JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
132 
[ August 10, 1882. 
catalogues. It certainly is far less hardy than our native plant, 
for I had two pans of healthy seedlings killed by frost in a frame 
in the winter of 1880. 
I am not one of those who think that Nature is the best guide in 
gardening operations, where plants cannot always have their natural 
conditions supplied to them ; but with regard to the time of sow¬ 
ing plants which are biennial in nature, I think the right time is 
always as soon as the seed is ripe. If seedlings are allowed to be 
crowded in pans, and are ill supplied with food and water, they 
are spoilt; but this Chlora, like all other biennials, should be trans¬ 
planted early, and have plenty of room to grow. I have grown it 
for three years in large quantity both in pots under glass and 
planted out on sunny rockeries and in sunny beds, and when the 
sun is out it never fails to attract admiration ; but, like most of 
the Gentian tribe, it closes when the sun is off. It is too slender 
to stand against high wind, and it looks best in a mass skilfully 
pegged down. I plant it out in May, and it flowers through July 
and August, ripening seed during the latter month. Can no one 
tell us its real history ?—C. W. D. 
LIVERPOOL SHOW. 
August 5th. 
Sefton Park in which the Exhibition was held is without doubt 
the most beautiful public park in the provinces, and by the admirable 
manner in which it is kept by Mr. Herbert is certainly one of the 
most enjoyable. The Exhibition under notice was not only the best 
that has ever been held in the Park, but beyond question the finest 
early autumn show that has been seen in England this year. It is 
not too much to say that the specimen stove and greenhouse plants 
were magnificent, and not a few of them unique; and it is the more 
creditable to the cultivators of the district that the chief prizes in 
all the open classes in this section were won by local competitors. 
Mr. Mease was the premier exhibitor, and the splendid quality of his 
products entitle him to a high place of honour amongst' British 
gardeners. Fruit was of great excellence, Black Grapes especially 
being superb, and Muscats fine; Peaches large, and many of them 
remarkably well coloured. Nectarines were similarly fine ; a dish of 
Pine Apple staged by the exhibitor named being the richest in colour 
we have ever seen, and of the first size. Pines were admirably repre¬ 
sented, but Melons were rather small. Vegetables, excepting the 
Peas and Potatoes, were perhaps the weakest part of the Show ; still 
the winning collections included superior dishes, notably the cup 
collection of the redoubtable Mr. Mease. Cut flowers were of great 
excellence, there being some good stands of Roses notwithstanding 
the late inclement weather, while the collections of exotic and hardy 
flowers were of the first order of merit. Miscellaneous groups of 
plants were attractive, and some of them tastefully arranged, but 
although decided progress has been made in this section there is still 
room for improvement. Bouquets on the whole were not of high- 
class quality, and we should not give a faithful record of the Show if 
we did not say the epergnes were decidedly bad. Collections of orna¬ 
mental trees and Conifers were of great magnitude and merit; but 
the award of the gold medal by no means met with general approval, 
and Messrs. Iver & Son were regarded by the public as the premier 
exhibitors. Having given a general idea of the Show we will refer to 
the principal classes, making no pretence to notice all the exhibits in 
the three large marquees—one of them a hundred yards in length. 
PLANTS. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants .—In the open class for twelve speci¬ 
mens Mr. Mease, gardener to F. Neumann, Esq., Wyncote, Allerton, 
was first with such specimens as are seldom seen. Croton variegatus 
was 9 feet in diameter, excellent in colour, and faultless in form. 
