JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
6 
[ July 6, 1882. 
competitors ; Mr. G. Rushmore, gardener to Sir C. R. Rowsley, Bart., 
Tendring Hall, Colchester, being awarded chief honours for sub¬ 
stantial blooms, the following varieties being particularly well re¬ 
presented :—Jules Margottin, Duchesse de Caylus.Franpois Michelon, 
Marguerite de St. Amand, Abel Carriere, Miss Hassard, Mons. E. Y. 
Teas, Thomas Mills, and Gdndral Jacqueminot. G. P. Hawtrey, 
Esq., Aldin House, Slough, secured the second position with a col¬ 
lection nearly equal to the other in merit; Mr. J. Davis, Wilton, 
Salisbury, being third. In the class for thirty-six varieties the com¬ 
petition was also keen, eight collections being staged. Mr. W. 
Harrington, gardener to E. Mitchell, Esq., Corbet’s Tey, Romford, 
gaining the chief honours with handsome blooms, closely followed 
by Mr. John Sargant of Reigate, and Mr. Rushmore. Eor twenty- 
four triplets and twenty-four single trusses Messrs. Hawtrey, J. 
Hollingworth, Turkey Court, Maidstone ; T. Evans of Marston, 
Oxford ; and the Rev. J. H. Pemberton, Havering-atte-Bower, Rom¬ 
ford, were the prizetakers. For twelve Tea or Noisette varieties 
Mr. Harrington won leading honours with a praiseworthy collection, 
comprising fine blooms of Madame Lambard, Rubens, Perle de3 
Jardins, Amazone, Madame Sertot, Marie Yan Houtte, Madame Hip- 
polyte Jamain, and Souvenir d’un Ami. 
Open Classes .—The ten classes open to all exhibitors were very 
interesting, especially those provided for collections of white, yellow, 
pink, and crimson Roses, the others being chiefly for stands of one 
variety. A fine collection of Devoniensis from Mr. B. R. Cant was 
selected for first honours in the class for twelve trusses of any Tea 
or Noisette, Mr. J. Matlock, New Headington, Oxford, following with 
Souvenir d’un Ami. The best samples of Marie Baumann were 
staged by Messrs. Curtis, Sandford & Co.; Abel Carriere by Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Mr. C. Turner taking second with Charles Darwin very 
fine. Mr. W. Farren, How House, Cambridge, had the best twelve 
trusses of Franpois Michelon, large handsome blooms ; Mr. B. R. 
Cant taking first with a collection of Capitaine Christy, very large 
and full. The same exhibitor secured chief honours for a collection 
of yellow 7 Roses, the following varieties being admirably represented 
—Marie Yan Houtte, Madame Falcot, Isabella Sprunt, Reve d’Or, 
Madame Welch, Gloire de Dijon, Jean Ducher. Caroline Kuster, Sol- 
faterre, Marie Van Houtte, and Boule d’Or. He also took the lead 
in the class for white Roses, having Devoniensis, Innocente Pirola, 
Rubens, Niphetos, Madame Lacharme, Souvenir d’un Ami, Madame 
Willermoz, Souvenir de Paul Neyron, and Madame Bravy being the 
most notable varieties. Still continuing his success, Mr. Cant was 
first with crimson and velvety crimson Roses, his best blooms in the 
former class being Comtesse d’Oxford, Dupuy Jamain, Dr. Andry, 
Duchesse de Caylus, Duke of Teck, Alfred Colomb, Mrs. Baker, 
Senateur Yaisse, A. K. Williams, and Marie Baumann ; while in the 
latter class the finest were Duke of Wellington, Dr. Sewell, Duke of 
Edinburgh, Charles Lefebvre, General Jacqueminot, Prince Camille 
de Rohan, Duchess of Bedford, and Fisher Holmes. The finest col¬ 
lection of pink Roses were also from Colchester; Marie Cointet, 
Madame Gabriel Luizet, Marguerite de St. Amand, Elie Morel, Marie 
Finger, and La France being the principal varieties staged. 
Miscellaneous exhibits w 7 ere not very numerous. Messrs. H. Cannell 
and Sons, Swanley, had a group of Gloxinias and Ferns, Messrs. 
Osborn & Sons a collection of Roses, and Mr. Wells of Red Hill 
samples of his spray-distributor. 
A TRIAL OF EARLY TURNIPS. 
Some complaints of a scarcity of really good early Turnips last 
year induced the writer to inquire why it was so, and the answer 
was that the sorts grown ran to seed so quickly that very few 
Turnips of a useful size were to be had from the first sowings. 
It was, therefore, resolved this year to procure seed of as many 
sorts of early Turnips as possible, and to give them a fair trial side 
by side. Unfortunately all the seed had not arrived when the 
first sowing was made on March 4th of Early Strapleaf White 
Stone, Early Red American Strapleaf Stone, White Stone or Six 
Weeks, Extra Early Paris Market, Early White Flat Dutch, and 
Early Snowball. Seven days later close beside these sorts was 
sown Purpletop Munich, Silverball, Jersey Lily, and Teltow Early 
Yellow. By the second week in May these sowings were afford¬ 
ing an excellent supply of small Turnips, many of which con¬ 
tinued to improve, and were in use up to this time (June 24th), 
overlapping a sowing of all the sorts on April 14th, some of which 
are quite ready for use. 
