50 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 15, 1880. 
inferior to the first, Mr. Tudgey having been already at most of the 
prominent exhibitions held this year ; his best plants being Anthu- 
rium Schertzerianum, Clerodendron Balfourianum, Allamanda Hen- 
dersoni; Ericas ferruginea and Paxtoni, the former being a magnifi¬ 
cent plant. There were three lots ; Mr. Noble, gardener to Theo. 
Fry, Esq., M.P., Woodburn, Darlington, being third. In the corre¬ 
sponding amateurs’ class for six flowering plants Mr. E. W. Letts, 
gardener to the Earl of Zetland, Upleatham, was first with a very 
fine collection. He had Ixora coccinea, grand, massive in truss, and 
finely coloured ; Erica ferruginea and Bougainvillea glabra being both 
extraordinary. Mr. Tudgey was again second ; his Anthurium Schert- 
zerianura, Clerodendron Balfourianum, and Erica venosa were the 
best. In this class there were five competitors. 
For eight foliage plants Mr. Cypher took premier honours with fine 
examples of Cordyline indivisa, Cycas intermedia, and Croton Disraeli 
very fine. Mr. Niel Black, gardener to Mr. Pease, Southend, Darling¬ 
ton, was second with fine examples of Croton Johannis unusually 
well coloured, and C. undulatum. In the class for six foliage plants 
Mr. Letts was first.with very fine examples of Croton majesticus, 
C. Johannis, and Gleichenia rupestris in splendid condition. This we 
believe is Mr. Letts’s debut as an exhibitor, and his attempt is very 
creditable to him. Mr. Tudgey was second with some good plants of 
Croton Johannis, C. Andreanus, and Geonoma gracilis. There were 
altogether five collections, none of which would have disgraced any 
exhibition. 
For a group of plants the Society offered £10, space allowed being 
20 by 10 feet. There were five entries, and as a new feature at New¬ 
castle formed one of the most distinguished characteristics of the 
Show. Mr. W. Yule, gardener to W. Pease, Esq., South Pierremont, 
Darlington, was first with a very fine collection of plants, embracing 
Palms, Crotons, and flowering plants arranged with taste and judg¬ 
ment. Mr. W. It. Armstrong, nurseryman, Newcastle, was second 
with very good plants ; his centre plant consisted of a huge Stephan- 
otis on a large balloon trellis. Mr. Noble was third, his group con¬ 
taining some very fine plants, especially noticeable being a finely 
coloured specimen of Croton Johannis. This was backed up with 
several other fine plants, but towards the edge the arrangement was 
a little too heavy. 
Pelargoniums for the time of year were in splendid condition, 
those shown by Mr. May being in prime condition, and by the 
northern growers were much admired ; he had a very fine plant of 
Gipsy. Mr. Lazenby, nurseryman, York, following with another 
very good lot. In the amateurs’ class Mr. Sanderson, gardener to 
W. H. Parker, Esq., The Elms, was first with fresh examples of Beads¬ 
man, British Tar, and Wm. Bull; Mr. Adams, Swalwell, following. 
There were in this class four lots. In the open class for six Fancy 
varieties Messrs. May and Lazenby took premier honours with very 
fine plants. For six Zonal Pelargoniums Mr. Wm. Spoor, Swalwell, 
was first; they were very creditable to him, and consisted of such 
useful varieties as Mrs. Wm. Paul and Master Christine. 
Boses were the only weak feature of the Show. This fact is no 
doubt due to the circumstance that the Show is quite three weeks too 
early for the northern exhibitors. The prize of £6 for forty-eight 
Boses, not less than twenty-four varieties, only secured three entries ; 
Messrs. Cranston & Co. of Hereford being an easy first with what were 
for the season considered fine blooms of Exposition de Brie, Princess 
Beatrice, Marie Baumann, Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier, General Jacque¬ 
minot (splendid), Baronne de Rothschild, Dupuy Jamain, Marechal 
Niel, Madame Therese Levet, Madame Lacharme, and Charles 
Lefebvre. For thirty-six Boses, not less than eighteen varieties, 
no first was awarded, Messrs. Cranston & Co. being placed second. 
