290 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUES AND CDTl'AGE GABDENER. 



[ Septembw 30, 1875. 



if when in flower the pollen is slightly rnbbed on the Btigma 

 with a small brush. Raising from seed is a slow process, bat 

 a very interesting one. The seedlinga come up quite freely, 

 bat they are a long time before they attain any size. In the 

 yoangest state, however, they are quite as sensitive as the old 

 plants. 



As to their peculiarities. If a fly or piece of meat is put on 

 the leaf it closes on it, and does not open until it is thoroughly 

 digestetl, which for an ordinary fly takes eight days; in the 

 case of the meat, when the leaf opens there is not a particle 

 left behind ; but it a pieca of wood or any hard substance be 

 put in, the leaf closes, but next morning it will be found wide 

 open again. I have been feeding a number of them, but I 

 cannot say that they are much the better for it as yet ; 

 however, it is just possible it may make them stronger next 

 year. — E. L. 



INTERNATIONAL POTATO EXHIBITION, 



ALEXANDRA PALACE.— September 29Tn. 



'OoNSLDERiNG tho importance of the Potato as a staple article 

 of food, it is not surprising that a fair share of encouragement 

 should be given for the best examples of culture. At all horti- 

 cultural exhibitions the section devoted to Potatoes invariably 

 secures more than an ordinary share of public attention, and 

 which fully warranted the institution of a special e.^hibition of 

 the tubsr. The season has generally been favourable to the 

 growth of the Potato, and the disease has been much less viru- 

 lent than in some previous years, therefore it was only natural 

 to expect that a good response would be made for the liberal 

 prizes offered on this occasion. 



The object of the Exhibition is a laudable one, it being, as 

 the prospectus informs us, established for the encouragement of 

 he best methods of Potato culture, and the introduction and 

 diffusion of improved varieties. The Exhibition being nnder 

 the distinRuished patronage of city dignitaries, and having an 

 Executive Committee of singularly praclical men, with a hard- 

 working Secretary, at once secured public confidence, and the 

 gathering was anticipated with a considerable amount of 

 interest throughont the country. The schedule was divided 

 into fourteen classes, and so arranged that the best varieties, 

 home and foreign, should be brought into competition, and their 

 relative merits be judged by comparison. Besides the prizes 

 immediately offered by the promoters, the Alexandra Palace 

 Company liberally subscribed i'20 in four awards in addition to 

 a silver cup value £10 to the winner of the first prize. Messrs. 

 Sutton & Sons, Beading, offered prizes amounting to f 10 10s. 

 including a silver cup. Messrs. James Carter & Co., Holborn, 

 offered a like amount and cup for six EogUsh and six American 

 varieties ; and Messrs. Hooper it Co , Covent Garden, offered 

 prizes of similar value for American varieties. Messrs. Bliss 

 and Sons, New York, also provided good prizes for three new 

 American varieties, and Mr. John Coutts, James Street, Covent 

 Garden, for three English seedling varieties. 



The Exhibition was held in the Concert Hall, the dishes being 

 arranged on five long tables of convenient height, and the dis- 

 play was a great and imposing one. It was no easy matter to 

 judge so many collections of nearly equal merit. Owing to this, 

 and the system adopted, the awards were not made until long 

 after the admission of the public, and the usual crowding and 

 impatience resulted. 



For prizes offered by the Alexandra Palace Company for 

 twenty-four varieties of nine tubers each there were sixteen 

 competitors. Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, secured the first prize and 

 ten-guinea cup with a collection of high quality. Some of the 

 tubers were fully large, but all were excellent examples of their 

 Muds. The most handsome dishes were those of the varieties 

 of Mr. Fenn— viz., Onwards, Rector of Woodstock, Early 

 Market, and International Kidney, very fine ; the remainder 

 were American and staple English sorts. Mr. Pink, Lees 

 Court, was second; Mr. Jacob, Petwortb, third; and Messrs. 

 Oox Brothers, Gosberton, fourth. 



For twelvd varieties (nineteen competitors) Mr. Fenn secured 

 the first place with an admirable collection, smooth and of a 

 correct size for table use; they were varieties of his own raising, 

 and as productions of one man probably unequalled. Second 

 Mr. Pink, gardener to Lord'Sondes ; third Mr. R Farquhar, Fy vie 

 Castle; fourth Mr. Miles, Wycombe Abbey. For six varieties 

 (twenty-tour competitors) Mr. Porter, Old Meldrum, N.B., won 

 the first place with a beautiful collection, Excelsior and Snow- 

 drop beicg perfect dishes ; Mr. Bates, Kingsbury, had the second 

 place; and Mr. McKinlay third. For six varieties (kidney- 

 shaped) there were thirteen competitors. These collections 

 were very superior. The first prize was secured by Mr. Denyer, 

 Beokenliam, for admirable disht s ; second honours going to Mr. 

 Wood?, Clipstone Park, Mansfield; and third to Mr. R. Dean. 

 For six varieties (Round) were nine competitors. The pro- 

 duce iu this class was not of high merit. A second prize was 

 awarded to Mr. Woods, CUpstone Park; and third to Mr. Fin- 



lay, Wroxton Abbey. The first prize appeared to have been 

 withheld. 



