210 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTOBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ September 13, 1877. 



in a forcible, almost a violent manner. Immediately the judg- 

 ing commenced the rain commenced too, and continued pouring 

 incessantly — a perfect torrent for hour after hour, making the 

 ground a quagmire, penetrating the tents, converting the saw- 

 dust into mortar, and rendering planks necessary at and within 

 the entrance of the marquees. Those who were present will 

 not soon forget the baptism of the International Show at Carlisle 

 on the eventful morning of September 6tb. In referring to the 

 olasBes we may follow somewhat the order of the schedule, and 

 commence with 



FRUIT. 



While many good collections and excellent examples of culture 

 were staged, the display was not on the whole equal to those 

 provided either at Dundee laBt year nor at Edinburgh in 1875, 

 nor yet, except perhaps in the classes for Grapes, to exhibitions 

 we have seen at South Kensington and at the two Palaces at 

 Sydenham and Muswell Hill. A season of extraordinary in- 

 clemency has prevailed in the north : rain, and cloud, and cold 

 have ruled supreme, and the wonder is that the ordeal haB been 

 passed through so well as it has been ; but even that is not a 

 sufficient reason for the staging of much fruit, especially Grapes, 

 which were at once the strong and the weak feature of the 

 Show, and which compelled the Judges, stern men and com- 

 petent — Mr. David Thomson of Drumlanrig, and Mr. Barron of 

 Chiswick — to withhold some of the prizes. They did right, and 

 have set a wholesome example, for a prize should never be given, 

 unless to a subject of intrinsic merit. 



Collections op Fruit. — In the premier class of sixteen sorts 

 prizes of £'2.0, £15, £10, and £5 were provided, but only three 

 collections were staged; Mr. Hunter of Lambton, who had 

 entered, not competing. The prizes were awarded in the follow- 

 ing order : — First to Mr. Coleman, gardener to Earl Somers, 

 Eastnor Castle ; second to Mr. JohnBtone, gardener to the Earl 

 of Strathmore, Glamis Castle ; and third to Mr. Ingram, gar- 

 dener to the Duke of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle. At the 

 first glance Mr. Johnstone's fruit looked the more imposing 

 owing to the superiority, at any rate in size, of the Grapes, but 

 a more careful examination satisfied that Mr. Coleman's fruit 

 throughout was of the greatest general excellence. His collec- 

 tion included two fine and perfectly ripe Pine Apples (Smooth 

 Cayenne and Black Jamaica, excellent Black Morocco Grapes and 

 rather small but well-finished Black Hamburghs, also Alicantea 

 and Madresfield Courts ; splendid Golden Gem and a fine East- 

 nor Castle Melon, Bellegarde and Crimson Galande Peaches, 

 Pitmaston Orange and Elruge Nectarines, Brown Turkey Figs, 

 Diamond Plums, and Morello Cherries, all of superior quality. 

 Mr. Johnstone had splendid Grapes — Muscats of Alexandria, 

 Alicante, Black Hamburgh, and Gros Guillaume; but his Pines 

 were not ripe, and Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Figs were 

 rather small. Mr. Ingram had capital Trebbiano, Muscat of 

 Alexandria, and Black Hamburgh Grapes, and rather small 

 Lady Downe's ; excellent Pines, an unripe cluster of Bananas, 

 two fine Melons, Peaches, Nectarines, Oranges, and Cherries. 



In the class for twelve sorts of fruit there were seven entries, 

 Mr. Wallis, gardener to Sir Henry Thompson, Bart., Kirkby 

 Hall, York, winning the premier place with Muscat of Alex- 

 andria, Black Hamburgh, Muscat Hamburgh, and Buckland 

 Sweetwater Grapes, all of excellent table quality ; two Melons, 

 Gilbert's Green-flesh being very fine; and excellent Royal 

 George and Barrington Peaches, Nectarines, Figs, and Apricots. 

