August 29, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
165 
not compete ; still, what there was attracted much attention and 
was very good in quality. Miss Wish was the winner of the first 
prize. She showed three trumpet-shaped vases, filled for the most 
part with exotic Ferns, and if any fault could be found with her 
handiwork it would be that flowers were too sparingly used. The 
second and third prizes were awarded to vases which would per- 
haps attract the general public more from the beauty and variety 
of the flowers employed, but I can imagine no quieter, subdued, 
and cool decoration to put one in a good temper and to assist 
digestion at dinner than Miss Wish’s. 
The cut flowers were very good indeed. A prize of £5 for 
twenty-four bunches of not less than twelve varieties was offered 
by a gentleman in the neighbourhood, and this attracted great 
competition. Dr. Woodman showed in the best (according to my 
judgment) form, and such as I should suppose the giver of the 
prize desired to see. Ina large box he put twenty-four bunches 
of three flowers of the same variety ; and whether we regard the 
class of flower shown, the variety, or the excellence of the indi- 
vidual blooms, or the way in which they were set up, the eye of 
the florist could not help wandering in admiration of his stand. 
Perhaps a list of some of the varieties shown will not be unwel- 
come to some of your readers who may wish to have a guide for 
future competition. I know that such descriptions are a little 
tame, so I will let them off as cheap as possible. There were two 
Orchids—Oncidium and another, two EHricas, one Dipladenia, 
two Allamandas, two Bougainvilleas, two Vincas, Rondeletia, 
Habrothamnus elegans, Ixoras, Clerodendron, and that lovely 
hardy herbaceous plant Agapanthus umbellatus, which did no 
discredit to the grandees on each side of it, but stood her own 
well. This stand did not, however, get the prize, but one by 
Mr. Grant. I should not¥ however, call the winner’s exhibit a 
stand, for it was a collection of table decorations, each set of 
flowers being shown in a separate glass vase. The judgment 
evoked much criticism, and I do not know quite on what principle 
the Judges went. Each glass vase contained, not three blooms of 
the same variety, but a miscellaneous collection of all sorts, in 
fact what may be called an omniwm gatherum. 
The Dahlias exhibited by Mr. Dobree were exceedingly good. 
In fact I do not remember seeing any finer ever exhibited. I 
regret to say, however, that Mr. Dobree does not intend to con- 
tinue exhibiting these flowers. He no doubt finds, like I have 
done with Roses, that his ground wants a complete change. Some 
few years ago he exhibited Roses in as good form as he now does 
Dahlias, but no doubt for the same reason he relinquished growing 
them and took to Dahlia cultivation. I took notes of all his lead- 
ing blooms. Besides the number required for exhibition he staged 
sixty varieties, and a finer lot could not have been put together. 
His best bloom was Christopher Ridley ; this is one of Turner's, 
and is a dull crimson in colour, but of the most perfect form. 
Next to it was Julia Grieve. This in colour reminded me exactly 
of Homere, the well-known Tea Rose, but its form was far diffe- 
rent, being as perfect as the other is imperfect. Julia Wyatt and 
John William Lord were both fine Dahlias. Of the yellows 
Canary was the best, but John Neville Keynes, whose name tells 
its origin, and Acme of Perfection were so like it that it was 
difficult to distinguish any difference. Mrs. Harris is a charming 
Dahlia ; she is light lavender shaded with white, and has a more 
perfect form than we can believe “ my friend Mrs. Harris” could 
have had. Sensation was worthy of the name as to colour: 
imagine a rich salmon with red edge, and each petal shaded with 
white. Baron Taunton is a Dahlia which must grow wild. It 
refuses to be cut and doctored, and so should be cultivated in 
every garden. In colour it is a somewhat deep lavender. Henry 
Bond, light purple in colour, and Willie Eckford, almost cupped 
in form and a dull ruby in colour, are both striking Dahlias. 
Mr. Nation, who I believe lives at Taunton, was a good second 
in this class. Owing to the prize cards having no names upon 
them till late in the afternoon it is difficult to find out the names 
and addresses of the exhibitors, so that I hope any mistakes on 
this head will be forgiven me. His best blooms were Tiffany, 
salmon peach in colour, and good in form; John Bennett, scarlet 
shaded with yellow ; Herbert Turner, the purest white, and one 
of the most striking Dahlias shown; Marchioness of Lorne, a 
most striking Dahlia, the ground colour canary, but each petal 
lined with peach ; and Lady Gladys Herbert. 
Mr. Kelway showed some splendid Gladioli, one of which he 
dedicated to Mrs. Dobree. I will not weary your subscribers or 
take up your space by giving the names of the various spikes, as 
it is a very difficult matter to make such lists interesting, and I 
doubt not most of your readers haye often seen the same blooms ; 
but I must give you the names of a few of the splendid plants 
which Dr. Woodman staged. There was no prize offered for stove 
and greenhouse plants, so he did all for love and good fellowship. 