On May 30th Mr. Thomas of Maresfield Park happening to call, 
I requested him to examine the Turnips with me, and after a 
careful comparison it was decided that Purpletop Munich was 
best and Early Red American Strapleaf Stone second best, due 
attention being given to size, crispness, and flavour. Two or three 
other sorts were quite equal to Red American in size, but were 
decidedly inferior in the other more important points of excellence. 
Extra Early Paris Market all “ bolted ” without any perceptible 
root-swelling. Teltow Early Yellow also burst speedily into 
flower, more in the guise of a weakly dwarf weed than a cultivated 
Turnip. Early Snowball was the first to throw up its flower 
stems of those sorts which were really useful, and it was followed 
by Red American, White Stone or Six-weeks, and Strapleaf White. 
Of the sowing on April 14th Purpletop Munich is again first and 
best, the next being Early Strapleaf White Stone, closely followed 
by Red American Strapleaf. Extra Early Paris Market has not 
run to seed, but its roots are unworthy of comparison with any 
of the others except Teltow Yellow, which appears worthless.— 
Edward Luckhurst. 
ASPERULA HIRTA. 
This is, in my opinion, the most handsome species of Woodruff 
among those introduced from other countries. It is very dwarf 
in habit, growing from 3 to 4 inches high, with very slender sub¬ 
erect stems in close tufts. Leaves linear-oblong, whorled, 3 to 
4 lines long. Flowers borne in terminal racemes, 3 to 4 lines 
across, cruciform, white shaded with pink, very freely produced, 
and they are very effective in contrast with the deep green elegant 
foliage, somewhat resembling miniature stars. It is a gem for the 
rockery, enjoying a sunny fissure, where it thrives rapidly, and it 
is readily increased by division of the roots or by the young cut¬ 
tings, which will strike in a cold frame although they are rather 
slow. I have also raised it from seed. It is a native of the 
Pyrenees, and was first introduced in 1817, although we seldom 
meet with it even in the most complete collections ; flowering 
from July to September. I obtained two plants from Froebel and 
Co. of Zurich, and last season it was greatly admired and freely 
distributed. The British A. odorata (Sweet Woodruff) is also a 
charming little plant for spring flowering, and I noticed a very 
happy arrangement during May in which it was fittingly em¬ 
ployed. The groundwork of the bed was the common green 
Stonecrop (S. acre), in which were large patches alternately 
placed of this plant and blue Myosotis, surrounded with double 
red Daisies.—N. 
ROSE SHOW AT THE MANSION HOUSE. 
On Friday last an Exhibition of Roses was held under the patronage 
of the Lord Mayor, the funds raised by the admission fees and the 
subsequent sale of the blooms shown being devoted to two charitable 
institutions. Ten classes were provided for amateurs only, two prizes 
being offered in each—namely, a silver and a bronze medal. In most 
of these classes very satisfactory blooms were staged, but by far the 
most extensive and beautiful portion of the display consisted of 
collections of Rose blooms and miscellaneous plants from nursery¬ 
men. These occupied the spacious and handsome apartment known 
as the Egyptian Hall, which presented a most brilliant and attractive 
scene when illuminated by the electric light. The blooms were 
arranged in banks on each side of the Hall, but though abundance of 
moss was employed it was observed that a few more Ferns suitably 
disposed would have considerably improved the effect, as there was 
rather too great a preponderance of bright colours. At each end of 
the Hall were pyramidal groups of Pelargoniums, Tuberous Bego¬ 
nias, and Fuchsias from Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, which 
w'ere very striking. Around the columns and near the walls were 
also some tasteful decorations from the same firm, consisting chiefly 
of Delphiniums, Spirsea Filipendula fl.-pl., Roses, and Fern fronds, 
w'hich formed graceful wreaths and banks, the Delphiniums being 
particularly effective. The chief exhibitors of Rose blooms in large 
numbers were Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt; W. Paul & Son, 
Waltham Cross ; G. Prince of Oxford ; John House, Peterborough ; 
Keynes & Co., Salisbury ; Rivers & Son, Sawbridgeworth ; Cooling 
and Son, Bath ; Francis & Co., Hertford ; Rumsey, Waltham Cross ; 
and C. Turner of Slough. 
The principal amateur exhibitors were Alfred James Waterlow, 
Esq., Great Doods, Reigate; Mr. G. Duffield, gardener to H. K. 
Mayor, Esq., Winchmore Hill, N. ; Alfred Slaughter, Esq., Jarvis 
Yilia, Steyning; E. Mawley, Esq., Addiscombe ; C. E. Cuthell, Esq., 
W. H. Wakeley, Esq., and James P. Kitchin Esq., Hampton, who 
secured the leading prizes in all the classes with blooms of fair size 
and substance. 
The general arrangements were satisfactorily conducted under the 
supervision of Mr. J. Forsyth Johnson, Horticultural Director of the 
Alexandra Palace. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
There are several points of interest in the Journal of June 
22nd which I would like to notice, and first as to layering Straw¬ 
berries. The plan recommended by “ Single-handed ” I can 
endorse as the best that can be tried, and superior to raising the 
plants in pots : in fact, anything which I want extra good and 
quick ready for use, and which may require preparation by a 
previous pricking-out in frames, are planted in half soil and half 
manure. Strawberries with a fortnight only in such a mixture 
will at this season obtain a valuable start. When time cannot be 
spared for preparing plants, quite as good results as can be ob¬ 
tained by layering in pots is obtainable by selecting the strongest 
