JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
228 
[ September 8, 1881. 
spring chickens, had been “hatched last autumn!” Tomatoes 
were disappointing, about the worst in the Show being awarded 
the first prize. Thus far I had written when our Journal of 
September 1st came to hand, and the report there is so full and 
just that I wfill not seek to take up more of your valuable space, 
except to say that the excellent likeness of Mr. Bruce Findlay 
was a pleasing surprise, and probably would be the same to 
thousands of your readers.— WELSHMAN. 
Before the Manchester Show is forgotten in the hurry of every¬ 
day routine I should like to note some few facts which struck me 
as worth remembering. First, by way of protest, let me point 
out the difficulty (to put the matter in as easy an aspect as pos¬ 
sible) there was for gardeners to inspect the produce in the 
crush of visitors which thronged the tents after the Exhibition 
was opened. I went chiefly to see what hints I could gain that 
would be useful to me in my daily garden work, and had I not 
been so fortunate as to take my notes before that crush I am afraid 
my journey would have been fruitless. The Edinburgh “ Inter¬ 
nationals ” are the only shows conducted for the benefit of gar¬ 
deners. There gardeners of all classes are admitted at a uniform 
rate of Is. for an hour or two before the general public. This is 
as it should be, and what the other managers ought to follow. 
Among the plants, what I most admired was the collection of 
Crotons so artistically arranged by the General Horticultural 
Company, and the first-prize group of Mr. C. Smith, gardener to 
J. Rylands, Esq. This group struck me as being the most effec¬ 
tive in the whole Show, not excepting the above-mentioned group 
of Crotons. It was certainly the embodiment of an attainment 
which any gardener might be proud to copy. 
Turning to the fruit tent, the most remarkable object there was 
the display of Grapes. True, one might criticise the greenness of 
the Muscats and the general unevenness of the various collections ; 
but that aside, there was no difficulty in finding very many fine 
examples of Grape culture. The six varieties from Mr. Elphin- 
stone, Shipley Park, were really superb examples, the finish being 
perfect. The bunches were not large—just a good family size. 
I thought more highly of these than any other collection in the 
Show. Then remarkably fine were the Muscat Hamburghs from 
Mr. Boyd of Falkirk; and as a finish to the whole, what could 
surpass the magnificent display of fruit which Mr. Mason of 
Manchester set up 1 It had only one fault—the Pine Apples and 
Grapes were so fine as to put the other fruits entirely in the back¬ 
ground. Few of the other fruits were above mediocrity, the 
Apricots being especially poor. I was interested in Peaches and 
Nectarines, and found mauy of the finest fruits old and well-tried 
sorts. Of Peaches Stirling Castle, Royal George, Violette Hative, 
Bellegarde, Grosse Mignoune, and Noblesse were fine ; Princess of 
Wales was extra large ; and fine dishes of Chancellor and Mr. 
Gladstone, varieties which I had not before seen, were also staged. 
The finest Nectarines were Lord Napier, Pitmaston Orange, 
Prince of Orange, Victoria, Violette Hative, and Elruge. 
Amongst the abundant vegetables Snowdon’s Nonesuch Peas, 
shown by Mr. Snowdon, Thirsk ; and Livingstone’s Perfection 
Tomato, shown by Mr. Iggulden, were all I noted out of the 
common, unless perhaps it was in the judging. The cottagers’ 
Celery was very fine. Florists’ flowers are obviously at a low ebb 
near Manchester ; a good many were shown, but obviously they 
are only advancing to better things in this class of flowers. Some 
of the finest Show Pansies I have seen this year were staged, but 
these came from the north, and anything up to the mark of 
special merit came from a great distance. But even amongst 
these I found something worth drawing attention to ; these were 
the fine Verbenas from Messrs. Cannell & Son, and the Zinnias 
from the same firm. They had also a strain of Cockscombs superior 
to anything I have seen. In the stand of single Dahlias from Mr. 
Ware, besides older sorts were attractive varieties well worth a 
place everywhere ; these were Vivid, Mauve Queen, and Hector. 
One of the most interesting departments in these large exhibi¬ 
tions is that devoted to implements. In this department I thought 
highly of the “Allerton Priory Boiler.” This is a flued saddle ; 
in principle it is the same as the two at Norris Green, the diffe¬ 
rence being that in the latter the smoke passes through tubes and 
the boiler is rivetted. In the former two flues are used in place 
of tubes, and the boiler is welded. Both are good, though I 
should prefer those of the Scotch firm. The only other articles 
I considered better than we have been used to in this department 
were the frames from Foster & Pearson. Any gardener who has 
the offer of 100 feet or more of these should most certainly accept 
them. I would prefer the 8 feet wide size and build a brick 
foundation for them ; they may be very efficiently heated. Their 
system of substituting iron instead of wood for the rafters 
of vineries and greenhouses is also a plan worth following. 
Durability and lightness are very cleverly combined.— R. P. 
Brothebston. 
