November 17,1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 447 
them for the cup was extremely keen. The former exhibitor was, how¬ 
ever, successful; but Mr. Stevens’ group was, perhaps, the best we have 
seen occupying a secondary position. The plants in both showed 
high cultivation, being strong in growth, with excellent foliage and 
grand blooms. It is not necessary to enumerate the varieties, but 
highly noticeable in the first-prize group was the surpassingly rich 
Japanese L’lncomparable, fine tasselled rosy-salmon-coloured blooms 
of Triomphe de Challet, and some seedlings. It may be stated here 
that Messrs. Mahood secured the prize in the class for seedlings with 
an unnamed variety bearing some resemblance to Meg Merrilees, but 
with more thread-like florets, the bloom being very large. Mr. Ben¬ 
nett, gardener to EL Rodewald, Esq., Wimbledon, had the third prize 
in the chief class for groups. The specimens on the whole were 
not equal to the untrained plants, still some good examples of culture 
were staged. Mr. Stevens was the premier exhibitor, followed by 
Mr. Hoskins, gardener to J. Williams, Esq., Putney. The chief prize 
for a large-flowered specimen plant was won by Mr. Bentley, gardener 
to Sir Thomas Gabriel, Bart., Wimbledon Park, with a fresh and good 
Mrs. Dixon ; Mr. Stevens following closely with Christine. Mr. 
Hoskins was an easy first in the class for single specimen standard 
plants with Mrs. Haliburton with grand blooms, also for six and 
three Pompons respectively, staging among others Golden Madame 
Marthe, Marabout, and President excellently. The first variety named 
is no doubt worth the attention of all cultivators. Mr. Tite, gardener 
to Mrs. Reid, Putney Hill, and Mr. Bentley had the remaining prizes 
for standards ; and Mr. Ansell, gardener to G. Reid, Esq., Putney, for 
six and three Pompons respectively with healthy, informal, creditable 
examples. Messrs. Hoskins, Ansell, and Stevens had the prizes in 
the order named for single specimen Pompons, the best plant being 
St. Michael, a semi-globe 44 feet in diameter. 
Cut blooms were not so remarkable for size as for freshness and 
evenness throughout the classes, and there were but few points 
between the respective prizewinners. In the class for twenty-four 
blooms Mr. Holmes, gardener to A. B. Hill, Esq., The Hawthorns, 
Clapham Park, secured the first position. This stand contained the 
premier bloom in the Show — Golden Empress of India; very fine 
also were Mrs. Haliburton, Empress of India, Princess of Wales, and 
Prince Alfred. Mr. Berry, gardener to the Countess of Leven and 
Melville, Roehampton House, was an excellent second; and Mr. 
Handley, gardener to Miss Pearson, Wimbledon, third. In conse¬ 
quence of the crowd round the boxes we did not obtain the names of 
the winners in the class for twelve blooms. For six blooms Messrs. 
Bentley, Lyne, and Berry were the successful competitors. For six 
blooms of Anemones the prizes went to Messrs. Berry, Bennett, and 
A. Holmes, all of whom exhibited well. 
In the class for twelve Japanese blooms there was excellent com¬ 
petition, Messrs. Stevens, Berry, and Bentley being awarded the 
prizes with stands of nearly equal merit. Mr. Stevens’s stand con¬ 
tained a huge Criterion, a brilliant Mons. Lemoine, and a fine Meg 
Merrilees : Mr. Berry having La Nymphe, superb, and Mons. Ardene, 
remarkably fine. For six blooms Mr. Bentley was first, Mons. De- 
laux being rich, and Mons. Ardene and Fulgore very good. Mr. Lyne, 
Wimbledon, was a very close second, Peter the Great and Berthe 
Rendatler being his most noteworthy blooms. Mr. Stevens was an 
excellent first for twelve Pompons, followed by Messrs. Bennett and 
Haines with stands of nearly equal merit. 
Prizes were offered for stove and greenhouse plants, which were won 
by Messrs. Stevens first, Hoskins and Woodhams equal second, and 
Mr. Bentley third. The finest plant in these collections was a splen¬ 
did example of Dendrobinm nobile from Mr. Hoskins. Table plants 
were numerous and excellent, but were difficult to judge by being 
crowded, and it was still more difficult to ascertain the names of the 
prizewinners. Mr. Bennett was, however, first with superior examples. 
For Zonal Pelargoniums Mr. Brierley, gardener to Miss Joppin, was 
first with very dwarf floriferous plants, five out of six consisting 
of Vesuvius and its varieties ; and for Primulas, which were fresh and 
good, Messrs. Woodhams and Newell were the most successful exhi¬ 
bitors. Ferns were of superior merit, especially those from Messrs. 
Martin, Stevens, and Bridal, who obtained the prizes. Mr. Bridal 
also obtained the first of Mr. Pitt’s prizes for mixed groups of plants, 
followed by Messrs. Hoskins and Mahood. 
Fruit was better than on any previous occasion at Putney. Mr. R. 
Holmes had the chief prize for black Grapes with Alicante superbly 
finished, Mr. Bennett second with Mrs. Pince well coloured, and Mr. 
