6 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 6, 1876. 



hibited a new Fern, Adiantum hirsutum, highly distinct and 

 elegant. 



Dinneb-table Decoeations. — These were not numerous nor 

 very superior. They were placed also on incongruous and 

 rudely-constructed tables. In Class 62, open to all, Miss King- 

 horn had the first place with a charmingly arranged table, the 

 fruit being excellent, and the decorations of flowers and Ferns 

 exceedingly chaste ; Mr. Brown, Marshgate, Richmond, having 

 the second place with a neatly arranged table of fruit, Ferns, 

 and Grasses. In Class 63, for ladies of the district, Miss B. 

 Mackinnon, Ham Common, was placed first; Mrs. Askew, 

 Ellerker House, Richmond, second ; and Mrs. Maokinnon third, 

 with elaborately arranged tables. For single decoration Miss 

 Rose Little, Cambridge Park, Twickenham ; Miss J. Warde, 

 3, South Terrace, Richmond ; and Mrs. Hunter, Isleworth, were 

 placed in the order named. Miss Little's decoration — a glassy 

 pool with Water Lilies, and a miniature bank fringed with 

 flowers — was very ornamental. Bouquets were not good, nor 

 " button-holes " superior. 



In this tent a basket of hardy flowers exhibited by Lady 

 Parker was highly ornamental, and it is to be regretted that 

 there was not a better response for the prizes offered by Lady 

 Parker for flowers of this nature ; the example sent was very 

 charming. Hanging baskets were also exhibited in the same 

 tent, but some of them were "made-up affairs," and none 

 superior. The prizes went to Mr. Atrill, Mr. Wells, and Mr. 

 Morrell. 



Roses. — Of these many boxes were exhibited, Messrs. Paul 

 and Son, Cheshunt, securing the chief prizes for thirty-six and 

 twenty-four blooms in the open class ; Messrs. Dobson & Sons 

 being second. Madame Lacharme in Messrs. Pauls' stand was in 

 excellent form. Mr. Laing exhibited good boxes, not for com- 

 petition. In the amateurs' classes for twenty-four blooms Mr. 

 Moorman, gardener to the Misses Christy, had the first place for 

 an admirable stand, followed by Mr. James, Redlees ; and J. S. 

 Virtue, Esq., Oatlands Park. Mr. James also secured the 

 special prizes offered by C. Turner White, Esq., and H. G. 

 Bohn, Esq. Other successful exhibitors were J. Wigan, Esq., 

 Rev. W. Finch, Mr. Holford, Mr. Yates, D. Roberts, Esq., R. 

 H. Hunter, Esq., &c. For eighteen bunches of cut flowers Mr. 

 James, Messrs. Dobson & Sons, and Mr. Kinghorn staged good 

 collections, and were awarded the prizes in the order of their 

 names. 



Frdit, — There was a good show of fruit, but it was generally 

 not of a high quality. Pines were small but ripe. W. H. Pun- 

 chard, Esq., was first for three fruits, also for one fruit. Mr. 

 Brown, gardener to H.R.H. the Duo d'Aumale, having a third 

 prize. Grapes were rather extensively exhibited, but with the 

 exception of about three dishes they were brown and not Black 

 Hamburghs. For a single bunch of black Grapes F. Wigan, 

 Esq., was first; Mr. Sallows, gardener to J. J. Flack, Esq., 

 second; and Mr. Bates, gardener to W. H. Punchard, Esq., 

 third j but none of them were superior. For three bunches of 

 black Grapes Mr. Bowell was first with very good Black Ham- 

 burghs ; Mr. Bates being second with unripe Madresfield Courts; 

