JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 7, 1881. ] 
was first with Cypripedium barbatum with about one hundred fine 
flowers, the growth also being vigorous. Mr. Dale, gardener to 
Alderman Lapton, Anerley Lodge, was second with Stanhopea tigrina 
with six grand flowers ; and Dr. Ainsworth third with Odontoglossum 
Rossi, a fine plant of this pretty miniature, but only half the flowers 
were expanded. 
Pelargoniums were splendid. In the open classes for Show, also 
for French, varieties the prizes went to Messrs. Rylance, Lazenby, 
and May, the specimens of the last-named exhibitor being smaller 
than the others, but densely flowered, vigorous, and fresh. Messrs. 
G. Winterbourne and Eastwood were the chief prizewinners in the 
corresponding amateurs’ class. Messrs. Pybus and G. and W. Win¬ 
terbourne had the prizes for Zonals with grand specimens, Mr. 
Rylance being first with Fancies and Mr. Eastwood with double- 
flowered Zonals. Messrs. Pybus and May secured the prizes for 
Roses in pots with dwarf examples and good blooms. Fuchsias were 
good, Mr. Eastwood taking the chief prize with well-flowered pyra¬ 
mids. Gloxinias were excellent from Mr. W. Winterbourne, Mrs. 
Smith, and Mr. Eastwood. Tuberous Begonias were very poor, and 
Calceolarias fading. Bedding plants in pans from Messrs. A. Simp¬ 
son & Son and Lazenby were excellent, but the group of these plants 
arranged for effect appeared to be quite misapprehended, and it is a 
question if the Judges did not err in awarding the prizes. This class 
can well be cancelled. Mr. Hartly had the chief prize for twelve 
Show Pansies in pots, and Mr. Mann, Shadwell, for twelve Fancies. 
Cut Flowers .—Miss Tatham’s prize for a group of natural flowers in 
stand for the dinner table was won by Messrs. Jones & Son, Shrews¬ 
bury ; the best wedding bouquet was from Mr. Rylance, and best ball 
bouquet—by far the best bouquet in the Show—came from Mr. 
Featherstone. Messrs. Cranston secured the chief prizes for Roses in 
the open class, followed rather closely by Mr. May, and Mr. Jowitt 
in the amateurs’. Fine stands of Pansies were shown, the chief 
prizes going to the exhibitors who were successful for plants in pots. 
Mr. Faulkner, gardener to F. R. Leyland, Esq., Woolton Hall, Liver¬ 
pool, had the premier prize for stove and greenhouse flowers with a 
splendid stand, followed by Mr. Taylor, Apperley, and Mr. Rollisson. 
Fruit.—T his was an excellent display, and the competition was 
very close indeed in many of the classes. For four dishes the special 
prize was won by a point by Mr. Clayton, The Gardens, Grimstone 
Park, Tadcaster, with a good Pine, Black Hamburgh Grapes, Peaches, 
and Nectarines. Mr. Wallis, The Gardens, Kirby Hall, York, fol¬ 
lowing ; fine Chasselas Musque Grapes almost or quite equalling in 
merit Mr. Clayton’s Pine. In the class for six dishes Mr. Faulkner 
staged an excellent premier collection including black and white 
Grapes, Pine, Melon, Peaches, and Nectarines, all very good ; Messrs. 
Clayton and Wallis followed closely. In the open class for four 
dishes Mr. Faulkner was again first; Mr. Mann, St. Vincent’s, Gran¬ 
tham, second ; and Mr. Clayton third. Mr. Wallis was an excellent 
first for black and white Grapes ; and Mr. Wood, gardener to J. 
Padgett, Esq., Tranfield, Guiseley, second. For a single dish of 
black Grapes the prizes went to Mr. Walker, gardener to Mrs. Taylor, 
Mr. Wood, and Mr. Hickson, Clifford. The black Grapes, though 
generally good, were more or less deficient in colour. Mrs. Smith 
was first with white Grapes (Muscats) ; Mr. Wallis being second with 
Chasselas Musqu6 ; and Mr. Taylor, gardener to Sir H. Ripley, third 
with Buckland Sweetwater. Mr. Clayton secured the first prize for 
a Pine ; Mr. Crowe, Bradford, for Peaches ; Mr. Mann for Nectarines ; 
Mr. Frankland for Figs ; Mr. Weatherill, gardener to Mrs. Norton, 
Sandal, Wakefield, for Melons, with the variety “ Best of All Mr. 
Taylor for Cherries; and Messrs. A. Simpson & Son for Strawberries ; 
and Mr. Mann for Cucumbers. In most of the above classes the 
competition was good, and many dishes of excellent quality were 
staged than can be noticed in the outline report of a generally 
excellent show. 
Messrs. Dickson & Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester, were highly 
commended for Pseonies. Mr. Hartley, Headingley, highly com¬ 
mended for a miscellaneous collection of cut flowers ; and Mr. Wood, 
Woodville, Kirkstall, very highly commended for a most meritorious 
collection of alpine plants. 
THE ANTLER MOTH. 
