346 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 6, 1875. 



and the improvement which has taken place in production of 

 new varietiea has of late been quite marvellous. — Eds. J. or H.] 



EXHIBITION OF CLEMATIS AND ROSES AT 

 THE EOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



In the Society's gardens, Efgeut's Park, are now arranged 

 what maj' be termed private axhibitiona of the two finest hardy 

 garden plants we possess — viz., the Hose and the Clematis. 

 We will first glance at the 



Clematises staged by G. Jackman & Son, Woking Nursery, 

 Surrey, which are arranged in the conservatory corridor. Some 

 idea may be formed of the collection when we state that it is 

 composed of four rows of plants, each CO yards in length, and 

 numbers nearly four hundred specimens. Most of these are 

 spherical masses of bloom 3 feet and more high and through, 

 the front row being of smaller-sized plants, yet richly laden 

 with flowers. The effect produced is exceedingly imposing and 

 gay, yet is destitute of any approach to mere glare by the pre- 

 ponderance of neutral tints which pervades the collection. 



We note as a few of the best : — Sir Garnet Wolsley, a splen- 

 did plant, a rich glow of crimson pervading the flowers by the 

 broad centre baud of that colour on a mauve ground. The 

 Queen, a broad-sepalled variety of great merit, lilac, with claret 

 stripe. Stella, an imposing light variety, with large blush 

 flowers and sweet-scented. Ada, glossy mauve with a rosy 

 hand, very chaste. Lord Mayo, similar to Stella, but more 

 lively, an effective variety. Patens floribunda, a tinted flesh- 

 colour, suffused with lilac deepening to the centre; a fine but 

 rather loose flower. Miss Crawshaw, a large flower of rosy hue 

 with a beautiful satiny gloss on the sepals. Lord Derby, deep 

 lavender shading to mauve, attractive. W. E. Everington, 

 rich maroon with crimson band, an early dark variety, distinct 

 as a cross between the early and late blooming class. Fair 

 Rosamond, blush white, with a fainted red bar and distinct 

 stamens ; a fragrant variety. Aurelliana, deep lilac, a small 

 but attractive variety; very free. Mrs. C. S. Baker, French 

 white and claret. Vesta, a light sweetly-scented variety. Miss 

 Bateman, still one of the best of the whites, and good examples 

 of the excellent varieties, Albert Victor, Lady Londesborough, 

 Angelina, Rubella, &a. The above represent the cream of the 

 splendid collection of single flowers. Countess of Lovelace is 

 the best double variety, being a better colour, with larger flowers, 

 and is altogether superior to John Gould Veitch. Lucie Lemoine, 

 the double blush variety, is a fine companion plant to the fore- 

 going. We cannot too strongly recommend the extended cul- 

 tivation of this class of plants both for conservatory and garden 

 decoration, and we especially advise all who can do so to see 

 this admirable and complete collection for themselves. It 

 continues until the 25th inst. Passing through the grounds 

 we find the 



Roses of Mr. Wm. Paul of the renowed Waltham Cross Nur- 

 series arranged under canvas, in what was once the American 

 or Rhododendron garden. The enclosure is about 50 yards 

 square, and the space is laid-out in carving walks, surround- 

 ing raised beds and banks edged with grass verges. On these 

 elevations are arranged about three thousand plants, principally 

 Roses, yet interspersed with choice shrubs, specimen Ivies, 

 Maples, Yuccas, &a. 



Unlike the Clematis exhibition, which is a veritable bank of 

 flowers, this collection of Roses, and auxiliaries, are arranged 

 with the utmost natural freedom, and affords a stroll of 

 much interest and beauty, and an atmosphere redolent with 

 delicious perfume. It does not remind one of a mere set show 

 BO much as of a beautiful garden of Roses where each plant 

 can be examined separately and apart from its neighbour. 

 These plants are in all shapes and sizes. There are standards 

 and dwarfs, huge pyramids 7 feet high, and globular masses of 

 bloom of compact size and symmetrical form. 



Amongst the giants are Souvenir d'un Ami, 7 feet by 6 ; 

 Charles Lawson, G feet by 4 ; Madame Willermoz, G feet by 5 ; 

 Culine Forestier, G feet by 5; Glory of Waltham, 5 feet by i ; 

 with lesser, still fine rounded examples of Alba Rosea, Victor 

 Vetdier, Comtesse d'Oxford, fine ; Duke of Edinburgh, Marie 

 Van Houtte, Mdlle. ThL-rese Levet, very fine blooms ; Madame 

 Lacbarme, extra ; Princess Beatrice, a fine globular Rose, and 

 Bweet ; Marquise de Castellane, exceedingly good ; La France, 

 very fine. AH these are heavily laden with blooms. 



