JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
82 
and colour. The Committee considered it very promising, and desired 
it to be sent to Chiswick for trial. Mr. C. Turner, Slough, sent six 
dwarf standard Red Currant trees, bearing an abundant crop of large 
bunches of fine fruits. Mr. J. Clarke, gardener to Lord Trevor, 
Brynkinalt, Chirk, Wales, sent a Cucumber, said to be the result of 
a cross between Blue Gown and Telegraph. The fruits were of 
moderate size and very even. Mr. G. Weedon, Ealing, also sent six 
fine fruits of Cucumber Best of All, which were considered promising, 
and the Committee asked that it should be exhibited again. Mr. 
Eckford, The Gardens, Sandywell Park, Cheltenham, exhibited 
several seedling Peas, which are to be tried at Chiswick. Mr. D. 
Brown, Linthorpe, Middlesborough, sent fruits of a seedling Straw¬ 
berry named Duchess of Edinburgh, of conical form and large size. 
Mr. S. Castle, The Vineyard, West Lynn, King’s Lynn, sent some 
bunches of Gros Maroc Grapes well coloured. Messrs. W. Paul and 
Son, Waltham Cross, were awarded a letter of thanks for a fine 
collection of Gooseberries, comprising over one hundred varieties. 
Mr. R. Laing, East Grinstead, sent a fruit of Green Gage Melon. 
Mr. C. A. Pearse, gardener to Sir F. Stapleton, Bart., Grey’s Court, 
Henley-on-Thames, sent a Melon named Alexandra, a cross between 
William Tillery and Victory of Bath. Mr. T. Laxton, Bedford, sent 
samples of Richard I. Pea, John Harrison Long-pod Bean, Sir 
Beauchamp Seymour Strawberry, and Early Orange Vegetable 
Marrow, and Messrs. J. Hamlin & Co., Wood Green, had examples of 
good Mushroom spawn. 
Messrs. Hooper & Co. offered prizes for the best dish of Abundance 
Tomato, which were secured by Mr. Phillips of Meopham, Kent, and 
Mr.'S. Castle, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, in that order, the first-named 
having neat even fruits of excellent colour. 
Floral Committee.—G. P. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, exhibited several new plants, amongst 
which were the two hybrid Orchids Lrelia callistoglossa and Cattleya 
Chamberlainiana, the former obtained by crossing Lielia purpurata 
with Cattleya gigas, and the latter a very attractive form with bright 
rosy crimson flowers, a cross between Cattleya Leopoldi and C. Dowi- 
ana, the first-named parent’s characteristics predominating. Lilium 
auratum platyphvllum, a very large-flowered variety of this well- 
known Lily, was also well shown with the red-spotted L. gloriosioides, 
the yellow and maroon-spotted L. Leichtlinii, and L. auratum virginale, 
which was certificated. Dendrobium bigibbum album has long spikes 
of small white flowers ; Lastrea prolifera, a Japanese Fern, has bi- 
pinnate dark shining green fronds 6 to 8 inches long ; and Begonia 
gogoensis, a new species from Sumatra, was shown and certificated. 
Sir. J. C. Spyers, gardener to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., Burford 
Lodge, Dorking, exhibited a collection of choice Orchids, several of 
■which were certificated, and are described below. One, however, is 
especially deserving of notice—namely, Mormodes luxatum eburneum, 
which has creamy white fragrant flowers in a dense spike, the lip 
being hooded, with a central purple band. The column is also pur¬ 
plish and strangely twisted sideways under the hood of the lip. Mr. 
H. Heims, gardener to F. A. Philbrick, Esq., Q.C., Oldfield, Bickley, 
was awarded a vote of thanks for a handsome basket of Aerides 
affine superbum, the plants bearing nine long spikes of rosy flowers. 
Mr. C. Bennett, Kilmiston House, Shepperton, was awarded a cul¬ 
tural commendation for a fine specimen of Clianthus Dampieri, the 
growths bearing four or six trusses of flowers each. The plant was 
in excellent condition, the growths vigorous, and the foliage healthy. 
Mr. W. Williams, Sugnell Hall, Eccles, showed a variety of Cattleya 
Eldorado, having white fragrant flowers and an orange-stained lip. 
Mr. G. Weedon, St. John’s Nursery, Ealing, exhibited several seed¬ 
ling Lobelias with very dark blue flowers and white centres. Messrs. 
W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, sent blooms of their new Hybrid 
Perpetual Rose Queen of Queens, of good size, excellent form, and 
clear pale rose tint. G. F. Wilson, Esq., Weybridge, was accorded a 
vote of thanks for large flowers of Iris Kasmpferi, white and purple 
and very full. A vote of thanks was also accorded to Mr. R. Dean, 
Ealing, for a collection of Antirrhinum flowers of various colours. 
In the conservatory several fine groups and collections were 
staged. Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, exhibited a magnificent 
collection of border Carnations and Picotees, comprising about three 
hundred blooms, and representing a large number of handsome varie¬ 
ties in all sections. Messrs. W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, had 
ten boxes of Rose blooms representing some handsome varieties ; 
Lady Sheffield, Marie Baumann, and others being fine. Two boxes 
of twenty varieties sent out from Waltham Cross were very interesting. 
