58 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 19, 1877. 



Ireland), growing it in that manner here ia pntting it to a very 

 severe test. — John R. Boyd. 



HIGHGATE FLOWER SHOW. 



The annual Exhibition of the Highgate Horticultural Society 

 took place on the 12th inst. in the beautiful grounds of Edward 

 Brooke, Esq., J.P., Caen "Wood Towers. A more charming 

 place for a flower show would be hard to find, for fine views are 

 commanded from every part of the grounds, with London as 

 it were lying at your feet. The Exhibition was held in two 

 large tents, the larger one for specimen plantB and gardeners' 

 produce, the other for amateurs' and cottagers' produce. On 

 entering, the first group to attract attention was a collection of 

 foliage plants and Palms, edged 3 feet wide with dwarf Roses in 

 pots in bloom from W. Cutbush & Sons of Highgate and Barnet. 

 At the other end Mr. B. S. Williams of Upper Holloway exhi- 

 bited an unique group of six very fine specimens of AUamanda 

 grandiflora, Statice profusa, Dipladenia Brearleyana, Erica ob- 

 bata, Ixora javanica floribunda, and Bougainvillea glabra, edged 

 with graceful Palms, FernB, and new and rare plants, such as 

 Cocos Weddelliana, Adiantum gracillimum, various new Crotons, 

 Dracaenas, &c. 



The best competition was for the special prize given by S. 

 Cumming, Esq., for twenty plants, distinct. Mr. Sheen, gar- 

 dener to E. Brooks, Esq., Caen Wood Towers, was placed first, 

 having good plants of Dicksonia anjarctica, Croton variegaturn, 

 Adiantum farleyense, Alocasia macrorhiza variegata, Stepha- 

 notis floribunda, &c. Mr. Fuller, gardener to E.J. Nettlefold, 

 Esq., The Grove, Highgate, was placed second with much fresher 

 plants, but not so large; he had a good Stephanotis grandiflora, 

 Clerodendron Balfouri, a bright Croton majesticum, Alocasia 

 metallica, Crotons Weismanni and variegaturn, Sanchezia nobilis, 

 &c. Third, Mr. F. Newman, gardener to W. H. Michael, Esq., 

 Claolmeley Park, with Thrinax elegans, Yucca aloifolia, Adian- 

 tums farleyenBe and cuneatum, Davallia Mooreana, &o. For six 

 Palms Mr. E. Ayling, gardener to S. Cumming, &c, Harbeston, 

 was first with Cocos Weddelliana, C. nucifera, Daamonorops 

 palembanicus, Latania borbonica, and Areea lutescens. Mr. 

 Fuller was second, having a good Chamserops humilis, Areca 

 lutescens, Seaforthia elegans, &c. Mr. S. Clarke, gardener to 

 Sir S. H. Waterlow, Bart., Fairseat House, was third. For six 

 Ferns Mr. Sheen was first with excellent plants of Cyathea 

 medullaris, Alsophila excelsa, Dicksonia antarctica, etc. Mr. 

 Clark was second and Mr. Ayling third, also with clean and 

 well-grown plants. Four Ferns, first Mr. Sparks, gardener to 

 J. W. Jeakes, Esq.; second Mr. Shepherd. Six Caladiums, first 

 Mr.Bullen ; second Mr. Branderick, gardener to R. Prance, Esq., 

 Hampstead. Four stove and greenhouse plants, first Mr. Bran- 

 derick, Becond Mr. Sparkes. Six foliage plants, Mr. Ayling 

 first and Mr. Branderick second. Six table plants, first Mr. 

 Sheen, second Mr. Ayling. Three table plants, first Mr. Fuller, 

 second Mr. Sheen, third Mr. Ayling. For six Cockscombs Mr. 

 Kent, gardener to J. Lane, Esq., was a long way ahead with six 

 grand plants ; second Mr. Clark, third Mr. Taylor. Six Achi- 

 menes, Mr. Fuller was first. Six Gloxinias, Mr. Newman was 

 first. Six zonal Geraniums, Mr. Catley, gardener to Mrs. Ler- 

 mitte, Finchley, showed very fine plants. Six variegated Gera- 

 niums, first Mr. Taylor. Six Pelargoniums, first Mr. Pope. 

 Twelve British Ferns, firBt Mr. Shepherd. Twelve bunches of 

 cut flowers, first Mr. Fuller, second Mr. Ayling, third Mr. 

 Rowson. Twelve cut blooms of Roses, first Mr. Taylor, Becond 

 Mr. Shepherd. Twenty-four blooms, Mr. Eason was first, Mr. 

 Silvester second. 



Fbtjit. — Mr. Akehurst, gardener to S. Copestake,Esq., showed 

 three bunches of Black Hamburgh Grapes not for competition, 

 by far the finest in the Show. For Black Grapes Mr. Clark was 

 first, and for White Grapes Mr. Branderick had premier honours. 

 For six Peaches Mr. Clark was first, Mr. Fuller second, and 

 Mr. Sparkes third. Six Nectarines, Mr. Fuller first, and Mr. 

 Birse second. Three dishes of Strawberries, Mr. Sheen first. 

 Collection of Fruit, Mr. Birse was first ; he had also the same 

 position for a collection of Fruit and Vegetables. Second Mr. 

 Clarke, third Mr. Sparkes. 



The BaroneBB Burdett Coutts gave several special prizes for 

 kindness to birds, &c, likewise the cottagers and amateurs 

 showed well ; but it would take up too much Bpace to mention 

 all prizetakers. The Show was a very successful one and re- 

 flected credit on Mr. Buick the Secretary ; and was visited by 

 several thousand people during the afternoon and evening. 



seryman who used to live in Weymouth showed me plants 

 from the same locality. I gladly record this, as the Fern 

 books give Dorsetshire credit for only the commonest kinds. 

