Angnst 23, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



159 



with any lady who knows plants so well and very few gentle- 

 men. I never go there but I must let her know, and if she 

 is not engaged is sure to come out and walk round her 

 flowers, and if I look at a plant she is sure to aBk if I will 

 accept of a part of it. Outside the pleasure ground in a field 

 there are nearly two acres of ground for fruit and vegetables, 

 and this appears to me a far better arrangement than having 

 a hotch-potch garden with vegetables, fruit, and flowers. — 

 J. Addison, Ormiston, Edinburgh. 



NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE 

 EXHIBITION. 



When I sent a few notes and prize list of the Show in the 

 Botanic Gardens, Manchester, I stated that some of the growers 

 were not ready at all, and none of them at their best ; it was 

 therefore decided amongst the growers to hold another Show 

 later, and for this purpose a large room in the centre of the city 

 was engaged. Thursday the 16th was the day fixed, and a really 

 fine exhibition was the result. Taken as a whole it was thought 

 to be the best ever held by the Society. The flowers exhibited 

 gave evidence of careful culture, most of them being large, full, 

 and beautifully marked. The same schedule was retained as 

 on the previous occasion. Class A is for twelve distinct Car- 

 nations. It will not be necessary to give a list of the names, as 

 the best varieties have been so often quoted in previous numbers. 

 Mr. Ben Simonite of Rough Bank, Sheffield, was first, Mr. 

 Jonathan Booth of Failswortb second, and Richard Gorton, Esq., 

 The Woodlands, Eccles, third. In the corresponding claBS for 

 Picotees Mr. Simonite was first, Mr. Booth second, and Mr. T. 

 Mellor, Ashton-under-Lyne, third. The next class is for those 

 whose collection does not exceed four hundred pairs, twelve 

 Carnations, nine at least dissimilar. The first prize was gained 

 by Mr. Gorton ; Mr. J. Chadwick of Dunkinfield second, who 

 held the same relative position in the class for twelve Picotees. 

 In the claBs for growers whose collections do not exceed 150 pairs 

 Mr. Wm. Slack of Chesterfield gained the highest award for six 

 Carnations, and Mr. Wm. Taylor of Middleton the second. For 

 six Picotees the honourB were reversed, Mr. Taylor being first 

 and Mr. Slack second. 



Come we now to the classes, which is always a most inter- 

 esting part of the exhibition. In the Scarlet Bizarre class of 

 Carnations Mr. Booth was first, second, third, and fifth, and 

 Mr. Simonite fourth. In Crimson Bizarres Mr. Simonite gained 

 all the five prizes— a sufficient testimony to the high quality of 

 the flowers he has introduced. In Pink and Purple Bizarres 

 Mr. Simonite was first and third, Mr. Mellor second, Mr. G. 

 Rudd of Bradford fourth, and Mr. Booth fifth. In Scarlet 

 Flakes Mr. Booth was first, second, and third, Mr. Simonite 

 being placed fourth and fifth. In Rose Flakes Mr. Simonita 

 was first and third, Mr. Booth second, Mr. R. Gorton fourth, 

 and Mr. Rudd fifth. In Purple Flakes Mr. Simonite was first, 

 second, and third, Mr. Booth fourth. In Picotees the best 

 heavy-edged Red was staged by Mr. Mellor ; Mr. Simonite 

 second, and Mr. Booth third, fourth, and fifth. In light-edged 

 Red Mr. Simonite was first, Mr. Gorton second, Mr. Booth third 

 and fourth. In the heavy-edged Purple class Mr. Simonite 

 carried off the first, second, third, and fourth prizes, and Mr. 

 Mellor the fifth. In light-edged Purple Mr. Simonite was first 

 and second, Mr. Booth third and fourth. In heavy-edged Robb 

 or Salmon Mr. Simonite was first, Mr. Gorton second, Mr. 

 Mellor third, Mr. Booth fourth, and Mr. W. BradBhaw fifth. 

 In light edged Rose or Salmon Mr. Simonite was first, the re- 

 maining prizes being won by Mr. Booth. The premier Carna- 

 tion in the Exhibition was a grand specimen of Admiral Curzon 

 (Easom) from Mr. R. Gorton. The best Picotee was a very per- 

 fect bloom of Mary (Simonite) from Mr. Booth. 



I am indebted for the above list of prizes to R. Gorton, Esq., 

 who states that the Show was a most satisfactory one, there 

 being two long tables well covered with blooms. Another 

 correspondent says that some of Mr. Simonite's seedlings were 

 grand. It is very disheartening to him to feel that very possibly 

 many of them will be killed by the smoky sulphur-loaded atmo- 

 sphere of Sheffield before they can be introduced to the public. 



Notwithstanding all that has been said about the greater 

 interest taken in florist flowers north of the Trent, it does not 

 appear that the number of exhibitors was so large at the 

 northern shows as they were in London, nor do they stage a 

 greater number of flowers. I hope that next season some of the 

 great societies, such as the Royal Horticultural and Royal Bo- 

 tanic, will include florist flowers in their schedules and arrange 

 a goodly number of classes for them. Auriculas about the 20th 

 of April, Tulips for the 20th of May, Pinks the 20th of June, 

 Carnations and PicoteeB about the 20th of July, Gladioluses and 

 Phloxes the 20th of AuguBt, Dahlias the 20th of September. 