One box of white Roses was also attractive, the varieties Boule de 
Neige, Baronne de Maynard, Madame Lacharme, Madame Noman, 
and Olga Marix were especially noteworthy. Messrs. H. Cannell and 
Sons, Swanley, Kent, exhibited an attractive collection of Verbena 
blooms, comprising many fine varieties. Mr. W. Howard, Southgate, 
sent a collection of Carnation and Picotee blooms. Mr. H. Hooper 
had two stands of handsome Pansy blooms. Mr. C. Turner contri¬ 
buting forty-eight grand Dahlia blooms, representing many of the 
best Show and Fancy varieties. Handsome groups of Ivy-leaved 
Pelargoniums, Tuberous Begonias, Mignonette, and Achimenes were 
contributed from the Society’s Gardens at Chiswick. 
First-class certificates were awarded for the following plants :— 
Begonia gogoensis (Veitch).—A distinct species from Sumatra, with 
large peltate leaves 9 inches in diameter, of a peculiar metallic 
green colour on the upper surface, the veins being of a lighter shade 
[ July 27, 1882. 
and the under surface bright red. The flowers are small and white 
or pinkish, the peduncles and pedicels being red. 
Lilium auratum, virginale (Veitch).—A beautiful variety, with large 
white flowers, streaked with yellow in the centre of the perianth 
divisions. 
Comparettia macroplectron (Heims).—A pretty dwarf Orchid, with 
elliptical leaves 6 inches long and 2^ broad. The flowers are borne 
in short drooping racemes, three to five blooms in each. The sepals 
and petals are small, ovate, pale pink dotted with bright rose. The 
lip is 1J inch in diameter, nearly circular in outline, but deeply cut 
at the apex, pale pink veined with a darker tint. 
Rcnantliera matutina (Sir Trevor Lawrence).—A species of slender 
habit, with panicles of scarlet and orange flowers in panicles 2 feet 
or more long, each bearing two or three dozen blooms. The sepals 
and petals are narrow, orange spotted with scarlet or crimson. 
Grammatopliyllum multijlorum (Sir Trevor Lawrence).—A peculiar 
Orchid, with long lanceolate leathery leaves a foot long and 3 inches 
broad. The flowers are pale green heavily blotched with brown, and 
are arranged in racemes 2 to 3 feet long. 
Comparettia falcata vera (Sir Trevor Lawrence).—Very striking and 
different from many varieties in cultivation, the lip being very 
large and bright orange-coloured. 
Cattleya Whitei (Low).—This was stated to have been obtained 
from Brazil, and was provisionally shown under the above name. The 
sepals and petals are about an inch broad, of a dull purplish colour ; 
the lip being rich crimson, slightly fringed, and bright yellow in the 
throat. 
Phacelia campanulata (Mr. W. Thompson, Ipswich).—A charming 
dwarf herbaceous plant, 6 inches high, with heart-shaped dentate 
leaves inch broad, and racemes of deep blue bell-shaped flowers 
having a white centre. 
Oncidium stelligerum (Sir Trevor Lawrence).—A distinct species, 
with inflorescence 3 to 4 feet long, having short lateral branches, each 
bearing three to four flowers. The petals are pale yellow blotched 
with brown, the lip being white, and the base a dull purple at the 
upper part. 
Tropceolum Empress of India (Messrs. J. Carter & Co.).—A very 
dwarf and useful variety, with small dark green leaves and rich scarlet 
flowers produced very freely. 
Dahlia Gem (Turner).—One of the Pompon section, with neat 
rich scarlet flowers. 
ROSES AT WIRRAL. 
If ever Judges had their work cut out it was at Wirral on the 
15th of July in the amateur classes. It is not often that when 
five boxes of twenty-four single trusses are staged the Judges are 
obliged to count the points of each box before deciding which 
two are to be set aside, and yet this was the case at Wirral. The 
Rev. Lionel Garnett had a grand twenty-four and still he was 
thrown out, but he had the reward of a special extra prize. His 
Harrison Weir alone was worth it. In the thirty-six singles 
the Judges had hard work. Again in the local classes the com¬ 
petition w r as very severe indeed, so much so that the Judges were 
obliged to call in the aid of the President and Chief Secretary of 
the National Rose Society in order that the judging might be 
finished before the public were admitted. This was my first visit 
to Wirral; may it not be my last. Certainly they are very enthu¬ 
siastic in that quarter. It is all the Rose, the Rose, the Rose, 
and nothing but the Rose with them. I ventured to mention that 
my (Enotheras Youngii, macrocarpa, and fruticosa were in good 
bloom ; but I was sent to Coventry at once for my presumptiofi. 
If only the Wirral Society would adopt the National Rose Society’s 
method with regard to exhibitors’ numbers and cards, and if also 
the Society would “just for a change” invite exhibitors when 
their weather is somewhat fair, I think that “ h Birkenhead ” 
would be a very general cry on the part of all amateur and pro¬ 
fessional rosarian prizefighters.—J. A. W. 
RHODODENDRON BALSAMAEFLORUM. 
When a cross was effected many years ago between the white 
Malaccan Rhododendron jasminiflorum and the buff Javan species 
R. javanicum, it was not anticipated that such remarkable results 
would follow, and that a race of plants so valuable would be 
established. Many of these beautiful “ greenhouse Rhododen¬ 
drons ” are in commerce, and are deservedly popular, while others 
more beautiful still have been exhibited and honoured, but not 
yet distributed. We allude now to the single varieties, a typical 
example of which is R. Taylori, figured on page 349, vol. xxxii., 
of this Journal, the issue of May 10th, 1877. 
During the present season a most distinct and remarkable ad¬ 
vance has been made in these plants, for already three varieties 
with double flowers have been certificated, these having deep 
rose, rich yellow, and pure white flowers respectively, and two 
others quite distinct from them have expanded. It is natural to 
ask how such a result could have been effected, and by what 
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