190 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 5, 1873. 
Araucaria seed. I have not seen the Araucaria having the 
male and female variety on one tree—EDWARD COVENY, 
Gardener, Kenfield Hall, near Canterbury. 
[The seeds received are very fine, sound, and good.—Ebs.] 
PERHAPS it may be interesting to the numerous readers of 
the Journal to. know that the Araucaria does mature its seed 
in this country. Here (Old Warden Park, Beds) we have two 
good specimens about 30 feet high and well furnished. They 
have been planted upwards of forty years. We have both 
the male and female variety. Herewith I send you a cone 
from the male tree; I also send you seed just shed from the 
female tree, which has borne seed on several occasions. The 
seed-bearing cones are large and globular—as large as medium- 
sized cocoa nuts. I would have sent you one, but they are at 
the top of the tree and consequently difficult to get at. These 
trees by some people are called “monkey puzzlers.” They 
are not only monkey puzzlers but man puzzlers also; their 
prickly nature prevents any very close acquaintance.—G. R. 
ALLIS. 
[The male cone received is 7 inches in length and 2 inches 
in diameter. Some of the seeds are sound and well matured. 
—EDs. ] 
BISHOP AUCKLAND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 
SHOW. 
THIs Show was held on the 30th ult. in the beautiful grounds 
of Auckland Castle, kindly granted for the occasion by his Lord- 
ship the Bishop of Durham. This Society has long held a high 
position in the north, whilst for attendance at its shows it would 
rank with any Society in England, as much as £1100 having been 
taken in one day in shillings. For miles ronnd the Exhibition is 
looked forward to as the great gala of the year, and scores of 
special trains enter the town heayily laden with visitors. The 
locale of the Show is good, whilst the promoters have always 
endeavoured to produce a good prize schedule; and it is much to 
be regretted that the last two exhibitions were held under the 
disadvantages of bad weather, and as a consequence the schedule 
this year has been curtailed. 
In fruit and cut flowers perhaps the Society have never held 
such a successful show, and the prizes were strongly competed 
for ; indeed the fruit was much superior to the display at the 
International Show at Carlisle last year. The collections were 
arranged in three marquees. We think it would have been much 
better had the marquees run parallel to each other and the ends 
taken out, and greater space and effect would have been given 
and better facilities would have been afforded for judging. 
Piants.—These have always been both extensive and superior, 
but this year they fell off very much in numbers. The Society’s 
prize of £10 for'six stove and greenhouse plants only brought out 
two competitors. First Mr. J. Wilson, Normanby Hall, Middles- 
borough, who staged fine examples of Dipladenias amabilis and 
Brearleyana, Allamanda Hendersonii, Ericas Eweriana superba 
and obbata, which were both fresh and good, anda fine Pheenocoma 
prolifera Barnesi ; and second Mr. Noble, Woodhorn, Darlington, 
whose best plants were Lapageria rosea and Clerodendron Bal- 
fourianum, very good. 
In the class for six handsome-foliage plants there were four 
competitors. The plants were remarkable for good culture, and 
caused the Judges some trouble in awarding the prizes. First 
honours eventually fell to Mr. Noble for fine and well-coloured 
examples of Crotons Johannis and interruptum, Dasylirion serrati- 
folium, Areca Verschaffeltii, Yucca aloifolia variegata, and Cycas 
revoluta. The second prize went to Mr. Niel Black, gardener to 
Ma. Pease, Southend, Darlington; and the third and fourth to 
Mr. Westcott, Raby Castle; and Mr. E. Lazenby, Woodside, Dar- 
lington, in the order named. 
In the class for twelve stove or greenhouse plants with fine 
foliage, or Ferns. in pots not more than 14 inches in diameter, 
there was a fine display, the first prize going to Mr. Noble, who 
staged excellent specimens. Mr. Westcott, Raby Castle, secured 
the first prize for six exotic Ferns with fair examples of Davallia 
Mooreana, Nephrolepis davyallioides (a fine plant), Cyathea deal- 
bata, Dicksonia squarrosa, Adiantum trapeziforme, and Dayallia 
polyantha, fine. Mr. Noble had the same position in the class for 
six British Ferns ; and Mr. Short, Hummersknott, for six Lycopods, 
the latter very good. 
Mr. Westcott secured the chief prize for two Orchids with Vanda 
tricolor and a magnificent example of Peristeria elata with three 
spikes and fifty fowers expanded. Mr. Noble had the second 
prize, his noteworthy plant being a fine example of Miltonia 
spectabilis. 
Zonal Geraniums haye long been a leading feature at Bishop 
Auckland. Mr, Short won the first position in the class for six 
plants in 10-inch pots with floriferous examples, but trained very 
flat. Mr. Henry Johnston, Elmridge, Darlington, was placed 
second with fresher plants, but not so well flowered. 
