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JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOOLTUBB AND OOTTAGK GAKDENEK. 



t April 27, 1876. 



upright habit and distinct aspect. The branches when young 

 are of a square form, and have a winged or feathered appear- 

 ance, and they as well as the young leaves are of a peculiar 

 bluish white colour. Seeds sown in the autumn produce the 

 best plants for the summer bedding. 



2. Clematis Jackmanii. — If the growths of this beautiful 

 hardy climber are trained over some twigs or sticks just above 

 the ground a splendid carpet is produced for the Eucalyptus. 



3. Fuchsia Sunray. — The leaves of this variety are richly 

 marked with bright crimson, white, and greru. It has been 

 much admired in Hyde Park, where it was need as a third row, 

 and formed a very attractive feature among other decorative 

 plants. Cuttings struck in March will make good plants for 

 bedding purposes. 



4. Tuesilago Farfara variegata. — A variegated form of the 

 common Coltsfoot. Its large flat leaves when full grown are 

 over a foot in width. It is a most eiiective plant for edging 

 purposes, especially for large beds and for distant eiiect. It is 

 quite hardy, and the smaUest bit of root will make a plant. 

 Plants of this Tussilago to be mixed with the Fuchsia. 



5. Thymus citriodorus aureus marginatns. — The gold-and- 

 green foliage of this plant is quite charming, particularly in 

 the spring ; but if planted in too rich a soil the foliage is apt to 

 lose its golden shade. Plants are easily propagated by cuttings, 

 which will root at any time through the year in a cold frame, or 

 under a hand-glass in summer. — N. Cole. 



NATIONAL AURICULA SHOW, 



Manchestee, April 25th. 



I HAVE been a grower of Aariculaa for forty years. During 

 that time I have of necessity heard much of the Manchester 

 growers, but until now have never been present at one of their 

 exhibitions, and it was consequently with some degree of ex- 

 pectation that I " assisted" at their spring show this year. 



I know indeed that the season must have been a trying one ; 

 the Show had been fixed at a somewhat earlier period than 

 usual, and the season was a somewhat later one, and hence it 

 was not nnUkely that the Show would not in point of numbers 

 be equal to the average; nor was I far out. Some growers were 

 not represented, while others complained that their flowers were 

 not in. Still to one like myself, who has been accustomed for 

 BO many years to the liliputian displays of Auriculas we can 

 make in the south, and the laissez /aire sort of way in which 

 we go about it, it was indeed a pleasure to see the goodly display 

 of one's favourites and to mark the enthusiasm of the growers, 

 also to meet men so well known as Horner, Simonite, Pohlman, 

 Lord, Levick, Wilson, Cheetham, Woodhead, Gordon, and others. 



But I must now notice the Exhibition. 



For single green edge the premier prize was awarded to the 

 Eev. F. D. Horner for Lancashire Hero, with a truss as clear a 

 green as it is generally with us a grey; first prize going to 

 Mr. H. Wilson with Colonel Taylor — both of these flowers with 

 three pips ; second to Eev. F. D. Horner with Traill's Anna ; 

 third Mr. W. Wardle with Imperator, a starry flower, definite 

 in body colour; fourth Rev. F. D. Horner with Prince of Wales ; 

 fifth Mr. B. Simonite with Talisman, a fine bold seedling, with 

 somewhat scollopy paste ; sixth Mr. Elliott with Peveril of the 

 Peak (Walker) ; and seventh Eev. F. D. Horner with Prince of 

 Greens (Traill's), in the style of Colonel Taylor. 



In the next class for six dissimilar blooms the Rev. F. D. 

