THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 27 



MESSES. SUTTON'S EOOT SHOW. 



|OT WITHSTANDING the indifferent season experienced 

 by root-growers, it is somewhat remarkable that the 

 various root shows held within the last season have 

 each and all been on a more extensive scale than in any 

 previous year. This would seem to show that there is 

 a spirit of emulation abroad among root-growers that is, we think, a 

 happy augury for the future of root-growing. 



The Messrs. Sutton's show this year was — notwithstanding that 

 the phrase is a hackneyed one — without question the best they have 

 ever had ; and it required no very close scrutiny of the well-arranged 

 tubers to see that in numbers they far exceeded those of last year. 

 It was quite a treat to go over the show and note the orderly arrange- 

 ment of the roots. One feature of the sight was well worth seeing, 

 namely, the interesting little museum which goes under the name of 

 the " model room," wherein may be seen artistically cast models of 

 all Messrs. Sutton's roots, from the gigantic mangel (the specimens 

 modelled are the heaviest ever grown from Messrs. Sutton's seed) 

 down to apples, peas, and the smaller varieties of farm produce. 



First on the prize list came the magnificent root which Messrs. 

 Sutton have not inaptly christened their "champion " swede, a root 

 that has wonderful feeding properties. The entries in this class 

 took up a goodly portion of the space of the roomy hall in which 

 the show was held, and they made altogether a display not often met 

 with. The first prize lot of Messrs. Shaw were neat, the twelve 

 weighing 125 lbs. ; the second came very close behind them, as they 

 were an even lot, with great shoulders and good quality ; the third 

 of Mr. Farrar were light, but of the best quality. We thought 

 Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan, and Co.'s highly commended more 

 deserving of fourth position than the lot that were assigned it. The 

 next class for a dozen of the Mammoth Long-red mangel formed a 

 large collection of splendid roots. The first of Sir Paul Hunter's 

 were a useful lot of roots, just perhaps a little coarse on the top, in 

 which feature they appeared to us to be inferior to the second of 

 Mrs. Hay ; the third had excellent colour and capital quality in their 

 favour, and decidedly deserved their position. Among the mentioned 

 lots Colonel Loyd Lindsay's were in good conditiou. The Yellow 

 Globe or Oxheart mangel was another large class. Most of the 

 winners came from the south of England, which would seem to show 

 that the season has been a better one in that part of the country 

 than in the midland and northern counties. The first (Sir Paul 

 Hunter again) were very good for size, and they just beat the second 

 of Lord Calthorpe, which lacked quality somewhat. The class 

 generally might have been commended, as there was hardly a bad lot 

 in it ; but we may as well say that Mr. Townsend's commended 

 twelve might have received higher honours. The next class was for 

 the Yellow Intermediate mangels, and to our thinking it ranked, 

 so far as general excellence was concerned, next in merit to the 

 champion swede class. It is a most valuable feeding mangel, and 

 the hard-headed Scotchmen have recognized its good points by 



January. 