 Mr. McKelvie, gardener to the Duke of Roxburgh, Broxmouth 

 Park, Dunbar, was second with splendid Muscat of Alexandria 

 and other fine Grapes, rather coarse Melons, and smaller fruits 

 generally good. Mr. Upjohn, gardener to the Earl of Elles- 

 mere, WorBley Hall, Manchester, was third with very good 

 Grapes and Melons, but his other fruits were not quite ripe ; 

 and Mr. Dickson, gardener to J. Whyte-Melville, Esq , Mount 

 Melville, St. Andrews, fourth, his most noticeable dishes being 

 fine Buckland Sweetwater Grapes and goodPeaches and Oranges. 

 For ten sorts of fruit, Grapes and Pines excluded, there were 

 only two competitors— Mr. Shand, gardener to the Earl of Lons- 

 dale, Lowther Castle, Penrith, and Mr. Graham, gardener to 

 J. Allan, Esq., Craigburn, Moffat, who were placed aB named. 

 Mr. Shand had excellent Peaches and Nectarines, very fine 

 Apricots, and excellent Plums, Gooseberries, and Cherries, all 

 ripe and in capital condition ; Mr. Graham's fruit was also good, 

 but some of it was not fully ripe. 



Pines. — These were not numerous, nor, except the winners, 

 good. Mr. Ingram won first honours in the class for two Queens 

 with well-ripened fruits weighing about 5 lbs. each ; Mr. Sand- 

 ford, gardener to the Earl of Beotive, being placed second ; and 

 Mr. Halliday, gardener to Mrs. Wemyss, "Wernyss Court, Dysart, 

 third with smaller fruit. In the class for any other Bort Mr. 

 Coleman won with Black Jamaica ; and for the heaviest fruits 

 Mr. Sandford was placed first with unripe Smooth Cayennes 

 weighing about 6 lbs. 



_ Gbapes. — There were four entries in the class for eight va- 

 rieties. Mr. Reid, gardener to A. H. Moncur, Esq., Rockfield, 

 Dandee, worthily won the first position with a medium-sized 

 bunch of Alicante in splendid condition; Lady Downe's with 



extra fine berries ; Muscat Hamburgh, very full and well finished ; 

 Gros Guillaume, weighing 8 or 9 lbs. and nearly black ; Muscat 

 of Alexandria, very superior; Mrs. Pince, fine but not well 

 coloured ; medium-sized and good Black Hamburghs and Gros 

 Colman, fine in berry but not quite ripe — an admirable collec- 

 tion. Messrs. Lane & Son, Great Berkhampstead, were placed 

 second with superior Muscats of Alexandria, very good Golden 

 Queen, Alicante, Trebbiano, Bowood Muscat (very compact), 

 and excellent Black Hamburghs. The third prize appeared to 

 have been withheld, and a fourth was awarded to Mr. Halliday, 

 whose bunches had been much injured in transit. 



In the class for four varieties there were fourteen competitors. 

 Mr. Hammond, gardener to Sir Wilfred Lawson, Bart., Brayton, 

 Hall, Carlisle, won with very finely finished but unnamed ex- 

 amples of Black Hamburgh, Buckland Sweetwater, Golden 

 Champion (splendid), and Alicante. Mr. Coleman was second 

 with Black Hamburghs in the true Eastnor style ; Black Mo- 

 rocco, full and fine but not quite ripe ; and excellent Buckland 

 Sweetwater and Madresfield Court. Mr. Kirk, gardener to Mrs. 

 Mackie, Enspil House, Castle Douglas, waB placed third with 

 very good examples of Duke of Buccleuch, Black Hamburgh, 

 Buckland Sweetwater, and Alicante — large bunches, but much 

 rubbed in transit ; and Mr. Cnrror, gardener to G. Douglas, Esq., 

 Eskbank, Dalkeith, fourth with fine bunches but not fully ripe. 



In the class for two bunches of Black Hamburgh Mr. Coleman 

 won the silver cup offered by Messrs. James Boyd & Son, Pais- 

 ley, with splendid examples, fine in size of berry and of excellent 

 finish, the bunches weighing about 3 lbs. ; Mr. TJpjohn_being 

 Becond with fine full bunches, but not quite jet black. Mr. 

