600 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 3, 1912. 



Mr. M. Prichard, Christcliurch, for hardy 

 flowers; to Mr. E. H. Davidson, Borlases, 

 Twyford, Berks, for orchids ; to Messrs. 

 Charlesworth and Co., Haywards Heath, for 

 orchidi?; to Messrs. 3. and A. McBean, Cooks- 

 bridge, for orchids. 



Bronze Flora.— To Messrs. W. Wells and 

 Co., Merstham, for phloxes and carnations. 



Bronze Banksian.— To Messrs. Aldersey and 

 Marsden Jone*>, Tilston, Malpas, for sweet 

 peas; to Mr. H. J. Jones, Ryecroft, Lewie- 

 ham, for phloxes. 



Leaming^ton. 



The third annual r.\\<}\r of the Leamington 

 and County Horticultural Society was held 

 under favourable conditionft in the park on 

 We<lne;tday and Thursday, July 24 and 25. 

 Thanks to HJveral support from the gentry of 

 the county of Warwick. thi.s society offers 

 very attractive prizes, and at no provincial 

 show is there fio fine an array of handsome 

 challenge cups at Leamington. Competi- 

 tion is consequently very keen, and, although 

 the society is quite in its infancy it manages 

 to provide an exhibition of flowers, fruits, 

 and vegetabl-fN tliat is equal to tliat seen at 

 what may claim to 1)€ the leading shows in 



the country. 



It is soriH'wliat strange that in face of all 

 this there very much room for improve- 

 ment in att^'inlanc-*^ ; in fact, on both first 

 and sr< ond (layr> thv attendance was most dis- 

 ap])ointing. We wish it were otherwise, for 

 the management of the show is in every 

 resjH^ct a credit to those in office, and if the 

 good people who are generous in the matter 

 of subscriptions would but come fomard 

 and grace the show with their attendance, 

 Leamington would speedily stand high 

 among hort iriilt iiral ovi-nts. llie weakness 

 in this rosjH'ct is a vva\ ^lanj^^T. as evidenced 

 by the fact that \ trade »'\'hihits tliis vcar 

 were ft^ver than on the t wo 1 oiirKM- occa- 

 sions. It is the attondaure tliat attracts 

 thase exhibitors who exhibit for commercial 

 purposes, and the trade can lie relied upon 



if tney find the public are iwady with their 

 support. 



In a show of all-round excellence the out- 

 standing features were the carnations, the 

 big collections of roses, and the wonderful 

 group of stove plants from Messrs. J. Veitch 

 and Sons, which received unstinted praise 

 from all. Table decorations were numerous, 

 but it is surely time someone came forward 

 with some originality and variety to break 

 the monotony of sweet peas used in c>mall 

 tuhes that do not hold sufficient water to 

 kec]) the flowers fresh. 



GROUPS AND PLANTS. 



Tlie group class was not large, there being 

 only three entries. The space occupied by 

 each was 20ft. by 12ft., and certainly in 

 point of merit the exhibits would compare 

 favourably with those generally seen at the 

 leading events. Messrs. J. Cypher and Sons, 

 Cheltenham, who secured the chief award, 

 had a group in their best style. A grand 

 specimen Kentia occupied the position of 

 honour in the centre of the group, raised on 

 a cleverly-constructed arch, which was taste- 

 fully furnished witJi small crotons, caJa- 

 diums, the pretty little Origanum hybridum, 

 etc. The corner crotons were beautifully 

 furnished plants, and the groundwork of 

 cattleyas, odontoglossums, maidenhair and 

 other ferns was disposed with exquisite taste, 

 Mr. J. Macdonald, gardener to Sir George 

 Kenrick, Bart., Edgbaston, was an excellent 

 second, and in his arrangement he used 

 orchids and liliums freely among the foliage 

 plants. Mr. Wm. Vause, the local nursery- 

 man,^ had a very effective, but slightly 

 heavier group, for which he received third 

 prize. 



Messrs. J. Cypher and Sons led the way 

 for twelve stove and greenhouse plants, with 

 beautifully-tramed specimens of stephanotis, 

 clerodendrons. statices, and ixoras, with a 

 splendid specimen of Phoenix Eoebelini in 

 the centre of the group. Mr. Vause's second 

 prize lot consisted of much smaller plants. 

 Mr. K. Denton. P^ard^npr A r^oTr t?^^ 



Woodside, Kenilworth, received first prize 

 for three lovely ferns, second prize going to 

 Mr, Bartlett, gardener to C. C. Shaw, Esq., 

 Thornbank, Leamington; and third to Mr. 