For twelve yellows, B. Mack & Son, nurserymen, Catterick, York¬ 
shire, were awarded the first prize with some very good blooms, 
For twelve Boses, Tea-scented, they were also first. In the corre¬ 
sponding class for thirty-six Boses Messrs. Cranston & Co., Hereford, 
offered a ten-guinea challenge cup to be won twice in three years. 
T. Jowitt, Esq., The Old Weir, Hereford, was first with handsome 
blooms. For twenty-four Mr. Jowitt was also first. He had some very 
fine blooms which were fresh and good, and were much superior to 
the exhibits of his northern opponents. 
Table Decorations .—These formed one of the great features of this 
Show. The Society offered £10 as the first prize for dinner-table 
decorations. There were four competitors, including the great Inter¬ 
national prizetaker, Mr. Cypher of Cheltenham, who had to succumb 
this time to a successful local exhibitor, Mr. M. Thompson, gardener 
to Lindsay Wood, Esq., South Hill. The arrangement of his centre¬ 
piece elicited from the Judges marked approval, his style being so 
light and elegant, with just sufficient coloured flowers to give the 
whole an artistic effect. The flowers he employed in the centre were, in 
the top of the stand, Everlastings, Oncidiums, Water Lilies, Gloxinias, 
Ixoras, and Dipladenias. These heavier flowers were placed towards the 
base. The base of the stand was margined with Davallia Mooreana, 
and the whole was effectively draped with Lygodium scandens. Mr. 
Cypher also had an excellent table, his centre being a fine plant of 
Cocos Weddelliana springing from a bed of Selaginellas, with two 
very well-arranged epergnes. Mr. Methven, gardener to E. Lange, 
Esq., Heathfield House, Gateshead, and Mrs. Gellender, florist, Grey 
Street, Newcastle, filled the remaining places with creditable tables. 
Table plants were also very good. Six lots were shown, Mr. Tudgey 
being first. Epergnes were Very well arranged, Mr. Cypher being 
first, and Mr. Whiting, gardener to — Walker, Esq., The Shot Tower, 
Newcastle. Hand, wedding, and buttonhole bouquets were also 
numerous. For six foliage plants there were seven competitors, 
Mr. Letts again securing premier honours. For six exotic Ferns he 
was also first too with noble specimens of Davallia Mooreana 7 feet 
across; Cyathea dealbata, Dicksonia antarctica, and Gleichenia ru¬ 
pestris (magnificent). Mr. Tudgey was a good second with Davallia 
Mooreana and Gleichenia rupestris. Mr. Noble won with six British 
Ferns, showing fresh plants of Osmundas, Trichomanes, and 
Athyriums. 
Cut flowers of hardy and herbaceous plants were very fine, and 
many very beautiful varieties were represented. For twenty-four 
bunches of flowers there were ten entries, Mr. W. Yule being first 
with a pretty collection of Delphiniums, Thalictrums, Spiraeas, 
Lychnises, Lupins, Potentillas, and Alstromerias. Mr. E. Larke, 
gardener to the Rev. Mr. Wheeler, Whitby Vicarage, was second 
with a collection which contained some very fine Irises. 
Fruit. —This department has considerably developed since last 
year both in number of exhibits and quality of produce. For six 
dishes of fruit the Society offered £5 and the Boyal Horticultural 
Society’s bronze medal. There were five competitors; Mr. H. G. 
Clayton, gardener to J. Fielden, Esq., Grimston Park, Tadcaster, 
being first with a fine Queen Pine, Muscat of Alexandria and Black 
Hamburgh Grapes, good Boyal George Peaches, Eastnor Castle Melon, 
and President Strawberries, all of which were good. Mr. H. Mann, 
gardener to Mrs. B. D. Hornsby, St. Vincent’s, Grantham, was second, 
his best dishes being Black Hamburgh Grapes and Elruge Nectarines. 