 Fraser, Stobbo Castle, Peebleshire, third with capital fruit, but 

 a trifle deficient in colour; and Mr. HarriBon, Knowsley, fourth, 

 with large bunches but rather Bmall berries. There were twelve 

 competitors. In the class for two bunches of Muscat Hamburgh 

 five competed. Messrs. Lane & Son were first for very full and 

 finely finished bunches ; Mr. Smith, gardener to the Countess 

 of Stair, Bargany, Girvan, second with excellentprodu.ee; and 

 Mr. Bloxham, gardener to Sir P. Duncombe, Brickhill Manor, 

 Bletohley, third with capital bunches but not fully ripe. 

 Mr. Fraser, Stobbo, won in the Madresfield Court class with 

 medium-sized bunches of remarkable finish, and which had been 

 thinned by a master hand. The second award had no exhibitor's 

 name attached, and the third went to Mr. Bruce, gardener to J. 

 Fildes, Esq., Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, good in bunch 

 and berry but not quite ripe. Some very inferior produce was 

 exhibited in this class. Mr. Hammond worthily won the first 

 place with Alicantes — splendid in bunch, berry, and bloom ; in- 

 deed, finer examples have rarely been seen. Mr. Curror was 

 Eecond with compact well-finished bunches, but rather small 

 berries; and Mr. Ferguson, gardener to B. Shaw, Esq., Carrick 

 Hall, Selby, third with large bunches and black berries, but 

 rubbed in transit. There were ten competitors. Mr. Hammond, 

 who exhibited well throughout the Show, was firBt with Lady 

 Downe's, bunches medium size and berries extremely fine, but 

 not at their best— not quite ripe ; Mr. Fraser, Stobbo, who is 

 evidently a first-rate cultivator, was second with excellent 

 examples ; and Mr. Ferguson third with large but rather loose 

 bunches, which had been somewhat injured in transmission to 

 the Show. Mr. Reid won with Mrs. Pince — thus securing the 

 silver tea service, value £6 6s., offered by Messrs. Mackenzie 

 and Moncur — good and admirably thinned bunches, and nearly 

 black ; Mr. Hammond was second with good bunches, Mr. 

 Bruce third, and Mr. Ingram fourth, but none of them were 

 well coloured. In the class for any other variety of Black 

 Grapes Mr. Hammond won with extra fine Gros Colmans; Mr. 

 Ferguson being second with the same variety, but not quite 

 black; 'and Mr. Leyden, gardener to R. B. Wardlaw-Ramsay, 

 Esq., Whitehill, Edinburgh, third with capital examples of 

 Black Prince, about i lbs. in weight and well finished ; they 

 almost merited a higher position. 



We now come to the white varieties, and have to note some of 

 the best and worst Grapes in the Exhibition. The class for 

 Muscat of Alexandria (two bunches) was an excellent one. 

 There were eighteen competitors. Mr. McKelvie won the 

 premier place with handsomely-formed bunches of 5 or 6 lbs. 

 weight, with fine and highly finished berries without Bpot or 

 blemish; Mr. Ferguson was second with exoellent examples, 

 regular and full ; and Mr. Coleman third with capital bunches, 

 clear and well finished. Messrs. W. Thomson & Son, Tweed 

 Vineyard, Clovenfords, won in the Duke of Bucoleuch olass with 

 medium-sized bunches and very fine, regular, and clear berries; 

 and Mr. Curror was second with still finer berries, but slightly 

 spotted. The third prize was very properly withheld. In the 

 class for any other white variety Mr. Curror won with capital 

 examples of Bnckland Sweetwater; Mr. Anderson, gardener to 

 the Earl of Stair, Oxenford Castle, Dalkeith, was second with 

 Pearson's Golden Queen, regular and fine, but slightly rusted 

 and rather dull ; and Mr. Upjohn was third with large bunches 

 of Trebbiano, but the berrieB were not clear. 



Single bunches, Black Hamburghs, seven competitors. The 

 first prize of £3 3s. was offered by Mr. David Lowe, Edinburgh, 



