July 29, ]8b9. 1 



JOtJENAIi OF HORTICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



79' 



bearing, as well as those prepared for next year, from Mr. 

 Meredith, were also good, and only elicited a regret that Mr. 

 Meredith's name was not amongst the competitors for fruit 

 prizes. A collection of Grapes from Mr. Thomson, of Dalkeith, 

 was also remarkable, as being the produce of Tines only planted 

 last year, and some ol them from eyes of that same season. 

 The bunches, though not large, were good, and well ripened, 

 being shown as examples of whpt a heated border was capable of 

 doing, as Mr. Thomson is an advocate of that plan. Certainly 

 the Grapes were good for such young Vines, hut it is late in 

 the season now to ascribe merit to underground heating ; as 

 examples, however, of skill in showing how soon after plant- 

 ing good Grapes could be produced, they were moritorioiis. A 

 good bnnoh of the Golden Champion also accompanied them, 

 not ripe, it is true, but simply to show the character of the 

 Grape, which has a gond-sbouldered, compact bnncb, berries 

 very large and almost globnlnr, and in flavour (which I ascer- 

 tained elsewhere) it is eomeivhat of the character of Chasselas 

 Muaqucj, but many times larger in berry. Some very good 

 specimens of Vinos in pots came also from Messrs. Lane, of 

 Berkhampstead, as well as some other fruits in pots in a 

 bearing condition, but the Grapes were undoubtedly the best. 



Outside the tents were groups of ConifertE, in pots, tubs, or 

 baskets. Some of them had apparently only been recently re- 

 moved from the ground, and suffered accordingly. Several of 

 the more choice species, as well as some Japanese and other 

 shrubs of recent introduction, were accommodated inside; the 

 blanks rendered unavoidable by those who bespoke space, and 

 did not send plants, being judiciously filled up in this way, and 

 yet there was room. 



One feature of the Manchester Show, which I believe has 

 been adopted for some years, and is now followed by others, is 

 to give prizes for a mixed collection of flowering and fine- 

 foliaged plants, the judicious mixture of the two being more 

 agreeable to look op m than either alone. Mr. Baines's col- 

 lection had a decided advantage in this respect over those 

 he was opposed to, but in some other classes the difference 

 was less perceptible, while in the case of fruits it was, of 

 course, in some cases difficult to decide ; but it is not the purpose 

 here to criticise the judgment, for I believe the decisions were 

 not arrived at without much trouble and diiiSculty by those 

 engaged, and I am not sure if they were completed nntU several 

 hours after the public had been admitted. Here, again, the 

 managers were at fault, and, no doubt, the judges felt annoyed 

 at their position ; in fact, the early part of the day was spent 

 in the leisurely way that indicated everyone v?a3 making 

 a holiday of it for himself, regardless of that important aggre- 

 gate — the outside public knocking at the gates soon after mid- 

 day. An energetic master mind such as Manchester surely 

 possesses in many other matters, was certainly wanted here to 

 push the thing on. The many highly creditable productions of 

 horticultural skill would not then have been huddled together 

 without order or design, and the public, by far the most im- 

 portant persons concerned in such matters, would have felt as 

 much pleasure in viewing the productions presented to them 

 at a distance of 2 feet further off, had they the means of ascer- 

 taining who were the exhibitors, aud what honours they took ; 

 whilst, aa before stated, it the visitor wished to satisfy himself 

 on the latter point, he had to take np the card and make out, 

 if he could (for some failed in doing that), the name of the ex- 

 hibitor, and the class he exhibited in. The latter part of the 

 information might as well havo been printed. As it was, con- 

 siderable time was spent in making it out. 



Taming, again, to more pleasing parts of the Show, the 

 samples of horticultural structures of glass were good, and 

 those samples of ground vineries, as they are called, were in- 

 genions.^ Boilers of various construction were also shown, 

 some evidently capable of performing a large amount of work ; 

 but the condition of the ground rendered it impossible to em- 

 ploy the mowing machines, which were exhibited in numbers. 

 Tlie preceding, garden engines, syringes of several makes, and 

 various other articles, constituted an attractive whole. I also 

 noticed flower pots, and modes of hanging them up to poles, 

 walls, and in other positions by prepared wirework of a simple 

 design, while a large stand of fancy articles displayed the all- 

 important croquet materials, and the scarcely less important, 

 but most likely more transient rage of the time — the bicycle. 

 The music-stands wore plain, unassuming structures, one of 

 them not being finished till late in the day of opening. 