 and Mr. James third with small bunches, but the best finished 

 Hamburghs in the Exhibition. For Muscats, Mr. Bates was 

 first with fine, well-filled, and finished bunches ; Mr. Fry, gar- 

 dener to Col. Beresford, being second ; and F. Wigan, Esq., 

 third. For a collection of Bix dishes, Mr. Cornhill, gardener to 

 J. S. Virtue, Esq., was first with a Pine, Grapes, Apples, Peaches, 

 Nectarines, and Strawberries, all good ; Mr. Kent, gardener to 

 C. W. Curtis, Esq., Coombe End, Kingston, being Becond. For 

 Melons (green- flesh), Mr. Pithers, Munster House, Fulham, was 

 firs,t with an excellent and handsome fruit of A. F. Barron, the 

 best Melon in the Exhibition ; J. Wigan, Esq. being second 

 with Heckfield Hybrid ; and F. Wigan, Esq., third. Scarlet- 

 flesh — first, F. Wigan, Esq., with Cox's Golden Gem ; second, 

 Mr. Brown, Orleans House, with Little Heath ; and third, Mr. 

 Wagstaffe with a seedling. Mr. Turner, George Street, Rich- 

 mond, exhibited four fruits of Little Heath weighing 17 lbs. 9 ozs. 

 In Strawberries (two diBhes), Mr. James was first with President 

 and Sir J. Paxton ; Mr. Croker, gardener to G. Whitby, Esq., 

 second with Sir J. Paxton and Sir C. Napier; and Mr. Fry 

 third with Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury and Keens' Seedling. 

 For single dishes the prizes went to Mr. Croker, Mr. James, and 

 Mr. Bond. The Strawberries were good and well coloured. 

 For Peaches, Mr. Lake, gardener to Mrs. Boycott, Cambridge 

 Park, Twickenham, was first with Royal George, very fine ; Mr. 

 Atrill being second, and Mr. F. Wigan third. For Nectarines, 

 Mr. Lake was first with Violette Hative, excellent ; Mr. Baker, 

 gardener to W. Budd, Esq., second with Pine Apple; and Mr. 

 Wells third. For Plums, Mr. Baker was first with Kirke's ; and 

 Miss Headley second with Transparent Gage. Cucumbers were 

 of fair quality, Mr. Beadle, gardener to E. A. Woodroffe, Esq., 

 winning with White Spine, Mr. Morrell being second with 

 Tender and True, and Mr. Wells third with Monro's Duke of 

 Edinburgh. 



Vegetables.— These were not of high quality. For a collec- 

 tion of ten kinds Mr. Fry, Sheen House, was first; Mr. Bond 



second, his collection including good Celery ; and Mr. Atrill 

 third. Messrs. James Carter & Co. offered a silver cup value 

 five guineas for eighteen dishes, for which there was very good 

 competition; Mr. Bond, gardener to -Mrs. Beckford, Oxford 

 House, Ham, winning, his collection including Mushrooms and 

 Celery, otherwise it was no better, if as good, as some of the 

 other collections. 



Potatoes were generally small, Cabbages and Cauliflowers 

 large, Peas scarce, and Turnips and Carrots anything but good. 

 Some of the vegetables staged by the cottagers were fully as 

 good as those exhibited by gardeners. For cottagers many 

 special prizes were given, and a good display of garden products 

 were staged. Altogether the Exhibition must be pronounced a 

 very successful one, and visitors were exceedingly numerous. 



BOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



July 5th. 



Fruit Committee. — Henry Webb.Esq., in the chair. Avery 

 fine dish of Tomatoes, called Jackson's Tomato, was sent by Mr. 

 R. Gilbert of The Gardens, Burghley. They were large, almost 

 quite smooth without furrows, and of a fine deep red. It re- 

 ceived a cultural commendation. Mr. Wright, gardener, the 

 Manor House, Lower Stoughton, sent a dish of a seedling Pea 

 which very much resembled Dickson's Favourite. As the Com- 

 mittee decline to give an opinion upon Peas except in a state of 

 growth these were passed. Colonel Trevor Clark sent fruit of 

 the Doyenne d'Ete Pear perfectly ripe. Mr. Charles Turner of 

 Slough sent a fruit of the White Turkey Cucumber, an old 

 variety now almost out of cultivation in this country, but well 

 known as one of the best in flavour, and with a fine aroma. 

