JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 18, 1881. ] 
151 
species—the prevailing colour is soft yellow, and the plant appears 
of free growth ; the second by M. Constant Lemoine with Dracaena 
La France, a stately form with rose-tinted leaves ; and third to 
M. Alexis Dalliere, with a new narrow-leaved Croton, resembling 
C. interruptus aureus. 
In the amateurs’ class for thirty stove or greenhouse plants the 
gold medal of 200 francs was won by M. Florent Pauwels. The 
rarely seen and nearly hardy climbing plant Physianthus albens was 
included in this group in the form of a trained pyramid. This plant 
has the characters of three others—it has the growth and habit of 
the Clematis, the flowers of the Jasmine, and the odour of the Privet; 
it is very free and pretty. Another old plant, Eucomis punctata, was 
in fine condition. It was producing ten strong spikes 18 inches long 
of its powerful Gardenia-scented flowers. Pleroma elegans was 
dwarf and well-flowered. Agapanthus umbellatus albus was very 
fine, and Attaccia cristata vigorous, bearing a strong spike of its 
singular nearly black flowers. In the corresponding class for nursery¬ 
men the gold medal was granted by acclamation to M. Jacob Makoy 
and Co. with a choice and rich group principally composed of Orchids 
and Nidulariums, conspicuous among which were N. Innocenti with 
scarlet leaves and white flowers, and N. fulgens with similar leaves 
and blue flowers. 
The Queen’s gold medal for the finest collection of Orchids was 
easily won by M. Louis Yan Houtte, who staged sixty-five plants, not 
large but healthy examples, in 5 and 6-inch pots—availed and choice 
collection considering the lateness of the season for plants of this 
nature. The Queen’s gold medal for a hundred stove and greenhouse 
plants was awarded to M. Louis Truyman for a very meritorious 
collection. 
The great prize of the Exhibition, a gold medal of 500 francs, 
offered by the Federation of the Belgian Horticultural Societies for 
fifteen grand examples of ornamental plants, brought out two of the 
finest groups that have ever been arranged at any exhibition. After 
much deliberation and close examination that very successful ex¬ 
hibitor, Madame Le Grelle-Dhanis secured the prize by one vote. The 
collection was composed principally of Palms, which were large in 
size and in superb condition ; there were, however, splendid examples 
of other plants, notably Marantas and a striking specimen of Anthu- 
rium Hookeri, with leaves about 5 feet long and 18 inches broad. 
M. Yan den Wouwer also staged a magnificent collection. The Palms 
lacked the rich gloss of those in the premier group, but of the other 
foliage plants were superior, notably the Qycads, a fine Croton, 
Yriesia Glaziouana, and Dieffenbachia, Bausei. This exhibitor se¬ 
cured the chief honour for twelve Cycads with rare and excellent ex¬ 
amples, also that for twelve specimen Palms with plants of remarkable 
merit. In the front of this group was a plant of Acalypha macro- 
phylla with leaves 18 inches long and nearly a foot across, and finely 
coloured. It was a most conspicuous object, and decidedly a credit 
to the cultivator. Ferns were by no means equal to the Palms, and 
superior specimens of both hardy and tender kinds are often seen at 
the leading English exhibitions. Marantas were magnificent, the 
twenty specimens from Madame Le Grelle-Dhanis being granted the 
chief medal by acclamation. The plants were from 3 to 5 feet in 
diameter, grand in foliage and colour. Such fine examples of culture 
are never seen at our English shows. The same exhibitor secured 
chief honours for Bertolonias and Crotons, both of which were 
good, but the last not equal in colour to the best English-grown 
plants. Dracrenas from M. Ad. D’Haene represented superior cultiva¬ 
tion, the plants being dwarf with fine foliage, in good colour. MM. 
Yervaene and Dalliere were granted medals for Crotons, which were 
good in colour and in choice varieties, two of the most striking being 
C. Frank Selliere, with large creamy waved foliage, 18 inches long by 
3 inches wide ; and C. latimaculatus, resembling C. Hawkeri, but 
the centre portion of the leaf deep orange. C. magnolirefolius from 
M. Yervaene bad enormous leaves. The best coloured Croton in every 
group in which it was staged was C. Williamsi, and in M. Dalliere’s 
gold-medal miscellaneous group C. Prince of Wales in superb con¬ 
dition. Caladiums were poor; Agaves, Yuccas, and Phormiums from 
M. Benoit Yan Mieghem good, and Bromeliaceous plants excellent ; 
Messrs. Makoy, Yan den Wouwer, and Yan der Mersch-Mertens 
exhibiting remarkably fine collections, and received the honours in 
the order named. Striped and variegated-foliaged plants both hardy 
and tender, also Avundos, made effective classes that showed to ad¬ 
vantage among the richer and darker foliage plants. The chief prize¬ 
winners were Comte de Bergeyck by acclamation, M. Vermeulin, and 
M. Pynaert-Yan Geert. The last-named exhibitor was successful 
with Aucubas, Sedums, &c., and M. Yan den Wouwer with Echeverias, 
which were very good. Baron de Caters exhibited the best specimen 
Coleuses, but not equal to the best English-grown plants; and M. 