It would be wrong to conclude without giving credit to whom 

 credit_ is due. The vegetable tent was well filled, aud that, 

 too, with productions of a creditable kind. Celery in a blanched 



condition, ripe Tomatoes, Scarlet Runner and Kidney Beans, 

 with all the common vegetables, were in abundance, the only 

 thing wanted being some marks indicating whether the articles 

 exhibited were single dishes or collections of a certain number. 

 This, and the careless handwriting, as an experienced exhibitor 

 was heard to remark, rendered the whole a mass of confusion, 

 and spoiled what otherwise would have been a good show. Let 

 us hope, if the Royal Horticultural Society unite its fortunes 

 to its more robust sister another time, it will appoint officers 

 of more experience than those who directed its affairs this 

 time, for the patrons of a show like that at Manchester ought 

 to expect a different state of things from that presented last 

 week, and the public also look for more information, while, 

 perhaps, the party having the greatest cause to complain is the 

 exhibitor. Let us hope the like will not be repeated next year. 

 — A Correspondent. 



ROSES. STRAWBERRIES. AND POTATOES AT 

 OKEFORD FITZPAINE. 



By a fortunate coincidence of circumstances I was enabled 

 (.July 2nd) to pay a long-promised visit to Okeford Fitzpaine ; 

 and as my arrangements permitted me to accept Mr. Rad- 

 clyfie's hospitable offer of a bed, I had ample time to note 

 down fully the most remarkable features of this remarkable 

 place. 



First, as to Roses. Of these Mr. Eadclyffe has 1900 plants, 

 mostly on the Manetti stock. Charles Lefebvre and Jules 

 Margottin he still grows in great numbers. I was particularly 

 struck with an oblong bed of Empereur de Maroc, as also with, 

 one of Souvenir de Malmaison, which does not seem to wait 

 here, as elsewhere, for the cool autumnal nights to flower in per- 

 fection. One bloom measured 5 inches in diameter. Of the 

 more uncommon kinds I noticed splendid specimens of 

 Baronne Pelletau de Kinkelin, Bironne de Maynard, a pure 

 Gamellia-shaped white ; Felix Genero, Madame Clemence 

 Joigneaux, Madame la Baronne de Rothschild, Marechal Vail- 

 lant, Marie Baumann, and Pierre Netting. Mr. Eadclyffe is 

 much pleased with Lady Suffield, a Rose new to me, although 

 sent out four years ago by Mr. William Paul. In colour it is 

 purplish crimson, in form perfect, and in habit robust. Grow- 

 ing side by side with other strong kinds, it has proved itself 

 superior to them through this trying season. 



Of Strawberries, there were fine beds of Frogmore Late 

 Pine, Cockscomb, Dr. Hogg, and Lucas. Mr. Radcljffe makes 

 a great point of setting-out runners as early as possible.^ I 

 saw some which had been in the ground by July 1st doing 

 well. We had some Alpines (the Galande varietj) for dessert, 

 and delicious they were. Yuur able contributor, " R. F.," 

 would do well to grow them (if he does not already), as the 

 birds never touch them. The Peach and Ntotarine trees had 

 not muoli fruit, but marvellously healthy foliage. 



A large space is allotted to Potatoes, and very noteworthy 

 among them was Thornicroft's Seedling, a strong-growing 

 kind, with golden-tinted foliage. We had Rivers' Royal Ash- 

 leaf as good aa ever for dinner, as also McLean's Little Gem 

 Pea, the earliest wrinkled variety, and of excellent flavour. 



Mr. Rftdclyffe is no miser over the treasures which he pos- 

 sesses. His gardens are thrown open freely to all who like to 

 visit them. As many aa ,297 people in one day have availed 

 themselves of this privilege. May he live long to enjoy his 

 well-earned reputation, and impart to a grateful world from his 

 vast stores of horticultural knowledge. — A. Middleton, School 

 IJomi\ Kingshridge . 



EARLY PEACHES. 



' PB.iv allow me the indulgence of correcting my errors, owing 

 entirely to my writing crabbedlj- and hurriedly. In paragraph 1 

 (page .57), I should have added after " England " " where only 

 one now grows." In paragraph 3, after "curious," I should 

 have said " creation,'' not " creature," Allow me also to add 

 that the Early Beatrice Peach has small kidney-shaped glands 

 and large flowers. The Early Louise Peach has small kidney- 

 shaped glands and small flowers. Both are white at the 

 stone. ' 



I have to-day (July 22na), gathered the last of my fruit of 

 these two kinds from some fine trees in my cold orchard house. 

 They were dead ripe, and measured respectively 75 and 

 8^ inches in circumference ; the Early Beatrice will not, there- 

 fore, prove a small Peach when weU cultivated. Its colour was 



