Jane 29, 1876. ) 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULXURE AND COTTAGE QARDENEB. 



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the opting flowers, and the various kinds of Eerberis, Furze, 

 &c., contribute tn tlio attractiveness of the Bhrnbberies. 



The summer flowers are of the choicest description, and they 

 are arranged with much taste, particularly the geometrical 

 beds, which are richly planted. Among the many attractive 

 arrangements the scroll is always artistically planted, and it 

 was, perhaps, never more admired than when planted as shown 

 in the accompanying design. The Park is under the able 

 superintendence of Mr. Mclntyre. 



THE WEST KENT HORTICDLTDRAL SHOW. 



The patronage and support bestowed on this Society, the dis- 

 trict which it embraces, one of the most fertile and picturesque 

 in the cnunty of Kent, and the site of the Exhibition, Camden 

 Park, Chislehurst, are a combination of advantages which 

 should result in a prosperous Society and Buccessful annual dis- 

 plays. The Exhibition cf last Saturday was in many retpects 

 an excellent one, and would have been better had all those who 

 applied for space, which was reserved for them, come forward 

 and occupied it. 



Unquestionably the most important contributions made to 

 the Show were those of the London nurserymen, and when we 

 find such firms as Messrs. Veitch, Williams, EoUisson, Wills, 

 Carter's, Laing, and Mr. Ley of Croydon represented, we have 

 at once sufficient in quantity, quality, and variety of plants to 

 produce a display worthy of all the patronage that it can receive. 

 Well, all these firms had admirable groups in the large tent, 

 and besides there were in this and three other marquees ar- 

 ranged numerous private competing collections, some only 

 moderate but others very good, making altogether a show 

 which, considered as a local show, must be pronounced a gratify- 

 ing success. 



Good country shows appear to have a freshness all their own. 

 Visitors do not attend them in a languid sauntering manner as 

 if it would hardly be the " correct thing " to stay away, but they 

 come with appreciative appetites eager to inspect and admire 

 the horticultural work of the district in which they are in- 

 terested, and to take note of the rarities which the profesficnal 

 horticulturists stage for their approval. Well-mansged local 

 societies do much for horticulture, and we cordially wish them 

 success, regretting that we are not sufficiently ubiquitous to 

 see and our pages sufficiently elastic to record all that are 

 worthy of more than local mention. We were fortunate, how- 

 ever, in visiting the West Kent Show, and were gratified to find 

 the day favourable for a large attendance of visitors, from the 

 Empress Eugeoie (who by her kindness and affability is highly 

 popular in the district) and her suite, and all the elite of the 

 district, to the " working bees " who labour in or are interested 

 in the labour of others in the hive horticultural. 



We have said that the London nurserymen exhibited well, 

 and will therefore first briefly glance at their collections. One 

 end of the long tent was occupied by the collection of Messrs. 

 James Veitch & Sons, and the other end by the coUecionof 

 Mr. Wills. Messrs. Veitcb's group was surmounted with a 

 plant of Nepenthes dietillatoria with twenty pitchers, the col- 

 lection including also N. Hookeriana and N. hybrida maculata. 

 Orchids were represented by Oucidium crispum and the dis- 

 tinct and fine 0. crispum flavnm, a splendid spike of twenty- 

 five charming flowers ; O. stelligerum haviug a spike 6 feet in 

 length ; Dendrochilum iiliforme, Odontoglossum Alexandrro, 

 0. Ilossii, and O. Roezlii, and Thuaia Bensoniie. Noticeable also 

 were the new double white Azalea indica, A. imbricata, which 

 as its name denotes is not semi-double, but the petals are 

 perfectly imbricated ; AnthuriumScberzerianum longispalhium 

 with spathes 6 to 7 inches long; Aralia Veitchii gracillima in 

 all its slender elegance ; Aspleuium ferrulaceum, bright green, 

 chaste, and beautiful ; Adiantum digitatum, and A. radiatum ; 

 Blandfordia nobilie, gay and very fine ; PhyllanthuB roseum 

 pictum, the choice^ft of the Cypripediums ; curious Darling- 

 tonias and Cephalotaxus ; handsome Gloxinias and greenhouse 

 Ebododendrons. Such were a few of the plants at one end of the 

 tent, and we now look at the other, 



Mr. Wills's. At the corners were effective plants of Yucca 

 filamentosa variegata, and between them Orchids — Cattleyaa in 

 fine varieties of C. Mossifo, and Odontoglossum Alexandra. In 

 the front of these were the Golden Caladiums Princess Royal 

 and Princess Teck, flanked by Nepenthes phyllamphora and 

 N. Sedeni. Turning the corners we observed Cumerea picturata ; 

 Crotons, small plants, but in good colour and variety ; the 

 seldom-seen Cochliostema Jacobiana, Authurium crystallinnm, 

 flowering Begonias, Bertolonia superbiesima and B. miranda, 

 Paulliniathalactrifolia, and Ferns in variety, including Gymno- 

 gramma Pearcei, one of the most elegant Ferns of this or any 

 genus. Between these two extreme end collections the follow- 

 ing groups were arranged, occupying a length of 60 yards. 



Mr. Williams's group consisted of about a hundred plants, 

 comprising Orchids in variety, including the finest of terrestrial 

 Orchids — Cypripedium spectabile — in healthy foliage and with 



