OCTOBER. 



145 



THE METROPOLITAN EXHIBITIONS. 



The announcement of the holding of the two great fruit festivals heralded the close of 

 the exhibition season. I took my farewell of the Crystal Palace on Tuesday, September 1st 

 lor this year, on the occasion of its autumn Fruit and Flower Show.' It was a lovely 

 clay, and then the appearance of the grounds of the Palace in the bright sunshine of the 

 early morning was beautiful indeed. The invigorating showers that had recently fallen 

 so long looked and hoped for, had given a rejuvenescent aspect to the parched parterre 

 and the scorched lawn: the former had dressed itself in its gayest attire, the latter in its 

 most refreshing hue. 



Passing along by these the Palace was reached, and a3 usual, at an early hour all was in con- 

 tusion. It was the acme of disorder from which order was gradually but surely proceeding 

 One arm of the nave contained the fruit, the other was a lodgment for the cut flowers. There 

 was nothing scarce m the fruit department ; every kind that had a place in the schedule was 

 present m lavish ostentation, and of high quality. This could not be said of the cut flowors, 

 tor the Gladiolus, the Hollyhock, and the Rose, were but sparely represented. Of the former, 

 three stands only of twenty-four varieties were staged, and but one large collection. The 

 dry weather has told upon them sadly in the south and west of England, whole beds 

 having been well-nigh decimmated by a kind of rot engendered by the drought, that would 

 seize on many of the plants as the spike was being developed, and in one night they would 

 become withered. J 



-n Y- ith a Stand ° f twent 7- four varieties, Mr. Standish, of Bagshot, was first with The 

 Dauphin, Scottish Chief, and Lady Palmerston ; bright scarlet flowers with either lemon, 

 purple, or violet markings. The next division was composed of the following varieties, 

 having shades of rose, carmine, and salmon, with purple, lemon, and violet markings :— 

 Umpire, Souvenir, Reindeer, Mr. Peach, Cornuta, William Duffield, Boadicea, Aurelian, 

 and Ruby. The next group ranged from pale bright carmine and rose to pure white, and 

 having beautiful purple and lemon pencillings :— Reine Victoria, Cordelia, Edith Dombrain, 

 Mr. Dix, Emileta, Julia, fiowena, Carlotta Patti, Susan Inglis, and Lady Stamford. Some 

 tew others had an individuality of their own, such as Empress Eugenie, dashed and streaked 

 with rosy violet on a light ground— a very novel and showy flower, a French hybrid Mr. 

 Standish informed me : Tippoo Saib, orange and salmon, with carmine streaks and purple 

 markings. The four most striking varieties were Cornuta, bright fiery carmine ; Scottish 

 Uriel, rich bright scarlet, with rosy crimson and violet markings ; Empress Eugenie ; and 

 Iippoo Saib. Second, Messrs. Youell & Co., Great Yarmouth, with Napoleon III, John 

 Ball, Comte de Morny, Velleda, Clemence Improved, Hebe, Jeanne d'Arc, Lune, Dr 

 Lmdley, Superbum, George Stephenson (bright rosy carmine, with lemon and purple 

 markings), Madame de Vatry, Madame E. Verdier, Madame Souchet, El Dorado, Madame 

 Victor Verdier, Bertha Rabourdin, Achille, Reine Victoria, Le Poussin, Madame Leseble, 

 Mr. louell, and Due de Malakoff. Third, Mr. Cattell, of Westerham, who had o. 00 d 

 examples ox Achille, Fanny Rouget, Isoline, Brenchleyensis, Madame Leseble, Penefope, 

 Don Juan, Solfaterre, Jeanne d'Arc, Velleda, Pegasus, Galathe, Imperatrice, Triomphc 

 dEnghien, Couranti fulgens, Sulphureus, and Magnificent. One collection only was 

 staged by Messrs Youell & Co., arranged in bunches of two and three spikes each, and 

 having at each end a batch of the brilliant Brenchleyensis. The following were very fine 

 —viz.: Calendulaceus, Jeanne d'Arc, Madame Haquin, Othello, Lselia, Marie Dumortier' 

 Le Poussin, Marie, Napoleon III., Pegasus, Velleda, Rembrandt, Madame Leseble, Penelope 

 Lenne, El Dorado, Ninon _ de l'Enclos, Raphael, Sulphureus, Neptune, Madame Adele 

 bouchet, Oracle, Hebe, President, Doumet, and Mazeppa. 



, E - Betteridge, of Abingdon, was first in each Class of Asters, quilled and flat- 



petalled. _ With the former, Mr. L. Besley, another Berkshire grower, was second and 

 Mr. Jennings was third. In the French Class, Messrs. Wyatt and C. Sandford who used to 

 take the honours here, are now distanced by Mr. Betteridge. I did not think the Asters so 

 fine as usual, they will perhaps be better at South Kensington next week. 



Roses were poor, as might have been expected. Messrs. Paul & Son, of Cheshunt, were 

 first with thirty-six and twenty-four varieties. In the case of the larger number the 

 second and third prizes were withheld. With twenty-four kinds, Mr. Turner, of Slouch 

 was second, and Mr. G. Clarke, of Brixton, third. ° ' 



With twenty-four kinds of Verbenas, in bunches of five trusses each, Messrs. S. Perkins 

 and Co., of Coventry, were first, third, and fourth ; and Mr. C. J. Perry, Castle Bromwich 

 Bnmunghani second. In their first stand, Messrs. Perkins had Colossus, Lord Lei-h, and 

 Fireball, all three so much alike that 1 could not detect any difference; Geant des Batailles 

 Anosto Improved Volunteer, Delicatissima, Ida, Foxhunter, Miss Field, Grand Eastern', 

 The Moor, General Simpson, and Snowflake. Mr. Perry had different from the forgoing 



