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JOURNAL 0? HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 5, 1876. 



Son, Leicester, seventy varieties. Many highly superior dishes 

 were included in these collection. 



Mr. Amies exhibited Kales, Maize, &c, which had been grown 

 on poor soil with the aid of his manures, and nothing more lux- 

 uriant could be imagined than these robust plants. 



Mr. Turner had a certificate of merit for the fine new Dahlia 

 Christopher Ridley, and similar awards were given to Mr. Raw- 

 lings, Romford, for Singularity, amber and white, and Earl of 

 Eeaconsfield. Mr. G. Smith, Edmonton, also exhibited Dahlias. 



A new Melon, exhibited by Mr. Frisby, Blankney Gardens, 

 Sleaford, attracted considerable attention. It is a seedling from 

 Bloxholm Hall, the fruit being oval-shaped and handsomely 

 netted on a greenish yellow rind. The flesh is of a deep green 

 colour is tolerably firm, yet extremely juicy, and possesses a 

 fine aroma. In the " judging " which this Melon underwent 

 every particle of the fruit was speedily eaten — a rather unusual 

 occurrence, especially during a season like the present, when 

 Melons have been of indifferent quality. This fruit was named 

 Blankney Hero, and was unanimously awarded a certificate of 

 merit. It is not a little singular that two Melons of such high 

 quality — Blankney Hero, green flesh, and Bloxholm Hall, scarlet 

 flesh — should have originated in the same locality, the estates of 

 Blankney and Bloxholm in mid-Lincolnshire, almost adjoining. 



The Exhibition was arranged in the Concert Hall, the dishes 

 being placed in six rows on five tables, each 100 feet in length, 

 and the display was quite imposing. No doubt some inferior 

 dishes were staged, the tubers being large and unshapely, but 

 by far the majority were admirable examples of culture. The 

 Show altogether was an excellent one, and highly creditable to 

 Mr. McKinlay and his coadjutors. It was also well managed, 

 the j adging being quickly done and the awards promptly placed 

 on the collections. 



EOTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



October 4th. 



Ebuit Committee. — Henry Webb, Esq., V.P., in the chair. 

 Mr. J. Ollerhead, gardener to Sir Henry Peek, Bart., Wimbledon 

 House, sent a Queen Pine. He also sent a Melon Conqueror of 

 Europe, and a dish of Trophy Tomato, to which a letter of 

 thanks was awarded. Mr. Dean of Ealing sent a preserve made 

 from Pumpkin, and strongly flavoured with lemon and ginger. 

 It was considered a good preserve, but was too sweet. Mr. 

 Erancis Dancer of Little Sutton exhibited a dish of fine speci- 

 mens of Northern Spy Apple. Dishes of Madame Treyve and 

 Buerre Superfin Pears and Black Monukka Grape were received 

 from the garden at Chiswick. Mr. Baker, gardener to Rev. 

 G. W. B. Bell of Bampton, Farringdon, sent roots of a red 

 Beet, Excelsior, which was not considered an improvement on 

 existing varieties. Mr. R. Westcott, gardener to the Duke of 

 Cleveland, Baby Castle, sent a Capsicum called Princess of 

 Wales, which was considered too much like Prince of Wales. 



A very fine collection of Grapes was exhibited by Messrs. 

 Lane and Son of Berkhampstead, which contributed very much 

 to the interest of the meeting. Both in size and symmetry of 

 the bunches and the size of the berries they exhibited evidence 

 of very superior cultivation. There were three handsome 

 bunches of each of the following : — Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat, 

 Golden Queen, Black Hamburgh, Foster's Seedling, Black 

 Prince, Bucklaud Sweetwater, Muscat of Alexandria, Gros 

 Guillaume, Trebbiano, Gros Colman, Bowood Muscat, Muscat 

 Hamburgh, Dr. Hogg, and Lady Downe's. The Muscats of 

 Alexandria were especially worthy of notice from their size and 

 their rich colouring. The Committee unanimously recommended 

 the Council to award a Davis medal to Messrs. Lane for the 

 exhibition. 



Flokal Committee. — W. B. Kellock, Esq., in the chair. The 

 Council-room presented quite a gay appearance at this meeting, 

 and there was a good attendance of horticulturists. The tables 

 around the room were well filled with an excellent group of 

 Orchids from the collection of Messrs. Veitch ifc.Sons. A fine 

 display of Carnations in pots, Bouvardias, and Dahlias from 

 Mr. Turner, Slough ; table plants from Mr. Ollerhead, gardener 

 to Sir Henry Peek, Wimbledon House, and other noticeable 

 exhibits. The most striking plant amongst the Orchids was 

 Vanda cserulea with four Bpikes, one of which contained twenty 

 flowers. Vanda suavis was also represented by a vigorous 

 specimen. Amongst the Cattleyas in this collection we noticed 

 C. exoniensis in two varieties, C. Brabantiaa, C. Dominiana, and 

 C. superba. Amongst the Onoidiums were O. Forbesii, O. cris- 

 pum, O. macranthum, and 0. tigrinum, and there were small 

 plants of Odontoglossums — RoBsii, vexillarium, and Roezlii ; 

 Phalsenopsis rosea, Lselia priestans, and several Cypripediums. 

 This was an exceedingly bright and effective group of plants, 

 and for which a Davis medal was recommended by the Com- 

 mittee to be awarded. 



The Carnations exhibited by Mr. Turner comprised about fifty 

 plants in 5 and 6-inch pots, each plant being sturdy in growth, 

 exceedingly healthy, and furnished with splendid flowers. 

