212 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September IS, 1877. 



worthily. For six hardy Conifers introduced during the last 

 six years the awards went to MeBsrs. Bairon & Son, who staged 

 (in the pavilion tent), attractive but necessarily small examples 

 of Podocarpns alpina, Retinospora tetragona aurea and R. pisi- 

 fera aurea, Wellingtonia gigantea lutea, Picea coucolor, and 

 Gupressus Lawsoniana elegantissima. Messrs. Barron also ex- 

 hibited a large miscellaneous collection of new and rare Conifers, 

 and Mr. G. J. Alberts, Boscoop, Netherlands, a collection of 

 Hollies. 



The prizes offered for the best "new Conifer of real merit" 

 was won by Messrs. Little & Ballantyne, with their new weep- 

 ing "Wellingtonia, which is well worthy of the distinction. The 

 illustrations which hav appeared of this variety do not do 

 juBtice to it. By no me o manipulation could its branches be 

 tied-down so elegantly «t the same time the growth is free, 

 almost vigorous. As a, graceful columnar specimen for lawn 

 ornamentation this distinct variety is admirably adapted, and 

 can hardly fail to become very popular. This firm and Mr. 

 James Service secured the prizes for collections of alpine plants. 



Amateurs and Gabdenees. — In this section of the Show there 

 were many plants exhibited of little or no merit, but at the 

 same time there were others which have never been surpassed 

 at any show held at the same period of the year. Where Mr. 

 Shuttleworth the prince of amateur cultivators exhibits, mar- 

 vellously fine specimens are certain. That gentleman's col- 

 lection of twelve stove and greenhouse plants, six of them in 

 bloom, which won the £20 prize, was splendid. Gleichenias 

 diacarpa and dichotoma were 8 to 9 feet in diameter, and in 

 superb health; Cordyline indivisa was in remarkable vigour, as 

 was also Phormium Colensoi variegata; Croton majesticum was 

 5 feet through and in rich colour ; and Cycas circinalis was 

 grandly exhibited. AmongBt the flowering plants were Alla- 

 manda nobilis, good; Dipladenia amabilis, Ixora coccinea, and 

 Lapageria alba, the last-named plant, which covered a 3-feet 

 globe trellis, being not more remarkable for its fine wax-like 

 flowers than for its exuberant foliage ; Statice imbricata, 6 feet ; 

 and S. profusa, 5 feet in diameter, were conspicuous in this 

 fine collection. The second prize, £15, was well won by that 

 excellent cnltivator Mr. Todd, gardener to A. B. Stewart, Esq., 

 Raweliffe, Glasgow; and Mr. Kinnaird, Edmond Castle, was 

 awarded the third prizo of £10. In the class for six plants, 

 three of them in bloom, Mr. Hammond (who exhibited as well 

 in the plant as he did in the fruit classes), won with excellent 

 examples of Vallota purpurea with thirty spikes, Allamanda 

 Hendersoni, Rondeletia speciosa major, a Dasyiirion, Croton, 

 and very fine Cocos Weddelliana. Mr. Shand, The Gardens, 

 Lowther Castle, had the second prize, the notable specimen 

 in the collection being Lilium lancifolium rubrum trained much 

 in the way of a specimen Pelargonium. TMb fine example of 

 Lilium culture was fully 6 feet in diameter, it had about eighty 

 Bpikes and quite three hundred expanded and opening flowers. 

 In the class for nine plants in 12-inch pots the prizes went in the 

 following order — to Mr. Mclntyre, gardener to A. A. RichardBon, 

 Esq., Lisburn, Mr. Hammond, and Mr. Blackwood, Edenhill, 

 Penrith, for good collections. MeBsrs. Hammond and Todd 

 secured the prizes in the class for Bix fine-foliaged plants, Adian- 

 tum farleyense of the first-named exhibitor being in grand con- 

 dition, and the remainder good. In the next clasB, for Bix plants 

 in bloom, some excellent specimens were staged. Mr. Shuttle- 

 worth won with Eucharis amazonica, 5 feet in diameter and thirty 

 Bpikes; Erica JackBonii, 2^feet through ; Ixora coccinea, Statice 

 intermedia and profiles, and Anthurium Scherzerianum. Mr. 

