502 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c December 1, mi. 
Morgeau, and Beurre Bachelier. Messrs. Day and Gardiner followed 
closely with good examples. In the amateurs’ classes some praise¬ 
worthy fruits were shown, especially the Apples, the prizewinners 
being Messrs. Penn, Dunkley, Payne, Hodson, and Mrs. Bromwich. 
Vegetables .—Some capital vegetables were shown, and some of the 
leading collections would not have disgraced any exhibition. For 
eight distinct varieties Mr. J. Eads, The Gardens, Woolton Hall, was 
deservedly awarded the chief prize for even clean samples admirably 
set up. His Turnips, Onions, Potatoes, Cauliflowers, Beet, and 
Brussels Sprouts were excellent, and well merited the admiration 
they attracted from visitors generally. Mr. J. Day obtained the 
second position also with very creditable samples, the Onions and 
Cauliflowers being the leading features. Mr. Oram was a good third. 
Eleven collections were entered in this class, and throughout the 
productions were of more than average merit, the Brussels Sprouts 
being especially notable. Potatoes alone formed a show of no ordi¬ 
nary interest, there being nine exhibitors in each of the two classes. 
Messrs. Allen, Day, and Chapman had the best dishes of kidney 
varieties, International, Pride of America, and Snowflake being those 
chiefly represented. In round varieties Mr. Ingram won the leading 
position with fine examples of Bresee’s Prolific and Schoolmaster 
amongst others. Messrs. Oram and Seaton were the other prize- 
takers, both showing well. Amateurs also exhibited collections of 
vegetables and Potatoes in very praiseworthy condition, Messrs. W. 
Stephens, Henman, G. Harrison, Dunkley, Mawley, Penn, and Hick¬ 
man being the prizewinners. 
Several miscellaneous groups of plants and flowers were staged, 
one of the largest and brightest being that from Messrs. John Per¬ 
kins & Son, Billing Road, Northampton, who had Pelargoniums, 
Ericas, Chrysanthemums, and Capsicums very tastefully arranged. 
Mr. J. Wesley, Blisworth, sent a stand of fine Pelargonium blooms, 
and Mr. J. Day a pretty basket of Calanthes, Poinsettias, and Ferns, 
which was highly commended. Two satisfactory facts in connection 
with the Exhibition deserve notice—namely, that the receipts at the 
doors were about £20 in excess of last year, and all the prizes were 
paid to the winners on the evening of the second day, a practice that 
?night be advantageously adopted by many other societies. If the 
Society should find itself in the possession of a good balance some of 
the prizes might be profitably increased in value, and would no doubt 
lead to keener competition. 
BIRMINGHAM.— -November 23rd and 24th. 
With this Exhibition the Birmingham Chrysanthemum Society 
attained its majority, and a more satisfactory celebration of that 
interesting period in its existence could scarcely have been held. Of 
the twenty previous exhibitions probably few have excelled this in 
the number and quality of the productions staged in competition or 
otherwise, certainly at the same period of year the weather could not 
have been more favourable; but in another very substantial and 
encouraging way the coming of age was rendered especially memor¬ 
able. The balance of £11 odd previously to the credit of the Society 
will no doubt be greatly increased, for the receipts in the two days 
amounted to considerably over £100, compared with £81 last year, 
and such progress as this must iudeed be sufficient to satisfy the 
most hopeful of the Society’s supporters. 
The Town Hall was, as usual, engaged for the Show, but the base¬ 
ment was not large enough to accommodate all the exhibits, and the 
galleries were, in addition, nearly filled with the smaller plants, 
blooms, itc. In the body of the Hall a central table bore the fruit, 
stands of flowers, bouquets, Primulas, and some miscellaneous collec¬ 
tions not in competition, while at the sides of the Hall the specimen 
Chrysanthemums and groups of stove and greenhouse plants formed 
two handsome banks of flowers and foliage that were particularly 
striking when viewed from the gallery. A little more space between 
the central table and the side stages would have been an advantage, 
for in the evening, when the visitors were most numerous, they ex¬ 
perienced considerable difficulty in passing round even to obtain a 
cursory glance of the exhibits. This could no doubt be easily 
remedied, and in other respects the arrangements were all that could 
be desired ; and the leading members of the Committee—Mr. W. B. 