 H. J. Finch, gardener to J. H. Burley, Esq., 

 Leamington. Mr. Vause had a finely-deve- 

 loped bougainvillea, with which he won first 

 for a single specimen plant in bloom. Mr. 

 Bartlett scored for a single specimen foliage 

 plant, Mr. A. J. Friend, gardener to the 

 Misses Robinson, Leamington, being second, 



and Mr. Vause third. 



In the class for six begonias, first prize 

 among six entries went to Mr. Jones, gar- 

 dener to Mrs. Eayson, Leamington, the 

 plants being well furnished with bloom. Mr. 

 Denton took second place. Mr. J. Steadman, 

 gardener to Mrs. Stanbridge, Elm Bank, 

 Lillington, was third. Mr. W. G. Jones 

 had a good half-dozen gloxinias that stood 

 right away from three other very moderate 

 entries. Mr. Denton received a twenty- 

 guinea challenge cup for a group of ferns 

 arranged on 20ft. by 4ft. table space. ^ No 

 other competitor came forward, which is a 

 matter for regret, a-s this should be a fine 

 class with so attractive an award. Mr. 

 Denton's collection included a good many 

 varieties of adiantums, plumose nephrolepis, 

 lomarias, etc., all snmall, neat plants. Mr. 

 Denton's name again appeared as winner 

 for three coleus, his plants being dwarf, sym- 

 symmetrical bushes of brightly-coloured 

 varieties. Three zonal pelargoniums were 

 shown by Mr. W. G. Jones, who staged 

 shapely plants of double varieties; Mr. M. 

 Golby, gardener to Mrs. Jenkins, Westwood, 

 Holly Walk, Leamington, coming second. 



EOSES. 



The class of greatest interest among the 

 roses was for a group of either pot plants 

 or cut flowers, arranged for effect on a table 

 space of 12ft. by 4ft, a challenge cup, value 

 25 guineas, being offered. Only three ex- 

 hibits were put up, but they were so excel- 

 lent that the class was the object of general 

 admiration. The fortunate winners were 

 Messrs. Gunn and Sons, Olton, who deserve 

 high praise for the glorious display of the 

 leading varieties they arranged with mas- 

 terly skill. Great pillars of Excelsa, Dorothy 

 Perkins, and Dorothy Dennison were sup- 

 ported by mounds of White Maman Cbchet, 

 The Lyon, Lady Eoberts, and the delightful 

 Edu Meyer, with a host of others in smaller 

 bunches. Mr. Wm. Lowe, Beeston, Notts, 

 was a fine second; Le Progres, rich orange- 

 buff, was well shown, with Eiclimond, Geo- 

 C. Waud, and Pharisaer, while all the more 

 popular hybrid teas were put up in either 

 small groups or big masses. The King's 

 Acre Nurseries, Lim., Hereford, had a good 

 group, for which third prize was awarded, 

 their stand of the charming, single Irish 

 Elegance being conspicuous. 



Eoses in boxes made a very good diplay, 

 the flowers being well up to exhibition stan- 

 dard. Messrs. Perkins and Sons, Coventry, 

 took the lead for twenty-four blooms, and on 

 a very even stand were particularly good 

 flowers of William Shean, Claudius, Mdme. 

 M. Soupert, and Captain Hay ward; second 

 place was taken by Mr. Henry Drew Long- 

 worth, Faringdon, and it may be said that 

 the two exhibits were very nearly equal in 

 quality. King's Acre Nurseries, Lim., Here- 

 ford, were third, their flowers looking just a 



made a bisr 



display with some half-dozen or more en- 

 tries, Messrs. Perkins and Sons winning 

 again, the second and third prizes going to 

 King's Acre Nurseries and Mr. Henry Drew 

 in the order named. 



Messrs. Perkins and Sons once more led in 

 the class for six blooms of one variety show- 

 ing beautiful flowers of Horace Vernet an 

 old favourite. Messrs. Chapman and Coliins 

 Eoyal^ Eoad, Leicester, were second with 

 Captain Hayward, and King's Acre Nur- 

 series third with Alfred Colomb. Mr. Henry 

 Drew led for twelve teas with a very striking 

 stand, his best flowers being Mrs. Foley 

 Hobbs, White Maman Cochet, and E. V. 

 Hermanos; second place was filled by Mr! w' 

 T. Mattock, Barton End, Oxford, the King's 



Acre Nurseries figuring as third prize win- 



The best 



ners. ±ne dcsd six teas of one variety were 

 Messrs. Chapman and^ Collins' set of Nita 

 Weldon, Messrs. Perkins and Sons' Mdme. 