 Hammond was second, his Vallota being especially fine ; and 

 Mr. Shand third, Lilium laLcifolium again being conspicuous 

 by its excellence. Mr. Shuttleworth won in the class for three 

 Palms with Cocos Weddelliana, Chamaerops humilis elegans, 

 and Pritchardia pacifica remarkably fresh. He al60 won first 

 for the specimen Todea (Leptopteris) Buperba and for eight 

 plants for table decoration, Mr. Todd being second in these 

 classes. Mr. Pratt, gardener to Viscount Hill, Hawkstone Park, 

 Shrewsbury, being third in the table-plant class. All the col- 

 lections were very good. 



Crotons were splendidly shown by Mr. Scott, gardener to 

 G. Steele, EBq., Hill Park, Bothwell, who had the first prize for 

 four varieties, with C. irregulare 5 feet in diameter and 6 feet 

 high, probably the best plant in Europe; C. angustifolium, a 

 handsome pyramid about 7 to 8 feet high; C. Weismanni, a 

 golden globe of 5 feet, and C. variegata, a fine pyramid, all in 

 splendid health and colour. Mr. Hammond was second with 

 C. pictum, undnlatum, Johannis, and Weismanni in admirable 

 colour and condition. Mr. Hammond won first with Dracaenas, 

 which were good, followed by Mr. Blackwood and Mr. Todd ; 

 and Messrs. Scott and Todd Becured the prizes for hardy Heaths. 

 Ferns were very well exhibited in this section, but Fuchsias 

 and Geraniums were not of remarkable quality, while Cocks- 

 combs were rough and Balsams poor. In the class for Liliums 

 Mr. Shand was well in the ascendant, and Mr. PattiEon, Baxter 

 Park, Dundee, staged a choice and well-cultivated collection of 

 Alpine plants. Most of the specimen plants were arranged on 

 a low stage in the centre tf theentiance tent, the new plants 



and table plants occupying the sides of the great marquee, which 

 was heated for the choioe miscellaneous collections of the chief 

 nurserymen. It is fortunate that this marquee was so well 

 heated, or much injury must have resulted during the first cold, 

 wet, and miserable day of the Show. The heating was done by 

 Mr. Corbett, Carlisle, with one of Hartley & Sugden's climax 

 boilers. 



The collections of plants in this tent were extensive and rich. 

 The first group, a grand one, one of their very best, was 

 arranged by Messrs. Veitch of London. Pitchers, Orchids, 

 Ferns, Crotons, Aroids, insectivorous plants, &c, were arranged 

 with consummate taste, and were greatly admired ; it occupied 

 staging about 40 feet in length by 10 feet wide. Messrs. J. & R. 

 Tbyne arranged the next group, which was also about 40 feet 

 in length, then came Mr. Williams's (of Holloway) extensive and 

 fine collection. Here Croton Queen Victoria asserted its great 

 decorative power; C. voiutum and other bright varieties were 

 abo represented, associated with Palms, Ferns, OrchidB, Liliums, 

 Darlingtonias, &c, and Dipladenia Brearleyana attracted much 

 notice. Messrs. R. P. Kerr & Sobs, Aigburth Nursery, Liver- 

 pool, arranged a collection of considerable extent aid merit, aE 

 also did Messrs. Pattinson, St. Ann's Street, Carlisle. Messrs. 

