July 8, 1875. I 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULT0RS AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



27 



the Ist of Jaly, good, Messrs. Turk, Miles, and Holder standing 

 in the order named. Carrots were bright and clean, Nutting's 

 Nantes Horn from Mr. Miles being especially worthy of mention. 

 Turnips, Lettuces, and Cabbages were generally too large, the 

 awards falling to the smallest specimens. Cauliflowers were 

 mostly coarse, yet some handsome heads wore staged, especially 

 by Mr. Miles. Broad Beans were good, Seville Longpod from 

 Mr. Cox being the best, f dlowed by Selected Longpod from Mr. 

 Miles. Baskets of salads were admirably exhibited, Mr, Holder 

 being placed first for a basket embracing almost everything in 

 the salad world. Asparagus was large. Mushrooms poor, and 

 Tomatoes splendid, Messrs. Miles, Coleman, and Cox standing in 

 the order named. A dish of Carter's Green Gage was consi^icu- 

 oua by its excellence : it is a distinct and fine variety. The 

 remainder of the awards will be found in our advertising columns. 



The implements and appliances were numerous and excellent. 

 We have only space to note that silver medals were awarded to 

 S. Deards, Harlow, Essex, for improvement in coil boiler; Cowan 

 Patent (Limited) Company, for improvement in limekiln boilers ; 

 G. Green, Birmingham, for rusticated garden furniture ; J. Unite, 

 London, for square tent without centre pole. Bronze Medals : 

 — G. H. Harris, Birmingham, for three-wheel hose collector ; 

 Kneebone & Timmis, Birmingham, for garden plough ; P. J. 

 Perry, Banbury, for improved machinery for greenhouse venti- 

 lation ; N. Voise, Horley, Surrey, for three-light Cucumber 

 frames ; W. Barrow & Sons, Nottingham, for rusticated garden 

 furniture; W. Jones, Stourbridge, for improved joint for hot- 

 water pipes ; J. Watson, St. Albau's, for horticultural stoves ; 

 C. Yeats, Mortlake, Surrey, for garden labels. Highly com- 

 mended : — T. G. Messenger, Loughborough, for plant-protector, 

 with the improvement recommended ; J. Clarke, Stourbridge, 

 for plant-protector; J. Crowley & Co., Sheffield, for improve- 

 ments in the gold-medal lawn-mowers; W. J. Bpps, Lewisham, 

 Kent, for sample of peat. 



Yet although the Exhibition wag so good in extent and quality, 

 and the arrangements were so complete and satisfactory, another 

 prime element was necessary to ensure success. Of this we 

 regret to say that on Thursday, Friday, and S.^tnrday thunder 

 and rain were prevalent, and it was not until Monday, the last 

 day of the Exhibition, that anything like flower-show weather 

 Bet in. We are much afraid it came too late to make the success 

 commensurate with the preparations and objects of this great 

 horticultural gathering of which the midland counties have just 

 reason to be proud. 



EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



July 7th. 



This being designated the Cut Eoae Show, we place the Rosea 

 first in our report, but the display was a very poor one, many of 

 the classes being empty. The principal exhibitors have done 

 so much and done so well that they can afford to rest on their 

 laurels ; the transitional state of the Society, too, is such that 

 full, free, aud hearty exhibiting is out of the question : hence 

 the poor response to the prizes which are offered by the Society. 

 Mr. Prince brought some grand Roses, and just saved the name 

 of the Show. The trade fairly triumphed over the Society ; for 

 the competition for the prizes offered by Messrs. Carter it Co., 

 Sutton & Song, and Hurst & Sona were the great feature of the 

 Exhibition. 



In the class for seventy-two single blooms (nurserymen), 

 Messrs. Mitchell & Sons, Piltdown Nurseries, Uckfleld, had no 

 rivals. The first prize was awarded. The blooms were small, 

 and none of them call for special note. For forty-eight Roses, 

 three blooms of each (nurserymen), Mr. Prince was placed first 

 for admirable blooms in triplets. Mr. Eraser, Lea Bridge 

 Nursery, Leyton, also exhibited in triplets, but the blooms were 

 too much expanded. He had an extra prize. In the class for 

 twenty-four Hybrid Perpetuals only (aurserymen), Mr. Prince 

 exhibited a collection of fine quality. 



For forty-eight single blooms (amateurs), T. Laxton, Esq., 

 Stamford, was first with very charming blooms, not large, but 

 of great- excellence, Louis XIV. being the richest Rose wo have 

 seen this year; Marie Rady, Beauty of Waltham, Annie Laxton, 

 Exposition de Brie, Alfred Golomb, Mar6chal Niel, and Miss 

 Ingram were all in very fine condition; Mr. Chard, gardener to 

 Sir F.Bathurst, Clarendon Park, Salisbury, being placed second. 



For twenty-four single blooms (amateurs), T. Laxton, Esq,, 

 Stamford, again had the first award with a box of beautiful 

 blooms, fresh, clear, and bright. Felix Ganero, Marie Van 

 Houtte, Mdlle. Marie Cointet, Emile Hausburg, La Ville de 

 St. Denis, Marie Baumann, and Xavier Olibo comprised the 

 best blooms. Mr. Chard being placed second with very nice 

 but irregular-sized blooms. 



For twelve single blooms (amateurs), Mr. Ridout, gardener to 

 W. S. Brown, Esq., Woodhatch, Reading, was first with a highly 

 meritorious collection. Senateur Vaisae, Comtesse d'Oxford, 

 Due de Rohan, and Annie Wood were exceptionally rich ; Queen 

 Victoria, La France, and Mdlle. Therese Levet being good 

 amoDgsfc the light colours. Mr. Chard had nice boxes aud the 



second award; Mr. Tranter, Upper Assingdon, ITenley-on- 

 ThamoR, being placed third. 



