October 5, 1871. 1 



JODBNAL OP HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



257 



people had evidently riaen to the occasion. I purposely avoided 

 going near the show until all was ready, so that I might not 

 see any part until I saw all. A shov? rapidly got up, only 

 thought of late in the season, takes everyone by surprise and 

 unprepared. This, however, is no bad thing for once, as it 

 reveals what is a neighbourhood's natural turn for horticulture 

 when no inducement for cultivation by prizes exists. 



Viewed in this light the Chippenham Show was excellent, as 

 the gardeners' and cottagers' long tents showed. Much in- 

 genuity was manifested in the class for floral devices. Oae 

 of the best represented a lawn gay with beds, the colours well 

 selected, and a miuiature fountain playing in the centre. 

 Another represented the borough arms. These things display 

 ingeuuily as well as a taste for flowers. Truth to say, it was 

 a pleasant scene. Flowers, fruit, music, sunshine, the grass 

 so vividly green, dappled here and there with shadows thrown 

 on it by the fine Elms, while a silver thread of water glistened 

 in the distance, for the Avon, the Bristol Avon, the very water 

 there seen, soon to rush between the mighty rocks of St. 

 Vincent, and beneath the great suspension bridge, runs along 

 the edge of the park ; while the old church tower sent forth its 

 jocund peal of sounds to add to the charm. " But the ptople ! 

 Oh! the people!" how they poured in — and tbe money too. 

 Afier six no more visitors were to be admitted, as at eight all 

 was to be over, but they were not to be denied ; and where will 

 you fiud a committee that has the heart to refuse money? 

 There were five thousand people all enjoying themselves 

 rationally and purely. I liked much to see the school children 

 troop in, especially the poor workhouse children — what a treat 

 it was for them! Among the cottage prizetakers were two very 

 noticeable. An old man of eighty got a prize for his Asters ; he 

 never exhibited before, nor at his age will probably again, but 

 had, as I well know, kept a gay garden all his life. The other, 

 a bright-eyed little boy, was first for the best nosegay of 

 wild flowers. One going out of the world, the other coming 

 in, yet each happy in his success — I scarce know which was 

 the happier. I might notice other incidents did room 

 permit. Safiice it to say the Show was a suooess florally and 

 financially. 



I noticed where a few improvements might be made, and 

 I hope will be made next year. Thus — 4s., 3s., and 2s. aa 

 prizes for cottagers, should be 5s., 4s., and 3s. A cottage ex- 

 hibitor takes much trouble, and loses a day's work in bringing 

 his property for exhibition, and in attending the show, to 

 which, of course, he is admitted free. Now a day's wages are 

 too valuable for him to lose, and he should have a chance of 

 being more than reimbursed. Then, also, the neighbouring 

 gentry should be asked to send in large plants in pots as orna- 

 ments to fill up the centre of the large stands. Then, too, 

 some Rose-growers, notably one in Bith, will, if their expenses 

 be paid, send in many stands of Roses, not for competition, but 

 which, being grand specimens, will add much to the beauty of 

 the exhibition. 



Tbe Sbow over, the band playing the crowd out just as day- 

 light faded, I walked through the whole town from end to 

 end. Great was the display of flags, arches, garlands, archways 

 of evergreens, some in front of shops extended across the pave- 

 ment, festoons, illuminated stars, Prince-of-Wales plumes, and 

 the universal and very-varied-in-form Chinese lanterns. All 

 these " house decorations " extended from end to end of the 

 town, over a mile in length. I walked slowly through the crowd 

 of five thousand people (they waiting for the fireworks to be let 

 oft' after dark), I kept on the sharp look-out for everything to be 

 approved or disapproved, and having watched all before the 

 Show, in the Show, and afterwards -in the town for twelve hours, 

 I give the verdict — " A well-managed horticultural show, such 

 as this was at Chippenham, gives a maximum of pleasure with 

 a minimum of evil." — Wiltshire Eeciok. 



mounted with a magnificent Pampas Grass and sheaYes of 

 Wheat, Barley, Oats, cfco. 



POTATOES. 



