Mar ^3. '-S"'- 1 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AXD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



309 



CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW.— Mat 20Tn. 

 This was the first of the great Shon-s, and never, pro- 

 bably, during the time that flower shows have been held in 

 the Crystal Palace has so fine an airay of the best specimens 

 of English horticultural skill been presented at this or, 

 indeed, any other season. The day was warm, the sky 

 cloudless, and the sun bright, all of which are conducive to 



»a large attendo,nce of visitors ; and whether it was fi-om the 

 amplitude of the ladies' dresses, the immense number of 

 the visitors, or the length of time which they lingered 

 around the tables, we never remember any exhibition so 

 crowded as this, and in the afternoon to take notes of the 

 objects shown was, in some c.ises, an impossibility, and in all 

 little more than a passing glance could be obtained. The 

 brightness of the day, however much it contributed to the 

 financial success of the Show, was not without its incon- 

 venience, for, notwithstanding that an awning was sus- 

 pended over the tables, the plants in many instances, par- 

 ticularlj' the Azaleas, presented a very different appearance 

 fi-om what they did in the morning. The Roses, too, unfor- 

 tunately had been placed where the sun had reached them, 

 and though lovely even then, much of their &-eshness and 

 beauty was gone. It shor\ld be borne in mind that the sun 

 ought never to be allowed to touch a full blown Rose, for 

 nothing can be more destructive to its beauty ; yet the 

 plants, though coming from shady houses with a tempera^ 

 ture of 60" to a sunny one of 80° or more, from being in 

 robust health, stood the change better than could have been 

 eipec-ted. 



Stote aud Geeenhouse Plants. — The specimens of these 

 were large and generally excellent, though there was not 

 much novelty among them. Being also shown in great 

 numbers, they formed a very effective part of the display. 

 Among them were many fine plants of Allaniandas, Ste- 

 phanotia floribunda, Pimeleas, Eriostemons. Aphelexes, Aza- 

 leas, Ericas Cavendishii and depressa, Epacrises, Ixoras 

 coccinea and Griffithi, Chorozeraas, &c. Ajn Allamanda 

 grandiflora from Mr. Peed was one of the most beautiful we 

 have ever seen ; it was so free-flowering, so graceful, and so 

 pure in colour. Rondeletia speciosa, with its beautiful 

 scarlet blooms, was also fine in Mr. Whitebread's collection ; 

 and a variety of Azalea sinensis, bearing a profusion of 

 large yellow flowers, formed a conspicuous object in that of 

 Mr. Rhodes. A charming plant of Acrophyllum venosum 

 came from Messrs. Lee ; and from Mr. Eraser, Lea Bridge, 

 the beautiful Clerodendron Thomsonte, one of the best addi- 

 tions which have been made to exhibition plants of late 

 years. The flowers for the most part were not fully expanded, 

 but the multitudes of snow-white calyxes, with which the 

 plant was studded, rendered it a remarkable object, espe- 

 cially when contrasted with flowers of brighter hues. Medi- 

 nilla magnifica, with numerous long thyrses of flowers, and 

 Prostanthera lasianthos, were also conspicuous in this col- 

 lection. Good plants of Rhyncospermum jasminoides were 

 shown by Mr. Williams, Mr. Baxendine, and others; Maher- 

 nia inoisa, an old Cape plant, now seldom seen, by Mr. 

 Smith, Norwood ; the fine white Rhododendron formosum, 

 and Azalea Criterion, a dense mass of bloom, by Mr. Carson ; 

 and the showy Combretam purpureum and Diosma speciosa 

 by Mr. Kemp. In mixed collections of flowering and orna- 

 mental-foliaged plants, a beautiful plant of the elegant 

 Gleiohenia semivestita came, along with Crotons, variegated 

 Yuccas, &c., from Mr. WiUiams ; whilst in the collections of 

 Messrs. Lee and Mr. Young Cordyline indivisa, Cyathea 

 Smithii, and Theophrastas were well represented. An ex- 

 cellent plant of Alocasia metallica, the foliage in all its 

 beauty, was also shown by Messrs. Lee. 



Prizes were awarded as follow : — For sixteen, first, Mr. 

 Peed, gardener to Mrs. Tredwell ; second, Mr. Whitebread, 

 gardener to H. Colyer, Esq., Dartford; third, Mr. Kaile, gar- 

 dener to Earl Lovelace. For ten (nurserymen), fii-st, Messrs. 

 Lee ; second, Mr. J. Eraser ; third. Mi-. Rhodes ; fourth, Mr. 

 Baxendine. For ten (amateurs), first, Mr. Carson, gar- 

 dener to"W". R. G. Farmer, Esq. ; second, Mr. Page, gardener 

 to "W. Leaf, Esq. ; third, Mr. Chilman, gardener to Mrs. 

 Smith, Ashtead House, Epsom. For six, first, Mr. Kemp, 

 gardener to Eai-l Percy, Albui-y Park ; second, Mr. C. Smith, 

 gardener to A. Anderson, Esq. For twelve fine-foliaged and 

 flowa-ing plamts, first, Mr. Williams, Holloway ; second. 