An appearance of the larva of the antler moth (Charteas gra- 
minis) in excessive numbers has afforded during June an ento¬ 
mological sensation to the many persons who are always on the 
outlook for something novel or startling, thus forming one pre¬ 
cursor of the “big Gooseberry” season that sets in amongst our 
journals when parliamentary and general news begins to get 
scarce. As is also usual, the ordinary paragraphist has been led 
thereby to make conspicuous the meagreness of his knowledge m 
reference to natural history facts which are tolerably prominent. 
Early information upon the subject was obligingly sent to this 
Journal by a correspondent who had observed thousands of the 
caterpillars on Pendle Hill, where, however, occurring amongst 
wdd grasses, and near mixed herbage, it was at first doubtful 
what the species might prove. In a daily contemporary shortly 
after an account was published of the ravages committed by the 
caterpillars in the agricultural districts near Clitheroe. “The 
insects come in dense clouds, and the houses and country literally 
swarm with them ; they eat up the grass, and almost everything 
green.” Subsequently there was noticed an extensive migration 
of these caterpillars in the direction of Chipping. We naturally 
conclude that there is some exaggeration in this and similar 
newspaper reports. Doubtless there is ; but Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson 
of Preston, a well-known entomologist, writing to au entomo¬ 
logical journal, grants that there is something extraordinary 
about the case, especially as he had lived two years previously 
in the district infested and only saw a few stragglers. He re¬ 
marks that a friend of his took shelter from a shower of rain in a 
quarry, and there perceived some of the caterpillars in question 
dropping over a ledge of rock into a hole which chanced to be 
beneath. “ Such were the immense numbers that the hole, from 
which they could not extricate themselves, had the appearance of 
a seething caldron of living creatures.” 
The antler moth (Charaeas graminis) belongs to the Noctuina 
group of our British moths, and, like many in that group, is not 
easy of recognition from a verbal description ; it is nearly related 
to the familiar Cabbage moth (Mamestra Brassicse), though not 
similar in its markings to that species. The caterpillar is smooth 
and greyish brown, with the head rather darker ; there are three 
longitudinal yellowish stripes. Immediately behind the head i3 
a small horny plate, and another on the last segment, indicating 
that the caterpillar is adapted for a mode of life more or less sub¬ 
terranean. It is during August and September that the moths 
emerge, and, by the testimony of Mr. Wailes and others, we are 
given to understand that their favourite time of flight is about 
8 A.M. Doubtless the eggs are deposited during those months, 
and (probably) the young brood hatches out soon after, hyber- 
nates, and feeds up in the spring and summer, when only the 
caterpillars have been noticed by the ravages they commit. 
The Swedish naturalist Linnaeus referred to C. graminis as one 
of the specially injurious insects of his native land. In some 
years the greater part of the crop of hay has been destroyed by 
it, though it has not been so troublesome of late. In England 
the species had not shown a particular liking for cultivated lands, 
but had several times been noticed in extensive commons, or the 
slopes of mountains. Its recent proceedings, however, are more 
alarming. An observer who had noticed many of the caterpillars 
between Skiddaw and Keswick fifty years ago found that they 
were attended by large flocks of rooks, which preyed upon them 
all day. As yet there have been few instances of the occurrence 
of the species in the south of England. Upon aud near Pendle 
Hill, in June of this year, it would seem that the caterpillars had 
been subject to the attacks of a parasite from the shrivelled state 
of some specimens sent to us. It was also reported that numbers 
had been trodden under foot, hence it might be presumed that 
there at least the caterpillars did not confine their attacks to the 
roots of grasses. We may infer that, in the case of fields found 
to be infested by these caterpillars, there can be no remedial 
process except the severe one of the destruction of both grass 
and caterpillars by turning over the soil, and the application of 
diluted paraffin, gas-lime, or some other solution fatal to insect 
life, or the surface ought to be burnt.—J. R. S. C. 
RICHMOND HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 
June 30th. 
That important factor in the success of flower shows, the weather, 
could not have been more favourable than it was on Thursday last, 
when the above-named vigorous and prosperous Society held their 
seventh annual Exhibition. The usual picturesque site—namely, the 
Old Deer Park, was chosen, and the best evidence of the continued 
and increasing popularity of the Show was the very large attendance 
of visitors. As regards the exhibits there was a noticeable falling-off 
in numbers in some classes, but for general good quality and fresh¬ 
ness the plants have rarely been excelled at a local exhibition. Four 
large tents were occupied, one with plants, a second with cut flowers 
and table decorations, a third with fruit and vegetables, and the 
fourth with cottagers’ productions. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. —These were not represented 
by many collections, but the specimens staged were in healthy con¬ 
dition, some flowering remarkably well. The principal class was 
for nine plants, and in that Messrs. Jackson ife Son, Kingston, carried 
off the chief prize with good examples, similar to those which have 
already figured conspicuously at many of the metropolitan shows. 
Erica ventricosa Bothwelliana, Dracophyllum gracile, and Clero- 
dendron Balfourianum, were the most noticeable, being evenly trained 
and flowering freely. The second position was accorded to J. H. 
Hinnell, gardener to A. Davis, Esq., Anglesea House, Surbiton, for 
a highly creditable collection, in which a globular-trained example 
of Phoenocoma prolifera Barnesi was especially noteworthy for its 
health and the number of flowers it bore. Yery rarely is a better 
specimen of this plant seen, for it is by no means easy to preserve 
it in satisfactory condition, especially when of a large size. Alla- 
