142 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 17, 1876. 



Rudd, Esq. ; in this stand Sarah Payne, Clipper, and Falcon- 

 bridge were fine. Mr. John Beswick, Middleton, was fourth, 

 and Richard Gorton, Esq., fifth. In this stand were fine blooms 

 of Graceless Tom and James Cheetham, and the best Sarah 

 Payne in the Exhibition. 



In the corresponding class for Picotees Mr. Booth won the 

 first place with very fine flowers, Miss Lee, Mrs. Dodwell, 

 Nymph, and Mrs. Lord being especially superior. Mr. Simonite 

 was second with Mrs. Niven, J. B. Bryant, Mrs. Summers, and 

 seedlings. Third, Mr. Beswick. This stand contained amongst 

 others Bonny Jane, Beauty of Plumstead, Ann Lord, and Mr. 

 Harland. R. Gorton, Esq., was fourth with John Smith, a fine 

 flower; Nymph, and Mrs. Booth. G. Rudd, Esq., was fifth. 



For sis distinct Carnations Robert Lord, E6q., was first with 

 John Keet, Juno, Sportsman, Lord Raglan, Admiral Curzon, 

 and Clipper. Mr. Booth second; Mr. Rudd, Mr. Simonite, and 

 Mr. Chad wick taking the remaining prizes in the order named. 



For six distinct Picotees Mr. Simonite was first with Mrs. 

 Summers, Mrs. Simonite, Teresa, J. B. Bryant, and a seedling. 

 Mr. Booth ; B. Gorton, Esq. ; S. Cooper, Esq., Timperley, 

 Cheshire, and Mr. Chad wick being the remaining prizewinners. 



The prizes for the best single blooms brought out a large com- 

 petition, some of the growers Bhowing at least a dozen blooms 

 in each of the classes. 



CARNATIONS. 



Scarlet Bizarres. — 1, R. Lord with Admiral Curzon. 2 and 8, J. Booth 

 with Admiral Curzon and Admiral Napier. 4, — Simonite with a seedling. 

 6, T. Bowers with Sir Joseph Paxton. 



Crimson Bizarres. — 1, 3, 4, and 6, — Simonite with John Simonite, Eccen- 

 tric Jack, and Samuel Barlow. 2, S. Cooper with Rifleman. 5, J. Booth 

 with Lord Raglan. 



Rose Flakes. — 1 and 2, R. Lord with Sportsman. 3, — Simonite with Rev. 

 F. D. Horner. 4, — Beswick with Clipper. 5, J. Booth with Win, Harland. 

 6, T. Bowers with Clipper. 



Rose Flakes. — 1 and 2, R. Lord with John Keet and a seedling. 8, T. 

 Bowers with E. T. Dodwell. 4 and 6, J. Booth with James Merryweather and 

 Lovely Ann. 5, — ■ Whittaker with Crista-galli. 



Purple Flakes, — 1 and 4. R. Lord with Juno. 2, T. Bowers with Squire 

 Meynell. 3, — Simonite with James Douglas. 6, J. Booth with Lady Peel. 

 6, — Beswick with Earl of Wilton. 



PICOTEES. 



Heavy-edged Red.— I and 2, T. Bowers with J. B. Bryant and Mrs. Dod- 

 well. 3, — Beswick with a seedling. 4, R. Lord with John Smith. 5, S. 

 Cooper with Miss Small. 6, J. Booth with Brunette. 



Light Red-edged. — 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, — Simonite with Mrs. Gorton and four 

 seedlings. 5, T. Bowers with William Summers. 



Heavy Purple-edged. — 1 and 2, R. Gorton with Mrs. Summers and Norfolk 

 Beauty. 3 and 4, — Simonite with seedlings. 5, — Beswick with Mrs. Sum- 

 mers. 6, J. Booth with Alliance. 



Light Purple-edged. — 1, — Beswick with Mary. 2, R. Gorton with Mary. 

 3, S. Cooper with Ann Lord. 4 and 6, R. Lord with Alice and a seedling. 

