ADgllst 15, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



117 



continuance of such fftes, just as I would rejoice to know that 

 some liiiitK that Huch U-tea would bo discontinued proceeded 

 ouly from Konio moiljid prophets wf evil. 



I atti'iiili'il (or the second time this Woburn fi"-te on the lUst 

 of last iiiimtli, Htul in answer to several iiupiiries as to .sucreH.^, 

 aims, modes of oi)eration, extent of inliiience, co-operation of 

 .MO many parishes, liiuh aims of the Committee in gratifying 

 the relinnd tastes of the wealthy as well as meeting the sym- 

 pathies of the more humble, I would respectfully refer all in- 

 forested to the salient points of the Show as given in No. 2H0. 

 for August 7th, l.S(il!, and would refer now merely to a few 

 thoughts suggested by the Show of this year, and without any 

 attempt at arrangement. 



The Show, thanks to the fine weather and the excellence of 

 the arrangements, was a great success even financially con- 

 sidered, anil that is saying a great deal, when in addition to 

 iifiO to i;70 given as prizes, three musical bands were engaged to 

 gratify the visitors, a militia band in the fine pleasure-grounds 

 of the Abbey in the forenoon, the band of the Coldstream 

 Guards in the afternoon at the Show grounds, and another 

 band in the evening until close on nine o'clock to meet the 

 wishes of those who found an outlet to their exuberant spirits 

 in dancing innocently on the green sod in the presence of 

 friends and neighbours. 



I may here mention, in passing, a simple fact for the benefit 

 of all concerned, that notwithstantling tiie buoyant spiiits and 

 hilarity prevailing, no sooner did the music of the evening 

 cease at the specified time, than the great assemblage that 

 crowded the field at once left in the most orderly mauner; in 

 fact, I heard several gentlemen say they could not have acted 

 more quietly and orderly if leaving a church or a cathedral. I 

 may also state that the numbers collected in the Park as specta- 

 tors of the cricket-match, left at once at the appointed time. 



But to return to the important matter of finance. Many, 

 and these the not most timid, were a little sensitive owing to 

 a little change in the arrangements. With great liberality the 

 noble proprietors of Woburn Abbey have generously opened 

 the mansion and grounds to visitors one day in the week. The 

 opening of the I'lensure-grouuds, Park, and Evergreens on 

 this fete day was a separate and distinctive favour, and last 

 year was reserved for those who had a ticket of admission to 

 the Cottage (larJen Show. This year, for reasons of which | 

 I am ignorant, though I might guetis that one of them would 

 be tho nnwillir.gues-! that entrance to these fine grouuils 

 should bo at all associated with a regular money payment, even 

 though that should bo for the benefit of the Cottage Garden 

 Society, the (Jardeus were open as last year, but free as on a 

 comm.'ii open day, and under the usual regulations ; and in 

 such circumstances it was feared that the finances of the Society 

 would suffer. Here, however, as it <»ften happens, liberality 

 brings n rich reward. I was assured that many visited the 

 Abbey Gardens on that holiday who could not have gone on an 

 open week d.-iy, and took as many of the younger branches of 

 the family with them as they could not have afforded to pay for 

 at the exhibition ground. The great jiroportion, however, of 

 the visitors of the Abbey Gardens found their way ullimalely 

 to the flower Show ; so that whilst the visitors to tho Alibey 

 were considerably above four thousand, not less than five thou- 

 sand visitors were admitted to the show-field on payment. This 

 is just an additional fact to prove that even on tho low con- 

 sideration of a money point of view, a liberal policy is generally 

 the most remuuerative. 



As I have hinted at the good behaviour manifest in the 

 •how-field, so here I m.ay say that if the great numbers that 

 visited tlie .-Vbbey Gardens had been "lords and ladies born," 

 they could not have conducted themselves better, or manifested 

 greater admiration for the beauty of the flowers and the grand 

 results of the artist's skill, a sure proof — with only trifling 

 exceptions — that if you treat the great masses of working 

 people with trust and confidence, they so feel their sense of 

 honour appealed to, that they will return that trust with in- 

 tegrity and gratitude. I had the pleasure of leisurely travers- 

 ing aJl these grounds in the cool of the evening along with Mr. 

 McKay, the able Superintendent, and regretted exceedingly 

 to find even one solitary empty soda-water bottle. Not an- 

 other vestige of the visit of the thousands could be found, 

 unless that here and there the walks had been so beautifully 

 swept by the long dresses of tho ladies, that tho finest brooms 

 and the best workmen could not have equalled the operation. 



Tho Show was a success, because a great improvement on 

 previous exhibitions in the quality of tho horticultural pro- 

 dnoe exhibited. The advantage of such societies is not only tho 



fostering of greater indnstry, but the growing of better produc- 

 tions, and the showing them in tho best condition. As a general 

 rule, the people near Woburn are still behind in the growth 

 of flowers and the showing them oil to the best advantage. 

