Jane 25, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
531 
mended for Clay’s. Obviously the prices above do not determine the 
relative values of either of these fertilisers.— Another Thinker. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
June 23rd. 
Speciat, provision was made in the schedule issued for the Show of 
this occasion to ensure an extensive display of Pelargoniums ; but as 
regards the plants the efforts were unsuccessful, and in several cases those 
entered scarcely deserved prizes. In the cut blooms there was better com¬ 
petition, but it could not be regarded as a satisfactory or representative 
exhibition of these brilliant and varied plants. On the other band, Roses 
and hardy plants were grandly shown, and the cut Roses won the admi¬ 
ration of all, so fresh and handsome were they. Heaths were unrepresented, 
one collection each of Gloxinias, Palms, and Ferns being all that were 
staged. Still, the conservatory was filled with groups and collections of 
plants and flowers, much space being occupied by those notin competition, 
and very prominent amongst them was the large choice group of hardy 
flowers from Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham. Messrs. Kelway, Barr, Paul & Son, 
Cannell, and House also adding materially to the beauty of the Show. 
Pelargoniums. —The principal class was for eighteen Show, Decorative, 
and Fancy varieties in 6-inch pots, and though the prizes were £5, £3, and 
£2 respectively, they only brought two competitors—namely, Mr. C. 
Turner, Slough, first, and Mr. H. Little, Uxbridge, second, neither of whom 
showed so well as they have on previous occasions. The Slough plants 
were of medium size, flowering freely, and representing some very choice 
varieties, especially notable being the following :—Irene, fancy, with neat 
rose and white flowers, very pretty. Dido, show, brilliant scarlet, with a 
narrow blotch in the upper petals. Seyla, show, white centre, pink lower 
petals, and maroon upper petals. Lady Isabel, decorative, mauve purple. 
Duke of Albany, salmon lower petals, white centre, maroon upper petals. 
Florence, show, dark scarlet, with maroon feathering, white centre, free 
and beautiful. Mons. Demoulin, show, rosy salmon, white edge. Man¬ 
darin, scarlet, black upper petals. Madame Albert Decaris, decorative, 
curious and distinct, white centre, rose margin, with veins of the 
same colour running into the centre, apparently with somewhat of the 
fancy character. Other good varieties were Robina, Florence Thomson, 
Mr. Ashby, Alice, Gold Mine, and Confessor. The Hillingdon plants 
were smaller and not quite so well flowered as the others, but several 
handsome varieties were represented. For nine Zonals the third prize 
was awarded to Col. W. P. Talbot, Glenhurst, Esher (gardener, Mr. 
C. J. Waite), one of his best plants being Candidissimum plenum. Mr. 
Little was the only exhibitor of eighteen Zonals, and was also awarded the 
third prize for plants of little merit. 
W. Clay, Esq., Grove Road, Kingston (gardener, Mr. Wiggins), had the 
most interesting contribution amongst the Pelargonium plants, which con¬ 
sisted of a group of 160 seedlings, chiefly of the Show, Decorative, and Regal 
types, and including some varieties of great beauty. One of the best was 
Thisby, which was certificated, and is described under that head. Other 
fine forms were Yariety, white, with scarlet feathering in the upper petals, 
very free and beautiful ; Reine Blanche, white, with a crimson blotch in the 
upper petals, and a few veins of the same colour in the lower ones ; Dolly, 
blush, maroon upper petals ; and Deadunene, white, with a slight pink 
spot on the upper petals, margin slightly undulated, free and beautiful. 
For this group a silver Banksian medal was deservedly awarded. 
In the cut bloom classes there was fairly good competition, and several 
very fresh beautiful collections were contributed. Mr. C. Turner had the 
best twelve bunches of large-flowered Show or Decorative varieties, com¬ 
prising the following :—Ritualist, Nellie Hayes, The Czar, Confessor, 
Mandarin, Chief Secretary, Comtesse de Choiseul, Outlaw, Magnate, Venus 
de Milo, Purpurea, and Veteran. Mr. H. Little was second, also with good 
blooms—Fortitude, Mrs. H. Little, and Princess of Wales being the finest. 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, were placed third—Volonte Nationale 
album being particularly good, as were also Madame Thibaut, C. Bernard, 
and Triomphe de St. Mande. Zonals were remarkably bright, Messrs. H. 
Cannell & Sons taking the lead with handsome blooms, such as we are 
accustomed to see from Swanley. The varieties shown were Mrs. Johnson, 
Jealousy Improved, C.H. Swinstead, Lady Chesterfield, Kentish Fire, W. E. 
Gumbleton, Queen of the Belgians, Constance, Ajax, Lord Chesterfield, and 
some unnamed seedlings. Colonel Talbot and Mr. H. Little were second 
and third respectively, but their blooms were much inferior to Mr. Cannell’s. 
