218 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[August 25, 1883 



away), as we have had no rain since the Peronospora 

 began to spread so fast. From my own observations, 

 and the experiments I have made and am making, I 

 am inclined to think that Mr. Jensen is right. If 

 he is not, the question might well be asked, Do the 

 tubers become as much affected during dry weather 

 (providing there is the same amount of disease on 

 the haulm) as they do when there is sufficient rain 

 to wash the disease spores to the tubers ? J. H. 



THE WEATHER. — We are having a very cold 

 summer in this part. On August 15 the thermo- 

 meter registered 32° on the grass ; the minimum in 

 the screen close by at 4.J- feet above the surface of the 

 ground was 37°. Since that date a very cold N.E. 

 wind has prevailed, which makes the temperature 

 feel more like that of February than August. 

 Harvest has begun in this part (August 18), and 

 crops will be good in quantity if the weather remain 

 favourable. Late Potatos look remarkably well, and 

 are at present free from disease, but not so the early 

 and second early varieties. Some of the Apples and 

 Pears grow very slowly and require warm, dry 

 weather. W. H. Divers, Xetton Hall, Stamford. 



As a proof of the prevailing low temperature, 



I may mention that on the 19th inst., our thermo- 

 meter at 3 feet from the ground registered 1° of 

 frost. Y. Y. Bowie, Weetinq Hall, Brandon, Norfolk. 



Societies. 



READING HORTICULTURAL. 



August 15. — This was one of the best exhibitions 

 iield at Reading for some years, and it took place, as 

 usual, in the Abbey Gardens. 



Stove and Greenhouse Plants. — The best collection 

 of nine kinds came from Mr. J. F. Mould, nursery- 

 man, Devizes, who had fresh examples of Gloriosa 

 superba, Clerodendron Balfourianum, Erica retorta 

 major, E. Irbyana, Allamanda Hendersoni, &c. Mr. 

 •lames, nurseryman, Lower Norwood, would have 

 been 2nd, but owing to his not observing one of the 

 requirements of the schedule, by staging three Ericas, 

 he was disqualified ; but he was awarded an extra 

 prize nearly equal to the amount of the 2nd prize. 

 Mr. Mould had the best flowered specimen, staging 

 a good piece of Erica obbata purpurea ; Mr. Bright, 

 gr. to R. Karslake, Esq., White Knights, being 2nd, 

 with a fine specimen Fuchsia. 



The best new or rare plant was a good one of 

 Schubertia grandiflora, shown by Mr. Woolford, gr. 

 to A. Palmer, Esq., Reading ; Mr. Dockerill, gr. to 

 G. W. Palmer, Esq., Reading, being 2nd, with a well 

 grown and coloured Dracsena Lindeni. 



Miscellaneous Flowering Plants. — The best group 

 of six Achimenes came from Mr. House, gr. to J. O. 

 Taylor, Esq., Reading. Mr. Bright had the best 

 four Fuchsias, staging freely grown and flowered 

 pyramidal specimens. Some very good Cockscombs 

 came from Mr. Bowerman, gr. to C. Hoare, Esq., 

 Hackwood Park. 



Bedding Pelargoniums were well shown by Mr. 

 Woolford; Mr. Bright being a good 2nd. Mr. 

 Woolford also had some admirable examples of 

 tuberous- rooted Begonias, grandly grown and carry- 

 ing blooms of high quality. They promise to become 

 exhibition plants of the future. Mr. Dockerill was 

 well up for 2nd place. 



Groups arranged for effect. — Since exhibitions at 

 Reading have followed the semicircular instead of 

 the oblong form, the groups have decidedly improved 

 in appearance. Mr. J. James was 1st with a very 

 tasteful arrangement ; Mr. G. Phippen, nurseryman, 

 Reading, was 2nd. 