Messes. Sutton & Sons, of Reading have erected at the 

 Crystal Palace a harvest trophy in the centre transept, afford- 

 ing one of the most complete displays of the produce of the 

 earth ever exhibited. Neither trouble nor expense has been 

 spared to make the collection worthy of the occasion. The trophy 

 consists of two hundred varieties of Grasses, Mangold Wurzel 

 of 20 lbs. each, S^vedes of 16 lbs. each, Tarnips, and other 

 varieties of agricultural roots. Of Potatoes there are seventy- 

 five varieties, as well as many other horticultural products. Of 

 Apples and Pears Messrs. Sutton have seventy-five dishes of 

 each, in addition to other fruits. The trophy is 50 feet in 

 length, with a tower at each end 25 feet high, the whole sur- 



" E." is quite right about there being more than one kind of 

 Potato sent out as the Early Rose. I imported last year from 

 one of the best seedsmen in New York a few of the Bresee's 

 King of the Earlies, and of the Early Rose. The latter sample 

 was a round light red Potato, a heavy cropper, but fulfilling the 

 description given of them by Mr. Rivers ; so also was Bresee's 

 King of the Earlies, though a heavy cropper, and very early. 

 I tasted at a friend's house early last month a long, mealy, 

 well-flavoured Kidney Potato, which he called Early Rose, and 

 of which I saw some roots turned up in the garden, very pro- 

 ductive, with flne tubers. Here clearly are two kinds of Early 

 Rose, and there may be more. 1 should be much obliged if 

 " K." would send me a few — say a score, of his Early Rjse and 

 Harrison's, and if he can add a few sets of Moua's Pride he 

 will still further oblige. — Alex. Wallace, Colchester. 



N.B. — I may add that I saw at the Horticultural Gardens a 

 red Kidney Potato, called the Early Rose. 



THE PLANTING-OUT AT THE CRYSTAL 

 PALACE. 



I AM inclined to think that the Crystal Palace gardens do 

 more to encourage a taste for gardening and a love of flowers 

 among the lower classes than even the London parks, although 

 the latter are so much more accessible. It is true that one 

 can now sea in every park in London flower beds laid out in 

 the beet of taste, and kept in the most perfect trim, but when 

 all has been done that art can devise, it is clear that it is im- 

 possible to oDunteraot the efiects of the atmosphere. For a few 

 days after the beds have been planted all look most bright 

 and beautiful, but very soon London air and London smoke 

 make the flowers fade, tho bright-foliaged plants grow dirty, 

 and the dark ones dingy, after which it is only a struggle to 

 keep up appearances, and frequenters of the parks, who have 

 no other standard to judge by, see but a faint reflection of the 

 glories of a bright garden in a clear atmosphere. At Norwood, 

 however, there are none of these drawbacks, and the tens of 

 thousands who visit the Crystal Palace every summer and revel 

 in the gardens, are able to see and appreciate what can be done 

 by a combination of the greatest taste and skill, backed up by 

 large resources. 



Here, as everywhere else, the beds were planted very late in 

 consequence of the very late, cold, wet season, and July was far 

 advanced before all were filled. It was wonderful, however, to 

 see how very speedily some of the beds put on a gay appearance. 

 It was almost magical. I have always considered it most 

 creditable to the Crystal Palace Compapy that it expends so 

 much money in keeping the gardens in a high state of per- 

 fection. It was, I think, the first place of public amusement 

 that aimed so high and accomplished so much in that way. It 

 struck me, however, that in one most important respect there 

 was a decided falling-oS this year, and that is in the condition 

 in which the turf is kept on the upper terrace. It has cer- 

 tainly required more watering and cutting, and in this one re- 

 spect these gardens are decidedly inferior to the parks, where 

 the grass round the beds is most beautifully kept, and presents 

 a sight most grateful to the eye weary of bricks and mortar. 



It would seem to have been the aim of the master mind who 

 planned the planting-out to make as many different combina- 

 tions as possible. This has its advantages, as it enables those 

 who come to the gardens for hints which shall assist them in 

 their plans for next year, to see not only what to adopt, but 

 also what to avoid. There are in these gardens some of the 

 most agreeable, and certainly some of the most repulsive com- 

 binations I ever saw, but the latter are very few in number. 



The most successful bed in the whole garden is in one of the 

 sharp corners near the rosery, and is filled with Duchess of 

 Sutherland Geranium, edged with two rows of Iresine Lindeni 

 and two rows of Golden Feverfew. This is a really splendid 

 arrangement. Not far from it there is another really fine bed 

 of Waltham Seedling Geranium edged with Christine. Another 

 most successful bed is made up of Gentaurea candidissima 

 edged with Coleus and Golden Feverfew. On the opposite side 

 of the rosery is a very effective bed of Amaranthus melan- 

 cholicus ruber edged with Centaurea and Lobelia. The effect 

 of the sunshine through the Amaranthus was particularly fine. 



