Jaly 20, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



47 



table at the time when seed should be procured and sown. — 

 R. Fish's Pupil. 



WIMBLEDON HOETICULTUEAL SHOW. 



Wimbledon and the district round abound with good gar- 

 deners — men who have taken active steps to advance the work 

 in which they are engaged. Besides the gardeners there are 

 many others — employers of gardeners, &c. — who are desirous of 

 fostering a taste for horticultural pursuits, seeking to perfect 

 the higher branches of the art and endeavouring to inculcate a 

 love for the cultivation of flowers, fruit, and vegetables amongst 

 amateurs and cottagers. To this end the " Royal Horticultural 

 and Cottage Garden Society " was established— a Society having 

 a long roll of influential patronage, a practical working com- 

 mittee, and active and efficient officers. Last year the Exhi- 

 bition was a partial failure owing to extreme wet weather on 

 the show days ; this year witnessed the other extreme — a cloud- 

 less Bky and tropical sun, preventing, it is to be feared, many 

 visitors from attending the Exhibition, for cases of Bunstroke 

 occurring on the adjoining common where our volunteer army 

 are encamped could not have otherwise than a deterring effect 

 on the minds of several dwellers in the district, who thought it 

 prudent to remain " in the cool." Still the Exhibition was well 

 patronised, and waB spoken of by visitors as the best that has 

 been held at Wimbledon. 



The tents were pitched by permission of E. Halton, Esq., in 

 the grounds of LauriBton House, the lawn, &c, being also kindly 

 open to all visitors. Lauriston House is an old structure once 

 occupied by Wilberforcs the celebrated philanthropist, and the 

 Scotch Fir is shown which he is reputed to have planted. The 

 lawn contains many fine deciduous trees and Conifers, and the 

 beds of Geraniums, &c, are extremely gay, the best we have 

 this year seen, and the entire garden is evidently managed by 

 an able and industrious man in Mr. Chandler. 



In support of the Society special prizes were offered by Lady 

 Peek; the MisBes Reeves, Woohays; F. B. Thomas, Esq., East 

 Hill House ; R. F. Dunbar, Esq. ; and Messrs. Dick Radclyffe 

 and Co. In the cottagers' division several " specials " were also 

 provided by ladies and gentlemen of the district. As contribut- 

 ing to the value and attraotiveness of the Exhibition, choice and 

 extensive groups of plants were arranged by Messrs. James 

 Veitch & Sons, the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea; Messrs. 

 Jackson & Son^, Kingston-on-Thames; Messrs. Rollisson and 

 Sons, Tooting; and Mr. Kinghorn, the Nurseries, East Sheen. 

 Messrs. Dick Radclyffe & Co. also exhibited attractive caseB of 

 Ferns, &c. In the several classes there was good competition. Mr. 

 Lyne, gardener to A. SchluBser, Esq., Belvidere, Wimbledon; 

 Mr. Jordan, gardener to J. BouBtead, Esq., Cannizero House ; Mr. 

 Bentley, gardener to Sir T. Gabriel, Bart., Edgecumbe Hall; 

 Mr. Smith, gardener to G. C. Joad, Esq., Oakfield; Mr. Roser, 

 gardener to T. Shaw, Esq., Inner Park Road; Mr. Stratton, 

 gardener to Miss Forbes, &c, were amongst the principal ex- 

 hibitors. The cottagers' classeB were admirably filled, and the 

 numerous dishes of fruit and vegetables, also of cut flowers, 

 window plants, and boxes were in the highest degree creditable 

 to the exhibitors, and encouraging to the promoters of the Ex- 

 hibition. 



We cannot do more than note the general character of the 

 display, enumerating a few of the prominent exhibits. The 

 "principal centre of attraction was the marquee in which the 

 large plants were arranged. At one end was the collection of 

 Messrs. Veitch, including Roses in pots, also boxes of cut 

 blooms ; and at the other the excellent group of Messrs. Jackson 

 and Sons. The most striking plants on the central stage were 

 the Caladiums from Mr. Jordan. These were truly magnificent 

 plants, and which would show to advantage at the best metro- 

 politan exhibitions ; indeed, it is a question if plants equal to 

 them have been exhibited in London. They vary from 4 to 

 6 feet in diameter, every leaf being in perfect health and colour, 

 and skilfully tied, the plants being firm and symmetrical, yet 

 not severely formal. The sorts are Meyerbeer ; Excellent, an 

 improvement on Chantinii; Belleymei, Prince Albert Edward, 

 Triomphe de l'Exposition, brighter than Bicolor splendens ; and 

 Due Adolphe de Nassau. An idea of the vigour of these plants 

 may be imagined when we Btate that the conns exceed a foot in 

 diameter. The plants are in 12-inch pots, which are, however, 

 partly hidden by the exuberant foliage. Mr. Stratton, Mr. Cole, 

 Mr. Law, and Mr. Lyne also exhibited well-grown and highly- 

 coloured plantB. Such plants as Mr. Jordan's are worth more 

 reward than the mere 15s. prize, and the Judges should have 

 recorded them some, special token of recognition. 



Next in point of attraction were the Zonal Pelargoniums from 

 Mr. Roser and Mr. Lyne. Mr. Roser's plants in Cinch pots 

 were admirable examples of culture, the foliage and trusses 

 being alike in great vigour and perfection. Corsair and Riohard 

 Dean were especially brilliant amongst the scarlets, and Dr. 