Foliage Plants. — The best six, and a very good lot 

 too, came from Mr. Curry, gr. to Colonel Pepper, 

 Salisbury, who had Crotons [Countess, Queen Victoria, 

 and Weismanni. Kentia australis, K. Fosteriana, and 

 Latania borbonica ; 2nd, Mr. Howe, The Gardens, 

 Bereham Park, Newbury, who had a very good 

 lot also, consisting of Alocasia macrorhiza variegata, 

 A. Thibautiana, very fine ; Latania borbonica, Phyl- 

 lotsenium Lindeni, Croton Reffautianus, and An- 

 thnrium crystallinum. 



Mr. Howe had the best three Palms, having well 

 grown and even specimens of Phoenicophorum se- 

 chellarum, Areca Verschaffelti, and Kentia Fos- 

 teriana; 2nd, Mr. James, who had a fine piece of 

 Kentia Lindeni. 



Ferns — The best six stove and greenhouse Ferns 

 came from Mr. Dockerill, who had Dicksonia an- 

 tarctica, Leucostegia immersa, Alsophila australis, 



Microlepia hirta cristata, Adiantum Farleyense, and 

 Nephrolepis exaltata. 



Cut Flowers. — Roses were a leading feature. The 

 best eighteen came from Messrs. Perkins & Son, 

 nurserymen, Coventry, averynice fresh lot ; Messrs J. 

 Cheal & Sons, nurserymen, Crawley, being 2nd. 

 Mr. T. Turton, gr. to J. Hargreaves, Esq., Marden 

 Erleigh had the best twelve. 



The best six blooms of any one Rose was Paul 

 Jamain, from Messrs. Perkins & Son, Coventry; 

 Mr. J. Walker, Thame, coming 2nd, with Marie 

 Verdier. 



Mr. John Walker, Thame, had the best eighteen 

 Dahlias, a very good lot of blooms for the season. 

 Mr. Walker also had the best twelve. Messrs. J. 

 Cheal & Son were 1st with twelve bunches of single 

 Dahlias, and they were the leading features of the 

 show — set up in bunches of ten blooms each of 

 twelve varieties, on Messrs. Cheal & Son's registered 

 wire frame, which displays the bloom to the best 



Mr. Walker was 1st, with German and French 

 Asters, showing very good blooms for the season. 



The class for eighteen bunches of cut flowers 

 brought a very fine lot indeed from Mr. Phippen, 

 large bunches of such things as Tuberose, Lapageria 

 rosea, Yucca gloriosa, Harpalium rigiduni, Lilium 

 auratum, Hydrangea paniculata, &c. In the class 

 for six bunches there was a very keen competition. 

 Mr. Durman, gr. to J. W. Workman, Esq., Reading, 

 was 1st. 



First-class Certificates of Merit were awarded to 

 Mr. Charles Turner, Royal Nursery, Slough, for 

 yellow ground Picotees, Agnes Chambers, Almira, 

 Annie Douglas, Colonial Beauty, Dorothy, and Terra 

 Cotta ; and to Messrs. J. Cheal & Son, for single 

 Dahlia Victoria, white, with side margins of bright 

 scarlet, a charming and distinct variety. 



Table Decorations. — These are always extremely 

 well done at Reading, although the prizes are small. 

 Miss Phillips, a constant exhibitor was 1st, with 

 three pieces arranged with excellent taste. 



Miscellaneous Contributions. — Messrs. Veitch & 

 Sons, Exotic Nurseries, supplied a valuable contri- 

 bution in the way of ten boxes of cut Roses ; and 

 Messrs. C. Henwood, C. Phillips, and Mr. L. Walker 

 exhibited each a dozen Carnations and the same 

 number of Picotees, with which they had taken 

 honours at Oxford the day previous. Mr. Baskett 

 had six large pot Vines, grown and fruited in an 

 admirable manner. Messrs. Perkins & Son also 

 had boxes of cut Roses. 