 Coronation, a rich crimson;scarlet variety, was very striking ; 



Scarlet Defiance, Rose Perfection, Vestal (white), and Miss Jol- 

 liffe (flesh) are excellent perpetual bloomers ; and amongst the 

 flaked varieties Sir G. Wolseley, Gloire de Lyon, and Oscar were 

 the best. These varieties, grown as here exhibited, are invalu- 

 able for winter decoration, and for affording cut flowers of the 

 most enjoyable nature. A cultural commendation was awarded 

 for the collection. The Bouvardias exhibited by Mr. Turner 

 comprised admirably grown plants of B. Vreelandii, B. Hogarth, 

 B. umbellata alba, and B. longiflora flammea. The plants were 

 in 6-inch pots, each containing twenty to fifty heads of flowers. 

 A vote of thanks was awarded. Mr. Turner's Dahlias were 

 numerous and fine : first-class certificates were awarded to 

 Christopher Ridley, a scarlet flower of superb form and finish ; 

 and to Burgundy, a fine flower, puce, Bhadiug to purple in the 

 centre. Mr. Rawlings also exhibited Dahlias. 



A first-class certificate was awarded to Mr. Wills, Melbourne 

 Nursery, Anerley, for a new Dracaena Gladstonei, a magnificent 

 and stately plant with broad arching foliage, bronze, heavily 

 margined with crimson. Messrs, Veitch & Sons received a 

 similar award for a handsome plant of the charming Maranta 

 Massangeana. Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, Wellington 

 Nursery, St. John's Wood, had a vote of thanks for a striking 

 Tillandsia with crimson bracts and purple stamens. Votes of 

 thanks were also awarded to Mr. Dean, Ealing, for dwarf French 

 Marigolds ; and to Mr. Ollerhead for lovely blooms of Nymphasa 

 dentata. Mr. Ollerhead had a similar award for a group of well- 

 grown table plants ; he also exhibited a highly-coloured Ana- 

 nassa sativa variegata, a large Platycerium, and a remarkable 

 plant of Selaginella phlegmeria, resembling a miniature Arau- 

 caria laden with pendulous catkins. 



Mr. Perkins had a vote of thanks for a bouquet of Begonias 

 fringed with Ferns. W. Bayner, Esq., St. Andrew'B, Uxbridge, 

 exhibited Amaryllis Rayneri. Messrs. Bollisson & Sons, Cattleya, 

 Mylami, a cross between C. crispa and C. granulosa. Mr. Noble, 

 Bagshot, Gynerium argenteum pumilum, which was certificated 

 last year, and trusses of his new Rose Crimson Bedder, showing 

 its extremely free and continuous-flowering character. Mr. 

 G. F. Wilson exhibited a fine plant of a dark-spotted variety of 

 Tricyrtis hirta ; Messrs. E. G.Henderson & Son, Colons Pine- 

 Apple Beauty, similar to but brighter than Lady Burrell; Mr. 

 Dean, Violet Victoria Regina; Mr. Chambers, Westlake Nursery, 

 Isloworth, Begonia Magenta Queen, which had been grown in 

 the open air, proving its suitableness for window-box decoration ; 

 and a collection of cut trusses of Double Pelargoniums were 

 exhibited from the Society's Gardens at ChiBwick. 



AMERICAN ROSE AND SNOWFLAKE POTATOES. 

 Having grown the American Rose Potato on light sandy 

 soil for several years, I find it to be a very heavy cropper 

 and of excellent quality ; but there is one fault I have to find 

 with it, and that is it is rather pink in its flesh, and on that 

 account it will not do for the parlour table, but it is undoubt- 

 edly a first-rate sort for market purposes. In my opinion \i 

 will be superseded by Snowflake, another American variety 

 equally as productive ; tubers large, beautifully shaped, arid 

 when cooked of the finest flavour. It boils mealy, and tie 

 flesh is as white as its name implies — H. Mason, Bisbrook Hall. 



TROP^EOLUM SPECIOSUM. 

 I obsekvb an answer to an inquiry respecting Tropsolim 

 speciosum, which reminds me of what I have recently seen of 

 that plant in the Highlands of Scotland and what hundreds 

 of tourists niUBt have been struck by. As we Were leaviig 

 Loch Katrine and were driving through the Trossacks towaids 

 Callendar our attention was attracted to one of the modern 

 villas which have invaded that silent region by a beautilul 

 climber of a brilliant scarlet colour with which the walls were 

 covered. We were not near enough to be able to find oit 

 what it was that produced the unusual effect. The botanical 

 and horticultural knowledge of our party was exercised, aid 

 many were the suggestions to account for the cause of it. Orx 

 curiosity was kept on the stretch, and it was not till we reached 

 Killin that we had an opportunity of examining what we weie 

 inclined to think was a new introduction. There, however, 

 we found the plant covering the whole fronts of many of the 

 cottages with as great luxuriance as the common Canary plant, 

 and then we found it to be Tropieolum speciosum. On con- 

 tinuing our journey to Kenmore we discovered not only the 

 toll-house just as you approach the bridge leading to the town, 

 but an extensive trellis adjoining, one mass of scarlet flowers 

 and beautiful bine-black fruit. The only term applicable to 

 this remarkable sight is that it is gorgeous. How is it that 

 the cultivation of this plant is confined to this part of the 

 country, where it is perfectly hardy and grows without any care. 



