August 10, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



619 



Bishops Waltham. 



JULY 31. 



This society held its 38th annual exhibition 

 in the grounds of the historical old Palace 

 Ruins. A special feature of the show is 

 its division for floral decorations, and the in- 

 terest taken in the neighbourhood makes it 

 an event of some importance. 



It would be difficult to find a more beauti- 

 ful table than that arranged by Mrs. E. C. 

 Pern, Droxford, Hants. The competition was 

 good, eight competing. The conditions in 

 this class are unusual, as orchids, roses^ and 

 carnations are prohibited. The winner chose 

 Melba sweet peas, gracefully arrajiged with 

 Asparagus plumosus, croton leaves, Eerberis 

 purpurea, selaginella, and grasses, the colours 

 being blended in an admirable manner. Miss 

 Taylor, Bemerton Rectory, Salisbury, was a 

 good second with pink larkspur and Francoa 

 ramosa. In a similar class for a decorated 

 dinner-table, where carnations or roses only 

 were to be used, five competedj Mrs. A. R. 

 Bide, Highlands, Farnham, winning with 

 Rose Lady Hillingdon, and its own dark 

 foliage; Mr. R. F. Bealing, Bassett^ South- 

 ampton, was second with a good arrange- 

 ment of pink carnations. 



For a table arranged with sweet peas, Mrs. 



A. R. Bide was awarded first, and Mrs. W. 

 Parvin, Wintershill, second; eight com- 

 peted. Miss Taylor was first in the class 

 confined to lady members only, with a neatly 

 arranged table of clarkias ; Mrs. Pern 

 second with purple and white centaureas. 

 Miss Taylor was also first with a beautifully 

 arranged basket of wild flowers, Mrs. Bide 

 used roses Mrs. A. R. Goodwin and Mrs. W. 

 Massey for a basket of flowers — a handsome 

 combination that won easily. 



Mr. Bealing was first for a vase of carna- 

 tions, using Enchantress; he was also first 

 for a bowl of roses — Mdme. Abel Chatenay — 

 a delightful exhibit; Mrs. A. R. Bide being 

 second with Sunburst. Vases of sweet peas 



arranged for effect were very good, ten com- 

 peting. 



Cut flowers made a fine display, the sweet 

 peas being numerous and of good quality. 

 Dr. E. C. Pern was easily first for twelve 

 vases; Mr. I. Peppier, Bishops Waltham, 

 winning for six varieties. Messrs. J. Carter 

 and Co.'s first prize was well won by the 

 Misses Grladstohe, Hampton Hill (gardener, 

 Mr. W. Cooper), Robert Sydenham Limited's 

 first prize went to Mrs. C. Macrae, Meonstoke 



House (gardener, Mr. H. Childs), for six 

 varieties; and in Messrs. Toogood's class Mr. 

 T. C, Wilson, The Thicketts (gardener, Mr. 

 H. Barnes), was successful. Mrs. Macrae was 

 well represented by eighteen varieties of 

 hardy cut flowers, and won easily in this 

 class, and also for twelve bunches, Mr. 

 W. H. Myers, Swanmore House (gardener, 

 Mr. G. Ellwood), made a good display with 

 annuals, in six varieties, and there were 

 numerous good entries. Cactus dahlias in 

 bunches of four varieties were distinctly 

 good, the Misses Gladstone being first among 

 SIX entries. Roses were a fine feature, and 

 Mr. Myers had a grand display of six varie- 

 ties (rambling section), among them being 



Flower of Fairfield, Lady Gay, and Minne- 

 haha. 



Fruit was of fine quality. For four kinds, 

 grapes excluded, Mr. Myers won with fine 

 plums, peaches, nectarines, and a melon. 

 Mrs. Macrae was first for four dishes of 

 fruits grown out of doors. 



Vegetables were 'well in advance of other 

 years. Mr. Myers secured first award in the 

 leading classes, winning the first prizes 

 offered by Messrs. Sutton, Carter, Webb, 

 Toogood, and Dickson and Robinson, Pota- 

 toes, cauliflowers, tomatoes, onions, peas, and 

 carrots were all of fine quality. Mrs. Macrae 

 again won easilv for prizes offered by Messrs. 