 Philip Crowley, Esq., of Waddon House, Croydon, sent a fine 

 specimen of Shaddock, to which a cultural commendation was 

 awarded. Mr. Gilbert, The Gardens, Burghley, sent several 

 seedling Melons. One, called The First Lord, was raised from 

 the African Melon of Sir S. Baker crossed with Victory of Bath, 

 but it was not considered to possess any merit. _ The second was 

 a red-fleshed variety, which was also inferior in flavour. The 

 third, Hughes' Golden Nugget, was better than the preceding, 

 but still inferior. The true African was very deficient of flavour. 

 Hero of Bath, a red-fleshed variety, was the best of the collec- 

 tion. Prince's Favourite, another red-flesh, was also inferior. 

 Mr. Oxford, The Hall, Kenilworth, sent a Melon raised by cross- 

 ing Hero of Bath with Horticultural Prize, but it was inferior 

 in flavour. 



A seedling Strawberry called Pioneer was sent by Thomas 

 Laxton, Esq., of Stamford — a handsome cone-shaped Strawberry 

 with a firm flesh, a briskly flavoured fruit with a decided Haut- 

 bois aroma. The skin is dark red, and the seedB are small and 

 prominent. It was awarded a first-class certificate. 



A collection of thirty-seven varieties of Strawberries came 

 from the garden at Chiswick. Mr. Batters, gardener to Mrs. 

 Willis Fleming, sent a dish each of Winter Greening and Nor- 

 folk Beefing Apples. 



Flobal Committee. — R. B. Postans, Esq., in the chair. A 

 pair of very fine plantB of Spirsea palmata were exhibited by 

 Mr. Strahan, gardener to P. Crowley, Esq., Waddon House, 

 Croydon. These plants were 5 feet high and through, and each 

 contained thirty headB of beautiful pink flowers, and the foliage 

 was perfect, overhanging the sides of the pots. _ A cultural cer- 

 tificate was worthily awarded for these fine Bpecimens. 



R. B. Foster, Esq., Clewer Manor, Windsor, exhibited seven 

 varieties of show Pelargoniums, and first-class certificates were 

 awarded to Lord of the Isles, a bold highly-coloured flower with 

 large truss and fine foliage, a splendid variety; to Sappho, a 

 dwarf variety of close habit, the lower petals being salmon pink, 

 the upper petals violet cerise, with very dark blotch and white 

 centre, very attractive ; and to Toby, a flower of good substance, 

 smooth, and of the most intensely crimson scarlet to be found in 

 Pelargoniums. 



A botanical certificate was awarded to Mr. Green, Botanical 

 Nursery, Holmesdale Road, Reigate, for Eryngium pumilum, 

 a hardy This tie-like plant with violet-tinted bracts and spiny 

 florets — an interesting plant. 



A first-class certificate was awarded to Thomas Laxton, Esq., 

 Stamford, for double white Pelargonium MrB. Trevor Clarke. 

 This is not a dirty pink semi-double variety, but is really double 

 and really white. It appears to be a free bloomer, and the trusses 

 are large ; the leaves possess great substance and are faintly 

 zoned. This plant is thoroughly distinot, appears to possess 

 intrinsic merit, and is an important acquisition to double Pe- 

 largoniums : it can hardly fail to become very popular. 



A cultural commendation was awarded to Mr. R. Veitch, 

 Exeter, for a pan of the brilliant-berried plant, Nertera depressa, 

 a remarkably fine specimen ; the Bmall coral-like berries being 

 packed tier upon tier. This charming alpine plant is worthy of 

 extended cultivation. It is very nearly or quite hardy. 



Messrs. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, exhibited Ferns Osmunda 

 palustris and Niphobolus lingua cristata, a very fine Gloxinia, 