Alderman, Elm Court, Mitcham, third with Alicante ; the last-named 
exhibitor had the first prize for excellent Muscats, followed closely 
by Mr. Bentley, who had also the first prize for dessert Apples—King 
of the Pippins, Blenheim Pippin, and Boston Russet, Messrs. Haines 
and Heading taking the remaining prizes. This was a very good 
class, as was the corresponding one for kitchen Apples, in which 
Messrs. Haines, Bridal, and Woodward secured the prizes as named. 
Collections of vegetables were very fine, especially those of the 
prizewinners Messrs. Coombes, Sheen House, Bridal and Woodward, 
who staged produce that is seldom excelled at any exhibition. 
The Show was admirably managed by Mr. Stevens, the competent 
Secretary, Mr. Moore and Mr. Pitts, and was worthy of the patronage 
of the visitors who crowded the Hall during the afternoon and 
evening. 
Advice to Young Gardeners. —I have read with pleasure Mr. 
Elliott’s excellent communication on page 433. I am afraid it is too 
true that many young men only study their present fancies and do 
not think sufficiently of the later years of their life. I left a small 
place for a larger one, where I could acquire more experience, but 
received less wages. I am glad to say that I am within reach of a 
night school which I attend three nights a week, and the other nights 
I study at home. _ I am learning geometry and Latin, besides the 
usual school routine. I read and study Thompson’s “ Gardeners’ 
Assistant” and Forsyth’s book on “Fruit Culture,” which, though 
old, I think good. I read this Journal every week, and I find it very 
instructive : but I think contributors might give their experience 
with less “ personalities ” sometimes. I have never previously con¬ 
tributed to a paper, and I do so now to thank Mr. Elliott and Mr. 
Pettigrew for the good advice they have given, so I hope older and 
wiser men will not look down on me for writing this.—A Young 
Gardener. 
TEMPERATURES FOR GRAPES. 
I HAVE no wish, and do not need to adduce other people’s 
practice to substantiate my own ; but I desire to state that Mr. 
Barker (page 422) is wrong in stating that Mr. Taylor’s tempera¬ 
tures are much above mine. Practically there are no differences 
between them, except that while Mr. Taylor’s fall 18° below the 
maximum temperature and 13° below the minimum recommended 
for Muscats by high-temperature practitioners at the flowering 
period, I allow 7° lower still, minimum, by fire heat. After flower¬ 
ing our figures are the same, only 1 go a little above Mr. Taylor 
in day heat at starting and after flowering. It must be remem¬ 
bered also that the Longleat vinery is described as span-roofed. 
With regard to the time of our Grapes ripening, that has nothing 
to do with the matter. I ripen all our late Grapes at the end of 
September in preference to a month earlier, and any of your 
readers who care to refer to back volumes of your contemporary 
the “Gardener,” will find that I have on more than one or two 
occasions stated as much and recommended the practice. 
It must also be borne in mind by those who say fire heat is 
needed in September to make up for low night temperatures in 
the corresponding month in spring—April, that the night tem¬ 
perature of September is very considerably higher than April, 
necessitating less fire heat. Further, low night temperatures are 
practised by me for several months at the earlier stages in 
February, March, and April at least. Is all the coal saved by 
proportionally low temperatures during all that time used in 
September, may I ask ? and if not, when 1 I am perfectly 
sure we save coal and much of it. I am sure also that I could 
ripen our Muscats as soon as other people by a higher day heat 
alone, and may do it for experiment’s sake. There is another 
thing to be considered. It has been stated by good authorities, 
Mr. David Thomson for example (“ Gardener,” 1877, page 148), 
that “ Black Hamburghs as a rule colour best in a low night tem¬ 
perature,” and I am of opinion that Muscats do also ; indeed I 
cannot see why the rule in one ease should not hold good in 
the other, proportionally, so long as the sun heat is made the 
most of. 
Some of your correspondents, of which Mr. Barker of Hindlip 
is an example, call on their opponents to “ come to the exhi¬ 
bition table,” and show what they can do. Will those gentlemen 
produce their own record of victories in fruit exhibition ? If they 
will do this I shall be pleased to produce mine, and then we shall 
see who has most reason to rely on that test. I am acquainted 
with the names of the prizewinners at our noteworthy horticul¬ 
tural shows for twenty years back at least, and I cannot remember 
that the names of some of those who have identified themselves 
with this discussion, and against me in this paper and elsewhere, 
have been so much as recorded once, and under these circum¬ 
stances it hardly becomes them to trade upon other people’s 
successes. Moreover, I have no doubt Sheffield gardeners will be 
glad to meet them at Handsworth. The prizes are better than 
are offered at Edinburgh, and as good as the best provincial 
shows, except Manchester, and the exhibition is patronised by 
such places as Thoresby, Wtlbeck, Osberton, Ossington, Worksop 
Manor, Grimstone Park, Bagot Park, and many others in Eng¬ 
land, besides your humble servant, who when he was in the habit 
of competing there regularly (he may be excused mentioning), 
carried off the £8 cup twice, and an equivalent prize in money 
the third time for fruit, out of a possible five times, the main 
feature of his exhibit on each occasion being Grapes and Pines, 
both grown on the cool system. I will say nothing of other shows 
at present. Will your correspondents who have written lately 
pick up the gauntlet and do battle 1 —J. Simpson, Wortley. 
This subject has been much discussed in your columns of late, 
and I have no doubt that good will result from it. I do not wish 
to enter into the controversy in a condemnatory spirit regarding 
