July 18, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 47 
from James Quin & Co. Samples of peat came from Mr. W. J. Epps 
of Vauxhall, and Messrs. James Fraser & Co. of Leighton Buzzard. 
Although as an exhibition the Show was a success the adminis- 
tration of it, especially as regarded the system of judging and 
placing of the awards, was very faulty. It is probable that the 
Royal Horticultural Society will at future shows retain more of 
the management in the hands of their own officials, as local 
administrators, however zealous they may be, cannot be expected 
to carry out the details of a Show of such magnitude smoothly 
and well. 
The fixture of the Show proved somewhat unfortunate. The 
weather on the opening day was unpropitious, and on the second 
day the opening of the Winter Gardens at Blackpool by the Lord 
Mayor of London attracted many thousands of local visitors ; yet 
we are glad to learn by a special telegram from Preston that the 
Show is regarded there as a success and is expected to clear itself 
financially. The admissions on Wednesday (a dull showery day) 
were 460; on Thursday (the Blackpool demonstration), 1123 ; 
on Friday, 5140; on Saturday, 12,320; on Sunday, 520; and on 
Monday (an extra day), 5032. Total, 24,595. 
To Mr. Troughton and all the officials of the Show we are 
indebted for much courtesy ; and the Exhibition was rendered 
enjoyable by the excellent order kept by a detachment of the 
metropolitan police. We hope at the next provincial to find 
metropolitan—i.e., South Kensington and Chiswick officials, dis- 
charging their usual duties in their wonted smooth and efficient 
manner. 
OUR BORDER FLOWERS—COMPOSITES. 
WE may say of this family that they would require a field 
of no very small dimensions to cultivate them, but there are 
many of the family that are useful for decorating our borders 
and other places in the spring and summer time. Some of 
them we find to be indispensable for flower garden purposes, 
and in other ways we find them useful, not the least being 
for cutting from for indoor decoration, and some of the species 
have done us good service on the exhibition table. The species 
vary much in stature ; some are small and compact, others are 
almost of unruly dimensions. 
White and yellow are the predominating colours of the 
Achilleas, the name of which is said to be derived from Achilles, 
& disciple or pupil of Chiron, who first used the plant for the 
healing of wounds. ,The Sneezewort (Achillea Ptarmica), when 
dried and conyerted into fine powder and taken as snuff pro- 
duces sneezing. Achillea Ptarmica plena is a very useful 
border flower in dry situations. It is said of our common Mil- 
foil (Achillea Millefolium) that water and proof spirits extract 
the virtue of this plant, and by distillation it yields a pene- 
‘trating essential oil, possessing the peculiar flavour of the 
plant in perfection, It is also said that it possesses narcotic 
properties, imparting to beer an additional intoxicating quality. 
1 have known inveterate smokers use it as tobacco. Achillea 
compacta is a very striking plant with its great yellow plate- 
like flower heads. In open spaces in the shrubbery or other 
places when once well established it lasts a long time. It is 
not at all particular as to soil, and requires staking to keep it 
from being broken by the wind, as it attains the height of 
from 4 to 5 feet. The dwarfer kinds, as the Golden Milfoil 
(Achillea aurea), is a fine late summer and autumn border and 
edging plant, deserving of extensive cultivation. The Silver- 
leayed Milfoil (Achillea Clayennze), is one of the most effective 
of bedding or edging plants we possess. It is useful also for 
pot culture for indoor decoration. 
There are others of this numerous family that are equally 
useful for edging purposes. The red variety of our common 
Milfoil (Achillea rosea), is a showy border flower, and lasts a 
long time in flower. The variegated form of Achillea Mille- 
folium would be seen more frequently if its merits were suf- 
ficiently known. 
A word for our Downy Milfoil (Achillea tomentosa), and 
then I must leave the family. It is a fine plant of very dwarf 
habit for rockeries, borders, or pots; but is most at home on 
the limestone. Some of them are increased by seed, and all 
may be increased by division in the spring when growth is 
commencing.—VERITAS, 
IMPRESSIONS OF THE NATIONAL ROSE SHOW, 
In your number of the 4th inst. “A.C.” gives us his im- 
pression of the National Rose Show, and he makes particular 
mention of Jean Liabaud, for, although admitting its wonderful 
colour, he states that it is “inferior in form to the good old 
Camille de Rohan.” 
I have had a fortnight’s acquaintance with Jean Liabaud., 
$$$ $e 
Since it gladdened me with its first bloom my first visit every 
morning has been paid to it, and my last one in the evening. 
I find my steps involuntarily tending in its direction in order 
that I may get another and yet another view of the grandest 
velvety Rose which, in my humble opinion, has ever been 
raised ; and as to invidiously comparing it with Camille de 
Rohan, all I can say is that I heartily wish “A. C.” had seen 
the glorious blooms of Jean Liabaud which I have regarded so 
lovingly. Its wondrous colour and perfect form, its fullness 
and free-blooming, will place Jean Liabaud, I firmly believe, 
in the front rank of the velvety class. My plant is on the 
Manetti—C. W. MILNE, Zhe Rosery, Selly Park. 