Fruit. — This was not up to the usual mark at 

 Reading, either in quality or quantity. There was 

 but one collection of eight dishes of fruit, which 

 came from Mr. Goodman, gr. to C. Hammersley, 

 Esq., Bourne End ; this consisted of Black Ham- 

 burgh and Muscat of Alexandria Grapes, Bellegarde 

 Peaches, Lord Napier Nectarines, Hemskirk Apri- 

 cots, Kirke's Plum, Figs and Melons. It was also 

 awarded the special prize offered by Messrs. Oak- 

 shott & Millard for the best collection of fruit in the 

 show. Mr. Maher, gr. to A. Waterhouse, Esq., Yat- 

 tenden, had the best six dishes. The best three 

 bunches of Black Hamburgh Grapes came from Mr. 

 Osman, gr. to T. Baker, Esq., Ottershaw Park ; Mr. 

 Waite, Glenhurst, Esher, being 2nd. Mr. Maher 

 also had the best three bunches of white Muscats, 

 Mr. Ashby, gr. to Mr. Farning, Whitchurch, being 

 2nd. Mr. Maher was 1st with any other white, 

 staging very good Buckland Sweetwater ; Mr. N. 

 Kneller, The Gardens, Malshanger Basingstoke, being 

 2nd with the same. The best dish of Peaches was 

 the Nectarine Peach from Mr. Pound, gr. to G. May, 

 Esq., Reading ; Mr. Mortimer coming 2nd with Late 

 Admirable. The best dish of Nectarines was Lord 

 Napier, from Mr. Goodman ; and Mr. Bowerman, of 

 Hackwood Park, coming 2nd with Humboldt. 

 Apricots were poor, Figs fairly good. The best 

 three dishes of Plums came from Mr. Goodman, who 

 had Oulin's Golden Gage, Yellow Imperatrice, and 

 Kirke's. The other collections were disqualified, 

 one variety doing duty for two dishes in each case. 

 Apples, dessert and culinary, and Pears, dessert and 

 stewing, were poor. 



Vegetables. — These were a great feature, and their 

 high quality commanded general admiration, the 

 competition being very keen in all the classes, and 

 the collections covered a great breadth of tabling. 



Special Prizes. — Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, 

 offered prizes for the best collection of six varieties 

 of vegetables, to include certain of their novelties, 

 and here Mr. N. Kneller, gr. to W. S. Portal, Esq., 

 Malshanger Park, Basingstoke, was 1st, with a 

 superb lot, consisting of Snowdrop Potatos, Onions, 



Perfection Tomatos, New Red Intermediate Carrot, 

 Peas, and Cauliflowers ; 2nd, Mr. Waite, gr. to the 

 Hon. Colonel Talbot, Esher, with Satisfaction 

 Potatos, Duke of Albany Peas, White Leviathan 

 Onions, &c. This firm also offered special prizes in 

 two classes for Potatos ; in one of these — that for a 

 dish each of seven specified varieties — Mr.Holt.gr. 

 to Major Allfrey, Wokeiield Park, was a good 1st, 

 with very fine examples of Early White Kidney, 

 Sutton's Seedling, Early Market, Satisfaction, Best 

 of All, Masterpiece, and Abundance ; 2nd, Mr. 

 Pope, gr. to the Earl of Carnarvon, Highclere, with 

 a very good collection also. In the class for nine 

 varieties selected from certain specified sorts, Mr. 

 Pope was 1st, with very fine examples of Lady 

 Truscott, Reading Russet, Early Regent, Satisfac- 

 tion, First and Best, Prizetaker, Woodstock Kidney, 

 Reading Ruby, and Abundance ; 2nd, Mr. Stott — a 

 remarkably good 2nd, Woodstock Kidney, Satis- 

 faction, and Reading Russet being remarkably fine. 



Messrs. Carter & Co., Holborn, also offered prizes 

 for nine dishes of vegetables. Mr. W. H. Kingsmill, 

 Sydminton Court, Newbury (gr., Mr. R. Lye), being 

 1st, and Mr. Beckett, Cold Ash, Amersham, 2nd. 