 If I see another thow, I shall expect to find cut flowers and 

 plants in juUs very much improved; in fact, I shall expect as 

 much improvement in this respect as has already most mani- 

 festly taken jilaco in fruit and vegetables. The quality cf tho 

 hardy fruit left little to be desired, and instead of the shapeless, 

 unequal-sized produce we used to see, there were myriads of 

 hunches of Carrots, Turnips, and tureens of Potatoes, each 

 specimen as if it had been cast in a mould. One great ad- 

 vantage of a careful decision in such matters is, that tho cot- 

 tager tees clearly what peculiar excellencies lie must aim to 

 secure. Several of the collections of fruit in the various classes 

 were very tastefully arranged — a matter well worthy of en- 

 couragement, as in such cases judges in general look more to 

 the kinds of fruit and the quality of each than the taste dis- 

 played in arranging it. Fine Grapes, especially Muscats, goldeu 

 ripe, were exhibited by Mr. Turner, gardener to the Rev. G. G. 

 Harter. 



Though the great feature of a cottager's show was still para- 

 mount, there were more articles exhibited by amateurs and 

 gentlemen's gardeners, more nurserymen also gave their assist- 

 ance to fill the tables, and Ferns ami linefoliaged plants were 

 contributed from tho gardens of Sir Philip Duncombe, all 

 tending to the completeness of the Show, and furnishing ex- 

 amples of neat, compact culture and growth to our cottager 

 rivals. A juize was offered for a rare plant of any kind, and it 

 was taken by n beautiful little yellow variegated plant of tho 

 Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara), belonging to R. Stevens, 

 Esq , Apsley, which from its mode of growth seemed as if it 

 would come in well as a hardy edging to flower-beds. Tho 

 plants shown by my friend, Mr. Manning, were well got up, 

 and elegrintly named on large cards. 



No prize was offered to nurserymen, but still there were four 

 present— Mr. Sheppard, Bedford ; Mr. .fohn Woods, HocklilTe ; 

 Mr. Tirebuck, Luton ; (ii)d Mr. Jabez Chater. from Cambridge. 

 Mr. Sheppard exhibited a fine collection of Roses ; Mr. Woods, 

 a good collection of small, flowering, miscellaneous plants, 

 among which were some very neat, very dwarf Lobelias, very 

 useful for miniature edgings, whether white or blue ; also, the 

 pretty small white-anJ-crimson-stripcd Petunia I noticed so 

 favourably last year, and which seems to maintain its character 

 and habit'; also a good collection of flowers of Hollyhocks, 

 Picotees, and Carnations. Sir. Tirebuck exhibited Carnations, 

 and his fiiie-folingi-d and different-coloured Scarlet Pelargo- 

 niums, in the shape of neat-grown plants, such as they have 

 been de«cnbed in this Journal, among which in the full- 

 petalled kiuds stood conspicuous Emily Moreland, and among 

 the Nosegays the neat lilac rose-coloured Felix. 



Mr. Chater exhibited some large Gooseberiies, and a fine 

 Cherry, beautiful boxes of Roses, gla".ed cases of leaves of fine- 

 foliaged seedling Pelargoniums, cut flowers of grcenhou-e and 

 hardy plants, and among other subjects fine flowers of the Holly- 

 hock", and varieties of the Zonal Pelargonium, mostly new. 

 As likely to be generally interesting, I will allude more par- 

 ticularly to these. Andfii-stof the Hollyhocks— a class of flowers, 

 the great improvements in which will ever be associated 

 with the name of Mr, William Chater, of Saffron W'alden. With 

 respect to seedlings, I must give some prominence to one of the 

 year, Robert Fish, a fine, compact, well-formed flower, of a 

 lovely crimson salmon colour, tinted with an orange shade, 

 with good smooth guard petals— a very promising kind. An- 

 other promising seedling had a salmon amber tint, but was un- 

 named. I subjoin the names of twenty-four fine flowers shown 

 on cards, the most of which have been raised at times by 

 Mr. J. J. Chater, and the others by Mr. W. Chater :— 



Autumn Queen, bright rose ; Princess of Wales, crimson, 

 light shaded; Yellow Prince; Arthur B. Chater, blush and 

 tinted: Ne Plus Ultra, lilac purple; Lord Warden, tuby crim- 

 son ; Plurimus Dulcis, blush, purple base ; Iris, white, purple 

 base ; Shades of Evening, grey and purple red ; Agenora, 

 purple ; Yice-Chancellor, crimson salmon ; Acme, peach ; 

 George Paul, brilliant crimson : Aurantiaca, shaded orange ; 

 Decision, bufT, tinted with rose ; Constellation, crimson; Glory 

 of Walden, glowing crimson scarlet ; Richard Cobden. salmon 

 scarlet ; Princess, deep purple ; Cygnet, pure white ; Midnight, 

 dark maroon ; (jueen of Buffs ; seedling, rich salmon and 

 amber ; seedling, fine apple-blossom colour. 



I forbear to mention the noble spikes shown, in which the 

 flowers were equally fine, and showed what may be done by 



