228 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 19, 1878. 
and is ignorant how to act as their man milliner, and he cannot 
under the present system of showing hope to obtain a prize, 
and obtains therefore the aid of a good dresser to do them for 
him und he wins, to whom ought the prize to go? 
BRIGHTON AUTUMN SHOW. 
Own the 11th and 12th inst. the Brighton and Sussex Horticul- 
tural Society held its antumn Exhibition of fruit and flowers at 
the Pavilion. The display was a fine and extensive one, filling 
a large tent on the lawn and the suite of five large rooms open- 
ing into each other and extending along the entire front of the 
ground floor of the building. The public attended in such large 
numbers as to render our work of notetaking somewhat arduous, 
many of the tables being so beset that it was only by following 
along with the streaming crowd a sight of their contents was to 
be had, and so it becomes our pleasant duty to record the success 
of a Show that was quite worthy of it. True it is that the plants 
jn some classes were inferior to the recognised standard of excel- 
lence, and that among cut flowers the Roses, owing to the in- 
clement weather that has lately prevailed, were much below par, 
yet in other classes we found ample compensation. 
PLANTS.—Of these there was a goodly array, as was to be ex- 
pected from the liberal offer of three prizes each in twenty-six 
classes. The magnificent group of eight ornamental-foliaged 
plants by Mr. W. Balchin, nurseryman, Brighton, to which a first 
prize was awarded worthily, attracted much attention. Nearly 
ail of the plants were models of skilful culture, Areca sapida, 
Pheenicophorium seychellarum, Cycas revoluta, Encephalartos 
villosus, and Croton majesticum being specially good. This plant 
last named, besides being of great size and fine form, possessed 
the high merit of being the only really well-coloured Croton in 
the Show. Mr. W. Miles came second, and Mr. Meachin third in 
this class. In the class for four plants of similar character Mr. 
Meachin, gardener to Mrs. Armstrong, Woodslee, Preston, came 
first with a fine Yucca aloifolia variegata, a large Pandanus 
Veitchii, and a couple of Crotons. For eight stove and green- 
house plants Mr. Balchin was first with a large well-furnished 
Rondeletia speciosa major with plenty of flower buds but not 
many open flowers, a Dipladenia splendens tolerably well flowered, 
a large plant in fine bloom of the familiar Bougainvillea glabra, 
and the equally familiar Ixora javanica floribunda, the rich yellow 
Allamanda Chelsoni,and others. Mr. Meachin was a close second, 
his plants, although smaller, being remarkable for their finish and 
freshness, the best being Erica retorta major in fine bloom, a 
capital Rondeletia, a Stephanotis, a Vinca, and Allamanda Hen- 
dersoni. The prizes in the smaller class of four stove and green- 
house plants were awarded—first, Mr. J. Child, gardener to Mrs. 
Torr, Ewell; second, Mr. W. Miles, West Brighton Nursery ; third, 
Mr. W. Huggett, gardener to Dr. Jeffery, Eastbourne. A few good 
plants were brought into competition for the prizes tor single 
specimens, Mr. W. Balchin being first with a grand example of 
Allamanda Hendersoni, with such an abundance of flowers that | 
we could not but regret they were not distributed equally about 
the plant instead of being brought together in a crowd to form a 
“face.” Mr. Meachin came second with so good an example of 
‘Vinca rosea that the Judges must have experienced some difficulty 
in coming to a decision. The plant was one mass of bloom and 
some 4 to 5 feet indiameter. In another class for single specimens 
Mr. Howick, gardener to A. Granville Utterware, Esq., was first 
and Mr. Meachin second. The six Coleuses with which Mr. Howick 
easily gained a first prize formed one of the most striking features 
in the tent. They were trained to the form of low cones, very 
broad at the base, tapering upwards with singular precision and 
were very brightin colour. Mr. Balchin’s first-prize group of eight 
exotic Ferns consisted of Davallia Mooreana, very fine; a good 
Dicksonia antarctica; Adiantum concinnum latum, a mass of 
elegant dark green fronds ; Davallia pyxidata, 6 to 8 feet in dia- 
meter ; Cibotium regale, looking well worthy of its name; Da- 
vallia elegans, 3 to 4 feet high; and fine plants of Dicksonia 
squarrosa and Alsophila australis. In the group with which Mr. 
Child took second honours there were an excellent Leptopteris 
superba with fine dark green, pendant, fringed frondage, and a 
Gleichenia Mendelii in good health, 5 to 6 feet in diameter. 
The response to the offer of a cup value £10 for ten Orchids by 
the Brighton Railway Company was unsatisfactory, only two lots 
of small plants being staged. Of these, the ten shown by Mr. Rut- 
Jand, gardener to the Duke of Richmond, gained the cup, Mr. 
Meachin coming second with a group yery little inferior to the 
ethers. Begonias in flower were much better than at the summer 
show, Mr. E. Cosham, gardener to R. Insoll, Esq., Eastbourne, 
being first with four large and yery handsome plants. Fuchsias 
were also very good—much better than we have ever seen them 
at Brighton, and were shown in considerable numbers, Mr. W. 