 Jules Gravereaux coming second, and Mr. 

 Drew third with White Maman Cochet. 



HAEDY FLO WEES. 



A twenty-five guinea challenge cup for 

 twenty bunches of herbaceous flowers, ex- 

 cluding bulbs, secured four entries, and 

 these, being well staged, made an excel- 

 lent show. Messrs. Gunn and Sons were 

 most successful, and their flowers were fine, 

 clean, and good throughout. Phlox Jose- 

 phine Gerbaud was prominent, and other 

 good things were Lysimachia clethroides, 

 Potentilla Gibson's Scarlet, and a particu- 

 larly brilliant gaillardia named Vulcan, Mr. 

 Frank Bouskell, Market Bosworth, put up 

 a good set for second prize, his Papaver 

 Jeannie Mawson, Helenium cupreum, Aconi- 

 tum bicolor, and Sidalcea Listeri being 

 beautifully grown. Mr. C. H. Herbert, 

 Acock's Green, came third, his flowers being 

 staged with pleasing lightness. Mir. Herbert 

 scored for twelve bunches with a big bunch 

 of Eryngium amethystinum, and good 

 alstxoemerias, lythrums, galegas, etc. ; Mr. 

 Wm. Lowe, Beeston, was second; and Mr. F. 

 Bouskell third. 



Some very nice cactus dahlia® were staged 

 by Messrs. Pemberton and Sons, Bloxwich, 

 Walsall, who won first for twenty-four 

 blooms; Johannesberg, a big amber flower, 

 was very attractive; and Peerless (crimson) 

 was also good. The Messrs. Pemberton also 

 scored for six varieties of violas. There 

 were some fine vases staged in the class for 

 bunches of stove or greenhouse flowers, 

 the winner being Mr. F. Daniels, gard 

 to J. B. Akroyd, Esq., Birdingbury Hall, 

 Eugby. Lapageria rosea, L. alba, gardenias, 

 Gloriosa superba, and liliums were the 

 flowers used, asparagus sprays serving to set 

 them off. Second prize was won by Mr. T. 

 Parry, gardener to W. J. Gresson, Esq., Bir- 

 lingham House, Pershore; Mr. A. J. Friend, 

 Leamington, coming third. 



It is dangerous to resort to superlatives, 

 but the opinion was freely expressed that 

 the display of carnations here was the finest 

 seen at any British show. At all events, we 

 have no hesitation in recording that eight 

 entries in the class for a group of cut car- 

 nations, each filling ten feet by four feet 

 space, were as fine a lot as any society might 

 wish to see, and the judges' had no light 

 task in selecting the exhibit that should re- 

 ceive the challenge cup. Messrs. Young and 

 Co., Hatherley, Cheltenham, were the fortu- 

 nate winners, and were warmly congratulated 

 on their success. Quality of bloom on this 

 stand was well assisted by tasteful arrange- 

 ment, and, as we have often remarked, 

 Messrs. Young and Co. both grow and stage 

 remarkably well. A big mass of Duchess of 

 Devonshire, with Hon. Lady Audley Neeld 

 on either side, made the centrepiece, with 

 Lady Henderson, May Day, White Perfec- 

 tion, and plenty of other varieties to flank 

 them, and finish off the front. It was 



Wall, 



a splendid 

 Melrose 



effort. 



Mr. Chas. 



very 



Nursery, Bath, came a 

 good second, a good many border varieties 

 being used in this exhibit, in addition to 

 well-grown perpetuals. This was an exhibit 

 that would have done credit to any exhibi- 

 tion, and it was the exceptionally keen com- 

 petition and the excellent arrangement 

 the winning group that placed it second— a 

 position of no small credit in such com- 

 pany. Mr. C. F. Waters, Balcombe, who 

 came third, had also a grand lot of flowers. 



Mr. A. F. Button, Iver, Bucks, had a 

 beautiful set of twelve vases, with which he 

 secured first prize, the new variety Mrs. A. F. 

 Button being shown in splendid form. Mr. 

 W. H. Parton, Studholme, Moseley, wa5 

 placed second, his flowers being border varie- 

 ties of choice quality; Messrs. A. R. Brown, 

 Lim., King's Norton, followed, also with 

 border kinds. Mr. Parton's set of twelve 

 blooms, selfs, won well, Solfaterre, Mrs- 

 Griffiths Jones, Sir Galahad, and Cardinal 

 being lovely flowers; second prize in this 