 Daniels Bros., "and Messrs. E. HiUier and 

 Son, Winchester. 



Non-competitive groups made a grand dis- 

 play. The Locksheath Nurseries, Lim., 

 staged fine carnations, delphiniums, and 

 gladiolus, the latter being exceptionally good. 

 Their fruit trees in potsr caused much in- 



terest, Apple Warner's King being pheno- 

 menal. Mr. J. Lewis, Sunny Hill Nursery, 

 Swanmore, had a collection of small decora- 

 tive plants, including lilies, ferns, geraniums, 

 etc. Messrs. Rogers and Son^ Southampton, 

 sent numerous varieties of cut roses. 



Tweedie, Broombush, Lochmaben; Mr. G. 

 French, Heltand Cottage; Mr. D. White- 

 law, Locharbriggs; Messrs. Adamson and 

 Hunter, Lockerbie; Mr. W. Tweedie, Mous- 

 wald; and Mrs. Black, Mayfield. 



West Derby. 



TMs society held its twenty-first annual 

 show in the Rectory Grounds, on August 5, 

 by the kind permission of the Rev. Percy 

 Stewart, president of the society. The en- 

 tries were fully up to the average, and in 

 many cases- the competition proved very 

 keen. 



Mr. G. Osborne, gardener to Drs. Tidsdall 

 and Ingall, led for the group of miscellaneous 

 plants, and the same exhibitor had tlie lead- 

 ing four stove and greenhouse plants, and 

 won for two palms or cycads. For six be- 

 gonias, three doubles and three singles, Mr. 

 T. Young, gardener to Miss Crossthwaite, 

 led, with Mr. C. A. D. Crossthwaite second. 

 Mr. G. Osborne had th^ best pair of pelar- 

 goniums. 



For six dishes of fruit, distinct, Mr. G. 

 Osborne took the lead with good grapes and 

 well-coloured peaches. For six dishes of 

 hardy fruits, Mr. H. Osborne took the lead, 

 with Mr. Leith as second. For two bunches 

 of white grapes, Mr. H. Osborne, gardener 

 to R, R. Heap, Esq., won with Muscat of 

 Alexandria; Mr. T. Edgar, gardener to the 

 Rev. Percy Stewart second. For the two 

 bunches of black grapes, Mr. H. Osborne 

 and Mr. T. Edgar were placed as named, 

 and Mr. Leith led for the dish of tomatoes 

 with fine fruits. 



In the class for a collection of vegetables, 

 nine varieties, Mr. G. Osborne proved the 

 winner with a fine set, followed by Mr. Leith 

 For six varieties Mr. T. Edgar and Mr. S. 

 Mashford proved successful. 



In the class for twelve bunches of hardy 

 herbaceous cut flowers, for which a hand- 

 some silver challenge cup was offered as first 

 prize. Mr, T. Edgar proved successful, with 

 Mr. H. Osborne second. For twelve bunches 

 of hardy or half-hardy flowers, Mr. H. Os- 

 borne led in a strong competition. In the 

 single vase classes Mr. T. Edgar scored for 

 cactus dahlias, Mr. G. Osborne for gladiolus, 

 Mr. R. S. Shepherd for carnations, and Mr. 

 G. Osborne for roses and sweet peas. 



The arrangements were good, and the at- 

 tendance large. 



Mid-Annandale Flower Show. 



A capital show was held in the grounds 

 of the Mid-Annandale Agricultural Society 

 on August 2. Last year the Lockerbie Show 

 was practically a sweet pea one, but this was 

 combined with the horticultural section of 

 the Mid-Annandale Society, the latter's show 

 falling at Lockerbie this year. The result 

 was a good one, there being a strong entry, 

 although the disastrous weather for some 

 time before the show prevented some of the 

 exhibits from being forward. This was espe- 

 cially noticeable in the sweet pea section, 

 for which a marquee was provided. The 

 popular flower was well shown, Mr. G. L. 

 Moffat, Lockerbie, being the leading winner. 

 Other cut flowers were very good ; roses, 

 largely cultivated here ; cactus dahlias, 

 violas, antirrhinums, etc., being well shown. 