Smaller plants of the following are prominent by their ex- 

 cellence: — Madame Nachury, fine bold flowers; Peach Blossom, 

 a Bweet and excellent garden Rose ; Catherine Mermet ; Perfec- 



tion de Montplaisir, a bright canary yellow; and Star of 

 Waltham, exhibiting fine vigour of constitution, massive 

 foliage, and rich blooms. 



Altogether the collection of Roses is a very excellent one, 

 some plants being remarkable for a large number of medium- 

 sized flowers, some for a few blooms of splendid finish, some 

 for richness of colour, others for delicacy of tint, and all for 

 the cleanliness and health for which Mr. William Paul's plants- 

 are proverbial. 



Besides the Roses are attractive groups of Pelargoniums, A 

 bed of silver-edged varieties with white flowers being especially 

 noticeable. The best of these is, perhaps, Mont Blanc, closely 

 followed, however, by Imogene, Mountain Maid, Virgin Queen, 

 and Waltham Bride. This group has an exceedingly chaste 

 effect. The best of the silver tricolors are Miss Farren, free and 

 good ; Madame Patti, compact ; Lady Dorothy Nevill, bright ; 

 and Princess Beatrice. Plutarch is one of the best gold tri- 

 colors, being bright and of good substance ; and Midas, a gold 

 bicolor, is a smooth, clearly-defined, high-coloured variety. 

 Altogether the Exhibition is worthy of the effort and enterprise 

 of the promoter, and more need not be said. It continues until 

 the 10th inst. 



NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETY'S SHOW. 



The above was held on April 27th, and was so arranged for as 

 to form one feature, and that a distinctive one, of the Manchester 

 Botanical Council's Exhibition in the Town Hall, King Street. 



It is much to be regretted that the supply of daylif^ht, which 

 has never a very high illuminating power in Manchester, should 

 be so insufficient for a flower show here. At farthest from the 

 windows it seems mere twilight ; and though bright Orohida 

 may shine through such a gloom, and Roses, Azaleas, and Rho- 

 dodendrons, by sheer force of floral power, make their presence 

 felt, yet smaller flowers with such tender touches and curious 

 shades of colour as characterise the florist Auricula suffer much 

 in a defective light. I have stated this in great measure for the 

 sake of defending the Auricula from a possible charge that it 

 does not come out so well as might be expected at an exhibition. 

 In want of a fair light it canuot; but lovely as it is under all 

 exhibition advantages, it is never so pretty as at home in a cool 

 dustless air and carefully adjusted light. 



The Show of the 27th was as good as any of us had expected 

 it could be after the tedious spring. The whole growing season 

 has been very difficult for Auriculas, and they have required 

 care during the long continuance of dry cold winds at the time 

 when the stems were rising and the buds swelling. Hardy as 

 the Auricula plant itself is, the blossoms are most tender, and 

 the shortest chill upon the opening flowers vrill stop them in 

 their progress and cause them to "set" — i.e., remain fixed in 

 the position they were in when subjected to the check. My 

 late notes upon Auriculas will, I trust, render it unnecessary 

 that I should in the Journal repeat them. 



I was too busy to thoroughly enjoy the Show, but two fresh 

 varieties in selfs were noticeable. One of them, raised by Mr. 

 E. Pohlman of Halifix, and now named Ellen Lancaster, is a 

 very intensely dark flower of fine outline and rich flat petal, 

 paste not quite circular, and might with advantage be broader 

 and denser; but in a kinder season the flower may improve in 

 this last quality, and, indeed, has been seen in better condition, 

 and very fine. 'The other self i a Charles Perry, one of the blues, 

 the best of them all in breadth, roundness, and flatness of petal 

 and in richness of colour, which is a very desirable one. Like 

 them all, however, the tube is very pale ; it seems a weak point 

 in all the flowers of this colour, so that the first good bine we 

 can raise with a golden tube will be a great catch. Charles 

 Perry has come out through Mr. Charles Turner, but the dark self 

 is not yet let out, though it has passed from the raiser's hands. 



One point of interest connected with the Show which I would 

 notice with most pleasant recollection was the meeting of 

 florists after the Show. We always draw together at some ap- 

 pointed place after such exhibitions as the National Auricula, 

 Tulip, or Carnation and Picotee Society, and our smaller shoivs 

 have also their more local gathering. But this time we were 

 richer than usual in the presence of florist friends from very 

 far, and very greatly it added to the g >od cheer of the diy to 

 meet those hand-to-hand with whom one had but corresponded 

 hitherto. A little knot among us who had been thus related 

 had a hearty laugh together as we confessed among ourselves 

 that we had found we were all younger and heartier men than 

 we had supposed one another to be. I trust that many a like 

 re-union awaits us. They are happy meetings, and one of the 

 many pleasures we derive from the simple source of flowers, 

 and they are by no means the least pleasurable part of an ex- 

 hibition. 



I am sure I speak for all my brother "Northerns" when I 

 say we feel the sympathy and help of brother florists in the 

 south and over the water as far as Ireland, and I trust that all 



