June 33, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



439 



Pelargonium Show. The Heaths were fairly well represented, 

 and so were the Fancy and Show varieties of Pelargoniums ; 

 bat I was much surprised on looking at the schedule that no 

 prizes were given either for Golden or Silver Tricolors, varie- 

 gated bedding Pelargoniums, or Bronze and Gold ; nor were 

 there any cpecial prizes offered for new varieties, and nothing, 

 in short, to induce raisers and growers of new varieties to 

 exhibit them. 



I thought, when at the beginning of the year it was announced 

 special Bhows would be held for different varieties of plants at 

 the most suitable seasons, that it would be a step in the right 

 direction, and I determined I would attend at the Pelargonium 

 Show to see what advance had been made in the different sec- 

 tions of this interesting and popular plant. Other country 

 Fellows besides myself had also cume up for the same pur- 

 pose, and were equally with me disappointed in finding that 

 the clasees for Golden and Silver Tricolors were included in 

 the Show of the 8th of June, and that single specimens of 

 nine different classes of Pelargoniums are to be exhibited on 

 August 3rd. Now if those prizes included in the schedules for 

 June and August had all been given on the day fixed for the 

 Pelargonium Show, it would have added very much to the 

 interest of the Exhibition. But even then I do not think the 

 schedule would have been a very peifect one — for instance, 

 with the extraordinary advance which has been made in a few 

 years in the Gold and Bronze section of Pelargoniums, it seems 

 absurd that our leading horticultural society should offer only 

 prizes for a Bingle specimen, and that only at an inferior meet- 

 ing. I am not speaking now of the Oxford meeting, as that 

 occupies a position by itself. There is no prize, again, offered 

 for newly-introduced varieties, and no limits made in the size 

 of the pots. The consequence is that, with some few ex- 

 ceptions, no good new varieties were exhibited, either in the 

 Fancy or Show section, or among the Zonals, on May 18th. 

 Nor do I expect that the prizes offered on the 3rd of August for 

 single specimens will bring much competition, as so much is 

 thought in general of the size of plants, that the improved 

 varieties more recently introduced have- very little chance 

 against old-established varieties. 



It may be premature to Buggest alterations for another year, 

 still I venture to throw out the hint that another year at our 

 special shows every possible variety, of whatever plant may be 

 the subject of tho day's show, be represented in the schedule. 

 1 only speak with regard to the Pelargonium Show, but I dare- 

 say some correspondents may point out omissions in other 

 special shows. 



I cordially endorse what was said in " The Gardener" 88 to 

 the flatness of the training of some of the Zonal Pelargoniums, 

 still the fault does not rest so much in using wire trellises, as 

 in the manner in wLiuh they were used. All plants must have 

 either sticks or wires, and innumerable sticks, such as were to 

 be seen in some of the large show plants, are quite as objec- 

 tionable as wires. " Ars est celare artem." If the wires were 

 used so as to train the plant into a more globular form, and 

 the plants were finally tied at least from two to three weeks 

 before the show, then the tying would not show so much, and 

 the flatness of form would be avoided. Among Zonals, six 

 which were exhibited by Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing were 

 the only ones which had a good symmetrical shape. The 

 Tricolors of June 8th were in far better form than the Zonals 

 on May 18th. 



I should certainly suggest that special prizes be given to new 

 seedlings of merit, at least three plants in G inch pots to be 

 shown of each variety, and that other classes be made in 8-inch 

 pota for varieties that have been introduced into the trade for 

 one or two seasons. 



I have made my remarks on the Pelargonium Show of the 

 i8th ult. so much longer than I anticipated, that I will only 

 add a few words about the Show on the 8th. In the first in- 

 stance the materiel of tho Show was very good. A better col- 

 lection of Orchid3 is seldom seen, and the classes for twenty 

 stove and greenhouse plants in smaller pots, brought a very in- 

 teresting collection of plants together. Mr. Baines's plants 

 were again, as everywhere, all that could be desired, but it is 

 earnestly to be hoped we may have a better place to exhibit 

 the plants in. The corridors are too dark and narrow, the con- 

 servatory on the 8th oppressively hot, and the arcades, which 

 are at present being built over the corridors, will be both narrow 

 and hot. It was quite a luxury on the 8th 1o go into tb.3 large 

 tent where Mr. Waterer's splendid collection of Rhododendrons 

 was exhibited. May we not have a tent, or series of tents, 

 constructed on the prinoiple of those which were used at the 



International Exhibition in 1862, at the lower end of the 

 gardens, next to the National Portrait Gallery, and the ground 

 laid ont in proper walks and terraces, much in the same way 

 as in the Rhododendron tent? It may not be so suitable for 

 wet weather, but there would still be the arcades and conser- 

 vatory to fly to as a dernier ressort, when the weather was 

 threatening. At present the judges are almost the only persona 

 who have the opportunity of seeing the plants satisfactorily, 

 and many visitors to the flower Bhows merely stay to listen to 

 the bands outBide. — C. P. Peach. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY'S SHOW. 