Well did the old firm come to the front. He showed a splendid 
specimen of Allamanda nobilis and Stephanotis floribunda, and 
his Ixoras were also very fine, but his Tree Ferns and exotic Ferns 
bore away the palm. He had three grand specimens of Gleichenia 
rupestris, Mendeli, and dichotoma. His Dicksonias and Adiantum 
concinnum latum attracted the notice of everyone, while his 
Pitcher-plants, and Crotons, and Marantas were too numerous to 
specify. The trilobed Croton named after the Premier before he 
left the Commons was good, but the variety named volutum 
was more striking. Every leaf was curled and formed into a 
complete bow, and the effect was very curious. Perhaps there 
might have been more flowers and fewer foliaged plants, for when 
the sun was hidden by thunder clouds the: effect was a little 
gloomy, but the exhibit was a very grand one. In another tent 
Mr. Robert Veitch staged a large collection of foliage plants, but 
here hardly any flowering plants were to be seen. 
Most of the Exeter nurserymen staged a large number of Roses 
not for competition, but the blooms were more conspicuous for 
quantity than quality. There was a fair competition for Roses ; 
but, the giants staying away, pigmies like myself were left to 
represent the queen of flowers, and the quality may be imagined. 
Phloxes, Asters, Geraniums, and other autumn flowers were all 
largely shown, but were not so good as I have seen them in former 
years. 
The day was not all that could be wished, as a heavy thunder- 
storm broke over the city as the Judges made their rovnds ; but 
afterwards the sun came out, only the sky looked threatening 
enough to keep many visitors away, and I fear the old Society’s 
jubilee year will have proved a disastrous one to its finances.— 
WYLD SAVAGE. 
ROSE CULTURE ON THE ISLAND. 
WE Portsmouth people consider the Isle of Wight as much 
“the Island’’ as does London a visit paid to it as “going to 
town,” and I propose now to record a short visit lately paid 
to one of the chief Rose-growers on the Island. 
Crossing the ‘silver streak,” which was rather disposed to 
make itself unpleasant, as it has often been doing this turbulent 
August, I landed on Ryde’s long pier ; and presently, by a 
most leisurely little single-line railway, was carried to a place 
which I shall not further indicate except That Parish. Parish 
and church seemed very perfect indeed of their kind, and 
admirably suited the one to the other. Eighteen years ago 
a bare hillside, the vicarage and vicarage garden is one of the 
most charming spots imaginable; nor is the closely neigh- 
bouring God's acre a whit less engaging or tenderly cared for, 
As I mounted the sunny hillside through preparatory cottages 
I saw tokens on every side that people as well as pastor loved 
well their Roses. Glorious old “John” and Lamarque were 
robustions in vigour. Some walls, however, were less honour- 
ably occupied. Icould not but feel, while looking at them, 
very like that sated epicure regarding a countryman pegging 
away in an eating house. “My dear fellow, how can you 
waste that glorious appetite of yours upon a commonplace leg 
of mutton?” How can they waste such situations upon such 
intense rubbish? for is it not as easy to grow a good Rose as 
a bad, and is not our Island the garden of England? Such 
Myrtles as I saw, worthy rivals of those which fringe the 
outskirts of Lebanon, and Verbenas 10 feet high, and Fuchsias 
20 feet well up under the windows! while rare specimens of 
the Cupressus, and trees of which I cannot write without dis- 
playing my ignorance—C. Lambertiana, and Laurenceana, and 
so forth—enriched the house and garden with a pleasing 
shelter, the only one thing there which Nature had left to be 
desired. 
My hospitable host led me forth after luncheon, and we 
lionised in various parts—first and last, and especially, of 
course, the Rose regions. Some of these in the case of Maré- 
chal Niel and Lamarque were very close under the roof. 
Céline Forestier appeared as an energetic climber. Triomphe 
de Rennes was in rude health ; Climbing Devoniensis gigantic. 
In short there was every appearance that Teas and Noisettes 
may be grown here with special advantage and to very great 
perfection. Tomy surprise the Hybrid Perpetuals, whether on 
Briar or Manetti, were not equally flourishing. This garden, 
however, like others elsewhere, had received a check in the 
spring from which many Roses had never rallied. I was also 
surprised to be told by my host, whose trophies withindoors 
testified to his success as an exhibitor, that some Roses even 
in this favoured spot could not be persuaded to grow at all. 
La France for example, though it flourishes elsewhere ; Marie 
Baumann, universally found unsatisfactory, a loss indeed for 
the islanders: Alfred Colomb, Charles Lefebvre, Duke of 
Wellington, Louis Van Houtte, and most of the Verdier strain. 
he did not succeed with. It is a curious inquiry whether any 
of these specially object to sea air. I can testify to their 
having had every otheradvantage. On the other hand Serenye, 
Pierre Notting, Thomas Mills, Marie Rady, Marguerite de St. 
Amand, and especially Capitaine Christy, were spoken of in 
terms of considerable satisfaction, 