Pot plants were limited in numbers, but 

 were highly creditable. Grapes and small 

 fruits were among the best of the fruit 

 classes, and vegetables were generally of 

 high quality, though the leeks and onions 

 were small, the early date of the show ac- 

 counting for this. Amateurs made a good 

 competition, and their produce was most 

 creditable. 



Messrs. E. Fairbairn and Sons, Edentown, 

 Carlisle; and Messrs. Palmer and Son, rose 

 growers, Annan, sent good non-comp€?titive 

 stands. The principal winners in the gar- 

 deners' classes were: Mr. Jas. M'Donald, 

 Dryfeholm ; Mr. J. Henderson, Elmbank, 

 Dumfries; Mr. J. Wilson, Summerville, Dum- 

 fries ; Mr. J. Wilson, Eskrigg ; Mr. J . 



G.C.R. Employees' Flower Show. 



Under the auspices of the Willesden and 



District Horticultural Society a successful 



flower show was held at Neasden on Bank 



Holiday, August 5. The society is mainly 



supported by the employees of the Great 



Central Railway Company, and with the en- 



tlui(>iasm that generally characterises the 



railwaymen in gardening matters the show 



was well supported both in regard to entries 

 and attendance. 



Among the leading classes for vegetables 

 was one for a collection of ten kinds. This 

 was well filled, and the quality of the pro- 

 duce, and the manner in which the vegetables 

 were staged, M-ere highly creditable. There 

 were also a number of classes for flowers and 

 plants, and quite a big entry for table de- 

 corations in which the wiveg of the mem- 

 bers showed themselves adepts in the artis- 

 tic arrangement of cut flowers. The chil- 

 dren had a class for "vvild flowers, and right 

 well it was filled, many comparatively scarce 

 and very beautiful native plants being repre- 

 sented. Mr. W. A. Richardson, the cour- 

 teous and able secretarjr, was well supported 

 by an energetic committee of workers and 

 we were delighted to find the societv doing 

 really good work for the advancemenf of hor- 

 ticulture among the workers of the district. 



In addition to the prizes awarded at the 

 show, there was a keen competition for the 

 best kept allotment and garden, and it may 

 be said the skill, forethought, ' and careful 

 management everywhere apparent showed 

 that in and around Willesden and Neasden 

 tliere are quite a colony of enthusiastic and 

 able amateur gardeners. 



NOTES OF OBSERVATION. 



Browallia viscosa. — This pretty 



Browallia, which was shown at the meeting 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society on July 

 30, is- not nearly so well known as Browallia 

 speciosa major, to which it affords a very 

 pleasing companion. The flowers of the new- 

 comer are smaller than those of the other, 

 and of a rich, deep blue colour with a con- 

 spicuous white eye, such as is to be seen in 

 some of the bedding lobelias. — K. 



Arctotis grrandis.— This is one of 



the many attractively-flowered members of 

 the composite family that we have received 

 from the southern part of Africa within re- 

 cent years. The fact that daisy-like flowers 

 with long, firm stems are at the present day 

 much appreciated has no doubt a good deal 

 to do with this arctotis being generally distri- 

 buted. It is usually treated as an annual, 

 under which conditions it both grows and 

 flowers freely. In common with other mem- 

 bers of the same order, Arctotis grandis is 

 not seen at its best during dull, wet 

 weather; but, given a bright, sunny day, 

 the marguerite-like blossoms, whose florets 

 are almost white on the upper surface, but 

 tinged with purple on the reverse, with a con- 

 spicuous blue disc, are very attractive. — W. 

 is best- protected by a frame, — K. 



The Stag's Horn Sumach (Rhus 



typhina). — A striking specimen of this in the 

 front garden of a small villa is much admired 

 by passers-by, and well serves to show its 

 value in such a spot, as, though quite tree- 

 like in habit, it seldom outgrows its posi- 

 tion, while, should this happen, it can be 

 readily }3runed back in the spring before 

 growth commences. Apart from its handsome 

 pinnate foliage, its attractiveness is, in late 

 summer and early autumn, greatly enhanced 

 by the bright crimson inflorescences which 

 terminate every shoot. Although their 

 colour is lost, these remain in wnnter after 

 the leaves have fallen, and impart a singu- 

 lar appearance to the specimen. The decay- 

 ing leaves in autumn are also brightly 

 coloured. — W. 



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