Mr. J. Edmonds, gardener to the Duke of St. Albans, Bestwood Lodge, 
Nottingham, was third. For four dishes of fruit, Pines excluded, 
Mr. E. W. Letts took premier honours with Black Hamburgh and Buck- 
land Sweetwater Grapes, Peaches, and a fine Melon, neatly netted, 
called Marcellus. Mr. J. Clark, gardener to the Marquis of Bipon, 
Studley Boyal, was second, staging good Black Hamburgh and Golden 
Champion Grapes. For four bunches of Grapes Mr. Letts was first, 
there being eight competitors. For two bunches of white Grapes 
J. Mavin & Son, market gardeners, Whitby, were first; Mr. Hutchin¬ 
son, gardener to — Hunter, Esq., J.P., Whickham Grange, amongst 
thirteen competitors, winning first with Madresfield Court, which 
were very fine. A number of Melons were shown, Mr. Yule winning 
with William Tillery Melon. There were ten dishes of Peaches, 
Mr. Edmonds winning with some noble examples of Chancellor. There 
were also ten dishes of Nectarines, Mr. H. J. Clayton, Mr. Edmonds, 
and Mr. J. B. Jowsey taking honours respectively. Figs, Cherries, 
and Strawberries were well shown by Messrs. Clark, Elsworthy, and 
Clark, who took first in each class. 
In concluding our remarks on the Show it will be’interesting to 
state that there were admitted on both days 24,830 persons, of whom 
19,363 paid at the gates, and 5017 were admitted by ticket. The total 
receipts at the gates were £678 19s. 8 cl., as against £519 16s. last year. 
There were 110 exhibitors, who forwarded 708 Bose blooms, 478 cut 
flowers, 150 table decorations, bouquets, 196 dishes of fruit, 20 epergnes, 
155 specimen plants, 253 Ferns and Ericas, and 700 plants in groups, 
making a total of 3041, as against 1889 in the summer Show of 1879. 
The Exhibition was held in six large tents with their sides open, 
forming one large massive pavilion. Several leading nurserymen 
sent magnificent collections of every novelty of recent introduction, 
Messrs. Veitch of Chelsea and Williams of the Paradise Nurseries, 
London, contributing two collections which entirely filled one end of 
the pavilion. Messrs. J. Bobson & Sons, Hexham, sent a fine collection 
of Conifer® and Alpine plants, as also did Hr. Wm. Fell of Hexham. 
Mr. W. H. Hilton sent some excellent hand-painted flower pots of 
unbreakable material. Mackenzie & Moncur, horticultural builders, 
of Edinburgh, exhibited one of their patent conservatories ; and 
Messrs. Dinning & Cooke, hot-water engineers, Newcastle, exhibited 
their patent hot-water apparatus for heating hothouses, &c. 
The Committee and officers in general deserve to be congratulated 
on the success of their Show, as they spared neither time nor labour 
to make it what it was—a fine Exhibition. 
GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. 
The thirty-seventh anniversary of this excellent institution was 
held at the “ Albion,” Aldersgate Street, on Wednesday evening 
the 7th mst. H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught presided, and among 
the company were H.S.H. the Duke of Teck ; the Right Hon. Sir 
F. W. Truscott, Lord Mayor of London ; Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart. ; Dr. Hogg ; and Messrs. R. Marnock, H. Webb, G. F. 
Wilson, H. J. Veitch, A. Veitch, C. Lee, J. Lee, B. A. Osborn, 
J. Fraser, B. S. Williams, W. Bull, and many others. In proposing 
the toast, “ Continued Success and Prosperity to the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution,” His Boyal Highness referred to the 
objects of the Society, and commented on the progress which has 
been made since 1842, after the somewhat unfavourable period 
which followed the establishment of the Society in 1838 had been 
passed. He was happy to state that since that time 269 persons 
had been relieved, and the funds now amount to £12,000. After 
some further observations on the difficulties and disadvantages 
gardeners have to contend with, and commending the admirable 
management of the Society, His Royal Highness concluded by 
coupling the name of Mr. Robert Wrench with the toast above 