 Horner was first with Lancashire Hero, Heap's Smiling Beauty, 

 a fine specimen of a lovely flower ; Hay's Topsy, a beautiful self, 

 with round solid paste; Booth's Freedom, a good specimen of 

 a grand old flower ; Traill's Anna (green), a little rough ; and 

 Syke's Complete, a refined flower. The second prize was 

 awarded to Mr. Wilson of Halifax with Prince of Greens, Smiling 

 Beauty, Pohlman's Garibaldi, Colonel Taylor (very vigorous), 

 George Lightbody (a splendid flower), and Ashworth's Regular 

 (good white). Third was awarded to Mr. Thomas Woodhead 

 for Smiling Beauty (cupped), Syke's Complete, Martin's Mrs. 

 Sturrock; Czar, seedling of Mr. John Eead of Market Basen, a 

 most promising flower; Gains' Lady Richardson, better than 

 ever I have seen it. Fourth to Mr. B. Simonite with Imperator, 

 a seedling; Frank Simonite; Bessy Bell, self, paste thin and 

 blankety; Talisman, and Conqueror of Europe. 



Amongst the single grey edges the premitr prize was awarded 

 to Mr. B. Simonite for a seedling in the style of George Light- 

 body, a fine bold flower, and to be called after that first-rate 

 florist Samuel Barlow. First to Mr. Mellor with Kenyon's 

 Ringleader; second Eev. F. D. Horner with George Lightbody; 

 third Mr. 'Thomas Holden with Complete ; fourth Eev. F. D. 

 Horner with John Waterston ; fifth Mr. J. Cooper with Grime's 

 Privateer; sixth Mr. Barlow with Privateer; seventh Mr. 

 MeUor with Smith's General Bolivar; eighth Rev. F. D. Horner 

 with an enormous truss of Ne Plus Ultra. 



In whites the premier prize went to Eev. P. D. Horner 

 with SmiUng Beauty, very lovely; first to Mr, Elliott with 



Bright Venus ; second to the same grower with Summersoale'a 

 Catharina; third to Mr. B. Simonite with Chapman's Maria; 

 fourth to Mr. Wilson with Ashworth's Eegnlar; fifth to Mr. 

 Dyson with Smith's Ne Plus Ultra; sixth to Eev. F. D. Horner 

 with Ann Smith ; seventh to Mr. Wilson with True Briton, 

 somewhat rough ; eighth to Mr. Simonite with John Simonite, 

 a refined white. 



In Selfs, which are very numerous, the premier prize was 

 awarded to the Rev. F. D. Horner for Turner's Charles Perry, 

 shown in good style. First to the same exhibitor for Nether- 

 wood's Othello, second to the same for Charles Perry, third 

 to Mr. Wilson of Halifax for Martin's Mrs. Sturrock, fourth to 

 Mr. S. Cooper for Meteor Flag, fifth to Eev. F. D. Horner for 

 Pizarro, and sixth to the same exhibitor for William Light- 

 body, a fine seedling of the late George Lightbody, in the style 

 of Lord Clyde, but smooth ; seventh to Mr. S. Cooper for Mrs. 

 Smith, and eighth to Eev. F. D. Horner for Lord Lome, a 

 peculiar crimson flower, but flimsy, and requires to be shown 

 very young. Its colour will always make it attractive. 



In Class B for four disBimilar varieties the first prize was 

 awarded to B. Simonite, Shefiield, with Admiral Napier, a fine 

 green edge with splendid body colour ; Traill's Beauty, bold 

 white edge ; Lightbody's Eobert Traill, and Martin's Mrs. 

 Sturrock. The second prize was awarded to Mr. H. Wilson for 

 Litton's Imperator, George Lightbody, a very grand specimen ; 

 Heap's Smiling Beauty, and Lightbody's Meteor Flag; Mr. 

 Thomas Woodhead being placed third with Imperator, Mrs. 