SANDY AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Fine weather and Sandy Show have become proverbially con¬ 
current ; and the thirteenth annual Exhibition, held on Friday the 
26th ult. in the beautiful grounds of J. N. Foster, Esq., Sandy Place, 
following the most miserable day in harvest probably on record, was 
no exception to the rule, and, taking advantage of the agreeable 
change, many thousands of visitors attended the Exhibition. Favoured 
with sunshine and under the auspices of an excellent executive, 
increasing prosperity has attended the efforts of the Society ; and 
Sandy has gradually emerged from an infantine village show to 
become the heyday and holiday, not only for Bedfordshire, but also 
for a large portion of the neighbouring counties of Hunts, Cambs, 
and Herts. 
The objects of the Society include the advancement of horticulture 
—the staple of the district, bee culture, poultry, birds, and agricul¬ 
tural produce ; and some idea may be formed of the work and re¬ 
sponsibility falling upon the staff from the number of entries for 
vegetables alone, which exceeded eleven hundred. Of course in a 
market-gardening locality vegetables are an important feature, and 
at few shows are they shown in such good form or so largely. An 
excellent display of these was made on Friday last, and scarcely 
less important were the departments of fruit and cut flowers. About 
twenty marquees and tents were erected on the ground, three of them, 
including one 100 feet long, being filled to overcrowding chiefly with 
vegetables and fruits. Plants, although not shown largely, were in 
very fine condition for the season, but at Sandy do not appear to the 
best advantage, as the antiquated, risky, and expensive lofty stage is 
still in vogue, and as the sides of the marquee are also utilised the 
narrow space left is totally insufficient to enable the crowds of visitors 
to compass the plants. 
In the open class for ten stove and greenhouse plants in flower Mr. 
James Parker of Rugby took the £15 prize with very superior speci¬ 
mens, showing good health and excellent cultivation, but little novelty 
was observant. Mr. W. Rabbitt, gardener to Lieut.-General Pearson, 
The Hazells', Sandy, secured a very respectable second position. In 
the gardeners’ class for six stove and greenhouse plants the first prize 
fell to Mr. G. Claydon, gardener to J. H. Askell, Esq., Woodbury 
Hall, St. Neots ; whilst for foliage plants, Coleuses, and Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums Mr. Rabbitt, who is an excellent cultivator of the latter, 
was well to the front; and in the same class Mr. Tillbrook was first 
for six Ferns, including a very handsome Dicksonia. 
For forty-eight cut Roses in the open class Mr. J. House of Peter¬ 
borough v T as first and Mr. Laxton second, but the wretched weather 
of the previous “ cutting ” day allows little to be said in commen¬ 
dation. For the President’s prize for twenty-four blooms the Rev. 
E. L. Eellowes, Wimpole Rectory, Royston, was first; and fora stand 
of twelve C. E. Cuthill, Esq., of Dorking, Surrey, took first place. 
The best amongst the newer varieties were Harrison Weir, Charles 
Darwin, and Louis Dor6 ; but the noticeable feature in Roses, and a 
remarkable feature in the Show, was a stand of forty-eight blooms of 
Gloire de Dijon staged by Mr. Feliowes, but not for competition. 
These were shown in the cleanest and most beautiful colour and 
condition—not ragged, pink, overfull, and quartered as one usually 
finds the “ Glory,” but the blooms, although large, were cupped, 
shell-petalled, and incurved, of a rich cream colour, nearly all being 
perfect exhibition blooms. Mr. Feliowes informed me they were 
grown on a wire trellis in the open air. Does not this teach us the 
true way of growing these pendulous Teas and other delicate-tinted 
Roses, such as Gloire de Dijon, Marshal Niel, &c ? Shade and shelter 
seem necessary, a loose and pendant habit being the natural and only 
suitable mode of growing them, instead of the erect and mathematical 
mode of nailing and training usually adopted. “ Heads downwards” 
is evidently also the natural position of those glorious Roses, which 
are ill adapted for withstanding rain and hot sun. French Asters 
from Mr. Tillbrook, a successful grower of this flower, were very fine 
for the season, as also were Quilled Asters and African Marigolds 
from Dr. Swaine of the Arlesey Asylum. Dahlias are evidently not 
yet at their best, and were inferior to those usually shown at Sandy. 
The table decorations were an unusual source of interest. For the 
first prize a very elegant table was laid by Mrs. Richardson of bandy 
Rectory, who secured a cheerful yet well-toned effect by combining 
Plumbago and dark Coleus as a base for the border, the centre being 
proportionate and light; Tacsonia, Rhodanthe, and Zonal Pelargonium 
blooms being judiciously introduced. But perhaps a more successful 
or beautiful arrangement has rarely been attempted than the design of 
Mrs. and Miss Orlebar of Withington Rectory, which was formed 
entirely of wild flowers, berries, Ferns, and Grasses interwoven on an 
elegant wicker framework. This table, to which the second prize was 
awarded, is the only instance which I have seen of a satisfactory 
design in indigenous flowers, berries, &c. 
Fruit was shown in large quantity, and upon the whole good. 
Excellent Grapes came from Mr. Tillbrook; from Mr. J. Day, gar¬ 
dener to Mrs. Seymour, Norton Hall, Daventry ; from Mr. Shephard, 
gardener to T. Murpin, Esq., Great Staughton, Hunts ; and Mr. Allis, 
gardener to J. Shuttleworth, Esq., Old Warden, who each secured 
prizes in different classes. The President’s prize for the best collec¬ 
tion of ten varieties of fruit fell to Mr. Rabbitt, whose collection 