WEST KENT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
JULY 13TH. 
THE annual Exhibition of this Society was held at Widmore, 
Bickley, on Saturday last. The site chosen for the tents was an 
admirable one, the weather was splendid ; the temperature under 
canvas was perhaps a little too warm, but the grateful shade 
under some fine old trees where the numerous visitors congregated 
to enjoy the music afforded full compensation, The Exhibition 
was displayed in four tents. The first, a very large one, contained 
several elaborate collections of plants from our leading nursery- 
men; the second was filled with productions of both the gardeners 
and cottagers (principally plants); the third marquee was set 
apart for dinner-table decorations, bouquets, button-holes, &c. ; 
and the last tent, but by no means the least, was well filled with 
Roses, fruit, and vegetables. 
In the large tent Messrs. Veitch & Sons occupied the centre 
stage at one end, and Messrs. Laing & Co, the other end. About 
midway on either side were extensive collections from Messrs. 
Carter & Co. and Mr. Wills, Anerley Nursery. Messrs. Rollisson 
and Sons staged a very effective group in another tent, and the 
collections from Mr. Ley of Croydon, and Messrs. F. & A. Smith, 
Dulwich, were very prominent. The whole of these collections 
commanded much attention, for in them were to be found the 
cream of the new and rare plants with which our nurseries abound 
—plants which we hope by-and-by to see in larger-grown specie 
mens at future exhibitions. 
Roses constituted one of the principal features of the Show. 
Near the entrance were nearly a dozen boxes not for competition 
from the Putney Vale nurseries of Messrs. Veitch & Sons ; amongst 
them we noticed fine examples of Souvenir de Monsieur Boll, 
General Von Moltke, Pauline Talabot, Jean Soupert, Mdlle. 
Eugénie Verdier, Duchesse de Vallombrosa, and Rey. Reynolds 
Hole. In competition for forty-eight varieties three trusses of 
each, for which prizes to the value of £5, £3, and £2 were offered, 
also for twenty-four varieties, distinct, and twelve Roses of any 
one variety, those veteran growers Messrs. Paul & Son of Ches- 
hunt and Mr. Cant from Colchester were placed first and second 
respectively in each class for exquisite collections. Messrs. Paul 
and Son’s forty-eight trebles comprised La Duchesse de Morny, 
Mons. Boncenne, Baronne de Rothschild, Senateur Vaisse, Centi- 
folia Rosea, Maurice Bernardin, La France, Mdlle. Prosper Langier, 
Charles Lefebvre, Queen Victoria, Pierre Notting, Mdlle. Marie 
Rady, Olivier Delhomme, Mdlle. Eugénie Verdier, Louis Van 
Houtte, Abel Grand, Henri Ledechaux, Monsieur E. Y. Teas, 
Mdlle. Thérése Levet, Camille Bernardin, Marie Louise Pernet, 
Elie Morel, Deyienne Lamy, Frangois Michelon, Duke of Edin- 
burgh, Marguerite de St. Amand, Exposition de Brie, Annie 
Laxton, Duc de Rohan, Princess Beatrice, Edouard Morren, Jean 
Liabiud, Mdme. Hippolyte Jamain, Marie Baumann, Felix Genero, 
Marguerite Brassac, Niphetos, John Stuart Mill, Marie Finger, 
Abel Carriére, John Hopper, Alfred Colomb, Star of Waltham, 
Xavier Olibo, Comtesse de Serenye, Horace Vernet, and Rey- 
nolds Hole. Mr. Cant’s collection contained splendid blooms 
of Madame Charles Wood, Etienne Levet, Frangois Louvat, 
Dupuy Jamin, Louise Peyronny, Madame Sophie Tropot, and 
Ville de Lyon. Mr. Coppin, Croydon, was awarded the third 
prize in this class; and in the class for twenty-four varieties 
it fell to Mr. Laing, Forest Hill, both showing very good collec- 
tions. A splendid box of Baronne de Rothschild from Mr. Cant 
was awarded the first prize for twelve Roses of one variety, Mr. 
Coppin taking the second place with Marie Louise Pernet, and 
Mr. Laing third with Marie Baumann. Several other boxes of 
Roses not. for competition were staged by Messrs. Laing and 
Coppin, and were very much admired, especially those dark Roses 
Louis Van Houtte and Reynolds Hole, of which these stands cons 
tained grand examples. 
In the classes set apart for amateurs Captain Christy, Wester- 
ham, Kent, was an easy first with a very even box of twenty-four 
blooms, distinct, composed of Madame Clémence Joigneaux, Bae 
ronne de Rothschild, Mdlle. Marie Rady, Capitaine Christy, Mdlle. 
Eugénie Verdier, Edouard Morren, La France, Dr. Andry, Louis 
Van Houtte, Marquise de Castellane, Alfred Colomb, Duke of 
Edinburgh, Abel Grand, Comtesse de Serenye, Dupuy Jamin, 
Madame Hippolyte Jamain, Prince Camille de Rohan, Felix Genero, 
Camille Bernardin, Marguerite de St. Amand, Marie Baumann, 