Though the Ivy Pelargoniums were unrepresented in the class devoted to 
these varieties, a charming collection was contributed from Swanley, which 
attracted much attention and admiration, as it deserved. Some of the most 
noteworthy of the varieties were as follows :—Emile Lemoine, double 
scarlet, very bright; Jeanne d’Arc, nearly white, double; La Rosiere, 
purple, single; General Gordon, double, salmon scarlet; Congo, mauve; 
Madame Thibaut,rose, double, very fine. Of Zonal varieties the following 
were beautiful and distinct:—Belle Nancienne, salmon, double, full; 
Swanley Gem, scarlet, single, white eye, large and showy; Le Cygne, white, 
double. A pretty new Decorative variety was named Miss L. Cannell, and 
is of a bright crimson colour, with a very narrow white margin and a white 
centre. A bronze medal was awarded for this collection. 
Boses. —Though the large specimen Roses which delighted visitors to 
earlier shows were absent, and smaller plants were not so numerous as on 
some former occasions, yet the display of cut blooms amply compensated 
for all other defects, and augured well for a most satisfactory season. These 
constituted the chief feature of the Exhibition, and were admired by 
thousands of visitors during the day. A class was provided for thirty 
Roses in 8-inch pots, and the two collections for which the first and second 
prizes were awarded—namely, those from Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, 
and Rumsey, Waltham Cross, were both distinguished by considerable 
merit. The Cheshunt plants especially were dwarf, compact, yet vigorous 
little specimens, bearing from four to a dozen blooms that in several 
instances would not have disgraced any stand of cut blooms. They were 
notable for their substance and rich or clear colours—points of great 
importance in a Rose, and the usefulness of plants of this size cannot be 
over-rated. Prominent amongst the varieties were Pride of Waitham, 
Grandeur of Cheshunt, Duke of Teck, La France, Dr. Andry, Marquise de 
Castellane, Boule de Neige, and Violette Bouyer. In Mr. Rumsey’s col¬ 
lection were uncommonly good examples of Gabriel Luizet, General 
Jacqueminot, Magna Charta, La France, and Princess Beatrice. 
The principal class for cut blooms was open, and was for twenty-four 
single trusses, seven collections being entered, and all of more merit than 
is usually seen so early in the Rose season. Messrs. Paul & Son deservedly 
won first honours for most beautiful blooms, as fresh, bright, and substan¬ 
tial generally as could be desired, while several were unusually fine. The 
varieties were as follows :—A. K. Williams, Victor Verdier, Abel Carribre, 
Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, Etienne Levet, Marguerite de St. Amand, 
M. Alfred Dumesnil, H. Schultheis, Ulrich Brunner (a grand bloom that 
will scarcely be surpassed this season), William Warder, Madame Prosper 
Langier, Madame Gabriel Luizet, General Jacqueminot, La France, Mrs. 
Baker, Sultan of Zanzibar, Francois Michelon, Baron de Bonstettin, La 
Duchesse de Morny, Lady Fitzwilliam, Longfellow (a new variety, very 
dark, somewhat after the style of Sultan of Zanzibar but with more 
crimson in the flower), Souvenir de Malmaison, Sir Garnet Wolseley, and 
Comtesse de Serenye. Mr. J. House, Peterborough, also had a praise¬ 
worthy collection, and gained the second prize, his blooms being equally as 
fresh and bright as the first, but not possessing quite so much substance. 
Noteworthy amongst the best were Duke of Edinburgh, Etienne Levet, 
Jules Margottin, Catherine Mermet, Star of Waltham, Madame Gabriel 
Luizet, Mons. Noman, Beauty of Waltham, and Marshal Niel. Mr. C. 
Turner, Slough, secured the third place with handsome blooms of General 
Jacqueminot, President Sinclair, Duchesse de Morny, Marie Van Houtte, 
and La France, amongst others of nearly equal merit. A stand of Tea 
varieties from Mr. G. Prince, Oxford, was commended, and comprised some 
lovely examples of Amazone, Princess of Wales, Mons. Furtado, and 
Comtesse de Nadaillac. R. E. West, Esq., Reigate, also had some fine 
blooms that were accorded a similar recognition. 
With twelve blooms of Tea or Noisette varieties five exhibitors com¬ 
peted, and there Mr. G, Prince was easily first with a superb collection of 
{dooms, grand in substance, clean, and charmingly fragrant. The varieties 
were Mardchal Niel, Madame Lambard, Reine du Portugal, Comtesse de 
Nadaillac, Souvenir de Madame Pernet, Mons. Furtado, Catherine Mermet, 
Alba Rosea, Niphetos, Anna Olivier, Marie Van Houtte, and Adam. Mr. 