For twolve Tea-scented Roses (nurserymen), Mr. Prince was 

 alone, and had the first prize. He exhibited lovely blooms 

 of Catherine Mermet, Souvenir de Paul Neron, Marie Van 

 Houtte, Belle Lyonaise, Perle de Lyon, i-o. 



For twelve Tea-scented Roses (amateurs), T. Laxton, Esq., had 

 the first prize with a collection, but the blooms had been in- 

 jured by the weather. Perle de Lyon was very rich; America, 

 NiphetoB, Marie Van Houtte, and Devoniensis were the best. 



In the class for twelve Roses distinct (open), Mr. Tranter had 

 one of the best blooms of La France ever exhibited, otherwise 

 the collection was not noteworthy : it had the first award. For 

 twelve blooms of Paul Neron, Mr. Prince was first with large 

 and well-coloured blooms; Messrs. Mitchell & Sons, Piltdown, 

 being second with blooms a little more expanded. This huge 

 Rose shows to advantage iu masses. For twelve blooms of Mme. 

 La Baronne de Rothschild Mr. Prince was without a rival with 

 splendid blooms ; indeed no finer have been this year exhibited ; 

 he had the first award. For twelve blooms of Marfichal Niel 

 Mr. Laxton exhibited blooms very rich in colour, but not of 

 high quality, having received injury by wet ; he had the first 

 award. For twelve blooms of Marie Baumann. — This fine. Rose 

 was grandly set up by Mr. Prince, the best bloom in the box 

 being equal to the champion bloom at Birmingham of Senateur 

 Vaisse ; he was the only exhibitor, and had the first award. 



For one basket of 2 feet in diameter, filled with cut blooma 

 and Rose foliage, Mr. Chard had a very good and well-arranged 

 basket of fresh blooms and good foliage, to which the first prize 

 was awarded. 



Single Rose, any kind, iu glass stand, Mr. Pince was first 

 with a beautiful Marie Baumann, Mr. Chard being second with 

 a nice La France. 



PEIZES OFFEBED BY MESSRS. JAMES CABTEK it CO., 

 HIGH HOLI30BN. 



The greatest prize of the year, the fifty-guinea " Carter " cup, 

 with £\0 added for the gardener, with £7, ,£5, and ±'3 as the 

 minor awards, was competed for on this occasion. Formerly 

 this trophy had to be won three times to secure permanent 

 possession, but now the Holborn firm, with a liberality as great 

 as their enterprise, surrender it to the employer of the gardener 

 winning it the first time. For this great prize there were nine 

 competitors. Finer vegetables have seldom been seen. The 

 Judges, Mr. Barr, Mr. Douglas, and Mr. Woodbridge, took in- 

 finite pains, and were long iu deciding, and eventually awarded 

 the splendid prize to the Most Noble the Marquis of Exeter, 

 and Mr. Gilbert, the gardener, received the congratulations of 

 his friends. 



Mr. Gilbert's collection was exceedingly fine, and was beauti- 

 fully arranged. Peas, Onions, Beans, Turnips, Cnrrots, Lettuce, 

 Potatoes, Cauliflowers, aiad Globe Artichokes were splendid ; 

 Melons, Cucumberg, Celery, Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Parsley 

 being very good. The second prize was awarded to Mr. Arkell, 

 gardener to A. J. Skinner, Esq., Swindon Road, Cheltenham, 

 for a really grand display. It was ao nearly equal to the Burghley 

 coUectiou that it was only by carefully adding up the points of 

 merit of each dish that its true place was found. The third 

 prize went to Mr. Pragnell, gardener to G. D. W. Digby, Efq , 

 Sherborne Castle, Dorset, for a great and good collection, difiicult 

 to find fault with except on the general ground cf a lack of finish 

 and refinement which pervaded the others. The fourth prize 

 was awarded to Mr. Osman, gardener, the Metropolitan Schools, 

 Sutton, but certainly not because it was the best, but because it 

 was in strict confirmation with the conditions. It appears that 

 iu previous years two sorts of Melons were permitted ; but this 

 year those who had more than Little Heath committed a fatal 

 mistake. Messrs. Carter would do well to exclude Melons alto- 

 gether from a collection of vegetables. Their production is an 

 insuperable barrier to many really good vegetable growers com- 

 peting. But for this mishap the awards must have been different, 

 for Mr. Lumsdeu and Mr. Cox — previous holders of the cup — 

 both had collections much superior to that of Mr. Daman. For 

 an innocent error a penalty is paid by some of those who un- 

 fortunately committed it. Mr. Chard and Mr. Cross also had 

 ooUectious of gn a*, value. 



For the prizes offered for the best six dishes of Peas, Mr. 

 Cross, gardener to G. B. Lousada, Esq., Peak House, Sidmouth, 

 had the first award, Mr. Pragnall being second. The principal 

 sorts were James's Prolific, Commander-in-Chief, G. F. Wilson, 

 and Hundredfold, and splendidly were they exhibited. 



Messrs. Sutton & Sons offered prizes for six dishes of Peas, 

 of which finer examples were perhaps never exhibited than 

 those of Mr. Pragnell and Mr. Elliott, who were first and second 

 respectively. The principal varieties were Duchess of Edin- 

 burgh, Duke of Edinburgh, Giant Emerald, and Best of All. 



Messrs. HunsT & Son also offered liberal prizes for Mr. Lax- 

 ton's new Peas. These were exhibited as growing on the haulm 

 — that is, the plants were brought. They were a distinct feature, 

 but time only permits us to say that the prizewinners were Mr. 