 — Chas. T. Wall, Osmington, Weymouth. 



[The specimen sent though small is true. — Eds.] 



MAIDENHAIR FERN. 



It may interest the Editors of our Journal and " Wyld 

 Savage" (vide vol. xxxii.. page 64) to know that on Saturday 

 last (July 7th) I found Adiantum Capillus-Veneris growing in 

 Portland, and as " seeing is believing," I send a small piece in 

 a tin box for your inspection. 



I have not yet discovered Asplenium marinum, but a nur- 



LUDLOW ROSE SHOW. 



There was held on the 12th inst. in the Assembly Room, 

 Ludlow, a little town picturesquely situated on an eminence 

 (Did not our Rose boxes find this out ?), about midway between 

 Shrewsbury and Hereford, a most enjoyable and in every respect, 

 floriculturally and financially, a successful Rose Show pur et 

 simple, well worthy of being chronicled in more than a passing 

 notice in the annals of our Rose Journal; if only pour encourager 

 les autres, and to induce other provincial towns to realise what 

 an inexhaustible fund of pleasure may be their own by calling 

 into life an annual Rose show. For if the proud Salopians (and 

 fairly are they so entitled), have achieved for themselves so 

 signal a success without any exceptional circumstances in the 

 way of celebrated local nurserymen or amateurs, why may not 

 scores of other provincial towns be moved by the contagion of 

 this good example to go and do likewise ? Indeed, without assum- 

 ing the garment of prophecy, every observer of the past history 

 of the Rose must allow that its whole success depends on these 

 provincial gatherings. They are the little pebble3 thrown in 

 here and there, producing a diversity of fresh circles, but all 

 eventually merging in one grand central brotherly embrace — 

 the very life blood of her roseate majesty, of which the National 

 Rose Society is both the offspring and the parent. The moun- 

 tain — Mahomet was Baid to complain — would not come to him, 

 so he had to go to the mountain; and just so many an un- 

 fledged exhibitor who would not dare to scale the uphill task 

 of reaching the National, would by meanB of his own provincial 

 show gradually gain in confidence, skill, and experience, aye 

 even to carry back home the chief laurels of Queen Flora's 

 highest court. 



But to return to the Ludlow Provincial Show, happily not in 

 the clouds bat an accomplished fact. A first glance of the 

 schedule would suffice to show that it was framed on the lines 

 of the WeBt of England Rose Show. Very proud indeed is that 

 Society of its offspring, and very strong Sid the Herefordshire 

 contingent muster on that auspicious occasion. Messrs. Crans- 

 ton & Co. were competing at four different shows, and either 

 were not cutting their usual strength or underrated their rivals, 

 for they had to be content with second honours, though there 

 were some grand blooms in their exhibits, notably Hybrid 

 Perpetual Thomas Mills, an indescribably grand bloom of 

 Francois Michelon, perfection of size and smoothness ; also 

 Maurice Bernardin, shown so different that our friend of 

 Warminster must hesitate about classing him with his other 

 four pseudo-euggested synonyms. Mr. W. Lee of Lyonshall 

 Nurseries, Kington (who formerly belonged to the King's Acre 

 staff) was facile princeps in all three open classes ; indeed, it is 

 to be doubted whether grander, smoother, and deeper-coloured 

 blooms have been shown this year. Specially noticeable were 

 Senateur Vaisse, in great substance of petal and colour ; Camille 

 Bernardin, nearly equal to Mr. Jowitt's at Hereford; Charles 

 Rouillard, a superb specimen of this Bhy but exquisite model 

 of a Rose ; Marquise de Mortemart, grand ; Horace Vernet,Duke 

 of Wellington, and Lord Macaulay, each of intensely glow- 

 ing colour and great substance ; Mons. Furtado and Lselia, 

 splendid specimens ; and last, but not least, Elie Morel, of 

 a colour approaching carmine, a marvellous bloom, and very 

 puzzling to the Judges. Mr. Lee assured them that it was an 

 undoubted specimen of this light pink variety, but attributes his 

 depth of colour running through nearly all his three boxes to a 

 liberal top-dressing of aoot to his Manetti maidens (budded 

 Manetti of the first year ?) in the spring just before they began to 

 break. Doubtless this may partly be the reason, but Mr. Lee's 

 strong-holding red deep clay on gravel or marl plays an im- 

 portant part as regards enriching the oolour of his blooms. Mr. 

 Griffiths of Tillington Nursery (where Andrew Knight grew 

 most of his pomological novelties) took a good second prize, 

 his Btand containing grand blooms of Madame Hippolyte Jamain; 

 Reynolds Hole, a Buperb bloom ; and Thomas Mills, a Rose which 

 deserves wider cultivation. 



Ahateubs. — Mr. Jowitt, as may be supposed, carried off two 

 of the first open prizes in thirty-six varieties. Very good 

 indeed were Marie Rady, Mons. Bonstetten, Hippolyte Jamain, 

 especially grand and symmetrical. The Rev. C. H. Bulmer was 

 second. In his stand were grand blooms of Beauty of Waltham ; 

 J. Stuart Mill, one of our greatest recent acquisitions in crimson 

 Roses ; and Mons. Woolfield. Mr. J. H. Arkwright was first in 

 twenty-four varieties. This gentleman also exhibited — besides 

 his irrepressible Marechal Niels, which command first prizes 

 wherever exhibited, and which for the benefit of exhibitors at 

 late and early shows I may mention are grown on trellises in a 

 recess facing south between two gables — a bos of twenty-two 