 Tate and Mrs. Turner were the best of the pink varieties. The 

 same exhibitors and Mr. Law staged capital plants in 8-inch 

 pots, also good collections of double varieties. Ferns were well 



exhibited by Mr. Jordan, Mr. Bentley, Mr. Chapman, gardener 

 to P. Maccabe, Esq. ; and Mr. Turner, gardener to W. T. Prit- 

 chard, Esq. Mr. Jordan had a splendid plant of Adiantum con- 

 cinnum latum, good Gymnogrammas, a Neottopteris, and a 

 fine Davallia Mooreana. Fuchsias were numerous, and were 

 characterised by size rather than quality ; still many good plants 

 were staged by Mr. Stratton, Mr. Lyne, and Mr. Law. Gloxinias 

 were very good from Mr. Lyne and Mr. Curtis, gardener to J. 

 Barlow, Esq. Achimenes were also very fine from Mr. Jordan, 

 and good from Mr. Lyne and Mr. Turner. The best stove aud 

 greenhouse plants came from Mr. Jordan, Mr. Moorman, gardener 

 to the Misses Christy, and Mr. Bentley ; Mr. Chapman, Mr. 

 Law, and Mr. Jordan also exhibiting well in the miscellaneous 

 collections, Begonia Vesuvius from the last-named cultivator 

 being extremely effective. For the best specimen flowering 

 plant Mr. Jordan had the place of honour with a good Cleroden- 

 dron Balfourii, Mr. Smith occupying the same position with a 

 capital example of Rhaphis flabelliformis in the class for speci- 

 men foliage plants. Very good Lycopodiums came from Mr. 

 Turner, Mr. Bentley, and Mr. Cooling. 



Table plants were admirably exhibited. For twelve plants 

 in pairs Mr. Jordan was placed first, Mr. Lyne second, and Mr. 

 Bentley third. For six plants the prizes went respectively to 

 Mr. Smith, Mr. Law, and Mr. Moorman. The Crotons and 

 Dracmnas were in admirable health and colour. These collec- 

 tions were highly creditable to the cultivators, most of the plants 

 being superior, but a few — just a few — would have been as well 

 left at home. 



A class was provided for eighteen plants in 8-inch pots, which 

 brought out six competitors, the collections wholly occupying 

 a Bmall tent. Mr. Smith was well placed first with plants of 

 high quality and taBtef ully arranged. This group included a 

 capital Aralia Veitchii, Cocos Weddeliana, a very good Paullinia 

 thalictrifolia, Crotons, Dracrenas, a Saccolabium, Anthurium, 

 and Cypripedium. Mr. Lyne was a good second with larger 

 plants, and Mr. Bentley third. Classes of this character are 

 steps in the right direction, as opening a way for exhibitors who 

 have neither large plants nor large houses, but who have never- 

 theless worthy specimens of culture which they can arraoge 

 withtaste. It becomes a question whether it is not preferable 

 to apportion a convenient amount of space and allow each exhi- 

 bitor to occupy it with any number of plants he likes, awarding 

 the prizes to the most healthy— not necessarily the largest — 

 plants, and their most tasteful disposition. Such a plan would 

 bring out fresh ideas in grouping and be attractive and instruc- 

 tive, and would open a way also for securing the largest number 

 of competitors. According to the ordinary framing of schedules 

 many gardeners are debarred from showing because they have 

 not the stipulated number of plants of a uniform size, but they 

 could occupy 30, 40, or 50 square feet of space in a creditable 

 and attractive manner. Some of the groups at Wimbledon were 

 not well arranged, and " education " in the artiBtic grouping of 

 plants is generally needed. Semicircular groups of plants along 

 both sides of a tent, as was the case at Richmond, have a beau- 

 tiful effect, and the idea is worthy of being carried out more 

 generally at local shows. 



RoseB were not extensively exhibited. For twenty-four blooms 

 Mr. Moorman, Mr. Fanning, Roehampton, and Rev. J. M. Brack- 

 enbury, Wimbledon, were placed in the order named for good 

 collections ; and for twelve blooms Mr. Scott, Pelham Road, 

 staged a collection of high quality. Bouquets were good, also 

 " button-holes," especially from Mrs. Lyne, Miss Olliver, and 

 Mrs. Jordan. A Rosebud, white JaBmine, Stephanotis, and 

 Maidenhair Fern were the prevailing associations. 



Stands of cut flowers were very attractive, especially one 

 composed of "annuals" from Mrs. Jordan; but Ageratums are 

 not annuals, and Mrs. Jordan was lucky in not having been 

 disqualified. There were dozens of "Boup plates" arranged 

 with flowers and fruit which were very attractive ; but for Lady 

 Peek's prizes for cut flowers of hardy perennials the exhibits 

 were poor, and very few of the flowers were named. 



Fruit was limited in quantity and not superior in quality. 

 There was one miserable Pine, most of the " Black " Hamburgh 

 Grapes were brown, and the white Grapes were unripe. The 

 prizes were rightly awarded to the smallest bunches as being 

 fairly well finished. For black Grapes Mr. Tucker, gardener 

 to Mrs. Jones, Mr. Lee, gardener to G. Turner, Esq., Oaklands, 

 and Mr. Bentley were successful ; and for white Grapes Mr. 

 Barker, gardener to J. Murray, Esq., was first with Frontignans, 

 Mr. Lee being second with Muscats, and Mr. AnBell third with 

 Foster's White Seedling. For Melons Rev. J. M. Brackenbury 

 was first with Golden Perfection. Strawberries, Currants, 

 Gooseberries, <fcc, were of fairly good quality. 



Vegetables were freely exhibited, but as a rule they were too 

 large, and deficient in quality and high finish. For a collection 

 Mr. Lyne, Mr. Jordan, and Rev. J. M. Brackenbury were placed 

 as named. Cucumbers were too old and large, and the prize 

 was given to the largest and oldest. The best brace for table 

 quality came from Mr. Ansell, and were not noticed. The 

 cottagers exhibited largely, and worthily won the several prizes . 