 Ireland & Thomson, Craigleith Nurseries, Edinburgh, arranged 

 an extensive and meritorious collection, including most of the 

 newest and most popular decorative plants in a bright clean 

 state. Noticeable iu this group was the dark St. Martin's Blue 

 Lobelia with bronze foliage, also two Ferns, Gymnogramma 

 nsevium, a dwarf and densely powdered variety of G. peruviana, 

 and Adiantum Flemingii, a fine variety of A. concinnum. This 

 is a Fern of great merit ; its fronds possess a certain masBive- 

 ness on account of the cloEely arranged pinnse, while they are 

 elegant by their gracefully arching character. The colour of 

 the fronds is a rich deep green. It appears to be a free grower, 

 acd likely to be useful for both exhibition and decorative pur- 

 poses, also for cutting for bouquets. Messrs. James Dickson 

 and Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester, staged a large collection 

 of Palms and other decorative plants, also a new seedling form 

 of Cupressus Lawsoniana, very compact in habit and Eilvery in 

 appearance. It was awarded a certificate of merit, and if it 

 goes on improving it will prove a great acquisition. 

 _ The above collections were honoured by awards of recogni- 

 tion, and the following plants in the collection of Messrs. Veitch 

 were awarded first-class certificates: — Cattle ya Sedeni ; Nepen- 

 thes hybrida maculata major, a grand variety; N. Rafflesiana 

 pallida, extremely compact ; and Athyrium Goringianum fari- 

 noBum, an elegant Fern and very silvery. 



In the pavilion tent Messrs. Little & Ballantyne arranged a 

 large central group, and round the sides were collections of 

 market plants from the nurseries of Messrs. Clark, Bros., and 

 Mr. Armstrong— a grand tent, but not artistically arranged. A. 

 small adjoining marquee contained some cut flowers, excellent 

 examples of skeletonised leaves from Messrs. Cusson, South- 

 port, and Hodgkins, Manchester; also a standard Fuchsia, the 

 head having been grafted with six different varieties, all flower- 

 ing well. It was exhibited by Mr. McMillan, Broadmeadows, 

 Berwiek-on-Tweed. In the fruit tent was aD exhibition of 

 bees, large separate tents being provided for the table decora- 

 tions and vegetables. Of the cut flowers and decorations a 

 "specialist " must write. Also as yet demanding notice are the 



Vegetables.— Of these the display was a capital one, but on 

 the whole the examples were fully too large to be considered of 

 the first London quality. Cabbages were immense, Leeks re- 

 markably floe, some being blanched a length of nearly 2 feet y 

 Turnips and Carrots clear and excellent; Cucumbers large, 

 Tender- and-True winning every prize; Curled Kale first-rate, 

 Celery second-rate, Onions third-rate, and Potatoes fourth-rate, 

 or many of them, a few dishes and collections being excellent. . 

 The finest round Potato in the Show was Turner's Schoolmaster, 

 The best collection of vegetables was the first-prize tray of Mr- 

 Bloxham, gardener to Sir P. Duncombe. It consisted of Cucum- 

 bers, Cauliflowers, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, Celery, Globe 

 Artichokes, Turnips, Peas, and Kidney Beans, all good. The 

 premier prize for twenty varieties was won by Mr. Sandford., 

 gardener to the Earl of Bective, who had Broad Beans, Vege- 

 table Marrows, Tomatoes, Parsnips, Savoys, Leeks, Cabbages, 

 Brussels Sprouts, Kohl Rabi, and Kale, in addition to the ten 

 varieties above named. Other successful exhibitors of collec- 

 tions were Messrs. Nicholl, gardener to J. A. Corry, Esq., Bot- 

 cherby; Craig, Wykeham Abbey; Bell, Shand, Youds, and 

 Culton. 



Special prizes offered by Mr. Wm. Bull. — First prize, a silver 

 cup, value fifteen guineas, second ten guineas, third six guineas, 

 for twelve new plants introduced and sent out for the first time 

 since the commencement of 1874. First, T. M. Shuttleworth, 

 Esq , Preston, with a splendid collection. Second, Mr. J. Ham- 

 mond, Brayton, Carlisle. Third, Mr. J. Mclntyre, gardener to 

 A. A. Richardson, E-q., Lisburn, Ireland. 



In the open-air exhibits we noticed useful greenhouses and 

 serviceable frames from Messrs. Boulton & Paul. Norwich; a 

 capital lean-to house with rafter ventilation from Messrs. Rich- 



