August 9, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
125 
though indeed Habenaria bifolia shows few variations compared with 
the countless variations of some species, some of them British.—H. 
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
This Society, which is strong and well supported financially, held its 
second annual gathering in Delapre Park, Northampton, on Monday and 
Tuesday last, and the large attendance of visitors on the first day fully 
justified the choice of the Committee in selecting the August Bank Holiday 
for their Exhibition, and thus affording wholesome recreation for the nume¬ 
rous unemployed residents and visitors at this industrial centre. The Show 
was a large one, but a material falling off in the number of competitors in 
comparison with last year’s display, which was held in connection with the 
County Agricultural Exhibition, was apparent. The arrangements were 
good, and the comfort of visitors and the protection of exhibitors was well 
considered by the provision of a large amount of tent accommodation. 
The Exhibitions of the Northamptonshire Bee-Keepers’ Association and 
the Seedling Potato Show were also held in connection with the Meeting, 
and a good deal of interest, especially for professionals, seemed to centie in 
the work of the local Committee, which has energetically attempted to carry 
out on a limited scale the recommendations of the Committee of the House of 
Commons on the Potato disease, but whose endeavours only serve to illustrare 
the great difficulties and cost of carrying out in a thorough and satisfactory 
manner the practical tests requisite for the work of advancing the cultivation 
of that important and necessary portion of the food of civilised races—the 
Potato. Prizes were offered by the local Committee for the best seedling 
white and coloured kidney and white and coloured round varieties, and a 
champion prize (instituted last year) for the best after a three-years trial 
under the supervision of the Society. This work has been carried out by 
Mr. W. Farr, gardener to Sir Chas. Knightley, Fawsley Park, with great 
labour and care, come ten varieties having been selected by the Judges on 
the last occasion for this test; but unfortunately, as the conditions required 
that the whole of the produce should be lifted for examination at this Exhi¬ 
bition, which, with a backward season, has been held much too early, several 
of the varieties tried were not fully developed and nearly all sufficiently 
ripened, the test for this season can hardly be considered a satisfactory one, 
but on a future trial the Committee will do well either to lift only half the 
crop in August, or to leave the whole for a late autumn examination. No 
signs of disease appear to have been present in the produce, and the crops 
were reported by the Committee as entirely free from it. Seven pounds of 
each variety were planted on the 10th of April, the crop was examined by 
the Committee on the 5th of July, and all were lifted on the 3rd inst. 
The following will show the careful scrutiny of the Committee and the 
Judges ; and as some of the varieties tested last year, which were thm pro¬ 
minently placed for quality when cooked, were this year at the bottom of 
the list, it is apparent that the test of a single season is totally insufficient 
to determine quality ; soil, climate, and season being all material factors in 
the development of the Potato. 
Bemarks 
Name and address 
Name or Description 
Height of 
Gross 
as 
to 
of Exhibitor. 
of Seedling. 
Hauhn. 
Produce. 
u 
d 
cwt. qrs. 
lbs. 
Mr. E. Simons, Harles- 
ton, Northampton 
Mr. W. Kerr, Dargarvel, 
Bound red .. .. 
2£ feet 
1 
2 
11 
8th. 
9th. 
N.B. 
Mr. Jno. Waugh, Castle 
Sir Garnet, red kidney 
3 feet 
1 
3 
17 
7th. 
10th. 
Hill, Lochanaber, N.B. 
Flat round red.. 
3i feet 
2 
0 
18 
10th. 
5th. 
Mr. C. H. Hill, Dur- 
ward’s Witham, Essex 
(Bivenhall Champion,) 
< large round white, > 
( but few small .. ) 
1J foot 
1 
1 
25 
3rd. 
6th. 
Mr. E. Cole, Althorp Gar- 
f Cole’s Favourite, long,) 
dens, Northampton .. 
) flat, white .. .. i 
2J feet 
2 
1 
15 
1st. 
7th. 
Mr. W. Horley, Todding- 
( Boundish. flat, white,) 
ton, Beds 
Mr. J. Hughes, Eydon 
( from Giant King.. j 
2J feet 
1 
2 
11 
9th. 
3rd. 
Hall Gardens, Byfield.. 
Coloured kidney, No. 4. 
(White kidney, No. 4,) 
( Beauty of Hebron [ 
2.) feet 
1 
2 
1 
2nd. 
4th. 
Mr. J. Hughes .. 
1 ft. 8 in. 
1 
1 
21i 
6th. 
1st. 
