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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 19, 1872. 



Pines were fewer than we are accustomed to see at a Sep- 

 tember show. Two fine Smooth Cayennes from Mr. Wilson, 

 Castle Hill, Devon, were first in their class ; and Mr. Ingram 

 Alnwick, was first in the class for any variety, with two fruit of 

 Prince Alfred. 



Peaches were very good. Mr. Brown was first for the twelve, 

 and Mr. Johnston second. For twelve Nectarines, Mr. John- 

 ston was first, Mr. Brown second, and Mr. Ingram third. Mr. 

 Cummings was first for Apricots, and Mr. Henderson, Hat- 

 field, Ledbury, Herefordshire, was first with very fine Brown 

 Turkey Figs. Plums were shown well by Mr. Bruton and Mr. 

 Wilson. 



In the collection of dessert Apples, R. Webb, Esq., Calcot, 

 Reading, was first with a fine assortment ; Mr. Culton and Mr. 

 Robertson, Hartrigg, Jedburgh, showed well in this class. Mr. 

 Webb was also first in the collection of kitchen Apples. 



Pears were well represented by those from Mr. Carmichael, 

 gardener to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Sandringham, and Mr. 

 Miles, gardener to Lord Carington, Wycombe Abbey, Bucks. 



Great quantities of other small fruits were shown of more or 

 less value or merit. Mr. Methven, gardener to Col. Campbell, 

 Blythswood, was first for the specimen dessert decoration of 

 fruit and flowers ; his table was simple and elegant in the ex- 

 treme. Flowers and Adiantum fronds were principally used, 

 with a Melon at the one end, and a very handsome Queen Pine 

 Apple, the finest in the room, beautifully swelled, with a very 

 small crown, at the other. Grapes were also very good ; Mr. 

 Lewis, gardener to Colonel Buchanan, of Drumpeller, was 

 second with a very nicely arranged table. 



Plants occupied the principal part of the Hall. Mr. Bullen, of 

 the Botanic Gardens, had a large circle in the centre filled with a 

 choice collection of stove and greenhouse plants, succulents, &c. 

 Tables ran along both sides ; conspicuous amongst the collection 

 on these was that of Mr. B. S. Williams, of Holloway, containing 

 some very choice and valuable specimens. Of Lapageria rosea 

 he had a magnificent plaut trained in a globular form, very 

 large and beautifully bloomed; Odontoglossum Bluntii had one 

 ■very fine spike, which was much admired ; Epidendrum pris- 

 matocarpum was finely bloomed ; Curcuma, with its singular 

 centre ; Nepenthes Rafflesiana, a grand example, with very 

 large pitchers ; Crotons were numerous, varied, and of the 

 choicest description; Agaves were. nicely mingled throughout. 

 Saccolabiums, Trichornanes, Diona?as, Bouvardias, Ericas, Da- 

 vallias, Adiantums, &c, were in every respect highly praise- 

 worthy. Messrs. J. & R. Thyne, nurserymen, Glasgow, were 

 awarded the first prize for the table of plants arranged for 

 effect. This occupied the west end of the Hall, with large 

 Palms, tree Ferns, Pandanuses, and Crotons along the back, and 

 smaller plants beautifully arranged along the front. Alocasia 

 macrorhiza variegata was a very fine indeed ; Todeas were in 

 fine condition, the Crotons beautifully grown and coloured, Glei- 

 chenias remarkably fine, and Cyeas revoluta, the finest specimen 

 we ever recollect seeing. The mass of foliage was enlivened 

 with some excellently-flowered Odontoglossums, Ixoras, Val- 

 lotas, &c. Mr. Solly, gardener to Provost Russell, Mayfield, 

 Falkirk, was second; his plants were much larger than those in 

 the first-prize group. Palms and tree Ferns formed the larger 

 section, whilst of Adiantum farleyense and many Orchids 

 there were magnificent specimens. Mr. P. McKenzie, nursery- 

 man, Gordon Street, Glasgow, was third. 



Messrs. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, were first for new plants not 

 in commerce, and also for the collection of new and rare plants. 