Messrs. Lee ; third, Mi'. Young, gardener to H. Stone, Esq., 

 Leigh Park, Havant-; fourth, Mr. Rhodes 



Heaths. — There was a good bank of these, and on the 

 whole the specimens were very good. Among them we 

 noticed a fine plant of Sindryana, several fine plants of 

 ventricosa magnifica, one of the best of its class, odora 

 rosea, nice plants of depressa and Devoniana, and one or two 

 beautiful examples of Victoria. 



The prizes awarded were : — For ten, fii'st, Mr. Rhodes. 

 For eight, first, Mr. Peed; second, Mr. Page. For six, 

 first, Mr. Wheeler; second, Mr. Chilman; thu-d, Mr. C. 

 Smith, Messrs. F. and A. Smith ; extra, Mr. Kaile. 



Azaleas were placed at the four corners where the na^e 

 and transept intersect, and some truly magnificent speci- 

 mens were exhibited. Mr. Turner took, as usual, the lead. 

 Among his plants were Gledstanesi, exhibiting a more than 

 usual disposition to sport, some of its flowers approaching 

 the character of Etoile de Gand ; Arborea purpurea, remark- 

 able for its violet purple colour, so rare among Azaleas ; 

 Juliana, PeiTyana, Gem, Barclayana sporting to rose; Co- 

 ronata, Etoile de Gand, many of its flowers wholly salmon- 

 coloured ; lUustris nova, the flowers nicely relieved by foliage ; 

 Iveryana, and Criterion. In other classes very good plants 

 were shown by Messrs. Lane, Lee, and WUliams ; and Mr. 

 Carson had excellent plants of Iveryana, Murrayana, Double 

 Red, Broughtoni, Triumphans, Duke of Devonshire. In- 

 teresting collections of varieties, sent out since 1860, were 

 exhibited by Mr. Turner and Messrs. Ivery. Prizes — For 

 eight (nurserymen), first and second, Mr. Tui-ner; third, Mr. 

 J. Eraser ; fourth, Mr. Rhodes. For eight (amateurs), first, 

 Mr. Carson ; second, Mr. Whitebread. For six (nursery- 

 men), first, Messrs. Lee; second, Messrs. Lane; third, Mr. 

 Williams. For six (amateurs), first, Mr. Penny; second, 

 Mr. Peed ; thii'd, Mi-.C. Smith ; fourth, Mr. Kaile. For new 

 Azaleas, first and second, Mr. Turner; third and fourth, 

 Messrs. Ivery. 



Obchids taken in the aggregate made a glorious display, 

 though the individual specimens were not, as a rule, remark- 

 able for their size. Their condition, however, indicated good 

 and careful cultivation. Foremost came a fine collection of 

 twenty from Mr. Bullen, grown in pots with open slits at the 

 sides, extending- nearly from the rim to the base of the pot. 

 They had been well prepared for exhibition, and were set up 

 with great care, and Mr. Bullen deserves credit for having 

 brought them from Leicester in such good condition. They 

 consisted of Cypripediura barbatum superbum with two 

 score blooms; Phalffinopsis grandiflora; Camarotis purpurea, 

 a plant which requires some care in its cultivation; good 

 Vandas ; Calanthe veratrifolia, an old plant but still useful for 

 exhibition ; Dendrobium macranthum giganteum and Lind- 

 leyanum ; a fine mass of Cattleya Skinneri, the rosy purple 

 flowers of which are very effective ; Saccolabium curvifolium, 

 &c. In other collections, besides Vandas, Cattleyas, Ltelias, 

 .ffirides, Saccolabiums, Phalsenopsis, and Dendrobiums in 

 plenty, we noticed the pretty white and yellow Chysis 

 bractescens, the more recent Chysis Limminghi, Odonto- 

 glossum Pescatorei, the curious pale green and white 

 Brassia verrucosa, several flue examples of Dendrobium 

 nobile, D. formosum, with several of its large white and 

 yellow flowers ; D. macrophyllum giganteum, with a spike 

 nearly 2 feet long ; Trichopilia crispa, very fine ; Phajus 

 Wallichi; Cyrtopodiumpunotatum; Cypripedium caudatum, 

 with two fine flowers, and the new Phalajnopsis Lilddeman- 

 niana, both from Mr. Wilson ; Cattleya Acklandiffl, and 

 Sobralia maorantha. 



Prizes for twenty, first Mr. Bullen, gardener to A. Turner, 

 Esq., Leicester; second, Mr. Baker, gardener to A. Basset, 

 Esq. ; third, Mr. Page. For ten, third, Messrs. Lee. For 

 twelve, first, Mr. Penny, gardener to H. Gibbs, Esq., Regent's 

 Park ; second, Mr. Wilson, gardener to W. Marshall, Esq., 

 Enfield; third, Mr. Young. For six, first, Mr. Bullen; 

 second, Mr. Wiggins, gardener to W. Beck, Esq., Isleworth ; 

 third, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Chilman ; fourth, Mr. Robson, 

 gardener to G. Cooper, Esq. ; Mr. Wheeler, gardener to 

 J. Phillpot, Esq. 



Pelaegonitjms. — Both show and fancy varieties in fine 

 bloom were exhibited by Mr. Eraser, Mr. Turner, and Mr. 

 Wiggins. Of the former ne noticed Etna, Sir Colin Camp- 

 bell, Fairest of the Fair, Peacock, Leviathan, Sylph, GuU- 

 laume Severyns, a peculiar lilac purple, LHacina, pale lilae. 