Latham, Mr. W. Spinks, Mr. G. Stacey, and Mr. C. Redfern (Secretary) 
—deserve great praise for the energy they display in the conduct of 
the Society’s affairs. 
Specimen riants .—In the display of Chrysanthemums the specimen 
plants form the chief feature at this Show ; and though the entries in 
some of the classes were not quite so numerous on this occasion as at 
some previous shows, yet the plants were of excellent quality, espe¬ 
cially the two collections in the class for nine specimens, distinct varie¬ 
ties, in which the prizes offered were a silver cup value £5, £3, and £2. 
Mr. W. H. Dyer, gardener to T. W. Webley, Esq., Selly Oak, wa3 
accorded the leading position for evenly trained, healthy, well- 
flowered specimens 4 to 5 feet in diameter. The blooms were mostly 
of good substance, neat form, and fresh in appearance, the foliage 
also being abundant and vigorous. The varieties were Jardin des 
Plantes, G. Glenny, Guernsey Nugget, John Salter, Prince of Wales, 
Mrs. Dixon, Prince Alfred, Mrs. G. Rundle. and Bronze Jardin des 
Plantes. The second prize was accorded to Mr. J. Crook, gardener to 
W. Millward, Esq., Edgbaston, whose plants were not trained quite 
so low as the others, but even, well grown, and with abundant blooms, 
though these were rather small. Lady Slade was very finely repre¬ 
sented. These were the only collections in the class, which, consider¬ 
ing the value of the prizes, was rather surprising. For six specimens 
also the competition was confined to two exhibitors, Mr. F. Denning, 
gardener to J. Jaffray, Esq., Park Grove, Edgbaston, securing chief 
honours with compact examples, Prince Alfred and John Salter being 
particularly noteworthy for their neatness and floriferousness. Mr. W. 
Jinks, gardener to J. E. Wilson, Esq., Edgbaston, followed with fairly 
good plants, but bearing blooms a little too small, though Lady Slade 
was well shown. In the next class for three specimens the compe¬ 
tition was keener, four collections being entered. Mr. Dyer was again 
the most successful exhibitor, having John Salter, Mrs. Dixon, and 
Golden Empress, with fine blooms and fresh healthy foliage. Mr. 
Jinks took the second position with neat examples of Lady Hardinge, 
Mrs. G. Rundle, and Mrs. Dixon, the latter having blooms of good 
colour. Six Pompons were well represented by plants from Mr. Dyer 
and Mr. Jinks, who gained the prizes in that order. The first had 
flat-trained specimens in fine condition, the Golden, White, and Lilac 
Cedo Nullis, Rose Trevenna, and St. Michael being the leading varie¬ 
ties. In the other group the best plants were Model, St. Michael, the 
Golden and White Cedo Nullis, all well flowered. The best three 
Pompons were the three Cedo Nullis from Mr. Dyer; Mr. G. Newell, 
gardener to L. Hayman, Esq., Edgbaston, following with smaller 
specimens. The very successful exhibitor in these classes, Mr. Dyer, 
who carried off nearly all the first prizes, also had the best single 
specimen, an example of John Salter, 5 to 6 feet in diameter, and 
bearing a large number of fine blooms. Mr. Denning was placed 
second with a fair Prince Alfred, the same exhibitors taking similar 
positions with a single specimen of a Japanese variety, both showing 
Elaine, but Mr. Dyer’s specimen was uncommonly well flowered—one 
of the finest we have seen this year. Messrs. Dyer and Newell were 
the prizewinners in the special class for “ a bank of natural-grown 
large-flowering Chrysanthemums,” both contributing bright and 
effective groups of good plants. 