Pynaert-Yan Geert had the principal medal for new varieties. Pelar¬ 
goniums imparted brightness to the Show, and many good examples 
of culture were staged. The leading exhibitors were M. Everaerts, 
Baron de Caters, and Comte de Bergeyck. Fuchsias were poor ; 
Tuberous Begonias good, but not equal to the best at the English 
shows ; and the same remark applies to Gloxinias. The best plants 
were from M. Everaerts, but his varieties were not equal to those of 
Baron de Caters. Single specimen plants were not as a rule of com¬ 
manding merit. The most remarkable beyond doubt was a specimen 
Abutilon resembling A. vexillarium. It was grown as a foliage plant, 
and was about 8 feet high and 7 feet in diameter—a dense close bush, 
perfect in outline, and a very striking object. In most of the other 
classes the first prizes were withheld, and the plants therefore do not 
call for comment. 
Cut Flowers. —These were neither numerous nor of superior 
quality. The Rose season has doubtless passed for the best blooms, 
but those that were exhibited, except M. Yan Houtte’s gold-medal 
collection of a hundred varieties, were by no means shown to the best 
advantage, as the blooms rested in the moss instead of being raised 
a few inches above it. In most of the classes three to five blooms 
were grouped of each variety, and their appearance was the reverse of 
imposing as compared with the magnificent boxes that are staged at 
home. A prize was offered for the greatest number of Roses, and 
the gold medal of 200 francs was won by MM. Ketten, fieres, who 
staged apparently about five hundred varieties. Gladioluses were far 
below Mr. Kelway’s standard, and Dahlias were rough and irregular. 
Several groups of plants were not in competition, yet medals were 
awarded for them. Some of these exhibits have been referred to, 
but the most noteworthy was the grand miscellaneous group of 
choice plants from M. Dalliere, for which a gold medal was granted. 
On the first day of the Exhibition a congress was held of the mem¬ 
bers of the Circle Floral, a young, strong, and flourishing Society. 
Papers were read at intervals throughout the day by experienced 
horticulturists. Belgian courtesy is proverbial, and it has been 
experienced on every hand by strangers during the present week, 
and of which the grand banquet given in connection with the Show 
on Monday night was a characteristic expression. It was as great 
a success as the Show, and more need not be said. 
TWO GOOD VEGETABLES. 
Stratagem Pea. —This very superior quality Pea has and is 
still doing excellently. The plant is very robust, and notwith¬ 
standing the dry weather has not shown any trace of mildew. It 
produced in my case its first pods on the main stem 1 foot 9 inches 
from the ground, and on this part of the plant were nine pods, 
with an average of seven large “green” peas in each out of a 
possible nine or ten. It branched 10 inches from the ground, 
doing so from five joints, the five branches bearing eleven pods 
of five peas each. The full height of the haulm is 2 feet 10 inches. 
For cropping and good quality it is very desirable for main crop, 
and especially so in gardens of limited extent, in which the taller- 
growing kinds cannot be accommodated. 
Leviathan Broad Bean.—I am delighted with this Bean, 
and so are all that see it. Its sturdy branched growth and long 
pods have an attractive appearance. The pods are borne in pairs 
commencing at 12 to 15 inches from the ground, the pods in this 
instance being 10 to 14 inches in length, and containing six large 
beans of good colour, being “greener” than the ordinary Long- 
pod and Windsor section. The pods invariably fill well, not one 
that I have opened contains less than six beans. The number of 
pods on a stalk is six, and the beans are the size of Windsor, 
though it is evidently of the Longpod section, and is very much 
in advance of Seville Longpod, or indeed any other. The total 
height of the haulm, 2 feet 9 inches, renders it admirably adapted 
for small gardens, not the least of its merits being its earliness.— 
G. Abbey. 
THE CHESTER NURSERIES. 
Approaching the ancient city of Chester I inquired of a fellow 
traveller, evidently a Cestrian, what he considered the staple 
industry of the place. “ Well, sir,” he replied, “ if it is cele¬ 
brated for one trade more than another it is the nursery trade, 
for the Dicksons have some three hundred acres of land there 
and employ hundreds of men. Mr. James Dickson’s nursery is 
not much more than five minutes’ walk from the station, and Mr. 
Arthur Dickson’s a little further on, and if you are interested in 
such places you had better go and see them. We are rather proud 
of these gardens, and the owners are most estimable men ; they 
are smart business men no doubt, but real gentlemen, hospitable 
and kind.” It so happened my chief object in visiting Chester 
was to see those nurseries, and my anticipations were not rendered 
the less pleasurable by the opinion recorded. I found my in¬ 
formant’s account quite accurate, for the nurseries are certainly 
very extensive, and their owners and assistants were most cour¬ 
teous. As these two establishments have been frequently and 
fully described in the Journal, a brief reference to them will 
suffice now. The nearest, as is natural, was entered first, this 
being 
MESSRS. JAMES DICKSON & SONS, NEWTON NURSERY. 
The extent of nursery ground belonging to this firm is 250 acres, 
considerably more than half being included in the nursery under 
notice. The soil is variable, in some places being of a sandy 
nature, in others sound strong loam ; hence it is that the produce 
is as varied as it is good. In one part we find Conifene decidedly 
at home, and Rhododendrons and American plants generally 