C. Queen Victoria was grand ; 7 to 8 feet in diameter, and, so far as 
we know, unequalled. The other plants were Ericas retorta major 
and Parmenteriana rosea, neat; Clerodendron Balfourianum and Alla- 
manda Hendersonii, fresh; Latania borbonica, Gleichenia Mendelli, 
Croton angustifolius, and Ixora coccinea. Mr. Pears, gardener to 
R. R. Raynor, Esq., Hillside, Allerton, was a good second, his notable 
plants being a fresh and fine Clerodendron, Croton Queen Victoria in 
superb health and colour, C. Disraeli; fine and most creditable examples 
of Calamus ciliaris, Latania borbonica, Allamanda Hendersoni, and a 
fine Dicksonia antarctica. In the open class for six plants Mr. Mease 
was again first with, amongst others, Allamanda grandiflora, a really 
grand and fine Stephanotis, with Vinca alba and an Ixora, both good ; 
Messrs. Caldwell & Sons, Knutsford, and Mr. Faulkner, gardener to 
F. R. Leyland,Esq., Woolton Hall, securing the remaining prizes with 
excellent plants. In the local class for ten plants Mr. Leadbeater, 
gardener to T. S. Timmis, Esq., Grasendale, secured the foremost 
position, his Stephanotis being of rare merit; Ixora Dixiana with a 
hundred bright trusses, Allamanda Hendersoni, and Croton Queen 
Victoria remarkably fine. Mr. Cox, gardener to W. H. Watts, Esq.. 
Wavertree, followed, his best plants being Alocasia macrorhiza varied 
gata and Kalosanthes Dr. G. Regel attracting special attention. For 
four.plants the prizes went to Messrs. Pears and Cromwell. The best 
specimen stove plant was Anthurium Andreanum with seven spathes 
5 by 4 inches in diameter, and foliage 14 inches long by 9 inches wide. 
He had also the best greenhouse plant—Ivalosanthes miniata, a semi¬ 
globe nearly 4 feet across, like a huge bouquet of rosy flowers. The 
best Ericas were staged by Mr. Cromwell, the plants exceeding 3 feet 
in diameter and well flowered. 
Fine-foliage Plants. —In the open class for eight plants there was 
excellent competition, Mr. Faulkner securing the chief position with 
admirable examples of Areca Baueri, Alocasia Lowi, Pritchardia 
pacifica fine, Kentia australis splendid, Croton Weismanni 7 by 
G feet, C. Queen Victoria excellent, Latania borbonica, and Cocos 
revolnta. Mr. Cromwell, gardener to T. Moss, Esq., Aigburth, was a 
good second, his prominent plants being Anthurium Warroqueanum 
with five leaves from 3 to 4 feet long, A. cristalinum remarkably fine, 
and Kentia Fosteriana. Messrs. Caldwell & Sons were third. In the 
class for six plants Mr. Mease was first with plants of extraordinary 
merit. The beautiful Croton Prince of Wales, 4 feet in diameter at 
the base and 5 feet high, is with little doubt the finest plant in the 
country, as it was the gem of the Show ; C. Weismanni, a grand bush 
8 feet in diameter, and C. interruptus, 9 feet across, were the striking 
plants in this group. Mr. Leadbeater was second, staging Davallia 
Mooreana 9 feet across, and Alocasia metallica G to 7 feet. Mr. Mercer, 
gardener to Mrs. Crossfield, Aigburth, followed, Phyllanthus nivosus 
being seldom seen in such fine condition. 
Ferns. —Mr. Faulkner distanced all competitors in the class for 
eight plants. Adiantum lunulatum 6 inches high and 5 feet across 
being quite unique, and was excellently matched with a similar mass 
of Davallia humata Tyermanni, while Nephrolepis davallioides fur- 
cans we have never seen so large and fine, the plant being 6 feet in 
diameter, with grand arching fronds. Mr. Pears was second in this 
class, Davallia polyantha being admirably grown ; and Mr. Gore, 
gardener to T. Holder, Esq., Prince’s Park, third. Mr. Whitfield, gar¬ 
dener to J. T. Cross, Esq., Aigburth, had the best specimen Fern, 
Goniophlebium subauriculatum, 4 feet through, with drooping fronds 
5 feet long. For six plants Mr. Cromwell was first, Lomaria zami- 
folia, Pteris scaberula, and Gymnogramma peruviana argyrophylla 
being in superior condition. Mr. Stevenson, gardener to Mrs. 
