JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 8, 1881. ] 
227 
of people ; but perhaps we are too sanguine in this respect. After 
all, Eoses have principally their charm to those who really love 
the flower : to the great mass one Rose is as another. Our hope 
must be that the public taste may be educated, that a more 
general appreciation of the flower may follow, and then a larger 
concourse of people to see them. Those who are endeavouring 
to foster this taste, as our friends at Birkenhead are doing, are 
worthy of all commendation, and I trust will have their reward 
in an increased public appreciation of the beauty of the Rose. 
—D., Deal. 
TROPiEOLUM SPECIOSUM. 
With the above I have succeeded far beyond my expectations, 
having had it well established and in flower in two places—at the 
foot of a north wall, and in a north-west angle near a rain-water 
tank : in both these positions it is doing remarkably well. I also 
planted two other patches at the foot of a south wall and west 
wall. The one near the south wall is barely alive, while on the 
west wall it is doing better, and was the first to flower ; it is quite 
evident it is at home in a cool, moist, shady position. Through 
ignorance I planted the roots too thickly, and now they are estab¬ 
lished I hardly like to disturb them. My supply of roots came 
direct from Douglas Castle in a biscuit tin this last spring. 
From what I have seen I do not think it would he a hard task 
for any nurseryman to establish it in pots as mentioned by your 
correspondent “ J. W.,” provided he could obtain a good supply 
of healthy roots such as I received from Douglas Castle. I tried 
a few roots in a pan in case those planted outside failed, and 
they grew and have succeeded fairly well. It would be wise to 
plunge the pots in ashes or cocoa-nut fibre at the foot of a north 
wall. 
That it is a beautiful climber is beyond a doubt, and seen as 
described in Scotland it must be a sight never to be forgotten. 
I intend to try and induce it to grow with Tropteolum peregrinum, 
as that does well with me. I have it growing on arches made of 
long hazel poles over the kitchen garden path, where it has a 
good effect.—A. J. Sanders, Surrey. 
RECOLLECTIONS OF MANCHESTER. 
Gardeners, amateurs, and all, however slightly interested in 
horticulture, who visited the late great Show at Manchester, must 
now be in pos-ession of many pleasing recollections of the grandest 
garden Show England has seen. The three days we spent at it 
will ever be periods agreeable to our recollections. The mar¬ 
vellous productions of fruits, flowers, and vegetables must have 
made us happier and wiser men—happier in observing suchunmis- 
takeable evidence of the care devoted to the objects of our chief 
attention, and wiser in the varied lessons which might in many 
ways be gathered from them. Apart from all this, too, the meeting 
was a true gardeners’ one, where old acquaintances were warmly 
greeted and new friends firmly made. Of the Show itself too 
much good cannot be said. Nothing whatever was wanting except 
a bright sky and a dry atmosphere, and even the opposite of these 
lost their depressing influences to a great extent. Amongst gar¬ 
deners it was said there was nothing there of a startling character, 
but collectively the uniformly high quality of the exhibits had no 
parallel. In visiting gardens and shows we may often see a few 
things well done or well shown, and much inferior produce, which 
detracts from that agreeable impression of general satisfaction. 
But there was nothing of the kind felt at Manchester. Of the 
fruits, plants, vegetables, or cut flowers it was difficult to tell 
which to admire most. 
In giving a few notes we will, however, first refer to the fruit. 
As is now pretty well known, the large collections, winners and 
losers, were of high merit; a really bad dish, far less a bad col¬ 
lection, could not be seen. The positions gained by Mr. Coleman 
were ungrudgingly admitted to be deserved ; his Grapes, Pines, 
and Peaches were especially fine examples of culture at home. 