Cut Blooms .—Though only three classes were devoted to these 
some fine collections were staged, especially in that for eighteen 
blooms, incurved varieties, in which a three-guinea silver cup was 
offered as the first prize. This Mr. Faulkner, gardener to F. R. Ley- 
land, Esq., Woolton Hall, Liverpool (following up his success at the 
Kingston Show in the previous week), succeeded in winning with 
handsome blooms similar to those in the cup stand at Kingston, but 
not quite so compact and solid as they were. A very fine bloom of 
Barbara in this stand was selected as the best bloom in the Exhibi¬ 
tion, and awarded the prize offered by Mr. Outram. The second prize 
for the premier bloom, given by Mr. Spinks, was adjudged to Mr. G. 
Neal, gardener to P. Southby, Esq., Bampion, Oxfordshire. Follow¬ 
ing Mr. Faulkner in the cup class Mr. W. Shitigler, gardener to T. 
Tonks, Esq., Harborne, gained the second prize with large and well- 
formed blooms, John Saluer, Mr. Gladstone, and Hero of Stoke New¬ 
ington being the most prominent. Mr. J. Palmer, gardener to R. C. 
Bradley, Esq., Handsworth, was third with smaller examples. Messrs. 
Faulkner, Shingler, and Neal were the prizetakers with stands of 
twelve incurved blooms, all of fair quality. For twelve blooms grown 
within three miles of Stephenson Place, Messrs. Shingler and Palmer 
secured the awards with neat and creditable blooms. Extra prizes 
were awarded to Messrs. Comfort, Beal, and Palmer for stands of 
fine Japanese blooms, those for the first-named being particularly 
fine and rich in colour. 
Miscellaneous Plants .—Ample provision was made for these in the 
schedule, and with very satisfactory results, for the plants staged in 
competition were generally of considerable merit, and added greatly 
to the beauty of the Show. The principal class was for nine plants, 
excluding Chrysanthemums and Primulas, two handsome collections 
being entered and forming fine groups each side of the Hall near the 
orchestra. The premier position was won by Mr. Jinks, whose plants 
were in excellent condition, including Croton Andreanus remarkably 
well coloured, Plumbago rosea flowering profusely, Eupatorium odo- 
ratum large and literally a mass of flowers, Dieffenbachia Bausei, and 
several other Crotons, all similarly well grown. Mr. Dyer was a 
close second, having a very fine specimen of Pteris cretica variegata, 
the other most noticeable plants being Cycas revolutus, Dendrobium 
nobile, and Croton variegatus. For this time of year all these plants 
were in excellent condition and very creditable to their growers. 
Mr. Jones was adjudged the premier prize for six plants, his speci¬ 
mens of Anthurium crystallinum, Kentia Fosteriana, and Chorozema 
Henchmanni being particularly fine. Mr. Denning was second, also 
with healthy examples ; Kentia Fosteriana was very noteworthy. 
Primulas are well grown in the neighbourhood, and that the Com¬ 
mittee recognise them as a speciality is evidenced by the fact that 
seven classes are devoted to these plants. In nearly all these the 
comp3tition wa3 good, and in consequence there was a display of 
Primulas such as we have not seen equalled this year, some hundreds 
being staged both in the body of the Hall and in the gallery; in 
fact, they seemed to abound in all directions. The majority, too, 
were very healthy and profusely flowered. In the nurserymen’s 
class for twelve single varieties, six red and six white, Mr. Tomkins, 
Spark Hill, staged beautiful plants, having remarkably large flowers 
of great substance and good form. The foliage was als6 very 
vigorous and of a fresh healthy green colour. The second position 
was obtained by Messrs. Pope A Sons, King’s Norton, who had plants 
of great merit. Mr. Tomkins was placed first with six plants, equally 
as fine as those already mentioned, with handsome trusses of flowers ; 
and Messrs. Pope it Son followed with creditable examples. In the 