{ by Myatt’s Prolific) 
Messrs. F. & C. Myatt, 
(White kidney, King ) 
Offenham, Evesham .. 
Mr. K. Fenn, Sulham- 
( Ofia.j 
1 ft. 8 in. 
1 
8 
20 
5th. 
2nd. 
stead, Beading.. 
Pink kidney 
Not given 
1 
2 
17 
4th. 
8th. 
Prizes were awarded for seedlings exhibited for the first time at this 
Exhibition as follows :— 
Class A, White Kidneys, sixteen entries.—First, Mr. Boss, gardener to 
C. Eyres, Esq., Welford Park, Newbury, for Robt. Fenn, a handsome flat 
oval seedling from Woodstock Kidney ; good in quality and shape. Second, 
Mr. Thomas Watson, East Haddon, Northampton, for a seedling from Black 
Walnut-leaf. Third, Mr. Jas. Dunkley, Kingsley, for a flat oval seedling 
from Woodstock Kidney. Fourth, Mr. John Hughes, Eydon. 
Class B, Coloured Kidneys, two entries.—(Third prize only awarded.) 
Third, Mr. Henry Hopewell, Berry Wood, for a seedling from Paterson’s 
Victoria, but quite unlike that variety. 
Class C, White Rounds, seven entries.—First, Mr. C. Ross ; seedling 
M. P., a large shallow-eyed, smooth white round of the Schoolmaster type, 
but from Paterson’s Victoria. Second, Mr. H. Hopewell; a seedling from 
Victoria, somewhat flatter, and yellowish skin. Third, Mr. Hopewell; similar, 
but with whiter skin. Fourth, Mr. Richard Farmer, 10, Albany Street, 
Northampton, for a medium-sized, flattish, yellow-skinned seedling from 
Paterson’s Victoria by Fluke. 
Class D, Coloured Rounds, five entries.—(Third prize only awarded.) 
Third, Mr. Richard Rowe, Sheep Street, Northampton, for a small but 
handsome smooth round seedling of the Lye’s Favourite type, but with 
whiter flesh, and probably suitable for strong land. It will be seen by the 
entries how satisfactorily the proportion of new white sorts is becoming to 
that of coloured, the number of the former being twenty-three, and of the 
latter seven. 
The show of plants in flower, foliage, and Ferns, were principally local, 
none of the great growers putting in appearance. The first prize, however, 
in the open class A, for twelve stove or greenhouse plants, six in and six out 
of bloom, was secured by very creditable specimens from Mr. Jno. Day, 
gardener to A. Seymour, Esq., Norton Hall, Daventry, whose collection 
included fine examples of Statice profusa, Corypha australis, Clerodendron 
Balfourianum, and Ixora Dixiana. Messrs. Ball & Son of the Bedford Road 
Nurseries, Northampton, were second, and Mr. W. Farr of Fawsley Gardens, 
third. For the group of miscellaneous plants in the same class, Mr. Miller, 
Whittlebury Gardens, was first, having a very clean and well-grown collection. 
Mr. Thomas, gardener to Lord Overstcne, Overstone Park, was second, and. 
Messrs. Ball & Son third. For six exotic Ferns, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Holland, 
gardener to W. Jeffery, Esq., Northampton, were placed equal first, and 
Messrs. Ball & Son third. All the collections were good, Mr. Holland’s col¬ 
lection containing a fine Cibotium regale, Asplenium Nidus-avis, and Adiantum 
cuneatum well grown. Mr. Miller had robust specimens of Blechnum corco- 
vadense, Lygodium scandens, and Adiantum gracillimum. For six orna¬ 
mental foliage plants Mr. Day was first, Mr. Farr second, and Mr. Holland 
third. Mr. Day showed Areca Baueri, and a very handsome seedling Gymno- 
gramma. The show of Roses in this and the other classes, to some extent, 
perhaps, owing to the weather, was almost a total failure, and will hardly 
call for further comment. 
Fruit was not largely shown. In the open class Mr. Day was placed 
second for the collection of nine varieties, and first for nine varieties in the 
gardeners’ local c’ass, and Mr. Thomas second, but the Grapes and other 
specimens were not equal to those in the special classes. In the class for 
three bunches of white Grapes Mr. Day showed very fine and well-ripened 
Buckland Sweetwater, and was placed first, Mr. Thomas coming second with 
Foster’s Seedling. For three bunches of black Grapes Mr. Day was first with 
Black Hamburgh, and Mr. Thomas second. For Peaches, which were good, 
Mr. Miller was first with Violette Hative, and Mr. J. Harlock,. gardener to 
Lord Lilford, Lilford Hall, Oundle, was second with Late Admirable, large, 
but not highly coloured. Other fruits were only meagrely shown. 