Horsfall, was second, his group including a most meritorious ex¬ 
ample of Adiantum excisum 4 to: 5 feet in diameter, all the rest 
being good. Mr. Foster, gardener To J. Branker, Esq., Wavertree, 
had third honours, his notable plant being Todea superba, really 
superb. In the class for ten hardy Ferns Mr. Faulkner was again 
decidedly in advance with plants of great excellence, followed by 
Mr. Gore. 
Orchids. —Only two classes were provided for these, but the com¬ 
petition and quality of the plants exhibited were superior to any 
staged at the Society’s previous exhibitions. In the class for four 
plants Mr. W. Sherwin, gardener to Morton Spark, Esq., Huyton, 
was well ahead with a grand variety of Saccolabium Blumei majus 
with two large spikes, Cattleya Leopoldii with eighteen flowers, 
Odontoglossum Alexandras with one large spike, good variety, with 
flowers nearly 3 inches across ; and a large pan of well-grown Disa 
grandiflora with fully forty flowers. Mr. Edwards, gardener to Dr. 
Walker, Liverpool, was a good second with Cattleya crispa, Odonto¬ 
glossum Pescatorei, Oncidium Lanceanum (three spikes), and a good 
Saccolabium Blumei majus with three spikes ; Mr. Bostock, gardener 
to E. Harvey, Esq., being third. For one plant Mr. E. Smith, gar¬ 
dener to R. D. Holt, Esq., Sefton Park, was first with Aerides suavis- 
simum with six grand spikes ; Mr. Lander, gardener to Mrs. H. Banner, 
Birkenhead, second with Oncidium Lanceanum with six spikes ; and 
Mr. Sherwin third with Saccolabium Blumei majus with four spikes. 
There were eight entries in this class. 
Conifers. —Three very fine groups of these were arranged—two, 
one on each side of the entrance to the grounds, and the other some 
distance in the grounds near the fruit and vegetable tent. The 
Society’s gold medal was given for the best collection of hardy trees 
and shrubs, and the Judges pronounced in favour of Messrs, Cald¬ 
well & Sons’ collection. That belonging to Messrs. R. P. Ker and 
Son included a good assortment of choice ornamental trees, Hollies, 
and Conifers. Messrs. J. Dickson & Son also staged a good choice 
group. 
Fuchsias were on the whole far superior to any that have been 
seen at previous shows of the Society, the plants in the winning 
classes ranging from 6 to 7 feet high and 3 feet in diameter at the 
base. The most succesful competitors were from Aigburth—namely, 
Messrs. Butler, gardener to T. Drysdale, Esq.; Leadbeater; Evans, 
gardener to Mrs. Lockett; Hurst, gardener to W. B. Bowring, Esq.; 
and Wright, gardener to E. Lawrence, Esq. 
Begonias formed a brilliant feature of the Show, and it is question¬ 
able if such a large number of huge specimens have ever been seen 
together before. The prizes offered by Messrs. John Laing & Co. 
were won by Messrs. Hurst and Evans with comparatively new varie¬ 
ties, and consequently the plants were not large—about 2 feet in 
diameter, but those older forms in competition for the Society’s prizes 
were wonderful by their size and excellence. Mr. Mease’s single 
specimen of Vesuvius was 5 by 5 feet and crowded with brilliant 
flowers, and the second and third-prize plants of Messrs. Wright 
(Emperor) and Leadbeater (Vesuvius) were little inferior. The col¬ 
lections of six plants from Messrs. Stevenson and Evans were simi¬ 
larly remarkable by their size and quality, as were those of Messrs. 
Hurst and Wright in the classes for three plants. The competition 
was spirited, there being dozens of plants 3 to 4 feet in diameter 
densely covered with dazzling flowers. 