 Sturrock, Chapman's Maria with its lovely body colour, and 

 Smiling Beauty. The Eev. F. D. Homer is fourth with Traill's 

 Anna, George Lightbody, Smiling Beauty, and Mrs. Stnrrock._ 



In Class C, for pairs, the Eev. F. D. Horner was first with 

 Prince of Greens, a splendid flower of fine properties ; and Heap's 

 Smiling Beauty. Mr. Thomas Woodhead second with Litton's 

 Imperator and Chapman's Maria. Mr. H. Wilson third with 

 Leigh's Col. Taylor, most vigorous, but deficient in paste. Mr. 

 Thomas Mellor fourth with Conqueror of Europe and Turner's 

 Charles Perry. Most of these flowers were exhibited in very 

 fine condition, although a few of them gave evidence of the 

 cold winter and spring to which they have been subjected. 



For the best Lancashire Hero the extra prize was awarded 

 to the Eev. F. D. Horner tor the best green edge in the Exhibi- 

 tion ; one to the same gentlemen for Booth's Freedom ; and for 

 the best grey to Mr. H. Wilson for George Lightbody. These 

 extra prizes were given by two members of the Society. 



In Alpines the first prize for four dissimilar varieties was 

 awarded to Mr. H. Steward of York for Conspicua and three 

 seedlings ; second to Mr. E. Gorton for Queen Victoria, Dia- 

 dem, Miss Eich, and Beatrice ; third to Mr. S. Cooper for 

 Dazzle, Neatness, Prior, and Diadem ; fourth to Mr. Thomas 

 Holden with Duchess of Cambridge, Unknown, and two seed- 

 lings. In the premier classes for Alpines with yellow centres 

 the premier prize was awarded to Mr. S. Cooper with Ovid; 

 first to Mr. Elliott with Unknown, second to Mr. S. Barton with 

 Dazzle, third to Mr. E. Girton with Diana, fourth to the same 

 exhibitor with Diadem, fifth Mr. Mellor with Unknown, sixth 

 Mr. Cooper with Edgar, seventh to the same grower with 

 Prior, and eighth to Mr. E. Girton with Brilliant. 



In white-ground varieties the premier prize was awarded to 

 Mr. E. Girton with Mauve Queen ; first to the same exhibitor 

 with Purple Emperor, second to Mr. S. Cooper with Brilhant, 

 third Mr. E. Girton with a seedling, fourth Mr. S. Cooper with 

 Diadem, fifth Mr. T. Holden with Unknown, sixth Mr. 

 H. Steward with Unknown, seventh Mr. T. Holden with Un- 

 known, and eighth Mr. E. Girton with Purple Queen. Alto- 

 gether, however, it was my impression that Alpines were not 

 equal in quality to the Auriculas, and that those we are in the 

 habit of seeing in the south are quite able to hold their own 

 with those exhibited at Manchester, and I cannot but think the 

 judging was defective. 



In Polyanthuses the first was awarded to Dyson with Exile 

 and George IV., and second to Mr. Mellor with same. Single 

 plants. Premier to Mr. Dyson with Exile ; first Mr. Dyson with 

 the same, second Mr. Elhott with Lord Lincoln, third Mr. 

 Elliott with Rev. F. D. Horner, fourth Mr. Dyson with Cheshire 

 Favourite, fifth Mr. EUiott with George IV., sixth Mr. Holden 

 with seedling, seventh Mr. Dyson with Stebb's President, and 

 eighth Mr. Steward with a seedling. Although I have never been 

 a grower of Polyanthuses I have always admired their fresh 

 colour and fine markings, and after the strange collections one 

 sees brought forward in the south it was a pleasant sight to see 

 them well shown. 



It deserves to be noted that the standard by which the flowers 

 are judged is much higher than what we are accustomed to ; 

 that no supports are permitted, and that most certainly they 

 owe nothiag to their setting-up or surroimdings ; they are not 

 brought to the exhibition in pots, but simply wrapped round in 

 moss and are then placed in empty pots provided for them. Of 

 course it makes them much easier of trausport, and they do 

 not suffer from the treatment, as they are immediately repotted 

 1 on their return from the Show. Their individual pips are ex- 



