L l8 9 8. 



G A RDENERS' MAGAZINE 



219 



gymnogram 



re.ief to the bright da^ils, ^So^s^J^ 



^ m ° S ; i^olTsh^^'irkSp; S N,£*ri* Barnes, 



A n d welUowered Some exceptionally well grown mignonette was 

 were bnght and we" Jow«e Roa > MessR;> j . ^ ter and Co. , 



g^^ShitS a fin* strain of cinerarias, both colour and sue of flowers 

 JSg of°the best. Medals. ' 



A Silver-^ Medal was awarded to Messrs. Wm. Paul and Son, Waltbam 



^& € 3» to Messrs. J. Hill and Co Messrs Hugh 



_ L tSro Mr Keif, gardener to Mrs. Abbott, Messrs. J. Laing and Sons, 

 J'^S" Williams and Son, the Church Road Nursery Company, Hanwell, 



T. Jannoch, Messrs. J Carter and Co 

 Meirs. W. Cutbush and Son, Messrs. J. Peed and Sons, and Messrs. Barr and 



**Bronzi Medals were secured by Mr. W. Kemp, Messrs. J- Laing and Sons, 

 Mr H B May Messrs. W. Rumsey and Son, Messrs. B. S. Williams and Son, 

 Messrs'. A. W. Young and Co., Messrs. Morle and Co., and Mr. T. S. Ware. 



ROYAL BOTANICAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 



MANCHESTER. 



The first show of the year in connection with the above society took place at 

 the Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, on March 15 and 16. Several years 

 ago this show was made up of ordinary spring- flowering plants — hyacinths, tulips, 

 cinerarias, primulas, cyclamens, &c. — but the one this year was mostly orchids, 

 and not of the common types either, but first-class. 



Mr. Ashworth, of Wilmslow, had a collection that contained many gems, and 



included the white form of Dendrobium nobile, D. Wardianum alba in several 



varieties, especially one named Harefield Hall var., the strong yellow contrasting 



bo well with the white ; D. Juno, D. Melanthopthalmum, and many others well 



worthy of note. Cattleya Trianse in variety was well represented, and a few 



cypripedium seedlings came, the result of C. Chamberlainianum crosses. A gold 



medal was awarded, and several F.C.C. 's and awards of merit were here well 



deserved. On the right hand side of the hall, Mr. Cypher, of Cheltenham, staged, 



as usual, a splendid lot of well-grown plants, dendrobiums predominating ; D. 



Schroderianum was very striking, and there were some good phaius, Cattleya 



Triai . Gelogyne cristata alba, cypripediums, &c, and all well deserved the 



awards gained, as well as a gold medal. Next to Mr. Cypher, a grand lot of 



plants was put up by Mr. Robson, of Bowdon, dendrobiums again predominating ; 



D. nobile tisheri was a gem, having a large flower of a deep colour ; D. nobile 



Robsonae was good, and gained an F.C.C. ; Cymbidium eburneum was also well 



grown. The group merited a silver medal, though gold medals have been awarded 

 to worse. 



On the left-hand side of the hall Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., of Bradford, 

 staged a group of plants, not so large as others before mentioned, but, at the 

 same time, full of good things. Here was represented Phaius Norman, figured in 

 the Gardeners' Magazine of March 19, in quantity for such a rare thing ; this 

 u well worthy of a place in collections, being so rich in colour, and bold. Den- 

 drobiums, odontoglossums, cymbidiums, trichopelias, &c, completed the group. 

 I haius Norman gained a F.C.C. Mr. Cratrix, West Point, Whalley Range, 

 Manchester (gardener, Mr. McLeod), had some fine orchids, and Cypripedium 

 iiarnsianum albens is the best variety seen; Dendrobium rubens grandiflorum 

 mm I .L.L., and was shown amid Lycaste Skinneri alba (a good varietv). 



ViS^ aT,1 S ' ?" R . olf ?' many Ch ° ice forms of D « nobile > Odontoglossum 

 lCKeaum (A.M.), Cypripedium leysenianum, C. vexillarium, a cypripedium 



3E1 125^™ '? C / J h ° mpSOn < A ' M ->» L*Ko-cattleya, Mrs. As tor, and 

 den ftSS gS ' ? r \, Lofthouse > gardener to A. Warburton, Esq., Hasling- 

 jen, suged some good odontoglossums and dendrobiums; Lycaste Skinneri alba 



Sf S ° WaS P endrobium c ybele nobilius, and to these awards were 



5 Efcm nI Cn f ' g i ardCner *° W ' T hom P son > Esq- Stone, again brought some 

 nrie ^^^^^^g^ums, intermixed with good examples of dendrobiums in 



• HaidV fJ tT « , 1 u T? Uge colIection - Mr. Stafford, gardener to 



*ay gained Tfc c ^^ossums and cattleyas were shown, Mendeli var. 