Penfold taking first honours, Mr. Shrives second, and Mr. Meachin 
third. Zonal Geraniums were excellent and numerous; gold and 
silver tricolors were also represented fairly well. Here Mr. 
Meachin shone pre-eminent, taking all four first prizes. Useful 
groups of mixed plants were contributed by Mr. Spary, Mr. 
Miles, and Mr. Balchin, the three Brighton nurserymen, which 
were much admired by the visitors, who further gained many 
useful hints from the courteous attendants about novelties for 
conservatory decoration. 
TABLE DECORATIONS.—These were confined to sets of three 
stands. Mrs. W. Seale, London Road, Sevenoaks, taking first 
prize; Mr. R. Downing, gardener to A. Allison, Esq., Crawley, 
second ; and Mr. F. W. Seale third. The whole of the stands 
were meritorious, lightness, elegance, and refinement being pro- 
minent characteristics in every one of them. This feature of the 
Show was a popular one, and we heard repeated expressions of 
delight from the throngs pressing along the sides of the tables. 
Cut FLowers.—Asters, Dahlias, Zinnias, and Verbenas were 
all well represented. Gladioluses were not so plentiful, only two 
collections being staged; Mr. S. Dobree, Wellington, Somerset, 
taking the first prize, and Mr. Balchin second. The stands of 
twenty-four varieties of cut flowers were very beautiful, Mr. Rut- 
land and Mr. Balchin both taking first prizes. 
Fruit.—The display of fruit was a noble one, the Grapes being 
especially remarkable for size and finish. Black Grapes were 
well coloured almost without exception, and the bunches so good 
that the contest for prizes was a severe one. For three bunches 
of Black Grapes Mr. J. Spottiswood, gardener to C. Duddell, Esq., 
Queen’s Park, was first in two classes, his Black Alicante being 
excellent ; Mr. G. Osborne being first in the class for six bunches 
of Black Hamburgh. Mr. C. Tyler of Bishop Stortford gained a 
first prize with his Muscat of Alexandrias, as also did Mr. G. 
Osborne. Melons were both numerous and fine, there being up- 
wards of thirty fruit, Mr. J. Budd, Mr. 8. Ford, and Mr. Holford 
taking prizes in the open class in the order in which they are 
named, and Mr. Atrill, Mr. Wickham, and Mr. Wilkinson doing 
the same in the county class. Some good collections of fruit 
were shown, Mr. Rutland taking the first prize. Peaches, Nec- 
tarines, Plums, and Pears were all shown in considerable quantities, 
and the exhibition of Apples was especially good, the dishes, 
especially of kitchen Apples, being very numerous and the frnit 
ne. 
Our report would be incomplete without reference to the wax 
flowers for which Brighton is so famous. An extensive collection 
of such flowers as Roses, baskets of blue and white Violets, Prim- 
roses, and Lily of the Valley, sprays of Passion Flower, Apple 
blossom, Orange blossom with foliage, Azaleas, Camellias, Helio- 
tropes, dinner-table stands, hand bouquets, and plants in pots, all 
done so skilfully and so closely resembling Nature as to merit 
general appreciation. 
HYDE PARK. 
WHATEVER may be said in praise of either Battersea or Vic- 
toria Parks they certainly do not eclipse Hyde Park, although 
at a first glance, being more compact, the effect may be more 
striking. In Hyde Park are to be found long avenues of shady 
trees, consisting principally of Elms and Planes; delightful 
banks sloping down to the Serpentine. and many pleasant 
walks, rides, and drives, altogether offering such facilities for 
enjoyment as most country towns and villages might well 
envy. 
A great feature, and what adds so much to the attractions 
of this and other parks, is the summer bedding. Thisis always 
carried out extensively and well, thus giving pleasure to thou- 
sands of visitors, and also helping to promote and improve 
this branch of gardening throughout the country. The present 
season has been rather unfayourable to bedding plants gene- 
rally, but at the same time we find that Nature compensates 
here as elsewhere, for where we usually saw parched and sun- 
burnt banks we now find the grass and vegetation generally 
remarkably fresh and green. 
Early in the season the Pelargoniums and other kindred 
bedding plants looked wonderfully bright and well, but they 
now look sadly alongside of their brighter if lowlier neighbours 
in the carpet beds. The latter are scarcely so neat as they 
were a few days back: this is the consequence of taking all 
the men to do other really more important work—yiz., the 
remaking of paths and roads and renewing the turf wherever 
necessary, of which there is muck to do every season. Others 
would do well to take Mr. Chamberlain’s advice in this respect, 
he rightly considering this the best time for the work. Grass 
seed sown now will form excellent turf well able to withstand 
drought the following season, which is seldom the case with 
spring-sown lawns, at all events where the soil is as shallow as 
in Hyde Park. 
The flower beds between the Marble Arch and Stanhope 
Gate consist of a series of plain beds in lines, around which 
are to be found the principal carpet beds and the ordinary 
bedding plants. As before stated, the carpet beds look much 
the brightest, and are certainly well done. Some of the beds 
