204 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 12, 1878. 
with a sinking fund, so that it is proof beyond a calamitous or 
indifferent day. The Society discharges a very useful work by 
giving prizes to the youth of the district forattainments in botany 
and for collections of Algze, British Ferns, éc. His Grace further 
gives a portion of ground to each scholar attending the ducal 
schools, together with prizes for the best vegetables, &c., grown 
there. 
Apart from the above special features of the Society the Show 
has ranked amongst the best of the northern shows for a number 
of years, and may be said to be a first-rate show of vegetables 
and cut flowers. The collections on this occasion were arranged 
in a circular marquee and four tents radiating from it, which were 
all well filled. The framework of the tents was all festooned 
with evergreens. and in the centre of the marquee was a choice 
collection of stove and greenhouse plants sent from the gardens 
at Alnwick Castle by Mr. Ingram. 
In the class for nurserymen and gentlemen’s gardeners the first 
prize of £4 for eighteen Dahlias, dissimilar, fell to Mr. Oliver, 
gardener to Lord Ravensworth, Eslington, who staged magnificent 
blooms and not coarse. Second went to Mr. Carrick, Saltwell ; 
the third and fourth to Mr. Brown and Mr. Wm. Oliver respec- 
tively. These were an imposing show: there were eight stands. 
For the best twenty-four Hollyhocks and best twelve Hollyhocks 
Mr. Thompson, nurseryman, Newcastle, and Mr. Oliver were first 
and second respectively ; the flowers were very fine but not large. 
The first prize of £4 for twelve Gladiolus went to Mr. Codlin, 
Meldon, for fine spikes, the best being Seduction, Marquis of 
Lothair, Seedling (very fine), Meyerbeer,and Psyche. Mr. Charl- 
ton, Morpeth, was second with seedlings of great merit and one 
spike of Shakspeare with eleven expanded flowers. A section 
was provided for amateurs and cottagers, who staged excellent 
examples of the above-named and other flowers. A timepiece 
value £5 was won by Mr. Adams, Swalwell, for a collection of 
well-grown greenhouse plants. 
In the class open to all for the best twelve Roses shown with 
their foliage the first prize went to Messrs. Mack & Son, Catterick, 
near York, successors to the late Mr. Harrison, Darlington. They 
were a magnificent twelve, fresh and large, and consisted of such 
flowers as Alfred Colomb, Princess Beatrice, Marie Rady, Senateur 
Vaisse, Louis Van Houtte, &ec. 
In the plant classes the Northumberland cup, value seven 
guineas, for best five plants, stove or greenhouse, was won by 
Mr. Thompson, Newcastle, with large specimens. The compe- 
tition in the fruit and vegetable classes was good and the produce 
was generally of excellent quality ; and the collections of wild 
flowers and fruits, bouquets, dried Ferns, &c., attracted much 
attention. 
The Show was well managed, but it would have been much 
more complete and instructive had names been attached to the 
several specimens and products. 
GOLDEN SPIRE APPLE. 
Fruit large, conical, snouted. ribbed round the apex, and of 
a perfect codlin shape. Skin smooth and shining, pale straw 
yellow where shaded, but of a thin golden colour tinged with 
pale orange where exposed to the sun. Eye rather deeply 
sunk in a ribbed and angular basin; segments divergent and 
pointed, sometimes quite reflexed ;° tube conical; stamens 
basal. Stalk half an inch long, slender, set in a deep and 
somewhat uneven cavity. Flesh tender with an agreeable 
acidity, and with all the merits of a fine cooking Apple. Cells 
open. ; 
Wn fine solid-fleshed culinary Apple, which comes into use in 
August, and will continue till December. 
This is an Apple that must make its way as one of the 
favourites in small gardens, and also in orchards for the supply 
of the markets. Its early-bearing property, its handsome ap- 
pearance, and its great excellence make it a formidable rival 
to Lord Suffield, Manks Codlin, and all that class. The fol- 
lowing extract from a letter received from Mr. L. Killick of 
Langley, Maidstone, whose opinion on such matters is worth 
having, will be acceptable. 
“T have grown the Golden Spire but eighteen months, and 
it fruited this year. You will see by your figure that it is 
conical ; and J imagine, though not so large, that it will be as 
good a bearer as Lord Suffield. The wood grows very upright 
and the shoots are small in circumference, giving an ‘‘aspeny ” 
appearance to the tree. I should imagine it is not a very free 
grower, and therefore suitable for small gardens, &c.” 
Mr. Richard Smith of Worcester also writes: ‘“We have 
grown Golden Spire Apple for twenty years, and consider it 
an excellent culinary Apple. I believe I met with it in Lan- 
cashire, where it is or was much cultivated. Golden Spire is 
a most valuable and prolific Apple, greatly superior to Keswick, 
and in the same way.” 
Our figure was taken from a specimen gathered in the garden 
of C. W. Hamilton, Esq., of Hamwood, Ireland, where a small 
tree was completely laden with fruit, all of which was as nearly 
as possible equal to that figured. Mr. Hamilton informed us 
he had received the tree from Wiltshire. We do not know the 
Fig. 32.—Golden Spire Apple. 
origin of Golden Spire. Mr. Killick informs us he received 
his trees from Mr. Richard Smith of Worcester, 
VICTORIA PARK. 
PERHAPS the highest eulogium that can be bestowed om 
Victoria Park is that it is worthy of its royal name. Certain 
it is that the industrial masses residing in the east end of the 
metropolis have at their disposal a park of rare beauty, flower 
beds not excelled by any in Her Majesty’s own garden, and 
equalled by few in the gardens of the aristocracy. But it is 
not to the Londoners only that this park affords pleasure, for 
it is inspected by visitors from all parts of the country, some: 
seeking enjoyment—an unique floral feast for their own gra- 
tification, others gathering instruction that can be turned to 
account in the more efficient performance of their duties. Hvery 
day during the present month gardeners desirous of making 
themselves acquainted with superior examples of the most 
| artistic mode of garden embellishment will visit the London 
parks, and note the plants employed and their disposition, in 
order that they can the better produce examples in the same 
style in the gardens under their charge. 
It is easy to denounce what is termed carpet bedding, as. 
easy as it is to produce coarse examples of it both on paper 
and on grass ; but the only effect of cold-shoulder criticism is, 
that the artistic mode of garden embellishment referred to 
becomes more and more popular, and examples of it increase 
and improve. It is noteworthy, too, that the more this mode 
of garden ornamentation is practised, the more popular at the 
same time appear to be the hardy flowers of our borders— 
perennials. The London parks afford good evidence of this. 
Last week the mixed borders in Battersea Park were alluded 
to as being more beautiful and more admired than ever, and 
the same may be said of the semi-wild borders in Victoria 
Park. It is also certain that the mode of filling flower beds 
with dwarf-growing plants remarkable for their attractive 
foliage and arranged in geometrical designs, has been adopted 
in many private gardens during the past few years, yet not 
for a long time past have hardy flowering plants been so 
greatly cherished and so much inquired for as they are now. 
This may suggest that carpet beds are not in themselves satis- 
fying. Granted. They are not satisfying, neither is it desir- 
able that they should be ; yet, notwithstanding, they are capable 
