}i8 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



HORTICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 



HE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF POTATOES held at the 

 Alexandra Palace, on September 30 and 31, proved an unqualified suc- 

 cess. In extent and excellency it exceeded the anticipations of the 

 most sanguine of its promoters, for every prize offered in the schedule 

 was warmly contested, and tlie productions were throughout of a high 

 order of merit. In all the classes the entries were most numerous, and in tlie more 

 important of the smaller classes they ranged from twenty to thirty in ench class, 

 and in some of tlie classes for single dishes tliere were upwards ot forty entries. Al- 

 together the appearance of tiiis vast array of potatoes was far more attractive than 

 might have been expected, for the various collections were tastefully set up, and, to 

 relieve the flatness inseparable from an exhibition of tliis kind, medium-sized foliage 

 and flowering plants were placed in lines down the centre of the tables. AIL the 

 more popular sorts were, as a matter of course, strongly represented, and in additioa 

 the visitors had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with varieties that do not 

 often make their appearance upon the exhibition table. In the great class for 

 twenty-four varieties, in which a silver cup of the value of £10 and £8 in money 

 were offered as the first prize, the entries were numerous, and the ooUectioiis all 

 more or less good. The first prize was awarded to Mr. Ricliard Dean, of Ealing, 

 for one of the finest collections of potatoes ever staged. The tubers were all of 

 medium size, very even in outline, and altogether of the best possible quiility. The 

 round varieties represented in the collection were Willard, Fenn's Early Market, 

 a medium-sized tuber of splendid quality for a first early ; Rector of Woodstock, 

 Princess Louise, Brownell's Beauty, Barron's Perfection, Onwards, Early Dimmisk, 

 Red Emperor, Model, Blanchard, English Rose; and of kidneys, Wondeiful Red, 

 Prince of Teck, Snowflake, Extra Early V^ermont, Bresee's Prolific, Fenn's Inter- 

 national Kidney, a very handsome cylindrical tuber of rather large size ; Salmon 

 Kidney, Sutton's Lady Abbess, also extremely handsome ; Cobbler's Lapstone, 

 Mona's Pride, and Early Oneida. Mr. James Pink, gardener to Lord Sondes, Lees 

 Court, Faversham, was second in the same class, and had a splendid collection. 

 Mr. Shirley Hibberd had a fine collection of fifty varieties, to show the advantages 

 resulting from the adoption of the ridge system on heavy clay soils, as explained 

 in these pages on more than one occasion. 



The Royal Horticultuiial Society's Exhibition of Fungi, Cones, etc., 

 on Wednesday, October 6, was a thin dreary affair, sufficiently extensive to indicate 

 that a show was intended, and sufficiently small to prove tliat the fungi fancy is 

 worn out, and has no real hold on public sympathies. A few novelties were shown 

 in the Council Room, and there were large cuUections of apples from Messrs. W. 

 Paul and Son, of Waltham Cross, and Mr. Dancer, of FuUiam. Amongst the few 

 fungi shown were some iiteresting species from Mr. James English, of Epping ; 

 Mr. Burnett, gardener to Mis. Hope, the Deepdene, Dorking ; and Mr. Beech, 

 Castle Ashby. A pretty collection of cones, with the accompanying foliage, was 

 shown by the Hon. and Rev. Q. T. Boscawen, the majority of them grown at La- 

 morran, Cornwall. Mr. Smith, of Worcester, sent samples of an extremely hand- 

 some dessert apple, named Worcester Pearmain which is characterized by its bril- 

 liant crimson colour. It is of medium size, roundish conical, with closed eye ; the 

 flesh is white and tender and well flavoured. Mr. William Paul sent a seedling 

 apple called Beauty of Waltham, in the way of Blenheim. Mr. R. Harvey, of 

 Bury St. Edmunds, sent a nice dessert apple called St. Edmund's Pippin ; it is 

 medium sized, conical, with russety skin ; the flavour is that of the Golden Russet. 

 Amongst the plants there was a fine group of Celosias from Mr. Wills : a splendid 

 Renanlhera coccinea with fifty flowers, from Messrs. Veitch and Sons ; and a splen- 

 did double scarlet Zonal from Mr. George Smith, of Tollington Nursery, Hornsey 

 Road. It is a sport from Vesuvius, and one of the best plants of its class at our 

 command. 



Thb R, H. S. Exhibitions, 1876, have been increased by the addition of a 

 show in May. The following are the dates in the revised schedule ; March 15, 