In the gentlemen's gardeners’ classes for ten stove and greenhouse plants, 
five in and five out of flower, Mr. Day was first and Mr. Holland second. 
Mr. Day had Cycas circinata very fine, and Mr. Holland a good Yucca 
aloifolia variegate, ; and for six plants Mr. Thomas and Mr. Farr were 
awarded first and second prizes respectively. In cut flowers the only 
noticeable exhibits were two attractive stands of single and Cactus Dahlias 
shown by Messrs. Ball & Son, one containing twelve blooms of the beautiful 
Juarezii surrounded by White Queen was very showy. 
Vegetables as usual at Northampton were in fine condition and largely 
shown, especially in the cottagers’ division, where the competition for the 
valuable prizes offered by Messrs. John Perkins & Son was very strong, no 
less than twenty collections being entered, and almost as many staged, the 
first prize falling to Mr. AY. Hopewell, Berry Wood. Potatoes were very 
clean and fine, International and Mr. Bresee being especially remarkable 
for size and beauty. Snowdrop, a very handsome and good-quality early 
white-skinned variety, an improvement on Snowflake, was numerously exhi¬ 
bited, and almost as frequently good. For six varieties Mr. Geo. Harrison, 
Duston. Northampton, was first with fine examples of Mr. Bresee, Snow¬ 
drop, Mammoth Pearl, Radstock Beauty, Carter’s Eight Weeks, and 
International. _ 
In the gardeners’ class for fifteen varieties Mr. Ingram, gardener to 
W. Butlin, Esq., Duston, was first, having fine Purple Globe Artichokes ana 
Orangefield Tomatoes. Mr. Day was second with an almost equally good 
lot including splendid International Potatoes, Nantes Carrots, and Cauli¬ 
flowers. For the collection of eight varieties Mr. Allen, gardener to 
L. Pritchard, Esq.. Abington, was first, and Mr. Thomas second. For three 
dishes of white Kidney Potatoes Mr. Allen was placed first with Inter¬ 
national, Snowdrop, and Jackson’s Improved Kidney. For three dishes 
of coloured kidneys Mr. ABen was also the winner with Mr. Bresee, Beauty 
of Hebron, and Trophy. For three dishes of white rounds Mr. Allen was 
again first with Bresee’s Prolific, Felton White, and Porters Excelsior; 
and first also for three dishes of coloured rounds with Red Emperor, 
Reading Russet, and Radstock Beauty. , . 
A fine brace of Telegraph Cucumbers was shown by Mr. J. J. \\ atmn 
of Duston. Mr. Laxton of Bedford also showed large, handsome, and well- 
corned specimens of his new early Longpod Bean John Harrison, for which 
a first-class certificate was recently awarded by the Royal Horticultural 
Society, and also examples of his new Runner Bean Girtford Giant, evi¬ 
dencing its great s : ze and fertility. Messrs. John Perkins <fc Son of the 
Billina Road Nurseries, Northampton, had a special tent erected on tne 
ground for their exhibits not for competition, and amongst these were many 
well-crown and attractive plants and flowers. Double and single Aonal 
Pelargoniums were well done, and so good and well-flowered doubles are 
rarely seen as those from Messrs. Perkins’ establishment. Guillon Mangilu 
was a model specimen double; and amongst singles New Life (striped), 
Eurydice (carmine-rose), Bacchus (vermilion), and Constance (bright car¬ 
mine) are evidently very taking sorts. Early-flowering Chrysanthemums 
Lucinda (tinted white Pompon), Prdcocitd (yellow half Pompon), and 
Souvenir de Ramport seem useful acquisitions in this class. . 
The Show was contained in about ten marquees of great capacity, and, 
considering that most of the classes only are open to the county of North- 
ampton was a horticultural success even in a gardening district, and will 
probably prove so financially, as the subscription list is a liberal one, and 
it would be no injustice to the local exhibitors if a few more prizes were in 
future offered in the open division A. 
NEWPORT AND COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The ninth annual Exhibition of this popular Society took place on 
Thursday, the 2nd inst., in the beautiful grounds at King’s Hill, kindly 
lent by F. Primavesi, Esq., and was a great success, the exhibits being of 
the finest order. We would not omit to mention the splendid collection of 
Mr. S. Cordes (R. Wattie, gardener) in the open class, who showed a magni- 