 tn cham MA : £ A ? orton » gardener to Mr. Hinchcliffe, Ashfield, Hale, 

 ttnSn ^ Cff f tlVC gr ° Up ' consistin g of dendrobiums, cymbidiums 



«iont ? JoS jRfiSSllS Bou ^on-on-the Water, showed cut spikes of 



^SS^^^w 1 ^^ J 1 ^ again a splendid collection ofamaryllis, 



lighter inS? M- ng V c ICan ' Momu V nd Im Pe"al; and in the 

 ^«ally g 00d ^£; s 0dl ^' Min °s» Saturn, and other intermediate ones being 



had * fine cofwt^ A"' ^u™' ,f T ait > Corporation Street, Man- 

 daffodil's and oth er bu bo ^FT***. M ?5 *** Varieties bein S represented ; 



1 1 a fine coll ct on ! P la " tS a ' S ° Messrs. Birkenhead, of Sale 



condition, such as DolvSb ' ° Ve ', S re f. nhouse > and hardy forms, in first-class 



mAU^ .. 9 L " aS P°aystlChums. DO vnoHinmc ocnUwin.^.. \iL " - ___ 



*pnng.fl 0 werW Au^TC TTlT 1 ^ v * ses ' Mr - F - Weathers sent 



grown 



excelled those of previous years 



FLOWERS 



e cons ; mtnrui -?°^ tlfu A - show of forced spring flowers was that 



Gai 

 ful f( 



flor 

 ad 



exhibitors. 



?*• Then 



seen in 



inc c ns»n*atories f J* UUI snow ot forced 



SJ^- and fo »o^ Birmingham, on the 



the hberalitv 5 tw dell ^ tfu J f «ture the subscribers were 



Hh * fished all Hber, **jg5* ^S* Mr " Robert Sydenham 



h >^ths, in dozens a ffh U i y r i Ca,ly hi g h " class 



DS and ^If dozens in pots ; 



narcissi, and in Polyanthus narcissi ; for lilies of the valley, cinerarias, spiraeas, 

 collections of spring flowers, and cut narcissi. The competition in each case was 

 capital, showing how numerous and capable are the gardeners and amateurs of the 

 district in growing spring flowers. The banks of tulips, those of the collectors of 

 diverse plants, the superb display of bouquets and floral designs and stands made 

 by Messrs. Perkins and Son, of Birmingham and Coventry, and not least the big 

 bunches of hyacinths, tulips, single and double, narcissi and other bulbs, staged 

 by Mr. Sydenham, gave colour of exceeding brillancy to the show, which was 

 arranged by Mr. W. B. Latham, the curator. Of new tulips Unique, in Mr. 

 Sydenham's group, calls for special notice. It is a white Pottebacker having a 

 gold base and ribs presenting exceeding beauty. Proserpine rectified was also a 

 very beautiful tulip t the white flutings or stripes on the rich coloured petals being 

 of a very refined form. The collection included all the best varieties in com- 

 merce. The exhibition was crowded with visitors each day, and clearly demons- 

 trated the exceeding popularity which attaches to early bulbous and other plants 

 when gently forced into bloom. 



NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY. 



A meeting of the General Committee of this society was held at Anderton's 

 Hotel on Wednesday evening, with Mr. T. W. Sanders in the chair, when a 

 somewhat lengthy agenda was disposed of. The most important business of public 

 interest was the election of the Floral, Classification, and Finance Committees, 

 which, by reason of the large number of nominations, occupied some time. The 

 ballot for the members of the Floral Committee was proceeded with, and on the 

 report of the scrutineers Messrs. D. B. Crane, J. P. Kendall, W. H. Lees, J. W. 

 Moorman, II. Cannell, W. Howe, and G. Langdon were declared duly elected. 

 The Classification and Catalogue Committee comprises, under the new rules, 

 fifteen members, and the following were elected : Messrs. H. J. Jones, G. 

 Gordon, T. Bevan, C. Gibson, W. H. Lees, H. Cannell, J. W. Moorman, W. 

 Mease, D. B. Crane, J. Lyne, W. Wells, G. Stevens, M. Gleeson, E. Beckett, 

 and W. Higgs. The members elected to serve on the Finance Committee are 

 Mr. G. Gordon, Mr. G. E. Willis, and Mr. J. W. Moorman. 