Alterations in schedules often make great alterations in shows, 

 and the altered schedule of 1870 made a great alteration in the Royal 

 Botanic Society's June Show, and not for the better. That the Exhi- 

 bition, opened yesterday and continued to-day, is pretty aa a whole wo 

 can affirm, that it has many points of merit we can affirm, that it 

 owes much of its effect to the skilful arrangement of the courteous 

 and painstaking Superintendent. Mr. Thomas Don, we can also affirm, 

 but that it is equal to the corresponding shows of former years — that 

 we can i'ot affirm. The large specimen stove and greenhouse plants 

 which occupied so much space, as a rule, were absent, and there was 

 nothing to compensate for their absence by the presence of more nume- 

 rous, more varied smaller specimens. Still it must be admitted that 

 flower shows of late years have travelled very much — too much — in one 

 beaten path. "What we saw at the Horticultural one week appeared 

 at the botanic the next, at the Crystal Palace two or three days after- 

 wards, and those who had seen one exhibition had. to all intents and 

 purposes, seen all. But this is not, could not be, satisfactory, for the 

 mind of man is so expansive, that it has* no limit on earth ; it ia 

 ever seeking for fresh fields to conquer, until the utmostdegree of pro- 

 gress (whatever that may be) shall be attained. It is well, therefore, 

 that deviations should be made from the beaten track, and if they are 

 not so successful as anticipated, we should not too much blame 

 those who have the boldness to make them, and who will, no doubt, in 

 the end turn the experience gained to advantage. 



Large specimens of stove and greenhouse plants are almost entirely 

 ahsent; but a few are contributed by Messrs. Carr, Wilkie, J. Wheeler, 

 Williams, Tanton, and Jackson & Son ; while Messrs. Carr, Cole, and 

 Hill, gardenerto R. Hanbury, Esq., send fine-foliaged plants. Groups 

 arranged for effect come from Messrs. Lee, Hammersmith, and Messrs. 

 A. Henderson & Co., and a very neat group of bedding plants arranged 

 for effect from Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Co. Mr. Parker, of Toot- 

 ing, and Mr. Ware furnish pretty groups of hardy herbaceous plants. 

 Of Cape Heaths, Messrs. Jackson, Ward, and J. Wheeler have very 

 good examples. Fuchsias from Mr. Filce, gardener to J. Hutton, 

 Esq., Clapham Park, and Mr. Cannell, are excellently grown. Pelar- 

 goniums from Mr. Ward are likewise fine, consisting of Lord Clyde, 

 Mary Hoyle, Viola, King Arthur, Nestor, and Sunny Memories. In 

 the other classes Messrs. Dobson are the only exhibitors. The 

 Zonal Pelargoniums from Mr. Catlin, gardener to Mrs. Lermitte. 

 Finchley, are one of the best points iu the Show. They consist of 

 well-trained plants, averaging 4 feet in diameter, of Clipper, Leader, 

 M. Rendatler, Commander, Tintoret, and Oliver. Of Tricolor Pelar- 

 goniums, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Welch, HillingJon, Messrs. Carter & Co., 

 and Messrs. E. G. Henderson have well-grown specimens. The best 

 of the double-flowering kinds come from Messrs. Carter. 



Orchids are but few. The best in the nurserymen's class are from 

 Mr. Williams, in the amateurs' class from Mr. Ward. Mr. Williams 

 has also a tine single specimen of Cattleya Warneri, and Mr. Stevens, 

 gardener to the Duke of Sutherland, Trentham, of Dendrobium for- 

 mosum, with a profusion of yellow and orange flowers. 



Of Gloxinias, the best come from Messrs. Rollisson and Mr. Davies, 

 and the former also send an excellent collection not for competition. 



Spiram palmata, one of the most beautiful of rose-coloured flowers, 

 from Mr. C. Noble, forms the most conspicuous of the miscellaaeons 

 groups ; we hardly know how to commend it more than we have done 

 — it is most lovely. 



Paul & Son send Roses in pots ; and stands of cut blooms are 

 very numerous, Messrs. Paul &: Son, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Fraser 

 being the principal contributors amongst nurserymen ; whilst Mr. 

 Dobreo and Mr. Hollingworth have the best stands among amateurs. 



Groups of new and rare plants come from Messrs. Yeitch, Mr. 

 Bull, Mr. Williams, aud Messrs. A. Henderson & Co., those from the 

 first two being especially remarkable. Messrs. Veitch have the orange 

 scarlet Scutellaria mocciniana in fine bloom, their valuable new 

 Crotons, Begonia Sedeni and Chelsoni, and numerous Palms and 

 other plants. Mr. Bull has in a large and interesting group Godwinia 

 gigas, a singular plsnt, of which a detailed account was given some 

 time back. Lastly, Mr. W. Paul, in addition to the fine stands of cut 

 Roses, sent a beautiful group of various Zonal Pelargoniums in flower, 

 beautifully grown, and forming one of the most effective groups in the 

 whole Show. 



FRUIT. 



The exhibitions of fruit, though not numerous, are good. The best 

 collection comes from Mr. Bannerman, gardener to Lord Bagot, and 

 consists of two Qoeen Pine Apples, Foster's White Seedling and Black 

 Hamburgh Grapes, the former very fine; excellent Royal George 



