July 13, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
29 
crops be obtained from them, and during a three-years trial they 
proved to be cumberers of the ground, and were rooted out. 
I would dissuade no one from trying new varieties, but it is 
necessary to urge upon young gardeners especially the desirability 
of having, in addition to the trials, a sufficient number of plants 
of proved kinds for meeting the full demand for fruit. Tempted 
by glowing eulogiums, and by, it may be, seeing a wonderful crop 
of a new variety, many cultivators have made mistakes by plant¬ 
ing largely of the new, and limitedly of their own proved useful 
old sorts. I have been under the spell of the novelty fascination, 
and found myself a victim to its charms. If Vicomtesse H6ri- 
carte de Thury thrives with you, keep it; if President always 
bears, do not discard it; if Sir Joseph Paxton affords good crops, 
retain it; if Keens’ Seedling bears abundantly, continue it—at 
least, until you have got the true Admiral Dundas, and it is found 
to be superior. Try also to make either British Queen or Dr. Hogg 
grow. The latter will often succeed where the former fails, and 
in such a case grow the best only. As late sorts Frogmore Late 
Pine is the best in quality—when it can be had. Where it fails 
the hardier varieties Eleanor or Elton usually succeed, and must 
be grown even if they are acid. Loxford Hall Seedling I have 
not tried. James Yeitch is large, but too pale and sour. A new 
variety I have tried this year (Forman’s Excelsior) is very pro¬ 
mising. It is as early as the Vicomtesse, nearly as large again, 
and good in colour; yet some of the fruits are hollow, and the 
flavour is, well—“ not bad.” Sir Charles Napier is too tender for 
cold wet districts. 
With the Vicomtesse (syn. Garibaldi), President, Sir Joseph 
Paxton, Admiral Dundas, Dr. Hogg, Eleanor, and Elton, and by 
planting the earliest in warm positions and the latest in cold 
situations, I can have an abundance of acceptable fruit over the 
longest period in a district where the soil is rather light, the 
summers often dry, and the winters usually severe. In fact, in 
my experience those varieties succeed almost anywhere, except, 
perhaps, President, which sometimes fails by growing too exube¬ 
rantly in rich strong soil. 
I have a little to add about planting, but must not add it now, 
or the Editor will do what he has sometimes done before—cut me 
down. I, therefore, profit by experience, although I confess I do 
not like stopping when the writing fit is on me, and I certainly 
object to start when it is not —then I much prefer digging.— 
A Northern Gardener. 
CANTERBURY ROSE SHOW. 
Although one of the youngest of our Rose societies this is one 
of the most vigorous. Situated as the old city is in the midst of a 
district favourable for the growth of the Rose, and managed by 
two hardworking Secretaries backed by a good Committee, it has 
soon attained a position of importance, and is most ably supported 
by some of our first rosarians. When I say that Messrs. Mitchell, 
Cant, and Prince exhibited in force, as well as the Kentish nursery¬ 
men, and that Messrs. Haywood and Waterton, the well-known Rei- 
gate amateurs, and the well-known Kentish growers, the Messrs. 
Wakeley of Rainham, the Rev. H. B. Biron, Mr. Mount, and others in 
the neighbourhood entered, it may well be imagined that an exhibition 
of no oi dinary excellence was made. Then, of all the rooms that I 
know there is none better adapted for a show than the Corn Exchange 
at Canterbury, while the quality of the blooms was quite equal to any 
that I have seen this season. 
Taking the open classes first, the first prize for twenty-four was 
taken by Mr. Haywood of Woodhatch, Reigate, containing Comtesse 
d’Oxford, Mad. Gabriel Luizet, J. S. Mill, Baronne de Rothschild, Victor 
Verdier, Duke of Edinburgh, La France, Senateur Vaisse, Beauty of 
Waltham, Comtesse de Choiseul, Madame Lacharme, Louis Van 
Houtte, Etienne Levet, Mrs. Baker, Camille Bernardin, E. Y. Teas, 
Duchess of Bedford, and Eugene Fiirst; Mr. Waterton was second 
with a very good box, amongst which was a very remarkable sport 
from Comtesse d’Oxford, splashed with white, very striking ; and, as 
it is now I believe fixed, likely from its novelty to be a favourite. For 
the best thirty-six for nurserymen the first prize was won by Mr. Cant 
with some of his exquisitely finished blooms, Mad. Gabriel Luizet, 
Souvenir de M. Boll, Marguerite de St. Amand, Horace Vernet, La 
France, Duke of Edinburgh, Madame Charles Wood, Duke of Teck, 
Souvenir d’Elise, an exquisite bloom ; Duke of Connaught, Baronne 
de Rothschild. Princess Mary of Cambridge, Capitaine Christy, Beauty 
of Waltham, Innocente Pirola, Duke of Edinburgh, a grand bloom ; 
Etienne Dupuy, A. K. Williams, Anna de Diesbach, a fine bloom of 
an old Rose very rarely seen; Madame Eugenie Verdier, Annie 
Laxton, Souvenir de la Malmaison, Fisher Holmes, Devoniensis, &c. 
Two most exquisite boxes of twelve Teas were exhibited by Messrs. 
Mitchell and Cant, and there must have been considerable difficulty 
in deciding between them. Mr. Mitchell’s contained Devoniensis, 
Catherine Merrnet, Rubens, Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, a grand bloom ; 
Madame Willermoz, Anna Ollivier, Due de Magenta, Jean Pernet, 
Marie Van Houtte, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Mar^chal Niel, and 
Niphetos ; in Mr. Cant’s box were some lovely blooms, Souvenir d’Elise, 
Catherine Mermet, Innocente Pirola, very lovely, and others. 