House again secured the second place with neat blooms, the best being 
Madame Joseph Schwartz, Souvenir de Therese Levet, highly coloured; 
Marie Van Houtte, Alba Rosea, Jean Ducher, and Catherine Mermet. Messrs. 
Paul & Son followed closely. The best twelve triplets were staged by 
T. W. Girdleston, Esq., Sunningdale, Berks, and a beautiful, fresh, brightly 
coloured, and substantial collection, comprising excellent examples of the 
following :—Hippolyte Jamain, Cannes de Coquettes, Marechal Niel, Lord 
Macaulay, Rubens, Dingde Conard, Marie Van Houtte, Charles Lefebvre, 
Annie Laxton, A. K. Williams, Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, and Grace Darling. 
Second honours were awarded to the Rev. F. H. Pemberton, Havering, who 
had smaller but very bright blooms, amongst which the purple-tinted and 
distinct Belle de Bordeaux was very noteworthy. 
Pyrethrums were represented by three good collections, which in addi¬ 
tion to those not in competition afforded an extensive display of these 
beautiful flowers. Messrs. Kelway, Paul, & Son, and F. Hooper, were the 
rizetakers in that order. Pinks were not of remarkable merit; Gloxinias, 
erns, and Palms being, as already stated, equally unimportant. 
Miscellaneous. —Hardy flowers have been exceedingly well shown this 
year, but certainly one of the finest displays was that produced by Mr. T. 
S. Ware, Tottenham, on Tuesday, and which is to be maintained throughout 
the season, forming a permanent attraction in the conservatory. Very 
prominent in the group were numerous spikes of Gladiolus of the ramosus 
section, the varieties of which are worthy of culture in every garden. 
Lilies also were admirably represented,particularly the yellow L. colchicum, 
which was in first-rate condition, the bright red L. pomponium verum, the 
white L. Martagon album, and many others. The profuse-flowering Spiraea 
japonica aurea reticulata with its feathery panicles of creamy white flowers 
was also attractive, and a bold Star of Bethlehem with large white flowers, 
Ornithogalum latifolium, was especially fine. Innumerable other charming 
plants were included, and the group fully deserved the silver-gilt Flora 
medal awarded for it. Equal honours were adjudged to Messrs. Kelway and 
Son, Langport, for a most extensive and handsome collection of Paeonies, 
Pyrethrums, and choice hardy flowers, the two former comprising some 
grand varieties, the best of which were enumerated in the report of a 
previous meeting. Messrs. Barr & Son, Covent Garden, were awarded a 
silver-gilt Banksian medal for a large beautiful group of hardy flowers, 
amongst which Irises of the Spanish type predominated, a great number of 
five varieties being included. A group of Carnations similar to that at the 
preceding meeting was also included in Messrs. Barr’s contribution. Bronze 
medals were awarded to the following exhibitors :—Messrs. H. Cannell and 
Sons for Pelargoniums, a choice collection of Verbenas, Pieonies, and 
Pyrethrums; Mr. John House, Peterborough, for collections of Rose blooms, 
chiefly Teas and Noisettes, together with a box of the distinct bronzy orange 
William Allen Richardson, which is becoming so great a favourite, two 
pretty Moss Roses—Blanche Moreau, small, neat, white buds, and Baronne 
de Wassenaar, much larger, purplish crimson; the New Plant and Bulb 
Company, Colchester, for a group of Japanese Maples with varied and 
brightly coloured foliage; and to Messrs. Paul & Son for a small choice 
group of hardy plants. 
Special Prizes. —Messrs. Sutton <fc Sons, Reading, provided six prizes, in 
two classes, for a brace of Melons and six varieties of Lettuces. In the 
Melon class a little difficulty occurred owing to the wording being not 
sufficiently clear. The prizes were offered, “ For the best brace of Melons, 
to include Sutton’s Scarlet Invincible, Sutton’s Masterpiece, or Sutton’s 
Hero of Lockinge,” and the Judges awarded the first prize to Mr. J. Fry, 
The Gardens, Haydon Hall, Eastcote, who had two fine beautifully netted 
fruits of Hero of Lockinge, the other prizes being withheld. Attention was, 
however, subsequently called to this, as not being in accordance with the in¬ 
tentions of the prizegivers, and the awards were then given as follows :—Mr. 
J. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourn, Esq., Great Gearies, Ilford, first, for 
Hero of Lockinge and Scarlet Premier, both very good; Mr. H. Eldridge, 
The Gardens, Chesterford Park, Saffron Walden, second with Masterpiece 
and Hero of Bath ; Mr. Fry being placed third with Hero of Lockinge, as 
already mentioned. The prizes for Lettuces were won by Mr. C- J. Waite, 