For the best dish of nine tubers of any White Round variety 

 thirty-five competed. Mr. W. Porter, King Street, Old Mel- 

 drum, N.B., secured the first place with a grand dish of Excel- 

 sior, Mr. Potts being second,' and Mr. Lye, gardener, Clyffe Hall, 

 third; an extra prize being awarded to Mr. Bennett, Enville, 

 Stourbridge, for an excellent dish of Schoolmaster. For the 

 best dish of any coloured variety thirty-one competed. The 

 first prize going to Mr. Potts, gardener to Viscount Gage, Firle 

 Park, for Vermont Beauty, very large; second, Mr. Sexton, 

 Thorrington Hall, Ipswich, for Red-skin Snowball ; and third, 

 Mr. Hudsoii, Vandyke Court, Pershore, for " Princess of Lome ; " 

 all too large. For the best dish of White Kidney Potatoes 

 thirty-one competed. Mr. W. Smith, Petworth, was placed first 

 for handsome unnamed tubers ; Mr. Miller, gardens, North 

 Down, Margate, being second; Mr. W. Fiulay, Wroxton Abbey, 

 third ; an extra prize being awarded to Mr. Montgomery, SilUng- 

 ton Manor. These dishes contained tubers of immense size, and 

 not at all suitable for table use. For the best dish of any coloured 

 Kidney variety thirty-five competed. The first place was easily 

 won by Mr. Peter McKinlay, Beckenham, for perfect examples 

 of Salmon Kidney; Mr. Henry Sexton being second; Mr. Miller, 

 Hampstead Park, Banbury, third ; and Mr. Potts, gardener to 

 Viscount Gage, fourth. The varieties mainly exhibited were 

 large examples of th'5 American Rose. 



Messrs. Sutton & Soss' Prizes for twelve varieties, dis- 

 tinct, brought eighteen exhibitors, the collections being very 

 superior. Mr. Donaldson, gardener to the Earl of Kintore, won 

 the first prize and cup. In this collection Fenn's Bountiful 

 was in a most perfect state, as were Veitch's Ashleaf, Porter's 

 Excelsior, hke Snowflake; Early King, Jersey Blue, Carter's 

 Main Crop, and Bresee's Prolific. The tubers were like was 

 models. Finer examples of culture were perhaps never seen. 

 Mr. Potts, gardener to Viscount Gage, was second ; Mr. Fenn, 

 Woodstock, third. 



Messrs. Cikter & Co.'s Phizes for twelve varieties, six 

 American and six English sorts. This was a very fine display. 

 There were fourteen competitors. Mr. McKinlay had the first 

 prize and silver cup with a bright clean collection; second Mr. 

 James Betteridge, Chipping Norton; third Mr. H. Minchin, 

 Hook Norton. 



Messrs. Hooper & Son's Prizes for nine varieties of Ameri- 

 can Potatoes, seven competitors. Mr. Peter McKinlay, Becken- 

 ham, won first and cup with large but clean and good examples; 

 Messrs. Cox, Bros., Gosberton, being placed second; and Mr. 

 Pink, gardener to Lord Sondes, third. The coUecticns were 

 very showy and attractive. 



For Messrs. Bliss & Sons' Prizes for three American varie- 

 ties introduced to England in 1874-5 there ^vere six competi- 

 tors. Mr. R. Dean had the first place with Snowflake, Vermont 

 Beauty, and Early Gem, all of great size and quality ; Mr. Pink, 

 gardener to Lord Sondes, Lees Court, being placed second; 

 and Mr. Ross, gardener to C. Eyre, Esq., Welford Park, third. 



For the prizrs offered by Mr. John Contts for three varieties 

 of English seedling Potatoes there were ten competitors. Mr. 

 Fenn, Woodstock, had the first award with splendid dishes of 

 W. F. Radcljffe, Woodstock Kidney, and International Kidney; 

 Mr. E. Bennett, School House, Enville, Stourbridge, being 

 placed second ; and Mr. R. Dean, Eahng, thhd. In this collec- 

 tion Dean's " First Early " was very fine. 



Miscellaneous collections of considerable interest were staged. 

 Messrs. Carter * Co. had a large display of seventy varieties of 

 Potatoes, Beets, Marrows, and a splendid brace of Cucumber 

 Tender and True. Messrs. Harrison & Sons, Leicester, ex- 

 hibited sixty varieties of Potatoes of staple kinds. Messrs. 

 J. &■ C. Lee, Hammersmith, had also a great and good display 

 in a like number of varieties. Mr. Shirley Hibberd staged fifty 

 varieties; Messrs. Bliss, New York, six new American sorts; 

 and Messrs. Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, exhibited six un- 

 named seedlings of good appearance. From the Metropolitan 

 Schools came ten dishes of tubers weighing 80 lbs. Mr. Fenn, 

 Woodstock, exhibited twelve varieties of his seedlings of great 

 beauty and correct table size. Noticeable amongst these were 

 dishes of a second-early Round variety (certificated), also Early 

 English Rose, and the fine dark Kidney Bountiful, which had 

 been dug up in July, 1874, and which had kept in a wonderfully 

 souud state. 



Mr. B. S. Williams, HoUoway, exhibited an interesting colleo- 

 tiou of decorative plants. The Exhibition was a very success- 

 ful one. 



Betteridge's Quilled Asters. — We have received from 

 Messrs. James Carter & Co. a box of the above Asters, whioh 

 for distinct and varied colours and perfect form of the flowers 

 it would be diflicult to excel. Each bloom is semi-globular in 

 shape, smooth, and exceedingly full of florets, having an ele- 

 gant fringe of guard petals. The self-eolonra are white, lilac, 

 violet, crimson, with intermediate shades ; the bi-colonrs have 