 5, — Simonite with a seedling. 



Heavy Rose-edge. — 1 and 4, R. Lord with Miss Horner. 2 and S, J. Booth 

 with Mrs. Lord. 5, — Mellor with Edith Dombrain. 6, — Beswick with 

 Bonny Jane. 



Light Rose-edge. — 1, R. Lord with Miss Wood. 2, J. Booth with Miss 

 Wood. 3 and 6,'T. Bowers with Ethel. 4, — Beswick with Miss Nicholls. 

 5, — Mellor with Bertha. 



Flowers to which first-class certificates were awarded : — ■ • 

 Catenations. — Scarlet Bizarre : Othello, a very distinct flower 

 with rich markings. It is the darkest flower that has yet been 

 seen, with a broad stout petal and a smooth outline. Crimson 

 Bizarres : Samuel Barlow, a very beautiful flower of the largest 

 size, and in the formation resembles Isaac Wilkinson, with 

 colours brighter and more defined and better petals. Frank 

 Simonite. — This is quite distinct, and a grand flower of large 

 size and immense breadth and smoothness of petal, markings 

 very regular. John Simonite, a seedling from Jenny Lind 

 (Puxley), very large and a most Btriking flower ; white, very 

 pure. Purple-flake : James Douglas is, perhaps, a seedling 

 from Mayor of Nottingham, but it is much superior to that sort ; 

 the white is very pure, the flakes regular and well defined; 

 petals broad, stout in substance, and quite smooth. Scarlet- 

 flake : Rev. F. D. Horner. — This Bort stands very high in its 

 class ; it is certainly the most constant, and has the smoothest 

 petal, the markings very regular. Colour bright scarlet. 



Picotees. — The following varieties like the above have been 

 raised by Mr. Benjamin Simonite, Rough Bank, Sheffield, and 

 amongst them will be found some of the finest and best-marked 

 flowers in existence, and when they are grown under better cir- 

 cumstances they may be expected to be seen in still better form. 

 Light Bed-edges : Mrs. Simonite. This gained the premium 

 prize as the best Picotee in the Exhibition. It is certainly 

 grand, petals smooth, shell- like, pearly white, with fine wire 

 edge. Mrs. F. D. Horner is best described as a red-edged Mary, 

 and will hold a high position in years to come. Mrs. Gorton, 

 fine smooth petal without spot or bar, and wire edge. Mrs. 

 Douglas, one of the most distinct flowers exhibited. It is a 

 lovely flower with smooth petals and well-defined medium 

 mauve-purple edge. Silvia, a chaste and elegant flower with 

 the finest purple wire edge yet seen. Similar awards were also 

 given to Rose-flake Carnation E. S, Dodwell (Bower). It has 

 brilliant cherry-rose flakes, and very neat. Mrs. Dodwell (Lord), 

 another Rose-flake of good substance, and bright deep rose 

 flakes regularly disposed, smooth petal. Miss Horner (Lord), a 



very fine, heavy, rose-edge, lighter in colour than Edith Dom- 

 brain, and a better flower. 



Perhaps an equal number of first-class certificates has never 

 been awarded in one day for these florists' flowers. 



As a supplement to the Carnation Show, collections of fruit 

 and flowers were sent by various exhibitors. The Society's 

 silver medal was given to Mr. J. T. Rayner, gardener to E 

 Molyneux, Esq., Rock Park, Birkenhead, for two splendid 

 bunches of well-finished Black Hamburgh Grapes ; their united 

 weight was 11 lbs. 10 ozs. 



First-class cultural commendations were also given to Mr._ W. 

 Leech, Fallowfield, near Manchester, for a good Saccolabium 

 Blumei majus ; to S. Cooper, Esq., for Adiantum farleyense ; 

 to Mr. John Rylands for Mack and white Grapes ; and a first- 

 clasB certificate was awarded to Mr. Hill, gardener, Keele Hall, 

 for a new white-fleshed Melon. 