The amateurs’ classes were well filled, and some thoroughly first- 
class flowers were exhibited. The cup presented by the President, 
Ashby Dodd, Esq., was won by a grand box of blooms exhibited by 
Mr. J. Wakeley of Rainham, containing La France, Etienne Levet, 
Belle Lyonnaise, Charles Lefebvre, J. S. Mill, Camille de Rohan, 
A. K. Williams, Capitaine Christy, Franpois Michelon, Xavier Olibo, 
Marie Baumann, and Henry Bennett. This box also secured for the 
exhibitor the National Rose Society’s silver medal as the best box in 
the Show. The same exhibitor obtained the first prize in the class 
for eighteen with Madame Victor Verdier, La France, A. K. Williams 
(this was a very grand bloom, and obtained the National Rose Society’s 
bronze medal for the best Rose in the Show), Charles Lefebvre, 
Capitaine Christy, Etienne Levet, E. Y. Teas, Prince Arthur, Comtesse 
d’Oxford, Dr. Andry, Baronne de Rothschild, Marie Rady, Horace 
Vernet, Due de Chalus, Eugene Fiirst, and Prince Camille de Rohan. 
The first prize for twelve was taken by Mr. W. Wakeley with Baronne 
de Rothschild, Etienne Levet, Capitaine Christy, J. S. Mill, Le Havre, 
La France, Eugene Verdier, Mad. Gabriel Luizet, Camille Bernardin, 
John Bright, Ferdinand de Lesseps, and Fisher Holmes. In the class 
for twelve Teas Captain Knight was first with a good box, containing 
Catherine Mermet, Souvenir d’Elise, Madame Lambard, Laurette, 
Madame Hippolyte Jamain, Marie Van Houtte, Rubens, Mons. Fur- 
tado, Madame Bravy, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Souvenir d’un Ami, and 
Jean Ducher. In class 4, six varieties, three busses of each, Mr. 
W. H. Wakeley was first with Henry Ledechaux, Ferdinand de Lesseps, 
Baronne de Rothschild, Duke of Connaught, Capitaine Christy, and 
Alfred Colomb. In class 5, for twelve varieties, the first prize was 
won by Mr. G. Mount with a nice box containing Baronne de Roth¬ 
schild, Marie Baumann, Capitaine Christy, Alfred Colomb, Victor 
Verdier, Mad. Gabriel Luizet, John S. Mill, Souvenir de la Malmaison, 
Jean Ducher, Louis Van Houtte, and Innocente Pirola. The same 
exhibitor also took first for the best six Teas—Catherine Mermet, 
Marie Van Houtte, Souvenir d’un Ami, Souvenir de Paul Neyron, 
Niphetos, and Anna Ollivier. Mr. J. Wakeley took the first prize for 
the best six of any one kind with a fine box of La France. 
There were some excellent stands of flowers exhibited, the first 
prize going—as it almost always does—to Mrs. Biron, w r ith a very 
prettily arranged stand in which wild Roses formed a very distinct 
feature, and for lightness and elegance left nothing to be desired. 
The smaller classes were also well contested, and there were really 
very few indifferent boxes. I have only enumerated the flowers in 
the first-prize stands, but on the trees exhibited by Captain Lambert, 
Mr. Buchanan, and others there were many excellent blooms ; but it 
would serve no practical purpose to merely repeat the names. Un¬ 
fortunately the day was not so propitious as might have been 
desired, otherwise the Show' was a decided success, and I think all who 
have had to do with originating and sustaining the Canterbury Rose 
Show may well be proud of the results of their labours.—D., Beal. 
ECHIUM ALBICANS. 
In all respects this is a remarkable and showy plant. It is 
dwarf in habit, growing from 9 to 15 inches high. Leaves linear 
lanceolate, acute, very hairy, in dense spreading tufts. The flower 
stems have from six to ten thyrsoid racemose branches, carrying 
numerous flowers with hairy calyces ; the corolla is funnel-shaped, 
about 1 inch loDg, less than half an inch across, light rose-coloured 
at first, afterwards changing to violet purple. It is a native of 
the mountains of Spain, occurring at elevations between 2000 and 
5000 feet, but it is very scarce under cultivation in this country. 
I have seen in different collections more than one species under 
the same name, one of which was in the late Mr. Joacl’s garden at 
Wimbledon. It was a very large grower, for when I saw it, just 
previous to flow'ering, it was 5 feet high, with a coarse branching 
habit, totally distinct from this plant now described. It is more 
frequently met with on the continent, and I think it flowered out¬ 
side last year with Mr. MaxLeichtlin at Baden Baden. There is 
no doubt of its hardiness in this country, but excessive wet during 
the winter may cause it to decay, to prevent which it is advisable 
to afford it protection, as it is well worth it, for, as well as being 
extremely rare, it is very showy. It enjoys a well-drained sunny 
position on the rockery with a good depth of rich soil, and must 
be increased by seed, as the roots are not readily divided without 
injury to the plant.—N. 
Omphalodes vbrna. —A very useful old-fashioned flower, one of 
Mi\ Fish’s favourites, and nobody has, perhaps, grown it better. 
It is too well known to require description, except to say it is of dwarf 
habit, producing bright blue flowers about one-third of an inch 
across very early in the year—March to May. There is also a white- 
flowered variety known under the name of alba, which is a charming 
companion to the type. These are both plants well worth growing for 
the rockery or border, and they can also be well utilised for the 
spring garden decoration, as they are readily increased by division of 
the roots, which should be done soon after flowering; and for bedding 
