226 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 19, 1878. 
slender and bright green. The sepals and petals are about 
equal in size, and, together with the lip, are white tipped with 
rosy lilac. It has not yet flowered in this country. Upper 
Assam. 1860. 
NORTHAMPTON HORTICULTURAL SHOW. 
ALTHOUGH many good and successful horticultural shows 
- have been held at Northampton, the Northampton Horticultural 
Society is yet in its infancy, and the second annual Exhibition was 
held on Thursday and Friday last on the racecourse, in connec- 
tion with the Show of the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society, 
which has, through the energy of its courteous and able Secretary, 
Mr. J. M. Lovell, developed into one of the most important of 
local societies. It almost seems a pity that the county, with so 
many rich and zealous devotees and patrons of horticulture, 
should not also possess a county horticultural society, for it has 
been the custom of the Agricultural Society, as it itinerates 
annually from town to town in the county, to ally itself with a 
local horticultural society or show. 
Studded as Northamptonshire is with the seats and gardens of 
noble owners, and possessing a goodly array of botanists and of 
gardeners of all classes, few counties are better placed for a 
county horticultural society. Furthermore, it possesses some gooG 
garden jand, of which, if other evidences were wanting, one has 
only to pass on a market day through the rows of excellent fruit 
and vegetables which are to be seen in the noble market-place of 
which Northampton boasts as one of the finest in the kingdom, 
to ascertain that all the best vegetables do not come to Covent 
Garden. Northampton, however, like several other towns in the 
county, has done its best to supply the want of a county horticul- 
tural Society, and the Show I visited on Friday last did not dis- 
credit its agricultural neighbour. 
The leather metropolis favoured with glorious weather was not 
only profusely but prettily aud appropriately decorated, and the 
throngs who flocked to the town and to both Shows tell how 
much the neighbourhood appreciates both good horses and good 
flowers. The competitive part of the horticultural Show was 
<omprised in five marquees, the local nurserymen, Messrs. John 
Perkins & Son, Messrs. Thomas Perkins & Son, and Messrs. Ball 
and Co., each having also a large marquee well stocked with their 
own productions; but more canvas was necessary : further, the 
magnificent plants belonging to Messrs. Cypher, House, Parker, and 
others were totally unprotected, the passages left being far too 
narrow to prevent injury to the specimens. The difficulty, I am 
aware, generally arises from the entry system not being sufficiently 
stringent, many exhibitors at the last moment omitting to fulfil 
their entries for reasons which do not always come to light ; and 
if the Newcastle system of fines for non-compliance works well it 
might be worth extending to more southern shows. It is not 
always easy to hit the exact medium, but generally an allowance 
of one-fourth or one-third (the latter in adverse weather) will | 
meet the circumstances, and it should always be taken into con- 
sideration. 
liberally provided for, and consequently a large and otherwise 
good Show was spoiled in effect by the predominance of blank 
boards. ; 
At Northampton, as a consequence of the limited space at the 
command of the Committee in proportion to the extent of the 
Show, the arrangements were somewhat defective, cut flowers 
and vegetables being in several different tents, and some of the 
latter (not the worst) under the tables. A much better plan, 
especially where the judging has to be classified and divided for 
different judges, is to keep each department as nearly as may be 
separate, allowing cottagers, however, a tent for themselves, as 
the latter are often inconveniently zealous to see other exhibits at 
the time of staging. 
In the open class Mr. J. Cypher of Cheltenham had evidently 
not left his finest plants at home, and was placed first for a collec- 
tion of twelve stove and greenhouse plants in flower, Mr. Parker 
of Rugby and Mr. House of Peterborough being respectively 
second and third with somewhat smaller but healthy and well- 
grown specimens. For Ferns in the open class Mr. Cypher was 
first for six,and Mr. J. Holland, gardener to- John Phipps. Esq., 
Northampton, second. For eight foliage plants in the same class 
Mr. House was first ; Mr. Farr, gardener to Sir R. Knightly, Bart., 
Fawsley Park, second ; and Mr. Parker third. In the gentlemen’s 
gardeners’ class Mr. H. Ward, gardener to W. Jeffery, Esq., North- 
ampton, was first for six stove and greenhouse plants; and Mr. 
J. Day, gardener to A. Seymour, Esq., Norton Hall, Daventry, 
second. Amongst cut flowers the Rose claims my sympathies, 
and therefore I give it first place, and in order that I might have a 
test of the persistency of autumn Roses I deferred my visit to the 
Show until the second day ; if, then, my opinions differ from those 
of others who saw them on the first day allowance must be made 
accordingly. Some good blooms were staged, especially in the 
open class for twenty-four singles, in which Mr. J. Sladden of 
Chipping Norton was first, the cream of his lot being Madame 
Sophie Fropot (unequalled as an autumn-flowering light Rose), 
Henri Ledechaux, Marquise de Castellane, Catherine Mermet 
At Nottingham two years ago all the entries were | 
; Le Phi 
Marguerite D’Ombrain, and Comtesse d’Oxford. Madame Prosper 
Langier was, however, ragged and flat, and when yellow eyes be- 
come the rage Duchesse d’Ossuna may be considered a beauty. 
In this and other stands from Mr.Sladden the colours were con- 
spicuously bright, and there must either be something in the 
Oxfordshire soil, or it may be the seedling Briar that causes this. 
Certain, however, it is that brighter Roses come from Oxfordshire 
in the autumn than from most other localities. My own opinion is 
that lime has something to do with brilliancy of colour. Mr. G. 