The following had first-class commendations : — Mr. Upjohn, 

 gardener to the Earl of Ellesmere for a collection of fruit in 

 twelve diBtinot sorts ; it comprised Black Hamburgh and Duke 

 of Buccleuch Grapes, the latter' with immense berries, Pines, 

 Peaches, and Nectarines, and a Melon ; the collection was well 

 set up. Messrs. G. & W. Tates for bouquets ; and Mr. Leech 

 for Oncidium macranthum. 



TAUNTON DEANE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



August 10th. 



The Royal Agricultural Society of England held their Show 

 at Taunton last year, and hence the great annual gathering in 

 connection with the Horticultural Society was omitted, so that 

 it was two years since I had the pleasure of visiting this most 

 charming Somersetshire town. During that time of course 

 changes had taken place; a new Secretary had been appointed, 

 but in many respects there had been no change. There was the 

 same gala-day appearance about the town ; bunting was largely 

 displayed ; the streets were crowded, not only with the carriages 

 of the neighbouring gentry but by holiday-keepers of all sorts ; 

 while in the Vivary Park, where the Exhibition was held, there 

 was to be seen the same array of tents filled with the produc- 

 tions of most of the old and many new exhibitors. The same 

 genial reception was given to all who were partakers in the 

 arrangements. Judges and officers of the Society, and leading 

 exhibitors met together to talk over horticulture and to give 

 and receive hints on the subjects of deepest interest to them. 



The extremely dry and scorching weather that we have lately 

 experienced had its effect upon the cut flowers, and togethe 

 with the utter carelessness of the railway people tended some- 

 what to mar the Show. The plants of the Messrs. Drummond 

 never left Bath, as the Great Western Railway had no trucks to 

 take them ; while of the eight boxes of cut Roses brought by 

 Mr. Prince, and which were deposited safely at nine o'clock the 

 night before at the Taunton station, only two could be put up, 

 the others having been turned completely over, and shavings, 

 moss, tubes, and Roses all mixed together. It must have been 

 the result of thorough carelessness. Then, unfortunately, there 

 is no redress ; and indeed when one seeB what has happened 

 on these southern lines lately I suppose Mr. Prince would 

 be told that it was fortunate it was only his boxes and not 

 himself that came to grief. But notwithstanding these draw- 

 backs the Show was a moBt excellent one, the two collections of 

 stove and greenhouse plants exhibited by Mr. Cypher of Chel- 

 tenham, and Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, & Co. of Exeter, being 

 probably as fine collections as ever were exhibited in the month 

 of August. The Heaths in the former collection were superb 

 specimens of culture. Ferns also were contributed by the same 

 exhibitors and by Messrs. Bryant & Co. of Bath in fine order, 

 including good specimens of Adiantum farleyense. There were 

 also some fine Palms and excellent specimens of Lycopods. 

 Mr. Williams of Holloway sent a large number of new and rare 

 plants not for competition; and the large number of zonal 

 Pelargoniums contributed to the gaiety of this tent, which formed 

 the principal point of attraction. But surely I may suggest to 

 the promoters of the Show that it is time to discard the classes 

 for tricolor and bronze Pelargoniums. ■ August is much too late 

 for them, and the fancy for them has so completely altered that 

 no one would regret to see other classes substituted for them. 

 It is impossible at this season to distinguish varieties, and if an 

 exhibitor chose to put up three or four of a sort it would be very 

 difficult to distinguish them. • 



The amateurs' classes were not quite so well filled as I have 

 seen them, but here again the weather has been unpropitious. 

 Amateurs have not the same appliances nor the large collections, 

 that nurserymen have, and hence when such tropical weather 

 as this comes and a plant or two is driven out of bloom they are 

 nonplussed ; yet in some of the classes, notably in the zonal 

 Pelargoniums, their plants were better than the nurserymen's, 

 being more compact in growth and more full of bloom ; and in 

 Ferns and Lycopods and Fuchsias there were s&me remarkably 

 fine exhibits. 



Amongst cut flowers the most telling stand was that of Cria- 