 In their collection we noted as being wonderfully fine, Berto- 

 lonia margaritacea superba, Saccolabium Blumei, Cattleya su- 

 perba, Aralia Veitchii, very graceful ; Lapageria alba, very fine ; 

 Selaginella japonica, Phormium Colensoi, Cypripedium Domi- 

 nianum, very curious and one of the finest ; Cycnoches, and 

 Caladium Princess of Teck, a dwarf very pretty variety ; while 

 Bertolonia guttata and Eriocnema marmorata were beautifully 

 marked. Messrs. Veitch had also some choice dwarf Palms ; 

 and from a small arch along the centre of the table were sus- 

 pended fine little plants of Nepenthes hybrida, Hookeri, Sedeni, 

 Rafflesiana, phyllamphora, and maculata. The position of these 

 showed them to the best advantage. With other tables of plants 

 Messrs. Smith & Simon; Dickson & Co., Edinburgh; Paul, 

 Crossflat Nurseries, Paisley ; and Mr. Thomson, gardener to 

 T. Coats, Esq., Ferguislee, deserve the highest praise. 



In the gardeners' classeB, Orchids were few. For six fine- 

 foliaged plants, stove or greenhouse in flower, Mr. Buchanan 

 was first with Rondeletia speciosa, Erica Marnockiana, Vinca 

 alba, Statice profusa, covered with its delicate blue flowers ; 

 Allamanda Hendersoni, and a finely-flowered plant of Ixora 

 coceinea superba. For three stove or greenhouse plants Mr. 

 Hetherington was first; and for one fine-foliaged plant ex- 

 clusive, Mr. Ollerhead, Killermont, was first. Mr. James was 

 first for the finest tree Fern ; and in Mr. Fleming's collection 

 of six Ferns was a remarkable handsome plant of Adiantum 

 farleyense upwards of 3 feet in diameter. Davallia tenuifolia 

 picta and Gymnogramma Martensi were both fine specimens. 



Zonal Pelargoniums and those in flower were very deficient. 



The best twelve came from Mr. Campbell, Holmwood, Cathcart. 

 LiliumB were few, and Fuchsias quite miserable. 



Cut flowers were exhibited in a small tent in the grounds out 

 from the principal building and formed a moderate display in 

 some classes. The weather has been very unfavourable to out- 

 door flowers, and many of these bear sad marks of its effects. 

 Hollyhocks were quite unnoticeable, and Roses were few, small, 

 and poor. We failed to find one well-developed bloom in the 

 collections. Dahlias were very good. Many of the varieties 

 were unnamed. Mr. May, Hope Nurseries, Bedale, Yorkshire, 

 was first in the nurserymen's class for thirty-six blooms ; Baron 

 Taunton, Octoroon, Self, Flag of Truce, and Lord and Lady 

 Derby were the finest. Second came Mr. Edward, Castle Gate, 

 York ; third, Mr. White, Paisley. Mr. May was also first f or 

 twelve Fancies ; Mr. Edward second; and Messrs. Little & Bal- 

 lantyne, Carlisle, third. 



Mr. James Service, nurseryman, Dumfries, was first forthirty- 

 six spikes of Gladioli, with a magnificent collection ; Madame 

 Desportes, Argus, La France, and Calypso were especially fine. 

 Second came Messrs. Stewart & Sons, Dundee ; Sir William 

 Hooker, Vesta, Reine Victoria, Dr. Livingstone, and Humboldt 

 were extra good. Third came Messrs. Robertson & Galloway, 

 Ingram Street, Glasgow. Messrs. Kelway & Sons exhibited the 

 finest stand of thirty-six Gladioli in the tent, all seedlings. Mr, 

 Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough, exhibited some very 

 fine seedling Dahlias, and was awarded first-class certificates 

 for Prince Arthur, gorgeous yellow; Herbert Turner, elegant 

 pure white ; and Laura Haslam. 



In the gardeners' class for twenty-four Dahlia blooms, Mr. 