 The 20th of October will rather puzzle the florist, but the noble 

 Chrysanthemum will do well to fill up the 20th of November. 

 If those in power will kindly note the above dates it will save 

 some trouble afterwards. Prizes for Carnations and Picotees 



have been offered the first week in July, and on one occasion on 

 the 30th of June. It is not possible to show good flowers at 

 that time, unless the season should be exceptionally early. 

 — J. Douglas. 



STANSTEAD PARK AND RUTLAND PARK 

 NURSERIES. • 



At the metropolitan Bhows and at the meetings of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society the firm of Messrs. John Laing & Co. is 

 frequently represented, and always in a creditable manner. 

 The senior member of the firm, Mr. John Laing, knows, as 

 the popular phrase goes, a " good thing " as well as most of 

 his fellows, and of some particular plants few have a better 

 selection than he has. Of Phloxes, for instance, there is no 

 better collection in the south than at Stanstead Park, and of 

 Golden Bicolor Pelargoniums some of the first varieties of the 

 day had their origin in this nursery. These with Caladiums, 

 Pentstemons and Tuberous Begonias are, perhaps, the speci- 

 alities of the nursery, which, however, is very general in ita 

 character, and is furnished with selections of most of the 

 popular families of plants for in and out-door decoration. Fruit 

 trees and Roses are also largely and excellently grown by the 

 firm. 



The Stanstead Park Nursery, the head-quarters of the firm, 

 is not extensive. It may, perhaps, oonsist of half a score acres 

 of land which is not of the most fertile nature ; hence all the 

 fruit trees, Roses, choice shrubs, &c, are grown in the Rut- 

 land Park Nursery — the " head-quarters," containing plant- 

 ations of coarser trees and crops; also glass structures and 

 collections of plants in pots. There are about a dozen span- 

 roofed houses besides pits and frames, and all full. One house 

 is wholly occupied with Tuberous Begonias, to whioh Mr. Laing 

 has latterly been devoting special attention. The double 

 varieties, Gloire de Nancy, Balsaminiflora, and Lemoinei, are 

 growing and flowering freely, the flowers appearing to improve 

 as the plants arrive at maturity. The single variety, Paul 

 Masuriel, is a giant in ita family, stately in growth and with 

 flowers 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Oriflamme is very bright 

 and free, as also are William Pfitzer, Acme, and many others. 

 Unnamed seedlings are growiDg by thousands, some of the 

 flowers expanding being of considerable promise. A new house 

 — a low, light, span-roofed structure, 70 feet long by 20 wide, 

 is oocupied by Vines in pots ripening their canes close to the 

 glass,' Caladiums and other fina-foliaged plants, the shade of 

 the Vines juat suiting the Caladiums. The stock of these 

 plants is very extensive and varied. There is a demand for 

 them in summer for furnishing purposes, but they are 

 principally grown for distributing in a dry state during their 

 dormant period. The new varieties — Madame Alfred Blen, 

 Ariatide, Souvenir de Madame E. Andre, Madame Laforge, 

 Pyrrhus, Romeau, and Paul Veronesse— are great acquisitions ;, 

 and not much less beautifully marked, veined, and marbled 

 are such sorts as Felicien David, Laingii, Louis Duplessus, 

 and Madame de la Deransaye. The golden varieties — the royal 

 group — Princess Royal, Princess Teck, and Princess Alexandra 

 are also attractive. Another house contains Palms — three 

 thousand small plants of Areea lutescens, also large batches 

 of A. rubra, A. aurea, small Dicksonias, Lomarias, &o., and in 

 an adjoining structure is a fine stock of the distinct Maiden- 

 hair, Adiantum macrophyllum. The plants have been grown 

 without the aid of artificial heat and are in superb health. In 

 this house several plants of Todea (Leptopteris) superba are be- 

 coming established after their loDg journey from the Antipodes. 

 The plant stove is filled with Gardenias, Crotons, Dracaenas, 

 and a general collection of ornamental-foliaged plants. Dracaena 

 hybrida (Veiteh), a beautiful plant when well grown, is in ex- 

 cellent condition. A large house is devoted to Cucumbers. 

 Stanstead Rival —this is a very fine Cucumber, the result of a 

 cross between Telegraph and Blue Gown. It is of large size 

 yet not coarse, prolific, of a fine dark green colour, smooth, 

 straight, and of excellent flavour. The bed containing the 

 roots is surface-dressed with spent hops, which arrest evapo- 

 ration and afford a medium which the roots apparently enjoy. 

 Such is a brief Bketch of the houses and their contents. The 

 collections of plants outside demand notice, notably the 

 Phloxes, Pentstemons, and Golden Bicolor Pelargoniums. 



Phloxes. — Extremely fine are these ; in fact, no plants in 

 their season, and which can be grown so easily, can produce a 

 more imposing effect. They are striking by their bold spikes 

 of handsome flowers, yet without the slightest approach to 

 gaudiness. Their colours are moBt varied, ranging from 