 The vegetables were very fine in this class, but 

 owing to an oversight particulars cannot be fur- 

 nished. 



Mr. C. Fidler, seedsman, Reading, offered prizes 

 for six dishes of Potatos, Mr. Pope being 1st with a 

 fine lot, consisting of Reading Giant, Clipper, Read- 

 ing Ruby, Early Gem, Prizetaker, and Snowdrop ; 

 2nd, Mr. Beckett, with Early Gem, Beauty of Hebron, 

 Clipper, Edgcote Purple, Fidler's Prolific, and Blan- 

 chard. Mr. Fidler's prizes for six dishes of vegetables 

 were won by Mr. Pope, who was 1st, and Mr. Beckett, 

 2nd. Messrs. Webb & Sons, seedsmen, Stourbridge, 

 also offered prizes for six dishes of vegetables, 

 Mr. Pope being 1st, and Mr. Waite, Glenhurst, 

 Surrey, 2nd. 



MAIDENHEAD HORTICULTURAL. 



The tenth annual show of the Maidenhead Horti- 

 cultural Society was held on the 16th inst. in the 

 pretty and appropriate grounds of Ray Lodge, and 

 resulted in a very fine display of garden produce. 

 Specimen plants were not largely represented, but 

 groups for effect and smaller plants were staged in 

 fine condition. Miscellaneous exhibits of a non-com- 

 petitive nature helped very much to brighten and fill 

 up the two large marquees ; several handsome col- 

 lections of cut flowers and plants being contributed 

 by various nurserymen and seedsmen. Vegetables 

 were staged in good condition, and the competition 

 was strong ; Potatos'made quite an imposing display, 

 although traces of disease were apparent in a few 

 tubers. 



Plants. — The first-class — that for eighteen foliage 

 plants — was not strongly contested, two collections 

 only being staged in which Mr. T. Lockie, gr. to G. 

 O. Fitzgerald, Esq., Oakley Court, Windsor, was a 

 very easy 1st, with a clean and well-coloured lot of 

 half-specimens, including Crotons Queen Victoria 

 and Weismanni, Kentia Fosteriana, Dracaena Shep- 

 herdii,. and Asparagus plumosus. 



For six stove and greenhouse plants, half to be in 

 flower, Mr. J. F. Mould, nurseryman, Pewsey, Wilts, 

 was 1st with Kentia Fosteriana, Oycas revoluta, 

 Allamanda Hendersoni, and Erica Irbyana among 

 his best plants ; 2nd, Mr. Aitken, gr. to Mrs. Meek- 

 ing, Richings Park, Slough, who staged a fine Kentia 

 australis, and Croton Johannis. 



For a single specimen flowering plant, Mr. J. 

 Hanch, gr, to J. P. Weatherby, Esq., Melworth 

 Lodge, Cookham, gained the leading position with a 

 large and profusely bloomed Eucharis amazonica ; 

 Mr. Aitken 2nd, with Allamanda Schottii. 



In a similar class for a foliage plant the competi- 

 tion was keen, and some good plants were staged. 

 Mr. Aitken was awarded 1st with a large, but not 

 highly coloured Croton Queen Victoria ; 2nd, Mr. 

 Lockie, with a fine Kentia Fosteriana. 



For six stove and greenhouse Ferns, 1st, Mr. 

 Aitken, with a good even lot, including a very fine 

 Gymnogramma peruvianum argophyllum and Gonio- 

 phlebium subauriculatum. 



Some good Fuchsias were staged in the class for 

 six by Mr, Hopkins, gr. to J. W. Burrows, Esq., The 

 Elms, Cookham, the plants being pyramidal in shape 

 and 6 feet high, but wanting a few more days to 

 open ; 2nd, Mr. Manley. 



For six tuberous-rooted Begonias, 1st, Mr. Good- 

 man, gr. to C. Hammersley, Esq., Abney House, 

 Bourne End, with large and well-grown plants of 

 old varieties. 



Very fine Cockscombs were shown by several exhi- 