Care in transit and taste in “ setting up ” Grapes, Pines, and 
Peaches were the leading features of all the minor collections, 
and it was observable that other black Grapes were better finished 
than Black Hamburghs. Of Grapes the great centre of attraction 
was the collections competing for the prizes offered by the General 
Horticultural Company (Mr. John Wills). Here the competition 
was what an aspirant from the Edinburgh neighbourhood termed 
“ fast and furious.” Where the champion might come from was 
a matter of much speculation. On the forenoon of the 23rd 
suspicion rested on the Scotch east coast, a little beyond Berwick - 
on-Tweed ; later on it was circulated that something strong had 
come from the north of the Tay, while after sundry peeps under 
the cautiously lifted lids of the long boxes a heavy lot was said 
to have come from the temperance side of the Border ; but few 
had any idea that all the time the most dangerous lot were 
resting under the table on the fancy-covered stands which 
figured so conspicuously at the International Show in Manchester 
in 1872. That Mr. Hunter was clearly first all noticed before the 
tents were cleared for judging, and much satisfaction was ex¬ 
pressed at this gentleman being again in his old position. The 
Lambton Grapes were certainly highly finished, and the handsome 
size of the bunches added much to their merits. There was no 
disputing about the justice of positions in the Grape classes, ex¬ 
cepting, perhaps in the Yeitch Memorial class for three bunches 
of black Grapes. Muscat Hamburgh was the favoured kind here, 
and some—a very few—thought the Madresfield Court should have 
been preferred. Both were fine, and we are quite prepared to give 
our vote in favour of the decision of the Judges, as we never saw 
a finer lot of the Muscat Hamburgh. Although the berries might 
have been thought small the bunches were really grand, and their 
bloom and finish perfect. Nothing striking appeared in the new 
Grape class. The first-prize kind is not distinct enough in ap¬ 
pearance, but is said to be of good flavour. Many Pine-growers 
had evidently kept away their fruit under the impression that the 
competition would be strong. 
The Peaches were highly satisfactory in numbers, size, and 
colour. Apples and Pears, too, were not inviting in ripeness, but 
otherwise no fault could be found with them. In the fruiterers’ 
competition the first-prize lot belonging to Mr. Mason of Man¬ 
chester was admirable in quality and extent, and its arrangement 
was unique. It occupied about 30 yards of a wide table, and 
every dish was as near perfection as possible ; indeed, the home¬ 
grown Pines, Black Hamburgh, Muscat, and Duke of Buccleuch 
Grapes, were equal to any of the prizewinners. 
In the plant department it was difficult to find anything bad 
enough to condemn, all being so evenly good that exception, 
could hardly be taken to any of the specimens. As usual the 
group from Messrs. Yeitch of Chelsea was excellent, every plant 
being choice and faultless in culture. We have seen Mr. B. S. 
Williams exhibit larger specimens, but never more promising. 
It is not often that we see the Edinburgh nursery firms venture 
beyond the boundaries of their own borough, but it is evident 
there is enterprise in some of them, as Messrs. Ireland & Thomson 
of Craigleith entered in some of the most popular classes, and 
were very successful, especially with Crotons and new plants. 
The Crotons from Edinburgh which gained the first prize in 
their class were the finest we have seen for many a day. In 
health they were luxuriant, in colour brilliant, and altogether 
most creditable to the firm who sent them. Croton Thomsonii, 
which gained the prize for the best new fine-foliage plant, we 
preferred to any of the new forms shown from France. For 
artistic arrangement and a large quantity of healthy clean little 
plants of the choicest kinds nothing surpassed the group from the 
General Horticultural Company. Here Crotons and Dracaenas 
were used in great profusion to embellish a gradually inclining 
bank of great extent with grand effect. Dipladenia hybrida, 
which gained the Yeitch Memorial prize for the best stove plant 
in flower, is, we were informed, much hardier than the other 
varieties. This will be good news for many who have not 
enough heat to grow the others satisfactorily. In speaking of 
the Veitch Memorial prizes many there could not understand why 
one or more of the ten £5 prizes were not given in the vege¬ 
table classes. As these prizes are supposed to encourage and 
reward the production of the most valuable occupants of our 
gardens vegetables should certainly be included, and we hope 
they will next time they are offered. 
Since the last great Show at Manchester Tuberous Begonias have 
made great strides, and many of them were tellingly used in the 
groups of plants competing for effect. Of Roses those in pots 
from Messrs. Paul were the grandest lot that the Manchester 
people have seen in the autumn. They were chiefly Teas, and the 
number and quality of their blooms were surprising. Amongst 
the cut flowers we met our friend “ D., Deal," so we expect that 
every impression worth having will be given to readers of this 
Journal. We were especially pleased with the bouquet and single 
Dahlias. Of the latter there was a magnificent display from 
Messrs. Ware and Cannell. 
Of the vegetables much might be said, as their numbers and 
quality have never been surpassed. New varieties, such as Cul- 
verw'ell’s Giant Marrow Pea, Sutton’s Marvel Cabbage Lettuce, 
Carter’s Jersey Lily Turnip, the Reading Exhibition Sprout, and 
many others are sure to be frequently seen again. The Potatoes 
were quite a show in themselves, and indicated abundant crops 
all over the country. Onions, too, were remarkably fine ; so fine, 
indeed, were the spring-sown ones that we heard one of your 
poultry writers remark that he thought some of them, like many 