Howes of Daventry was second for the twenty-four, haying good 
blooms of Marie Baumann, John Keynes (which is remarkably 
fine this autumn), and Exposition de Brie. Mr. Wm. Jackson, 
Blakedown Nurseries, Kidderminster, was third with blooms 
evidently cut some hours before those in the other stands, and 
here Leopold I., Victor Verdier, M. Boncenne, and Antoine Mouton 
stood well. For twelve varieties, singles,in the open class, Mr. 
Sladden was again first, having Madame Sophie Fropot and 
Souvenir d’Elise, very fine. Mr. Howes was second. In the 
gentlemen’s and gardeners’ class the Rev.; W. H. Benn, Church- 
over Rectory, Rugby, was first with Marquise de Castel- 
lane, Alfred Colomb, Maréchal Niel, Anna Ollivier, Cheshunt 
Hybrid, Madame C. Wood, Jules Margottin, Capitaine Christy, 
Gloire de Dijon, Pierre Notting, Baronne de Rothschild, and 
Séenateur Vaisse. Mr. H. Ridge of Whittlebury was second. 
Mr. Sladden had also an excellent stand, and which in the ad- 
vanced stage seemed to distance those of his competitors. He 
had Marie Van Hontte (excellent), Dupuy-Jamin, Madame Sophie 
Fropot (Al), Charles Lefebvre, John Hopper, Maréchal Niel, 
Capitaine Lamure, Devoniensis, Madame H. Jamain, Belle Lyon- 
naise, Madame Victor Verdier, and Lord Macaulay ; all good. In 
a class for twelve blooms, open to amateurs and gardeners, the 
Rey. W. H. Benn was again first, having good blooms of Duke of 
Edinburgh and Pierre Notting. In the amateurs’ class a good 
six came from Mr. H. Ridge of Whittlebury, who was first, Mr. A. 
Coates of Wellingborough being second. Gladiolus in the open 
class were fairly well shown by Mr. Sladden, who had Lacepéde, 
Cerimene, Mathilde de Landevoisin, Eugéne Scribe, Le Vesuve, 
are, Marie Dumortier, Carnation, Addison, Fulton, and 
Tintoret, purplish rose, flaked carmine, large, and good shape. 
Messrs. Thomas Perkins & Son, Northampton, were second, haying 
Jupiter (good), Marie Stuart, Mons. Desportes, Reine Blanche, 
pure white, with throat slightly marked carmine, but not good 
shape ; and Leander, striking in colour, the flowers haying an Ivis- 
like appearance. 
Dahlias were very good, especially those in the open class from 
Mr. Jackson of Kidderminster, who was facile princeps both for 
the twenty-four and twelve Show varieties ; Messrs. Thomas 
Perkins & Son were second, Mr. Jackson being again first for 
twelve Fancy varieties with a fine stand. For twelve Show 
varieties in the gentlemen’s and gardeners’ class Mr. H. Ridge of 
Whittlebury was first with good blooms, and Mr. E. C. Adams, 
Lower Heytord, second. Asters were not good, with the excep- 
tion of Mr. J. Betteridge’s stand of his large quilled strain, which 
now approach in size the incuryed and tasselled varieties. Plants 
of Zonal Pelargoniums showed an excess of foliage and a paucity 
of flowers, the best coming from Messrs. J. Perkins & Son, who 
were also first in the open class for double Zonals ; and Mr. Fare- 
brother, gardener to R. Turner, Esq., Northampton, in the gardeners’ 
class second. If “ White Wonderful” is put forth as a sport from 
its attractive and floriferous namesake the plant I saw here does 
not confirm this origin, its habit, foliage, and flower being quite 
distinct, and certainly there are far better double whites, notably 
Madame A. Baltet and Mrs. Trevor Clarke. Prizes were offered 
for wild flowers, but rare types were wanting, many of the 
specimens shown being unclassified and incorrectly named. 
For dinner-table decorations Mr. Cypher’s tasteful hand and 
eye coupled with his rich floral stores brought him to the fore 
with a very elegantly dressed table, his decorations being neither 
sparing nor profuse, and glaring colours not being too dominant. 
Mr. Haskins of Stone Gardens, Buckingham, was second, and 
Mr. Parker third. The best bouquets both for table and hand 
came from Mr. Cypher, and the prize for one made by a lady of . 
the county fell to Miss Bevan of Brixworth. Model gardens are 
generally a feature at Northampton, and always prove attractive 
to the masses, and on this occasion the labours of the exhibitors 
were not thrown away. The prize models shown by Mr. Porter 
James of Northampton, and by Mr. James Toogood, gardener to 
the Hon. C. W. Fitzwilliam, who were first and second, displayed 
not only much industry but more taste than is usual with these 
toys. 
Fruit was good and largely shown, but the stagingof the col- 
lections on plates spoiled the effect. In the open class Mr. Chater, 
gardener to Sir Charles Isham, Bart., Lamport Hall, was first; 
and Mr. J. Day, gardener to A. Seymour, Esq., second for a col- 
lection of eight varieties ; and in the gentlemen’s and gardeners’ 
class Mr. Day was first for six varieties, and Mr. Farr second. 
The latter had Colston Basset Melon, a tempting-looking small 
variety. Very good Black Hamburgh Grapes came from Mr. 
Wn. Miller, gardener to R. Soder, Esq., Whittlebury ; and White 
Muscats from Mr. Day, who were each first in the open and 
; 
