowers were too full blown. Mr. W. Paul's 

 collection contained, in addition to fine fiowers of some of 

 the above. Due de Gazes (very dark), General Jacqueminot 

 in fine condition, and Louis XH'. 



In this class entries were also made by Messrs. Francis, 

 of Hertford, who showed Louis Peyronney very large, and 

 the following fii-st-rate : — Baron Gonella, Louise Magnan, 

 Prince CamiUe de Eohan. From Mr. Tm-ner, of Slough, 

 whose coUectiou looked really charming, there came amongst 



others good blooms of Triomphe de Caen, La Boule d'Or, 

 Eugene Appert, Crloire de Santenay, Souvenir d'un Ami 

 (good), Madame Bravy, Madame Charles Wood (very large). 

 Mr. Cranston's collection included many good flowers, but 

 they were loosely arranged compared to the last. Mr. E. 

 Smith also entered in this class. 



In Class A (Nurserymen), forty-eight varieties, three 

 trusses, the first prize was carried off by Mr. John Keynes, 

 of Salisbury, with a most excellent stand, all fresh and beau- 

 tiful. The second prize went to Messrs. Paul & Sons, Ches- 

 hunt ; and the third to Mr. B. E. Cant, of Colchester. In 

 this class were several other exhibitors, including Messrs. 

 Francis, Keynes, W. Paul, Paid & Sons, Smith, and Turner. 

 In Mr. Francis's collection I paiticularly noticed fine blooms 

 of Anna de Diesbach, Mrs. Elvers, Catherine Guillot, Com- 

 tesse de Chabrillant, Prince Imperial, Madame Schmidt, and 

 what seemed to me Jules Margottin named Senatem- Vaisse. 

 In Class A (Nxu-serymen), twenty-four varieties, three 

 trusses, the fii'st prize was taken by Mr. Keynes ; the second 

 by Mr. W. Draycott, Humberstone. near Leicester ; and the 

 third by Mr. George Batley, of Eugby. 



Class A, No. 4, twenty-foxu- vaiieties, single trusses, was 

 open only to niu'seiymen in the counties of Warwick, Wor- 

 cester, and Staffordshh-e. The first prize was awarded to 

 Messrs. S. Perkins & Sons, Coventry; the second to Mr. 

 W. H. Treen, of Eugby ; and the third to Mr. George Batley. 

 The other competitors in this division were Mr. J. Cole, of 

 Birchfield, near Birmingham; Mr. E. Smith, Worcester; 

 Mr. A. Wood, Worcester ; and Mi-. E. H. Vertegans, Chad 

 Valley, Edgbaston. The ti-usses shown here were in no' 

 way inferior to the others, proving that these counties are 

 well adapted for the culture of this the queen of flowers. 



In Class B, No. 5 (Amateurs), forty-eight varieties, single 

 truss, the first-prize cup was given to Mr. J. T. Hedge, Eeed 

 Hall, Colchester. Here were splendid flowers of Eeine Vic- 

 toria, Comtesse CecUe de Chabrfllant, Beauty of Waltham, 

 Jaune of Smith, Alexandre Fontaine, Matlame Chai-les Wood, 

 Louise Magnan, La Boule d'Or, Mrs. Elvers, Auguste Mie, ■ 

 Triomphe de Caen, Louis XIV., and Solfaterre. The second 

 prize was awarded to Mr. S. Evans, gai-dener to C. New- 

 degate, Esq., M.P., Nuneaton, Warwickslui-e, who also had 

 some good blooms ; and the thii'd prize to the Eev. S. 

 Eeynolds Hole, Caunton Manor, Newark. 



Class B. No. 6 (Amateurs), twenty-four varieties, single 

 trusses.— The fii-st prize went to Mi-. J. T. Hedge, Colches- 

 ter; the second to Mr. S. Evans, gardener to C. N. Newde- 

 gate, Esq.. M.P. ; and the thii-d to Mr. E. Sage, gardener 

 to Earl Howe, Atherstone. These collections were all good, 

 and some were really first-rate. 



Class B, No. 7 (Amateui-s), eighteen varieties, single 

 trusses. — The first prize was awarded to Mr. C. J. Perry, 

 Castle Bromwich ; the second to Mi-. J. T. Hedge ; and the 

 thu-d to Mr. E. Hunt, whose collection included good blooms 

 of Smith's Noisette and Prau-e de Ten-e Nou-e. 



Class B, No. 8 (Amateurs), twelve vai-ieties, single trusses. 

 —The first prize was taken by Mi-. J. Stratton, Manning- 

 ford, Wiltshire, with a collection including Cloth of Gold, 

 Triomphe de Eennes, and others little if anything inferior. 

 Mr. E. Sage, gardener to Earl Howe, had the second prize ; 

 and the thh-d went to Mi-. E. Hunt, Leicester, who had 

 Celine Forestier, Madame Hector Jaequin, and Madame C. 

 Crapelet, very good. 



Class B, No. 9 (Amateiu-s), twelve varieties, single truss, 

 open only to amateurs resident within fifteen miles of Ste- 

 venson's Place, Birmingham.— The first prize was awarded 

 to Mr. W. Brown, gardener to Mrs. Alston, Ehuden HaU, 

 near Birmingham : and equal second pi-izes were given to 

 the Eev. P. M. Smythe, the Kectory, Solihull, and Mi-. C. J. 

 Perry, Castle Bromwich. 



Class B, No. 10 (Amateurs), sis varieties, single trass, 

 open only to amatem-s resident within fifteen miles of Ste- 

 venson's Place, Birmingham.- The first prize was taken by 

 Mr. C. J. PeiTy, Castle Brom-wich : the second prize by Mr. 

 W. Bro-wn, gardener to Mrs. Alston, Ebnden HaU; and 

 equal thirds by Mi-. E. Gai-net. Sutton Coldfield, and Mr. 

 B. Wright, the Quarry House. Great Boit, Staffordshire. 



Class B, No. 11 (Amateurs).— Six varieties, open only to 

 amateurs resident -within three miles of Stevenson's Place, 

 Birmingham. In this class there were no entries. 



Class C, No. 12 (Open).— CoUections not exceeding twenty- 