Cur FLowers.—For twenty-four Dahlias the first prize was 
£5, and such a display (eighteen stands) was forthcoming as has 
never before been seen at Bishop Auckland. Many of the flowers 
were very large but a trifle coarse; the recent rains had no doubt 
made them outgrow themselves. First honours were secured by 
Mr. Boston, Moss Spring Nurseries, Bedale; his best flowers 
being Criterion, James Cocker, Henry Walton, Countess, and New 
President. Messrs. Edwards & Sons, Nottingham, were second ; 
Mx. Henry Clarke, Rodley, Leeds, third; and Mr. J. Walker, 
Low Fell, fourth. The first prize for twenty-four Hollyhocks, 
dissimilar, fell to Mr. Thompson, Newcastle, a successful exhi- 
bitor of them. The first for twenty-four Roses to Mr. H. Fretting- 
ham, Beeston, Nottingham. The second-prize collection of Messrs. 
R. Mack & Son, Catterick Bridge, York, contained fresher flowers, 
but were somewhat deficient in size. Mr. Thompson, Newcastle, 
secured the first prize for nine Gladioluses with fine spikes of 
good varieties. 
Bouquets were numerous and excellent. Fifteen hand bouquets 
were exhibited, thirteen of them being good, the first prize falling 
to Miss Atkinson, Sunderland ; the second to Mrs. Cramont, Sun- 
derland. Bridal bouquets were nine in number, Mrs. Cramont 
winning the foremost place with a bouquet in which the white 
Lapageria and Pancratiums were used with fine effect margined 
with Adiantums. 
FruviT.—This was the greatest feature of the Show; the quality 
was excellent, and the entries were numerous. For a collection 
of eight dishes there were four competitors. The first prize fell 
to Mr. McIndoe, gardener to J. W. Pease, Esq., Hutton Hall, Guis- 
borough, with fine examples of Muscat of Alexandria and Black 
Hamburgh Grapes, large and well shouldered; Violette Hative 
Peaches ; Bryanston Green Gage Plums, very large; Moor Park 
Apricots, fine ; Brunswick Figs. Colston Basset Melon, and Elruge 
Nectarine. Mr. Wallace, Kirby Hall, Yorkshire, was placed 
second, his best dishes being Buckland Sweetwater and Black 
Hamburgh Grapes, and Diamond Peaches; and Mr. Westcott 
third with a good collection. 
For six varieties of Grapes Mr. McIndoe was again first with 
Duke of Buccleuch, very fine; Madresfield Court, Barbarossa, 
Waltham Cross, Canon Hall Muscat, and Black Hamburgh. Mr. 
Westcott was placed second; his Grapes were excellent in colour 
and beautifully finished, but Jacked the size of the first-prize col- 
lection. The Raby Castle Grapes included Black Hamburgh, 
Muscat of Alexandria, Foster’s Seedling, Gros Colman, and Golden 
Champion. Those who write and speak disparagingly of Duke of 
Buccleuch and Golden Champion Grapes ought to have been at 
Bishop Auckland, to have been satisfied of the superior quality of 
those Grapes. They were indeed fine and a credit to both raiser 
and cultivators. For two bunches of black Grapes the chief prize 
fellto Mr. Brown, Bishop Auckland, with Black Hamburgh, finely 
coloured and of good size of berry and bunch. For two bunches 
of Muscats Mr. McIndoe was again first|with fine examples, and 
Mr. Wallace second; whilst for two bunches not Black Ham- 
burghs Mr. McIndoe was first with Madresfield Court ; and Mr. 
Bruce, Chorlton, Manchester, second with Lady Downe’s Seedling. 
For two bunches of white Grapes, not Muscats, Mr. McIndoe 
was first with Golden Champion. Three Pines were shown, the 
first prize going easily to Mr. Westcott, Raby Castle, with a good 
fruit of Charlotte Rothschild. 
Peaches were a grand display of nineteen dishes, the first prize 
going to Mr. Daglish, Allrough, with, apparently, Lord Palmer- 
ston ; Mr. McIndoe being second with Violette Hative, which we 
were surprised the Judges did not place first, so fine were they in 
size and colour. Nectarines were fairly good, the first prize going 
to Mr. Wrather, gardener to E. Pease, Esq. Ten dishes of Apri- 
cots were shown, twenty-one dishes of Pears, and sixteen Melons. 
Dessert Apples and kitchen were also numerous and excellent, 
The Worcester Pearmain Apples with which Mr. Witherspoon 
won the first prize in the dessert class were greatly admired for 
their splendid colour. 
VEGETABLES were remarkably fine and extensively exhibited. 
Mr. McIndoe taking the first prize for the collection of eight 
varieties, and first for a collection of Potatoes; also first for a 
Cucumber named McIndoe’s Verdant Green,a variety of much 
promise. 
Classes were provided for those who do not employ a gardener, 
and contained mostly the exhibits of working men in the district. 
These were indeed commendable, more particularly the vege- 
tables, which received great enlogiums from the public. The 
Society is arduous in endeavouring to promotea taste for garden- 
ing amongst the working classes, and the results are certainly 
yery gratifying. = 
Among exhibits not for competition we noticed superior ex- 
amples of Vick’s Criterion Tomato from Mr. Jackson, Kirk- 
leatham ; also splendid pods of Culverwell’s Autumn Prolific Red, 
many of them being 6 inches in length. Messrs. Little & Ballan- 
tyne, Carlisle, exhibited a valuable group of choice and rare 
Conifers, including their new drooping Wellingtonia. 
The Exhibition was well managed by Mr. Hendy the Secretary, 