 Neil, Glass, was first; iu the twelve, Mr. Fyfe, Kilmarnock; 

 and for twenty-four spikes of Gladioli, Mr. Hetherington was 

 first. Annuals, Asters, Verbenas, Phloxes, Pentstemons, Mari- 

 golds, &c, possessed little merit. Bouquets were well shown 

 and tastefully made-up, though rather too many flowers were 

 used iu some cases, but they were very much admired. Floral 

 designs in the models of flower gardens were very tastefully ar- 

 ranged. In the amateurs' class Dahlias were shown in fine con- 

 dition by Mr. Whiteford, Kilbirnie ; Mr. Mcintosh, Ardock,. 

 Perth; Mr. Foster, Polmont; and Mr. Logan, Coldstream; 

 Gladioli by Mr. Findlay, Mauchlin; Mr. Ross, Laurencekirk - r 

 and Mr. Cumming. 



Vegetables were shown in great quantity and of first-rate- 

 quality. Although the Potato disease has been so prevalent 

 this season, the display of Potatoes was the finest we ever recol- 

 lect seeing. For twelve, Mr. Wm. Noble, Ladeside, Newniilns„ 

 was first ; second, Mr. Smeall ; third, Mr. Gigg. Peas were 

 very poor on an average and rusty. Cauliflowers, Dwarf Kidney 

 Beans, Beet, Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Parsnips, &c, were 

 well represented. Cucumbers were also very good; Marquis o£ 

 Lome was exhibited, and very large in size, and it would in 

 all likelihood have gained the first prize, but it was much older 

 and yellower in colour than the first-prize fruit, which was of 

 an unnamed variety. 



The hardy coniferous plants were shown out of doors. Messrs. 

 Barron & Sons, Elvaston Nurseries, Borrowash, were easily 

 first with a very choice selection, conspicuous in which were 

 Retinospora plumosa aurea, Picea Parsonii, Thujopsis dolabrata, 

 Biota orientalis, Arthrotaxus selaginoides, and the curious and 

 rare loose-jointed Arthrotaxus laxifolia. Messrs. Austin 

 McAslan were second with Thuja gigantea, Cupressus Law- 

 soniana, Retinospora pisifera; and Messrs. Dickson & Turn- 

 bull, Perth, were placed third, with a lot in which seemed to us 

 more deserving than the second. In it were some fine Welling- 

 tonia gigantea aureo-variegata, Abies Douglasii elegans, Pinus 

 sylvestris argentea, Picea grandis, &c. 



A first-class certificate was awarded to Mr. Thomson, Tweed 

 Vineyard, Clovenfords, by Galashiels, for his famous new Grape, 

 the Duke of Buccleuch, handsome in the form of its compact 

 bunch, with berries of enormous size and excellent flavour, 

 while the Vine has a robust and fertile constitution. The berries 

 on this occasion were scarcely so large as those certificated by 

 the Fruit Committee, and at Belfast, Bishop Auckland, &c. The 

 colour which was then rather green has now become of a beau- 

 tiful transparent golden yellow. It has proved itself to be equal 

 to any other early Grape in its keeping qualities, as a splendid 

 basket of it which was quite ripe in the first week of July, 

 was shown by Mr. Thomson in the finest possible condition. 

 For this it was awarded a special commendation. To Mr. Lees,, 

 gardener to the Earl of Haddington, a first-class certificate was 

 awarded for Verbena Lady Haddington, an improvement on 

 Crimson King, larger in the flower, and brighter in colour, with 

 a beautiful bright eye. Similar awards were made to Messrs. 

 Kelway & Sons, Langport, Somerset, for seedling Gladioli ; to 

 Mr. Maurice Young, Milford Nurseries, Godalming, Surrey, for 

 Juniperus chinensis aiirea, a very beautiful yellow-tinted variety, 

 neat in habit, and very ornamental ; to Mr. Webb, Calcot, Read- 

 ing, for twenty-two sorts of Filberts, some of them very large, 

 and a stand of Marfichal Neil Roses, which were the finest exhi- 

 bited in any class. 



The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society had in aid to the 



