September 21, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE- 



731 



The small annual subscription of 5s. entitles 

 a grower to free entry in all the classes in 

 which he is eligible to compete, and to 

 full information relative to the valuable edu- 

 cational trials annually conducted by the 

 society. 



Messrs. Dickson and Robin- 

 son's Vegretabie Show. 



For some half-dozen years Messrs. Dickson 

 and Robinson, the well-known Manchester 

 ;ieedsmeu, have held an annual show of vege- 

 tables grown from their seeds. In the be- 

 ginning the show was held in the firm's 

 warehouse at Cheetham^ but it was last year 

 found desirable to engage premises in a more 

 central spot, and, as we then recorded, that 

 show was the largest and most succes8ful of 

 the series. This year we have to record still 

 further advance. Entries came in so freely 

 that it became necessary to engage a larger 

 hall^ and the Coal Exchange was selected as 

 the venue of the show, which opened on 

 September 12, and continued over the follow- 

 ing day. It may at once be said that in 

 every respect this year's exhibition was better 

 than any of its predecessors, and the vege- 

 tables shown provided ample proof that tlie 

 cold, wet season has, after all, not been a 

 bad one for vegetables. 



A special feature of Messrs. Dickson„and 

 Eobinson'fe show^s has always been a class for 

 four bulbs of their Premier onion, which was 

 introduced about eight years ago, and is a 

 handsome globular bulb, with smooth^ finely 

 netted, straw-coloured skin. 



There were fifty-nine entries in the open 

 onion class, and in the entire show^ over 370 

 bulbs were staged, exhibitors coming from 

 as far apart as Kirkcudbright and Cardiff, 

 thus showing the widespread popularity of 

 this excellent variety. There were, however, 

 other big classes, that for beetroot mustering 

 thirty-nine entries, and the carrots thirty- 

 ^ight. In the open onion class first prize was 

 secured by Mr. T. Avery, gardener to J. Kerr. 

 Eiaq., Loiidwater Eickmans worth, wiio put 

 up four beautifully-modelled bulbs of good 

 size, and very well finished. Second w^ent to 

 Mr. H-. Folkes, Gaddesdeii, liis onions not 

 being quite so even in size a.s the winner s. 

 Mr, Wheeler, gardener to Mrs! Jenner, Wen- 

 ^oe, came third, his bulbs not being as large 

 a^ many of those shown, but of verv fine qua- 

 lity and perfect finish. Mr. West/ gardener 

 P V^^^^^it Hon. Earl Curzon, Hackwood 

 ^ark, Basingstoke, won fourth -prize ; Mr. 

 V.00JC gardener to the Hon. Mrs. K. Thorn- 

 ^on Hildersham, coming fifth ; and Mr. Cobb, 



On Tm*"" R- Cory, Evsq., Cardiff, sixth, 

 e 01 Mr. Cobb's onions was the most per- 



^ fPf ^^1^ ■ sl^ow, and quite a 



^noaei of what an exhibition onion should be. 



A Here was another class for onions open 

 I? growers north of Birmingham. Here Mr. 

 ^^Jones, Huabon, scored with four excellent 

 D-.;^^^^^^* second prize going to Mr. Smith, 

 fh^^^ Captain A, Briscoe, Newtown, 

 tnc other prizes in the class going to Mr. 

 Tivlti ^^^-^^^ner to Captain Lonsdale, Market 

 TOton; Mr. Haydock, gardener to E. P. 



Ivsq. Preston, and Mr. Keay, gar- 



rontl <^rosfield, Esq.. Ulvcrston. mx 



ois ot Market Favourite beet made a bi^ 

 awa.^' ^^^"Pyin? a lon^ table, llie leading 



his K'/fl Countess Cowper, Hertford 



fui «i ^'"^ ^^'^"^ i" colour, and of beauti- 

 Mr n-K' ^- T'olkes was second and 



Jame I P'^^''''^^"''^ t*> the Ri^ht Hon. 

 tioM.fiv Carrots were excep- 



inTfJ ^"ots being of good size. 



contS' i""^ ^""'^^^ I" -1 keenly- 



Whifo T) urizes went to Mr. Jas. 