Summer Bedding. 



The liking for the system of bedding out, which was so popular a quarter of a 

 century ago continues, and many of the materials employed to work out various 



grown 



There 



are certain persons in the trade who lay themselves out to maintain a supply — a 

 business that can pay only on the assumption, which may be reasonably held, that 



vanous 



very large supplies have to be provided. So rapidly and cheaply are 



wooded subjects used for bedding purposes produced, that the trade generally find 

 they can purchase popular bedding plants cheaper than they can grow them, and 

 so what is a much larger industry than is generally supposed has been built up. 

 The system which favours the employment of soft-wooded plants in the decoration 

 of the flower garden, in masses, in zones, in segments, and in various mixtures, 

 is one which will not readily die out because of its convenience. There are a very 

 large number of amateur gardeners who have small gardens, and are fettered by 

 limited means of production and expenditure, who find cheap bedding plants of 

 suitable character and easily obtainable, a great boon. No better estimate perhaps 

 can be found of the popularity of what may be termed our common bedding 

 plants, than a study of those who crowd the windows of some of the premises of 

 the firms who have branches in the City at this season of the year. The philosopher 

 will find much in the survey to interest him ; the social reformer to encourage him. 

 The majority of them are young men in whose breasts may be the awakening of a 

 desire to cultivate some of the flowers which make an appeal to his better nature. 

 The first beginnings of many a successful career as an amateur cultivator have 

 doubtless been conceived by the contemplation of a shop window. We like to 

 contemplate the cultivation of flowers as an antidote to grosser things. Such 

 occupations, innocent, interesting, and pleasant, do something towards softening 

 the manners and subduing the mind. It is curious to observe how many of the 

 favourite bedding plants which were popular with the last generation, still hold 

 their own. There is a loyalty in matters floricultural which holds firmly to sub- 

 jects of proved usefulness and effectiveness. Verbena Purple King is a case in 

 point ; for its perfect habit of growth and the agreeable shade and persistence of 

 its colour it has never been surpassed. Boule de Niege is still a popular white ; 

 and Lustrous, which emanated from Salisbury many years ago, our best scarlet. 

 It is so with the Erinus type of bedding lobelia, with the ageratum and that 

 fragrant subject, the heliotrope, one of the most favourite of the latter. Miss 

 Nightingale takes us back to the period of the Crimean War. Among bedding 

 calceolarias the fifty-year old amplexicaulis is unsurpassed for its peculiar shade of 

 colour, and'excessive propagation does not operate to weaken the constitutional 

 vieour it has ever possessed. No bedding coleus has ever surpassed the old 

 Yerschaffelti and yet thousands have been raised since its introduction many years 

 *cm The most useful alternantheras were in cultivation when the bedding-out 

 svstem was at fever height. And then our bedding pelargoniums : the old varieties 

 holdThel own, and defy a multitude of aspirants to the seat of honour they occupy. 

 Master ChSne, Madame Yaucher, Mr. William Paul, and a few others, 



tike u T back to the time when the Pelargonium Society was a 

 take us back to ^ ^ ^ fine ; ^ Denny 



„ ,rrLn a k • when the pelargonium held the field, and the tuberous 



™P ro y^^^ s ^" its supremacy. As a bedder among the tricolors, 

 begonia appeared to d^e P j ^ ^ d ^ ^ usefulnesSf 



The golden-leaved Crystal Palace Gem is practically without a rival. 



There are other sections of plants which illustrate the persistency of mdi^ujj, 

 iiicrca c -.^sjna Gazania splendens. There is a remarkable 



SculiaritfatSg t?th Tatter ; that while cfuring the prevalence of dull weather 

 peculiarity h d freel ■ autU mn, let the weather be 



—the aster stock mimulus, Phlox Drummondi, mimulus begonia, annual dianthus, 

 and similar subjects are invaluable ; but these many amateurs have convenience 

 for raisine. The subject which more than any other restricts the convenience of 

 the amatlur for keeping of bedding plants through the winter is t - - " 

 chrysanthemum has upon him. Were it not for this Eastern flower which can 

 now be had in bloom from July until February, but little else would beautify his 

 creenhouse in autumn. Some of the early- flowering varieties of the chrysanthemum 

 can fittingly find a place in our flower borders from July onwards. Dwarf and 

 compact in growth, they are singularly prolific of bloom and lasting also. 



Observer* 



■ 



power ; when Peter 