Mr ^^'"Pton; Mr. H. Tv.soe Bedford: 



M'iilm,!^^^'''''^ = I^loyd^ gardener to Lord 

 Barnet ^ Broke; and Mr. W. Hooper, 



f^«n„?^ ^^^^ fhc season there were some 



^ne^^f nr^ PiT-^^ shown, there beinsr two classes 

 other fn T T>ods of Hercules, and the 



ff fijj Lancastrian, both of which are peas 



^rst nr- ^^^''^^^^^'^ ^^^^ quality. Tlie 



Tvsop ^ \V Hercules was taken by Mr. H. 

 ^ein^'.. Hooper, Baruet, 



mTrri^^''- ^- Winchester. Birming- 

 rd. llie Lancastrian premier was won 



by Mr. Leakey, gardener to the Eight Hon. 

 Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, second going 

 to Mr. Brickell, and third to Mr. Jones, gar- 

 dener to the Misses Howell, Berriew. Run- 

 ner beans were shown in fine form, entries 

 being numerous, and the beans of rare size, 

 without roughness. Mr. H. Tysoe led, the 

 second prize going to Mr. West, Basingstoke ; 

 and third to Mr. Young, gardener to C. E. 

 Ellis, Esq., Lincoln. Messrs. Dickson and 

 Robinson have a very good type of hollow- 

 crowned parsnip, and prizes were offered for 

 the best six roots. The winner was Mr. 

 Bishop, gardener to Eight Hon. James 

 Round, his roots being very long, straight, 

 and clear in ekin. Mr. Stannard and Mr. 



other flowers, which were brought from the 

 firms nurseries, and arranged in tasteful 

 manner in groups about the hall. Messrs. 

 Dickson and Robinson also showed onions 

 from their own seed grounds, and specimens 

 of mangolds, swedes, cabbages, etc., all of 

 fine types and showing good cultivation. 



NOTES OF OBSERVATION. 



Manettia bicolor.— This has often 



been noted as a desirable climber for the 

 warm greenhouse, especially if that structure 

 is a rather small one, for it is not suitable 



A PERFECT SPECIME^f OF 



ri 



PREMIER 



1 • 



ONION 



Exhibited at Messrs. Dickson and Robinson s Show at Manchester 



Avery took second and third prizes respec- 

 tivelv. 



Among the principal awards in other classes 

 were first for turnips to Mr. Mills, gardener 

 to Captain Lousdale, Market Drayton; first 

 for savoys to Mr. Gujr, gardener to C. L. 

 Bluudell, Esq., Ormskirk; and to Mr. T. 

 Jones for three Standwell cauliflowers. Mr. 

 H. Tysoe led for leeks, and Mr. E. Winches- 

 ter for a bunch of Moneymaker tomato, a 

 variety that maintains its excellent qualities 

 as a good profitable sort. Altogether, there 

 were somewhere over 400 entries in the six- 

 teen cla^^ses in the show, nearly all the 

 classes being allowed five prizes. 



It was a capital display, and the attrac- 

 tiveness of the show was much increased by 

 large banks of dahlias, phloxes, roses, and 



for clothing lofty roofs, being, m fact, seen 

 at its best when the bright-coloured flowers 

 are brought near the eye. A most desirable 

 feature iwssessed by this Manettia is that 

 the small tubular flowers, scarlet and gold 

 in colour, are borne nearly throughout the 

 year. — S. W. 



Zonal Pelargronium Cham- 

 pion. — This variety was recently given an 

 Award of Merit by the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, and bids fair to prove one of the 

 l>est of all the pink zonals for bedding pur- 

 ])oses, while it is also seen to considerable 

 advantage when grown in pots. It is of a 

 sturdy, freely-branched liab^t of growth, 

 with good foliage, while the flowers are 

 borne in bold trusses, and are of a bright 

 rose-pink colour with a lighter centre. — K. 



